Werner Pfirter

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Werner Pfirter (born December 19, 1946 , † September 24, 1973 near Lleida , Spain ) was a Swiss motorcycle racer .

Werner Pfirter from Pratteln was more of an automobile than a motorcycle enthusiast in his youth . He got into motorcycle racing by chance through a friend .

In the 1971 season he made his debut in the motorcycle world championship and won the 350cc race for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Salzburgring on a Yamaha straight away second behind the Italian Giacomo Agostini ( MV Agusta ). Among other things, third place followed this year at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jarama , which earned the Swiss sixth place in the overall 350 classification.

The following year Pfirter reached the goal in less than half of the races in which he competed. In addition to numerous technical defects, three serious falls were among the reasons for failure. He finished the world championship in tenth place in both the 250 and 350 categories.

The 1973 season was also marked by numerous failures for Pfirter. In the races he completed, however, he always achieved a place in the top ten. At his last Grand Prix, the quarter-liter run in Spain, he finished just under fourth behind John Dodds , Bruno Kneubühler and Chas Mortimer .

Werner Pfirter had a fatal accident on September 24, 1973 on the way back from the Spanish Grand Prix. His car crashed head-on into an oncoming truck near Lleida , Spain . Pfirter and his mechanic René Jaccar were dead on the spot.

Statistics in the motorcycle world championship

season class Result machine Podiums
1971 250 cc 20th Yamaha 0
350 cc 6th Yamaha 2
1972 250 cc 10. Yamaha 0
350 cc 10. Yamaha 0
1973 250 cc 13. Yamaha 0
350 cc 12. Yamaha 0

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Pfirter, Werner
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss motorcycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH December 19, 1946
DATE OF DEATH September 24, 1973
Place of death near Lleida , Spain