DOCSLIB.ORG

Conversations with Peter Gregg

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Conversations with Peter Gregg www.porscheroadandrace.com Conversations with Peter Gregg Published: 21st April 2017 By: Martin Raffauf Online version: https://www.porscheroadandrace.com/conversations-with-peter-gregg/ Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood won the 24 Hours of Daytona on 3/4 February 1973 driving this 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 Peter Gregg was the IMSA driver every one strived to beat. He started in the early ‘70s with Porsches and had done very well. He won the first championship in 1971, sharing a Porsche with Hurley Haywood in the GTU class (under 2.5-litre). By 1973 he was running the iconic Porsche Carrera RSR and he would win the IMSA title in 1973, 1974 and 1975. By then he was known as ‘Peter Perfect,’ always approaching his racing in a very professional way, trying to leave nothing to chance. In 1976, on one occasion IMSA would not allow the 934 to run, and he realised that the RSR would struggle, and so switched to the factory BMW CSL. www.porscheroadandrace.com He was beaten to the title by Al Holbert in a Chevrolet Monza. By 1977 IMSA had decided to allow a 934 ½ to run, but this was no ordinary 934, this was a specially made 934 with some permitted changes, sort of like a 934 on steroids. Peter Gregg and Guy Chasseuil finished in 14th place overall and third in the Grand Touring 3000 class in the 1973 Le Mans in the #48 911 Carrera RSR Peter Gregg showed up with one of these at Sebring and promptly sold the car to Jim Busby, as he had a second new one on the way. They managed to finish third behind two RSRs due to losing a wheel. By Atlanta, he had his own car and caused quite a stir, when he was several seconds faster than anyone else. IMSA found the car to be totally out of 934 ½ specification and sent him home, and the car did not race. He then proceeded to run the season in the Trans Am Championship and won the series, but was subsequently stripped of the title by the FIA due to rules irregularities. www.porscheroadandrace.com Peter Gregg in the Carrera RSR 2.8 at the IMSA Road Atlanta race in 1973, one which he would win on his way to the IMSA championship in 1973 The Gregg/Haywood Carrera RSR enters turn 6 onto the banking at Daytona on its way to winning the Daytona 24 Hours in 1975 In 1978, IMSA allowed the 935 customer models to run, and Peter duly got one, came back to IMSA, and won the IMSA championship once again. By then I had left my temporary position as a technical inspector at IMSA and had moved to work with the Dick Barbour Racing team in early 1978. The Barbour team was also running 935s but we did not run all the IMSA races, focusing instead on the longer races, so were not direct competitors with www.porscheroadandrace.com Peter for the full IMSA schedule. However, we did very well against him in the races we did run, notably Daytona, Sebring, Riverside and Watkins Glen (non-IMSA race). It was very similar in 1979, as Dick’s team did not contest the whole IMSA schedule, and although we ran well against Peter in the races we did contest, and he won the championship once again. Peter Gregg circa 1974 in the RSR days Peter Gregg enters Daytona turn one during the 24 hour in 1973 in the 1973 RSR. After the prototype Matra and several other prototypes dropped out, the Gregg and Penske RSRs would battle for the lead into the night, until sometime after midnight, when the Penske RSR had engine failure. Gregg/Haywood went on to win after the Penske car of Donohue/Follmer dropped out www.porscheroadandrace.com Our first real conversation with him was on an airplane flight out of Watkins Glen in 1979. We had finished second and third with two of our cars, and he had been a DNF in the Bayside 935. Jerry Woods and I sat right across from Peter and Michael Colucci (Peter’s chief mechanic) on the plane, and got talking. He asked about the team and remarked how we seemed to be doing quite well. We explained how a lot of our team were not full time people, but rather we were Porsche Club guys who had other jobs, and worked at the shop nights and weekends, basically attending the races without pay. He was rather shocked, but then said, “That’s why you guys are good, you all want to be there racing.” Then he turned to Michael Colucci and said, “See, maybe that is our problem, maybe you should work for nothing!” Colucci was not very receptive to that and said, that wasn’t going to happen. We all had a good laugh about it. www.porscheroadandrace.com Peter Gregg at Watkins Glen with his 934/5 in 1977. This car is now owned by Bob Weber and it recently won its class at the Amelia Island Concourse in 2017 By 1980 the Dick Barbour team was in direct competition with Peter Gregg for the 1980 IMSA championship. The season would be a tough one. Competitors in addition to Peter included Interscope, the Whittingtons, Bob Akin, Bayside Disposal, John Paul, Moretti and Jim Busby, all with top line Porsche equipment. Dick had hired John Fitzpatrick to drive and bought a brand-new Kremer 935 K3 from Kremer, in Cologne. Peter had stuck with the factory 935 design, which was slightly inferior (in my opinion) by this time. Kremer had done their homework on the bodywork, and the aerodynamics of the K3 was quite good in www.porscheroadandrace.com comparison to the factory setup. Peter Gregg (in car) and Claude Ballot-Léna finished third overall and first in Group 5 in this 935-77 at Le Mans in 1977. This car has been beautifully restored and now lives in Colorado, USA Our second conversation came after the Laguna Seca IMSA event, a 100-mile race. By this time engines had increased to 3.2-litre and were using more fuel. Jerry Woods, our engine man, had some concerns about making the 100-mile distance on one tank of 120-litres. Running out of fuel and stopping out on the circuit would most likely preclude winning, as some would make it without stopping. We knew it would be close, so we put every last drop of fuel we could in the car (by fuelling from the upper level of our transporter). Qualifying had been a short heat race event. Although we had set a faster lap time, Peter’s heat race had been quicker than John’s (Fitzpatrick), so Peter started on pole. He knew fuel was a bit www.porscheroadandrace.com iffy, so he purposely jumped the start, to make everyone do another lap, and so the starter did not start the race due to an out of order grid. Peter and John had a race long battle, with John just edging him by a few seconds at the end to win. After the race, Peter stormed over, saw Jerry Woods (our engine builder), got right in his face, jabbing his finger at Jerry, and said, “I’ve been keeping track of your fuel mileage all year, I was sure you were not going to be able to finish that race without stopping.” Then he smiled, and said, “So I don’t know what you did, but congratulations,” and shook Jerry’s hand and walked off. Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood and Reinhold Joest finished third overall in the factory 936-77 at Le Mans in 1978 Our third conversation with him was at Le Mans that year. The Dick Barbour team were running three 935s this year, but Peter was driving a factory 924 GTS turbo. On the Wednesday before the first practice, Peter came into our pit and he was all banged up with www.porscheroadandrace.com bandages on his head, and bruising on his face and arms. He was walking slowly, and those of us who knew him fairly well, came right over and asked what had happened. He told us he was out of the race, he had been on his way to the circuit in a road car when a French farmer had pulled out in front of him with a tractor, forcing him off the road into a ditch. He was suffering from dizziness and blurred vision, was not going to drive and was, in fact going home early. Since he knew us from IMSA he wanted to come by and wish us well before he left. Very classy, we thought at the time. We wished him well, and were glad he was not more seriously hurt. Rolf Stommelen, Toine Hezemans and Peter Gregg won the 1978 Daytona 24 Hours in this #99 Porsche 935/77A We did not really meet again for any length of time until the November IMSA race. By the time of the Daytona finale (1980) we had clinched the championship, so we did not bother to www.porscheroadandrace.com run a car at all. But Bob Garretson, Jerry Woods, Ron Trethan, and I went down to Daytona anyway just to watch and attend the IMSA yearly awards banquet. Peter was experimenting with some new bodywork on his car, but was struggling in practice. He had skipped most of the races since Le Mans, recovering from his accident in France. When we saw him, you could tell, something was just ‘off.’ However, he seemed in good spirits and invited us all to his Brumos Booster party which he held annually at this race in a private area by Turn 6 at the Daytona Speedway.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Porsche in Le Mans
    Press Information Meet the Heroes of Le Mans Mission 2014. Our Return. Porsche at Le Mans Meet the Heroes of Le Mans • Porsche and the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1 Porsche and the 24 Hours of Le Mans Porsche in the starting line-up for 63 years The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most famous endurance race in the world. The post-war story of the 24 Heures du Mans begins in the year 1949. And already in 1951 – the pro - duction of the first sports cars in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen commenced in March the previous year – a small delegation from Porsche KG tackles the high-speed circuit 200 kilometres west of Paris in the Sarthe department. Class victory right at the outset for the 356 SL Aluminium Coupé marks the beginning of one of the most illustrious legends in motor racing: Porsche and Le Mans. Race cars from Porsche have contested Le Mans every year since 1951. The reward for this incredible stamina (Porsche is the only marque to have competed for 63 years without a break) is a raft of records, including 16 overall wins and 102 class victories to 2013. The sporting competition and success at the top echelon of racing in one of the world’s most famous arenas is as much a part of Porsche as the number combination 911. After a number of class wins in the early fifties with the 550, the first time on the podium in the overall classification came in 1958 with the 718 RSK clinching third place.
    [Show full text]
  • RSR Final Desc.Pages
    ! The 1973 Sebring 12 Hours Winning 1973 Porsche 911 2.8 RSR Ex. Hurley Haywood, Peter Gregg Chassis No. : 911.360.0705 • Without a doubt one of the most significant Porsche 911 of all time. • Run by the legendary Brumos Team and driven to outright victory in the 1973 Sebring 12 Hours by Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood and David Helmick. • Retained and preserved in the long term collection of well known Porsche collector Dr. Bill Jackson. • A once in a lifetime opportunity to own the car that claimed one the three most important outright wins for the Porsche 911 of all time. Since the company was founded in 1931 by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, Porsche has been responsible for some of the most iconic cars of all time. Perhaps the most important of these is the Porsche 911, a design concept which has endured for more than half a century and is still successful both commercially on the road and in competition on the race track. Designed by Ferdinand Porsche’s son Ferry, the 911 was a replacement for Porsche’s 356 model and made it’s debut at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was originally badged as the 901 and had a 128hp, 1991cc flat 6 engine in boxer configuration, which was air cooled and rear mounted and mated to a five speed manual transmission. After a mere 82 cars had been produced, a legal challenge from Peugeot concerning the car name, led Porsche to change the name to 911. T. + 44 (0)1285 831 488 E. [email protected] www.williamianson.com ! The Porsche factory did not decide to start racing the 911 immediately choosing to focus its attention on the purpose designed 906, 908 and 910 prototypes.
    [Show full text]
  • Le Mans (Not Just) for Dummies the Club Arnage Guide
    Le Mans (not just) for Dummies The Club Arnage Guide to the 24 hours of Le Mans 2011 "I couldn't sleep very well last night. Some noisy buggers going around in automobiles kept me awake." Ken Miles, 1918 - 1966 Copyright The entire contents of this publication and, in particular of all photographs, maps and articles contained therein, are protected by the laws in force relating to intellectual property. All rights which have not been expressly granted remain the property of Club Arnage. The reproduction, depiction, publication, distr bution or copying of all or any part of this publication, or the modification of all or any part of it, in any form whatsoever is strictly forbidden without the prior written consent of Club Arnage (CA). Club Arnage (CA) hereby grants you the right to read and to download and to print copies of this document or part of it solely for your own personal use. Disclaimer Although care has been taken in preparing the information supplied in this publication, the authors do not and cannot guarantee the accuracy of it. The authors cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions and accept no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage howsoever arising. All images and logos used are the property of Club Arnage (CA) or CA forum members or are believed to be in the public domain. This guide is not an official publication, it is not authorized, approved or endorsed by the race-organizer: Automobile Club de L’Ouest (A.C.O.) Mentions légales Le contenu de ce document et notamment les photos, plans, et descriptif, sont protégés par les lois en vigueur sur la propriété intellectuelle.
    [Show full text]
  • BMW Group Corporate Communications
    BMW Group Corporate Communications Comunicato stampa N. 37/08 San Donato Milanese, 1 aprile 2008 Icone per intenditori – i trent’anni della BMW M1 La stella era vestita di un bianco candido: quando nell’autunno del 1978 si aprirono i cancelli del 64° Salone di Parigi, gli appassionati delle auto sportive non avevano che una destinazione – lo stand della BMW Motorsport GmbH. Lì potevano ammirare un nuovo modello super ribassato ed estremamente dinamico che dimostrava chiaramente già dal primo sguardo di essere la più veloce auto sportiva stradale tedesca: la BMW M1, alta 1.140 mm, potente (277 CV) e veloce (ben oltre i 260 km/h). “Tutti sono corsi intorno alla nuova auto sportiva della BMW con motore centrale – scriveva la stampa – e l’elenco degli ordini in arrivo supera le più rosee aspettative. Per esempio, un appassionato americano di BMW ne ha già ordinati tre esemplari”. Era qualcosa di impressionante, considerando che, nel 1978, la super sportiva BMW aveva un prezzo di esattamente 100.000 marchi, abbastanza per acquistare quattro BMW 323is più un paio di optional extra. Sarebbe giusto dire che poche automobili erano attese con tanto entusiasmo ed aspettativa come la BMW M1, che rappresentava tutto il know-how della casa di Monaco in termini di sport motoristico. Il Progetto E 26, come veniva indicata internamente all’azienda l’M1 che ancora non aveva un nome, era iniziato nel 1976. Doveva essere questa la prima vettura veramente eccezionale costruita dalla BMW Motorsport GmbH, divisione sportiva della BMW fondata nel 1972. Essendosi già creata un nome sulla scena internazionale delle competizioni con la veloce BMW 2002 e con la fantastica BMW 3.0 CSI, la divisione sportiva ora intendeva portare questo successo ad un livello ancora più alto con un’auto da competizione costruita e preparata appositamente per le gare dei Gr.
    [Show full text]
  • Motorsport News November 27, 2017 No
    Motorsport News November 27, 2017 No. 85 /17 Dear Journalist: Early each week, Porsche Cars North America will provide a weekend summary or pre- race event notes package, covering the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Pirelli World Challenge (PWC), the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) or other areas of interest from the world of Porsche Motorsport. Please utilize this resource as needed, and do not hesitate to contact us for additional information. - Porsche Cars North America Motorsports Public Relations Team Porsche Motorsports Weekly Event Notes: Monday, November 27, 2017 Porsche Profile. Event Story Lines. Youth Movement. Porsche Motorsport Expands Youth Driver Development Program. Porsche is expanding its successful and sustainable youth development program in international motorsport. In 2018, four Young Professionals will be sponsored on the international GT racing scene. Two Porsche Juniors will receive training to become a professional racing driver in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which features on the same event weekends as Formula 1. Norway’s Dennis Olsen and Australian Matt Campbell will be supported in the future as Porsche Young Professionals in international GT racing. The Porsche Young Professionals squad also includes Matteo Cairoli from Italy and Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet. Thomas Preining from Austria makes the step up from the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, where he will be supported as a Porsche Junior. Porsche Motorsport will also support Julien Andlauer as a new Public Relations Department 1 of 11 Public Relations Department Motorsport Communications Product Communications Dave Engelman David Burkhalter Phone +1.770.290.3617 Phone +1.770.290.3511 [email protected] [email protected] Motorsport News November 27, 2017 No.
    [Show full text]
  • 1971 Daytona 24 Hours
    www.porscheroadandrace.com The fastest 935 of them all! Published: 11th December 2020 By: John Starkey Online version: https://www.porscheroadandrace.com/the-fastest-935-of-them-all/ Porsche 935 JLP-4 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2014 JLP-4 was the final race car in the line of Porsche 935 specials built for the John Paul father and son team. Using this final ‘weapon’, the Pauls notched up several outright victories in IMSA races and, in combination with JLP-3, John Paul Jr won the 1982 IMSA Camel Driver’s Championship. JLP-4 was the only Porsche 935 with full ground effects, and it proved to be four seconds a lap faster than JLP-3, which itself was one very fast 935. Designed by Lee Dykstra and built www.porscheroadandrace.com by Dave Klym, JLP-4 featured a front suspension design with a rocker arm/inboard dampers/coil spring set-up. The car had full length ground-effect Venturis and right hand drive, to put the driver on the inside of most corners of a race course. This was the most radical design of all the 935s. G.I. Joe’s Toyota Grand Prix Portland, 1 August 1982: The #18 Porsche 935 JLP-4 driven by John Paul Jr started from pole position and he ran out the winner of this race. Rounding the corner alongside is John Fitzpatrick in the #2 JDavid Porsche 935 K4, who posted a DNF Appearing first of all at Brainerd Raceway on 11 July 1982, John Paul Jr forsook his baby blue Lola T600 GT Prototype and scored a runaway straight-out-of-the-box victory there with JLP-4.
    [Show full text]
  • Automodelli Da Collezione
    KIT & BUILT www.arenamodelli.com mail: [email protected] Specializzata in modelli da Rallyes in resina 1/43 1/24 con particolari in metallo, che riproducono nei dettagli l'auto così come ha partecipato alla singola gara Specialized in Rallyes models with resin and metal parts 1/43 1/24, totally hand made, the exact reproduction of the real car as it runs in that specific race Modèle voitures miniatures 1/24 1/43, les modèles sont entièrement faits à la main, reproduisant en détail l'auto ainsique participé à la course individuelle AUTOMODELLI DA COLLEZIONE - aggiornamento Gennaio 2021 VENDITA VIETATA AI MINORI DI 14 ANNI - SALE PROHIBITED TO MINORS 14 YEARS OLD VENTE INTERDITE AUX MOINS DE 14 ANS Codice Descizione/Description ARESP 18 FIAT 131 ABARTH GR.4 OLIO FIAT ELBA 1975 3 VERSIONI ARESP 19 FIAT 131 ABARTH GR.4 OLIO FIAT MONTECARLO '76 3 VERSIONI ARESP 20 FIAT 131 ABRTH GR.4 WARSTEINER HUNSRUCK 1980 ROHRL-GEISTDORFER ARESP 32 FIAT 131 ABARTH GR-4 MARLBORO SVEZIA 1979 ALEN-KIVIMAKI ARESP 33 GIANNINI 700 GR.2 TOLMEZZO-VERZEGNIS 1977 N.151 ARESP 34 FIAT 500 GR.2 TOLMEZZO-VERZEGNIS 1977 N.155 ARESP 35 FIAT 500 GR.2 TOLMEZZO-VERZEGNIS 1977 N.163 ARESP039 FIAT 131 ABARTH GR.4 RICAMBI FIAT VALLI PIACENTINE/ELBA '78 ARESP 40 FIAT 131 GR.4 FIAT FRANCE S.REMO-MONTE-TDC 1977/1978 ARE 064 OPEL K.GTE GR.1 ELBA '76 PRESOTTO ARE 066 OPEL K.GTE 1900 GR.4 CAREN.ROHRL ELBA '77 ARE 067 OPEL K.GTE 2000 GR.1 BIASION MODENA '79 ARE 087 OPEL K.GTE 2000 GR.2 COLLINE ROM.
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Booklet For
    The ‚DRM’ (=Deutsche Rennsport-Meisterschaft) was the most important German racing series from 1972 to 1985, which got designed to establish a title with international meaning and relevance. 14 years of touring- and sports car racing of the highest level that motorsports can offer. Classic touring cars and GT were the start: The main features of the sports gear were stripped out, lightened car bodies, performance-enhanced engines and improved suspensions, transmissions and brakes. Stronger, lighter, faster - the tubular frame designs of Group 5 coupled with the turbo age are what subsequently gave the DRM probably the best and most spectacular races. Group C ultimately heralded the end: fascinating, thoroughbred racing cars, but simply too expensive for a national championship to offer the series a future. BMW 3.0 CSL BMW 3.0 CSL MODEL YEAR MODEL YEAR 1973 1973 PLACE OF BIRTH DATE OF BIRTH PLACE OF BIRTH DATE OF BIRTH VIENNA /AUT 22. 02. 1949 EINDHOVEN /NL 15. 04.1943 NIKI LAUDA TOINE HEZEMANS FORMULA 1 CAREER HIGHLIGHTS WORLD CHAMPION OF 1975, 1977 & 1984 6H OF WATKINS GLEN ACTIVE FORMULA 1 DRIVER WINS PODIUMS POLE POSITIONS Victory 1978 1971-1979 & 1982-1985 25 54 24 24H OF DAYTONA EUROPEAN TOURING CAR Victory 1978 Champion of 1970 & 1973 OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 24H OF SPA EUROPEAN GT Victory 1973 Champion of 1976 PROCAR-SERIES Champion of 1979 PORSCHE 935-2.0 »BABY« COUPÉ BMW 320 MODEL YEAR 1977 MODEL YEAR 1977 PLACE OF BIRTH DATE OF BIRTH PLACE OF BIRTH DATE OF BIRTH WÖRGL, TIROL /AUT 27. 08. 1959 ESSEN /GER 28.
    [Show full text]
  • Gateway Relay
    Gateway Relay Vol VI, No. 4 St Louis Sports Car Council January 2017 Council News & Notes Up & Coming 28 Jan 17—JAGSL Coffee, Coffee & Cars, at JustJags LLC, 7113 N Hanley Rd, Recent temps notwithstanding Hazelwood, 8:30 AM. (70º in January!?), our resident weather guessers are of an opin- 28 Jan 17—St Louis Chapter BMWCCA Holiday Party, 6-10 PM, at Fast Lane ion there’s still plenty of winter to Classic Cars, 427 Little Hills Industrial Blvd, St Charles (date change due to weath- come. However, as a group of er). all-weather car clubs, there are also still plenty of activities in 3 Feb 17—Bus trip to Springfield for the Levi Tour of a private car and motorcycle planning and/or in execution. collection, with the St Louis Post Dispatch’s “Fin Man” serving as the tour guide. And yes, as we here in the Cost $60, covers transportation, the private tour and lunch at the Pizza Barn. StLSCC editorial offices say eve- Space limited, if interested contact The Fin Man ASAP at [email protected] or ry year, the event calendar is call (314)894-3575. starting to fill up. 4 Feb 17—JAGSL Memory Lane Rallye: A Step Back to a Simpler Time. Travel If you’re looking for indoor activi- over scenic rolling hills, through small towns and with views that will make you feel ties, there are still several com- you are going back in time. The destination is Steeleville, an “old town atmos- ing. Driving events? As it stands phere,” enhanced by our destination, “The Soda Fountain” and the circa 1908 gen- now, the first one will take place eral store.
    [Show full text]
  • THE BEAULIEU SALE Collectors’ Motor Cars, Motorcycles and Automobilia Saturday 3 September 2016 the National Motor Museum Beaulieu, Hampshire
    THE BEAULIEU SALE Collectors’ Motor Cars, Motorcycles and Automobilia Saturday 3 September 2016 The National Motor Museum Beaulieu, Hampshire THE BEAULIEU SALE Collectors’ Motor Cars, Motorcycles and Automobilia Saturday 3 September 2016 The National Motor Museum Beaulieu, Hampshire VIEWING Please note that bids should be ENQUIRIES CUSTOMER SERVICES submitted no later than 16:00 on Monday to Friday 08:00 - 18:00 Friday 2 September Motor Cars Friday 2 September. Thereafter +44 (0) 20 7447 7447 10:00 to 17:00 +44 (0) 20 7468 5801 bids should be sent directly to the Saturday 3 September +44 (0) 20 7468 5802 fax Bonhams office at the sale venue. Please see page 2 for bidder 09:00 event exhibitors [email protected] +44 (0) 8700 270 089 fax or information including after-sale 10.00 general admission [email protected] collection and shipment Motorcycles +44 (0) 20 8963 2817 SALE TIMES We regret that we are unable to [email protected] Please see back of catalogue Automobilia 11:00 accept telephone bids for lots with for important notice to bidders a low estimate below £500. Motorcycles 14:00 Automobilia Absentee bids will be accepted. Motor Cars 15:00 +44 (0) 8700 273 619 ILLUSTRATIONS New bidders must also provide [email protected] Front cover: Lots 444, 451, 314, 427 SALE NUMBER proof of identity when submitting Back cover: Lot 23 bids. Failure to do so may result 23594 in your bids not being processed. ENQUIRIES ON VIEW AND SALE DAYS IMPORTANT INFORMATION CATALOGUE The United States Government Live online bidding is +44 (0) 8700 270 090 has banned the import of ivory £25.00 + p&p available for this sale +44 (0) 8700 270 089 fax into the USA.
    [Show full text]
  • 120124 Daytona 24H GB
    Communications Motorsport Jürgen Pippig Eva-Maria Veith Tel ephone: +49 (0)841 89 34200 Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 33922 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] www.audi-motorsport.info Premiere for Audi at the Daytona 24 Hours • Debut for new Audi R8 GRAND-AM customer sport race car • Private teams APR Motorsport and Oryx Racing are on the grid • Driver line-up includes Audi legend Emanuele Pirro Ingolstadt, January 24, 2012 – Premiere coincides with anniversary: The Audi R8 GRAND-AM will make its debut on the 50th running of the Daytona 24 Hours from January 26 to 29. Teams APR Motorsport and Oryx Racing are each fielding one of the newly developed customer sport race cars in the GT class of the endurance classic. The “Rolex 24 at Daytona” ranks among the finest classics in international motorsport. The event has been thrilling the sports car fan community since 1962. Some of the greatest racers in history have entered their names on the winners’ list – from Jacky Ickx and Hans Herrmann through to Hurley Haywood, A. J. Foyt or Derek Bell. Reinhold Joest, the founder of Audi Sport Team Joest has personally won this classic race in Florida too. Current Audi factory driver Mike Rockenfeller decided the competition in his favor with an American team two years ago. On the event’s 50th anniversary the organizer is treating the audience to an unusual and spectacular experience. A champions party with numerous racing legends, an exhibition of historic overall-winning cars, a carnival complete with a Ferris Wheel, a 5-kilometer run on the track for all sports enthusiasts on Saturday before the race, autograph sessions and pit walks are just some of the attractions featured on the last weekend in January.
    [Show full text]
  • Stéphane Ratel and SRO Motorsports
    www.porscheroadandrace.com 25 Years of GT Racing: Stéphane Ratel and SRO Motorsports Published: 20th May 2020 By: Glen Smale Online version: https://www.porscheroadandrace.com/25-years-of-gt-racing-stephane-ratel-and-sro-motorsports/ www.porscheroadandrace.com 25 Years of GT Racing: Stéphane Ratel and SRO Motorsports by Andrew Cotton © Virtual Motorpix/Glen Smale www.porscheroadandrace.com On the world stage, GT racing has enjoyed as many ups as it has had downs over the years, but this class of racing arguably forms the core of what motor racing encompasses, that is, to take a recognisable Grand Touring car and to go racing with it. I acknowledge that this is an extremely simplistic view to take, and there will be those who point to their favourite form of the sport such as rallying, hill climbing, prototypes etc, this list goes on. But GT racing has (almost) always drawn crowds because the individual spectator can recognise their favourite brand or model on the track on Sunday, even if they cannot afford to buy that car on the following Monday morning. 25 Years of GT Racing: Stéphane Ratel and SRO Motorsports by Andrew Cotton © Virtual Motorpix/Glen Smale GT racing clearly took a back seat through the 1980s when the Group C cars grabbed all the www.porscheroadandrace.com limelight. And while Group C gave us one of the most enjoyable and closely fought eras of motorsport in modern times, GT racing all but ground to a halt in the final years of the Group C decade. In fact, once the Group C cars had left the scene after the 1992 season, there was a huge vacuum in European motorsport.
    [Show full text]