Jo Gartner facts for kids
| Born | 24 January 1954 Vienna, Austria |
|---|---|
| Died | 1 June 1986 (aged 32) Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Austrian |
| Active years | 1984 |
| Teams | Osella |
| Entries | 8 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1984 San Marino Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix |
Josef Anton Gartner (born January 24, 1954 – died June 1, 1986) was a racing driver from Austria. He competed in Formula One and also in long-distance sports car racing. Jo Gartner sadly passed away in an accident during the famous 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Contents
Jo Gartner's Racing Journey
Starting Out in Racing
Jo Gartner was born in Vienna, Austria. His journey in motorsports began when he was young. In 1972, he started working with the Kaimann Formula Super Vee team. He helped with the technical side of the cars.
Later, Jo bought, changed, and sold his own Formula Vee car parts. This helped him learn a lot about race cars. In 1976, he began racing himself in hillclimbing events. These are races where cars go up a steep hill.
In 1977, when he was 23, Jo started racing more seriously. He joined the European Formula Super Vee championship. The next year, he finished third in this championship.
Moving Up the Ranks
In 1979, Jo moved to the European Formula Three Championship. He drove a Martini car with support from Renault. The next year, 1980, he moved to Formula Two.
During his first Formula Two race, Jo's car was damaged. This happened because of debris from another accident. After this, he was invited to race in the BMW M1 Procar Championship. In this series, he raced against real Formula One drivers.
In 1981, Jo Gartner raced in some events with a Toleman car. He earned a point by finishing sixth in one race. He also raced for the Merzario team. In 1982, he continued with Merzario and earned another point.
For 1983, Jo decided to race his own car again. He used a Spirit 201 car. He finished fourth in one race. Then, he won the Pau Grand Prix. He was given the win after the first driver was disqualified. This victory helped Jo get the money he needed to race in Formula One.
Racing in Formula One
In 1984, Jo Gartner got a chance to race in Formula One. He joined the Italian Osella team. This team was not doing very well at the time. Jo drove an older model car, the FA1E.
He qualified for his first race, the 1984 San Marino Grand Prix. But his race ended early because of an engine problem. In his next race, he got a newer, more powerful Osella car.
At the 1984 British Grand Prix, Jo was allowed to start the race even though he was 27th. His race ended quickly in a first-lap accident. After more mechanical problems, he finished 12th at the 1984 Dutch Grand Prix.
At the 1984 Italian Grand Prix, Jo finished fifth! This was a great result for him and the Osella team. However, he did not get the points for fifth place. This was because Osella had only planned to enter one car for the season. Even so, finishing fifth was a big achievement. Jo finished the 1984 season with a 16th place in Portugal.
For 1985, Jo hoped to get a seat with the Arrows team. But another driver got the spot. He also talked with Toleman and Osella, but those seats went to drivers who had more money to bring to the team.
Long-Distance Endurance Racing
After his time in Formula One, Jo Gartner started racing in endurance races. These are very long races that test both drivers and cars. In 1985, he finished fourth in the famous 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He drove a Porsche 962C with his teammates.
He also joined the Fitzpatrick Porsche Group C endurance racing team. He drove a Porsche 956 and also a Porsche 962 for another team. In 1986, he won the 12 Hours of Sebring race. He won with his teammates, even finishing on three wheels! He also won another international race. Jo was hoping to join the main Porsche factory team for 1987.
A Tragic Accident
Jo Gartner was racing in the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans for the Kremer Racing team. In the early morning hours of the race, his Porsche 962 had a mechanical problem. The car suddenly turned left and crashed into the barriers on the Mulsanne Straight. This happened at about 160 miles per hour (257 km/h).
The car flipped over, hit a telephone pole, and crashed into trees. It then caught fire. Jo Gartner was killed instantly due to a broken neck. The accident caused a lot of damage to the track barriers. The exact cause of the mechanical problem was never fully known. Jo Gartner was the last driver to die during the Le Mans 24 Hours race until 2013.
