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Robert Jean Wollek

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Robert Jean "Bob" Wollek (4 November 1943 – 16 March 2001), nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", was a race car driver from Strasbourg, France. He won a total of 76 races in his career, 71 in Porsche cars, including four editions of the 24 Hours of Daytona and one edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring). He died in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle back to his accommodation after the day's practice sessions for the following day's race, the 12 Hours of Sebring.

As a university student, Wollek was a member of the French National Skiing Team between 1966 and 1968. He competed in the Winter Universiade, winning three gold and two silver medals. His skiing career ended when he was injured during preparations for the Winter Olympics.

Wollek began racing cars in 1967 by entering the Mont-Blanc Rally in a Renault 8 Gordini, which he won. The following year, he entered a Volant Shell scholarship race at the Le Mans' Bugatti Circuit, finishing runner-up to François Migault. He then won the Alpine Trophy Le Mans, earning a place in the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he finished 11th overall and 2nd in class driving an Alpine A210. In 1969, Wollek made his debut in single-seater racing, competing in Formula France before graduating to the French Formula Three Championship.

In 1971, Wollek switched to Formula Two, driving for Ron Dennis's Rondel Racing. After a shaky start, he improved the following year with a single win at Imola and 21 points, placing him seventh. He then focused on sportscar racing, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona four times (1983, 1985, 1989, 1991) and the DRM in 1982 and 1983 with the Porsche 936 and Porsche 956 entered by Joest Racing. In the mid-1970s, Wollek raced a Porsche 935K2 entered by Kremer Racing. In 1981, he raced a Group C-spec Kremer-built Porsche 917. Wollek often challenged the factory team with privately entered cars but was also part of the official Porsche Le Mans team in several years.

During a 1969 round at Rouen-Les-Essarts, Wollek was involved in a fatal accident that killed Jean-Luc Salomon. Wollek never won the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall, despite coming close. In 1997, his leading factory-entered Porsche 911 GT1 suffered damage and had to be retired. In 1998, Porsche scored a 1–2 win, but Wollek was on the runner-up car.

On 16 March 2001, while leaving Sebring International Raceway-international-raceway) following practice, Wollek was struck from behind by a van driven by an elderly driver from Okeechobee, Florida, while cycling west on Highway 98. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Highlands Regional Medical Center. Wollek was due to start in the Petersen Motorsports Porsche 996 GT3-RS but the car was withdrawn out of respect. A one-minute silence was held in his memory on race day.

In 2000, Wollek scored class wins in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in a Porsche 996 GT3. His final race entry was the 2001 12 Hours of Sebring), which he had previously won in 1985 with A. J. Foyt in a Porsche 962. Wollek developed a fitness regime of riding bicycles to stay in condition for long races. Outside of racing, he ran a car dealership for Jaguar.

Prior to his death, Wollek announced he would retire from racing to serve as an ambassador for Porsche. Though an overall Le Mans victory eluded him, he remains a notable figure in sportscar racing, with 71 of his 76 career wins in Porsche machinery.

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