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At the Weissach Motorsport Centre, preparations for the running of the new LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship are progressing at high revs. For this feat the infrastructure was considerably expanded.
A new workshop building and an office complex have been completed. “The first rollout of our new LMP1 car is planned for mid-2013,”announced Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Research and Development, on Saturday on the occasion of the end of season “Night of Championscelebration”.
“The car will be run by our own works team based here at Weissach.” The LMP1 project was realised by a new department headed by Fritz Enzinger.
With his well-established organisational structure, Porsche’s Head of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen continues to be responsibilityfor all other motorsport programmes worldwide. The customer sport model 911 GT3 R celebrated 41 wins from 131 starts in a range of GT3 racing series worldwide. For the 2013 season Porsche offers teams an upgrade package which will position the GT3 R even better in the performance window as defined by the FIA.
In his speech, Hatz underlined the importance of GT racing for Porsche and pleaded for two different GT categories for works-supported professional sport and for customer sport:
“In factory sport the regulations must be based on technology while in customer racing a stronger alignment of the relative strength by Balance of Performance measures is legitimate.”
In addition to the promotion of four Porsche Juniors, one pilot from the international makes cups will enjoy comprehensive support for the 2013 season. Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay (25) who won the Carrera Cup France at his first attempt last season receives funding to the value of 200,000 Euro towards his 2013 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup campaign. At a test session in Vallelunga, Vernay won over eight other top drivers from the Carrera Cups France, Asia, Japan, Scandinavia, Italy, Australia, Great Britain and from the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. Vernay has already made a name for himself in international motor racing.
In 2005 he claimed the championship in the French feeder series Formula Renault Campus and went on to finish second in a Formula 3 single-seater at the Macau Grand Prix in 2009. In 2010 Vernay went to the USA and promptly clinched overall victory in the Indy Lights Series’ in his first season. Peugeot contracted the Frenchman as a test and reserve pilot for their LMP1 project in 2011. At the same time Vernay competed in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and was crowned LMP2 champion.
“The support from Porsche is a great opportunity for me,” says Vernay. “In the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup all drivers have to adjust to a new vehicle.
As a newcomer, this means I’ll have a good chance to be competitive right from the beginning.
The Supercup is the pinnacle of the Porsche one-brandcups and has a great reputation as a launching platform to enter professional GT sport.”
With its well-established works drivers, Porsche is relying on continuity.
All nine drivers still have a valid contract for the 2013 season or their contract was extended.For six of the nine drivers, the 24-hour race at Daytona on 26 January marks the start of the new season.
Joerg Bergmeister drives a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for The Racers Group. With Kevin Buckler’s squad, Bergmeister scored a sensational overall victory at Daytona in 2003 at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Marco Holzer competes for Alex Job Racing, Marc Lieb again joins forces with Brumos Racing and Richard Lietz drives for last year’s winner Magnus Racing
Patrick Long goes racing for Park Place Motorsports and Patrick Pilet competes for the NGT team.
For the Porsche JuniorsMichael Christensen and Klaus Bachler the race in Daytona marks the first time in their career that they contest a 24 hour race. Christensen receives support in his campaign from Christian Engelhart and Porsche Cup winner Nick Tandy for the Konrad Motorsport team with whom he contested the Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2012. Bachler is competing for Snow Racing.
SOURCE: Porsche Motorsport Porsche Press Database
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1
Wolfgang Hatz, Member of the Executive Board – Research and Development
Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board
Michael Christensen (DK)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 01 Hockenheimring 2012
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1
Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Timo Bernhard, Richard Lietz, Patrick Pilet, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas, Marco Holzer, Wolf Henzler, Porsche works drivers
Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship
Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship
Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship
Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship
24h Le Mans
Alexandre Imperatori, Michael Meadows, Edoardo Piscopo, Johan Kristoffersson, Côme Ledogar, Jean-Karl Vernay, Kyle Marcelli, André Heimgartner, Ryo Hirakawa, International Scholarship, Vallelunga
Alexandre Imperatori, Michael Meadows, Edoardo Piscopo, Johan Kristoffersson, Côme Ledogar, Jean-Karl Vernay, Kyle Marcelli, André Heimgartner, Ryo Hirakawa (l. – r.), International Scholarship, Vallelunga
René Rast (D)
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Italien 2012
Klaus Bachler (A)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 01 Hockenheimring 2012
Stuttgart. For the 2013 racing season, Porsche AG will field two new GT racecars based on the newest generation of the Porsche 911 at the Le Mans 24 hour race and in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). For the first time since the overall victory in 1998, a factory team from Porsche will tackle the famed long distance classic in France.
While having halted development of its 997-model 911 GT3 RSR and pulled factory support from Flying Lizard Motorsports and Team Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche announced Friday that it will field a team of its own in next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship with its new-generation GTE contender.
The German manufacturer will team up with longtime partner Manthey Racing to campaign two new 991-model Porsche 911 RSRs in the global sports car championship, including a full attack at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The effort, to be run under the Porsche AG Team Manthey banner, will mark the first factory entry in the twice-around-the-clock marathon by Porsche since its overall victory in the famed race in 1998.
Porsche 911
The two new Porsche 911 RSR, which race in the GTE category, will be run by the Porsche AG Team Manthey.
Porsche 911
The role of team manager goes to the experienced endurance specialist Olaf Manthey, who has celebrated five overall wins with Porsche at the Nürburgring 24 hour race and recently fielded a 911 GT3 RSR in the International GT Open.
Porsche 911
“The new 911 RSR is currently being developed by our engineers and tested by our works drivers,” says Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. “What better time could there be to introduce the new car than the Porsche 911’s 50th anniversary.”
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport
Full details of Porsche’s factory program, including drivers, are unclear at this point. However, it would seem logical for both cars to be filled with its usual crop of factory pilots, with Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long all appearing to be potential candidates. Additionally, fellow factory driver Marco Holzer and Nick Tandy, who both drove for Manthey’s works-supported squad in International GT Open this year, could be in contention as well.
Podium LM GTE Am (l.-r.): Franck Rava, Anthony Pons, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo (IMSA Performance Matmut) Pedro Lamy, Jack Leconte, Patrick Bornhauser, Julien Canal (Larbre Competition) Niclas Jonsson, Michele Rugolo, Tracy Krohn (Krohn Racing)
Stuttgart. Less than four minutes were missing for Porsche to clinch its 99th class win at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, IMSA Performance Matmut, Nicolas Armindo, Raymond Narac, Anthony Pons[slideshow]
With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the IMSA Performance Matmut team, Frenchman Nicolas Armindo, Raymond Narac and Anthony Pons had led the field just a few laps before the flag dropped on the 80th running of the long distance classic in the Sarthe. But in the final minutes, tyre damage robbed the 2011-spec 911 of all hopes for victory. Nevertheless, the joy over second place was huge for the French Porsche customer team.
IMSA Performance Matmut (l.-r.): Anthony Pons, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo
“For our team and partners, Le Mans is the most important race of the year,” said team owner Raymond Narac.
“To have finished second with such a great team effort is a success that we will all savour for a long time. Thank you also to Porsche for the unbelievable support.” Nicolas Armindo said, “We focused all our work on this race. Achieving class victory at the dress rehearsal in Spa was wonderful, but it’s nothing compared to the feeling of climbing the podium here in Le Mans.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, IMSA Performance Matmut: Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo, Anthony Pons
In the GTE Pro class the race was over during the night for the two Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports and Felbermayr-Proton.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Spencer Pumpelly, Patrick Pilet, Seth Neiman (79) – Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Marco Holzer (80)
Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA), who shared the Flying Lizard 911 with his German works driver colleagues Joerg Bergmeister and Marco Holzer, slid on gravel, which another vehicle had just spread on the track in the first chicane, hit the stack of tyres and retired after 114 laps.
“I didn’t have a chance to bring the car safely back to the pits,” he said. It was not the first problem that the number 80 vehicle had to contend with in Le Mans. In the first race lap, a broken shock absorber cost several positions, and later tyre damage caused even more time loss. “The race wasn’t going well for us right from the start,” said Joerg Bergmeister.
“Still, we kept fighting. You never give up in Le Mans, a lot can happen here right to the end. It’s just a shame we couldn’t finish the race.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Marco Holzer
The unexpected early retirement of the Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the GTE Pro class came after 184 laps when Marc Lieb (Germany) came to a standstill on the infamous Hunaudières straight with gearbox damage.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Wolf Henzler
“I wanted to shift up but couldn’t get any gears in,” said Marc Lieb, who at the time was running in fourth place with his works driver colleagues Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany). The trio had won in Le Mans in 2010.
“It’s such a shame we couldn’t take home points, especially at this race. Up until our retirement we were running really well. We experienced a few hiccups along the way, but mostly things were good. A podium result would have been possible.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Wolf Henzler
In the GTE Am class, Porsche had another iron in the fire for 17 hours with last year’s 911 run by Felbermayr-Proton. Team owner Christian Ried (Germany) and his Italian teammates Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti, class winners of the season-opening round in Sebring, were running a promising fourth in the race.
But after 222 laps, the Porsche Cup winner Gianluca Roda had to park the 911 trackside without any drive.
However, Porsche works driver, Patrick Pilet (France) and Americans Seth Neiman and Spencer Pumpelly secured fourth place with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports.
Taking up the race as pole-sitters in their class, they could defend their top position in the early phase of the race, only to be temporarily thrown out of the top ten after a journey into the gravel.
“First and foremost, thank you to all the teams and drivers for their superb effort,” said Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. “Regardless of the result, we must analyse the race so that we can talk to the authorities of the WEC about a more balanced grading of our cars in the GTE Pro class for the second half of the season.
We will also immediately begin preparations for the next races with the teams, as the championship classification is still open. We look forward with optimism.”
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Round four of the World Endurance Championship is run on 26 August in Silverstone/Great Britain.
Result
GTE Am class
1. Bornhauser/Canal/Lamy (F/F/P), Chevrolet Corvette, 329 laps
2. Armindo/Narac/Pons (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 328
3. Krohn/Jonsson/Rugola (USA/S/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, 323
4. Pilet/Neiman/Pumpelly (F/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 313
5. Belloc/Bourret/Gibon (F/F/F), Chevrolet Corvette, 309
8. Daniels/Palttala/Camathias (GB/SF/CH), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 290
This is the World Endurance Championship
Sports prototypes and GT vehicles contest the World Endurance Championship, for which double points are awarded in Le Mans. They are divided into four classes that start together but are classified separately:
LMGTE Pro class: This class is reserved for slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
LMGTE Am class: Like the LMGTE Pro, but the regulations stipulate that only last year’s cars are eligible and there must be no more than one professional driver per vehicle.
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with around 440 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight.
SOURCE: Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Endurance Championship
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, IMSA Performance Matmut: Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo, Anthony Pons
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, IMSA Performance Matmut, Nicolas Armindo, Raymond Narac, Anthony Pons
Podium LM GTE Am (l.-r.): Franck Rava, Anthony Pons, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo (IMSA Performance Matmut) Pedro Lamy, Jack Leconte, Patrick Bornhauser, Julien Canal (Larbre Competition) Niclas Jonsson, Michele Rugolo, Tracy Krohn (Krohn Racing)
IMSA Performance Matmut (l.-r.): Anthony Pons, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 6, 2012) – Gooding and Company, the acclaimed auction house celebrated for selling the world’s most significant and valuable collector cars, is honored to announce its recent consignment of the Drendel Family Collection of 18 Porsches.
Recognized as the world’s finest private collection of its kind, the Drendel Family Collection consists of both road and race cars spanning 25 years of Porsche history from 1973 – 1997. With 10 of the 18 lots being offered without reserve, the arrival of this extraordinary collection in Amelia Island offers collectors and Porsche enthusiasts around the world the opportunity to own a piece of Porsche’s winning motorsport heritage.
1984-Porsche-962
In addition, the March auction marks the first time many of these historically-important racing stars will have ever been presented at auction. Gooding & Company has moved the start time of its Amelia Island Auction to 11 a.m. on Friday, March 9th to accommodate the extensive 18-car collection, as well as to accommodate the schedules of its guests at the daytime auction.
“The result of well-developed connoisseurship and deep passion, Matthew Drendel built what has become the world’s most significant private collection of turbocharged Porsches,” says David Gooding, President and founder of Gooding & Company.
“It’s a very rare occurrence when a refined, single-marque collection of high-quality road and race cars is offered to the public.
We feel privileged to have been selected to present the Drendel Family Collection in Amelia Island.”
A Passion for Porsche Matthew Drendel was attracted to Porsche automobiles from an early age. Although his personal racing successes were primarily associated with normally-aspirated 911 Cup cars, it was the legendary turbocharged Porsches that most interested him as a collector.
His collection began with a single 930 road car and later expanded to the 18 magnificent cars it is today.
Heritage Motorwerks was founded by Porsche collector, Matthew Drendel. Four of Matthew Drendel’s Porsches were used in filming of the Porsche “Family Tree” video commercial for the Pananmera… the baby turbo, 962 Lowenbrau, the GT 1 and the 917-30 that Matt drove in the PorschePanamera “Family Tree” commercial.
Extended version of the Porsche Panamera – Porsche Family Tree CommercialVideo
“Matthew Drendel maintained a reputation for collecting the very best cars and, therefore, has always been respected in the Porsche community,” says Gooding & Company Specialist David Brynan.
“The overall scope of the collection and focus on factory team cars reflect his tremendous dedication and knowledge of the marque.”
Matthew Clayton Drendel was 35 and died quickly of a stomach aneurysm on November 24, 2010. The Drendel family is highly regarded in the Porsche community and has contributed a great amount to the quality of life here.
______________________________________________________________________ Detailed below are seven of the most significant collector cars being offered as part of the Drendel Family
The Porsche 917 racing program was one of the most successful in the history of motor sport and the 973 917/30 Can-Am Spyder represents its pinnacle. With a 1,000 hp turbocharged flat-twelve, American racing champion Mark Donohue’s 917/30 was so dominant that the Can Am Challenge Cup was disbanded and the other manufacturers withdrew due to their inability to compete. One of four examples completed at the Porsche factory, 004 was intended to be the 1974 Penske-Sunoco team car but was instead sold to Australian Porsche Importer Alan Hamilton. Later purchased by the Porsche factory, this car is now the centerpiece of the Drendel Family Collection. Meticulously restored and presented in the iconic Penske-Sunoco livery, this 917/30 has been raced at the Monterey Historics and has been displayed at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and Rennsport Reunion.
According to Gooding & Company specialists, this car is the finest example of the Porsche 962 and one of the most successful racing cars of its generation. With only two owners from new, this back-to-back 24 Hours of Daytona winner will be one of the Drendel Family Collection’s most significant offerings at the auction with its immediately recognizable Löwenbräu livery, list of legendary drivers, unrivalled racing record and superb documentation.
Rennsport II HR1 Porsche 962
In 1984 Porsche provided the late Al Holbert this 962 to compete in the IMSA road racing series where it would go on to earn 15 overall wins from 1984 to 1986, this included a back to back Daytona 24 hour overall win in 1986 and 1987. 962-103 scored three Drivers Championships, three Team Championships and three Manufacturer Championships for Porsche! This was the first 962 chassis to score a win and is by far the most successful 962. With names like Derek Bell and Chip Robinson joining Al, it proved to be an unbeatable combination. The 956 and 962 are still today regarded as the most successful sports-cars in history, making this example the winningest sports-car in history.
3. – 1974 Porsche RSR Turbo Carrera 2.14 Chassis 911 460 9016 (R9) Estimate: $1.75 – $2.25 million
The Carrera RSR Turbo 2.14 represents a turning point in the history of competition Porsches when it introduced the use of turbocharged engines in production-based race cars. Used by the factory for development, this hand-built experimental 911 was campaigned as a Martini & Rossi Porsche Works entry in the 1974 season at Nürburgring, Imola and Zeltweg. Few racing cars of this caliber have remained so correct and untouched, making this car an extremely important piece of Porsche history.
This 935, serial number 935-001, is the very first 935 ever made by Porsche. It was built on the very first production 911 Turbo chassis, 930 570 0001. Initially used for testing and development purposes, it was pressed into service near the end of the 1976 season in the Group 5 World Manufacturers Championship, as BMW was closing the gap with Porsche towards points in winning the championship. On its racing debut, 935-001 dominated the Six Hours of Watkins Glen, and went on to win the race overall.
Following the triumphant success, “001” would go on to earn a second place finish at the Six Hours of Dijon, right behind 935-002. The result was at the end of 1976 was a Group 5 World Championship for Porsche. 935-001 is the only former, factory team 935/76 in the world in private ownership. 935-002 is now on display at the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, Germany. 935-001 launched what would become one of the most successful types of road racing sports cars ever. Porsche 935s dominated race tracks around the world for over a decade. Today, 935-001 remains in its original, unrestored state, exactly as it was when it was last raced in 1976.
5.- 1985 Porsche 962 Chassis 962-HR1 Estimate: $900,000 – $1.2 million
During its career, this Porsche achieved 11 overall wins and 19 podium finishes, as well as 2 IMSA GTP Drivers Championships and an IMSA GTP Manufacturers Championship. Along with its Holbert Racing sister car, 962-103, this 962 is one of the most significant 962s in history. Fresh from restoration, 962- HR1 was displayed at RennSport Reunion IV in 2011.
Chassis 993-GT1-004 was part of the family tree commercial filmed for the introduction of the Panamera.
This rare factory team car – one of just four built – has competed at top events (Le Mans, Nürburgring and Laguna Seca) in the highest levels of international racing with known drivers behind its wheel. Later campaigned by Rohr Racing at Daytona and Harry Bytzek in the Canada GT Challenge Cup, GT1-004 has one of the most impressive racing records of any factory GT1.
A restructuring of the rules as handed down by the FIA was largely responsible for the classes known as GT1 and GT2. While GT2 cars were based on production platforms, to call a GT1 anything other than a prototype would be to misconstrue the logic of effort. While a few road going versions of the Mercedes CLK-GTR and the Toyota GT-One were constructed, it was all done at face value. Only Porsche made a complete effort to adhere to the rules by making an actual run of GT1 road going production models. As Weissach was to learn for the 1997 and 1998 FIA GT seasons, no good deed goes unpunished, as their GT1 was a victim of questionable limitations on performance compared to the competition. Only at Le Mans, under the rules of the ACO, was the true potential of the GT1 clearly in evidence.
The genesis behind the decision to build the original GT1 came as an answer to counter the successful road to race configuration of the McLaren F1 which won Le Mans overall in 1995. In reality, this was to be Norbert Singer’s first new real prototype to come from Weissach since the 956 in 1982.
After the initial successful appearance of the Porsche GT1 at La Sarthe in 1996, ( 1st in class, 2nd overall ) McLaren would counter with a new car for the upcoming season. Norbert Singer developed the evolution version of the GT1, which was a considerable improvement over the previous edition. The FIA GT Championship debuted in 1997 and while Weissach entered a pair of GT1’s to contest the series, the major focus was preparing for Le Mans.
GT1 evolution chassis 004 had it’s initial roll out at Weissach for the 1997 season in late March and immediately was used for testing prior to pre-qualifying for Le Mans in May. Wearing number 25 for the actual June race, the trio of Stuck, Wollek and Boutsen quickly established 004 as the car to beat for the overall win. However, in motorsport there is only one certainty and that is uncertainty. With eight hours remaining, Wollek spun and 004 was retired from the race. For the remainder of the 1997 FIA GT season 004 was entered for only two races. However, at Laguna Seca, a new star in sportscar racing was ignited as Allan McNish got the jump on the superior Mercedes squad and kept the Porsche badge in front until the first round of pit stops and a miscalculation knocked 004 out of first place. The duo of McNish and Kellners settled for a podium position of third overall. GT1 004 was returned to Weissach where it was used for extensive tire testing with Michelin in preparation for the 1998 season and a year long birthday party for Porsche’s 50th.
GT1 004 was sold in 1998 and was campaigned successfully, retired from use and eventually sold in 2005 to a private collector. Three years later 004 was obtained by Matt Drendel and restored visually to the way it appeared at Le Mans in 1997. The three year run of werks GT1’s continue to be immensely popular with enthusiasts in the manner of models, books and published material. Porsche requested 004 to be on their stand at the New York Auto Show in 2009 and later that year 004 was part of the family tree commercial filmed for the introduction of the Panamera.
The racing variant of the road-going 930, the 934 expanded on the success of the RSR, winning the European GT Championship as well as the TransAm Championship in North America. The second 934 constructed, this car was actively campaigned through the early 1980s, culminating in a first in class at the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In regards to this car, noted Porsche authority Bruce Anderson was quoted as saying
“it is the most successful 934 to race in international competition.”
Only the second 934 of the 31 produced by Porsche, “930670155” has a wonderful story to tell. Competing successfully for seven consecutive seasons, this 934 has won more races and had more podium finishes than any other 934 in history. It would go on to earn both a Group 4 class win at the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans. Powered by an air-cooled 3.0L, turbocharged, flat six, this example would go on to make an amazing 630hp!
The remaining cars of the Drendel Family Collection, 11 offered without reserve, are listed below:
8. – 1980 Porsche 924 Carrera GT Le Mans Chassis 924-003 Estimate: $450,000 – $600,000, Without Reserve
One of three Works entries at the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans; placed 13
th Overall with Bell and Holbert
Born as a project of Porsche AG, to show that the front engined 924 was just as suitable for racing as their other models, the 924 Carrera GT Le Mans (924-003) was a remarkable success in so many ways. Credited for being the car that originally brought Derek Bell and the late Al Holbert together, this car was already off to a good start before there’s even a mention of its successful racing career. This 924 certainly proved its worth amongst others in the Porsche range, as it would go on to be a popular choice for several other private racing teams following the success of the Factory 924 Carrera GT Le Mans at the challenging, 24 Hours of Le Mans. In total, there were four of these cars produced, this is the only example in private hands, with the other three still belonging to Porsche today.
9. – 1980 Porsche Indy Car Chassis 0031 Estimate: $350,000 – $550,000
Intended as Porsche’s return to open-wheel racing, the company’s ground-breaking program was cancelled a month before the Indianapolis 500 s a result of last-minute USAC rule changes
10 – 1987 McLaren-Porsche MP4/3 Formula One Chassis MP4/3/1 Estimate: $450,000 – $600,000, Without Reserve
The first MP4/3 built and the only example in private hands
11. – 1981 Porsche 924 GTP “Le Mans” Chassis 924-005 Estimate: $375,000 – $450,000, Without Reserve
Factory prototype and development car, built to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
12. – 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 Evolution Chassis WP0ZZZ99ZTS393062 Estimate: $375,000 – $425,000, Without Reserve
The Champion Porsche, 1996 12 Hours of Sebring class winner
All the way from Pompano Beach, Florida, this 911 GT2 Evolution cut its teeth racing for Champion Racing in the ‘Sunshine State’, where it earned everything from a GT1 class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1996 to a second in class finish in 1997 at the grueling, 24 Hours of Daytona. Taking several other podium finishes throughout its racing career, this chassis, #393062, is one of the most successful 993 GT2s to ever compete thanks to an impressive list of endurance racing legends that piloted it during its career, including Hans Stuck, Thierry Boutsen and Bill Adam. This iteration of the (993) 911 GT2 is proof that evolution is very effective within the Porsche Motorsport department, as this GT2 Evolution produced 600hp, growing 150hp from the original “GT2” to make it competitive within the GT1 racing class.
13. – 1992 Porsche 968 Turbo RS Chassis WPOZZZ96ZNS820065 Estimate: $250,000 – $325,000, Without Reserve
Factory prototype with Le Mans and Sebring race history
With 450 horsepower and nearly 500 foot pounds of torque this is anything but your typical 968. The 968 Turbo RS was a product of the men at Porsche Motorsport in Weissach, Germany. Featuring the familiar 3.0L engine block, but utilizing a SOHC cylinder head, the 968 Turbo RS was fitted with a large, KKK L41 Turbocharger that helped make it so competitive that the entire project was eventually abandoned because of what some might call ‘sibling rivalry’. The 968 Turbo RS had the basic ingredients to embarrass its older brother, the 911. With an extensive use of Carbon Fiber and TAG engine management, this 968 proved to be a cutting edge weapon within its career. This particular example is undoubtedly the most desirable of the four produced, as it’s the prototype chassis and is the only example to be raced during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994.
14. – 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 “Bad Boys” Movie Car
The 964 chassis 911 Turbo 3.6 marks the end of an era for Porsche, as it was the end of the single-turbo, rear-wheel driven 911 Turbos, making it especially prominent amongst discerning Porschephiles. This particular example is especially significant as it is the exact car used in the popular film “Bad Boys”, starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and Tea Leoni.
15. – 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup Chassis WP0ZZZ95ZGN154076 Estimate: $65,000 – $85,000, Without Reserve
Underneath this 944’s relatively unassuming exterior lurks a beast. The 944 Turbo Cup, or “944 Weissach Turbo” as the factory would call them, were gifted with all the best secrets from Porsche Motorsport. Featuring everything from lightweight body panels to significant suspension and chassis modifications, the 944 Turbo Cup is already off to a good start before you even mention the significant power increase over the standard model. Shedding over 400lbs from a showroom 944 Turbo, the Turbo Cup could now accelerate to 60mph in under 5 seconds! A frequenter of victory lane, this chassis would go onto be highly successful during its racing career even at one point earning six consecutive wins while competing in the Firehawk endurance showroom stock series. Since its retirement from racing, it was given a FULL ground up restoration by the experts at Rennsport Porsche in Louisiana, and now enjoys its life as a true race car for the street!
16. – 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S Chassis WP0AA2957JN151272 Estimate: $50,000 – $65,000, Without Reserve
17. – 1994 Porsche 968 Turbo S Clone Chassis WP0AA2961RS820772 Estimate: $45,000 – $55,000, Without Reserve
If you are thinking this is your typical 968 Turbo S, think again. Mr. Lloyd Hawkins, then owner of the prototype 968 Turbo RS s/n 820065 and the owner of Rennsport Porsche in Louisiana wanted nothing less than a road going version of his 968 Turbo RS prototype.
In collaboration with Porsche Motorsport North America and Porsche Motorsport in Germany, the trio of experts went to work on Mr. Hawkins wish. When they were finished, they created a true one off beast! If ever there was a “Wolf in Sheep’s clothing”, this is it.
Able to produce over 500 horsepower at the wheels from it’s 3.0 liter 4 cylinder engine at 26 psi or about 1.75 bar, with a quick change to racing “slick tires”, this car would be at home on any race track, or by simply switching back to “street tires”, you could set the cruise control on for a long journey down the interstate.
While the project was no doubt expensive, costing over $200,000 dollars and over 1800 man hours to complete, the project was a huge success! NO detail was overlooked. Carrillo “H-Beam” connecting rods were used, along with Mahle pistons, an actual 968 Turbo RS 3.0 liter racing engine block, ARP studs, three angle valve cuts, “O” ringed heads, stainless steel brake lines, 964 Turbo S brakes with ABS, adjustable coil over springs with Bilstein shocks, adjustable sway bars, carbon fiber clutch, 968 Turbo RS G44/01 transmission with limited slip differential, and that is just to name a few, all the correct parts to go racing with are present and accounted for.
Inside the car however, it features many comfort amenities, such as heated leather Porsche sport seats, Porsche/Alpine Hi-Fi stereo system with 6 disc changer, power steering, front airbags, rear foldable seats, full lightweight carpet (without sound deadening material) throughout, air conditioning, removable/tilting sunroof, power windows, power rear window wiper and even a fully functioning adjustable rear wing to add or remove downforce at the rear of the car as needed.
This 968 Turbo RS really embodies the “best of both worlds”‘ and in some ways pays homage to the great racing cars of the past. The racing cars that could truly be driven to the track to compete, and then be driven home again. It is, without question, one of Mr. Drendel’s favorite street cars. He was once quoted as saying, “For me, this car is much more fun to drive than my 959 Sport. With a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, once I got my set up dialed in just right within the suspension, there isn’t anything else I would do to change this car, I don’t know how it could possibly get any better.”
Gooding & Company will be conducting its annual Amelia Island Auction on March 9, 2012 at 11 a.m., at the Racquet Park located at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation at 6800 First Coast Highway in Amelia Island, one mile south of the Amelia Island Parkway.
Guests may preview the cars on Thursday, March 8th from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday, March 9th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
An auction catalogue for $75 admits two to the viewing and auction. General admission to the viewing and auction can be purchased at the tent for $30 per person.
Bidder registration forms, press credentials and additional auction information are available at www.goodingco.com or by calling (310) 899-1960. Auctions are broadcast Live at www.goodingco.com/auction
About Gooding & Company
Gooding & Company, internationally celebrated for its world-class automotive auctions, provides unparalleled service in the collector car market, offering a wide range of services including private and estate sales, appraisals and collection management.
In the past two years, Gooding & Company has realized the most prestigious automotive records in the world for a Car Sold at Auction with the iconic 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype at $16.39 million, an American Car at Auction with the 1931 Whittell Coupe Duesenberg Model J at $10.34 million, and the undisclosed private treaty sale of the world’s Most Valuable Car with the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.
The auction house ignited 2012 achieving extraordinary results at its annual Scottsdale Auctions in January with more than $39.8 million in sales and 98% sold. Preceding each auction, a complete catalogue is made available online at www.goodingco.com and a
virtual auction guide is published via Gooding & Company’s IAC award-winning iPhone and iPad app.
For additional vehicle information and up-to-the-minute results, follow Gooding & Company on Facebook and Twitter @GoodingCompany. Renowned for its annual standing as the official auction house for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Gooding & Company will return to Pebble Beach, California on August 18 & 19, 2012.
Porsche is commemorating both 60 years of racing at Le Mans and its 2014 return to the storied endurance race with a series of videos.
Porsche will make its return to the LMP1 class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014. To celebrate, it has released another teaser video that highlights the brand’s history at the famous race from the early years.
Porsche has more wins at Le Mans than any other manufacturer, including Audi. The company has 16 overall victories, including seven in a row from 1981 to 1987. Scores of famous racers have sat in the driver’s seat, including Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Hurley Haywood and Hans-Joachim Stuck.
When the announcement of Porsche’s return came last summer, Penske Racing made it known that it would love to back a Porsche team at Le Mans. Roger Penske said his organization wanted to follow up on its success with the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 in the American Le Mans Series, though no deal has been made.
The company won’t be back until 2014, which means that Porsche still has some hurdles to jump, such as finding a pilot or two and, well, building a car.
The world’s oldest endurance race for sports cars, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has tested the abilities of both drivers and manufacturers since 1923. German automaker Porsche has set numerous records and claimed 16 total victories since the inception of this monumental race, more than any other entrant. Porsche presents us with this compilation of hand-chosen clips from the early days of Le Mans, highlighting the car manufacturer’s achievements in the days preceding its era of dominance with the Porsche 936, 935, and 917 between 1970 and 1980. The promotions are in anticipation of Porsche’s triumphant return in 2014 to the circuit.
Porsche owned large swathes of the 1970s at Le Mans, with five overall victories. Starting with the 917 at the dawn of the decade – and leading to the 936 and 935 – legendary drivers paved the way for complete dominance by Porsche in the 1980s. The manufacturer – the most successful in the history of the gruelling endurance race – is now set to return to Le Mans in 2014 with an LMP1 sports prototype.
Building on the great successes of the 1970s, Porsche drivers swept all before them in the following decade, with an incredible seven overall victories throughout the 80s. With the Jacky Ickx/Derek Bell team winning in the 936 in 1981, and then leading in an incredible Porsche 1-2-3 win the following year in the newly developed 956, this was a legendary era for the manufacturer. Enjoy the greatest moments here.
365 km/h top speed. And top performances. In the ’90s, the 24 Hours of Le Mans are again dominated by Porsche Motorsport. New race cars. New drivers. And now, a new show.
A glorious past. And now, a mission: In 2014, Porsche Motorsport will return to Le Mans. With a LMP1 prototype and the determination to add another chapter to this success story.
We’ll definitely be watching. The company is setting up its YouTube channel for a running series of these teaser videos, so stay tuned.
“Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand,” emphasises Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG. “So for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing. Porsche’s successes in Le Mans are unrivalled. We want to follow up on this with the 17th outright victory.”
Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG
With the RS Spyder sports prototype that was run with great success from 2006 to 2008 by the factory-backed Penske Racing team in the USA and to 2010 by several customer teams worldwide, Porsche has set the benchmark recently in the LMP2 category.
“With the RS Spyder we proved that our motorsport engineers in Weissach are at the forefront,” says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “For instance, we were the first to run a high-revving race engine with direct fuel injection, DFI, setting new standards in performance and efficiency. Recently, with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, we adopted a completely new drive technology for racing purposes and achieved a considerable reduction in consumption.”
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport, is already prepared for one of the most challenging development programmes in the company’s history.
“We’re looking forward to the task of developing new technologies and to continue on with the success of the Porsche RS Spyder. After the conclusion of our works-supported sports prototype programme in the American Le Mans Series we have kept up with the latest technological advances. Now we will begin with detailed research in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our new car. These obviously depend on how the regulations for the year 2014 look in detail. In principle, these regulations are interesting for us because the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option.”
Held every year since 1923, the legendary 24-hour race at Le Mans draws an annual crowd of more than 200,000 spectators to the French region of La Sarthe.
Around the world, this long-distance motor racing classic is viewed as one of the greatest challenges for man and machine. For Porsche, Le Mans is not only the place of famous victories and the ultimate proving ground. It is also their spiritual home.
Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood claimed the first overall victory for Porsche in 1970 with the legendary 917 short-tail. The 16th and by now last overall win was secured by Laurent Aiello, Stéphane Ortelli and Allan McNish in 1998 with the 911 GT1. In the years 2008 and 2009, the Porsche RS Spyder sports prototype won the title in the LMP2 category.
16 overall victories. Countless records. That’s Porsche Motorsport in Le Mans. For more than 60 years: the fastest race cars. The toughest drivers. And now: the best scenes.
Stuttgart.Derek Bell, one of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG’s most successful works drivers, will celebrate his 70th birthday on 31 October 2011.
Derek Bell (GB), five times winner at Le Mans.
He won two World Sportscar Championship titles in 1985-86, the 24 Hours of Daytona three times in 1986-87 and 1989 and Le Mans five times in 1975, 1981, 1982, 1986 and 1987, mostly teamed with Jacky Ickx in one of the Porsche 936 and Porsche 956/Porsche 962 models. Ickx/Bell is nowadays considered as one of the most famous pairings in motorsport history.
Born in Pinner, Middlesex, Great Britain in 1941, Bell is considered to be one of the most versatile and popular racing drivers of his time.
VIDEO: Derek Bell in car Porsche 956 at Nordschleife. Derek Bell drives and describes a lap in a Porsche 956 around the old Nurburgring
Matthias Müller, Porsche AG’s Chairman of the Board of Management has this to say about the birthday boy:
Derek Bell in Monza, 1983
“Derek Bell made motorsport history with Porsche. Whether it was in a 917, 936 or 956 – he was always one of the fastest and above all most reliable drivers. Derek Bell won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times for Porsche. He won the world championship twice. For that we owe him our gratitude and great respect.” ~ Matthias Müller, Porsche AG’s Chairman of the Board of Management
Derek Bell began his racing career with Lotus in 1964. In Formula 1 he then took his place on the starting grid for Ferrari in 1969. In the 1971 season he drove the Porsche 917 and 908/03 racing cars for the Porsche-Gulf team, forming a successful driver duo with Jo Siffert.
Porsche 917 KH Coupé in Spa, 1971, Drivers: Jo Siffert and Derek Bell
This was followed by appearances in the Porsche 934 and 935 in 1976 and 1977 before Derek Bell took his place on the Le Mans starting grid as a works driver in the 924 Carrera GT. In 1981, together with Jacky Ickx in the Porsche 936/81 Spyder, he won the first of his total of four Le Mans overall victories in a Porsche.
1982 saw the beginning of the Group C era with the Porsche 956 during which time Bell made his mark as one of the most successful endurance drivers of all time.
Derek Bell in Brands Hatch, 1971
VIDEO: Derek Bell in the Porsche 956 gives a running commentary at Brands Hatch.
Together with drivers such as Jacky Ickx, Stefan Bellof and Hans-Joachim-Stuck, he not merely won numerous overall victories in the Types 956 and 962 but also the World Sportscar Championship in 1985 and 1986.
Derek Bell remains in close contact with Porsche to this very day, constantly undertaking ambassadorial tasks for the Stuttgart-based sportscar manufacturer, such as for example at the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring or at this year’s Corso to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the car.
Porsche 956 in Le Mans, 1983, Drivers: Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell
Derek Bell, driver of the #17 Rothmans Racing Porsche 962C celebrates with champagne after winning the FIA World Sportscar Championship 24 Hours of Le Mans on 14th June 1988 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Getty Images)
Photos: Haynes – For further information, visit www.haynes.co.uk.
There’s no question that Derek Bell also remained faithful to the Porsche brand off the race track:
To this very day he can be seen on Britain’s roads driving a 1981 vintage Porsche 924 Carrera GTS.
Derek Bell’s GTS, a special one in that it has a factory fitted road interior with carpets and road seats, one of only 2 done like that.
Stuttgart. The Motorsport Newsletter regularly provides information on Porsche Motorsport around the world.
Development of an LMP1 sports prototype: Porsche returns to Le Mans Porsche returns to Le Mans with a works-run LMP1 sports prototype. The first outing of the race car developed from scratch is planned for 2014.
With 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in Le Mans. The last overall victory went to the Porsche 911 GT1 in the year 1998.
Porsche 911 GT1
Nürburgring 24 Hours: Porsche triumphs and sets new distance record Dramatic 24 hour sprint:
At the 39th running of the classic on the Nuerburgring-Nordschleife (25/26 June), works drivers Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas as well as Lucas Luhr took the lead with a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR after 7:25 hours ahead of strong competition from Audi, BMW und Mercedes.
(l. – r.): Timo Bernhard, Lucas Luhr, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas
P1, 24h Nürburgring
Timo Bernhard, Lucas Luhr, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas
P1, 24h Nürburgring
The quartet fended off rivals to the flag and set a distance record of 3,958.968 kilometres. For Porsche and the Manthey Racing squad, this marked the fifth victory at the “Ring” in the last six years – the same for Timo Bernhard.
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey: Jörg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long
For the innovative Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid the weekend ran less smoothly. Works drivers Joerg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer and Patrick Long led the field after four hours in front of 220,000 spectators, but spent a lot of time in the pits with a broken flange on the differential to finish 23rd.
Le Mans Series/Intercontinental Le Mans Cup: Fourth after tough struggle Works drivers Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz brought the 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Felbermayr-Proton home in fourth as the best Porsche at the third round of the LMS (3 July, 4th ILMC race) in Imola.
Team Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR , Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz
After being the innocent victims of two accidents in the first two races, this result was the best for the title defenders in the GTE Pro category.
Nicolas Armindo (l), Raymond Narac (r)
P1, GTE-Am, Le Mans Series Imola
Nicolas Armindo and Raymond Narac were delighted with victory number two in the GTE Am class with their 911 GT3 RSR fielded by IMSA Performance Matmut.
IMSA Performance Matmut, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo
Porsche Carrera World Cup: René Rast wins the greatest Porsche race of all time Rain, the world’s most difficult circuit and a field hailing from 25 countries: The Porsche Carrera World Cup on the Nordschleife, contested prior to the 24 hour race, was not for the faint-hearted.
René Rast (D)
Porsche Carrera World Cup – Nürburgring 2011
After six hours and about 150 kilometres, René Rast celebrated overall victory at the greatest Porsche race in history. In the class for 911 GT3 Cup vehicles from 2007 to 2009, Timo Rumpfkeil won.
For the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and many national Carrera Cups the race counted towards their respective championships. René Rast took home maximum points for the Supercup.
Former champion Tim Harvey was the quickest in the Carrera Cup Great Britain (13th overall). Kévin Estre won the Carrera Cup France (6th overall), Alessandro Balzan was the best Italian (12th overall) and Johan Kristoffersson the best driver from the Carrera Cup Scandinavia (25th overall).
Grand-Am: Andrew Davis and Leh Keen at the front at half-way mark After the seventh of twelve Grand-Am races, Andrew Davis and Leh Keen rank second in the GT driver’s classification. At the six hour race in Watkins Glen (4 June) the duo won their class in a Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with none other than racing legend Hurley Haywood calling the tactical shots. On the last June weekend (27 June), Davis and Keen clinched sixth in Road America.
French GT Championship: Dream weekend for Porsche teams With a double win for Patrick Bornhauser/Laurent Groppi in Larbre Compétition’s 911 GT3 R ahead of Anthony Beltoise/Laurent Pasquali in the GT3 R of Pro GT by Almeras, the fourth race weekend took off in Val de Vienne (25/26 June).
Porsche 911 GT3 R: Anthony Beltoise, Laurent Pasquali
GT Championship France, Val de Vienne
A one-two-three at race two with Beltoise/Pasquali in front of Bornhauser/Groppi and Laurent Cazenave/Jean-Claude Police in the sister Almeras-Porsche made the weekend perfect for Porsche.
Italian GT Championship: Autorlando pilot battles for points’ lead After a win and a second place at the third race weekend at the Autodromo dell Umbria near Magione (19 June), Autorlando pilot Ruberti lies a close second in the GT drivers’ classification. Ruberti shared the cockpit in Magione with his regular teammate Mario Cordoni.
Belcar Endurance Championship: Tactical brilliance yields win for Prospeed A courageous tyre choice and a perfect performance from drivers Marc Goossens and Maxime Soulet yielded the Prospeed Competition team their second win of the season at round three in Spa (18 June).
The squad sent the 911 GT3 R into the three-hour race on slicks, whilst the competition opted for rain tyres. With ten laps to go, Prospeed again made the right choice with slicks and won by more than a minute. Goossens/Soulet currently lead the driver’s classification.
British GT Championship: Victory for Trackspeed-Porsche at Brands Hatch Tim Bridgman and Gregor Fisken are the victors of the spectacular third race in Brands Hatch (19 June). A rain shower after the first half hour provided thrills and spills amongst the 30-strong field.
Bridgman and Fisken brought their Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Trackspeed home in first after two hours. Reigning champion David Ashburn was forced into retirement with a fire in the rear left wheel arch of his Porsche.
Pikes Peak Race to the Clouds: Jeff Zwart clocks record time in 911 GT2 RS At the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, American Jeff Zwart set a record time for street homologated sports cars at the famous Pikes Peak Race to the Clouds in Colorado (26 June).
Porsche 911 GT2 RS: Jeff Zwart
Pikes Peak Race, Colorado
In the 620 hp 911, he broke the old record on the 20 kilometre track which leads over 156 corners from an altitude of 2,860 up to 4,600 metres, by 24 seconds.
Porsche 911 GT2 RS: Jeff Zwart
Pikes Peak Race, Colorado
Zwart had collected the 911 GT3 RS himself from Porsche Motorsport in California and drove the 1,770 kilometres to the start.
Carrera Cup Deutschland: Six races, six different winners Sean Edwards from Great Britain won the sixth round of the season on the rain-soaked, extremely difficult Norisring in Nuremberg (3 July) to extend his points’ lead ahead of Jeroen Bleekemolen.
Round five of the series run at the Porsche Carrera World Cup (25 June) went to Nicolas Armindo, with the Frenchman finishing fifth out of 98 starters.
Carrera Cup Japan: Hideto Yasuoka unstoppable At the fourth and fifth race of the Carrera Cup Japan on the extremely demanding Fuji International Speedway (11/12 June), Hideto Yasuoka again proved unbeatable in his class with two pole-to-flag wins.
(l.-r.): Akira Fujita, Hideto Yasuoka, Michael Green
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan, Fuji International Speedway
The talented youngster driving for the Garmin Porsche team has yet to be beaten in 2011. Akira Fujita secured second place twice.
IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama: Macneil and Cisneros win in Montreal Cooper Macneil (Alex Job Racing) celebrated his first victory in the Platinum Cup class after a rainy fifth round on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve run as support to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal (11 June), with points’ leader Henrique Cisneros retiring after a journey off the track. Gold Cup class honours went to Eduardo Cisneros after a hefty duel with the 15-year-old front-runner Madison Snow.
GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil: Rosset and Junior continue on-going duel With fading brakes, points’ leader Ricardo Rosset managed to salvage his victory at the first race in Interlagos (18 June), fending off an attack from second-placed Constantino Junior. Victory at the second race on the same day went to Junior, who had taken up the race from seventh on the grid as per the regulations. In the drivers’ classification, Rosset sits ten points ahead of Junior. The Challenge race for older 911 GT3 Cup was won by Fernando Barci.
Race notes: Pole-sitters Manuel Giao and Miguel Angel de Castro win round three of the Spanish GT Championship (19 June) on the Circuito de Albacete in the 911 GT3 RSR of the Drivex squad. +++ Gianluca Roda and Fabio Babini defend their GTS class lead at the fifth and sixth race of the International GT Open in Spa (25/26 June) with a Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Autorlando Sport.
Porsche returns to Le Mans with a works-run LMP1 sports prototype. The first outing of the completely new developed race car is planned for the year 2014. With 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in Le Mans
Porsche 911 GT1
With 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in Le Mans. The most recent win was in 1998 with the Porsche 911 GT1.
Porsche 911 GT1
“Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand,” emphasizes
Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG
Porsche 911 GT1
“So for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing. Porsche’s successes in Le Mans are unrivaled. We want to follow up on this with the 17th outright victory.”
Porsche 911 GT1
With the RS Spyder sports prototype that was run with great success from 2006 to 2008 by the factory-backed Penske Racing team in the USA and to 2010 by several customer teams worldwide, Porsche has set the benchmark recently in the LMP2 category.
Porsche RS Spyder
“With the RS Spyder we proved that our motorsport engineers in Weissach are at the forefront,” says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG.
Porsche RS Spyder, 24h Le Mans 2009
Porsche RS Spyder, 24h Le Mans 2009
Porsche RS Spyder, 24h Le Mans 2009
Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG
Porsche RS Spyder
“For instance, we were the first to run a high-revving race engine with direct fuel injection, DFI, setting new standards in performance and efficiency. Recently, with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, we adopted a completely new drive technology for racing purposes and achieved a considerable reduction in consumption.”
Porsche RS Spyder
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport, is already prepared for one of the most challenging development programmes in the company’s history.
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport
“We’re looking forward to the task of developing new technologies and to continue on with the success of the Porsche RS Spyder. After the conclusion of our works-supported sports prototype programme in the American Le Mans Series we have kept up with the latest technological advances. Now we will begin with detailed research in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our new car. These obviously depend on how the regulations for the year 2014 look in detail. In principle, these regulations are interesting for us because the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option.”
Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood claimed the first overall victory for Porsche in 1970 with the legendary 917 short-tail.
The 16th and by now last overall win was secured by Laurent Aiello, Stéphane Ortelli and Allan McNish in 1998 with the 911 GT1. In the years 2008 and 2009, the Porsche RS Spyder sports prototype won the title in the LMP2 category.
Stuttgart. Last year’s winners narrowly missed out on the podium at the 79th running of the long distance classic.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Richard Lietz, Marc Lieb, Wolf Henzler
After 24 hours, the Felbermayr-Proton team with Porsche works drivers
Marc Lieb (Germany),
Richard Lietz (Austria)
and Wolf Henzler (Germany) received the flag as fourth in the GTE Pro sports car class.
The French IMSA Performance Matmut squad clinched fifth place ahead of Flying Lizard Motorsports from the USA.
The 911 of the Belgian ProSpeed Competition team crossed the finish line
at the Le Mans 24 Hours in eighth.
In the GTE Am class, where only one professional race driver is permitted per vehicle and only last year’s vehicles are eligible to race, the French Larbre Competition team celebrated second place with the 911 GT3 RSR.
“All of our teams took off into the race well prepared. Under the most difficult circumstances, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR proved to be enormously durable and reliable. Unfortunately our teams had to cope with two accidents. You could clearly see the performance differences that are a direct result of the current Balance of Performance ratings. Unfortunately the fastest 911 GT3 RSR were affected by the phenomenon that they couldn’t turn the number of laps per set of tyres that were calculated which meant some extra pit stops for tyre changes. Under these conditions we can be satisfied with the results – especially in the GTE Am class where our team claimed a spot on the podium. I congratulate all the teams, drivers and partners who have contributed to this good result.”
Like in 2010, the best-placed Porsche crew put in a brilliant drive with high reliability in all areas. Drivers Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz and Wolf Henzler drove an immaculate race that was punctuated by many accidents and safety car phases. Only in the early stages of the race, the team lost more than one lap, first at the red light on the exit of the pitlane, then due to tyre damage which also required repairs to the car body.
Other than that, the blue 911 GT3 RSR only came into the pits for tyre changes and refuelling. Under the leadership of team boss Christian Ried, the pit crew of the Felbermayr-Proton team again shone with very fast pit stops.
Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet (France) also lost time in the jam at the red light of the pitlane exit. Shortly before midnight, Pilet and his driver colleagues, team owner Raymond Narac and his French compatriot Nicolas Armindo were ranking eighth in the GTE Pro class.
With consistent lap times and a perfectly-running 911, the trio with the two seasoned Le Mans campaigners Pilet and Narac and the 24 hour rookie Armindo fought their way up to fifth place.
The pilots of Flying Lizard Motorsports can look back on a lively marathon.
In the opening phase of the race, the set-up was not perfect, and they also had to contend with tyre damage. For a while, works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) as well as Lucas Luhr (Germany) held a promising fourth place, only to fall back to eighth with technical problems.
After a difficult race, the trio were satisfied to finally bring home sixth place.
Fight to the finish – that was also the motto of the Belgian squad.
Works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Belgium’s Marc Goossens and Jaap van Lagen from the Netherlands had all but worked their way nearly into the lead after the first third of the race but finally finished in eighth place after losing time with two minor repair stops.
The untiring mechanics of ProSpeed Competition received a very special honour:
They won the “Prix ESCRA”, an award that has been endowed for the 36th time to the best pit crew of the entire race.
In the GTE Am category, Larbre Competition were thrilled with second place in a 2010-spec 911 manned by the all-French line up of Christophe Bourret, Pascal Gibon und Jean-Philippe Belloc.
Two 911 GT3 RSR retired after accidents that were not their fault. One of those affected was the sister car of Felbermayr-Proton. Suffering tyre damage Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) flew from the track in the fast Indianapolis corner.
Al Faisal
Luckily, Al Faisal climbed out uninjured, but the Pro-911, which he shared with Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Bryce Miller (USA), was so badly damaged that the team was unable to repair it.
Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition)
Contesting the GTE Am class, Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition) fell victim to an opponent at 8.00 a.m. when his 911 GT3 RSR was hit hard on the driver’s side.The Austrian was transported to hospital for a medical examination.
Result Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Pro class
1. Garcia/Milner/Beretta (E/USA/MC), Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1, 314 laps
2. Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander (I/I/FIN), Ferrari 458 Italia, 314
3. Priaulx/Müller/Hand (GB/D/USA), BMW M3 GT, 313 4. Lieb/Lietz/Henzler (D/A/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 312 5. Pilet/Narac/Armindo (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 311 6. Bergmeister/Long/Luhr (D/USA/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 310 8. Holzer/Goossens/van Lagen (D/B/NL), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 293
GTE Am class
1. Gardel/Canal/Bornhauser (CH/F/F), Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1, 302 laps 2. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 301
Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
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With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
Stuttgart. Porsche’s customer teams have an eventful night behind them. With five hours to go until the finish of one of the toughest Le Mans races in history, the teams in the GTE Pro class currently sit in positions three, four, seven and eight.
Piloting the best-placed 911 GT3 RSR are the winning trio from last year. Porsche’s factory pilots Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany) fought their way through the field to now rank third thanks to the reliability of their 911, the perfect work of the drivers and the swift pit stops of the Felbermayr-Proton crew.
“I can’t remember the last time I experienced so many accidents at a Le Mans race,” said Marc Lieb, the two-time GT class winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours. “I don’t find it okay that many of the drivers are so extremely aggressive. Luckily we had no problems in the night and we are hoping for a podium finish.”
The drivers of the French IMSA Performance Matmut 911 can thank their fourth place at 10 a.m. to the fact that the night hours ran smoothly. Works driver Patrick Pilet, team owner Raymond Narac and Carrera Cup champion Nicolas Armindo (all France) all put in double stints. As planned, the brake pads were changed once.
Le Mans newcomer Armindo was surprised at the harshness of the competitors in the more powerful classes.
“Sometimes it seems we are completely invisible to them when they are lapping us,” says Armindo. “They drive as if we weren’t even there.”
After leading for quite some time, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the American Flying Lizard Motorsports team lost an excellent fourth place within striking distance of the podium six hours before the finish. Works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (USA) and seasoned racer Lucas Luhr (Germany) share driving duties in double stints and are doing a faultless job. However, due to a problem in the engine electrics, the 911 was forced to take an unscheduled pit stop and fell back from fourth to eighth position.
The Belgian ProSpeed Competition squad experienced a problem free start to the race only to suffer a sitback while lying in a promising fourth. A small leak in the water cooling system made repairs necessary in the early morning hours, which relegated works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Marc Goossens (Belgium) and Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands) back down the field. Extreme bad luck plagued the second driver trio of Felbermayr-Proton. Suffering tyre damage Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) flew from the track in the fast Indianapolis corner. The Pro-911, which he shares with Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Bryce Miller (USA), was so badly damaged that the team was unable to repair it. Luckily, Al Faisal climbed out uninjured.
Contesting the GTE Am class, Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition) fell victim to an opponent at 8.00 a.m. when his 911 was hit hard on the driver’s side of the 911 GT3 RSR. The Austrian was transported to hospital for an examination. In the same class, a 2010-spec 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the French Larbre Competition team currently ranks second.
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Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. Moreover, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Stuttgart. The opening eight hours of the long distance classic brought mixed fortunes for the five Porsche customer teams.
The Belgian ProSpeed Competition squad made the best start to the race. After completing the first third of the distance, Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Marc Goossens (Belgium) and Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands) rank third in the GTE Pro sports car class in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Flying Lizard Motorsports (USA) follows with factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) as well as seasoned campaigner Lucas Luhr (Germany) sitting sixth in the strongest-supported class of the 24 hour race.
Driving for the Felbermayr-Proton squad, last year’s winners Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany) were thrown far back down the field with two mishaps and are now fighting their way through the pack.
An hour before midnight, the Porsche works drivers lie tenth in the GTE Pro class.
“After refuelling we waited for ages for the lights to turn green at the pit exit during the safety car phase,” explains Marc Lieb. “Once we rejoined the race the car suffered tyre damage – I must have picked something up. Unfortunately it happened in the first chicane, that’s about 10 kilometres from the pits.”
Lieb returned to the pits on his rim and lost more time when the crew found that part of the body had also been damaged.
The ProSpeed Competition team are feeling cautiously optimistic.
“The first eight hours ran smoothly,” reported Marco Holzer.
The 22-year-old was a Le Mans rookie last year and now has the role of team leader. For Jaap van Lagen this marks a premiere on the demanding 13.629 kilometre track.
“I know exactly how this feels,” says Holzer. “You need quite some time to find a rhythm and to trust the car and your own ability. Our 911 is running well, the team’s pit stops are super. Our goal is to keep out of any trouble.”
The American Flying Lizard Motorsports team also faced tyre problems. Early on in the race, Joerg Bergmeister fell victim to tyre damage.
“My first stint was difficult because the set-up wasn’t one hundred percent,” said Bergmeister. “We then made a few changes and now the balance is much better. We can’t quite match the pace of the front-runners but we’re looking ahead. We can build on sixth place.”
Heading into the night, the French IMSA Performance Matmut team was not particularly pleased with their eighth place.
Works driver Patrick Pilet was also held up long at the red lights of the pit exit.
“It was really dumb,” complained the Frenchman. “But I had to come in to refuel otherwise I would have been stranded out there. The traffic on the track is brutal and the prototype drivers are at times very aggressive. Nicolas Armindo is a newcomer in our team, but he’s a very controlled driver.” Third in the group is an experienced Le Mans contender, team owner Raymond Narac (France).
The second Felbermayr-911 ranks 13th in the GTE Pro class after eight hours. At the wheel are Le Mans debutant Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) as well as American Bryce Miller, who contested the endurance classic last year.
In the GTE Am sports car class, in which only one professional race driver is permitted per vehicle, Larbre Competition lies in a excellent first place with their 911 GT3 RSR in last year’s specification (as stipulated by the regulations for this class). The sister 911 of Flying Lizard Motorsports has settled in to fourth place, with the Proton Competition drivers currently sitting in sixth.
Facts and figures
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. Moreover, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Source: Images of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Porsche AG Press Database
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Motor and Sports Press
Stuttgart. The first step is taken with success. Porsche customer teams from all over Europe and the USA have secured good grid positions after the qualifying sessions for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports (l.-r.): Jörg Bergmeister, Lucas Luhr, Patrick Long, Seth Neiman, Spencer Pumpelly, Darren Law
The fastest Porsche driver, works pilot Marc Lieb (Germany), planted the Felbermayr 911 GT3 RSR on seventh in the GTE Pro class. Lieb competes for last year’s winning team with works drivers Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany). Four other 2011-spec 911 GT3 RSR take up the race in the GTE Pro category. In the GTE Am class, three 911 GT3 RSR from last year take off into the 79th edition of the long distance classic on Saturday at 15.00 hours from positions two, three and four.
(l.-r.): Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Wolf Henzler
“We’re satisfied with our preparations and are feeling confident for the race,” said two-time Le Mans winner Marc Lieb. “In the practice sessions, we managed to find a good set-up for our 911 for the challenges of this marathon and the very special, highly demanding race track.”
Richard Lietz, who has also notched up two wins at the world’s toughest automobile race, added:
“The handling of our 911 GT3 RSR is neutral and comfortable. This means that the car tends neither towards oversteer nor understeer. This works in favour of Marc, Wolf and I because our driving styles are similar.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton
The crew of the #75 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR also finished the qualifying without problems. Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany) clinched the ninth grid spot for the ProSpeed Competition squad.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Prospeed Competition (l.-r.): Marc Goossens, Jaap van Lagen, Marco Holzer
(l.-r.): Jaap van Lagen, Marco Holzer, Marc Goossens
“Today we worked on our race set-up,” said Holzer. “Yes, we were faster yesterday but our car was rather twitchy, and that wouldn’t have been optimal over the race distance. There are a couple of damn fast corners here in Le Mans so you need a car that you can trust. And now we have that car.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Prospeed Competition: Marc Goossens, Marco Holzer, Jaap van Lagen
Joining forces with the 22-year-old is Le Mans veteran Marc Goossens (Bel-gium) as well as Le Mans rookie Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands).
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Lucas Luhr
A damaged damper and an accident threw the schedule of the Flying Lizard Motorsports into disarray.
“Because of the faulty shock absorber we worked in the wrong direction for a long time during yesterday’s practice session,” explained Porsche works driver Joerg Bergmeister (Germany). “Then we lost time when a competitor spun and I couldn’t avoid him. The repairs were extensive. We decided to forget about turning an extra qualifying lap and instead we concentrated totally on finding a set-up.”
(l.-r.): Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Lucas Luhr
Bergmeister takes up the marathon on Saturday with his works driver colleague Patrick Long (USA)
Lucas Luhr
and Germany’s Lucas Luhr from 12th position in the GTE Pro class.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Nick Tandy, Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Bryce Miller
Grid position 14 went to Nick Tandy in the second 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Felbermayr-Proton. The Briton currently leads the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup series as well as the German Carrera Cup, but this marks his first race in Le Mans. His teammates are Abdulaziz Al Faisal from Saudi Arabia and Bryce Miller from the USA.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, IMSA Performance Matmut (l.-r.): Patrick Pilet, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo
The French IMSA Performance Matmut squad had counted on a better grid position than 16th. Still, after team owner Raymond Narac’s accident during the first free practice, Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet, Narac and Le Mans newcomer Nicolas Armindo (all France) could only begin their set-up work this afternoon and therefore lag be-hind.
(l.-r.): Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo, Patrick Pilet
In the GTE Am sports car class, Austrian Horst Felbermayr Junior qualified the 911 GT3 RSR of Proton Competition on second place. His teammates are Horst Felber-mayr Senior and team owner Christian Ried (Germany).
(l.-r.): Horst Felbermayr Sr., Christian Ried, Horst Felbermayr Jr.
Position three was snatched by Larbre Competition’s
Grid spot four in the GTE Am class went to Americans Seth Neiman, Darren Law and Spencer Pumpelly from the Flying Lizard Motorsports team.
(l.-r.): Spencer Pumpelly, Seth Neiman, Darren Law
Porsche’s head of motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, praised the teams’ professional preparations for the race.
“They all worked hard to find an optimal set-up. Taking the Balance of Performance into account, the teams made the most out of what was possible.”
The race gets the green light at 15.00 hours on Saturday, 11th June. Television stations Eurosport and Eurosport 2 broadcast the race alternately around the clock with 15 hours of live coverage shown on the main station, Eurosport.
Result Qualifying GTE Am
1. Perazzini/Cioci/Breslin (I/I/D), Ferrari F430, 4:21.015 minutes
2. Ried/Felbermayr Jr./Felbermayr Sen. (D/A/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.250 seconds
3. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.366
4. Neiman/Law/Pumpelly (USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.636
Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
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With a grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start to-gether in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. More-over, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Porsche enthusiast, Flying Lizard fan, Photographer SEAN KLINGELHOEFER, gives us a tour on what it takes to do a photo shoot of the Flying Lizard Motorsports Le Mans Porsches
Flying Lizard 2011 Porsche GT3 RSR Photographer: Sean Klingelhoefer
Sean Klingelhoefer posts another “Making of” behind the scenes look of his Automotive photo session with Porsche Flying Lizards GT3 RSR for Le Mans 24 hour 2011.
It is with great pleasure that I give you a look behind the scenes of the most challenge yet most fun photoshoot I’ve had to date. It should come as no surprise since I’m a Porsche enthusiast and Flying Lizard fan that I jumped at the opportunity to work with the team. It all started with some discussions during the off season, then a few months ago the head of PR/marking got in touch with me about a photo shoot concerning images for Le Mans. What I didn’t know at the time were the constraints I would be facing for the shoot.
READ MORE HERE>>>>> about Sean and the photoshoot of the 911 GT3 RSR Flying Lizards Le Mans Porsche with graphic design by Troy Lee
Flying Lizard 2011 Porsche GT3 RSR Photographer: Sean Klingelhoefer
Sean Klingelhoefer is a photographer specializing in automotive/motorsports photography and post production. He lives in Los Angeles …..more about Sean here
Strong contingent of Porsche customer teams with eight 911 GT3 RSR
Stuttgart. Five teams, eight vehicles, 24 pilots: Porsche customer teams from Europe and the USA are particularly well represented at the 79th running of the long distance classic in Le Mans on 11/12 June.
At the toughest automobile race in the world they field a total of eight Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the two sports car classes: GTE Pro and GTE Am. All Porsche works drivers compete – including last year’s winning trio, Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany). With 16 overall and 98 class victories, Porsche is by far the most successful make in Le Mans.
The race
Run for the first time in 1923, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has become a legend. It is considered the toughest automobile race in the world. With 55 sports cars, the start alone guarantees goose bumps. Tens of thousands of fans flock to the town square of Le Mans to see the technical scrutineering. And for the traditional drivers’ parade which leads from the track to the city centre in the Sarthe region on Friday afternoon, enthusiastic fans line the streets.
The circuit
The 13.629 kilometre “Circuit des 24 Heures” is one of the world’s oldest and fastest race tracks. With around 75 percent of a lap taken at full throttle, the circuit is regarded as a serious test for the reliability of man and machine.
The world fame of the track is thanks not least to the legendary Hunaudières straight, where top speeds of up to 400 kph were reached before it was tamed by two chicanes in 1990. Also the ultra-swift passage with the Porsche curves demands everything from race drivers.
Porsche’s successes
Exactly 60 years ago, the maiden outing of a race car from Zuffenhausen marked the beginning of the unprecedented success story of Porsche in Le Mans. Even in the early years, typical Porsche virtues – like lightweight construction, aerodynamics and reliability – played a prominent role in the many class wins. However, the path to the first overall win was rocky. In 1969, in the closest Le Mans finish in history, Porsche missed out on victory by a mere 75 metres or a good one second.
But the breakthrough in 1970 was all the more convincing. On 14 June, drivers Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood celebrated the first overall victory with the legendary Porsche 917 short-tail, with two other Porsche teams making the triumph perfect with second and third place. Fifteen further overall wins followed – and last year,
(l.-r.): Wolf Henzler, Michael Ried, Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz
Porsche factory pilots Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz and Wolf Henzler clinched the 98th class win in the 911 GT3 RSR.
The Porsche drivers
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With the same line-up, last year’s winners return to the site of their success. For Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz, 2010 yielded their second class wins in Le Mans (after 2005 and 2007 respectively). Wolf Henzler climbed to the top of the podium for the first time. Title defender Felbermayr-Proton fields the 2011-version of the 911 GT3 RSR in the GTE Pro class.
The American Flying Lizard Motorsports team competes with the punchy works driver pairing Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) at the wheel of a 911 in the Pro-category. Together, they claimed a Le Mans class win in 2004, with Patrick Long also achieving success in 2007. The multiple champions of the American Le Mans Series receive support from Lucas Luhr (Switzerland), who celebrated GT wins in Le Mans with Porsche in 2002 and 2003.
The French Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet shares driving duties with his compatriots Raymond Narac and Nicolas Armindo in the 911 GT3 RSR of IMSA Performance Matmut. Whilst team owner Narac has extensive experience in Le Mans, Armindo, as reigning champion of the Carrera Cup Deutschland, gives his debut at the endurance classic.
The youngest Porsche works driver, Marco Holzer (Germany), drives for the Belgian ProSpeed Competition team. The 22-year-old celebrated his Le Mans premiere in 2010 with a podium result. He shares the cockpit of the GTE Pro 911 with Marc Goossens (Belgium) and Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands).
At the wheel of the fifth 911 GT3 RSR in the GTE Pro class, also fielded by Felbermayr-Proton, are Britain’s Nick Tandy – the current leader of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and the Carrera Cup Deutschland – as well as Bryce Miller (USA) and Abdulaziz Faisal (Saudi Arabia).
Racing in the GTE Am sports car category, in which only one professional race driver per vehicle is permitted, are three further 2010-spec 911 GT3 RSR. Taking up the challenge for Flying Lizard Motorsports are Americans Seth Neiman, Darren Law and Spencer Pumpelly, for Proton Competition are team boss Christian Ried (Germany) as well as Austrians Horst Felbermayr Senior and Junior. And Frenchmen Christophe Bourret, Pascal Gibon and Jean-Philippe Belloc race for Larbre Competition.
Two further Porsche works drivers again compete for Audi in the more powerful LMP1 class: Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) join forces with Audi works driver Mike Rockenfeller (Germany) and are eager to repeat their overall victory from last year.
Quotes before the race
Marc Lieb: “When you think of Le Mans you get goose bumps. It’s great to be racing with Richard and Wolf for our Felbermayr-Team again. Victory last year took a huge effort. Now the competition is even stronger. In our class alone, 18 cars from six well known manufacturers are fighting for victory. Even if the full throttle passage suits our car, the race will be a damn hard nut to crack.”
Richard Lietz: “With two Le Mans class wins under your belt of course you don’t mind travelling to the Sarthe. Le Mans for me is something special because you get action all week long. As a driver you can get really close to fans, you’re signing autographs practically non-stop.”
Joerg Bergmeister: “When you take a look at the names on the starter list you first have swallow hard. It’s going to be tough! We’re really well sorted this year with Flying Lizard. Last year we experienced bad luck in Le Mans. A podium place would be a great reward for the team.”
Patrick Long: “I love the challenges of this circuit, especially the fast, flowing corners. Now that’s great fun in a well set-up 911. I’m particularly looking forward to racing with Joerg this year. And Lucas Luhr fits in well with us. We’re a strong combination.”
Patrick Pilet: “We’ll be going all out, but we also want to enjoy the event. The circuit and the atmosphere are unique. For my driver colleagues and the team, our home race in Le Mans is of course the highlight of the season.”
Marco Holzer: “To stand on the top of the podium in Le Mans is incomparable. Below you thousands of people are swarming around the race track and cheering. It’s something you never forget. And it was even better that I did it as a rookie in 2010. My goal this year is to repeat this success.”
Hartmut Kristen, Porsche Head of Motorsport: “Our customer teams and we face even bigger challenges through the division into the two sports car classes GTE Pro and GTE Am because different vehicles are fielded: in the Pro class we have the 2011 version of the 911 GT3 RSR, in the Am class we have 911 race cars in the previous year’s spec. That the event organizer ACO has issued many special dispensations specific to models and that there is now the ‘balance of performance’ in Le Mans means for our customers in the GTE Pro category that there is no real equality of arms. Regardless of this, we and our teams will prepare ourselves well and we’ll turn to all the factors that we can influence.”
The schedule
Free practice is on Wednesday, 8 June, from 16.00 to 20.00 hours. Following on from that is the first qualifying session for the best grid spots from 22.00 hrs to midnight. The second and third qualifying sessions are scheduled for Thursday, 19.00 to 21.00 hrs and from 22.00 to 24.00 hrs. On Saturday, 11 June, the lights turn green at 15.00 hours signalling the start of the 24 hour chase.
TV tip
Eurosport broadcasts extensive coverage from Le Mans on its free-to-view station and the Pay-TV channel Eurosport 2. From Monday, 6 June, the latest preliminary reports and background stories will be televised daily on Eurosport under the title of “24 minutes before Le Mans”. The free practice, the final qualifying and the warm-up will also be shown. Around 15 hours of the race can be seen live on the main station.
Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans:
GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms.
GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. Moreover, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most.
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
SOURCE: Porsche AG
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Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger
Porsche Everyday Dedeporsches Blog 