Manfred Schurti: Fast and modest jubilarian 🎥

On June 7, 2018, a regulars' table of VaterlandTV took place in the restaurant Schäfle in Triesen FL. Manfred Schurti was one of the four guests and interview partners from Ländle. He tells about the past and today.

Career start on two wheels
Born on December 24, 1941 ennet der Ostschweizer Grenze in Lustenau in Vorarlberg, Schurti moved with his family to the Principality of Liechtenstein and obtained citizenship of the sixth smallest state in the world.

He starts his motorsport career on two wheels during his training as a car mechanic and driving instructor. As a 21-year-old, he becomes Swiss champion in motocross in the 250 cc category.

Manfred Schurti: "My passion has always been motorcycling. When I drove a car for the first time one day at the Hockenheimring, I quickly realized that I had no idea about it. To get my license, I had to attend a course whose director attested to my talent. But with success, I really got a taste for it."

Works driver at Porsche
In 1966, he entered Formula Vee and continued his career on four wheels with a Swiss license. In the process, Schurti competed against the likes of Harald Ertl, Niki Lauda and Helmut Marko.

In 1972, he won the European Cup in Formula Super V and the Castrol Trophy Formula Super V. A year later, Schurti signed a works driver contract with Porsche. He raced for the sports car manufacturer from Zuffenhausen or for private teams until 1981.

With various racing cars, Schurti also sporadically takes part in races for the Swiss Automobile Championship, as well as in Formula 2 races. He is even no stranger to hill climbs. In recognition of his successes, in 1976 he was the first and only non-Swiss to receive the BP Racing Trophy, which was awarded by a jury every year from 1965 to 2003.

Victories on famous race tracks
The Liechtensteiner contested many major endurance races from the mid to late 1970s alongside Jacky Ickx, Jochen Mass and Rolf Stommelen. Several victories and podium places at world championship races at Watkins Glen (gallery on the left), Brands Hatch, Nürburgring and others adorn his palmarès.

Only at Le Mans did he never manage a podium, which he narrowly missed in 1976 when he finished fourth with Stommelen in the works Porsche.

In the legendary German Racing Championship, Schurti drives and wins for the private teams of Max Moritz (center gallery) and Georg Loos. In the gallery on the right, he stands in an orange overall next to Stommelen and Wollek amidst officials on the podium of the Bilstein Super Sprint Nürburgring 1977.

Concentration on the profession
Manfred Schurti is considered the fastest non-professional driver of his time and is held in high esteem at Porsche, especially as a test and development driver. From 1976 to 1979, Schurti finishes 24 races in the Porsche 935 Turbo on the podium. He achieves all his successes after his time in formula racing cars with racing sports cars based on the Porsche 911 Turbo of type 930.

From 1980 onwards, the jubilarian, who was always a fighter on the racetrack but also a modest personality, concentrated on heading the Liechtenstein motor vehicle inspection department. Even tempting, lucrative offers were no longer able to change his mind - career and family took precedence.

The most successful racing driver ever from the Principality of Liechtenstein celebrates his last great triumph at the race in the legendary BMW M1 Procar Series in 1980 on the Avus in Berlin. After one last start at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January 1982, Schurti ends his active racing career.

AutoSprintCH congratulates Manfred Schurti on his 80th birthday on Christmas Eve and wishes him only the best for the future!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_Schurti