Ludwig Heimrath

Ludwig Heimrath Jr. (born September 9, 1956) is a Canadian businessman and former race car driver in open-wheel and sports-car racing.

Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Heimrath started his driving career racing Go-karts and Formula Fords. In 1979 and 1980, he won the Ontario Formula Ford Championship winning seven races in total. In 1981 and 1982, he competed in selected International Motorsport Association (IMSA) races. In 1983, he competed in the Robert Bosch Super Vee Series. Ludwig was named Rookie of the Year winning a race and two pole positions. He also drove a prototype in the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year. In 1984, he won three races and three pole positions racing Super Vees. The next several years, Heimrath competed in the IMSA GTP Series and drove a factory supported Porsche in Trans-Am. Starting in 1987 through 1989, Heimrath competed in selected CART races. In 1987, at the Indianapolis 500, he was the fastest qualifier the second weekend, qualifying tenth. His highest finish at the Indy 500 was 13th.

Heimrath graduated as an engineer from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University). He currently owns and operates All-Composite, Inc., a composite manufacturing company in the Pacific Northwest. He also is a college composite technology instructor and consultant.

Heimrath is married to Kathy Rude, the first woman to win a major international sports car race, a GTU class win at 24 Hours of Daytona in 1982 with Lee Mueller and Allan Moffat. Heimrath's father, Ludwig Heimrath Sr., won the Trans Am Series championship in 1977, becoming the first person born outside the United States to win the championship since Horst Kwech in 1966.

American open-wheel racing results

(key)

PPG Indycar Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points Ref 1984 Canadian Tire Racing LBH PHX INDY MIL POR MEA CLE MCH ROA23 POC MDO SAN MCH PHX LAG CPL NC 0 1985 Truesports Co. LBH INDY MIL POR MEA CLE MCH ROA POC MDO26 SAN MCH LAG PHX MIA NC 0 1987 Dick Simon Racing LBH15 PHX22 INDY30 MIL10 POR12 MEA17 CLE18 TOR19 MCH25 POC12 ROA MDO26 NAZ 34th 5 Arciero Racing LAG23 MIADNQ 1988 Hemelgarn Racing PHX LBH14 INDY25 MIL POR23 CLE26 TOR19 MEA12 MCH POC MDO19 ROA21 NAZ LAG MIA7 28th 7 1989 Hemelgarn Racing PHX9 LBH24 INDY13 MILDNS DET POR CLE MEA TOR22 MCHDNQ POC MDO25 ROA17 NAZ17 LAGDNQ 26th 4

Indianapolis 500

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team 1987 Lola Cosworth 10 30 Dick Simon Racing 1988 Lola Cosworth 31 25 Hemelgarn Racing 1989 Lola Judd 18 13 Hemelgarn Racing

Le Mans 24 Hours results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1983 Brun Motorsport David Deacon Jacques Villeneuve Sehcar C6–Cosworth Group C 68 DNF DNF