Here’s baT Auction Success Story: Ex-Peter Herke BMW Racer Prepares to Get Back on Track

BaT member NK_TiSA is a vintage racing legend in his own right, and recently kicked off a period transformation of the Ex-Peter Herke ’68 BMW 1600-2 racer that he won from smdickey in an August 2025 BaT auction. He wrote in to tell us the story of his purchase and give an update on work in progress:

I have been racing cars for over six decades. Over the last few years, I’d been having the thought that it may be time to hang up my helmet. With that in mind, I thought about selling my collection of vintage BMW race cars, so my kids wouldn’t have to deal with them if and when. It began with the sale of my beloved BMW 700 racer, which I sold on BaT at the end of 2023.

Then I privately sold my 1800 TI, along with my ex-Hyde Park 2002 that raced in the 2.5 Challenge Series in the 1970s. I have since had some seller’s remorse, especially with the renewed interest in Historic B-Sedan racing on the West Coast. The big events like the Velocity Invitational and the Rolex Reunion have begun to feature B-Sedan grids at their events, but the caveat is that the cars must be genuine historic cars with verifiable race history.

I was intrigued and interested in the ex-Peter Herke car when it went live on BaT, so I hit the “watch” button. I had met Peter back in 2018 at Road Atlanta. I was there racing my Hyde Park 2002. Peter came over to our pit. He introduced himself and began regaling me with stories of competing against my car back in the early 1970s. He was quite a character and quite the BMW guru. His car was a full four seconds a lap faster than my car was that weekend!

At first, common sense prevailed, and I just watched the auction for six days. On the last day, I got a call from my friend, Dave Stone, who heads up the Historic B-Sedan group here on the West Coast.

“Aren’t you going to buy the Herke car?” he asked.

“Well, no,” I responded. “I’m starting to thin my herd and thinking about retiring from racing.”

Like every good crack dealer, Dave set the hook: “you know, that car is just what we are looking for at our Historic B-Sedan events. It will always be a welcome addition, and you are just the guy to buy it.”

What could I say? What could I do? I set caution and common sense aside, and I bid and won. The response from the B-Sedan community in general and the Herke family in particular was humbling and inspiring. I had done the right thing.

I arranged shipping from Florida to Oregon and waited impatiently for the car to arrive. Once it was here, I immediately fired it up and took it for a test drive. It was LOUD! Louder than any of my other BMWs. It was also quick. More confirmation. I contacted Jim Froula at Racecraft in Woodinville, Washington. He has been taking care of my cars for almost 15 years. We talked about restoring the car with a delicate balance of period correct-ness. This car has experienced over 50 years of hard racing and development. It is a tried old warhorse with lots of bumps and bruises. It has been worked on and developed by one of the best BMW privateers in the country. Where do we draw the line?

Jim and I picked one particular event in the car’s expansive history to target for our restoration—the 1970 2.5 Challenge event at Laguna Seca, where the car finished 10th in a strong field of B Sedans. At that time, the car was black with a red nose and two white stripes on its roof. Pig cheek flares were up front, box flares in the rear, and Minilite wheels were equipped all around. It also retained the stock bumpers, front and rear. Because Peter had not yet earned a pro license, he hired Walt Mass to drive the car in that event. The race was won by Horst Kwech in an Alfa (this Alfa, to be precise -Ed.). My old #34 BMW was in that race, driven by Nels Miller.

The current engine is fitted with a Kugelfischer fuel injection pump and a Schrick slide throttle intake. We will retain those in the car. It also has disc brakes front and rear, which were legal back in 1970, so they will stay.

We have our goal. Jim and his excellent crew have already begun disassembling the car, ordering parts, and finding the necessary donor sheet metal. Our goal is to have the car on track next spring, looking and performing just as it did in 1970.

Thanks for the writing to us, NK_TiSA! Please feel free to send us an update when it’s done—we’d love to see how it turns out next spring.

If you have a Success Story about a car you’ve bought or sold on BaT, please send a few lines and pictures (or a video) to community.content@bringatrailer.com, and we’ll send you a $50 credit to the BaT Gear Store when your story posts to the site.

We love to hear from satisfied BaT buyers and sellers, and a Success Story feature is a great addition to any car’s history when you’re ready to sell.