En marge de la gloire

Disparu il y a plus de onze ans, Bob Wollek est un champion atypique. Sportif de haut niveau, il s'est d'abord fait connaître par le ski, intégrant l'équipe de France des Killy et Périllat. Non sélectionné pour les JO de Grenoble, il se tourne alors vers sa seconde passion : le sport auto où il débute en 1967. Le début d'une carrière de 34 ans au cours de laquelle il va devenir un des plus grands spécialistes mondiaux des courses d'endurance. Daytona, Sebring, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, le Nürburgring. Bob gagnera partout sauf au Mans où, victime d'une malchance incroyable il terminera maintes fois sur le podium, mais jamais premier. Bien que son nom soit intimement lié à celui de Porsche, il a conduit pour de nombreux constructeurs et côtoyé les plus grands noms de trois générations de champions de Graham Hill à Allan McNish en passant par Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, Dale Earnhardt ou Henri Pescarolo. Et des personnalités du sport automobile telles que Norbert Singer, Reinhold Joest, Manfred Kremer ou Cesare Fiorio ont tenu à apporter leurs témoignages sur ce champion hors du commun, fauché sur une route de Floride alors qu'il assouvissait une troisième passion, le vélo.

Bob Wollek, who died just over eleven years ago, was an atypical champion. He was a top-level sportsman who first made a name for himself in the world of skiing, and he became a member of the great French team of the 60s with Killy and Périllat. He was not selected for the 1968 Grenoble Olympics so he decided to change full time to his second passion - motor racing - in which he had made his debut in 1967. It was the start of a 34-year career during which he became one of the world's greatest specialists in endurance. He won everywhere, Daytona, Sebring, Brands Hatch, Silverstone and the Nürburgring but never the Le Mans 24 Hours in which he suffered incredible bad luck as he finished on the podium on numerous occasions - although never on the topmost step! While his name will be forever linked to that of Porsche, he also drove for numerous other manufacturers and rubbed shoulders with three generations of champions ranging from Graham Hill to Allan McNish as well as Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, Dale Earnhardt and Henri Pescarolo, all of whom pay tribute to him in this well-researched book. Other famous names from the world of motor sport, like Norbert Singer, Reinhold Joest, Manfred Kremer and Cesare Fiorio pay homage to this exceptional driver who was killed on a road in Florida when he was enjoying his third passion - cycling!