April 25, 2023

Shepherd to cease business

Onroad nitro stalwarts Shepherd has made the sad announced that it is to cease business at the end of June.  The German based manufacturer was a pivotal brand in the racing scene and was also a great supporter of racing with CEO Patrick Schafer, a accomplished racer himself, one of those who played a major role in the establishment of the Euro Nitro Series.  That support helped the ENS grow into a major Worldwide series that attracted drivers from around the globe really raising the profile and interest in the category during its peak years.  Shepherd Micro Racing was originally set-up by Patrick’s father Werner, who loved his racing and being track side, but since his passing the ‘fire of passion’ in the company has dwindled and following 15-years as CEO Patrick is making the difficult decision to stop the business.  That said they are in talks with several interested parties about keeping the Shepherd legacy alive.  Having had the pleasure of working with Patrick and his father over the years, visited their factory,  and enjoyed the height of the Kurbuch/Shepherd era, Red RC would like to thank Patrick for all he did for nitro onroad racing and wish him well in his new projects.  Thanks for the memories.

We would like to take this opportunity to update you on our current situation. As you may already know, we have made the difficult decision to stop our regular daily business at the end of June.

Since the passing of my father, the founder of the company, the fire of passion that fuelled our business has dwindled. Additionally, there have been general negative developments, which have made it increasingly difficult to continue operating as we have in the past.

As the CEO for the past 15 years, I have decided to pursue a different direction in my personal life and embark on new projects. Unfortunately, this means that I cannot guarantee the same level of support and dedication that we have provided in the past.
However, we want to assure you that we are working tirelessly to ensure that the Shepherd brand lives on.

Currently we are in discussions with several interested parties who have expressed an interest in continuing the Shepherd legacy. We are making good progress, and we are confident that we will be able to secure the necessary arrangements to ensure a seamless and uninterrupted supply of spare parts for the remainder of the season and beyond.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued loyalty and support over the years. We could not have achieved the success we did without you. I ask for your understanding during this challenging time, and you have our commitment that we will keep you informed every step of the way.

Sincerely
Patrick

Source: Shepherd Micro Racing [Facebook]



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