Klaus Ludwig


Klaus Karl Ludwig is a German racing driver.

Biography

He also known as König Ludwig for his success in touring cars and in sports car racing.
Ford Capri at the Auto & Technik Museum in Sinsheim, Germany Ford Mustang Turbo during the 1981 and 1982 Camel GT race seasons.
In the 1970s, Ludwig drove for Ford in the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft, winning in 1979 with a Kremer Racing-Porsche 935. With this car, based on the then 15-year-old Porsche 911 road car design, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall in the wet, an unprecedented win against the faster pure sports car racing prototypes.
In 1984 and 1985, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Joest Racing in their #7 Porsche 956. Considering Le Mans and sportcars too dangerous after the deaths of Manfred Winkelhock and Stefan Bellof, he was recruited for the 1987 World Touring Car Championship for Ford only to finish runner-up by a single point to BMW driver Roberto Ravaglia after a post-season disqualification. He then moved to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, and became champion in 1988 in a Ford Sierra RS500. Ludwig also represented IMSA in the 1986 International Race of Champions, finishing 8th.
He repeated the success at Mercedes-Benz in 1992 and 1994, before moving back to sports cars racing for them in 1997 to become the 1998 FIA GT Champion. He retired when the series did not continue in the 1999 season.
He soon returned in June 1999, to win the 24 Hours Nürburgring on the Nordschleife for the third time driving a Zakspeed Viper.
When the DTM resumed as Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2000, he returned to the series, winning at the age of 50 years at the Sachsenring circuit, only to retire once again.
Ludwig returned as a "hobby pilot" to the Nürburgring Nordschleife when given the opportunity to drive a high power vehicle.
The years 2004 and 2005 saw him enter the 24 Hours Nürburgring with Uwe Alzen on the Jürgen Alzen Porsche 996 GT2 Bi-Turbo. With a normally aspirated Porsche 997 GT3 of the Alzen brothers, Ludwig and Christian Abt managed to beat the old distance record in the 2006 edition of the 24h, yet finished only second, 1 lap behind the winners.
Ludwig has also worked as a TV commentator on DTM races.

Racing record

Achievements

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910111213Pts
Willi Kauhsen Racing TeamMarch 762HartHOC
Ret		THRVAL
13		SALPAU
HOC
9		ROUMUG
9		PERESTNOG
HOC
10		12th4
Willi Kauhsen Racing TeamJabouille 2JRenaultSIL
Ret		THR
Ret		HOC
Ret		NÜR
8		VAL
DSQ		PAU
7		MUGROUNOGPERMISESTNC0
KWS AutotechnikChevron B40FordDON
Ret		NC0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar1234567891011Pts
1987 Eggenberger MotorsportFord Sierra RS CosworthMNZ
DSQ		JAR
ovr:4
cls:1		DIJ
ovr:4
cls:4		NÜR
ovr:1
cls:1		SPA
Ret		2nd268
1987 Eggenberger MotorsportFord Sierra RS500BRN
ovr:1
cls:1		SIL
ovr:6
cls:1		BAT
DSQ		CLD
ovr:12
cls:8		WEL
ovr:1
cls:1		FUJ
ovr:1
cls:1		2nd268

* Overall positions shown. WTCC points paying positions may be different

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft/Masters results

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324Pts
1985ABR Ringhausen RennsportFord Sierra XR4 TIZOLWUNAVUMFAERDERDDIE
12		DIE
1		ZOL
1		SIE
1		NÜR
1		11th73.5
1986ABR Ringhausen RennsportFord Sierra XR4 TIZOL
Ret		HOC
5		NÜRAVUMFAWUNNÜR
Ret		ZOLNÜR25th14
1987Ford-Grab Motorsport GmbHFord Sierra XR4 TIHOCZOLNÜRAVUMFANORNÜR
1		WUNDIESALNC0
1988Team Hein Gericke Ford Grab MotorsportFord Sierra RS 500 CosworthZOL
1
1		ZOL
2
1		HOC
1
10		HOC
2
8		NÜR
1
2		NÜR
2
5		BRN
1
2		BRN
2
2		AVU
1
Ret		AVU
2
12		MFA
1
Ret		MFA
2
9		NÜR
1
5		NÜR
2
4		NOR
1
23		NOR
2
1		WUN
1
1		WUN
2
1		SAL
1
C		SAL
2
C		HUN
1
Ret		HUN
2
Ret		HOC
1
9		HOC
2
5		1st258
1989AMG Motorenbau GmbHMercedes 190E 2.3-16ZOL
1
Ret		ZOL
2
DNS		HOC
1
1		HOC
2
20		NÜR
1
3		NÜR
2
Ret		11th155
1989AMG Motorenbau GmbHMercedes 190E 2.5-16 EvoMFA
1
Ret		MFA
2
DNS		AVU
1
3		AVU
2
10		NÜR
1
DNS		NÜR
2
DNS		NOR
1		NOR
2		HOC
1
Ret		HOC
2
DNS		DIE
1
1		DIE
2
1		NÜR
1
1		NÜR
2
1		HOC
1
5		HOC
2
Ret		11th155
1990AMG Motorenbau GmbHMercedes 190E 2.5-16 EvoZOL
1
4		ZOL
2
2		HOC
1
1		HOC
2
Ret		NÜR
1
4		NÜR
2
3		AVU
1
9		AVU
2
Ret		MFA
1
2		MFA
2
6		WUN
1
22		WUN
2
11		5th140
1990AMG Motorenbau GmbHMercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo2NÜR
1
Ret		NÜR
2
15		NOR
1
4		NOR
2
4		DIE
1
7		DIE
2
6		NÜR
1
7		NÜR
2
7		HOC
1
5		HOC
2
7		5th140
1991AMG Motorenbau GmbHMercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo2ZOL
1
2		ZOL
2
14		HOC
1
7		HOC
2
7		NÜR
1
1		NÜR
2
1		AVU
1
7		AVU
2
Ret		WUN
1
3		WUN
2
3		NOR
1
Ret		NOR
2
7		DIE
1
8		DIE
2
3		NÜR
1
1		NÜR
2
1		ALE
1
9		ALE
2
Ret		HOC
1
6		HOC
2
5		BRN
1
1		BRN
2
Ret		DON
1
4		DON
2
4		2nd166
1992AMG Motorenbau GmbHMercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo2ZOL
1
2		ZOL
2
11		NÜR
1
7		NÜR
2
5		WUN
1
2		WUN
2
3		AVU
1
4		AVU
2
7		HOC
1
Ret		HOC
2
2		NÜR
1
1		NÜR
2
1		NOR
1
8		NOR
2
12		BRN
1
Ret		BRN
2
4		DIE
1
1		DIE
2
1		ALE
1
Ret		ALE
2
4		NÜR
1
4		NÜR
2
1		HOC
1
3		HOC
2
Ret		1st228
1993AMG-Mercedes Berlin 2000Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 93ZOL
1
4		ZOL
2
7		HOC
1
Ret		NÜR
1
3		WUN
1
5		WUN
2
3		NÜR
1
2		NÜR
2
3		NOR
1
Ret		NOR
2
5		DON
1
6		DON
2
Ret		DIE
1
3		DIE
2
2		ALE
1
5		ALE
2
Ret		AVU
1
2		AVU
2
22		HOC
1
5		HOC
2
Ret		4th171
1993AMG-Mercedes Berlin 2000Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo2HOC
2
3		NÜR
2
1		4th171
1994AMG Mercedes D2 Privat TeamMercedes C-Class V6ZOL
1
8		ZOL
2
5		HOC
1
5		HOC
2
8		NÜR
1
1		NÜR
2
3		MUG
1
8		MUG
2
17		NÜR
1
2		NÜR
2
1		NOR
1
3		NOR
2
5		DON
1
20		DON
2
DNS		DIE
1
1		DIE
2
2		NÜR
1
2		NÜR
2
2		AVU
1
4		AVU
2
8		ALE
1
Ret		ALE
2
4		HOC
1
2		HOC
2
4		1st222
1995Opel Team RosbergOpel Calibra V6 4x4HOC
1
5		HOC
2
3		AVU
1
Ret		AVU
2
DNS		NOR
1
2		NOR
2
Ret		DIE
1
Ret		DIE
2
Ret		NÜR
1
7		NÜR
2
10		ALE
1
Ret		ALE
2
DNS		HOC
1
1		HOC
2
1		3rd80
2000HWA 2AMG-Mercedes CLK-DTMHOC
1
9		HOC
2
9		OSC
1
8		OSC
2
11		NOR
1
2		NOR
2
3		SAC
1
1		SAC
2
1		NÜR
1
2		NÜR
2
2		LAU
1
C		LAU
2
C		OSC
1
6		OSC
2
3		NÜR
1
12		NÜR
2
Ret		HOC
1
Ret		HOC
2
11		3rd122

Complete International Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526Pts
1995Opel Team RosbergOpel Calibra V6 4x4MUG
1
8		MUG
2
Ret		HEL
1
15		HEL
2
Ret		DON
1
8		DON
2
Ret		EST
1
17		EST
2
8		MAG
1
3		MAG
2
Ret		14th21
1996Zakspeed OpelOpel Calibra V6 4x4HOC
1
Ret		HOC
2
DNS		NÜR
1
Ret		NÜR
2
Ret		EST
1
3		EST
2
11		HEL
1
3		HEL
2
Ret		NOR
1
1		NOR
2
1		DIE
1
Ret		DIE
2
Ret		SIL
1
1		SIL
2
Ret		NÜR
1
Ret		NÜR
2
11		MAG
1
9		MAG
2
5		MUG
1		MUG
2		HOC
1
1		HOC
2
2		INT
1
Ret		INT
2
18†		SUZ
1
Ret		SUZ
2
10		7th130