Lechner Racing celebrated its 50th anniversary on 27 August 1975. It was exactly 50 years since Walter Lechner (trained as waiter), followed his vision of becoming a racing driver and started a course at the Jim Russell School at the Salzburgring. Today, Walter Lechner Racing is the most successful team in the history of Austrian motorsport.

The successors of 'Mr. Interserie', sons Robert and Walter Jr., celebrated this 50th anniversary with a perfectly executed presentation near their headquarters in Faistenau, classically on the finish straight of the Salzburgring. Many eyewitnesses were also present at the commemoration of the team's history. Among them were former members of the Lechner Racing Team, Franz Tost (later team principal of F1 Toro Rosso) and Walter Schöch (Lechner's first instructor and driver in European F3). Lechner Racing has produced stars such as Stefan Bellof, Roland Ratzenberger, Alexander Wurz and Ellen Lohr, but also trained leading managers later on like 'Frankie' Tost or Toto Wolff. 

In 1982, Lechner became European champion in the Formula Super V and won the Intersérie championship six times. The team won 25 championship titles and 76 races in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. "It is only a few kilometers to the Salzburgring, but on my way, I stopped at our family chapel, where my father's urn is located. We would be so happy to welcome you here as a trio today... Dad left us almost five years ago, and I want to shape this day according to the motto that can be read in the chapel: When you think of me, do not mourn - rather, have the courage to laugh with me.'" 

Robert Lechner, once a top driver in F3, began his speech, I have prepared some data for comparison. When Dad entered the racing school on that Wednesday, August 27, 1975, it was 10 days after the Austrian Grand Prix, which Vittorio Brambilla won and where Mark Donohue lost his life. Gerhard Berger celebrated his 16th birthday that day, and Mark Webber his first! At that time, Dad owned a café and a nightclub. He became aware of the racing school when two young men were talking about Russell in his establishment. He immediately decided to sign up there as well.

Here, logically, the Austrian Walter Schöch, who lives in Switzerland, took over: "I raced myself and worked as an instructor at the Russell School. I remember the participants of the August 1975 course well. Walter revealed to me that his motivation was that he needed to 'recover from the restaurant business.' But there was more to it... He was noticeably disciplined at that time. 

We started with shifting exercises, then we theoretically discussed the ideal line before we completed the first laps on the Salzburgring at low revs. Walter was perhaps the only student who followed the instructions and did nothing forbidden. After a week, he received his diploma. Later, I saw him racing - and woe to me! He had set aside his discipline somewhere and turned into a very risk-taking wild man.

Over time, he worked his way up to become a top driver with hard work, courage, and talent, even competing at Le Mans. But that wasn't all. He soon sold the coffee house and founded his own team and a racing school - the famous Walter Lechner Racing School. I myself ended my motorsport career in 1980 after a serious accident, but Walter still called me and took my advice. Of course, I later enrolled both of my sons in his school. The last time I visited him was in Faistenau three weeks before his death.

The boss of Dietrich Meteschitz other F1-team, Franz Tost recounted: "I met Walter for the first time in 1980. He was the one who introduced me to the business of motorsport and got me my first race car. It was an English PSR, designed by Sergio Rinland. I led his team until 1989. We raced FF1600, FF2000, F3, and F-Vauxhall. Walter was not only an incredible worker and an excellent businessman - above all, he could motivate us. It was not uncommon for us to be racing somewhere in Belgium on Sunday afternoon, and then starting another course for race drivers at home on Monday morning. No one complained - we enjoyed it. He already had some Franzes in the team, so he called me "Frankie." 

Later, I switched to Willi Weber's WTS team, to whom I recommended Michael Schumacher here at the Salzburgring in 1988. Walter did an incredible amount for Austrian motorsport. For example, he founded the FF-Cup-Austria. He could also be painfully honest. A classic is what he said after the course to Toto Wolff: "You will never be a racing driver. You'd better go into management!" Sometimes it is good to follow the advice of experienced people... Fritz Lehensteiner, president of the Salzburgring, added: "Walter was born in 1949, like Niki Lauda. When he started with motorsport, Niki had just become world champion for the first time. So it's clear that his goals in motorsport were somewhat different'.

Then Robert and Walter Jr. presented the media with their father's original Porsche 962C. "I have been working on this for three years and hope to drive it here during the 'Legends Grand Prix,'" Walter Jr. revealed before he and Robert unveiled a jewel painted in "father's colors": a Porsche 911 GT3R-Rennsport. A super sports car, of which only 77 were made. Lechner Racing naturally owns chassis number 75. Well, then it was time to pack. The next day, Lechner Racing traveled to another race of the Porsche Carrera Supercup in Zandvoort. Of course, they are again competing for another title there. So, see you again on the finish line.