Born : May 18 1928
Deceased : July 7 1968
Biography Jo Schlesser
Jo Schlesser was born in 1928 in the French colony of Madagascar. Despite growing up in Madagascar, Schlesser showed interest in motorsports. He kept informed by reading race reports in newspapers and magazines. After World War II, Schlesser moved to France to study in Nancy. After his studies, Jo Schlesser worked for a while in a factory. At the age of 24, Schlesser makes his debut in motorsport by participating in the Rally of Lorraine in a Dyna-Panhard. Soon after that, Schlesser started monoseater racing in the French Monomill n 1964, series. In 1954 he won a race at Monthléry in Paris and at Majumga in Madagascar. In 1955, when he moved back to Madagascar for his job, Schlesser kept on racing. He purchased a Mercedes 300 SL and entered the car in different races in Madagascar.
The late fifties
In 1957 Schlesser returned to France and made his debut at the Le Mans 24H in a DB-Panhard, teaming up with Jean-Claude Vidilles. After 14 hours of racing, they quit the race after an accident. At the 1957 Liege-Rome-Liege, Schlesser finished 2nd in a Mercedes. After purchasing a Ferrari 250 GT, his best result was a 2nd in class at the 1960 Nurburgring 1000km and a 2nd overall at Rouen. At the 1961 Le Mans 24H, Schlesser crashed and suffered a badly broken arm and leg which caused him to miss the race and most of the season. That however did not pretend him from returning to racing. From then on, Jo Schlesser used aa string arrangement to help shift his leg from accelerator to brake.
The Sixties
In 1962, Jo Schlesser returns to the mono-seater races. With a Formula Junior Brabham BT2, he took several checkered flags at different races in Europe. In 1963 Schlesser teamed up with Guy Ligier and became a Ford dealer in Paris. Meanwhile his race-career is getting more and more succesful with a French French Formula Junior Title in a Brabham BT6 Ford as a result. He shares an AC Cobra with Hal Keck, and takes a class win in the Daytona Continental. With Bob Bondurant, he achieves class victories at Sebring and the Reims 12-hour.
In 1964, Jo Schlesser continues racing in the Cobra. Together with Phil Hill, he finishes 6th overall and 3rd in class at Sebring, and wins his class at the Nürburgring 1000kms with Richard Attwood. At the Paris 1000kms, Schlesser shares a car with Pedro Rodriguez and finishes 2nd in a Ferrari GTO. In the Angola GP, Schlesser takes 2nd place in a Porsche 904 Carrera GTS. Schlesser even drove a few NASCAR races in the USA, and took part in the Rally of Monte-Carlo in a Porsche 911 with Robert Buchet.
His last year
In 1968, Schlesser shared the wheel of a Porsche 907 with Joe Buzetta at the Daytona 24H. Everybody remembers that day, as the day Porsche won the Daytona 24H for the first time. Jo Schlesser and Joe Buzetta finished 3rd. Together with Gerhard Mitter, Schlesser finishes 2nd at the Spa 1000kms. In July 1968, Jo Schlesser has the opportunity to compete in a F1 race. Honda invites him to drive an untested air-cooled Honda RA304. To reduce weight, they had built the car in magnesium. John Surtees felt uncertain about the car and refused to drive it. Honda pushed and Schlesser took the wheel. Unfortunately, he lost control of the car, hit a bank and overturned. The car caught fire and Schlesser could not escape the fire. The 1st victory of Jacky Ickx in a F1 race is overshadowed by the death of Jo Schlesser.
Pictures courtesy Honda, Porsche AG and unknown
