Of Polish descent, Erich was born in East Prussia, but had to flee his homeland when the after-effects of World War Two made living there impossible. His family moved to Hamburg and then Dortmund, before settling in Niederzissen. Zakowski worked as an apprentice mechanic before setting up his own workshop. He founded Zakspeed Racing in 1968, essentially as a company to tune and prepare Ford Escorts but later developed this to move into sports car racing. In 1985, he entered his own Formula 1 car, complete with chassis and engine, but it was not a success. Erich retired in 1989 and handed over Zakspeed to his son Peter, who also raced in lower formulae.

Biography last updated 4 Nov 2023