52 replies to this topic

[BRG]

Reading the Christmas edition of Motorsport News this morning, I noticed a story that I liked a lot. I am sure it was reported at the time although, to be honest, I don’t recall it at all. If you are already familiar with it, then my apologies but some may enjoy it as one of the more bizarre bits of F1 history.

It concerned the 1977 German GP at Hockenheim, where Hans Heyer, a top saloon car racer, was offered a run in the ATS Penske-Ford PC4 alongside “Jumper” Jarier. After practicing 27th fastest out of the 30 entrants, he failed to qualify for the race (which was no shame at all, given his lack of F1 experience and that Emerson Fittipaldi and Art Merzario also DNQ’d). However, perhaps at the behest of sponsors seeking some TV coverage in their home race, on race day he sat ready in the pit-lane just in case a gap should open up on the grid.

Although the whole grid got away cleanly, leaving no opportunity for a reserve to get a start, Heyer joined the race anyway under cover of the usual Hockenheim first corner shunt, which this time involved Regazzoni and Alan Jones. Amazingly, the officials did not notice this illicit extra car (the suspicious or cynical amongst us might of course ponder on Heyer’s nationality) and Hans was allowed to continue for 9 laps. Even then, he was not black flagged, but stopped due to a gear linkage problem.

You have to admire the sheer cheek of it! Despite a fine career in saloon car racing, Hans never got another F1 chance. But can you imagine how the authorities would react today to such cheeky and disrespectful action? There would be penalties and suspensions all round – even the spectators would be probably fined for watching an illegal car. It is a story like this that reminds how different F1 was back in the 1970s.

[Xig]

Originally posted by BRG
...even the spectators would be probably fined for watching an illegal car. ...

[karlth]

That's it BRG. This time you went too far. One more amusing story from the dark ages and Silverstone goes.

Bernie.

[rdrcr]

Great Story BRG!

Sounds like something I might have done when I was 20 something... The brazeness of the act and effort should be commended. After all he did manage to complete 9 laps and apparently aquitted himself pretty well.

If that had happened today, they would have thrown him the slammer and suspended the team for a season or two!

[Wolf]

, Barry. Like any of us wouldn't do it, given half the chance...;) OK, admittedly they could catch us with a safety-car or something, and I guess they figured that one would be harder to catch.

[Felix Muelas]

[Frank de Jong]

I witnessed the whole incident at Hockenheim, the crowd made a lot of noise when Hans (who wasn't even first but third reserve...) left the pitlane. It was a good year for Germany, Hans Stuck finishing third.
1978 was different for them, though: Mass and Stuck collided on the first lap...

[Felix Muelas]

We dealt with the above picture -minus drivers´obvious readable name- at the November 1998 edition of the now defunct 8W game .

You can easily recognize Racer.Demon´s style in the wording of the answer, that I will not spare :

Who? Hans Heyer
What? ATS Penske-Cosworth PC4
Where? Hockenheim
When? 1977 German GP

Why? While Italian Arturo Merzario embraced American culture with his trademark cowboy hat (see October issue), German Hans Heyer stayed closer to home in his openly exposure of xenophilia: the Westphalia resident (Germany's flattest province!) never left home without a Tyrolean hat as his good-luck charm. The seventies touring car ace, however, never made his mark on F1 in the way Merzario did. In fact, Heyer's only F1 start was a freak appearance. Drafted in for a one-off at his home GP, the 1974 European Touring Car Champion looked destined for a two-day F1 career, when he failed to make the cut in Gunther Schmid's second ATS Penske - but for undiscovered reasons he managed to prolong his stay in F1 for another day by somehow making his way into Sunday's race! Maybe the failing starting lights causing confusion on the grid were the cause of Heyer's illegal participation. Although Heyer set 27th time on Saturday and 24 cars were allowed to start the race, the race officials completely overlooked him when the German flag was waved and Hans drove out of the pits to join the rest of the field. The wayward stewards only discovered their mistake when Hans retired with a broken gear linkage... He was subsequently disqualified. Until this day statistical anoraks feud over Heyer's single GP appearance. Should he be credited with it or should we agree that his race never officially happened? Yeah, just like Michael Schumacher never finished second in last year's championship!

How? The ATS team used one-year old Penskes in its first season, familiarly shaped cars for those who have seen John Watson win the 1976 Austrian GP. The yellow paint job points to the ATS team and thus the 1977 season. The No.35 was used for the irregularly entered second car whenever Boy Hayje entered his No.33 F&S Properties March. This occurred twice: in Holland and in Germany. You wouldn't find any forest trees in the Dutch dunes, so this must be Hockenheim. Heyer's helmet in German national colours - as opposed to Binder's red-and-white Austrian helmet - is another clue.

[bobbo]

D**N!!

Great story!!

Any more great ones floating around??

From anybody?

Bobbo

[FEV]

This used to be a common practice (i.e. letting the first non-qualifier do the warm-up lap) in the mid 70s - does anybody knows when the rule (if there was one) was installed and banned. IIRC Vern Schuppan did the same with the Ensign in the 1974 Swedish GP, but he FINISHED THE RACE after ignoring the black flags . The same year (or in 1975) Ian Ashley started the German GP on the Ring with the Token under the same circumstances. But IIRC he had the right to do so for someone (Hulme ?) had crashed in the first lap. But this episode was marred with irregularities because Hulme (if he was the one who crashed) tried to restart the race with the T-car ! There must have been a red flag or something - sorry if this is a bit confusing, but it is off the top of my head !
note : Schuppan was of course not classified in this race (and this start must not be listed in his career records) but IIRC (once again !) he did a great race, maybe the best of an Ensign that year, that would have given him an 8th or 9th place ! He probably is the only driver in Grand Prix History who was completed the entire distance of a race (minus maybe a lap or two given the car he had) and that does not appear in the charts !

[Marcor]

In the 1960 Bruxelles GP, which was then a F2 race, Tony Marsh was not qualified but started the race. After some laps, the organisers noticed the unauthorised car and Tony was blackflagged. So Hans Heyer just did the same as Tony Marsh 17 years later...

[rgagne]

Originally posted by BRG
...even the spectators would be probably fined for watching an illegal car.

but so true!!!

[racer69]

in 1972? at oran park at a Touring Car round a spectator managed to somehow drive their road car onto the circuit in the middle of the race. Anyone know anymore details of this?

[Catalina Park]

At Oran Park he was probably just looking for food or clean toilets

[FEV]

in 1972? at oran park at a Touring Car round a spectator managed to somehow drive their road car onto the circuit in the middle of the race. Anyone know anymore details of this?

I read or heard of several stories like that, mostly in America. One was at a Talladega NASCAR race where someguy stolled the pace-car ! IIRC he was killed in the wreck caused by officials and marshalls trucks who tried to stop him.
The greatest I read was in the Mille Miglia (56 ?) where two kids (around 14yo) stoled their father's car, painted numbers on the doors and sneaked in the race ! Most beautiful thing about it is that the organisers invited them at the post-race prize ceremony where they where dubbed as the 'future of racing". Sadly the Mille Miglia was in its last years.

[BRG]

Thanks for the picture and the extra background, Felix!

Veering slightly off my own thread, but following up the "illegal" entries theme, in the Tour de France in 1999 or 2000 there were a couple of guys who somehow managed to get onto the road in full bike racing outfits a few km from the end of one stage. The Eurosport commentators went frantic when compeltetly unexpectedly the "King of the Mountains" rider appeared in the top few finishers, when they thought he was 30 mins behind the leaders. The Tour officials and the commentators were very unimpressed about it all, but I must admit that it gave me a good laugh at the time.

Another case was the guy who somehow managed to get into the Manchester United (soccer) team photograph, again fully kitted out in team strip. Some of the other players were a bit puzzled about who he was but then footballers have never be chosen for their intellectual abilities.

All very irresponsible, I know, but the day when sports can't cope with some high jinks will be a sad day...

[karlth]

Then there is that self proclaimed French Baron who has managed to squeeze himself into a lot of high profile photographs in Europe, including a G7 leaders group photo if I remember correctly.

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by BRG

Another case was the guy who somehow managed to get into the Manchester United (soccer) team photograph, again fully kitted out in team strip. Some of the other players were a bit puzzled about who he was but then footballers have never be chosen for their intellectual abilities.

The same guy also walked out onto the field in full England cricket gear and carrying a bat during one of the Tests this summer! The way our middle order keeps collapsing at the moment, perhaps it might have been better if they'd let him play ....

And continuing the theme, I remember a protestor running with the leaders at the start of the London Marathon a few years back - he couldn't keep up with them for long though!!

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by BRG

Another case was the guy who somehow managed to get into the Manchester United (soccer) team photograph, again fully kitted out in team strip.

Gary Neville?

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Roger Clark


Gary Neville?

[ebe]

[Don Capps]

The Bear.



The Bear out in first lap shunt.



The Bear sees spare car.



The Bear gets into spare car.



The Bear enters race in spare car.



The Bear blackflagged in spare car.



The Bear goes to sleep on the pit couner once out of spare car.



The Bear.

[Vitesse2]

Don:

[FEV]

So that was him - wasn't too sure, thanks.

[ensign14]

Didn't Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane get involved with the Daytona 500 one year???

[SpecialKS]

http://www.f1rejects.../biography.html

[Ron B.]

I have always been interested in herrHeyers connection with Mercedes particularly the disasterous venture with AMG and the McLaren project. So in this slightly O/T offering there is this ...
http://uweb.superlin...oint3/rudi.html






Pure fiction of course.

[Henk Vasmel]

Originally posted by Frank de Jong
I witnessed the whole incident at Hockenheim, the crowd made a lot of noise when Hans (who wasn't even first but third reserve...) left the pitlane. It was a good year for Germany, Hans Stuck finishing third.
1978 was different for them, though: Mass and Stuck collided on the first lap...

Somewhere around this time, Bernie made a famous remark. There's only two things that Formula One needs: A black driver and a fast German. It took some time but he lived to see both.

[Prototype]

I remember the Oran Park incident very well. Those were the days when the place attracted 30 - 40,000 people; that day it was packed to the rafters.

During the final race of the 1971 Australian Touring Car Championship, (which was a slug-fest between Bob Jane and Allan Moffat) a white Valiant Pacer driven by a bearded yobbo somehow got onto the racetrack during the race and drove a complete lap.

Helmetless and probably drunk he drove past us (my father and myself) bewildered, checking his mirrors, probably regretting every second he was on the track. How he avoided being cleaned up I'll never know.

It was some race - Moffat's red Trans Am Mustang got stuck in second gear, he stopped in front of us, frantically pushing and pulling at the gear leaver and finally freeing it. He scorched off, driving the race of a lifetime, beaten home by one car length by Jane.

[Der Pate]

Originally posted by Henk Vasmel


Somewhere around this time, Bernie made a famous remark. There's only two things that Formula One needs: A black driver and a fast German. It took some time but he lived to see both.

I remember this quote, too...must have been in the mid of the 80s...I guess just after the death of Stefan Bellof...

[alansart]

Originally posted by Felix Muelas

German Hans Heyer stayed closer to home in his openly exposure of xenophilia: the Westphalia resident (Germany's flattest province!) never left home without a Tyrolean hat as his good-luck charm.

Hans Heyer just about visible on the left, complete with hat. This was the debut of the Jags at Mosport Park in 1985 - although this time he didn't start!

[Henri Greuter]

Originally posted by bobbo
D**N!!

Great story!!

Any more great ones floating around??

From anybody?

Bobbo

I recall a similar story about the German GP as well so that'w why I think that I mix up two drivers.

The story I recall is that Harald Ertl has done somithing similar in 1976?
But because that being the one in which Lauda had his accident the Ertl story beign forgotten??


Henri

[uechtel]

Ertl was qualified 21th on the grid (for the first start) so he legally could take part in the rescue action for Lauda.

[uechtel]

Found it: Happened not aat the German but at the French GP!

From Ulrich Schwab, "Grand Prix 1976":
"With four redundant drivers the small German speaking community was again concerned about Harald Ertl. The bearded Austrian had told everybody - including his potential sponsors - that his time would come one the faster circuits and was now owing the proof. In addition to that the payments from the FOCA for the Hesketh would be no longer based upon Hunt´s result in the second half of the previous season after the French GP. But already the first practise session unveiled the deficiencies of his car in contrast to the 308/2 of Edwards. And so it remained until the end and Ertl did not qualify...
In last position [at the end of the first lap] followed Ertl, who took his chance as 'third' reserve driver. Astonishingly no member of the race organization to prevent him from the start or to flag him out after the first lap. Thus Ertl now really pumped up to pass Neve in the third lap and certainly would have gained even more, if his illegal participation would not have been ended by a defect drive shaft in the fourth lap."

[Henri Greuter]

Originally posted by uechtel
Found it: Happened not aat the German but at the French GP!

From Ulrich Schwab, "Grand Prix 1976":
"With four redundant drivers the small German speaking community was again concerned about Harald Ertl. The bearded Austrian had told everybody - including his potential sponsors - that his time would come one the faster circuits and was now owing the proof. In addition to that the payments from the FOCA for the Hesketh would be no longer based upon Hunt´s result in the second half of the previous season after the French GP. But already the first practise session unveiled the deficiencies of his car in contrast to the 308/2 of Edwards. And so it remained until the end and Ertl did not qualify...
In last position [at the end of the first lap] followed Ertl, who took his chance as 'third' reserve driver. Astonishingly no member of the race organization to prevent him from the start or to flag him out after the first lap. Thus Ertl now really pumped up to pass Neve in the third lap and certainly would have gained even more, if his illegal participation would not have been ended by a defect drive shaft in the fourth lap."

Aha!!!

I knew Ertl was involved with the rescue of Lauda but I did remember having read it in a Dutch magazine once and how that made me laugh. And I could have sworn it was Ertl.
So one could say that heyer did something that Ertl had done before already....

Thanks for checking this out uechtel.


henri

[SpecialKS]

Fascinating how a thread can be revived after a over seven years break (see posts #25 and #26 )

[Ralf Pickel]

Regarding Hans Heyer - famous was his big off at Norisring in 1980. It happened at the end of the long straight before he could brake for the hairpin in the Grp.5 Lancia Montecarlo.
It do not remember what exactly happened/what caused the accident, but after the car came to a halt - severly destroyed - Heyer climbed out, removed the helmet, reached into the cabin and took his Tyrolean hat...almost as if nothing had happened.

[screamingV16]

Just reviving this thread after I came across this Youtube onboard with Hans Heyer, assume this must have been in practice as the cameras were big and bulky affairs and not used in race till the 80's. God wasn't the old Ostkurve sublime! Enjoy.....

Edited by screamingV16, 23 May 2010 - 13:21.

[RStock]

Didn't Carel Beaufort do something like this , sneaking on track mid-race during the Belgium GP one year ?

[AaPee89]

Didn't Carel Beaufort do something like this , sneaking on track mid-race during the Belgium GP one year ?

This happened in the 1962 German Grand Prix!

Below, a quote from Grandprix.com about this:

There were some major crashes in qualifying with Graham Hill's BRM being hit by a TV camera which fell off Carel de Beaufort's Ecurie Maarsbergen Porsche. This caused Hill to go off and Tony Maggs also had a big crash when he hit oil which had been dropped on the track by Hill's car. Fortunately neither driver was hurt and Hill was able to set the second fastest time.

[hansfohr]

In last position [at the end of the first lap] followed Ertl, who took his chance as 'third' reserve driver. Astonishingly no member of the race organization to prevent him from the start or to flag him out after the first lap. Thus Ertl now really pumped up to pass Neve in the third lap and certainly would have gained even more, if his illegal participation would not have been ended by a defect drive shaft in the fourth lap."

Harald wasn't third reservedriver, being 27th quickest in qualifying he was the very first. Danien Magee was 2nd reserve, Ingo Hoffmann 3rd and Loris Kessel (who died very recently) 4th.

[alansart]

Damien Magee was 2nd reserve, Ingo Hoffmann 3rd and Loris Kessel (who died very recently) 4th.

..and who weren't even entered!

Edited by alansart, 24 May 2010 - 16:18.

[hansfohr]

Harald wasn't third reservedriver, being 27th quickest in qualifying he was the very first. Danien Magee was 2nd reserve, Ingo Hoffmann 3rd and Loris Kessel (who died very recently) 4th.

..and who weren't even entered!

They certainly were (qualifying times in brackets)
28th - Damien Magee (#33 RAM Brabham BT44B/1) 1.53.59
29th - Ingo Hoffmann (#31 Copersucar FD04/2) 1.53.78
30th - Loris Kessel (#32 RAM Brabham BT44B/2) 1.55.30

Edited by hansfohr, 24 May 2010 - 16:40.

[hansfohr]

EDIT: we are talking about the same GP (Paul Ricard 1976) right?

Edited by hansfohr, 24 May 2010 - 16:38.

[Michael Ferner]

They certainly were (qualifying times in brackets)
28th - Damien Magee (#33 RAM Brabham BT44B/1) 1.53.59
29th - Ingo Hoffmann (#31 Copersucar FD04/2) 1.53.78
30th - Loris Kessel (#32 RAM Brabham BT44B/2) 1.55.30

And how was Ertl 27th if his best time was 1'53.79"?

[alansart]

EDIT: we are talking about the same GP (Paul Ricard 1976) right?

Sorry, I was thinking of Hockenheim

[Tim Murray]

The times Hans quotes match those here on the Stats F1 site, which has Ertl's best time as 1'53.49, but I don't think they're correct. According to Autosport and the Sheldon black book the official qualifying times were:

Magee - 1'53.49
Hoffmann - 1'53.78
Ertl - 1'54.05
Kessel - 1'55.30

Ertl's time of 1'54.05 was set in the second practice session. As Michael says, he set a quicker time of 1'53.79 in the third session, but for some reason this time appears to have been discounted (disallowed?) as his official qualifying time.

[hansfohr]

I checked Ulrich Schwab's annual F1 book which states that Ertl's time was 1.53.79, not 1.53.49 (Magee's fridaymorning time!) which made the German indeed 3rd reserve. My apologies to uechtel who got the story right.

The correct laptimes are as follows:
(friday 1, friday 2, saturday)
27th Magee 1.53.49 / 1.53.88 / 1.53.54
28th Hoffmann 2.01.06 / 1.56.02 / 1.53.78
29th Ertl 1.54.98 / 1.54.05 / 1.53.79
30th Kessel 1.56.46 / 1.55.30 / 1.55.52

Edited by hansfohr, 24 May 2010 - 20:35.

[absinthedude]

 

Here is a video of the race. our friend Herr Heyer is mentioned 14 minutes in and there's some close up footage of him 19 minutes in. His retirement is around 34 minutes in.

Edited by absinthedude, 30 December 2018 - 13:20.

[FLB]

Autosport had a pretty good retrospective this past Christmas:

 

https://www.autospor...t-in-f1-history