the braking zone

Round 3: 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, May 31st-June 1st, 1986

The chateaus of the Loire Valley are symbols of the gorgeous countryside of western France. There is history and tradition, as the Loire River and it’s tributary, La Sarthe, cuts through the green, rolling fields, on their way to the Atlantic ocean. It’s a place time has nearly forgotten. In June each year, this quiet little spot in France is jolted to life with the sound of sports car engines, as the 24 Hours of Le Mans comes to town. The knights of the World Sports Car Championship come to joust on roads south of the city of Le Mans. Business never ends as the Café du Tertre Rouge and Restaurant de 24 Heures illustrates. Jaguar E Types and AC Cobras once raced here, but now we have the might of the Group C rocket ships. Porsche is back, looking for their fifth successive Le Mans win.

Rothmans Porsche, the factory squad, prepare three cars for the 24 hours. Two regular Porsche 962s are entered for Derek Bell, Hans Stuck, and Al Holbert, as well as Bob Wollek, Jochen Mass, and Vern Schuppan. The third Rothmans Porsche has the PDK automatic gearbox and will be driven by Vern Schuppan, the Australian, who won Le Mans in 1983 with Hurley Haywood and Al Holbert in a Rothmans Porsche, and American driver, Drake Olson. The two-time defending champions at Le Mans, Joest Racing, have entered two Porsche 956s. #7 in the hands of Klaus Ludwig, Paolo Barilla, and John Winter, and #8 to be driven by an all-American squad, hence the stars and stripes paint scheme, of George Follmer, John Morton, and Kenper Miller.

Brun Motorsports have entered three 962s. Kremer Porsche has done likewise, having three 962s. #17 will be shared by Argentina’s Oscar Larrauri, Spain’s Jesus Pareja, and France’s Joel Gouhier, while #18 has on the driver’s strength, team owner Walter Brun from Switzerland, Italy’s Massimo Sigala, and German Frank Jelinski. There is a third Brun entered Porsche, car #19, Belgian’s Thierry Boutsen and Didier Theys, sharing with Frenchman Alain Ferte. Kremer Porsche have two cars. The #10 Kenwood car audio sponsored car is to be driven by Austrian Jo Gartner, Sarel van der Merwe of South Africa, and Japan’s Kunimitsu Takahashi.

The sister Kremer Porsche, car #12 has Primagaz sponsorship, and will be driven by two Frenchmen and a Moroccan. Max Cohen-Olivar, one of the few racing drivers ever to hail from Morocco, is sharing with Frenchmen Pierre Yver and Hubert Striebig. Again, however, Jaguar is the center of attention, returning to Le Mans for the first time in almost 30 years, after Ecurie Ecosse had a 1-2-3 podium sweep in 1957. After winning their home race at Silverstone, three weeks ago, the three TWR Jaguars are indeed in with a chance at outright victory here at Le Mans.

The cats are back, prepared by Tom Walkinshaw Racing of course, and powered by their 6.0 liter V12 engines. In the #51 car, the lead Jaguar has a driver lineup of Derek Warwick, Jean Louis Schlesser, and Eddie Cheever. #52 is being shared by Hans Heyer of Germany, with two legends of sports car racing backing him up. Hurley Haywood from the United States, and Brian Redman from England are Heyer’s co-drivers. The third Jaguar, #53 is set to be piloted in part by Haywood, who will be sharing two cars, and two young drivers, Giancarlo Brancatelli from Italy, and England’s Win Percy.

A first time entry here at Le Mans, is Nissan. They are one of three Japanese automakers bidding for glory at Le Mans. Two cars are entered by the Nissan factory, with British March built chassis, and a reputed 1,000 horsepower available for qualifying from their twin turbocharged 3.0 liter V6 engines. An all Japanese lineup is present in the #23 Nissan R86V with Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Keiji Matsumoto, and Aguri Suzuki, while in the #32 car, it is Britain’s James Weaver, teaming up with Japanese pilots Masahiro Hasemi, Takao Wada, and Aguri Suzuki.

Toyota is also here. There is a single Dome 86C running the Toyota 2.0 liter 4 cylinder turbo motor, to be driven by Eje Elgh from Sweden, Beppe Gabbiani from Italy, and Toshio Suzuki from Japan. Mazda, after many years racing in C2, are in the IMSA class here at Le Mans with their triple rotor engines. They have two Mazda 757s with the 2.0 liter 13G rotary engines. One for David Kennedy and Mark Galvin of Ireland, sharing with Belgian Pierre Dieudonne, and the other for the all Japanese lineup of Takashi Yorino, Yojiro Terada, and Yoshimi Katayama.

We look at the Mazda’s, sponsored by Lucky Strike brand cigarettes. Yes, amid all the plumbing and parts, the motor is in there, somewhere. Mercedes have also returned, 34 years after their last victory at Le Mans in 1952 when Herman Lang and Fritz Reiss took the Mercedes Benz W194 to victory and their team mates Theo Helfrich and Helmut Niedermayr finished second. Two Sauber’s carry the 5 liter turbocharged V8’s to challenge Porsche and Jaguar. Car #61 has John Nielsen, Mike Thackwell, and Henri Pescarolo, and in the #62 car, Pescarolo is also entered with Austrian Dieter Quester and German Christian Danner. So, it is Pescarolo’s decision which car he may get into for the race.

Ecurie Ecosse has returned, but unlike at their 1957 win, they are no longer with Jaguar. Their allegiance is still to a British brand though, Austin Rover. They are running in C2, powered by the Austin Rover 3.0 liter V6. This car is one of two the team has entered, and has David Leslie, Ray Mallock, and Mike Wilds, an all British team. Their sister car is the year old Ecosse with the Ford Cosworth 3.3 liter V8 in it, to be shared by American drivers Les Delano, Andy Petery, and John Hotchkis.

On race morning, the Le Mans circuit is jam packed with fans. We’ve seen the contenders, and now, the time for talk is over, as we are nearly ready to get underway with the 54^th running of the world’s greatest motor race. 20,000 British fans are here to support one marque. That’s Jaguar, who have returned to Le Mans, as stated, with a full factory team for the first time in almost 30 years. 169,000 fans are expected to be here for the race. In 1986, the race is a fortnight earlier (two weeks), to avoid a scheduling conflict with the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

This brings cooler weather to northwestern France, but that doesn’t deter the fans from coming to see these sports cars in their shining moment, their biggest race on the calendar. The cars are formed up on the grid as royalty in the form of Prince Michael of England talks to sports car commissioner Pierre Aumonier. Beautiful ladies abound on the pre-grid from the Hawaiian Tropic girls to the ladies of Goodmans Sound posing with the Bardon Cosworth C2 car, #72. That car is being shared by the British trio of Nick Adams, Richard Jones, and Robin Donovan. Look out, too for the #66 Cosmik Racing Promotions March Porsche. Canadian John Graham and Frenchman Philippe Dermagne were listed on the entry, but their services were not required.

The full driving team in this car will be Costas Los from Greece, Australian Group C veteran Neil Crang, and Raymond Touroul of France. ADA Engineering are back with their Gebhardt Ford Cosworth for the British driving trio of Evan Clements, Tom Dodd-Noble, and Ian Harrower. Ecurie Ecosse, mentioned earlier, has two cars in the race. The aforementioned entry for the American drivers (Delano/Petery/Hotchkis). Plus, there’s the all British Leslie/Wilds/Mallock car. Martin Schanche’s Argo had issues in qualifying and may not last the whole race. Schanche is sharing with Irishman Martin Birrane and Norwegian driver, Torgye Kleppe.

Peugeot are here again, as another major manufacturer, represented in the C2 class by the Secateva team, with their #100 WM P83B with an all French driver team including Claude Haldi, Pascal Pessiot, and Roger Dorchy. The leading #32 Nissan is qualified by James Weaver, within the C2 grid. Two rows ahead of Weaver and company is the Dome Toyota, car #38. Eje Elgh from Sweden set the best time for that car, sharing with Beppe Gabbiani and Toshio Suzuki of course. Mazda, Gebhardt, and Rondeau are lined up together on the grid, Mazda in C1 while Gebhardt and Rondeau have more C2 entries.

We also have the evolutionary Porsche 961 supercar, a racing version of Porsche’s 959, with Paris Dakar Rally winner Rene Metge sharing with fellow Frenchman, Claude Ballot-Lena, and American IMSA racer Jim Busby sharing the driving chores, though Busby would not be needed to drive during the race in the twin turbocharged supercar. Nissan qualifies on the 12^th row of the grid in 24^th position. Kazuyoshi Hoshino qualified it and will share with Keiji Matsumoto and Aguri Suzuki. C2 polesitter is right next to the Nissan, the #70 Spice Engineering factory Spice Cosworth in the hands of Ray Bellm, Gordon Spice, and Jean-Michel Martin. Kremer have qualified two Porsche’s in this race as documented.

The #12 Primagaz Porsche will be driven by the aforementioned trio of Pierre Yver, Max Cohen-Olivar, and Hubert Striebig. A German artist has liveried another strong car we’ve mentioned already. The #63 Porsche 936C for Ernst Schuster, Sigfried Brunn, and Rudi Seher. Next up, John Fitzpatrick Racing has always shone at Le Mans, and their Porsche 956B is set to race with Spaniards Emilio de Villota and Fermin Velez, joined by South African George Fouche. The team finished fifth at Silverstone, and the Danone yogurt sponsored car, wants a higher position indeed. The oldest original Porsche 956 in the field is the #9 Topolino team Obermaier Racing car. German Jurgen Lassig is driving with Italian Fulvio Ballabio and Brit Dudley Wood in the Pagnossin, Burago, Bontempi sponsored car. The second John Fitzpatrick Porsche comes next, the #55 Porsche 962C with Spanish sponsorship from Elkron and Casino Marbella, with French drivers Philippe Alliot and Michel Trolle, joining Spaniard Paco Romero. As we go up the grid, we run into Richard Lloyd’s Liqui Moly Porsche 956, shared by Mauro Baldi from Italy, and American drivers from IMSA, Price Cobb and Rob Dyson.

Despite a blown engine, the second Kremer Porsche is also there. This is the #10 Kenwood car audio entry, with Austrian Jo Gartner, South African Sarel van der Merwe, and Japan’s Kunimitsu Takahashi on the driver lineup. This is the car that came in third in the previous race at Silverstone. Jaguar is next, and there are high hopes for victory among the British fans here at Le Mans this year. The first of them that we see, going up the grid is the #53 Win Percy, Gianfranco Brancatelli, Hurley Haywood driven car. They line up next to the second Sauber Mercedes of John Nielsen, Mike Thackwell, and Henri Pescarolo. Third of the three Brun Porsche’s is the #18 Torno liveried 962C of Sigala/Brun/Jelinski. This team finished third at the season opener at Monza.

Showing their American pride, with the stars and stripes painted on their Porsche, is the all-American driver squad for Joest Racing featuring Can Am and Trans Am legend George Follmer, IMSA stalwart John Morton, and Kenper Miller. Ahead of the #8, is the #3 Rpthmans Porsche 962 with the PDK automatic gearbox, slated to have just a two driver squad for the 24 hours, including American Drake Olson and Australia’s Vern Schuppan, who was on the 1983 Rothmans Porsche winning team here at Le Mans. Immediately behind is the sister Sauber Mercedes, the #62 car for Austrian Dieter Quester, France’s Henri Pescarolo, a four-time Le Mans winner, and Germany’s Christian Danner.

Then comes the #17 Brun Motorsport Fortuna sponsored Porsche 962, to be driven by Oscar Larrauri from Argentina, Spaniard Jesus Pareja, and Frenchman Joel Gouhier. It shares the same row as the Schuppan/Olson Porsche. Then comes another of the Jaguar’s, this one the #52 entry for Hans Heyer of Germany, sharing with two endurance racing legends, Brit Brian Redman, and three-time Le Mans winner, American, Hurley Haywood. The Heyer/Redman/Haywood car is immediately behind it’s sister car, the #51 entry of Derek Warwick, Jean Louis Schlesser, and Eddie Cheever.

Derek Warwick says he’d love to win Le Mans for Jaguar and it would be the end of a dream for him. Next up is the second of the Brun Porsche’s, the #19 Blanchet Locatop sponsored Porsche 956 for Belgian’s Thierry Boutsen and Didier Theys, sharing with Alain Ferte of France. Joest Porsche have their #7 Taka Q Porsche third fastest. Paolo Barilla set to co-drive with Klaus Ludwig and John Winter. Joest wants the Le Mans hat trick, having won here the past two years. Rothmans Porsche locks out the front row.

In second spot, the #1 Porsche 962 for Hans Stuck, Derek Bell, and Al Holbert, and on the pole, the #2 car of Bob Wollek, Jochen Mass, and Vern Schuppan. Derek Bell and Hans Stuck seem to be getting all the attention from the pretty Hawaiian Tropic girls. Derek Bell is going for his fourth Le Mans win. He misses his former co-driver, Jacky Ickx, now retired. But he says he has two of the best co-drivers he could ask for in Hans Stuck and Al Holbert. Hans Stuck feels good about the race. He wants to win Le Mans, but knows the whole race comes first.

There is definitely a rivalry between Jaguar and Porsche. Fastest of all are Jochen Mass and Bob Wollek in the #2 Porsche. OK. I’ll say it. “Dragons teeth! Is there nothing the French will stop at to clear the grid?” I wonder who the bloke is in the dragon suit. Just as long as he doesn’t breathe fire, with the high octane racing fuel around, I think we’ll be OK. Parachute man also drops in for the start. Let’s once again have a look at the top qualifiers for the 54^th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

#2 Mass/Wollek/Schuppan Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#1 Stuck/Bell/Holbert Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#7 Ludwig/Barilla/Winter Porsche 956 Joest Racing
#19 Boutsen/Ferte/Theys Porsche 956 Locatop Brun Porsche
#51 Cheever/Warwick/Schlesser Jaguar XJR-6 Silk Cut Jaguar
#17 Larrauri/Pareja/Gouhier Porsche 962C Brun Motorsport
#52 Heyer/Redman/Haywood Jaguar XJR-6 Silk Cut Jaguar
#3 Schuppan/Olson Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#62 Danner/Pescarolo/Quester Sauber C8 Mercedes Kouros Racing Team
#13 de Cadenet/Courage/Raphanel Cougar C12 Porsche Primagaz Team Cougar

That’s the top ten in C1. C2 pole sitter is the British Spice chassis.

#70 Spice/Bellm/Martin Spice SE86 Pontiac Fiero Ford Cosworth Spice Engineering

The grid is set. 50 cars will take the start. There’s a 13% fuel limit increase this year. 2,550 liters for C1, and 1,650 for C2. The pace lap is underway, on a circuit shorter this year by 90 meters, after Mulsanne corner was remodeled. We’re set for a start! Jaguar Cars Chairman John Egan waves the flag, and away we go! The Rothmans Porsche are being attacked immediately by the customer cars as the field barrels towards Dunlop Curve for the first time. Vern Schuppan in seventh is following Oscar Larrauri as we go over the hump under the Dunlop bridge.

Klaus Ludwig leads on the downhill run to Tertre Rouge. The myriad of Porsche’s, and the three factory Jaguars are already mixing it up early on in this motor race. The cars are single file into Tertre Rouge. The cars swing onto the Mulsanne straight, 180 miles an hour and climbing towards a top speed that will be around 230-240 miles an hour at least. Flat out through the kink, and Vern Schuppan makes a fake to the right of Oscar Larrauri in the Brun Porsche. Larrauri holds off the challenge at 200+ miles an hour flashing past the cafes and the houses. Klaus Ludwig is opening his lead over Bob Wollek, Derek Warwick, Hans Stuck, Hans Heyer, Thierry Boutsen, Oscar Larrauri, Vern Schuppan, and both Sauber Mercedes.

Stuck is on the move, as Vern Schuppan dives after Oscar Larrauri another time. The Porsche is the meat in a Jaguar sandwich sweeping through the newly remodeled Mulsanne corner another time. Ludwig still leads this motor race, and the 340,000 fans here at Le Mans are focused on the scrap between Jaguar and Porsche. Hans Stuck wants by Derek Warwick for the lead. He does. Now, it’s mano e mano Rothmans factory Porsche vs. Joest Porsche. It’s the #7 Klaus Ludwig, Paolo Barilla, John Winter car leading, and trying to steal their thunder, the #1 Hans Stuck, Derek Bell, Al Holbert factory car.

Derek Warwick is catching up fast as Bob Wollek has taken the #2 Rothmans Porsche past Hans Heyer in the #52 Silk Cut Jaguar. Heyer, meanwhile has his hands full with the third Rothmans Porsche, Vern Schuppan at the wheel of it. Schuppan takes the Jaguar in the esses as a backmarker spins out at Mulsanne. This is the Group B class #111 MK Motorsport BMW M1 driven by Belgians Pascal Witmeur and Jean-Paul Libert, and German Michael Krankenberg. This BMW M1 is the only Group B spec car in the race this year.

After an hour of racing Ludwig and Stuck continue their scrap until it’s pit stop time for the New Man Porsche. Ludwig stops in the pit lane on a dime, handing the driving chores to Paolo Barilla for his first stint in the race. Fuel, tires, and routine service at Joest, allowing Bob Wollek to take over the race lead. Wollek has passed Stuck for the lead, and Stuck will head for pit lane, as Eddie Cheever now has the top running Jaguar, the #51 car. At dusk, it’s still a fair old ding dong scrap for the lead between Rothmans Porsche and Joest Porsche. Jaguar maintains the third spot, quietly hanging around if these other blokes should either bin it or run into mechanical problems.

Jaguar and Rothmans Porsche in the pit lane, and the #2 Rothmans Porsche is held for extra time in pit lane by an overly cautious marshal. Bob Wollek and Jochen Mass are none too pleased with this marshal who held their car, now with Vern Schuppan driving. Mass and Wollek vent their frustration, shoving the marshal out of the way. The purple light at the end of pit lane signals that night has fallen at Le Mans. So, the video game of lights, and the mesmerizing funhouse that is the Le Mans darkness has begun, in earnest. Old No. 7 keeps rolling on, continually playing the follow my leader game with the Rothmans Porsche.

Give a call, too, to the #17 Fortuna sponsored Brun Porsche as Oscar Larrauri, Jesus Pareja, and Joel Gouhier, are still in this thing. They are still competitive, driving into the darkness. Eight hours into the race, at midnight, the lead battle is still hot and heavy. Speeds are no slower even at night with headlights piercing the shroud of darkness around the French countryside, as speeds continually top nearly 220 miles an hour on the Mulsanne straight. These chaps are booking it at Le Mans tonight! For a lap anyway, Hans Stuck leads Paolo Barilla.

Derek Bell takes over the #1 Rothmans Porsche on a scheduled pit stop. Joest are also in pit lane for routine service, and now, Klaus Ludwig will start a stint in that automobile. The #51 Jaguar holds third, now with Jean Louis Schlesser at the wheel of it. But, after the pit stops, tragedy is going to strike the World Sports Car Championship, again. Remember Manfred Winkelhock’s and Stefan Bellof’s fatal wrecks at Mosport and Spa the year before? It has happened again, here at Le Mans, in the middle of the dark night. Jo Gartner has gone off the road at a high rate of speed on the Mulsanne straight, and after making contact with the barrier at high speed, Gartner is killed instantly, as his Porsche 962C, vaporizes in a way.

The safety car has been deployed and was originally called out for an earlier accident during the night that wrote off the #2 Rothmans Porsche 962 of Wollek, Mass, and Schuppan. Those three are out of the race. But, the barriers on the Mulsanne straight have to be rebuilt, too, after Gartner’s wreck. We’ve lost one of the rising stars of sports car racing. Rest in Peace, Jo Gartner, gone, but never forgotten, at the age of 32. In the slow, cold lapping during the night, the lead Joest Porsche blows a motor. Klaus Ludwig, Paolo Barilla, and John Winter, are out. Positions now after nearly 14 hours of the race are:

#1 Bell/Stuck/Holbert Rothmans Porsche Porsche 962C
#51 Warwick/Cheever/Schlesser Silk Cut Jaguar Jaguar XJR6
#17 Larrauri/Pareja/Gouhier Brun Motorsport Porsche 962C
#33 de Villota/Velez/Fouche Danone Porsche España Porsche 956B
#8 Follmer/Morton/Miller Joest Racing Porsche 956
#63 Brunn/Schuster/Seher Ernst Schuster Porsche 936C

In Group C2, the all-conquering Spice team has had clutch maladies during the race, pushing them down the order. Here’s the top three in class.

#79 Mallock/Wilds/Leslie Ecurie Ecosse Ecosse Rover
#75 Harrower/Clements/Dodd-Noble ADA Engineering Gebhardt JC843 Ford Cosworth
#90 Mercer/Winther/Jensen Jens Winther URD C83 BMW

In C2, we have three different brands in the top three for chassis’ and engines. As we transition from nighttime to daytime on Sunday, the death of Jo Gartner hangs heavy over the circuit, and Le Mans has lost its joy. Once again, Rest in Peace, Jo Gartner, who has gone to the heavens, touching the face of God. We still have ten long hours of this motor race left to run. At dawn, Rothmans Porsche lead with Brun Porsche in second. Brun has gotten around the Jaguar. It is a certainty, that in this race, Derek Bell is headed towards what will be his fourth victory at Le Mans.

Uh oh! Problems for Ecurie Ecosse! The C2 leaders have had crash damage. David Leslie had a right rear tire delaminate, and that has blown the tail section off the Ecosse! Right now, Emilio de Vilotta, Fermin Velez, and George Fouche have the Danone yogurt Porsche up to fifth place in the overall. David Leslie will have to limp back to the pits, but, he will be disqualified by the stewards for taking on water. So, someone must have topped up the Ecosse’s radiator while he was sitting there, stranded. Warwick, Cheever, and Schlesser still have the #51 Jaguar third overall.

The Fortuna Porsche of Larrauri, Pareja, and Gouhier continues to run second. But Jaguar is soon in trouble! Just like we saw with Ecosse, a blown tire rips the tail section of the Jaguar to shreds! It’s game over. They may have won Silverstone, but they will have to try again to recapture their former Le Mans glory, in the future. Jaguar is out. Bell and Stuck are headed for a win with the assistance of Al Holbert. In the C2 class, the ADA Engineering Gebhardt, car #75, of Ian Harrower, Evan Clements, and Tom Dodd-Noble, are headed for a triumph as well. They will win the C2 class here at Le Mans. The final pit stop for Rothmans Porsche takes place. Derek Bell says, it is awful to win a race where you know a fellow competitor has been killed. It will be special for Bell to win his fourth Le Mans, and win with Porsche. But, Jo Gartner’s accident, has taken the joy out of this year’s race, as we spoke of after it occurred in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

In the IMSA division, Richard Cleare Racing and their March 85G Porsche will win. Cleare, the Briton, is joined by American Jack Newsum, and Lionel Robert of France. Bell heads for the win. Oscar Larrauri and company will finish second, and in third, the American driven Joest Porsche, with George Follmer at the controls to take it to the flag. Fourth is the oh so often mentioned #33 Danone yogurt Porsche. Finishing sixth will be the Porsche 936C of Siggi Brun and Ernst Schuster with Rudi Seher’s help. 4:00 PM Sunday, and Derek Bell wins his fourth 24 Hours of Le Mans, while it is the first victory for Hans Stuck and the second for Al Holbert. British fans will be happy about Derek Bell’s win, and the ADA win in C2 despite the Jaguar’s retirement.

Here are the results.

#2 Bell/Stuck/Holbert Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#17 Larrauri/Pareja/Gouhier Porsche 962C Brun Motorsports Fortuna Porsche
#8 Follmer/Morton/Miller Porsche 956 Joest Racing Porsche
#33 de Villota/Velez/Fouche Porsche 956 Danone Porsche España
#9 Lassig/Ballabio/Wood Porsche 956 Topolino/Obermaier Racing
#63 Schuster/Brun/Seher Porsche 936C McGregor/Ernst Schuster
#180 Ballot-Lena/Metge Porsche 961 4WD Porsche AG
#75 Clements/Harrower/Dodd-Noble Gebhardt JC843 Ford Cosworth ADA Engineering

Claude Ballot-Lena and Rene Metge win GTX. Harrower, Clements, and Dodd-Noble win C2. Also, as mentioned, the IMSA GTP winners are:

#21 Cleare/Robert/Newsum March 85G Porsche Richard Cleare Racing

Here are the team’s points after Le Mans, too.

Rothmans Porsche 35 points
Silk Cut Jaguar 20 points
Danone/John Fitzpatrick Racing 18 points
Joest Racing 18 points
Brun Motorsport 17 points
LM Equipe 12 points
Porsche Kremer Racing 12 points

Hans Stuck and Derek Bell extend their driver’s points lead, with half the season still remaining.

Derek Bell 55 points
Hans Stuck 55 points
Oscar Larrauri 26 points
Jesus Pareja 26 points
Derek Warwick 20 points
Eddie Cheever 20 points
Al Holbert 20 points

Round 2: Silverstone 1,000 Kilometers Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, England, May 4th, 1986

From Monza, we travel to England, and the green and pleasant hillsides of Silverstone in Northamptonshire. This is the first round to count towards the 1986 teams championship, as 26,000 fans have come in the hopes of a Jaguar victory. At Monza, last time out, the British racers showed what they can do, and this time, they are equally ready to prove their power. Lancia and Porsche were no slouches at Monza either, and remember now, both of them have turbocharging, as we are set to race on the world’s fastest Grand Prix circuit.

Porsche and Jaguar will be the two protagonists here at Silverstone as we have a strong grid. Let’s look at it.

#4 Nannini/de Cesaris Martini Racing Lancia LC2/85
#1 Bell/Stuck Rothmans Porsche 962C
#51 Warwick/Cheever/Schlesser Silk Cut Jaguar XJR6C
#10 Gartner/Needell/Weaver Porsche Kremer Racing Porsche 962
#52 Brancatelli/Schlesser/Cheever Silk Cut Jaguar XJR6C
#7 Follmer/Morton/Barilla Joest Racing Porsche 956
#17 Boutsen/Sigala Brun Motorsport Porsche 962C
#18 Larrauri/Pareja Brun Motorsport Porsche 962C
#14 Weaver/Niedzwiedz/Lloyd Liqui Moly Equipe Porsche 956
#33 de Villota/Velez Danone Porsche Espana w/John Fitzpatrick Racing Porsche 956B
#61 Thackwell/Nielsen/Pescarolo Kouros Racing Sauber C8 Mercedes
#9 Lassig/Ballabio/Wood Obermaier Racing Team Porsche 956
#31 Katayama/Terada/Kennedy Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Mazda 757
#70 Bellm/Spice Spice Engineering Spice SE86C Ford Cosworth
#80 Finotto/Facetti/Melgrati Carma F.F. S.R.L. Alba AR6 Carma F.F.
#30 Kennedy/Yorino Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Mazda 757
#13 Rousselot/Courage Primagaz Cougar C12 Porsche
#63 Brun/Schuster Ernst Schuster Porsche 936C
#79 Wilds/Mallock Ecosse C286 Austin Rover
#21 Konrad/Cleare/Robert/Leslie R.C. Racing March 85G Porsche
#19 Brun/Jelinski Brun Motorsport Porsche 956
#74 Dickens/Payne/Jelinski Gebhardt Motorsport Gebhardt JC853 Ford Cosworth
#105 Barberio/Gellini/Nicholson Kelmar Racing Tiga GC85 Ford Cosworth
#75 Clements/Harrower A.D.A. Engineering Gebhardt JC843 Ford Cosworth
#66 Los/Graham Cosmik Racing March 84G Porsche
#99 Thyrring/Sheldon R.B. Promotions Ltd. Tiga GC286 Ford Cosworth
#72 Cohen-Olivar/Leim/Adams John Bartlett Racing with Goodman Sound Bardon DB1 Ford Cosworth
#84 Jones/Sebastiani/Smith Simpson Engineering Ltd. Simpson C286 Ford Cosworth
#90 Mercer/Winther Jens Winther URD C83 BMW
#98 Bain/Hall/Andrews R.B. Promotions Tiga GC286 Ford Cosworth
#92 Heuclin/Descartes ALD 02 BMW
#88 Ashmore/Thomann/Kimpton Arthur Hough Pressings/Ark Racing Ceekar 83J-1 Ford Cosworth

We are set to race at Silverstone. Current track owner and FIA Sports Car Commission President Pierre Aumonier is set to turn the cars loose on a circuit he is the current operator of. The lights flash green, and away we go! There’s drama right at the start! Jaguar and Kremer Porsche get into argy bargy right from the flag, and Pierre-Francois Rousselot spins the Cougar Porsche, and the field thankfully avoids plowing into the bloke! Lancia leads over Jaguar, a sea of Porsche’s, and Mercedes. Derek Warwick is on the circuit he knows better than any other in the world. He’s pressing after Lancia immediately. With Alessandro Nannini at the controls, Lancia wants a win, especially since two days before this race, their great rally driver Henri Toivonen was killed in a crash on the Tour de Corse, Corsica rally.

Yikes! A massive brake lockup for Jochen Mass in the factory Porsche 962! The big C1 cars are all over each other in the early stages here at Silverstone. Lancia ekes out a lead over Jaguar followed by Kremer Porsche, and in the meantime, Bell is going to be blown away by Jean Louis Schlesser in the Jaguar! Schlesser does make the pass. So the order is Alessandro Nannini for Lancia, Derek Warwick for Jaguar, Jo Gartner in the Kremer Porsche, followed by Schlesser for Jaguar, and Bell for Porsche, in an epic fight for position.

Warwick is going for the lead, and the jubilant Silverstone crowd is on their feet! Five long hours of the race left, and Derek Bell points his team mate Jochen Mass by, as Bell is keeping an eye on his fuel consumption. The Jaguar is ready to pounce on the Lancia. Despite not having a turbo, the Jaguar makes up for it, having gobs of torque and acceleration power from it’s large displacement V12 engine. At Stowe corner, Derek Warwick makes the pass on the Lancia for the lead, makes it stick, and the British crowd goes bonkers! Pit stop time for Lancia, taking on fuel and tires, and doing a driver change. Andrea de Cesaris will take over from Alessandro Nannini. Derek Warwick still leads the motor race, but he has to pit as well, and hand the controls of the Jaguar to co-driver Eddie Cheever. Lancia are in the lane, and Jaguar, also in the lane. It’s going to be a race to see which squad has the faster pit stop.

Lancia seems to have a faster pit stop as they are out front while Jaguar is still executing the driver change. Now, will Cheever come out ahead of the Lancia, or will this be a game of catch me if you can? Cheever blasts out of the pit lane, but he’s not quick enough as the Lancia resumes in the overall lead. It’s two Jaguars in hot pursuit of one Lancia as the sister Jaguar, the #52 Schlesser/Brancatelli car in third spot. In fourth now is Hans Stuck, having taken over the #1 factory Porsche 962C from Derek Bell. The contest for fifth is Kremer Porsche vs. Mercedes. Kremer has Jo Gartner teamed with Brits Tiff Needell and James Weaver, although Weaver would not drive the car, and in the Mercedes, Henri Pescarolo, the French legend, is sharing with New Zealander Mike Thackwell and Dane John Nielsen.

Cheever and Jaguar retake the lead here at Silverstone, because Andrea de Cesaris is forced to drive his Lancia at a slower pace. He’s driving on the fuel meter, making sure not to run the tank dry. Porsche #1 pits and Hans Stuck hands back to Derek Bell. Jaguars continue running first and third, but #52 will lose time with a broken gearshift lever. Meanwhile in the #51 camp, Eddie Cheever pits and will hand back to Derek Warwick for the finish. Lancia reassumes the lead temporarily, until they have to pit for a routine brake pad change. Jaguar makes their pit stop, and they have been the class of the field. Porsche has not had a look in all weekend. Lancia remains second however, de Cesaris does have fuel pressure problems. It’s terminal. Game over for Lancia, de Cesaris and his co-driver Alessandro Nannini.

Warwick and Cheever are giving it everything to the checkered flag, and in fifth we now have the #33 John Fitzpatrick Racing Danone sponsored Porsche 956 driven by the Spanish duo of Emilio de Villota and Fermin Velez. Derek Warwick is driving his final stint before handing over to Eddie Cheever to take the Jaguar to the end of the motor race. Likewise, Derek Bell will hand back to Hans Stuck on their next pit stop. The race is over, and Jaguar has triumphed! Not only have they triumphed at their home track at Silverstone, but they’ve won their first World Championship sports car race since the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans when Brits Ron Flockhart and Ivor Bueb won for Ecurie Ecosse.

Hans Stuck cruises to second while Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm do give Ecurie Ecosse a win in this race, too, with their new Austin Rover V6 engine. Jaguar Cars Chairman John Egan is ecstatic about the win! Egan says, “I’ve got a taste for winning now!” Here are the results of the Silverstone 1,000 Kilometers.

#51 Warwick/Cheever Silk Cut Jaguar XJR6
#1 Bell/Stuck Rothmans Porsche 962C
#10 Gartner/Needell Porsche Kremer Racing Porsche 962C
#14 Weaver/Niedzwiedz Liqui Moly Equipe Porsche 956
#33 de Villota/Velez Danone Porsche 956
#7 Barilla/Morton/Follmer Joest Racing Porsche 956

Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm win C2 in their #70 Spice Cosworth. Here are the standings in the driver’s championship, after Silverstone.

Derek Bell 35 points
Hans Stuck 35 points
Derek Warwick 20 points
Eddie Cheever 20 points
Andrea de Cesaris 15 points
Alessandro Nannini 15 points
Jo Gartner 15 points
Walter Brun 14 points

The longest, most challenging race of the year is up next. It’s the 54th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France.

Round 1: Monza 360 Kilometers, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Italy , April 20th, 1986

The 1986 Group C season would see even greater manufacturer involvement. Up to this point, Porsche has dominated Group C sports car racing competition. Lancia has also been competitive, as we have seen. But now, more brands are joining in on the fun. Jaguar and Mercedes are two of them, and we’ll see more manufacturer participation as the season goes on.

The fifth season of Group C sports car racing commences, at the world renown Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy. A dozen teams will participate in this, the 1986 World Sports Car Championship for drivers. Privateer teams, are joined, as mentioned, by the might of the factories from Porsche, Jaguar, and Mercedes Benz. The customer Porsche’s are ever stronger and could indeed give the Rothmans factory squad, the dominant force since Group C began, a tough run for their money.

Let’s have a look at the top ten qualifiers for the race at Monza.

#1 Bell/Stuck Porsche 962 C Rothmans Porsche
#4 Nannini/de Cesaris Lancia LC2/85 Martini Racing
#7 Ludwig/Barilla Porsche 956B Joest Racing
#51 Cheever/Warwick/Schlesser Jaguar XJR6 Silk Cut Jaguar
#52 Brancatelli/Schlesser Jaguar XJR6 Silk Cut Jaguar
#61 Nielsen/Pescarolo Sauber C8 Mercedes Kouros Racing Team
#70 Spice/Bellm Spice SE86C Ford Cosworth Spice Engineering
#72 Andreason/Cohen-Olivar Chevron B62 Ford Cosworth Chevron Racing with John Bartlett
#2 Mass/Wollek Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#8 Winter/Duez Porsche 956B Joest Racing

The full grid has 27 cars. It’s lights out, and away we go! Klaus Ludwig in the Joest Porsche jumps from third into the initial lead, taking the spot away from Andrea de Cesaris in the Lancia. Oh boy. Andrea de Cesaris is not taking that sitting down. He biffs Ludwig, but Ludwig stays in control while Hans Stuck gets around Thierry Boutsen driving the #17 Brun Porsche 962C he is sharing with American Drake Olson in this race. Following are the two Jaguar’s, the Kremer and Brun Porsche’s (the second Brun entry), and the Kouros sponsored factory Mercedes.

Alba leads Group C2 from Gebhardt and Spice. So, three teams are scrapping for C2 honors already as well. Those are our old pals Carlo Facetti and Martino Finotto driving for Alba with their 4 cylinder turbo Carma engine. Klaus Ludwig is pulling away as Lancia, Rothmans Porsche, and Brun Porsche take up the scrap for second spot through the Lesmo chicanes. Three-time Le Mans winner Klaus Ludwig, he is whistling off into the distance. It is a Sunday drive here at Monza for the three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner. Jean Louis Schlesser in the second factory Jaguar wants to race, but he has Hans Stuck, Jaguar team mate Eddie Cheever, Thierry Boutsen, and Andrea de Cesaris to contend with.

Fuel strategy again plays a part this year. 190 liters available for this first ever WSC sprint event for C1 class cars, while the smaller C2s get 120 liters. Mercedes is already starting to show what they can do, against Porsche, with the Henri Pescarolo and John Nielsen driven car, scything through the pack. Joest lead Monza, and this year, they are sponsored by Japanese New Man clothing importers Taka Q. Ludwig has indeed whistled off into the distance. As we’ve mentioned, twice this car has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Meanwhile, down the front straightaway, it’s a drag race between Eddie Cheever and Andrea de Cesaris!

The twin turbo Ferrari V8 powered Lancia seems to have the legs over the normally aspirated Jaguar down the long Monza front straight. Jaguar’s are running their bigger 6.5 liter V12 engines here at Monza. No wonder the Lancia runs out of steam a little bit. The factory Porsche’s trying a new semi-automatic PDK transmission this year. Hans Stuck is in second place overall at the moment. It’s an inter-team battle at Brun Motorsport. Thierry Boutsen passes Oscar Larrauri for fifth spot, and the Belgian says, “arriva derci” to his Argentinian team mate. Gordon Spice and Carlo Facetti in C2, have been overtaken by the Gebhardt Ford Cosworth, Frank Jelinski at the wheel of it. The German, is sharing with Sweden’s Stanley Dickens. In fifth spot, another newcomer to Group C. This is the Norwegian rally cross ace Martin Schanche at the wheel of the #89 Argo Zakspeed he owns.

Schanche shares the car, with fellow Norwegian driver Birger Dyrstad. The Zakspeed engine is a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder with a single turbo on it. Pit stop time for fuel, and a driver change. Only one pit stop required in this race. Joest Porsche, into the lane from the lead and so are Rothmans Porsche. Paolo Barilla takes over the Joest entered car. Hans Stuck hands the Rothmans Porsche to team mate and world champion Derek Bell. They maintain second place in the race. The gap between Bell and Barilla is closing as the race has been going on now for 55 minutes. Alessandro Nannini has third for Lancia and is coming up to put a lap on the new Sauber Mercedes of Henri Pescarolo.

Joest Porsche are in trouble. Paolo Barilla has a clutch issue with the car. It’s game over for Barilla and Ludwig, as the transmission is cooked. The Italian forlornly parks the Porsche in the pit lane. Barilla’s misfortune is now Derek Bell’s opportunity as he races by and into the lead here at Monza. Paolo Barilla, dejected, walks away from the car, but the Italian crowd applauds his valiant effort. So now, this race will see a sure victory for Derek Bell, Hans Stuck, and Rothmans Porsche. The Italians will still have something to cheer about as Lancia will come home in second spot.

At the end of the race, we find out that mechanical gremlins struck at Jaguar. Cheever and Warwick retired from the motor race with a busted driveshaft. But, it’s victory for Porsche, Derek Bell, and Hans Stuck! To compound Jaguar’s woes, the sister car, the Schlesser/Brancatelli machine, ran out of gas. Alessandro Nannini and Andrea de Cesaris for Lancia, finish second, just ten seconds in-arrears of the Porsche. Group C2 honors go to Gebhardt, and their drivers Frank Jelinski, and Stanley Dickens. Victory for the old firm of Stuck, Bell, and Rothmans Porsche. The start of 1986, mirrors the end of 1985. Here are the results of the Monza Super Sprint.

#2 Stuck/Bell Rothmans Porsche 962C
#4 de Cesaris/Nannini Martini Lancia LC2-86
#19 Sigala/Brun Brun/FAT Porsche 956
#18 Larrauri/Pareja Brun/Fortuna Porsche 956
#17 Olson/Boutsen Brun/Torno Porsche 962C
#1 Mass/Wollek Rothmans Porsche 962
#9 Ballabio/Hamann Obermaier Porsche 956
#10 Gartner/Niedwiedz Kremer Porsche 962C
#61 Pescarolo/Nielsen Kouros Racing Sauber C8 Mercedes
#33 de Villota/Velez Danone John Fitzpatrick Racing Porsche 956

Gebhardt, with the aforementioned win by Dickens/Jelinski, earn their first C2 triumph in two years. Spice Engineering and Martin Schanche’s Argo team are also on the podium.

#74 Jelinski/Dickens Gebhardt Motorsport Gebhardt JC853 Ford Cosworth
#70 Spice/Bellm Spice Engineering Spice SE86C Ford Cosworth
#89 Schanche/Dyrstad Martin Schanche Racing Argo JM19 Zakspeed
#105 Barberio/Frey Kelmar Racing Spice Tiga GC85 Ford Cosworth

Round 10: Selangor 800 Kilometers Shah Alam Circuit, Selangor, Malaysia, December 1st, 1985

The finale of the 1985 World Sports Car Championship sees world championship racing of any kind, come to Malaysia for the first time ever. Motorcycles and Formula 1 cars would race in Malaysia years later. It is hot and humid in Malaysia with temperatures of 100+ degrees Fahrenheit. It isn’t the heat, but it’s the humidity that the driver’s will really have to cope with here at Shah Alam. When you inhale, it is almost like breathing in water as opposed to air.

Dark clouds also loom, so this race, like the typhoon conditions at Fuji last time out, will be a wet one. The clouds form overhead like a sci fi movie with special effects. There’s rain, lightning, and thunder, everywhere. The rain here in Malaysia, even makes the enormous typhoon we saw at Fuji last time, look pathetic. So, the race begins here at Shah Alam! The cars are underway! The battle is on at the front between the Rothmans Porsche’s and the TWR Jaguar’s, foreshadowing what we may see next season in 1986. Jochen Mass takes the lead, and slotting into second place is the Jaguar with Mike Thackwell at the wheel of it.

Hans Stuck and Derek Bell run third, with Stuck taking the start, running the PDK semi-automatic gearbox in the back of the Porsche. Remember, Vern Schuppan and Al Holbert drove to a fifth place at Brands Hatch back in September with this same transmission in the back of their 956 model Porsche. Walter Rohrl, driving for Audi in the World Rally Championship also utilizes a PDK gearbox in the incredibly awesome Audi Quattro Group B rally car. Hans Stuck is closing on the leader and the semi-automatic gearbox ought to be an advantage on the twists and turns of this Shah Alam circuit.

Jaguar’s currently run third and fourth, as they search for their best result of the 1985 season. But, things are not looking good for the British Racing Green cars as Jan Lammers blows a tire, crashing out of the motor race. The sister car #51 is still running. The V12 Jaguars are indeed equal to the Rothmans Porsche’s, however Mike Thackwell runs a little wide. Who can blame him? In this type of severe heat and humidity, it’s an endurance test, these 500 miles, as the heat and humidity affects e very driver out there.

Hans Stuck finishes his first stint and immediately goes to cool off, with both his hands and feet in buckets of ice water. Derek Bell has taken over the driving chores in the #2 Porsche as the world champs hope to win here at Shah Alam in the WSC finale for 1985. Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell are having a lively scrap, and Bell takes P1 from Ickx. Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass are second, before Bell has to hit pit lane for service. It’s game over for Bell and Stuck however. The driveshaft in the Porsche 962 has packed up. The semi-automatic gear box pulls and snatches at the drive shafts, especially on the tight confines here at Shah Alam. It is game over, after a second failure for Hans Stuck and Derek Bell. But, they’ll be back to race for Porsche in 1986.

Jochen Mass now leads the motor race, co-driving with Jacky Ickx. But then, our old nemesis, rain, returns. Mother Nature clearly has other plans for this race. The battle at the front is getting tasty, though because Jan Lammers at the wheel of the #52 Jaguar XJR6, has just unlapped himself, and he’s closing on Jochen Mass hand over fist! The rain does ease off, thankfully. But, Jan Lammers’ valiant challenge won’t be enough. Jochen Mass and Jacky Ickx win in Malaysia!

Here are the results.

#1 Ickx/Mass Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#51 Thackwell/Nielsen/Lammers Jaguar XJR6 TWR Jaguar
#3 Schuppan/Weaver Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche

…And last, but certainly not least, here are the final points standings in the driver’s championship cup.

Derek Bell 117 points
Hans Stuck 117 points *World Champions
Jacky Ickx 101 points
Jochen Mass 101 points
Klaus Ludwig 58 points
Bob Wollek 58 points
Paolo Barilla 52 points
Alessandro Nannini 50 points

C2 champions

Gordon Spice & Ray Bellm 130 points

For 1986, the World Sports Car Championship promises to deliver, with new challenges and new challengers. Join us, won’t you? You’ll be glad you did. See you in 1986. So long, everyone.

Round 9: Fuji 1,000 Kilometers Fuji Speedway, Fuji, Japan, October 6th, 1985

We have finished the European races, and begin the first of two fly away events to round out the 1985 season, the first of these is the Fuji 1,000 Kilometers at Fuji Speedway in Fuji, Japan, obviously in the shadow of the magnificent Mount Fuji itself. Here, at Fuji, we have extra cars in the field that are running to the American IMSA specs for GTP (Grand Touring Prototype), GTX (Grand Touring Experimental), and GTU (Grand Touring under 2.5 liters). A number of works cars are entered here by Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, and MCS Guppy. On the opening day of practice, the weather is lovely. But, for race day, weather forecaster have warned of… wait for it… a typhoon!

Here in Japan, the home favorites have absolutely stunned the European entries as Kazuyoshi Hoshino goes quickest in his March 85G Nissan, powered by the twin turbocharged Nissan VG30ET Electromotive 60 degree 3 liter V6 engine, featuring two Garrett turbos bolted onto it. Weather forecasters in Japan tend to get things right, and they’ve hit it right on the button this time, as torrential rain has already begun falling. There was a typhoon, is a typhoon, and it’s pouring with rain at the moment. No way do the European teams want to race. It’s far too dangerous for them, they believe, to be out on track with all the water.

The Rothmans Porsche’s would have started on the front row, and they did go out for an exploratory lap. After the single lap, both Derek Bell and Jacky Ickx park their cars in pit lane. They will not start because of the dangerously wet conditions, but they effectively get the championship! The race begins, and well, there isn’t much to write about. Of the 35 cars slated to start, roughly half the field withdrew, as 18 cars packed it in and came into the lane. The cars ran behind the safety car for the first ten laps of the official race.

The race did get underway, but there isn’t much to write about. Kazuyoshi Hoshino absolutely dominated proceedings with the March Nissan. His co-drivers, from Japan, Akira Hagiwara and Keiji Matsumoto, didn’t even step into the car. What this means is Nissan has won their first ever race in the FIA World Endurance Championship! Congratulations to Nissan! Hoshino won, and the race itself was shortened to only two hours because of the typhoon conditions.

Overall/C1: #28 Hoshino/Hagiwara/Matsumoto March 85G Nissan Hoshino Racing

#28 Hoshino/Hagiwara/Matsumoto March 85G Nissan Hoshino Racing
#12 Nakako/Pirro/Morimoto LM 05C Nissan Panasport Japan

Those are your top two finishers. Here are the points standings. Derek Bell and Hans Stuck are indeed, your world champions for 1985.

Derek Bell & Hans Stuck 117 points
Derek Bell & Hans Stuck 117 points
Jacky Ickx & Jochen Mass 81 points
Jacky Ickx & Jochen Mass 81 points
Klaus Ludwig & Bob Wollek 58 points
Klaus Ludwig & Bob Wollek 58 points
Paolo Barilla 52 points

Here are the points in the C2 division.

Gordon Spice & Ray Bellm 130 points
Gordon Spice & Ray Bellm 130 points
Ray Mallock 75 points
Mike Wilds 65 points

The final event of 1985, will also be in Asia, at the Shah Alam circuit in Malaysia. Stay tuned for that.

Round 8: Brands Hatch 1,000 Kilometers Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent, England, September 22nd, 1985

It is the penultimate round of the 1985 World Sports Car Championship. Can Lancia repeat what was a hollow triumph, last time out, at Spa, after Stefan Bellof’s death? The Brands Hatch circuit ought to ideally suit the Lancia’s. They have swept the front row and likewise, it’s an all Rothmans Porsche second row, and an all TWR Jaguar third row. Green flag and we’re racing, at Brands Hatch! The cars have all gotten away from the starting line well and into Paddock Hill bend and the rest of the lap, for the first time. When the cars were in their race trim there was only ¼ of a second covering the top six! How close do you like it?

The familiar battle is taken up. It is Martini Lancia vs. Rothmans Porsche. Hans Stuck and Derek Bell know they must win this race to secure the world driver’s championship. Riccardo Patrese is inching out ahead of the Porsche’s right now, but the two of them also have the sister Lancia LC2, with Bob Wollek at the wheel of it, to contend with. Wollek is sharing in a three driver team with Mauro Baldi and also, Italian Andrea de Cesaris. Meanwhile, the sister car, #4, has its customary two driver lineup of Riccardo Patrese and Alessandro Nannini. Stuck and Wollek are side by side into Druids corner, and Wollek slams the door in Hans Stuck’s face, spinning him around like a top!

This won’t help Stuck’s aspirations for the driver’s title as he does a quick 360 handbrake turn, and keeps on trucking. Here’s a word of advice. Never believe a commentator, because they don’t have handbrakes in Porsche 962’s. Rothmans Porsche has already locked up the World Teams Championship, as we see the sister #1 car of Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass, also engaged in battle. They earned the teams title by finishing second in that depressing race at Spa, last time out. Porsche #2 is going for it, trying to get back on terms with the race leader as Jochen Mass tries inside Riccardo Patrese, look. Side by side and Jochen Mass takes the lead of the motor race from Patrese.

Hans Stuck in the #2 car has also made a fair pass on Patrese, demoting Lancia to third. It’s a Stuttgart steamroller so far, here at Brands Hatch. Not good for Jaguar. They are out of their home race here at Brands. The #51 Jaguar XJR6 with 1980 Formula 1 champion, Australia’s Alan Jones at the wheel of it, had a stuck throttle and the engine went ka-blammo as a result. Jones was sharing the car with France’s Jean-Louis Schlesser. This leaves just a sole Jaguar still in the race, the #52 car driven by Dutchman Jan Lammers, and Hans Heyer of Germany. Lammers used to drive for Porsche, and Heyer, used to drive for Lancia, but now, both are racing in British Racing Green colors for Jaguar and Tom Walkinshaw.

Meanwhile, there’s a verbal sparring match back in the garages. Bob Wollek can’t help venting his frustration on Hans Stuck for the earlier dust up. Stuck is quite displeased with Wollek slamming the door right in his face and causing him to loop the Porsche around. The finger pointing and blame games begin. “It’s your fault! No, it’s your fault! Why did you slam the door on me?” “Oh, you call yourself a professional racing driver? In your dreams! Learn how to drive a sports car, buster!” Listen, lads. When you’re racing, you’re racing. That settles the argument. Now, both of you just forget this little kerfuffle, please.

So, after two rounds of pit stops, Lancia leads the race with the Patrese/Nannini #4 car. Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass run second, but Derek Bell, having taken over from Hans Stuck, he is now flying towards the front, storming along in third spot at the moment. Pit stop time, for Lancia. It’s scheduled fuel, tires, and a driver change to Patrese’s countryman, Alessandro Nannini. It’s surely game over for Jaguar. Now, the #52 car’s engine has cried enough. Jan Lammers and Hans Heyer are out. More trouble for Lancia. Their new recruit Andrea de Cesaris, the flamboyant Italian, he has had a clatter with the sister car. This cannot please Cesare Fiorio and the brass at Lancia. The team has had to come in and replace the turbocharger on that car.

The C2 class has seen domination, and will see a win by the #79 Ecosse, a car that has been at the front in C2 on a few occasions this year. But, the British team with two British drivers, Mike Wilds and Ray Mallock, they will win their home event, their second home event, since the WSC also raced at Silverstone earlier in the year. It’s not a good race for their rivals, world champions Ray Bellm and Gordon Spice. They retire from the race with suspension failure. In the meantime, Porsche #1 is in the lane. It’s a battle between the Rothmans cars to determine the winner here at Brands Hatch. The #1 machine had the upper hand for a good chunk of the race. However, they get dinged by the stewards with a ten second penalty for having fuel flow that is too fast.

It is the final round of fuel stops, and the Rothmans Porsche scrap is going right to the end of this thing. #2 is in the lane for service. Derek Bell will take it to the flag, and the #1 car if it crosses the start/finish line will be a lap up on it’s sister car. Derek Bell has now taken over #2 after the pit stop. They are just ahead of Jacky Ickx in car #1. Bell and Ickx are racing each other. Ickx closes to within 12 seconds, but it’s not enough. Derek Bell and Hans Stuck win at Brands Hatch! Not only do they win the battle, they will almost certainly win the war, and pocket the 1985 World Driver’s Championship, too.

Here are the results, from Brands Hatch.

#2 Bell/Stuck Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#1 Ickx/Mass Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#5 Wollek/de Cesaris/Baldi Lancia LC2/85 Lancia Martini
#4 Patrese/Nannini Lancia LC2/85 Lancia Martini
#3 Schuppan/Holbert Porsche 956 Rothmans Porsche

A good result, too, for the 1983 spec Porsche 956 that Rothmans Porsche has kept around, to test the PDK semi-automatic gearbox, driven to fifth place by Vern Schuppan from Australia, and American IMSA Porsche racer, Al Holbert. In C2, the winner finishes in sixth overall.

#79 Mallock/Wilds Ecosse C285 Ford Cosworth Ecurie Ecosse

Derek Bell is extremely happy and grateful for a home win in front of his fans. Hans Stuck says the Brands Hatch triumph is their first real triumph. Only two races left in the season. All Bell and Stuck need to do, is finish in the top four in the next two races, to secure the crown.

Round 7: Spa 1,000 Kilometers Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, Spa Francorchamps, Belgium, September 1st, 1985

We have reached round seven of the championship at the mighty, daunting, mythical, legendary… adjectives abound, Spa Francorchamps circuit in the Ardennes forest of Belgium. For this race, there was an excellent field assembled, including Group B cars in the forms of a BMW M1, Porsche 911 SC, and Porsche 935, joining the field. Lancia heads the entry with their cars to be driven by Alessandro Nannini and Riccardo Patrese (#4), and Mauro Baldi and Bob Wollek (#5). Derek Bell and Hans Stuck, they have the #2 Rothmans Porsche 962 in P2 on the grid. Watch too, for the third quickest car. This is the #19 Schiesser sponsored Brun Motorsport Porsche 956B of Stefan Bellof and Thierry Boutsen. Next on the grid is the #7 Joest Racing New Man Porsche 956 of Klaus Ludwig and Paolo Barilla.

Down through La Source hairpin and onto the main straight they come! We’ve got a green flag, and we’re underway at Spa! In case you are wondering, the start/finish line for the Formula 1 cars is before the La Source hairpin, whilst the start/finish line for the sports cars, is just before the daunting uphill blast through Eau Rouge. The cars fly uphill out of Eau Rouge for the first time, with Riccardo Patrese in the Lancia leading this motor race.

Derek Bell is solidly in second spot in the #2 Rothmans Porsche 962 he shares with Hans Stuck. Jochen Mass and Thierry Boutsen are having a great battle along the Kemmel straightaway. These boys are running absolutely Harry Flatters up the straight right now. What does yours truly mean by Harry Flatters? Flat out. Top speed. Boutsen wants by Derek Bell, but Jochen Mass is covering for his team mate and says to Boutsen, “no way, sunshine.” So, the order is Patrese, Bell, Mass, Boutsen, Ludwig, and Brundle. Martin Brundle has the Jaguar in sixth place.

Riccardo Patrese is whistling off into the distance while it is a fair fight between Derek Bell and Jochen Mass at the moment, as the two Rothmans Porsche’s are having a fair old scrap for position! They fly to the top of the hill at Raidillon and plunge down into corners like Pouhon, Stavelot, and Fangnes while the Lancia still leads the race. Jochen Mass is all over the Lancia like a cheap suit, and the Lancia has a misfire in the motor which is not allowing Patrese to use the available power. Mass is really applying the blowtorch. He’s all over Patrese here, look. Thierry Boutsen has brought the #19 Schiesser Porsche 956 to third overall. That is the car Stefan Bellof will drive in the next stint.

On the inside, as Mass has his target set on the Lancia, Boutsen, sneaky genius, he whistles right through and slams the door in Jochen Mass’ face! Lancia leads as we are seeing sports car racing at its finest here at Spa! This is what Group C racing is all about. Plunging down through Eau Rouge and back up through Raidillon another time, on this roller coaster ride on the back part of the circuit. Jochen Mass has finally dispensed of Thierry Boutsen. He’s said, “OK, Thierry. No more games. Please, may I play through?” Boom! Mass takes the spot away.

Meanwhile at the back of the field, Jurgen Lassig at the wheel of the #20 Obermaier Racing Porsche 956, he has his hands full. Wallop! He has a coming together going into La Source with the #160 Porsche 935 of none other than a bloke called “Victor”. Well, that’s “Victor” the masked racer. He is an Italian driver, who is sharing his Porsche 935 with fellow Italians Tony Palma and Luigi Taverna. OK. So, we get by “Victor” and we still have a simmering battle at the front of the field here, chaps. It’s still Thierry Boutsen wanting to race with Jochen Mass and Riccardo Patrese. Mass is going for the lead against Patrese on the downhill part of the circuit through Pouhon, Stavelot, and Malmedy (a section of the course now called Piff Paff). Mass leads, but the Lancia team better know their car has a misfire as it is falling into the clutches of Boutsen in the #19 Brun Porsche.

Its pit stop time for the #1 Rothmans Porsche. It’s halfway through the race and the car pits for fuel, tires, and a driver change over to Jacky Ickx. The #4 Lancia is dropping like a stone because of the misfire, and Thierry Boutsen brings the #19 Brun Porsche 956 to the lane, for service and to hand over to Stefan Bellof. The battle will now resume as Jacky Ickx will be leading, but Stefan Bellof will be determined to hunt down and pass the Belgian, the legend, who has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, six times. We haven’t paid much attention to the C2 cars in this race. But, it’s the usual story. Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm lead in class and if they win here at Spa, no matter what their competition does, they will be World Champions in the C2 division.

Now, things are still hotting up between Bellof and Ickx, but they are about to take a serious, tragic turn. Bellof is closing on Ickx all the time as they round La Source. They plunge downhill to go back up through Eau Rouge. But, look out! Jacky Ickx is spinning through Eau Rouge! Crunch! He’s had a massive impact with the wall! The top two cars are out of the Spa 1,000 Kilometers! Can you believe it! Things are about to take a turn, for the worse. Jacky Ickx gets out of his car. But, this is an eerily similar accident to Manfred Winkelhock’s Mosport crash last time out. Like Winkelhock, Bellof is trapped inside his Porsche. Ickx is going to try to help free Bellof from the wreckage of that car.

Bellof’s Porsche has burst into flames. It’s got to be a ruptured oil line or fuel tank. The marshals will have to get there to help him escape the blaze. We watch an eerie sight as the onboard camera in Jacky Ickx’s car is still running, still recording film of these desperate scenes to free a fellow racer from danger. Ickx is out of the car, but the #1 has also caught fire as the marshals tackle the blaze with the extinguishers. The camera continues to eerily turn through clouds of smoke in the cockpit. Jacky Ickx, and Jean Louis Schlesser from the Jaguar team, they walk away forlornly from the accident scene. This is not a good sign. Will Stefan Bellof survive his head on impact with the Eau Rouge guardrail?

The Ickx/Mass Porsche is wrecked, and though Stefan Bellof has been extricated from the mangled wreckage of his Porsche 956, much concern still remains over his condition. Bellof has been transported to the infield medical center here at Spa. This is the most devastated Group C racer yours truly has ever seen. We fear for the man’s life, and word of the inevitable, is received. One hour later, Stefan Bellof is pronounced dead at the age of 27 in the Spa Francorchamps medical center. Rest in Peace, Stefan Bellof. This is incomprehensible, that we’ve now lost two of the world’s best sports car drivers, in large accidents, within two consecutive races.

Will the World Sports Car Championship be able to bear the weight of these heartbreaks? After meeting with the teams, it was agreed that, as a mark of respect for and celebration of the life of Stefan Bellof, and for Manfred Winkelhock certainly, too, the race at Spa, will not continue. The race has been abandoned. Lancia wins. But it is a hollow victory. We have lost, a world champion, a hero, and one of Germany’s finest young racing drivers. Once again, Rest in Peace, Stefan Bellof.

#5 Wollek/Baldi/Patrese Lancia LC2 Martini Lancia
#2 Bell/Stuck Porsche 962 Rothmans Porsche
#7 Ludwig/Barilla Porsche 956 New Man/Joest Racing

Round 6: Mosport 1,000 Kilometers Mosport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada August 11th, 1985

The World Sports Car Championship makes its annual North American sojourn, to Mosport Park, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. Some of the IMSA competitors from the United States have added their GT class cars to the field, and of course, IMSA has their own prototype championship known as GTP. Adding to the race here in Canada, are a number of U.S. and Canadian based IMSA teams running their GT class production cars, as well as the two, phenomenally prepared Tom Walkinshaw Racing factory Jaguar XJR6’s. Car #51 will be shared by Britain’s Martin Brundle, a current Formula 1 driver, and New Zealander, Mike Thackwell, while #52 has Thackwell and Brundle on the entry as well.

Mike Thackwell is listed, and so is Hans Heyer, but the German never did start this race for the new Jaguar team. Both Jaguars are on the same performance level as the privately entered Porsche’s despite having no turbocharging, and relying solely on engine displacement, running 6.2 liter normally aspirated 60 degree, 378 cubic inch V12 engines. Brundle and Thackwell have qualified third on the grid at 1:12.602. The Schlesser/Heyer car is two seconds slower, running a best lap at 1:14.782. Both Jaguars are right on pace with the rest of the field in the World Sports Car Championship.

Team boss Tom Walkinshaw is the genius behind these British Racing Green prototypes, and TWR is the reigning European saloon car championship winning team. Walkinshaw says “this has gone the way we expected. We couldn’t outrun the Porsche because they can turn up the boost. The problem we have is that the circuit is very rough, and we can’t get the right downforce without sucking the car right onto the road. We smashed up a couple noses. But, we want to take part in every remaining race this year, and come back for the full 1986 championship.”

This is Martin Brundle’s first sports car race. He is a Formula 1 Grand Prix racer. Brundle says the car feels good and knows Jaguar can’t be on the front row without a turbo. But they are focusing on balancing the car out and getting the fuel consumption right. Ground effects means a lot more downforce and that means a different driving technique than a Formula 1 car with a flat bottom and more horsepower. Jaguar qualifies third and fifth on the starting grid. In fourth place, it’s the #10 Kremer Porsche 956 of Manfred Winkelhock and Marc Surer. So, you’ve seen some of the contenders. Now, it is time to race.

The cars come uphill on the rolling start here at Mosport. Green flag, and away we go! It’s a Rothmans Porsche lockout on the front row, but Jaguar is steaming ahead right in their first race in WSC as a factory effort. Martin Brundle makes the getaway and leads the two Rothmans cars of Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass, and also Derek Bell and Hans Stuck. Jaguar makes their return to international racing for the first time in 28 years, since 1957. The cats are roaring right now. Meanwhile, Stuck and Bell hold second place. They want to win here in Canada to increase their lead in the drivers’ championship. That is their goal.

Of course, Jaguar is out to stop them, but it is their first race back in WSC in a long time. As the race progresses we see Martin Brundle falling behind, dropping to second and eventually third. But soon, it is game over for Brundle and team mate Mike Thackwell, with wheel bearing failure. Brundle and Thackwell would join the #52 sister Jaguar XJR6 with Frenchman Jean Louis Schlesser, and they would come back to finish on the podium. So, a better race for Jaguar than first thought. Bell and Stuck led, but hot on their heels were Ickx and Mass. We know this story all too well, and the back and forth competition, the rivalry between the two Rothmans Porsche camps.

The #10 Kremer Porsche is well down the order at the moment, seven laps behind the leaders after a collision with a slower car. They took emergency service in the pit lane to replace a damaged nose. Again, after the maladies with their own car, Mike Thackwell and Martin Brundle went on to join Jean Louis Schlesser to pilot Jaguar XJR6 #52, running third in the overall at the present time. The race is going well. But, there’s bad news coming. 83 laps of the Mosport 1,000 Kilometers (204 miles into the race) have been run so far. We have a tragic incident to report. Your attention, please… there has been an accident. It involves Porsche #10 of Manfred Winkelhock and Marc Surer.

Manfred Winkelhock has crashed, head on into a concrete barrier. He made contact with the right front corner of the Porsche 956 up against the barrier, and the wreck came to rest 50 meters farther up the road. Winkelhock could not free himself from the car. His leg was trapped, hung up probably in the pedal box or on the steering column. The car was absolutely destroyed. The German driver was taken to the infield medical center before being taken to the hospital in Toronto, on a medivac helicopter. He had gone off the road at high speed and slammed head on into the wall. He had massive leg and head injuries. He was knocked out cold in the accident, and died a day later, having never regained consciousness. The popular German driver was dead, at the age of 33. This cast a dark cloud over the rest of the Mosport 1,000 Kilometers. Rest in Peace, Manfred Winkelhock.

After an hour behind the safety car, the race continues. Jaguar is third. Jochen Mass spun off the road, damaging the suspension on the rear of the #1 Rothmans Porsche 962. This was an incident the cameras didn’t pick up until the car is back in the pit lane and the crew is feverishly trying to work on it. Mass was leading, but drops to second because of these repairs. Derek Bell and Hans Stuck in the sister car, assume the lead. They go on to their second consecutive WSC victory in 1985. Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm, again win in the C2 division with their Spice Engineering Tiga Cosworth.

#2 Bell/Stuck Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#1 Ickx/Mass Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#51 Brundle/Thackwell Jaguar XJR-6 Jaguar

It is a sad end with the tragic death of Manfred Winkelhock. Nonetheless, a victory for Porsche, and a great debut for the TWR Jaguar XJR-6’s, cars with a bright future ahead. Here are the driver’s championship standings.

Derek Bell 82 points
Hans Stuck 82 points
Jacky Ickx 66 points
Jochen Mass 66 points
Klaus Ludwig 46 points
Marc Surer 45 points
Manfred Winkelhock 45 points

Here too, are the team’s championship points, the top three.

Rothmans Porsche 92 points
Kremer Porsche Racing 43 points
Joest Racing 38 points
Martini Lancia 38 points

Joest and Lancia are tied on 38 points in third and fourth. Neither Joest nor Lancia made the trip to race in Canada.

Round 5: Hockenheim 1,000 Kilometers Motodrom Hockenheim, Baden-Wurtemberg, West Germany, July 14th, 1985

In the first four rounds of the championship, it has been all Porsche, but, it’s been different teams with different fortunes. Rothmans Porsche have won just twice, while we’ve also seend victories collected by Kremer Porsche and Joest Porsche. Here at Hockenheim, we’re ready for the start, as it’s all Rothmans Porsche across the front row. It’s a green flag, and away we go! Lancia Martini incidentally could only muster sixth and eighth on a grid of 36 starters, and there’s an off course excursion already! Oscar Larrauri, loses it, and does a little autocross before returning to the pavement. Larrauri, as per usual, shares the #18 Brun Motorsport Porsche 956 with Massimo Sigala.

There’s some argy bargy on the front row already, as we see Manfred Winkelhock muscling past Hans Stuck for the early lead here in Germany. It’s a fierce battle between two of the best German sports car drivers. It’s a hot one here at Hockenheim today, temperatures in the 90 degree Fahrenheit range, with high humidity. It’s a sweltering summer’s day indeed. Jochen Mass’ team mate Hans Stuck has a grandstand view of the action as do we as we’re aboard the Porsche 962 thanks to the onboard camera. Manfred Winkelhock charges into an early lead with Hans Stuck second, just a handful of minutes on the board, in this six hour or 1,000 kilometer event. We see Stefan Bellof, the German, taking the lead away from countryman Manfred Winkelhock. There’s pride on the line for the German drivers in the Porsche’s at their home race.

Riccardo Patrese in the Lancia, #4 he has clawed his way from sixth place into third place. Patrese has now become the Italian salami in the middle of two pieces of German pumpernickel bread as it were. Porsche, Lancia, Porsche. Hans Stuck and Jochen Mass in the Rothmans Porsche’s hold third and fourth at the moment. Manfred Winkelhock has managed to pass Riccardo Patrese, as Stefan Bellof sharing with Belgium’s Thierry Boutsen continues to lead this motor race. Third place is now taken by Hans Stuck, over the Lancia, entering Hockenheim’s legendary stadium section. The top two are in sight as Manfred Winkelhock is the hound, with Stefan Bellof playing the rabbit right now.

Bellof’s lead has ballooned to five seconds over Winkelhock, but behind Winkelhock there’s a major scrap. Both Rothmans Porsche’s have managed to pass Riccardo Patrese in the Martini Lancia #4. Patrese is on a fuel conservation/fuel mileage strategy, for obvious reasons. Hans Stuck is continuing to chase Manfred Winkelhock, and dear me, Winkelhock nearly goes off the road! He saved it, but has lost a place to Stuck, the man we ride with on the onboard camera in that Porsche 962. One of the real concerns here at Hockenheim, is the number of people that the race organizers actually let visit the pit lane during the race itself. This is beyond ridiculous, and during the race in 1985, the situation almost had a fatal twist.

Come with me, now, as we delve into how not to marshal a race in the pit lane. It’s scheduled pit stop time for the Stuck/Bell Porsche. All looks routine. Fill the car with fuel, and change the tires, and then send the driver back into the race to keep soldiering on, right? Wrong. Pure, unadulterated mayhem in the lane! Fire has broken out in the Rothmans Porsche pit! The worst nightmare of any racing driver! Hans Stuck and the Rothmans pit crew are running for their lives! This inferno has started right in front of the pit storage compound full of 40 gallon drums of high octane racing fuel! This is extremely dangerous. An emergency of the highest order!

The surreal and inconceivable part of this is that the mechanics themselves have to break out the fire hoses and put out the blaze because the fire company here at Hockenheim is a joke. They didn’t even notice there was a blaze in the pit lane! One brave pit crew member, he turns off the air lines to the oxygen cylinders. Derek Bell stays in the car, and is as cool as a cucumber despite this pandemonium going on around him as Hans Stuck is overcome by smoke and flames. The team has lost less time than expected. But, this is ridiculous because there are still people standing down in pit lane. It looks more like a rally stage than a sports car race.

If anyone should be fined by the FIA, it is the Hockenheim race organizers because they’ve allowed anyone and everyone to come into the pit lane where only the pit crews should be to service the cars, and the driver’s to drive them. It’s dangerous and unnecessary to have people standing around, shooting the breeze in the pit lane. End of story. Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass in the #1 Rothmans Porsche, they are delayed by some five minutes due to the fire incident. While this entire hubbub has been going on in pit lane, Thierry Boutsen in the #19 Brun Porsche, the blue and white Schiesser sponsored car, has taken the lead from Manfred Winkelhock. Derek Bell has recovered to third overall.

Porsche team manager, Norbert Singer, has received serious burns after the fire and is being tended to by the medical staff. His burns will keep him in hospital for a good while. Three other team members also went to the hospital, but were not injured as seriously as Singer. Manfred Winkelhock in the #9 Kremer Porsche he shares with Marc Surer, is pursuing leader Thierry Boutsen in an all Porsche battle at the front. For a change in Group C2, Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm are running second in the Spice Tiga are running second to the #79 Ecosse Ford Cosworth for the legendary Ecurie Ecosse team, with Bovis sponsorship. This is the all-British crew of Ray Mallock, David Leslie, and Mike Wilds.

Mauro Baldi has a quick spin in the #5 sister Lancia he also shares with Bob Wollek, and keeps on trucking. Wot, No Jags! It says on a garage sign. Well, Jaguar will be back, with a new team headed by Tom Walkinshaw, coming up at the next race in Canada at Mosport. Stay tuned for that. Thierry Boutsen is in the lane for service, with a 20 second cushion over Manfred Winkelhock, and Boutsen will hand the car to the eagerly waiting Stefan Bellof so Bellof can go out and do his stint, trying to keep the car in the lead of this motor race.

25 seconds behind the Kremer Porsche is the Bell/Stuck Rothmans entry, making another scheduled pit stop for fuel and tires. But, then, there’s another pit fire! Would you believe it?! Manfred Winkelhock brought the #10 Kremer Porsche in, with a split fuel tank, and it erupts in flames! It is so hot here at Hockenheim that the fuel vapor blows back through the fuel lines igniting on the red hot turbocharger, and igniting the ruptured fuel tank as well. The fuel tank ignites a second time. The second Brun Porsche 956, #20 driven by Walter Brun and Austrian touring car and later Formula 1 pilot Gerhard Berger, is in the pit behind the Kremer team.

It’s left up to the teams to put out these fires, because the German fire department doing their version of a keystone cops movie fire drill, spraying water every which way except on the fire, and on unsuspecting people who are in the lane! The fire brigade here at Hockenheim is nothing more than a disgrace. Yet another fire has broken out in the pit lane, for the #34 Cosmic Racing Promotions March 84G Porsche, and this time, the firemen arrive, but it is three strikes, you’re out, because the team has already extinguished the blaze. It’s game over for the driving team of Mikael Nabrink of Sweden, Germany’s Christian Danner, and Costas Los from Greece, but it’s also game over, and definitely pink slip time for the members of the Hockenheim fire brigade.

If you were walking up the pit lane at Hockenheim today, it resembles a street in Lebanon, or in some third world nation torn apart by unrest. Unbelievable! On lap 100, its retirement for Stefan Bellof and Thierry Boutsen, as the electrical system on the Brun Porsche 956 has gone on the blink. Also out, are Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass in the #1 Rothmans Porsche 962, after the engine expires. This puts Hans Stuck and Derek Bell into the race lead. Alessandro Nannini in the #4 Lancia is piling on the pressure, applying the blowtorch, closing to within 25 seconds of the Stuck/Bell car. But, with three minutes left, Nannini’s fuel tank runs dry, and for the first time in 1985, Derek Bell and Hans Stuck win a Group C sports car race!

It is Derek Bell and Hans Stuck’s first 1985 win.

#2 Stuck/Bell Porsche 962C Rothmans Porsche
#18 Larrauri/Sigala Porsche 956 Brun Motorsport
#7 Ludwig/Barilla Porsche 956 New Man-Joest Racing

New points leaders in the driver’s championship. Derek Bell and Hans Stuck now are at the top of the tree.

Derek Bell & Hans Stuck 62 points
Derek Bell & Hans Stuck 62 points
Jacky Ickx & Jochen Mass 51 points
Jacky Ickx & Jochen Mass 51 points
Klaus Ludwig 46 points
Marc Surer & Manfred Winkelhock 45 points

Here’s how the teams championship looks after Hockenheim.

Rothmans Porsche 72 points
Joest New Man Porsche 38 points
Lancia Martini 38 points
Kremer Porsche Racing 35 points

Round 4: 24 Hours of Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe Le Mans, France, June 15th & 16th, 1985

There is a place in the world, where the advent of summer, is celebrated with a motor race like no other. Among the ancient chateaus and castles, we are now in northwestern France, for the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans, the greatest sports car race, if not auto race, in the world. All of the big name manufacturers are here, to do battle, to see who the best is. All the big names are here, including Lancia, Porsche, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Toyota, Klaus Ludwig is the race’s defending champion. He says the difficulty will be the same as 1984 when he won. The cars will only be able to use 2,210 liters of fuel among each one for the 24 hours.

Ludwig’s team mate from last year, Henri Pescarolo, who also won, is now racing for the rival Lancia squad. Klaus Ludwig says there will be a long queue of cars for the first few hours. Ludwig says Rothmans Porsche can choose three different speeds, and they will go very well, as they can do a fast pace with one car, a medium speed with one car, and a slow speed, with one car. The slow car will win if there’s no yellow flags, no rain, and lots of green flag running throughout the 24 hours, which is easier said than done, especially at La Sarthe. Ludwig says he is not sure how the New Man Porsche will do.

Klaus Ludwig likes to win, and he wants to win a third Le Mans crown, but says you just can’t predict a race like this. New Man Porsche won in 1984 of course, and there are two cars for the team, #7 and #8. #7 has Ludwig, the German, pairing with Italian Paolo Barilla, and West Germany’s John Winter. The sister #8 Joest New Man Porsche is being shared by Colombian Mauricio De Narvaez, Paul Belmondo of France (son of famous French actor Jean Paul Belmondo), and American driver, Kenper Miller. Barilla and Pescarolo have essentially swapped teams, as Paolo Barilla was a Lancia driver at Le Mans for the 1984 race.

The factory Rothmans Porsche’s which were absent from the 1984 race, are back in force, with three cars vying for victory. The Lancia’s are also here. They are quick in qualifying but have fragility and reliability concerns facing them in the race, and once again, we also have two Group 44 Jaguar XJR5’s in the IMSA GTP division, from the U.S. British sports car racing legend Brian Redman is sharing the #40 car with American’s Jim Adams and Hurley Haywood, while team owner/driver Bob Tulius spearheads the #44 lineup joined by fellow American Chip Robinson, and Frenchman Claude Ballot-Lena. Tens of thousands people have arrived by train, land, and airplane. People from as near as right in France, and as far as Australia, come to see the 24 hours every year.

The Joest Racing New Man Jeans Porsche’s are fourth and seventh on the grid. Car #7, to be shared by Klaus Ludwig, of Germany, Paolo Barilla of Italy, and John Winter of Germany, and again, #8’s driver’s strength includes Colombia’s Mauricio DeNarvaez, Kenper Miller from the United States, and Paul Belmondo from France. The roads are jammed as spectators’ line up to get into the gates and find their spots to watch. Speed, and fuel consumption are going to be crucial as we go into the 24 hours. Only 2,210 liters is allowed for use in the 24 hours. 510 liters is allowable for a 1,000 kilometer race like we see in every other situation here in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The ratio is 4.3. The expectation is, the winner of this race will cover more than 5,000 kilometers (3,125 miles). Fuel consumption will be a huge deal.

This race has its own special atmosphere as the fans see the cars, the drivers, and obviously too, the Hawaiian Tropic girls. We’ve covered Joest Racing already and will do so more as the race progresses. Klaus Ludwig is going for his third Le Mans win in ’85. On the pole, however, is the #2 Rothmans Porsche 962, qualifying at over 151 miles an hour, to be shared by Derek Bell and Hans Stuck. The fastest cars here, the Group C machines, are pulling 230 miles per hour plus, down the Mulsanne straight. Now, the Mulsanne straight has lived up to its bad reputation as being a most dangerous part of Circuit de la Sarthe during practice.

Remember the eerie accident that happened during the 1984 race, to John Sheldon’s V8 Aston Martin Nimrod? There was a very similar crash, in practice in ’85. There was an incident involving the #55 John Fitzpatrick Racing Porsche 962C in the hands of British driver Dudley Wood, and the #81 Carma F.F. Alba AR2 Carma of Swiss driver Jean Pierre Frey. Screaming down the Mulsanne straight at 180+ miles an hour, both cars touched, vaulted over the guardrail, and flattened it for a length of 80 meters. Thank God, neither Dudley Wood nor Jean Pierre Frey was hurt in the crash. The John Fitzpatrick entered Porsche, was totally destroyed, and poor Fitzpatrick had just gotten this car to replace the other 956 that was smashed at Silverstone by Manuel Lopez.

So, John Fitzpatrick’s pocketbook has been hit hard these last two races. Two 962 Porsche’s destroyed within a month! Jean Pierre Frey’s Alba C2 racer is also totally written off. The crash was so hard, that even the engine block on the Porsche’s flat six turbo motor, is cracked, and has a gaping hole in it. Practice was undoubtedly red flagged. The wreckage was cleaned up. Now, let’s move on from this, and focus on the race itself. It’s time, to race the 53^rd edition of the greatest sports car race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Group 44 Jaguar are back, and 25% (fully ¼ of this crowd) is British, so, they will no doubt cheer for Jaguar as the pretty girls from Hawaiian Tropic greet the fans. Just before 3PM on June 15^th, 1985, we have one of the best entries in many years assembled for the vingt quatre heures du Mans. The weather is warm, as this 53 car field is ready to race. The trois couleurs flag waves, and the 24 Hours is underway! The Rothmans Porsche 962s are on the front row, and it’s going to be a race of strategy. Again, we’ve done the math, 5,000 kilometers is what the winning distance may be, but the fuel allowance is only four and a half times what is used during a typical 1,000 kilometer event during the season.

2,240 liters total is what is allowed. Now, the sleek Group C prototypes blast their way down the Mulsanne straight for the first time, again, touching 230 miles an hour, plus. Down the straight which is 3.5 nearly four miles long, these cars are amazing sight to behold. Modern Group C sports cars are truly engineering marvels. Frenchman Bob Wollek, is leading his home race for Lancia with the #4 Martini Lancia LC2/85 he is due to share with Alessandro Nannini of Italy, and Australian driver Lucio Cesario. The Lancia is just ahead of the winning car from last year, the #7 New Man Joest Racing Porsche run by team owner Reinhold Joest. Recall, in 1984, Rothmans Porsche chose not to compete at Le Mans because of a rules dispute with the FIA. Rothmans Porsche has three cars this year.

Already mentioned, the #2 Hans Stuck/Derek Bell car. In car #1, it is the formidable duo of Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass. The third car, #3, has 2/3rds of the lineup that won the 1983 Le Mans race, with Australia’s Vern Schuppan and American Al Holbert, joined by Northern Ireland’s John Watson for this race. Hurley Haywood, the American who would go on to achieve legendary status in sports car racing around the world, he is driving with Group 44 Jaguar in this race. Right now, the lead battle is surely afoot. It’s the #7 New Man Porsche vs. the #4 Martini Lancia, and a new contender, is the #14 Canon Porsche 956 shared by Jonathan Palmer, car owner Richard Lloyd, and British driver James Weaver. The #14 car has taken the overall lead.

So, it’s an all British squad in the Canon Porsche. Klaus Ludwig takes the lead briefly, but then Johnny Palmer says “I’ll lead for a while, thanks”, and goes by into P1. Another car to watch out for is the EMKA C84/1 Aston Martin. Now, Aston Martin had a horrible race here with the Nimrod a year ago as we’ve documented. But, they are back this year with the Emka Productions Limited team, with the same ground pounding Tickford built 5.3 liter V8 in the back of the car, being shared by a trio of British pilots. Tiff Needell takes the start, and will share with Nick Faure and Steve O’Rourke. The car is in fourth, and comes in for it’s fuel stop early in the first couple hours.

Running to this strategy allows the Dow Corning silicones liveried EMKA Aston Martin to lead Le Mans! The car thunders down the Mulsanne straight and Aston Martin leads Le Mans for the first time since 1959 when they won with the fabulous DBR1 in the hands of Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori. The privateer teams seem to have the edge so far over any of the factory cars, from either Porsche or Lancia, as this race goes on. Joest Racing brings the #7 Porsche 956 into the lane for fuel, tires, and the all- important driver change. Klaus Ludwig has done his first stint, and hands the wheel to Italian Paolo Barilla.

Lancia and Rothmans Porsche are also in the lane for service. Porsche #2 has been dealing with tire punctures, and they’ve lost some ground in the opening stanza of the motor race. Headed for sunset, the #3 factory Rothmans Porsche 962 with John Watson, Al Holbert, and Vern Schuppan leads Le Mans. It’s dusk, and you know what that means. Changes are in progress here at Le Mans, as always. Klaus Ludwig retakes the lead, and there’s trouble for the #14 Canon Porsche, as they have a misfire in the engine. This caused the Palmer/Weaver/Lloyd car to drop like a stone, to seventh in the overall, and promoted the #3 Watson/Holbert/Schuppan car to second. But wait, there’s more.

The Holbert/Watson/Schuppan car has been going like clockwork so far, but the same can’t be said for the #1 Rothmans 962 of Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass. The transmission ate itself and had to be changed out, dropping those two out of the top ten as dusk is falling here at Circuit de la Sarthe. The #18 Brun Motorsport Porsche 956 from Swiss privateer entrant Walter Brun, has worked its way to third overall in the hands of Argentina’s Oscar Larrauri and Italian’s Massimo Sigala and Gabriele Tarquini. Derek Bell and Hans Stuck in the #2 Rothmans Porsche, and in fifth spot is the leading Lancia of Bob Wollek, Alessandro Nannini, and Lucio Cesario. Sixth overall is the second Brun Motorsport Porsche 962 car #19, in the hands of car owner Walter Brun, from Switzerland, Belgian Didier Theys, and Frenchman Joel Gouhier.

German driver Leopold von Bayern is the team’s reserve driver, but he is not needed. One of the most effective drives we are seeing as darkness lingers here at Le Mans is that of the Canon Porsche and especially Johnny Palmer and James Weaver. Those two are really putting in some monster stints. Also during the night, there were some big problems for the #2 Derek Bell and Hans Stuck Rothmans Porsche 962. They suffered two wheel bearing failures, dropping them out of the top six points scoring positions. Still retaining second is the sister #3 Rothmans Porsche 962 of John Watson, Vern Schuppan and Al Holbert. How are the Jaguars doing? Yes, this question was sure to come up, especially from the British fans.

Well, the cars are outside the top ten, but they are leading the IMSA GTP division of which they are the only two cars entered. The Redman/Adams/Haywood car, #40 and the Tulius/Robinson/Ballot-Lena car, #44, are still circulating. For Rothmans Porsche, their race seems to go from bad to worse as transmission maladies continue for the Ickx/Mass driven car #1. Team boss Norbert Singer has a very resigned look on his face. He’d obviously prefer for Rothmans Porsche to be at the sharp end of the field. But, again, they’ve had a litany of issues. At the sixteen hour mark, the #14 Canon Porsche 956 is back to fourth in the overall. Jonathan Palmer has done yeoman service during the night along with team mates Richard Lloyd and James Weaver of course.

All is not well in the Martini Lancia camp. As the night is drawing to a close, the race may well be over for the #4 Wollek/Nannini/Cesario Lancia LC2-85 which needs a new turbocharger. The rosy glow of a summer’s dawn greets Le Mans with the #7 New Man Porsche still in front. Klaus Ludwig, John Winter, and Paolo Barilla, are set to give Joest Porsche their second straight win here at Le Mans after Ludwig and Henri Pescarolo triumphed here in 1984. Pit stop time it is on this Sunday morning for New Man Porsche, who has been running their fuel strategy perfectly in the race so far. Tiredness, exhaustion has taken over for many crews.

British fans have at least two cars still to cheer for even though Jaguar is out. The #14 Canon Porsche that has been mentioned on numerous occasions, and the leaders in C2, the #70 Hawaiian Tropic/Holts Tiga Ford of Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm, who are joined here at Le Mans by Irishman Mark Galvin. They will go on to win the C2 class at Le Mans 1985. The #14 Canon Porsche has continued to improve after, as mentioned earlier, hard driving and yeoman stints by Johnny Palmer and James Weaver. Team boos Keith Green has to be ecstatic about their progress. However, it is game over for the much beleaguered #3 Rothmans Porsche 962 as the engine has gone ka-blammo. It’s a complete failure of the motor that has put John Watson and company out of the race.

Derek Bell is in the pit lane, speaking to his Royal Highness, the Duke of Kent, who is here, supporting the Jaguars who are unfortunately out. Now, Bell’s car, the #2 Rothmans Porsche, it seems to have recovered from its earlier wheel bearing dramas. They’ve made it to third overall, and the 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans is now over. Joest Racing has won for a second consecutive year! The #7 Porsche 956 of Paolo Barilla, Klaus Ludwig, and John Winter, win Le Mans!

The American entered Jaguar’s from Group 44 have won in the GTP division, where they’ve essentially been racing against themselves here at Le Mans. It is the #44 car of Bob Tulius, Chip Robinson, and Claude Ballot Lena that wins, after problems for the #40 entry of Brian Redman, Jim Adams, and Hurley Haywood. For the first time, an IMSA GTP car has finished Le Mans. Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass finish tenth overall at Le Mans but maintain a lead in the Group C drivers’ championship points.

Jacky Ickx Rothmans Porsche Porsche 962C 51
Jochen Mass Rothmans Porsche Porsche 962C 51
Manfred Winkelhock Kremer Porsche Racing Porsche 956 45
Marc Surer Kremer Porsche Racing Porsche 956 45
Hans Stuck Rothmans Porsche Porsche 962C 42
Derek Bell Rothmans Porsche Porsche 962C 42