Horst Kwech
Encyclopedia
Horst Kwech is a race car driver, race car constructor, engineer and inventor known primarily for his several wins and two championships in the early Trans-Am Series
races of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s.
100/4 for Leaton Motors. He showed his mechanical engineering talent early building a custom sports car, the RM Spyder, with a Holden
motor, which he later sold to finance his trip to the USA. Kwech joined Knauz Continental Motors of Lake Forest Illinois in 1963 as a lead mechanic. He won the SCCA
Central Division Championship in an AUSCA Mark II in his first year in US Racing, in 1963. The AUSCA Mark II was an innovative tube frame sports car of Kwech’s design that competed with the Lotus 23
. In 1965 Kwech won the SCCA
Central Division Championship in an Alfa Romeo Giulia
Ti Super.
Kwech’s racing success in 1965 came to the attention of Alfa Romeo
’s head of USA racing, and Knauz Motors was offered a chance to purchase an Autodelta-prepared GTA to campaign in the newly established SCCA
Trans-Am Series
, with Kwech as the lead driver. In 1966 the privateer team of Horst Kwech and Gaston Andrey was the most successful in the Trans-Am
, accumulating 39 of the 57 manufacturers' points for Alfa Romeo
and clinching Alfa’s Under 2 Liter Trans-Am
Manufacturers' Championship.
Horst Kwech and Gaston Andrey also scored more points than any other drivers. Horst used the same GTA to qualify for the 1966 SCCA
ARRC runoffs at Riverside. He went on to win the first ARRC B-Sedan National Championship in a famous race with 25 lead changes, against the Lotus Cortina
of Allan Moffat
, and was presented with the SCCA
President's Cup for his outstanding drive.
In 1967 Kwech formed Ausca with Ron Neal and Bill Knauz in Libertyville, Illinois. This company developed Alfa Romeo
performance parts and prepared and raced Alfas in various series. In that year, he prepared and raced the Tri-Color Alfa GTA
’s with Monty Winkler, and Alfa Romeo gained second place in the 1967 Under 2 Liter Trans-Am Series
.
In 1968 he raced for Shelby
and won the Riverside Trans-Am
race in a Shelby-prepared Mustang
. This was one of three wins for the Shelby
team in Trans-Am
in 1968.
Kwech competed in the Under 2 liter Trans-Am
Championship again in 1970, in an Alfa Romeo GTA
. In 1971, he ran an Alfa Romeo
GTV against a strong Datsun
team led by John Morton in a BRE Datsun 510
.
In 1972 Kwech drove a Lola T300 for the Wetson Molica team in the L&M Continental F5000
Championship. He competed in six races with a best finish of sixth at Road Atlanta
.
In July 1974 Horst Kwech and Lee Dykstra formed Dekon Engineering. The name DeKon used the D in Dykstra and the K in Kwech and was short for Design and Construction. Dekon was located in Libertyville, Illinois. Over three years, Dekon Engineering produced seventeen race cars. Of these, fourteen were Monza’s.
The Dekon Monza was designed to compete with Porsche
which had dominated the IMSA
Camel GT Challenge. After some teething problems the Dekon Monza of Al Holbert won the IMSA
GT Championship in 1976 and 1977.
Horst Kwech has been granted 17 patents and is an active design engineer today.
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
races of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s.
Biography
Horst Kwech was born in 1937 in Vienna, Austria. Shortly after his birth, his mother emigrated to Australia where he grew up. Kwech began sports car racing in Australia in the fifties with an Austin-HealeyAustin-Healey
Austin-Healey was a British sports car maker. The marque was established through a joint-venture arrangement, set up in 1952 between Leonard Lord of the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation and the Donald Healey Motor Company, a renowned automotive engineering and design...
100/4 for Leaton Motors. He showed his mechanical engineering talent early building a custom sports car, the RM Spyder, with a Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
motor, which he later sold to finance his trip to the USA. Kwech joined Knauz Continental Motors of Lake Forest Illinois in 1963 as a lead mechanic. He won the SCCA
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
Central Division Championship in an AUSCA Mark II in his first year in US Racing, in 1963. The AUSCA Mark II was an innovative tube frame sports car of Kwech’s design that competed with the Lotus 23
Lotus 23
The Lotus 23 was designed by Colin Chapman as a small-displacement sports racing car. Nominally a two-seater , it was a purpose-built for racing with a driver alone. The 23 used a wider version of the Lotus 20 space frame, with the same suspension, clothed in a fibreglass body...
. In 1965 Kwech won the SCCA
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
Central Division Championship in an Alfa Romeo Giulia
Alfa Romeo Giulia
The Alfa Romeo Giulia is an Alfa Romeo automobile. Alfa was one of the first manufacturers to put a powerful engine in a light-weight car for mainstream production. The Giulia weighed about . The car was equipped with a light alloy twin overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine, similar to that of...
Ti Super.
Kwech’s racing success in 1965 came to the attention of Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
’s head of USA racing, and Knauz Motors was offered a chance to purchase an Autodelta-prepared GTA to campaign in the newly established SCCA
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
Trans-Am Series
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
, with Kwech as the lead driver. In 1966 the privateer team of Horst Kwech and Gaston Andrey was the most successful in the Trans-Am
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
, accumulating 39 of the 57 manufacturers' points for Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
and clinching Alfa’s Under 2 Liter Trans-Am
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
Manufacturers' Championship.
Horst Kwech and Gaston Andrey also scored more points than any other drivers. Horst used the same GTA to qualify for the 1966 SCCA
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
ARRC runoffs at Riverside. He went on to win the first ARRC B-Sedan National Championship in a famous race with 25 lead changes, against the Lotus Cortina
Lotus Cortina
The Lotus-Cortina is a high-performance car, which was produced in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1970 by the Ford in collaboration with Lotus Cars. The original version, which was based on the Ford Cortina Mark 1, was promoted by Ford as the "Consul Cortina developed by Lotus", with "Consul"...
of Allan Moffat
Allan Moffat
Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...
, and was presented with the SCCA
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
President's Cup for his outstanding drive.
In 1967 Kwech formed Ausca with Ron Neal and Bill Knauz in Libertyville, Illinois. This company developed Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
performance parts and prepared and raced Alfas in various series. In that year, he prepared and raced the Tri-Color Alfa GTA
Alfa Romeo GTA
The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start...
’s with Monty Winkler, and Alfa Romeo gained second place in the 1967 Under 2 Liter Trans-Am Series
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
.
In 1968 he raced for Shelby
Carroll Shelby International
Carroll Shelby International was formed in 2003 from custom performance vehicle manufacturer Shelby American when, founder and owner, Carroll Shelby took the company public, and additionally forming Shelby Automobiles as a subsidiary from which to continue manufacturing vehicles and parts...
and won the Riverside Trans-Am
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
race in a Shelby-prepared Mustang
Shelby Mustang
The Shelby Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang which was built by Shelby American from 1965 through 1970. Following the introduction of the fifth generation Ford Mustang, the Shelby nameplate was revived in 2007 for new high performance versions of the Mustang.- 1965–1966 :The...
. This was one of three wins for the Shelby
Carroll Shelby International
Carroll Shelby International was formed in 2003 from custom performance vehicle manufacturer Shelby American when, founder and owner, Carroll Shelby took the company public, and additionally forming Shelby Automobiles as a subsidiary from which to continue manufacturing vehicles and parts...
team in Trans-Am
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
in 1968.
Kwech competed in the Under 2 liter Trans-Am
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
Championship again in 1970, in an Alfa Romeo GTA
Alfa Romeo GTA
The GTA 1300 Junior had a 1300 cc engine that was based on the 1600 engine but with a short stroke crankshaft. The GTA Junior in stradale form did not have many of the light weight features of the 1600 GTA, such as the plastic windows, magnesium engine components and alloy wheels. At start...
. In 1971, he ran an Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
GTV against a strong Datsun
Datsun
Datsun was an automobile marque. The name was created in 1931 by the DAT Motorcar Co. for a new car model, spelling it as "Datson" to indicate its smaller size when compared to the existing, larger DAT car. Later, in 1933 after Nissan Motor Co., Ltd...
team led by John Morton in a BRE Datsun 510
Datsun 510
The Datsun 510 was a series of the Datsun Bluebird sold from 1968 to 1974, and offered outside the U.S. and Canada as the Datsun 1600. According to AutoWeek's G.D...
.
In 1972 Kwech drove a Lola T300 for the Wetson Molica team in the L&M Continental F5000
Formula 5000
Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula...
Championship. He competed in six races with a best finish of sixth at Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
.
In July 1974 Horst Kwech and Lee Dykstra formed Dekon Engineering. The name DeKon used the D in Dykstra and the K in Kwech and was short for Design and Construction. Dekon was located in Libertyville, Illinois. Over three years, Dekon Engineering produced seventeen race cars. Of these, fourteen were Monza’s.
The Dekon Monza was designed to compete with Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
which had dominated the IMSA
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
Camel GT Challenge. After some teething problems the Dekon Monza of Al Holbert won the IMSA
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
GT Championship in 1976 and 1977.
Horst Kwech has been granted 17 patents and is an active design engineer today.