Hans Heyer

Hans Heyer (born March 16, 1943 in Mönchengladbach, Germany) is a racing driver from Wegberg, the site of the Grenzlandring, a former high speed race track oval. He mainly raced touring cars, being popular with the fans for his rather funny style.
Very unusual for his Western German origin, Heyer's sign is his so-called Tirolerhut, a hat from Tyrol or Bavaria which would fit better to drivers from these Alpine regions, like Hans-Joachim Stuck or Niki Lauda.

Heyer was born in Mönchengladbach, Germany to parents who ran a bitumen and a concerete mixing company. Heyer developed his passion for motor racing and engineering when he was at boarding school at Adenau. He later went into an apprenticeship with Daimler-Benz as a mechanic which was completed in 1962.

1960s

Living close to the Netherlands and not yet allowed to race in Germany at the age of 16, he started his career there in 1959 with karts and won the 1962 Dutch Championship in the 100cc category which he followed up by winning the 125cc class in 1963. In an attempt to race in his native Germany, he initially encountered problems with his racing license but managed to compete in the Formula K class in 1965 finishing 3rd in the next two years and backed up with the German and European Formula K titles in 1968 to 1971 driving in a Taifun/BM. Heyer also raced in France by competing in the Brignoles 24 Hour Classic in 1969 to 1971 winning twice and finished 2nd in 1970.

1970s

Hans Heyer driving a Ford Capri at the Nürburgring in 1973.

For many years, Heyer was associated with Zakspeed, racing their Group 2 Ford Escorts in the European Touring Car Championship (champion 1974) and the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (champion 1975 and 1976). Heyer attempted two European F2 races in 1976, finishing sixth at the first Hockenheim race. He failed to qualify for the second Hockenheim race and made no further attempts in F2.

In his single attempt at Formula One, he entered the 1977 German Grand Prix on July 31, 1977 with the second Penske car of the new German team ATS. With little experience in single seaters and a bad car, he did not qualify. This did not stop him from racing, however; as he was well known with the marshals at Hockenheim, they looked the other way when he put his car at the end of the starting grid and joined the race anyway, to the surprise of everyone. His Formula One career didn't last long, though, for after 10 laps the car's gearbox broke down. He was disqualified from the race and never attempted another race in a single-seat car.

Heyer driving a Ford Escort in 1974.

1980s

In 1980 he won the DRM again, this time for Lancia in a Group 5 Lancia Monte Carlo Turbo, a car he also helped develop. He crashed his 480 hp car badly at the Norisring in Nuremberg, rolling several times. Heyer switched to continuations cooling when control of the water supply failed when the brake light switch failed which had not worked resulting in the left front brake caliper failing which destroyed the tyre rod and a burst affected the front left tyre. He escaped unhurt, but returned immediately to the wreck to recover his famous hat. In the following medical exam, the doctor was said to have been more nervous than Hans was.

Heyer won the 12 Hours of Sebring race in 1984 driving alongside Stefan Johansson and Mauricio de Narvaez in a Porsche 935.

During the years that the Spa 24 Hours was run as part of the European Touring Car Championship and the inaugural World Touring Car Championship (1982–1988), Heyer won the race three times in succession. He won in 1982 driving a BMW 528i with Armin Hahne and Eddy Joosen, 1983 in a BMW 635 CSi with Hahne and Thierry Tassin, and finally in 1984 driving a TWR Jaguar XJS with Tom Walkinshaw and Win Percy. Heyer retired in 1989 after 999 races in 30 years.

1990s

Between 1990 and 1991 Heyer worked at his family concrete works business but came out of retirement to test Mercedes-Benz's truck racing vehicles and competed in the Nurburgring Truck Grand Prix in 1992. Heyer returned to the same track in 1994 to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours alongside Heiner Weiss, Rainer Braun driving a BMW M3 and returned to compete in the same race in 1995 albeit in a BMW veterans 'Dream Team'. Heyer also competed in the Nurburgring 500 km race in 1997.

2000s

In 2004, Volkswagen director Kris Nissen found out about the number and invited Hans Heyer to drive his 1000th race in the ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup at the Norisring against youngsters.

His son Kenneth Heyer is also a racing driver, currently involved in the ADAC GT Masters series driving a Ford GT for the Swiss Matech team.

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1972	Team Schnitzer Motul	René Herzog	BMW 2800CS	T 3.0	70	DNF	DNF
1973	Ford Motorwerke	Gerry Birrell	Ford Capri RS	T 3.0	4	DNF	DNF
	Ford Motorwerke	Dieter Glemser John Fitzpatrick	Ford Capri RS	T 3.0	239	DNF	DNF
1974	Samson Kremer Racing	Paul Keller Erwin Kremer	Porsche 911 Carrera RSR	GT	65	DNF	DNF
1976	Porsche Kremer Racing	Juan Carlos Bolaños Eduardo Lopez Negrete Billy Sprowls	Porsche 935	Gr.5	272	DNF	DNF
1977	Gelo Racing Team	Toine Hezemans Tim Schenken	Porsche 935	Gr.5	269	DNF	DNF
1979	Gelo Racing Sportswear Intl	Manfred Schurti	Porsche 935	Gr.5 +2.5	201	DNF	DNF
1980	Scuderia Lancia Corse	Bernard Darniche Teo Fabi	Lancia Beta Monte Carlo	Gr.5	6	DNF	DNF
1981	Martini Racing	Riccardo Patrese Piercarlo Ghinzani	Lancia Beta Monte Carlo	Gr.5	186	DNF	DNF
1982	Martini Racing	Riccardo Patrese Piercarlo Ghinzani	Lancia LC1	Gr.6	152	DNF	DNF
1983	Martini Racing	Michele Alboreto Piercarlo Ghinzani	Lancia LC2	C	121	DNF	DNF
1984	Martini Racing	Paolo Barilla Mauro Baldi	Lancia LC2	C1	275	DNF	DNF
1986	Silk Cut Jaguar	Brian Redman Hurley Haywood	Jaguar XJR-6	C1	53	DNF	DNF

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula One results

(key)

‡ Started illegally after failing to qualify.