Joest Racing

Lore & Background

Between 1998 and 2016, Joest Racing were strongly linked with Audi Sport GmbH and were responsible for assisting with development of their sports prototypes for participation at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, most notably the Audi R8, which scored a hat trick between 2000 and 2002. Along with the Le Mans ventures, Audi and Joest Racing also won several teams' championships together in both the American Le Mans Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Prior to their partnership with Audi, Joest Racing was primarily a Porsche team, winning four Le Mans races with them between 1984 and 1997. Joest Racing have also assisted Mazda with their DPi efforts.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicks the Mulsanne Straight under the glare of floodlights, turning the asphalt into a black mirror. In the pit lane, the crew moves with practiced silence around the Porsche 962C, its livery faded but proud. A mechanic checks the tire pressure while the driver wipes mist from his visor. The roar of the engine fades briefly as it idles, then surges back to life—a heartbeat in the night that has echoed for generations.

Reader's Guide

The team's early successes include winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1984 and 1985 with a Porsche 956, and later wins with Porsche in 1996 and 1997. They also won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1991 and the 12 Hours of Sebring multiple times with Audi. In the 1990s, they competed in the DTM with an Opel Calibra, winning the ITR Gold Cup in 1994 and the ITC title in 1996.

Did You Know?

• Joest Racing won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1984 and 1985 with the same Porsche 956 chassis number 117, making them the second team to achieve back-to-back wins with the same car.
• The team's first Le Mans win with Audi came in 2000, beginning a hat-trick of victories through 2002.