JoGartner

Josef Anton Gartner, born in Vienna on January 24, 1954, was an Austrian racing driver whose career spanned Formula One and endurance sports car racing. Known for his determined ascent through the junior ranks and a notable, albeit unrewarded, Formula One Grand Prix performance, Gartner's life was tragically cut short during the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Early Foundations and Ascent Through Junior Categories

Gartner's journey into motorsport began not in the cockpit, but in the workshop. In 1972, he joined the Kaimann Formula Super Vee team in a technical capacity, gaining invaluable insight into race car engineering. This hands-on experience led him to acquire, modify, and subsequently sell his own Formula Vee chassis, demonstrating an early aptitude for both mechanics and enterprise. His competitive debut came in 1976, participating in local hillclimbing events before committing more seriously to circuit racing in 1977 at the age of 23. He entered the Volkswagen-supported European Formula Super Vee championship, where he quickly made an impression, securing a third-place finish in the championship standings the following season. His progression continued in 1979 with a move to the European Formula Three Championship, driving a Martini chassis with support from Renault. The subsequent year, 1980, saw Gartner step up to Formula Two, initially campaigning a two-year-old March. His Formula Two debut was marked by an unfortunate incident; his car sustained damage from debris originating from the fatal accident of his compatriot, Markus Höttinger. Following this, Gartner was invited to take Höttinger’s place in the prestigious BMW M1 Procar Championship series, an opportunity that placed him directly against established Formula One drivers, competing under the guidance of fellow Austrian Helmut Marko. In 1981, Gartner continued his Formula Two campaign, participating in selected races with a year-old Toleman TG280. He demonstrated his capability by scoring a championship point with a sixth-place finish at the Enna-Pergusa round. He concluded that season with two races for the Merzario team, achieving an eighth-place finish at Mantorp Park. Continuing with Merzario into the 1982 season, Gartner again secured a point with a sixth-place finish at the Silverstone opening round, though the Merzario car proved largely uncompetitive against a strong field throughout the year. The 1983 season marked a strategic shift for Gartner, as he opted to return to running his own car, an ex-works Spirit 201. This decision proved fruitful. After a solid fourth-place finish at Hockenheim, he achieved a significant victory at the Pau Grand Prix. This win, secured after Alain Ferté, the first driver across the line, was disqualified for an underweight car, was pivotal. It provided Gartner with the necessary momentum and, crucially, the sponsorship to make the leap to Formula One.

Formula One Endeavor with Osella

Jo Gartner’s Formula One career commenced in 1984, securing a part-time second seat with the financially constrained Italian Osella team. He joined Piercarlo Ghinzani as teammate, initially driving a year-old, non-turbo FA1E chassis. His debut at the 1984 San Marino Grand Prix saw him qualify for the race, but his inaugural Grand Prix outing ended prematurely with an engine failure. For his subsequent appearance, Gartner was provided with the newer, turbocharged Osella FA1F, as the team committed to fielding a second car for the remainder of the season. At the 1984 British Grand Prix, Gartner was permitted to start from 27th position, a concession made due to the Tyrrell Racing team’s participation under appeal. However, his race was short-lived, ending in a first-lap incident where he was unable to avoid a collision involving Philippe Alliot and Eddie Cheever. Mechanical failures plagued his next two races, highlighting the reliability challenges often faced by smaller teams. He managed to bring the car home in 12th place at the Dutch Grand Prix, albeit five laps down on the race winner, Alain Prost. The most notable, and indeed frustrating, moment of Gartner’s Formula One tenure occurred at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Qualifying 24th, he drove a commendable race to cross the finish line in fifth position, notably ahead of fellow Austrian Gerhard Berger, who finished sixth. This impressive result was partly aided by the retirements of Ghinzani and Cheever, both of whom ran out of fuel. However, Gartner was controversially denied the two championship points normally awarded for a fifth-place finish. The reason stemmed from a technicality: Osella had initially entered only one car for the entire season, rendering any second entry ineligible to score championship points. Berger, in sixth for ATS, faced the same unfortunate circumstance. This rule effectively nullified Gartner’s best F1 performance in terms of championship recognition. His season concluded with a classified 12th place at the European Grand Prix, despite retiring with fuel injection problems, and a 16th place classification in Portugal after running out of fuel. For the 1985 season, Gartner pursued opportunities to continue in Formula One. He was a contender for a seat at Arrows but ultimately lost out to Gerhard Berger. He also engaged in discussions with Toleman and his former team, Osella, but both seats were eventually filled by drivers who could bring more substantial financial backing.

Transition to Endurance Racing and Tragic End

Unable to secure a Formula One drive for 1985, Gartner pivoted his career towards endurance sports car racing, a discipline where his talent and technical understanding quickly shone. In 1985, he achieved a commendable fourth-place finish at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, sharing a Porsche 962C with teammates David Hobbs and Guy Edwards. Following his single Formula One season, he joined the Fitzpatrick Porsche Group C endurance racing team, driving a Porsche 956, and also campaigned a Porsche 962 for Bob Akin in the IMSA GT Championship. The year 1986 proved to be a strong one for Gartner in endurance racing. He secured a significant victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring, sharing a Porsche 962 with teammates Bob Akin and Hans-Joachim Stuck, famously bringing the car across the finish line on three wheels. He also claimed an international race win at Thruxton alongside Tiff Needell. These successes positioned Gartner for a potential factory drive, with aspirations to join the highly coveted Rothman's Porsche team for the 1987 season. However, his promising trajectory was tragically cut short during the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans. Competing for Kremer Racing alongside Sarel van der Merwe and Kunimitsu Takahashi, Gartner’s Porsche 962 suffered a mechanical failure at approximately 2:10 am on Sunday morning. Traveling at an estimated 160 mph (260 km/h) on the Mulsanne Straight, the car veered sharply left into the barriers. The impact initiated a catastrophic sequence: the car somersaulted down the track, struck a telephone pole, crashed into trees, and subsequently caught fire after coming to rest on top of the barriers on the opposite side of the track. The severity of the accident was evident in the destruction of 100 meters of guardrail and debris scattered over 200 meters. Josef Gartner was killed instantly on impact, suffering a broken neck. While the precise cause of the mechanical failure was never definitively determined, two marshals reported seeing Gartner apply the brakes on the straight just before the car abruptly veered off course. Gartner’s death marked the last fatality at the Le Mans 24 Hours under race conditions until the tragic passing of Allan Simonsen in the 2013 event, cementing his place in the annals of motorsport history as a driver of considerable skill and potential whose career was ended far too soon.