Founded | 1978 |
---|---|
Team principal(s) | Reinhold Joest |
Current series | FIA World Endurance Championship |
Former series |
World Sportscar Championship Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft IMSA GT Championship Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft American Le Mans Series Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Le Mans Series Intercontinental Le Mans Cup |
Current drivers |
André Lotterer Benoît Tréluyer Marcel Fässler Oliver Jarvis Lucas di Grassi Loïc Duval |
Teams' Championships |
2 (2012 WEC, 2013 WEC) |
Drivers' Championships |
2 (2012 WEC, 2013 WEC) |
Joest Racing (currently competing as Audi Sport Team Joest) is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest. The headquarters are in Wald-Michelbach, Germany.
As a combined driver/team owner, Reinhold Joest first began to race a Porsche 908/3 in the European Sportscar Championship, winning the driver's title. He then switched to Porsche 935s, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1980. The team won the DRM back to back with driver Bob Wollek, in 1982 and 1983. During the 1982 season, whilst the Porsche 956 was only available to the works team, Joest adapted a roof onto a Porsche 936 to enter the Group C World Endurance Championship. They would race the car into the 1983 season until they took delivery of their 956 prior to Le Mans.
In 1984, in absence of the works team, Joest Racing would score the first of their thirteen wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Klaus Ludwig and Henri Pescarolo driving their "lucky #7" car a Porsche 956, chassis number 117. In 1985, the works team returned, and despite having little factory support, they defended their title with Ludwig, Paolo Barilla and incognito German businessman "John Winter" driving the #7 chassis number 117 again. This would make them the second team to score back to back wins with the same car, the other being JW Automotive whose Ford GT40 Mk.I won in 1968 and 1969.