Jochen Mass

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Jochen Mass
Nationality  German
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1973-1980, 1982
Teams	Surtees, McLaren, ATS, Arrows, March Engineering
Races	114 (105 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podium finishes	8
Career points	71
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	2
First race	1973 Argentine Grand Prix
First win	1975 Spanish Grand Prix
Last win	1975 Spanish Grand Prix
Last race	1982 French Grand Prix

Jochen Mass (born September 30, 1946) is a former racing driver from Germany.

Born in Dorfen, Bavaria, Germany, he participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 14, 1973. He won one GP race (1975 Spanish Grand Prix), secured no pole positions, achieved 8 podiums, and scored a total of 71 championship points.

Mass is perhaps most infamously known for his blameless part in the death of Gilles Villeneuve, one of Formula One's finest ever drivers. On May 8, 1982, with only 10 minutes before the end of the qualifying session for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, Villeneuve collided with Mass whilst attempting to overtake him. Just as the pair rounded a super-fast left kink, (Mass ahead, Villeneuve behind) Jochen moved to the right hand side of the track to let Villeneuve through. Unfortunately, Villeneve had already committed to the right hand side, and the two cars touched wheels, launching the helpless Canadian skyward. Villeneuve's car hit the barriers violently and he was flung from his car, landing heavily amongst catch fencing at the opposite side of the track. Villeneuve was pronounced dead some time later.

After leaving the Formula One circuit, Mass enjoyed great success in sports car racing, gaining international prominence with his performance during the European Touring Car Championship in the early 1970s. In 1972, he teamed up with Hans-Joachim Stuck to drive a Ford Capri RS2600 to victory at the Spa 24 Hours endurance race in Belgium. He went on to win that year's World Sportscar Championship. He finished 2nd to Clay Regazzoni and Arturo Merzario in a November 1972 9-hour race at the Kyalami Circuit, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mass' co-driver in a Chevron B-21 was Gerry Birrell.^[1] Mass, driving a Surtees TS-15, tied with Jean Pierre Beltoise in qualifying for the Jim Clark Memorial Formula Two auto race in April 1973. Held at Hockenheim, both drivers recorded times of 2 minutes, 2.8 seconds, for an average of 124.3 miles per hour.^[2] Mass placed 2nd to Jean-Pierre Jarier in a Formula Two race at Nivelles, in June 1973. He had finished 2nd in the 1st heat and 3rd in the 2nd.^[3] He completed his first Formula One race at the 1973 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Mass came in 7th in a Surtees.^[4] He drove a McLaren-Ford to 3rd place in the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.^[5] Mass was declared the winner of the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix after leader, Rolf Stommelen's car impacted a protective barrier, exploded into flames, and catapulted into the crowd at the Montjuich circuit. 4 spectators were killed and 12 were injured. Stommelen suffered multiple fractures and was in critical condition. Mass was declared the winner in his Texaco McLaren-Ford, when the race was stopped immediately after the accident.^[6] Merzario and Mass led an Alfa Romeo sweep of the 1st two positions in the 1975 Coppa Florio manufacturers championship automobile race at Pergusa.^[7] Mass was 3rd in the 1975 French Grand Prix at Le Castellet. On lap 44 he broke the record set by Denny Hulme, clocking a time of 1:50.60 over the 3.61-mile circuit.^[8] Mass and Jacky Ickx teamed in a Porsche to claim victory in the Dijon Six-Hour Race.^[9] Mass captured 1st in the 8th and final race of the 1976 World Sports Car Championship series. He completed the 4.2 kilometer, Salzburg course in 1 hour, 28 minutes, 25.24 seconds, with an average speed of 125 m.p.h.^[10] Mass and Ickx drove a Porsche 935 in the 1977 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race. Mass was clocked at 126.477 m.p.h. around the 3.84 mile Daytona road course.^[11] Mass won both 20-lap heats of the 1977 Jim Clark Memorial race in Hockenheim. He drove a March-BMW.^[12] Mass' Arrows turned over several times at the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix at Zeltweg. He incurred a bruised neck and back vertebra but was able to leave the hospital.^[13] Mass was convinced to stop racing Formula One after an accident with Mauro Baldi at the 1982 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard. His March and the Arrows of Baldi touched at maximum speeds, both cars flying off the track and through a catch fence. Mass' car continued, hitting a tire-lined guardrail. The March finally came to rest upside down and on fire, almost halfway into a spectator area. Amazingly he escaped with a light burn and Baldi was uninjured.^[14]

Among his many victories, in 1985 he won the Circuito del Mugello 1000 km race in Italy driving a Porsche 962C and in 1987 partnered with Bobby Rahal to claim victory at the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring race. Mass and Bobby Rahal combined to win the Champion Spark Plug Grand Prix at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Driving a Porsche 962, they inherited the lead 18 laps from the end.^[15] In 1989, he won the most prestigious endurance race of all, the 24 hours of Le Mans, with the Sauber-entered Mercedes-Benz.

Jochen Mass now drives the Mercedes-Benz museum's historic cars. In the 2004 Mille Miglia, he drove the original Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR that Stirling Moss had driven to victory in the 1955 race. To raise money for charity, the passenger seat next to him was auctioned off to the highest bidder.

From 1994 to 1998, he also commentated the Formula 1 races for German broadcaster RTL.

[edit] Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (races in italics indicate fastest lap}

Yr	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	WDC	Points
1973	Team Surtees	Surtees TS14A	Cosworth V8	ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	FRA	GBR Ret	NED	GER 7	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA Ret			-	0
1974	Team Surtees	Surtees TS16	Cosworth V8	ARG Ret	BRA 17	RSA Ret															-	0
	B&O Team Surtees						ESP Ret	BEL Ret	MON DNS	SWE Ret	NED Ret	FRA Ret	GBR 14	GER Ret
	Yardley McLaren	McLaren M23															CAN 16	USA 7
1975	Marlboro Team Texaco	McLaren M23	Cosworth V8	ARG 14	BRA 3	RSA 6	ESP 1	MON 6	BEL Ret	SWE Ret	NED Ret	FRA 3	GBR 7	GER Ret	AUT 4	ITA Ret	USA 3				8th	20
1976	Marlboro Team McLaren	McLaren M23	Cosworth V8	BRA 6	RSA 3	USW 5	ESP Ret	BEL 6	MON 5	SWE 11	FRA 15	GBR Ret	GER 3	AUT 7		ITA Ret	CAN 5	USA 4	JPN Ret		9th	19
		McLaren M26													NED 9
1977	Marlboro Team McLaren	McLaren M23	Cosworth V8	ARG Ret	BRA Ret	RSA 5	USW Ret	ESP 4	MON 4	BEL Ret	SWE 2	FRA 9									6th	25
		McLaren M26											GBR 4	GER Ret	AUT 6	NED Ret	ITA 4	USA Ret	CAN 3	JPN Ret
1978	ATS Racing	ATS HS1	Cosworth V8	ARG 11	BRA 7	RSA Ret	USW Ret	MON DNQ	BEL 11	ESP 9	SWE 13	FRA 13	GBR NC	GER Ret	AUT DNQ	NED DNQ	ITA	USA	CAN		-	0
1979	Warsteiner Arrows	Arrows A1	Cosworth V8	ARG 8	BRA 7	RSA 12	USW 9	ESP 8	BEL Ret	MON 6											18th	3
		Arrows A2									FRA 15	GBR Ret	GER 6	AUT Ret	NED 6	ITA Ret	CAN DNQ	USA DNQ
1980	Warsteiner Arrows	Arrows A3	Cosworth V8	ARG Ret	BRA 10	RSA 6	USW 7	BEL Ret	MON 4	FRA 10	GBR 13	GER 8	AUT DNQ	NED DNS	ITA	CAN 11	USA Ret				17th	4
1982	March Grand Prix	March 821	Cosworth V8	RSA 12	BRA 8	USW 8	SMR	BEL Ret	MON DNQ	USE 7	CAN 11	NED Ret	GBR 10	FRA Ret	GER	AUT	SUI	ITA	LVS		-	0

Preceded by Dieter Glemser	European Touring Car Champion 1972	Succeeded by Toine Hezemans
Preceded by Jan Lammers Johnny Dumfries Andy Wallace	Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1989 Jochen Mass Manuel Reuter Stanley Dickens	Succeeded by John Nielsen Price Cobb Martin Brundle

[edit] References

1. ^ Ferrari Wins Nine-Hour Race, Washington Post, Times Herald, November 5, 1972, Page C13.
2. ^ Beltoise, Mass Pace Trials, New York Times, April 8, 1973, Page 261.
3. ^ Jarier Wins Easily, Washington Post, June 11, 1973, Page D3.
4. ^ Stewart Captures Prix, Washington Post, August 6, 1973, Page D6.
5. ^ Pace Victor in Prix As 150,000 Cheer, Washington Post, January 27, 1975, Page D7.
6. ^ 4 Die, 12 Injured As Race Car Hits Barcelona Crowd, Washington Post, April 28, 1975, Page D2.
7. ^ Alfa Romeos Sweep, Washington Post, May 19, 1975, Page D4.
8. ^ Lauda Holds Off Hunt To Win French Grand Prix, Washington Post, July 7, 1975, Page D5.
9. ^ Dijon Race Dominated By Porsches, Washington Post, September 5, 1976, Page 70.
10. ^ Porsches Place 1st, 2nd, Washington Post, September 20, 1976, Page D9.
11. ^ Ickx-Mass Porsche Records Fastest Time, New York Times, February 3, 1977, Page 54.
12. ^ Mass Wins Clark, Washington Post, April 18, 1977, Page D3.
13. ^ Driving Incident, Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner, August 16, 1980, Page 10.
14. ^ Germany's Mass Takes Look At Long Career, European Stars And Stripes, Thursday, May 2, 1985, Page 13.
15. ^ Auto Racing, New York Times, June 8, 1987, Page C9.

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