Wikipedia

Vern Schuppan

Vernon John Schuppan AM (born 19 March 1943) is a retired Australian motor racing driver. Schuppan drove in various categories, participating in Formula One, the Indianapolis 500 and most successfully in sports car racing.

Vern Schuppan
AM
Closeup of the Porsche 956 in which Schuppan and co-drivers Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood won the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Born (1943-03-19) 19 March 1943 (age 81)
Booleroo Centre, South Australia, Australia
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityAustralia Australian
Active years1972, 1974–1975, 1977
TeamsBRM, Ensign, Hill, Surtees
Entries13 (9 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1972 Belgian Grand Prix
Last entry1977 Dutch Grand Prix
Walk of fame at Le Mans- Winner in 1983

Although he considers himself to be a single-seater driver, Schuppan's biggest career victory was with the factory-backed Rothmans Porsche team when he partnered Americans Hurley Haywood and Al Holbert to win the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans driving the Porsche 956.

In 1984 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for "service to the sport of motor racing".[1]

Early career and Formula One

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After a successful karting career in which he won numerous Australian state and national titles, Schuppan made the decision to pursue a career in motor racing. He and his wife Jennifer ventured to Great Britain (with a self-imposed 2-year limit of making it big) to allow him to participate in the British Formula Atlantic Championship, which he won, leading to a test with BRM. As BRM's test driver he qualified for the 1972 Belgian Grand Prix at Nivelles-Baulers, but he did not start the race because teammate Helmut Marko commandeered his car, though he did compete in some non-championship races with BRM.

In 1974 Schuppan went to Team Ensign, débuting again in the Belgian Grand Prix where he finished in 15th position. In Monaco he retired on lap four because of an accident. Schuppan was disqualified in both Sweden and the Netherlands; in Sweden because he started illegally from 26th place on the grid and in the Netherlands for receiving a tyre change outside of the pits. Schuppan failed to qualify in France or Britain. He retired in Germany on lap four because of gearbox problems.

In 1975 he raced in one race in Sweden for Embassy Racing With Graham Hill team, retiring from the race with transmission problems. In 1977 Schuppan raced for Surtees, finishing 12th in Britain and a career best seventh in Germany. He finished 16th in Austria, but failed to qualify for his final Formula One race in the Netherlands. Schuppan would later describe Surtees team boss, 1964 World Champion John Surtees, as an autocratic owner who "always knew best and wouldn't listen to his drivers" and believes his time with the team was hampered by not being given equal equipment to his teammate Vittorio Brambilla.

Sports cars

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Schuppan has had a very successful sports car career, winning the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans for Porsche's official factory team with Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood in a Rothmans Porsche 956 (#3). Holbert drove the final lap of the race with an overheating (and steaming) engine caused by an airflow blockage to the radiator that cooled the heads, it seized as he crossed the finish line. The second placed car, the #1 Rothmans Porsche of defending winners Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell (driving) was only 17 seconds behind their teammates at the end of 24 hours of racing.

By winning Le Mans in 1983, Schuppan became only the second Australian to win the French classic, following in the footsteps of 1928 winner Bernard Rubin. Although Rubin was born in Australia, Schuppan is often mistaken for being the first Aussie winner.

Schuppan also finished second at Le Mans in 1977 driving a Mirage GR8-Renault turbo with French F1 driver Jean-Pierre Jarier, and second in 1982 in a Rothmans Porsche 956 with Jochen Mass. He also finished third in 1975 with Jean-Pierre Jaussaud in a Mirage GR8-Ford Cosworth DFV.

After winning at Le Mans, Schuppan went on to win the 1983 Japanese Sports-Prototype Championship.

He finished sixth at the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans driving with Jarier and fellow Australian, 1980 World Champion Alan Jones making his Le Mans début (and indeed his only start), in a Kremer Racing Porsche 956B after the factory backed Rothmans team boycotted the event over the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's new fuel restriction rules. Initially Porsche were not going to release their drivers for the race, but finally relented less than two weeks before the race and Manfred and Erwin Kremer were more than happy for the defending race winner to join them. Schuppan and Jones fought for the lead in the first few hours of the race with the Lancia LC2 of Bob Wollek and Alessandro Nannini, until the nose of the 956 was damaged by a spinning Roger Dorchy at Mulsanne Corner, losing the team a few laps in repairs. The Kenwood sponsored 956 fought back to be again fighting for the lead, and near the end of the race Jarier was 2 laps down but catching the leading Joest Racing Porsche driven by Klaus Ludwig and Henri Pescarolo (the eventual winners) by over 10 seconds per lap. He then pitted for Schuppan to run the car to the flag. Schuppan got in only one and a half laps before the car broke a conrod with just 90 minutes left to run. As Automobile Club de l'Ouest rules state that for a car to be classified as a finisher it must finish the last lap within a certain time, Schuppan fired up the Porsche and headed out for one last lap and a 6th-place finish.

He had a number of other podium finishes in the World Sports Car Championship, including second in the 1973 and 1982 Spa 1000 km, third in the 1983 and 1984 Fuji 1000 km and third in the 1985 Selangor 800 km race. Schuppan also placed third in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship in 1984, 1985 and 1986.

Other categories

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Schuppan competed in three Indianapolis 500 races. These were 1976 (where he won the Rookie of the Year award), 1979 and 1981, with a best result of third in 1981 driving a McLaren-Ford. In all, he started 32 CART and USAC Championship races. He won the 1974 and 1976 Macau Grand Prix races, dominating the 1974 race, winning by four laps.

He also won the 1971 British Formula Atlantic Championship[2] and the Singapore Grand Prix in 1973. He was second in 1972 and also second in the Malaysian Grand Prix in 1972. He raced Formula 5000 in Europe between 1974 and 1975[3] and in North America 1974-1976[4] with some success.

In his home country Australia, Schuppan won the 1976 Rothmans International Series run for Formula 5000 cars, driving a Lola T332-Chevrolet. He placed second in the 1976 Australian Grand Prix at Sandown Park in Melbourne driving an Elfin MR8 Chevrolet, only half a second behind winner John Goss in a Matich A53-Repco Holden. He was also runner up in the 1978 Rothmans International Series, driving an Elfin MR8-Chevrolet for fellow South Australian Garrie Cooper, the owner and founder of Elfin Sports Cars and his factory run Ansett Team Elfin.

When Schuppan was regularly returning home to Australia to race he was also a popular choice as a co-driver for top touring car teams such as Allan Moffat Racing, Dick Johnson Racing and the Peter Brock run Holden Dealer Team in the Sandown 400 and Bathurst 1000 races in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His best finish at Bathurst was a fifth place with Dick Johnson in 1978 driving a Ford XC Falcon. He drove for the Holden Dealer Team in 1981, partnering John Harvey in a Holden VC Commodore to 4th place in the Hang Ten 400 after starting the race, but never got to drive the car at Bathurst after a broken front wheel sent Harvey into the guardrail and retirement on lap 37.

Allan Moffat and Schuppan started on pole and were leading the 1976 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 when their XB Falcon GT Hardtop retired with engine failure in lap 87. In a 2013 interview with "Australian Muscle Car" magazine Schuppan told that Moffat's Falcon was the best touring car he ever drove.

Other activities

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The Schuppan 962CR

With Japanese backing, Schuppan produced minimally modified street legal 962 race cars. The first, known as the 962R and registered in the UK as H726 LDP, retained the original bodywork and honeycomb chassis from its racing career. Later a road going evolution of the Porsche 962 called the Schuppan 962CR was developed, using different bodywork than the 962R. At the then price of 195 million yen (US$1.5 million) only six were built.

Failure of payment for two of the cars shipped to Japan coupled with the high cost of the car's construction and worldwide economic recession, forced Schuppan to declare bankruptcy. Schuppan then also co-owned an Indy Lights team with Stefan Johansson, the pair managed the career of New Zealand born driver Scott Dixon until Schuppan and Johansson had a falling out resulting in Schuppan leaving the partnership.

In May 2006, Schuppan was elected into the Club International des Anciens Pilotes de Grand Prix F1, an eminent organisation based in Monaco.[5]

Schuppan also played an important role in bringing Formula One to the city of Adelaide in his home state of South Australia. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone had originally favoured the Australian Grand Prix to be held in Sydney. However, the Premier of South Australia, John Bannon, asked Schuppan (who knew Ecclestone personally) to come and take a look at Adelaide. Ultimately Ecclestone was so impressed the Grand Prix was held in Adelaide for eleven years from 1985 to 1995.

As of 2014, Schuppan lives in Adelaide with Jennifer, his wife of over 45 years. The couple live in a converted warehouse adjacent to the Adelaide Street Circuit which hosted the Australian Grand Prix and currently hosts the Clipsal 500 on a modified version of the circuit for V8 Supercars. Despite his over 40 years of international motorsport, Schuppan describes living in a city as a new experience. He is also a regular supporter of the Targa Adelaide tarmac rally.

Racing record

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Complete Formula One World Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Pts
1972 Marlboro BRM BRM P153B BRM P142 3.0 V12 ARG RSA ESP MON BEL
DNS 		FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA NC 0
1974 Team Ensign/Theodore Racing Ensign N174 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL
15 		MON
Ret 		SWE
DSQ 		NED
DSQ 		FRA
DNQ 		GBR
DNQ 		GER
Ret 		AUT ITA CAN USA NC 0
1975 Embassy Racing With Graham Hill Hill GH1 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP MON BEL SWE
Ret 		NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA USA NC 0
1977 Durex Team Surtees Surtees TS19 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ARG BRA RSA USW ESP MON BEL SWE FRA GBR
12 		GER
7 		AUT
16 		NED
DNQ 		ITA USA CAN JPN NC 0
Source:[6]

Non-Championship Formula One results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6
1972 Marlboro BRM BRM P153 BRM P142 3.0 V12 ROC BRA INT OUL
5 		REP
BRM P160C VIC
4
1973 Marlboro BRM BRM P160D BRM P142 3.0 V12 ROC
Ret
BRM P160E INT
9
1974 Sid Taylor Trojan T101 (F5000) Chevrolet 5.0 V8 PRE ROC
DNS 		INT
DNS
1975 Sid Taylor/Theodore Racing Lola T332 (F5000) Chevrolet 5.0 V8 ROC
Ret 		INT SUI
Source:[6][7]

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pos. Pts
1972 Malaysia Singapore Airlines March 722 Ford MAL THR HOC PAU PAL HOC ROU ÖST IMO MAN PER SAL ALB HOC
NC 		NC 0
1973 Singapore Airlines March 722 Ford MAL
Ret 		HOC THR NÜR PAU KIN NIV HOC ROU MNZ MAN KAR PER SAL NOR ALB VAL NC 0
Source:[6]

Complete European F5000 Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos. Pts
1974 Sid Taylor Trojan T101 Chevrolet 5.0 V8 BRH
Ret 		MAL SIL
Ret 		OUL
Ret 		BRH
5 		7th 77
Lola T332 ZOL
Ret 		THR
DNS 		ZAN
DNS 		MUG MNZ
6 		MAL
5 		MON
2 		THR
Ret 		BRH
Ret 		OUL
Ret 		SNE MAL
Chevron Racing Team V.D.S. Chevron B24/B28 BRH
1
1975 Sid Taylor/Theodore Racing Lola T332 Chevrolet 5.0 V8 BRH
Ret 		OUL
11 		BRH
Ret 		SIL
2 		ZOL
Ret 		ZAN THR
DNS 		SNE MAL THR
Ret 		BRH OUL
2 		SIL SNE MAL BRH 10th 30
Source:[6]

American open-wheel racing

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

USAC Championship Car

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Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos. Pts
1976 Jorgensen Steel Eagle 74 Offy 159 ci turbo PHX TRE INDY
18 		MIL POC MCH TWS TRE MIL ONT MCH TWS PHX NC 0
1977 Wildcat Racing Wildcat Mk 1 DGS 158 ci turbo ONT
8 		PHX
8 		TWS
16 		TRE
17 		INDY
DNQ 		19th 575
Morales Motorsports Lightning Mk1/77 Offy 159 ci turbo INDY
DNQ 		MIL POC
21 		ONT
6 		MCH PHX
Jerry O'Connel Racing Eagle 74 Offy 159 ci turbo MOS
19 		MCH TWS MIL
1978 Fletcher Racing Team Lightning Mk1/77 Cosworth DFX PHX ONT TWS
18 		TRE
16 		INDY MOS MIL POC MCH ATL 38th 26
Patrick Santello Offy 159 ci turbo TWS
20 		MIL ONT MCH TRE SIL BRH PHX
1979 Wysard Motors Wildcat Mk 2 DGS 158 ci turbo ONT TWS INDY
21 		MIL POC TWS MIL NC 0
1980 Jerry O'Connel Racing McLaren M24 Cosworth DFX ONT INDY
DNQ 		MIL 9th 650
Wysard Motors Wildcat Mk 2 DGS 158 ci turbo POC
5 		MDO
5
1981–82 Theodore Racing McLaren M24B Cosworth DFX INDY
3 		POC
17 		ILL DUQ ISF 10th 720
Kraco Enterprises Penske PC9B Cosworth DFX INDY
DNQ
Brayton Racing Penske PC7 INDY
DNQ
Source:[6][8]

PPG Indycar Series

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Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Pts Ref
1979 Wysard Motors Wildcat Mk 2 Offy 159 ci turbo PHX
21 		ATL
12 		ATL
12 		PHX
14 		14th 449 [9]
DGS 158 ci turbo INDY
21 		TRE TRE MCH
16 		MCH WGL
7 		TRE
DNS 		ONT
7 		MCH
DNS 		ATL
1980 Jerry O'Connel Racing McLaren M24 Cosworth DFX ONT INDY
DNQ 		MIL 10th 806 [10]
Wysard Motors Wildcat Mk 2 DGS 158 ci turbo POC
5 		MDO
5 		MCH WGL
18 		MIL
McLaren M24B Cosworth DFX ONT
10 		MCH MEX PHX
1981 Theodore Racing McLaren M24B Cosworth DFX PHX MIL ATL ATL MCH
24 		RIV
DNQ 		MIL MCH WGL MEX
21 		PHX
15 		36th 4 [11]
March 81C RIV
17
1982 Kraco Enterprises Penske PC9B Cosworth DFX PHX ATL MIL CLE
7 		MCH MIL POC 30th 18 [12]
March 82C RIV
27 		ROA
24 		MCH PHX
Source:[6][8]

Indianapolis 500

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Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team
1976 Eagle 74 Offy 159 ci turbo 17 18 Jorgensen Steel
1977 Wildcat Mk 1 DGS 158 ci turbo DNQ Wildcat Racing
Lightning Mk1/77 Offy 159 ci turbo DNQ Morales Motorsports
1979 Wildcat Mk 2 DGS 158 ci turbo 22 21 Wysard Motors
1980 McLaren M24 Cosworth DFX DNQ Jerry O'Connel Racing
1981 McLaren M24B Cosworth DFX 18 3 Theodore Racing
1982 Penske PC9B Cosworth DFX DNQ Kraco Enterprises
Penske PC7 DNQ Brayton Racing

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
pos.
1973   Gulf Research Racing   Mike Hailwood
  John Watson 		Mirage M6 Ford Cosworth S 3.0 112 DNF DNF
1974   Gulf Research Racing Co.   Reine Wisell Gulf GR7 Ford Cosworth S 3.0 49 DNF DNF
1975   Gulf Research Racing Co.   Jean-Pierre Jaussaud Mirage GR8 Ford Cosworth S 3.0 330 3rd 3rd
1976   Grand Touring Cars Inc.   Derek Bell Mirage GR8 Ford Cosworth S 3.0 326 5th 4th
1977   Grand Touring Cars Inc.
  Mirage Renault 		  Jean-Pierre Jarier Mirage GR8 Renault S +2.0 331 2nd 2nd
1978   Grand Touring Cars Inc.   Jacques Laffite
  Sam Posey 		Mirage GR9 Renault S +2.0 293 10th 5th
1979   Grand Touring Cars Inc.
  Ford Concessionaires France 		  Jean-Pierre Jaussaud
  David Hobbs 		Ford M10 S +2.0 121 NC NC
  Derek Bell
  David Hobbs 		Ford M10 S +2.0 262 DNF DNF
1981   Porsche System   Jochen Mass
  Hurley Haywood 		Porsche 936 S +2.0 312 12th 2nd
1982   Rothmans Porsche System   Jochen Mass Porsche 956 C 356 2nd 2nd
1983   Rothmans Porsche   Hurley Haywood
  Al Holbert 		Porsche 956 C 370 1st 1st
1984   Porsche Kremer Racing   Alan Jones
  Jean-Pierre Jarier 		Porsche 956B C1 337 6th 6th
1985   Rothmans Porsche   Al Holbert
  John Watson 		Porsche 962C C1 299 DNF DNF
1986   Rothmans Porsche   Jochen Mass
  Bob Wollek 		Porsche 962C C1 180 DNF DNF
  Drake Olson Porsche 962C C1 41 DNF DNF
1987   Rothmans Porsche AG   Bob Wollek
  Jochen Mass 		Porsche 962C C1 16 DNF DNF
1988   Porsche AG   Bob Wollek
  Sarel van der Merwe 		Porsche 962C C1 192 DNF DNF
1989   Team Schuppan   Eje Elgh
  Gary Brabham 		Porsche 962C C1 321 13th 10th
Source:[13]

Complete Bathurst 1000 results

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Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
pos.
1976   Moffat Ford Dealers   Allan Moffat Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop 3001cc – 6000cc 87 DNF DNF
1977   Bryan Byrt Ford   Dick Johnson Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop 3001cc – 6000cc 124 DNF DNF
1978   Bryan Byrt Ford   Dick Johnson Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop Over 3000cc 153 5th 5th
1981   Marlboro Holden Dealer Team   John Harvey Holden VC Commodore 8 Cylinder & Over 37 DNF DNF

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Pts Class
1985 Mitsubishi Colt Racing Mitsubishi Starion Turbo A SIL OUL THR DON THR SIL DON SIL
Ret 		SNE BRH BRH SIL NC 0 NC

References

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  1. ^ "Vernon John SCHUPPAN". Australian Honours Search Facility, Dept of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  2. ^ http://www.oldracingcars.com/atlantic/uk/1971/ 1971 British Formula Atlantic Results, Retrieved 27 October 2011
  3. ^ http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/racelist.php?CategoryID=F5 European F5000 races, Retrieved 27 October 2011
  4. ^ http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/racelist.php?CategoryID=FA US F5000 races, Retrieved 27 October 2011
  5. ^ "Schuppan elected to eminent F1 club". The Age. John Fairfax Holdings. Australian Associated Press. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Vern Schuppan – Biography". MotorSportMagazine. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  7. ^ "OldRacingCars – Vern Schuppan". OldRacingCars. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  8. ^ a b "OldRacingCars – Vern Schuppan". OldRacingCars. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Vern Schuppan – 1979 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Vern Schuppan – 1980 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Vern Schuppan – 1981 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Vern Schuppan – 1982 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  13. ^ "All Results of Vern Schuppan". RacingSportCars. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Inaugural
 British Formula Atlantic
Champion
1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Macau Grand Prix
Winner
1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Indianapolis 500
Rookie of the Year
1976 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Macau Grand Prix
Winner
1976 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1983
With: Al Holbert & Hurley Haywood 		Succeeded by
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