Fred Opert

Frederic Barry Opert
Born	Frederic Barry Opert (1939-05-25) 25 May 1939 Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Died	9 August 2016(2016-08-09) (aged 77)
Other names	Fred Opert
Occupation(s)	Racing driver, automobile dealer, team owner, team manager
Years active	1960s–1983
Known for	Founder of Fred Opert Racing; Team Manager of ATS Formula 1 team; racing driver in endurance events

Overview

Frederic Barry Opert (May 25, 1939 – August 9, 2016), commonly referred to as "Fred," was an American racing driver, automobile dealer, and the founder and principal of the Fred Opert Racing team.

During his driving career, Opert competed in prestigious endurance events such as the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. His racing outfit, Fred Opert Racing, played a significant role in the early careers of several distinguished Formula 1 competitors, including future World Champions Keke Rosberg, Alan Jones, and Alain Prost, alongside future IndyCar titleholder Bobby Rahal.

Racing career

Until 1970, Opert competed in both sports car and single-seater formula racing categories. His vehicles included an Austin-Healey Sprite, a Jaguar XK150S, Elva Couriers, various Porsche 911 models, Chevron sports cars, as well as Brabham and Chevron formula cars. He secured the US North Eastern Championship title in 1966 and went on to win the SCCA North Eastern Division Championship in 1969, piloting Brabhams—specifically a BT21A and a BT29. That same year, he participated in the inaugural IMSA race held at Pocono. Additionally, Opert took part in endurance events such as the Daytona 24-hour and the Sebring 12-hour races across multiple years: 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1968.

Fred Opert Racing: Formula Atlantic/Pacific/Mondial and Formula 2

Opert was involved in importing British sports and racing cars into the United States from the early 1960s through to 1978. His imports featured models like the Elva Courier, Brabham, Chevron, Titan, Tui, and Tiga.

Operating a comprehensive racing enterprise, Opert offered drivers the option to purchase or lease race cars, which his team’s mechanics would then prepare and transport to competitions. Beyond this, he managed professional racers who either attracted sponsorship or brought their own funding. According to The New York Times, Opert initially established racing teams primarily to market the imported vehicles—such as Chevron, Titan, Supernova, and Brabham—but by 1978 he expressed that his involvement had evolved into a genuine passion for racing.

Over a span of fourteen years, numerous future Formula 1 competitors drove under Fred Opert Racing. Notable names include Alan Jones, Alain Prost, Bobby Rahal, Jacques Laffite, Didier Pironi, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Héctor Rebaque, Rolf Stommelen, Patrick Tambay, Peter Gethin, Tom Pryce, and Rupert Keegan. Among these drivers, Keke Rosberg is most frequently associated with Opert; the American supported Rosberg’s campaigns in both Formula Pacific and Formula 2.

Fred Opert Racing competed across a diverse range of locations including the United States, Canada, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, New Zealand, Japan, Macau, and several European countries. In Argentina during 1978’s F2 Temporada series, Opert fielded Rosberg driving a Chevron B42.

Fred Opert Racing School

In 1971, Opert founded one of the pioneering motor racing schools in the United States. The facility was located at the Bridgehampton track, with New Zealand racer Bert Hawthorne serving as the inaugural instructor. An advertorial promoting the school was published in the 10 April 1972 issue of New York Magazine, just days before Hawthorne tragically lost his life at the Hockenheim circuit. Following this, Mexican driver Freddy van Beuren assumed the role of lead instructor.

When Bridgehampton was sold to developers in 1973, the school relocated to Pocono Raceway. Shortly after this transition, an advertorial was featured in the June 1973 edition of Popular Mechanics. Upon van Beuren’s return to Mexico, Swedish driver Bertil Roos stepped in as chief instructor, eventually acquiring and rebranding the school under his own name.

Formula 1

File:Opert ATS.jpg

Opert alongside his ATS Formula 1 Team at the 1979 Monaco Grand Prix

Following the end of Chevron racing cars after the 1978 passing of founder Derek Bennett, Opert ceased managing his own teams and accepted the position of Team Manager for the ATS Formula 1 team. This role was described by Motor Sport as "notorious," characterized by an exceptionally high turnover rate within motorsport management.

Opert became one of several managers to depart ATS, resigning after the 1979 French Grand Prix when team owner Günter Schmid decided to withdraw the ATS car from competition.

Resumption of team ownership

In 1983, Opert briefly re-entered the realm of team ownership by organizing a Formula Atlantic squad for his close associate, Olivier Chandon de Brailles. Tragically, Chandon lost his life while testing an Opert Ralt Formula Atlantic vehicle at Moroso Motorsports Park (currently known as Palm Beach International Raceway) in Florida. This occurred during preparations for the upcoming WCAR Formula Atlantic (Mondial) Championship, scheduled to commence in April.

Later life

Following the fatal accident involving Chandon in one of his cars in 1983, Opert withdrew from motorsport activities. In his later years, he maintained a keen interest in the career of Nico Rosberg, frequently attending Formula One events to monitor Rosberg’s progress. Opert passed away shortly after attending the Hungarian Grand Prix and a subsequent visit to Germany; he was unable to attend the 2016 German Grand Prix due to declining health. That same year, Nico Rosberg secured the World Championship title.

External links

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