One of the greats of national historic motorsport is celebrating his 80th birthday today, Saturday, March 14, 2026: Heinz Schmersal.
The Wuppertal native is not only a fixture in historic racing, but also a formative personality in German industry. Since 1982, he has been managing partner of the Schmersal Group, a globally active family business for machine safety and automation technology headquartered in Wuppertal. Under his leadership, the company has developed into a leading international supplier of safety technology with around 2,000 employees and is now present in more than 60 countries. In 2023, he was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Wuppertal for his services to innovation, international management and the exchange between business and science.
In addition to his successful business career, Heinz Schmersal has also been passionate about motorsport for decades. Together with his long-standing racing partner Mike Stursberg, he has written an impressive success story in historic racing.
The duo have two German championships, eight championship titles in historic racing, 18 overall victories and 72 class victories to their credit – a record that stands for passion, team spirit and tireless commitment on and off the racetrack.
For many years, Schmersal and Stursberg shaped the historic motorsport scene and thrilled fans with exciting races and consistently strong performances.
We would like to congratulate Heinz Schmersal on his milestone birthday and wish him – as well as Mike Stursberg – continued good health, much success and many more fast laps in historic racing. 🏁