View source for Karl Oppitzhauser

{{Short description|Austrian racing driver (born 1941)}}
{{Infobox F1 driver
| name = Karl Oppitzhauser
| nationality = {{flagicon|AUT}} Austrian
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1941|10|04|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bruck an der Leitha]], [[Lower Austria]], Austria
| Years = {{F1|1976}}
| Team(s) = non-works [[March Engineering|March]]
| Races = 1 (0 starts)
| Championships = 0
| Wins = 0
| Podiums = 0
| Points = 0
| Poles = 0
| Fastest laps = 0
| First race = [[1976 Austrian Grand Prix]]
}}
'''Karl Oppitzhauser''' (born 4 October 1941) is a former racing driver from [[Austria]]. He is chiefly known for his optimistic attempt to enter the 1976 [[Formula One]] [[1976 Austrian Grand Prix|Austrian Grand Prix]].

==Career==
Oppitzhauser began his career in [[Formula Vee]] in the 1960s, and also raced a [[Lotus Europa]]. By 1968 he had progressed to a [[Ferrari Dino]], and later a [[Lamborghini Miura]], before competing in the [[Alfa Romeo Alfasud|Alfasud]] Cup in the mid-1970s.<ref name="historic">[http://www.historicracing.com/top100.cfm?fulltext=3219&today=on&fromrow=2575 Oppitzhauser at historicracing.com]{{dead link|date=January 2016}}</ref>

In 1976, Oppitzhauser attempted to enter the Austrian Grand Prix with the local ÖASC Racing Team, driving a [[March Engineering|March]] 761, despite having little experience in single seater racing cars. Due to this lack of experience, both Oppitzhauser and his teammate [[Otto Stuppacher]] were refused entry to the event.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.f1rejects.com/drivers/stuppacher/biography.html |title=Otto Stuppacher - Full Biography |publisher=F1 Rejects |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014175339/http://www.f1rejects.com/drivers/stuppacher/biography.html |archivedate=14 October 2007 |accessdate=15 January 2016}}</ref>  Unlike Stuppacher, Oppitzhauser did not make any further attempts at Formula One.

After his Formula One attempt, Oppitzhauser entered a [[Brands Hatch]] round of the Shellsport G8 [[Formula 5000]] Championship, but did not start the race. He switched to [[touring car racing]], and competed with a [[BMW E24|BMW 635CSi]] in [[Group 5 (racing)#4th Generation Group 5 – “Special Production Cars” (1976 to 1982)|Group 5]].<ref name="historic" />

During the early 1980s, Oppitzhauser changed sports, trying his hand at [[harness racing]], before returning to touring cars in 1984, where he stayed until 1992. From 1995 to 1999, he participated in the [[Ferrari 355#F355 Challenge|Ferrari 355 Challenge]], then switched to a [[Ferrari 360|Ferrari 360 Modena]], winning the European Group 2 Ferrari Challenge in 2001. He subsequently moved up to the Group 1 Ferrari Challenge.<ref name="historic" /> His last Ferrari Challenge entry came at [[Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari|Imola]] in [[2017 Ferrari Challenge Europe|2017]], finishing 22nd in the amateur class.

Oppitzhauser now runs a [[Chrysler]], [[Jeep]], [[Dodge]] and [[Hyundai Motor Company|Hyundai]] dealership in his home town of [[Bruck an der Leitha|Bruck]].<ref>[http://www.oppitzhauser.at/ Autohaus Oppitzhauser]</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Racing record==

===Complete World Sportscar Championship results===
([[:Template:Motorsport driver results legend|key]]) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Class
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}}
! Pts
|-
| [[1976 World Championship for Makes|1976]]
! Egon Evertz KG
! GT
! [[Porsche 934]]
! [[Porsche]] 930/71 3.0 [[Flat-6|F6]][[Turbocharger|t]] 
| [[1976 6 Hours of Mugello|MUG]]
| [[1976 6 Hours of Vallelunga|VAL]]
| [[1976 6 Hours of Silverstone|SIL]]
| [[1000km Nürburgring|NÜR]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1000 km Zeltweg|ÖST]]<br>{{small|11}}
| [[Watkins Glen International|GLN]]
| [[Dijon-Prenois|DIJ]]
!colspan=2|<ref group="N">In 1976 and 1977 the World Championship was divided into two series that ran simultaneously but separately: The World Sportscar Championship and the World Championship for Makes.</ref>
|}
;Footnotes
{{Reflist|group=N}}

===Complete Formula One World Championship results===
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]])
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! {{Tooltip|WDC|World Drivers' Championship}}
! [[List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems|Pts]]
|-
| [[1976 Formula One season|1976]]
! Sports Cars of Austria
! [[March Engineering|March]] [[March 761|761]]
! [[Cosworth DFV|Ford Cosworth DFV]] 3.0 [[V8 engine|V8]]
| [[1976 Brazilian Grand Prix|BRA]]
| [[1976 South African Grand Prix|RSA]]
| [[1976 United States Grand Prix West|USW]]
| [[1976 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
| [[1976 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1976 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1976 Swedish Grand Prix|SWE]]
| [[1976 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1976 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1976 German Grand Prix|GER]]
| [[1976 Austrian Grand Prix|AUT]]<br/>{{small|DNP}}
| [[1976 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
| [[1976 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| [[1976 Canadian Grand Prix|CAN]]
| [[1976 United States Grand Prix|USA]]
| [[1976 Japanese Grand Prix|JPN]]
! NC
! 0
|}

===Complete Shellsport International Series results===
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]]) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap.)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}}
! Pts
|-
| [[1976 Shellsport International Series|1976]]
! Sports Cars of Austria
! [[March Engineering|March]] [[March 761|761]]
! [[Cosworth DFV|Ford Cosworth DFV]] 3.0 [[V8 engine|V8]]
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| [[Mallory Park|MAL]]
| [[Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit|SNE]]
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]<br/>{{small|DNQ}}
| [[Thruxton Circuit|THR]]
| [[Oulton Park|OUL]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
| [[Brands Hatch|BRH]]
! NC
! 0
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.oppitzhauser-racing.com/ Official website] (German)

{{Formula One drivers from Austria}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oppitzhauser, Karl}}
[[Category:Austrian racing drivers]]
[[Category:Austrian Formula One drivers]]
[[Category:Austrian people of German descent]]
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Bruck an der Leitha]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Lower Austria]]


{{Austria-sport-bio-stub}}
{{Europe-autoracing-bio-stub}}
{{F1-bio-stub}}
[[Category:Ferrari Challenge drivers]]