Klaus Ludwig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Klaus Ludwig |
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Klaus Ludwig in 2009
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| Nationality |  German |
| Born | 5 October 1949 Bonn, West Germany |
| Related to | Luca Ludwig (son) |
| Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters | |
| Years active | 2000 |
| Former teams | HWA 2 |
| Starts | 16 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Podiums | 7 |
| Poles | 2 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 3rd in 2000 |
| FIA GT Championship | |
| Years active | 1997–1998 |
| Former teams | AMG Mercedes Kremer Racing |
| Starts | 19 |
| Championships | 1 (1998) |
| Wins | 9 |
| Podiums | 14 |
| Poles | 6 |
| Fastest laps | 5 |
| International Touring Car Championship | |
| Years active | 1995–1996 |
| Former teams | Zakspeed Opel Opel Team Rosberg |
| Starts | 33 |
| Wins | 4 |
| Podiums | 8 |
| Poles | 4 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 7th in 1996 |
| Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft | |
| Years active | 1985–1995 |
| Former teams | Opel Team Rosberg AMG-Mercedes Ford-Grab Motorsport ABR Ringhausen Rennsport |
| Starts | 173 |
| Championships | 3 (1988, 1992, 1994) |
| Wins | 32 |
| Podiums | 67 |
| Poles | 23 |
| Fastest laps | 16 |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1978–1979, 1982–1986, 1988, 1998 |
| Teams | AMG-Mercedes Porsche AG Joest Racing Zakspeed Porsche Kremer Racing Weisberg Gelo Team |
| Best finish | 1st (1979, 1984, 1985) |
| Class wins | 3 (1979, 1984, 1985) |
Klaus Karl Ludwig (born October 5, 1949) is a famous German racing driver. He is one of Germany's most successful drivers, winning a total of 118 races in his long career.
Because he was so good at racing touring cars (cars that look like regular street cars) and sports car racing, he earned the nickname König Ludwig. In German, this means "King Ludwig".
Contents
A Career of Big Wins
Klaus Ludwig's racing career was full of exciting victories and championships. He was known for his skill in different types of racing, from long endurance races to fast-paced touring car battles.
Success at Le Mans
In the 1970s, Ludwig drove for Ford in a German racing series called the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft. He won the championship in 1979 driving a special Porsche 935 for Kremer Racing.
That same year, he achieved one of his most famous victories. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the hardest and most important endurance races in the world. He won in the same Porsche 935, which was based on a Porsche 911 road car. This was a huge surprise because he beat faster cars that were built only for racing, not for the street. The race was very rainy, which helped Ludwig use his driving skill to win.
He didn't stop there. Ludwig won the 24 Hours of Le Mans two more times, in 1984 and 1985, driving a Porsche 956 for Joest Racing.
King of the Touring Cars
After some dangerous crashes in sports car racing, Ludwig decided to focus more on touring cars. In 1987, he raced for Ford in the World Touring Car Championship. He almost won the championship but was disqualified from the final race at Bathurst in Australia. The officials said the wheel arches on his Ford Sierra RS500 were too big. He lost the championship by only one point.
He then moved to the popular German series, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM). Here, he truly earned his "King Ludwig" nickname.
- He won the DTM championship in 1988 with a Ford Sierra.
- He won again in 1992 and 1994, this time driving for Mercedes-Benz.
Later Career
In 1997, Ludwig returned to sports cars with Mercedes-Benz. He became the FIA GT Championship world champion in 1998. He retired after that season but came back for special events.
In 1999, he won the famous 24 Hours Nürburgring race for the third time. When the DTM series was restarted in 2000 as the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Ludwig returned. At the age of 50, he won two races at the Sachsenring circuit before retiring from full-time racing for good.
Even after retiring, he sometimes raced for fun at the Nürburgring. He also worked as a TV commentator for DTM races, sharing his knowledge with fans.
Major Achievements
Here are some of Klaus Ludwig's biggest career highlights:
- 24 Hours of Le Mans winner: 1979, 1984, 1985
- Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft champion: 1979, 1981
- Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft champion: 1988, 1992, 1994
- FIA GT World Champion: 1998
See also
In Spanish: Klaus Ludwig para niños
