Joachim Winkelhock

Joachim Winkelhock (24 October 1960 - Present): German racing driver from Waiblingen near Stuttgart, the younger brother of former Formula One driver Manfred Winkelhock, who earned his famous nickname 'Smokin' Jo' for his cigarette smoking habit. He first competed with a Renault Five in 1979 and made his German Formula 3 debut four years later. Manfred's death in 1985 interrupted his career but the younger Winkelhock returned with resolve and success, competing in and winning German Formula Three before moving to Formula One. He made his F1 debut at the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix driving for AGS and participated in 7 Grands Prix.

Unfortunately his brief time in F1 was unsuccessful, failing to pre-qualify the car on 7 occasions. He competed in the 1989 season of F1 with Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives before being replaced mid-season with Yannick Dalmas. His reputation remained strong enough that he was subsequently hired by BMW Motorsport for Germany's premier touring car racing series the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, finishing 6th, 7th, and 8th in the final standings and scoring three wins during his three years in the series, as well as winning the 1990 and 1991 24 Hours of Nürburgring races for BMW and Schnitzer. Winkelhock entered the British Touring Car Championship in 1993 and won the title in his first attempt, scoring five wins and four other podiums.

He won the 1994 Asia-Pacific Touring Cars championship and Macau Grand Prix for touring cars, and in 1995 won the 24 Hours of Spa and the German Supertouring Championship. One of his biggest achievements was a triumph at 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999, driving a BMW Motorsport V12 LMR alongside Pierluigi Martini and Yannick Dalmas. Winkelhock raced Opels in the DTM from 2000 to 2003 before retiring from motorsports at age 43. He now runs the family crane hire business in his native Waiblingen near Stuttgart.

A 2005 poll run by Motor Sport magazine voted Winkelhock the 16th greatest touring car driver ever, and a special edition of the BMW M5 has been made in his honor.