Book announcement: Der Rolf - Rennfahrer für alle Fälle (to be published at the end of May 2013)

TEXTMay 9, 2013 · 3 min

Balz Schreier, automatically translated

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The Rolf - Book cover of the book about Rolf Stommelen published by Petrolpics

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Alfa Romeo T33/3 (1971) - Successful race for the Alfa Romeo T33/3 of Rolf Stommelen and Nanni Galli - 2nd place overall and class winner. (12 Hours of Sebring 1971)

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Porsche 936C (1982) - 1982 World Championship with Rolf Stommelen

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Le Mans 1978 - Rolf Stommelen in the 'Moby Dick' Porsche 935/78

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Porsche 935 (1976) - One-Make World Championship - Here Manfred Schurti and Rolf Stommelen win at Watkins Glen.

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To mark the 30th anniversary of Rolf Stommelen 's death, the publisher Petrolpics is publishing a book at the end of May 2013 in honor of this popular racing driver. This news article is just an announcement. We will report on it in detail as soon as we have read the book.

A promising book on the 30th anniversary of Rolf Stommelen's death

These days marked the 30th anniversary of the death of Rolf Stommelen, who crashed in a Porsche 935 "Moby Dick" in an IMSA race in Riverside, California, on April 24, 1983 at the age of 39.

Le Mans 1978 - Rolf Stommelen in the 'Moby Dick' Porsche 935/78

The popular Cologne racing driver, who was and still is simply "The Rolf" to his large fan community, was one of the most distinguished and successful European all-round drivers of his time, a type of racing driver that no longer really exists today. Extremely fit, as he was, he started in 30 or more races every year, every 14 days in a different vehicle category in a different corner of the world and won almost every one. Rolf Stommelen was also only the eleventh German racing driver in Formula 1, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona four times overall in a Porsche, the 1000 km Nürburgring twice and the infamous Sicilian Targa Florio cornering orgy as early as 1967, at the age of 23, in a works Porsche 910. In 1977, he achieved "the masterpiece" by winning the title in the German Racing Championship (DRM) in a Loos Porsche 935. He had already won the Temporada in Colombia in 1971 in an Eifelland Formula 2 Brabham BT 30. He was always in demand as a works driver and drove for Alfa Romeo, Ford, Porsche and, in 1978, Toyota, among others, for several years.

Porsche 935 (1976) - One-Make World Championship - Here Manfred Schurti and Rolf Stommelen win at Watkins Glen.

In memory of this lovable person and great racing driver, the book "Der Rolf - Rennfahrer für alle Fälle" will be published by PETROLPICS GbR in Bonn at the end of May 2013.

On 304 pages, the authors Michael Behrndt and Erich Kahnt look back on his life and career as a racing driver, and the work is rounded off with more than 400 excellent photos, mostly from the archive of Ferdi Kräling. The authors were supported in a special way by Rolf's wife, Marlene Silvester, who also contributed many memories and unknown anecdotes from her husband's private life. In addition, a number of contemporary witnesses and companions of Rolf Stommelen have their own say in the book. These include Hans Herrmann, Hans Heyer and his last team boss, John Fitzpatrick.