Bill Warner’s 2014 Amelia Island Concours, set for next March 7-9, will honor Jochen Mass on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his 1989 victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, perhaps the highlight of the German racer’s long career. In France that year, he shared a Sauber C9-Mercedes prototype with Stanley Dickens and Manuel Reuter, leading a 1-2-5 Mercedes-powered finish.
Mass also raced for a decade in Formula One with McLaren, ATS, Arrows, Surtees and March, scoring his single F1 victory in the tragic Spanish GP of 1975, but being deprived of an almost certain win in his home round at the Nürburgring the following year when his huge early lead was wiped out by the red flag for Niki Lauda’s accident. He also teamed with Bobby Rahal to win the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring in Bruce Leven’s Bayside Porsche 962.
Now retired, Mass handles historic sports and GP driving duties for Mercedes-Benz, and in 2004 raced the Mille Miglia’s 1000-mile route in Stirling Moss’ 1955-winning 300 SLR to raise money for charity.
“A career of such accomplishment doesn’t end with retirement,” said event founder and chairman Warner. “Jochen has lived many of our dreams, and yet he is not satisfied to retreat from the sport. Reuniting Jochen with his Le Mans winning Sauber-Mercedes on the silver anniversary of their Le Mans victory is in the true spirit of the reasons ‘The Amelia’ was created 19 years ago.”
