www.porscheroadandrace.com A decade and a half of 911 racing in Europe Part 1 Published: 21st August 2019 By: Glen Smale Online version: https://www.porscheroadandrace.com/a-decade-and-a-half-of-911-racing-in-europe-part-1/ Spa 24-Hour, 2 August 2008: The #160 Prospeed Competition Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S was driven by David Loix (B)/David Dermont (B)/Franz Lamot (B)/Jan Heylen (B) Over the years, we have attended many motor races and seen first-hand how the performance of the evergreen Porsche 911 has improved. This feature, the first in our four- part mini-series, starts with the 2005 season where the iconic 996 GT3 RSR was a potent force on the GT racing scene, and rolls through to 2008. The story of 911 racing in Europe is like no other, because the 911 is the only single continuously evolving sports car model in the market. www.porscheroadandrace.com The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy, Silverstone, 7 May 2006: Porsche 996 GT3 RSR of Race Alliance driven by Thomas Grüber (A)/Lukas Lichtner-Hoyer (A) finished 18th (11 laps behind the winner) overall from 26th on the starting grid In this mini-series, we will bring you some highlights from this remarkable journey as it unfolded from ’05 right up to the present. In order to share this 911 motorsport heritage with you, our readers, we have dug into our photo archive to produce a selection of racing images that best represents this period. www.porscheroadandrace.com 2005 The 996 GT3 Cup Car, the first racing car to usher in the new era of water-cooled Porsches back in 1999, could be upgraded to 400 bhp at 7300 rpm from its 3.6-litre engine, and had a sub-4 second time for the 0-62 mph sprint. www.porscheroadandrace.com FIA GT race, Silverstone, 15 May 2005: The #55 Embassy Racing Porsche 996 GT3 RSR of Neil Cunningham/Ben Collins (ex-Stig from BBC Top Gear) finished 13th. Cunningham doubled for James Bond in the movie Quantum of Solace, and lives in Swansea, UK www.porscheroadandrace.com FIA GT race, Silverstone, 15 May 2005: The #66 Gruppe M Racing Porsche 996 GT3 RSR was ably piloted by Marc Lieb/Mike Rockenfeller, who finished ninth overall and first in GT2 (five laps behind the winner). Both Lieb and Rockenfeller went on to great success with the Porsche and Audi works teams respectively Introduced in 2004, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (Type 996) featured a 3598 cc water- cooled flat-six engine developing 445 bhp at 8250 rpm, up from the 2001 model 911 GT3 RS’s 415 bhp at 8200 rpm. Maximum engine speed was reached at 8500 rpm when fitted with twin FIA spec 30.8 mm air restrictors. This model ran for three seasons, 2004 to 2006, and was replaced by the Type 997 in 2007. www.porscheroadandrace.com Silverstone 1000 km, 13 August 2005: The #86 Noble Racing 996 GT3 RSR of Darryl O’Young (HK)/Matthew Marsh (GB) failed to finish due to gearbox problems www.porscheroadandrace.com Silverstone 1000 km, 13 August 2005: Gruppe M Racing 996 GT3 R, driven by the British pairing of Jonny Cocker/Tim Sugden, was involved in an accident during the wet race 2006 Available from 2006-2009, the 911 GT3 Cup Type 997 MK1 was powered by a 3.6 litre flat- six, producing 400 bhp at 7300 rpm. With a revised aero package, the 997 GT3 Cup Car generated 40% more downforce than the 996 GT3 Cup Car, predominantly through its wider and higher rear wing. www.porscheroadandrace.com European GT3 Championship, Silverstone, 7 May 2006: The #6 SOFREV Auto Sport Promotion Porsche 997 GT3 Cup was driven by Marc Cattaneo/Morgan Moullin-Traffort finished fifth overall, winning the second heat European GT3 Championship, Silverstone, 7 May 2006: The #5 (driven by Jean Beaubelique, Gilles Chatelain) and #6 SOFREV Auto Sport Promotion Porsche 997 GT3 Cup cars seen here in the pits prior to the race All 997 GT3 Cup cars were fitted with the Porsche sequential gearbox. Originally introduced www.porscheroadandrace.com in the 2005 Porsche Supercup, more than 1400 cars were produced during this four-year period making the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Car the bestselling racing car of all time. For this photo grouping, both the European GT3 Championship and the FIA GT RAC Tourist Trophy, were held on the same bill at Silverstone on 7 May 2006. FIA GT RAC Tourist Trophy, Silverstone, 7 May 2006: The #74 Ebimotors 996 GT3 RSR driven by the Italian duo Luigi Moccia/Emanuele Busnelli did not finish after qualifying in 20th place www.porscheroadandrace.com FIA GT RAC Tourist Trophy, Silverstone, 7 May 2006: Porsche regulars Christian Ried/Horst Felbermayr Jr. in the #66 Team Felbermayr-Proton 996 GT3 RSR finished 17th overall (10 laps behind the winner) 2007 In 2007, the weapon of choice was the new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Powered by a new 3795 cc flat-six, the RSR produced 485 bhp at 8400 rpm when fitted with two 30.0 mm restrictors. The engine boasted 4-valves per cylinder, a compression ratio of 14.5:1, it redlined at 9000 rpm and was driven through a sequential 6-speed ‘box. For once we had a dry race for the FIA GT Championships at Silverstone on 6 May. When the #74 Ebimotors Porsche 997 GT3 RSR came past with its door missing, it presented a great opportunity to see the driver hard at work behind the wheel. Although the driver www.porscheroadandrace.com would not have enjoyed having his door missing, this is not an uncommon sight at races as the pressure build-up inside the cockpit can be significant, and just hitting a bump can ‘blow’ the door outwards and into the long grass. A missing door will also have a significantly negative impact on the aerodynamics of the car. FIA GT Championships, Silverstone, 6 May 2007: The #97 3.8-litre BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche 997 GT3 RSR of Matteo Malucelli/Emmanuel Collard in the pits before the race www.porscheroadandrace.com FIA GT Championships, Silverstone, 6 May 2007: The #97 3.8-litre BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche 997 GT3 RSR of Matteo Malucelli/Emmanuel Collard finished 18th overall, four laps behind the winner. Obscured behind is the #99 Tech9 Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 RSR driven by Sean Edwards/Leo Machitski who finished two places back in 20th. Readers will remember Sean Edwards as the very talented Carrera Cup driver who was so tragically killed in Australia in October 2013 in a private testing incident www.porscheroadandrace.com FIA GT Championships, Silverstone, 6 May 2007: Marcello Zani/Emanuele Busnelli in the #74 Ebimotors Porsche GT3 RSR did not finish The 2007 Le Mans 24-Hour race on 16/17 June was indeed an action-packed race. Just a few hours after the start of the race, the storm clouds that had been steadily building suddenly decided to empty, and the deluge that followed saw all and sundry scattering for whatever cover they could find. Mike Rockenfeller fell victim to the conditions and in the process clobbered the Armco at Tertre Rouge. A lengthy safety car session ensued. Thankfully he was fine, the skies cleared, and the race was green flagged once again. This race was the last outing for the Seikel Porsche team at Le Mans 24-Hour event, having participated eleven times, but this would not be a happy race for them as the car retired after just 68 laps. www.porscheroadandrace.com Le Mans 24-Hour, 16-17 June 2007: The #93 Autorlando Sport Porsche 997 GT3 RSR of Allan Simonsen/Pierre Ehret/Lars Nielsen finished in 21st place. Readers will recall that the Dane, Allan Simonsen, lost his life at Le Mans in 2013 when his Aston Martin struck the barriers at Tertre Rouge on just the third lap www.porscheroadandrace.com Le Mans 24-Hour, 16-17 June 2007: The #76 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 997 GT3 RSR driven by Porsche regulars Richard Lietz/Raymond Narac/Patrick Long finished 15th place overall and first in the GT2 class, 49 laps behind the winner 2008 Porsche’s 2008 GT3 RSR was aimed at the GT2 class in international long distance racing. A distinguishing feature of the new GT3 RSR was the new front end treatment which carried major improvements to the aerodynamics including additional spoilers on the front apron, called flicks, optimised air ducting with newly-designed side air outlets which generated greater downforce and reduced drag. The rear wing was carried over from the predecessor. The 3.8-litre engine remained unchanged from the previous year apart from slight improvements to some details, and delivered the same 465 bhp at 8000 rpm when fitted with a pair of 29.5 mm restrictors, the rev limiter kicking in at 9400 rpm. Much of the www.porscheroadandrace.com technology in the GT3 RSR’s new sequential six-speed gearbox came from the RS Spyder sports prototype, and was considerably lighter than its predecessor. If you’re tempted, you could have bought a GT3 RSR in 2008 for €349,800 plus VAT. Spa 24-Hour, 2 August 2008: The #141 sister car (left) piloted by Rémy Brouard/Thierry Stépec/Philippe Nozière/Tony Samon finished in 20th place overall, 109 laps behind the winner. The #140 Emeraude Racing Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S (right) driven by the all-French team of Olivier Baron/Patrice Fournet/André-Alain Corbel/Manuel Ferreira qualified in 41st place but posted a DNF in the race www.porscheroadandrace.com Spa 24-Hour, 2 August 2008: Driving a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S (#145), the all-Belgian crew of François Duval/Christian Kelders/Philippe Greich/Christophe Kerkhove came home in 18th place Thirty-five of these race cars were built at Weissach in 2008 and weighed in at 1225 kg in accordance with the ACO regulations, and 1200 kg for the FIA regs.