Le Mans 24 Hours, 9/10 June 1979: Its a tense time as the lead car, the #41 Numero Reserve Kremer Porsche 935 K3 driven by brothers Bill and Don Whittington, and Klaus Ludwig calls into the pits. Winning the Le Mans 24 Hour was without doubt the highlight of the team’s many achievements
In motor racing, the performance margin that separates the winners from the losers is often so small that it is mere determination that helps a driver to cross the line first. But that determination must come from confidence on the part of the driver and a belief in the race car, which may all sound very philosophical, but both of these factors can be very strong weapons in determining a team’s overall success. Kremer Racing earned such a reputation for taking the challenge to the big players, but this was a hard-won reputation built up over many years.
Erwin Kremer in his 356 B 1600 GS Carrera GT in the RWAC Autoslalom 1964 in Neuss
But for Erwin and Manfred Kremer in 1962, winning races wasn’t even on their radar in the beginning, as it was the realisation of another dream which first set them on their road to success. The Cologne-born brothers began their journey in a workshop which they built on a rented piece of land on the western side of the city, where they specialised in the repair and service of Porsche sports cars together with friend and partner, Hermann Bürvenich.
All in their early twenties, these three men, with pastimes and hobbies that could not have been more different, were united by one burning passion, sports cars. Erwin the sports car fanatic, Manfred the billiards enthusiast and Hermann the keen gardener, all shared a love of sports car racing.
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