Kurt Kossmann is an American professional race car driver who is known for being the first amputee to compete in the 24 Hours of Daytona

24 Hours of Daytona

The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...

. Kurt is a cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 survivor who lost his left leg, above the knee, to an osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive cancerous neoplasm arising from primitive transformed cells of mesenchymal origin that exhibit osteoblastic differentiation and produce malignant osteoid...

 in 1988. Kurt underwent thirteen months of chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....

 before making a full recovery. During his recovery Kurt designed a prosthetic leg specifically for operating the clutch system in a race car. This device allowed him to continue his racing career in the Barber Pro Series

Barber Pro Series

The Barber Pro Series was an entry-level open-wheel auto racing series from 1986 to 2003. The races were primarily on road and street courses in North America, although the schedule did sometimes include a few ovals....

, Grand American Road Racing Championship, and eventually enter the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2009.

Kurt has worked with various charities and organizations to raise awareness and donations for childhood cancer. Since overcoming his illness, Kurt has teamed with Paul Newman

Paul Newman

Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...

's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut is a non-profit, residential summer camp and year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions.-History:...

 and One Lap of America

One Lap of America

The One Lap of America is a motorsports event in the United States that has been held since 1984. It is the successor to the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an underground auto race of the 1970s...

 for fundraising events.

Kurt was also the only amputee racer to ever compete in the BMW BoxerCup motorcycle series. He raced the American inauguration event at the Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...

 in 2003 during the annual Daytona Bike Week.

External links

• http://www.kossmannracing.com
• http://culturegarage.com/article/no_matter_how_awesome_you_think_you_are_this_guy_is_better/