Kurt Ahrens: Jo Siffert's ex-partner is 80 🎥
SHARED VICTORY Former Porsche works driver Kurt Ahrens celebrates his 80th birthday today. The German celebrated one of his greatest victories alongside Jo Siffert at the Österreichring in 1969 in a Porsche 917. At the Jim Clark Revival in April 2010, there was a parade of vehicles to mark Kurt Ahrens' 70th birthday. His son Mike shot this film [...]
At the Jim Clark Revival in April 2010, there was a parade of vehicles celebrating Kurt Ahrens' 70th birthday. His son Mike made this film about it, which also discusses his encounter with Jim Clark on the eve of his accident.
Sad memories of Jim Clark
Kurt Ahrens began his racing career in 1958 and was soon regarded as one of the most promising German talents in Formula racing. In 1961, 1963 and 1965 he won the DM title in Formula Junior.
Further successes followed in Formula 2. Here, Ahrens went down in TV sports history by accompanying Jim Clark to the ZDF sports studio the night before the Formula 2 race at Hockenheim, where the two-time Formula 1 world champion and the German gave interviews. The following day, Clark had a fatal accident in his Lotus F2.
One Formula 1 race was enough for inspection
In 1968, Ahrens also contested a Formula 1 race on a Brabham Repco at the German Grand Prix on the Nürburgring. This experience made him aware of what a professional has to achieve in the top class of motorsport.
For him, racing was primarily intended as a balance to his daily work in the family business, a recycling company. That's why he decided against staying in Formula 1.
Historic debut victory of the Porsche 917 with Jo Siffert
Ahrens then achieved his greatest successes as a Porsche works driver. In many races, he partnered Hans Herrmann, who became a good friend. But he celebrated his greatest victories alongside other works drivers. On August 10, 1969, for example, he won the 1000 kilometer race at the Österreichring with Jo Siffert in a Porsche 917. It was the inaugural event of the freshly built race track that gave rise to today's Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
For the young Ferdinand Piëch as project manager, this first victory by Kurt Ahrens and Jo Siffert was of the greatest importance. Because after the disappointing retirement at Le Mans, the Porsche 917's clout had finally been proven.
Pole setter at Le Mans
The following year, Ahrens won the 1000 Kilometer Nürburgring with Vic Elford in a Porsche 908/3. He also shared the cockpit of the 917 longtail with the Briton at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With a time of 3'19.08 minutes and an average of 242.68 km/h on the 13.5-kilometer Mulsanne straight, which was not yet interrupted by a chicane, Kurt Ahrens immortalized himself as the pole setter of 1970 at the world's most famous endurance race.
In the race, Ahrens/Elford led for a long time before engine failure forced them to retire. Victory-the first for Porsche at Le Mans-went to their Porsche Salzburg teammates Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood.
Resignation after podium finish with Siffert
In November, Ahrens drove to second place in the 9 Hours of Kyalami with Jo Siffert in the Martini International Porsche 917K. After finishing on the podium at the last sports car race of the year, he retired from racing at the age of just 30 to devote more time to his wife, four children and business.
Today, Kurt Ahrens still accompanies the Porsche Museum on driving missions at classic events all over the world as well as at various historic motorsport events.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Ahrens
