Markus Höttinger

[3] Via Marko, Höttinger was given a drive by BMW team principal Jochen Neerpasch in the 1977 Kyalami 1000kms alongside Harald Grohs, and the pair finished third.

[4] Neerpasch gave Höttinger a test and development role at BMW for 1978, and also a race seat with GS Tuning in the DRM series.

His impressive Procar season raised his profile more widely, as he finished fourth behind Formula One drivers Niki Lauda, Stuck, and Clay Regazzoni.

Höttinger spun and was hit by the March of Irish driver Bernard Devaney before stopping at a guard rail 300m further down the track.

Despite swift medical assistance and attention in a trackside ambulance, Höttinger was pronounced dead on his arrival by helicopter at a hospital in Heidelberg.

Left to right: GS Tuning team members in 1979 – Hans-Georg Bürger , Gerhard Schneider, Eckhard Schimpf, Markus Höttinger.