In 1982, Porsche introduced the Type 956, the race car manufacturer’s entrant in the newly created Group C racing series which commenced that season. The new car scored a second place on its debut at Silverstone that year, and followed this up a month later with a clean sweep of the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The rest, as they say, is history as the 956 and its modified … [Read more...]
Motorsport
Porsche at Teloché, Le Mans – Logistics Part I
Porsche has been represented at the Le Mans 24 Hours every year since 1951, in both an official factory capacity and by privateer entries. No other manufacturer can boast such a long unbroken record of runs at Le Mans since their first race in this classic French endurance race. For Porsche, their attendance from 1951 to 2018 amounts to 68 consecutive races at Le Mans, and this … [Read more...]
The 1989 Daytona 24 hours – Texaco Havoline and the Cruise Brothers
I was really looking forward to the 1989 Daytona 24 Hour race. I had been working as a weekend warrior for Bruce Leven’s Bayside team since early 1987. The team had enjoyed successful seasons in 1987 and 1988, winning multiple IMSA races, the Sebring 12 Hour twice and the Porsche Team Cup. The team had a very good chance to win the 1989 Daytona 24 hours. 1989 would start … [Read more...]
Porsche at Le Mans Part V: 1980 to 1994 the Transaxle years
In this feature, the fifth in our series that looks at the different eras of Porsche’s participation at Le Mans, we examine the part played by the company’s transaxle cars. These front-engined models, that in roadgoing form rescued the company during difficult financial times, have been unjustly maligned over the years. When so many manufacturers of high performance sports cars … [Read more...]
Porsche and the Triple Crown of endurance racing
There are three Sports Car endurance races that have been run over the past sixty-plus years that have been referred to as the ‘Triple Crown’. Arguably, some can say other races should also be included, but these three have withstood the test of time, and they are the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Sebring 12 Hours, and the Daytona 24 Hours. The Le Mans 24 Hours started in 1923, … [Read more...]
World’s longest motor race
The Marathon de la Route, an 84-hour epic endurance race run between 1965-1971, was an event that pushed both car and driver to breaking point. With some really unique rules, this race must go down in history as the world’s longest motor race. It was certainly one of the most demanding motor sport events ever, and yet so little of the race is known. Broken down into its … [Read more...]
Kremer Racing mixes with the big players
In motor racing, the performance margin that separates the winners from the losers is often so small that it is mere determination that helps a driver to cross the line first. But that determination must come from confidence on the part of the driver and a belief in the race car, which may all sound very philosophical, but both of these factors can be very strong weapons in … [Read more...]
Porsche racing in Southern Africa – Part II
Porsche used its racing exploits around the globe not only to gain exposure and media coverage, but also to improve the performance and reliability of its road and race cars. Here we look into the second part of our two-part mini-series covering Porsche racing in Southern Africa. The premier event in Angola, the Grand Prix of Angola was run over the Circuit Luanda on 19-20 … [Read more...]
My first race as a crewman – Sebring 1978
In the early to mid-1970’s I had been working part time (race weekends) as an IMSA tech inspector at some of the races, mainly the ones that I could fit into my work schedule of my day job as an engineer. At some point, I had decided that eventually I wanted to race myself, but I realised that I needed to work first with some team to learn what was required to actually go … [Read more...]
Porsche racing in Southern Africa – Part I
Porsche used its racing exploits around the world to not only gain exposure and media coverage, but also to improve the performance and reliability of its road and race cars. Here we look into the first part of a two-part mini-series covering Porsche racing in Southern Africa. Racing in Southern Africa in the 1950s and 1960s was a colourful affair, contested by all … [Read more...]
