Mike Rockenfeller

Mike Rockenfeller Mike Rockenfeller during an autograph session at Norisring in 2007 Nationality German Born (1983-10-31) October 31, 1983 Neuwied (Germany) DTM career Debut season 2007 Current team Audi Sport Team Rosberg Car number 11 Starts 31 Wins 1 Poles 0 Fastest laps 2 Best finish 11th in 2008 Previous series 2008 2006 2005 2002-2004 2001 Le Mans Series Rolex Sports Car Series FIA GT German Carrera Cup Formula König Championship titles 2008 2005 2004 Le Mans Series FIA GT Championship GT2 German Carrera Cup 24 Hours of Le Mans career Years 2004–2005, 2007– Teams Orbit Racing, Alex Job Racing, Audi Sport Team Joest Best finish 1st (2010) Class wins 2 (2005, 2010)

Mike Rockenfeller (born October 31, 1983 in Neuwied), nicknamed "Rocky", is a German race car driver, currently an Audi factory driver competing in the Le Mans Series.

Career

Rockenfeller began racing karts in 1995 at age of 11, winning the Bambini North state championship. He competed in various local and national karting series in the 1990s. In 2002, he won the Jörg van Ommen Kart Cup Super Series.

In 2001, Rockenfeller moved to cars, and finished 4th in the Formula König championship, winning one race. In 2002, he joined the Porsche Junior team and raced in the German Carrera Cup, finishing 10th, and in a partial Porsche Supercup season. In 2003, he finished 2nd in the German Carrera Cup championship, and made his American Le Mans Series debut at Petit Le Mans, finishing 10th in GT2 class. In 2004, Rockenfeller won the German Carrera Cup and also won two races in Porsche Supercup. At that year he also raced at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 1000km of Nürburgring, and Petit Le Mans.

Mike Rockenfeller driving the Audi R10 TDI en route to winning the 2008 Le Mans Series Drivers Championship.

2005 became Rockenfeller's breakthrough year. He became a full Porsche factory driver and won the GT2 class driver championship title in the FIA GT Championship driving with Marc Lieb for GruppeM Racing. He collected 6 class wins, including the Spa 24 Hours. Rockenfeller also won the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving with Lieb and Leo Hindrey for Alex Job Racing. 2006 saw him race again in the ALMS and Grand-Am series for Alex Job. He won in the ALMS at Houston and finished second in LMP2 class at Petit Le Mans, driving a Porsche RS Spyder for Penske Racing. He also took two Grand-Am wins.

Mike Rockenfeller driving an Audi A4 at Hockenheim during the 2009 DTM season.

For 2007, Rockenfeller became an Audi factory driver and raced an A4 DTM for Audi Sport Team Rosberg in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. He also participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving an Audi R10. In addition to DTM and having already moderate experience with Le Mans Prototype cars, in 2008 he drove for Audi Sport Team Joest in the Le Mans Series, alongside Alexandre Prémat. Despite not winning any races, Rockenfeller and Prémat won the title at the 2008 1000 km of Silverstone, after an accident on lap 46 for the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP of Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gené. He also participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, occupying the third Audi entry with Prémat and Lucas Luhr. After qualifying fifth, their entry finished in fourth place overall, seven laps down on winning team-mates Rinaldo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish.

For 2009, Rockenfeller continues in the DTM with Team Rosberg.

Rockenfeller starts the 2010 racing season winning the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona overall in the Action Express Racing Porsche Riley with teammates João Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, and Ryan Dalziel.

In the 2011 Rolex 24 Heures du Le Mans, Rockenfeller was involved in a horrific shunt at Porsche corner while passing a slower GTE vehicle at 5:49 into the race. Shortly after nightfall, he was involved in a violent crash at the kinks on the straight between Mulsanne Corner and Indianapolis after near contact with the number 71 car of Robert Kauffman. Rockenfeller then climbed from his car and jumped to safety over the Armco barrier.

Accolades

• FIA GT Championship GT2 Champion: 2005
• 24 Hours Nürburgring overall winner: 2006
• 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 winner: 2005
• Spa 24 Hours GT2 winner: 2005
• 24 Hours of Daytona overall winner: 2010
• 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winner: 2010

Racing record

Complete DTM results

(key)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Pos	Points
2007	Audi	HOC1 12	OSC 3	LAU 13	BRH Ret	NOR 13	MUG 6	ZAN 10	NÜR 17	CAT 7	HOC2 Ret		12th	11
2008	Audi	HOC1 10	OSC 7	MUG 14	LAU 9	NOR 13	ZAN 10	NÜR 15	BRH 13	CAT 5	BUG 9	HOC2 9	11th	6
2009	Audi	HOC1 Ret	LAU 7	NOR 9	ZAN 12	OSC 13	NÜR 10	BRH 7	CAT 12	DIJ 13	HOC2 9		14th	4
2010	Audi	HOC1 5	VAL 6	LAU 4	NOR 12	NÜR 9	ZAN 13	BRH 9	OSC 5	HOC2 3	ADR 16	SHA 12	7th	22
2011	Audi	HOC1 11	ZAN 1	SPL 5	LAU	NOR	NÜR	BRH	OSC	VAL	HOC2		3rd	14

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Class	No	Tyres	Car	Team	Co-Drivers	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2004	GT	87	M	Porsche 911 GT3-RS Porsche 3.6L Flat-6	Orbit Racing BAM!	Leo Hindery Marc Lieb	223	DNF	DNF
2005	GT2	71	Y	Porsche 911 GT3-RSR Porsche 3.6L Flat-6	Alex Job Racing BAM! Motorsport	Marc Lieb Leo Hindery	332	10th	1st
2007	LMP1	3	M	Audi R10 TDI Audi TDI 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel)	Audi Sport Team Joest	Lucas Luhr Alexandre Prémat	23	DNF	DNF
2008	LMP1	3	M	Audi R10 TDI Audi TDI 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel)	Audi Sport Team Joest	Lucas Luhr Alexandre Prémat	374	4th	4th
2009	LMP1	2	M	Audi R15 TDI Audi TDI 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel)	Audi Sport North America	Marco Werner Lucas Luhr	104	DNF	DNF
2010	LMP1	9	M	Audi R15 TDI plus Audi TDI 5.5L Turbo V12 (Diesel)	Audi Sport North America	Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas	397	1st	1st
2011	LMP1	1	M	Audi R18 TDI Audi TDI 3.7L Turbo V6 (Diesel)	Audi Sport Team Joest	Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas	116	DNF	DNF

External links

• Official website
• Fourtitude Magazine profile