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

When Group C goes wrong… these are some of the more ‘unusual’ contenders from the legendary race series of the 1980s and ’90s.

https://www.autoclassics.com/posts/reviews/top-10-group-c-oddities

We stay in the 1988 Group C/World Sports Car Championship season, for the race at the Nurburgring in the Eiffel Mountains of Germany.

The battle for the FIA World Sports Car Championship between Jaguar, Mercedes, and Porsche continued in round eight of the world series.  But this was to be a race full of controversy due to the organizers insistence that the event be run in two heats of 500 kilometers.  The first to be run on Saturday evening and race on into the night, whilst the second heat was held at the more conventional time of Sunday afternoon.  However, just to make things even more difficult, it was both rainy and misty on both days.  Don’t let anyone tell you all racing is fun.

This was going to be a bear for all involved.  Anyhow, let’s get to the racing, now, as we join commentator Richard Hudson-Evans for the call.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1988-world-sports-car-nurburgring/2973

 

Czechoslovakia, is the venue right after the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1988 World Sports Car Championship at the Brno Autodrom, and in this first ever World Championship race to be run behind the Iron Curtain.  Jaguar, after dominating many races, including Le Mans, before this event, looked to continue their winning ways.  As you will see, Sauber Mercedes has other plans.

Round six of the 1988 World Sports Car Championship sees the FIA World Sports Car Championship move behind The Iron Curtain, to the spectacular new Brno Autodrome.  This is the second 360 kilometer “super sprint” race of 1988, and will see a red hot scrap between the Le Mans winning Jaguar’s and the Swiss built, V8 powered ground pounding Sauber Mercedes Group C cars.  Jaguar has taken a commanding points iead in the constructors cup, but Frenchman Jean Louis Schlesser at the wheel of the Mercedes, he is the one who wants to make a statement, here at Brno, as he holds the lead in the drivers championship.

Richard Hudson-Evans is your commentator for this thrilling sprint race at Brno.  Enjoy.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1988-world-sports-car-brno-supersprint/2914

Today’s Group C Race of The Day continues our look at races from the 1987 season and we are now in the Eiffel mountains of Germany, at the legendary Nurburgring.

Two years after coming into Group C racing and 30 years after their last Le Mans victory, Jaguar are poised to win the 1987 World Sports Car Championship at the Nurburgring on August 30th.  But the Silk Cats are not the only felines abroad this weekend, as Tiga give chase to Spice and Ecosse in the most ferocious C2 race of the season.  It is all coming your way, next!  Paul Fowler is your commentator for this motor race.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1987-world-sports-car-nurburgring/2909

From motorsport.tv, the source for these archived videos about the Group C races.

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Great excitement and speculation surrounded the Shell Gemini 1000 kms race at Brands Hatch in England. The withdrawal of full factory support by Porsche had left Derek Bell and Hans Stuck wondering how to preserve their championship chances. Then came news that they had signed up with the Joest team and would be on the grid determined to challenge the Tom Walkinshaw Jaguars. The British team was anxious to avenge their defeat by Porsche at Le Mans and naturally the 20,000 patriotic Britons in attendance would back the Big Cats.

With Porsche winning the last two World Sports Car races, Silk Cut Jaguar have much to prove at Brands Hatch.  The biggest entry ever at the Kentish circuit provides the opposition for the seventh round of the world series as Jaguar make their bid for home rule.  One more time, we throw it down to my main man, Paul Fowler, for the race call.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1987-world-sports-car-brands-hatch/2903

 

From the YouTube channel Belgian-Motorsport, the top five best sounding cars of the Group C era, which includes the later 3.5 liter formula that came into existence in the early 1990s, where the cars were fitted with engines similar to those used in Formula 1.  3.5 liter, naturally aspirated V8s and V10s.

This time, we remain in 1987 and fast forward a few races to “the magic roundabout”, at the Norisring in Nuremberg, Germany, for the super sprint round of the World Championship.  Round six of the 1987 World Sports Car Championship took place at the spectacular Norisring circuit in the parkland of the city of Nuremberg, on June 28th, 1987.  With two “sprint” races, each over a distance of 180 kilometers counting towards the world series – and a track length of less than 2.5 kilometers, fast and furious racing was guaranteed, with cars lapping the circuit in less than 50 seconds.  This then, is the reason the event is called “The Magic Roundabout”.  We are ready to go, so, with the whimsical music of the calliope in the background, let’s join Videovision Broadcast International, and commentator Paul Fowler, for the action, on the 40th anniversary of the first race at Norisring, in 1947, just after WW. II.

This will also be the final race for the Porsche factory in Group C competition, until the 24 Hours of Le Mans the following year.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1987-world-sports-car-norisring/2898

The 1987 running of the Silverstone 1,000 Kilometers in Silverstone, England.  One year after scoring victory here at the fabled Silverstone Circuit, Jaguar returns with all eyes on defending it’s title, and leading the points standings in the World Sports Car Championship.  They want to win two years on the trot, here at their home event, the Autoglass 1,000 Kilometers of Silverstone.  But, their German rivals from Porsche and Mercedes have other ideas and want to fight the British juggernaut tooth and nail.  How will things transpire?  Watch the film of the race, and find out.  Let’s join our commentator, Paul Fowler, for all the action.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1987-world-sports-car-silverstone/2892

We stay in 1987, and we stay in Spain, for the next featured Group C Race of The Day, this time at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit.  The Porsche/Jaguar fight continues.  There Jerez 1,000 Kilometers is the first long distance event of the 1987 season.  After the first round victory went to Silk Cut Jaguar, Team Rothmans Porsche are out for revenge in this second round of the World Sports Car Championship.  But, this race will be more than a battle.  It will be a fight for survival out on the circuit, among the sherry vineyards of Andalusia.  Paul Fowler is in the commentary box to tell the story of this motor race.

https://motorsport.tv/duke-classic-videos/video/1987-world-sports-car-jerez/2884

Eddie Cheever shows you the details of the beautiful Jaguar XJR9 Group C car.