Alphonse Winckel

Alphonse Winckel (born July 15, 1949 in Nivelles, Belgium) is a Belgian-born Luxembourger racing driver, and the father of Laurent Winckel.

Personal life
Alphonse was born in Belgium next to the Nivelles-Baulers race track to a Belgian mother and a Luxembourger father, and moved to Luxembourg when he was eight years old. He started off his career in 1966, aged 16, competing in the Benelux Junior Karting Championship and finishing runner up to Luc Ivens. Despite losing out on the title by a point, he won the Olethros 100 in Greece in 1970. He met his undertaker wife Vivienne at the event and they married a year later.

After retiring from motorsport, Alphonse worked in car repairs in Luxembourg City, while Vivienne bothered their newborn son Laurent and drove him to insanity by forcing him to work in the undertaker business.

Laurent, aside from his racing career, also had careers as a recording artist and an author, writing the song Eating a Door for Thankschristmas while in mental hospital, and his life story, The Sad Childhood of Laurent Winckel.

Alphonse has since returned to motorsport, competing alongside his son in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.