I read in yesterday's Autosport that "John Winter", the pseudonym of Louis Krages, took his own life and committed suicide. Can anyone else tell us anymore news about this sad episode?

From http://www.maisonblanche.co.uk - 18 January

Former Le Mans and Daytona 24 Hour winner, Louis Krages, has been found dead in his home in Atlanta.

The German raced under the name of John Winter and appeared at Le Mans 9 times including that famous win that did the first of the "doubles" for Joest with Klaus Ludwig and Paolo Barilla in chassis 956-117, despite only driving for 1 hour and 10 minutes out of the 24.

He also partnered Henri Pescarolo, Hurley Haywood, Bob Wollek and Frank Jelinksi to a Joest 962 victory at Daytona in '91.

The timber merchant, who began racing a Porsche Carrera in 1976, retired from motorsport in 1995

A sad ending for a competent gentleman driver.
Suicide is always a very drastic way to end a life.

Seems like he was a bothered man for some reason.

Rainer

From what I know from "Motorsport aktuell", he had to sell his business and was shortly afterwards divorced from his second wife. It seems he suffered from depressions...

Rest in Peace - John Winter (1949 - 2001)


Photo: GT Action Photo

With kind regards,
Gary Trobaugh[p][smallfont][Edited by GT Action Photo on 01-27-2001][/smallfont]

Sorry Gary, not a very appropiate picture. This is Stuck's helmet...

I've just bought Auto Hebdo and indeed he speaks about John Winter aka Louis Krages. He says that he was died last week in "unknow circumstances".

he won
- the 24 H of Le Mans in 1985 with Paolo Barilla and Klaus Ludwig (Porsche Kremer).

- the 1986 Interserie

- the 1991 24 H of Daytona

- the 1993 500 km of Road America.

He was third at Le Mans in 1988, fifth in 1984 and eight in 1990. he took part in this race 9 times.

Sorry but I have not checked if Auto Hebdo has made some mistakes (in the data).

He was born in 1949.

Bob Storck posted this to the Racing History list.


His death last Thursday was from a self-inflicted gun shot. He had sold the family timber business six years ago, apparently about the time he stopped racing, at that time he was driving a Merceds DTM car.

He moved to Atlanta three years ago and started Evertoys, making quality promotional wooden gift cars, trucks, go carts and other small items intended as corporate gifts.

Along with his 1985 LeMans win, he also drove the 1991 Daytona winning car.

He remained active in promotional racing events and enjoyed driving shifter carts. He is survived by three daughters and a son.

Louis Krages actually died on January 11th. The death notice was published a week later. His body was cremated. A Memorial service was held on Friday January 19th, at H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill, Georgia.

Gil Bouffard

Gary you old trickster!

I saw a small fragment of the 1985 Le Mans winner ceremony and noticed John Winter trying to remain unseen for the many cameras, or at least he shuffled somewhat out of uncomfort. His mother did notice him in a newspaper as we know.

His mighty smash at the 1994 Avus DTM race marked somewhat the end of both his careers.
The family business he managed was called "Louis Krages GmbH & Co" (started by his grandfather) and specialized in timber. More exact: wooden floor panels and parts. A multi million business.
John Winter sold the family business to finnish Finnforest. Already before the takeover the company had lost substantial financial resources. Krages owned the company and must have felt uncomfortable to see it slip away like that. Once a celebrity in the town of Bremen he preferred to move out of it.
While racing in the states he got to like area around the Road Atlanta track. Therefore he moved to Atlanta where he also started a new (timber) business called Evertoys. Evertoys specialized in making wooden toys (cars and trucks), games, children cart's and even golf carts. His racing was limited to promotional races and go-karting.

His three daughters and son still reside in Germany.

In Bremen you can find the Louis Kragesstrasse (street) in the harbour. It is named after his grandfather. Finnforest Germany is still located there.

Does anyone know why he took the pseudonym "John Winter"? An English name in Germany...would that not have aroused more curiosity?

Ensign14, see the other threads. Winter has the same meaning in German. Only his first name could have lead to curiosity in Germany, Johan being the equivalent.

No one could answer this question here yet. Possibly it is a secret to himself only. Maybe his children know more.
To me it appears he chose a very anonymous sounding name.

I always wondered if that was an hommage to the great blues guitarist Johnny Winter. I have yet to make any relevant link between the two of them tho !

My thoughts, too. But then again, he might have chosen Edgar as his first name....

In which case he would only have been able to handle the 8pm-6am stints au Mans.