Volkert Merl
Volkert Merl ( born February 10, 1940) is a former German race car driver.
Volkert Merl began in the mid -1970s, his racing career in touring car racing. After the first experience gained with Opel and Alfa Romeo race car, he switched to Porsche. 1976 and 1977 he started with a Porsche 934 in the German Racing Championship ( DRM) and in the German Automobile Circuit Cup ( GUT ). In 1976, he was able to record his first victory at the GUT race in Ulm.
From 1978 to 1981 Merl drove Porsche 935 racing cars of various teams in the first division of the DRM. After the 1978 season with Konrad Racing, he went to 1983 consistently with the Joest Racing team. In 1982, after amending the Regulations on Group 6 - and Group C racing car, he switched to a Porsche 908/ 3 Turbo and Porsche 936C. In the race, he reached many placings in the top ten and was able to secure the overall result in 1980 the 4th Place and in 1982 the 5th Place. His last DRM - race season in 1983, he played mostly with a Porsche 956 and reached there with a runner-up title his best overall results in this series.
The first long-distance race in the World Sportscar Championship in 1977 he went to the end of the season with the Kremer Racing team on a 934/5 and 935 A year later, he sat for Konrad Racing in a Porsche cockpit. 1979 after moving to Joest he continued until 1982 in the Porsche 935 and Porsche 935/77A J in Group 5 and the Porsche 908/ 3 Turbo in Group 6 of the World Championship of Makes. He was able to enter with Reinhold Joest in 1979 to win the 6-hour race at Dijon and the 6-hour race at Brands Hatch. His most important long-distance victory in 1980, he celebrated the 24- hour race at Daytona, that he was able to record 935 J for together with Reinhold Joest and Rolf Stommelen in a Porsche. The racing season of the World Sportscar Championship in 1983 and 1984, he drove a Porsche 956
From 1980 to 1982 Merl also launched in the Inter series. There he ran a 908/3 Turbo and later also in a Porsche 936C regularly in the points and to win seats. 1980 was his most successful Inter Series season winning the title. He played his last race in 1984 at the Inter Series Race in Most, in which he drove to third place overall.
Merl drove a total of three times at the 24 - hour race at Le Mans. In 1980 he started with the driver - colleague Claude Haldi and Bernard Beguin Porsche 935/77A in group 5, but had to retire early due to engine problems. In his second start in 1983 with Clemens Schickentanz and Maurizio de Narváez in the Porsche 956 he had more success and reached the fourth place overall. A year later he was able to Dieter chimney and Louis Krages ( " John Winter " ) celebrate a fifth place in the overall standings.