On 15 June 1969, Jacky Ickx crossed the finish line in the 37th Le Mans 24 Hours a matter of 120 yards ahead of Hans Herrmann, to win the coveted trophy for the first time. He was driving a 5-litre V8 powered Ford GT40, a car first raced back in 1964, but significantly updated in the intervening years. Right on his tail came Hans Herrmann in the 3-litre Porsche 908 LH. This is … [Read more...]
2021 Daytona 24 hours – A Look Back
I first came to this race in 1971, so this would be my 50th year at the Daytona 24 hours. It is an interesting exercise to look back at what has changed over the years. The circuit The track has changed quite a bit since I first attended. Back in 1971 it was 3.81 miles in length and the track had NO chicane, now it is 3.56 miles long with a chicane on the backstretch. The … [Read more...]
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2019
It may have taken place just over a week ago, but the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2019 was another top-drawer event that should be celebrated for the manner in which it has lifted the profile of yesterday’s great race cars. The growth in historic race reunions, revivals, festivals and the like over the last few years has offered the race-going public the opportunity to … [Read more...]
ADAC 24h-Classic 2019
Boasting the largest starting grid of the weekend with 201 qualifiers, the ADAC 24h-Classic race was always going to be a busy event. Also, the wide spectrum of cars and the performance differential between the front and back of the grid, was huge. Despite this, the field was about as colourful and as varied as you could possibly wish for, with several Porsche 911 RSR cars up … [Read more...]
The Spa 24 Hours – A History
There are a few major endurance races around the world that roll off the tongue quite easily and quickly, such as Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring and of course the Spa 24 Hours. It is perhaps an injustice that the Spa 24 Hours has over the years not received the coverage of the other major endurance races, but I sense that this is an imbalance that will be rectified in the very near … [Read more...]
Ninth Le Mans Classic
This coming weekend sees the running of the ninth Le Mans Classic on the famous Circuit de la Sarthe. The event, created by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Peter Auto almost two decades ago, has become the jewel in the crown of international historic racing, just as the original 24-hour race has done for current sports car and prototype racing. Run every two years, in … [Read more...]
Dr Ulrich Bez – father of the 993
Hailing from the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart, Ulrich Bez, who as Porsche Technical supremo hatched the 993, had two significant stints at Porsche. During the 1970s he worked in research and was responsible for establishing Porsche’s crash test programme; in the 1980s, he followed Porsche’s head of research to BMW and set up BMW Technik, the department which designed the … [Read more...]
Walter Röhrl – Querlenker
Not only Porsche enthusiasts all around the world, but rallying aficionados too, will appreciate the skills and achievements of Walter Röhrl. An unpretentious man who lets the race and rally reports do the talking for him, Walter Röhrl mastered many different types of motorsport in his time, from rallying to saloon car racing, prototypes and sports car racing…and he was even … [Read more...]
Dirk Werner (GER)
Born: 25 May 1981 Where: Hannover, Germany Lives: Würzburg, Germany Height: 1.80m Career 2017 Porsche works driver, 2nd Daytona 24 Hours (GTLM) 2016 BMW works driver IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (2 podiums), 5th Nürburgring 24 Hours (GT3), Spa 24 Hours Blancpain Endurance Championship 2015 BMW works driver, 2nd Tudor United SportsCar Championship … [Read more...]
