In conversation with Jochen Neerpasch - from racing driver to motorsport visionary

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In conversation with Jochen Neerpasch - from racing driver to motorsport visionary

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Created on November 3, 2025

Text:

Emanuel Zifreund

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Emanuel Zifreund

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BMW AG

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Archiv Neerpasch

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Mercedes-Benz AG

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ISC Archives/Daytona Speedway

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Hallo Fahrerlager

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F. Lini - Courtesy GP Library

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Porsche AG

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Michael Keyser

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Archivbild

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Archiv Ford

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Privatarchiv Dieter Glemser, Archive Ford Motorsport und Porsche, HP Seufert, Schulz

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Archiv

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Petersen and Neerpasch answer questions from the audience

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Jochen Neerpasch is satisfied with the reception

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Jochen Neerpasch still has a really good memory today

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Bild von Partner Porsche AMAG Mai Foto-Galerie 2026

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The audience listens spellbound to Neerpasch's words (third from left is Uwe Neerpasch, fifth from left is Hans Herrmann)

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Hans Herrmann sits with interest in the audience

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BMW M1 - M1, here a specimen from Switzerland, is a rare guest at Motorworld

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BMW M1 - M1 engine well hidden from this perspective

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BMW M1 - A look under the hood of the BMW M1

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Jochen Neerpasch in the triangular scraper at the Targa Florio

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Hot ride - With the beefy AC Cobra V8, Neerpasch is in a class of its own on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

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Jochen Neerpasch was part of the team that won the Marathon de la Route with the 911R

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Porsche 907 (1968) - Hans Herrmann and Jochen Neerpasch at the Targa Florio on May 5, 1968

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Porsche 906 E (1968) - The Porsche of Capriles/Gunn, the Ford GT 40 of Hawkins/Hobbs, the Porsche 907 of Elford/Neerpasch and the Ford of Ickx/Redman shoot past on the wide section of the track (12 Hours of Sebring 1968)

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Overall winner 24 Hours of Daytona 1968: Porsche 907 Longtail with number #54 (Elford / Neerpasch / Stommelen / Siffert / Herrmann)

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The three works Porsche 907 longtails at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona

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24 Hours of Daytona 1968 - formation lap after the triple victory of the Porsche 907 Longtail

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Overall winner 24 Hours of Daytona 1968: Porsche 907 Longtail with number #54 (Elford / Neerpasch / Stommelen / Siffert / Herrmann)

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Porsche 907/6 Longtail Coupé (1968) - Porsche achieved a triple victory in Daytona on February 3-4, 1968 with the Type 907 at the 24 Hours of Daytona

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The start of the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans - at the bottom right you can see Jo Siffert racing to his Porsche 908 (number 31), right next to it the Porsche 908 of Jochen Neerpasch and Rolf Stommelen, and in third place the 908 of Gerhard Mitter and Vic Elford

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The new Head of Sport at Ford in Cologne - Jochen Neerpasch

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Making contact - BMW race director Jochen Neerpasch negotiates with many top people, including Toine Hezemans (left) and Le Mans winner Gijs van Lennep.

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Capri RS testing at the Tour de France for automobiles - Glemser with co-driver Klaus Kaiser and Ford Sport boss Neerpasch 1970

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Jochen Neerpasch in the Ford Motorsport department

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The new BMW racing department "Motorsport GmbH" - from left to right: Achim Warmbold, Chris Amon, Toine Hezemans, Jochen Neerpasch, Björn Waldegaard, Jean Todt, Dieter Quester, Harald Menzel and Hans-Joachim Stuck

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BMW M1 Procar (1979) - Sensation perfect - BMW Sports Director Neerpasch celebrates Bürger's feat

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The two Sauber-Mercedes Benz and the whole team

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Mario Theissen (left) and Jochen Neerpasch (right)

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Jochen Neerpasch with the BMW 320 Turbo Group 5

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Harald Grohs, Jochen Neerpasch (father of the M1), Jan Lammes and Marc Surer (from left to right) with BMW M1 Procar at the Norisring 2019

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BMW M1 Procar at the Norisring - Lammers, Stuck, Neerpasch, Surer

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BMW M1 Procar at the Norisring - Jochen Neerpasch

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Intensive practice under the supervision of experts is the be-all and end-all of training.

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Jochen Neerpasch assesses the driving performance of his protégés and provides advice and support.

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Marc Surer and Jochen Neerpasch in conversation at the 2019 BMW M1 Procar Revival.

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Opening evening - Jochen Neerpasch - BMW Art Cars special show at the BMW Museum in Munich 2018

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Jochen Neerpasch and Hervé Poulain over the maquette of the BMW 320 Group 5 painted by Alex Calder - BMW Art Cars special show at the BMW Museum in Munich 2018

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Summary

From an early age, Jochen Neerpasch always wanted to be the fastest and achieved great success as a racing driver for Porsche and other brands. However, his activities as a racing manager and executive in the automotive industry had an even greater impact. His promotion of young talent with Schumacher and others, as well as the establishment of BMW Motorsport GmbH, bear witness to this. Neerpasch spoke about his life at an event at Motorworld Stuttgart.

This article contains the following chapters

Old acquaintance
A racer from childhood
Off to Porsche (and Borgward)
Officially in a Volvo
Own racing company
From Porsche to Shelby and back
From racing driver to manager
From Ford to BMW
The CSL era
The great M1 years
Promoting young talent

Estimated reading time: 15min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It was thanks to the Solitude Revival Association that Jochen Neerpasch came to Motorworld Stuttgart on October 30, 2025. Moderated by the well-known journalist Michael Petersen, he talked entertainingly about his life in motorsport and was happy to answer visitors' questions. Racing driver Hans Herrmann, an old companion, also came to the event with his wife and son. Presenter Michael Petersen has known Jochen Neerpasch for a long time. His first contact dates back to 1971, when he took a photo of him early in the morning at the Stuttgart-Lyon-Charbonnières Rally. The then young Ford race director was in charge of Dieter Glemser, who went on to win the first stage.

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