Group C Sports Cars, the thunder of the '80s

https://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Silverstone-1982-05-16.html

https://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Monza-1982-04-18.html

What will follow, in the next idea section for this blog, is a series of photographs of cars from the Group C era, from the Racing Sports Cars website.  Each race, is featured, cataloged by year.  So, most if not all of Group C from the 1980s will be covered, and then, there will be a follow up (as soon as yours truly can make that possible), working into the latter days of Group C in the 1990s before the class was discontinued and the thunder would be no more until the cars were put into use in historic races.  So, over a period of time, please enjoy the following photo galleries from Racing Sports Cars.  You can toggle through them via menus at the top of the page to determine how the photo galleries are seen, and you will see more about how to put them in certain order, on the RSC webpage when the links are provided for each race in each season of Group C sports cars, the thunder of the ’80s.

 

Folks, we’ve reached the end of the ’80s in Group C sports car racing.  The championship as it is, in it’s current form, will only exist for one more year in 1990, before the regulations completely change.  As you have read, Group C ended with a whimper instead of a bang, but, that does not mean the action is over.  Not by a long shot.  The thunder of the ’80s kept rolling into the 1990 season, and there will be highlighted race reports and analyses on all of the events from 1990, coming up very soon.  So, do indeed stay tuned for that coverage.

 

The final event in the retrospective of the 1980s in Group C.  Round five of the 1989 World Sports Car Championship was held at the legendary Nurburgring in West Germany.  The Sauber Mercedes C9s will start on the front row of the grid.  It’s going to be a civil war, to find out who the winner is.  Mercedes fighting in one army, and on the other, Jaguar.  This will be a classic race.  Richard Nichols, once again, is in the commentary box to take you through all of the action.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1989-world-sports-car-nrburgring/13803

Round two of the World Sports Prototype Championship, takes place in Dijon, France, at Circuit Dijon Prenois.  Yes, the same region of France, that produces Dijon mustard.  This is a very delightful circuit as you will soon see.  What will happen in this race?  Will Mercedes have the advantage?  Or will one of the other makes, perhaps their German rivals, from Porsche, have a say in this motor race?  Let’s join Richard Nichols in the commentary box, to find out.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1989-world-sports-car-dijon/12751

Round three of the 1988 World Sports Car Championship takes us once again, to the legendary Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy.  It is the Monza 1,000 Kilometers.

Round three of the 1988 World Sports Car Championship takes place at the historic circuit of Monza in Italy.  With Silk Cut Jaguar and the AEG Olympia Mercedes having scored one win each, the scene is set for another great confrontation between these two great manufacturers.  But, at Monza, there is a third ingredient.  The Joest Blaupunkt Porsche’s.  The Porsche’s had been off the pace at the opening two rounds, but with more development, they are now very much back on the pace.

So, with three different manufacturers at the front of the large field, the race would be wide open.  Who has answered the clarion call of “you need to bring some more power!”?  Which manufacturer has what it takes, to win at Monza?  Let’s find out, as we join Brian Kreisky and Mark Cole, calling all the action, and reporting from the grid and the pit lane.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1988-world-sports-car-monza/4999

With both teams and drivers World Sports Car title already secured, all Silk Cut Jaguar had to do in Fuji was to deliver the final blow. But, Spice and Swiftair Ecosse still had to decide the C2 team title at the Japanese finale at the Fuji Speedway on September 27th.  The Japanese brands would try hard to do their best in their home race, Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda.  Meanwhile, Raul Boesel, the Brazilian, has already secured the driver’s title.  Because of this, it was thought the race would be boring.  Not even close!  Let’s join commentator, Paul Fowler, for all the action.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1987-world-sports-car-fuji/4992

All eyes were on Tom Walkinshaw’s seven-litre Jaguars to see if they could bring off a hat-trick of victories… top drivers Jan Lammers and John Watson were in top form.  But, they faced a fierce rivalry from the dynamic Porsche duo of Hans Stuck and Derek Bell.  The famous Monza Autodrome, just north of Milan was to witness round three of the 1987 World Sports Car Championship.  It was to be yet another confrontation between Jaguar and the might of the massed Porsche teams.

So far the score was 2-0 to Jaguar, and with top management from both manufacturers at Monza, winning was all that more important.  Strap in, cinch down those belts.  Let’s get started with the racing action, and send it to the commentary box with Paul Fowler, at the home of Italian motor racing.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1987-world-sports-car-monza/4986

Three teams are in contention for the championship in the grand finale of the 1986 World Sports Car Championship at Fuji in Japan.  Rothmans Porsche, Silk Cut Jaguar, and Brun Porsche.  The 1986 World Sports Car Championship goes down to the wire in Japan.  The Fuji finale sees the combination of Derek Bell and Hans Stuck fight Derek Warwick for the drivers’ crown – and in the teams series, it is a three way battle between defending champions Rothmans Porsche, Brun Motorsport and Silk Cut Jaguar.

With entries from the Japanese giants Nissan, Toyota and Mazda, this final race of the championship had all the elements of high drama.  We were not to be disappointed.  Sit back, relax, grab a cold beverage, and enjoy this one.  Paul Fowler narrates the racing action.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1986-world-sports-car-fuji/4983