Porsche Rennsport Reunion V - Laguna Seca 2015

Chris Mac Allister's Porsche 917k at the top of Laguna Seca's Corkscrew in Sunday's Weissach Cup race in which he finished second.  Note that this photo and all others on this blog are subject to copyright - see the note at the end of the blog.

The Porsche Rennsport reunion is an event that takes place every four years and this year like the last time it was held at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca.  Previously it has been held at Lime Rock and Daytona.  It celebrates the racing heritage of Porsche and the men, women and cars that have built the Porsche legacy.  This year the theme was "Legends of Le Mans". I spoke to to many other spectators who had been to previous Porsche Rennsport reunions and they all agreed that this one was the best.  Not surprising as it was the biggest gathering of Porsches ever.   Both the track and the exhibitions in the paddock were full of OMG moments as you saw almost every Porsche sports racing car that Porsche built.   As well as this, there were something like forty of the best and most famous drivers that ever raced for Porsche.  But before we get onto that, lets talk about this wonderful Californian track.

The wall where many visitors including myself added our autographs.

Laguna Seca is a nicely situated historic track, dating from the late nineteen fifties, not far from Monterey in California and in the middle of a State Park.  The track is up to modern safety standards but except on the main start finish straight isn’t blighted by too many tall double chain link fencing impediments to viewing and photography.  The soul of Laguna Seca comes from its oak trees, the gradient and especially from the wonderful sequence of corners called the Corkscrew.  You can walk around the entire track and I don’t think there is anywhere where as a paying spectator you can’t photograph the track.  The track is only 2.2 miles long but the track climbs steeply before and after the Corkscrew and packs a good variety of corners into its design.

The wonderful 1969 Porsche 908 Langheck driven by Gunnar Jeannette descends the Corkscew.  He mounted a spirited challenge to the 917s in the Weissach Cup race.

The drivers.  So many of my heroes were at Laguna Seca that I lost count.  Porsche 917, 956 and 962 drivers were in abundance as well as the drivers of the current generation Porsche sports racing cars.  It was great to hear them reminisce.   Vic Elford and Derek Bell were very interesting.   Vic described the 1970 917 as an uncontrollable monster whereas Derek Bell found the 1971 917 a normal but fast racing car.   Imagine over 240 mph on the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans and having to correct the steering all the time!  Some of my favourite drivers at the reunion are below.

Group 1 of famous Porsche racing drivers photographed at Porsche Rennsport Reunion V.  Can you name them all?   Answers at the bottom of this blog post.

Group 2 of famous Porsche drivers seen at Laguna Seca in 2015.   There is also an ex-head of Porsche Motor Sport. Some easy to recognize, some less so.  All identified at the bottom of this blog post.

Group 3 - Seven more drivers plus two famous engineers who helped the 917 program along.  Again all identified at the bottom of this blogpost.

Great to see Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell re-united for the event.  They won Le Mans together for Porsche in 1981 and 1982.

Some of the professional and ex-professional drivers present drove in the races.  Hurley Haywood drove a 911S and a GT3. Patrick Long drove a 911, a 935 and a 962.  Jurgen Barth drove a couple of 911s.  Bruce Canepa drove a 917, a 935 and a 962.   Kees Nierop drove a 934.

Hurley Haywood driving a 1967 Porsche 911S in the Eifel Trophy to 16th place.

David Donohue drove a 911 and a RS Spyder, the latter in the colours of his father's Can Am car.  Bruce Leven drove a 935 and a 962.  Finally Jeroen Bleekemolen drove a RS Spyder.

David Donohue in a 2007 Porsche RS Spyder.  He finished fourth in the Stuttgart Cup race.

In terms of the racing there were seven groups of Porsche cars that had their races over the weekend.  In all I believe over 300 Porsches raced over the weekend.

Group 1 – PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup for Porsche Club of America Race Cars.

A big lock up early on Saturday morning going into the Andretti hairpin.

Another  big lock up into the final turn during Sunday mornings warm-up.  It was just after 8.00am and there is still mist rising above parts of the circuit.

Another shot on early Sunday morning.  This is on the straight leading up to the Corkscrew.  Here a 2010 Porsche GTC5 GT3 Cup car leads a 1974 PorscheGT4 911 RSR.

Turn Five - Bill Smith in a 996 leads a group during Sunday's race.

Group 2 – Gmund Cup for 550, 356, Abarth Carreras and similar age Porsches and specials.

This photo shows the variety in the Gmund Cup race.  John Higgins in the No.144 1959 Porsche RSK 718 laps a 1955 Porsche Continental Coupe and 1965 Autodynamics-Porsche Formula B car.  This was taken at the Corkscrew.

An unusual shot at the top of the Corkscrew with Gregor Magnusson's 1954 Porsche 356 passing a press photographer and the lunch boxes.

The two fastest cars were this 1955 Devin-Porsche and this 1953 Cooper-Porsche.  They had a great battle throughout the weekend.  Eventually  Cameron Healy in the Cooper won from Gregory Campbell in the Devin.

Jeff Wysard in the 1952 Porsche Glockler at the top of the Corkscrew.

Were all cars in this class Silver?  Actually no, but this Australian 1959 Porsche 718 RSK driven by Peter Harburg was.

1955 Porsche Special Spyder Pupulidy driven by Frank Altamura

Michael Sullivan in a 1960 Porsche 356 overtakes a slower car in Rainey Curve

Group 3 – Eifel Trophy – for up to 2.5 litre 911s, 914s and similar.

Jeff Lewis's 1974 Porsche 911 RSR just beginning a descent of the Corkscrew.

Thomas Gruber in the 1971 Porsche 914/6 leads Fritz Seidel's No.61 1967 Porsche 911S and other 911s through the Corkscrew.  Thomas Gruber was eventually to finish third.

Ranson Webster and his 1970 Porsche 914/6

Trevor Frank in his 1971 Porsche 914/4

1967 Porsche 911S driven by Fritz Seidel exits the Corkscrew.  He finished second 

Group 4 – Weissach Cup – for 906, 907, 908, 910, 917 and similar.  This was what I had come to see!  Actually I came to see the 917s but it was the 908 Langheck that I fell in love with again.  

A rare opportunity to photograph 3 Porsche 917s and two 908s in the same race.   Here Charles Nearburg's 917 leads early in Sunday's race but the 908LH is about to pounce.

The 908 of Gunnar Jeannette leads the 917 battle.

The 908LH of Gunnar Jeannette led all the 917s early on before falling back.  Note the roll on these cars as they corner! 

Later in the race the two lead 917s including the No.2 car of winner Bruce Canepa lap some of the slower runners such as the No.28 1967 Porsche 910 of Stephen Thein who finished twelfth.

The ex-Vic Elford 1970 Porsche 908/3 of of Cameron Healey at the Corkscrew.

The 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am car of Peter Harburg.

This Porsche engined Dolphin built in 1962 finished ninth driven by Victor Skirmants.

A view from the outside of the track as it descends from the Corkscrew and into Rainey Curve. This is the 1966 Porsche 906 of Wade Carter.

Many of the drivers were quite old but the Platypus team took it to extremes.

Group 5 – Carrera Trophy – for over 2.5 litre 911s, RSR, 924s, 935s and similar.

The start of the Carrera trophy race on Sunday afternoon. Photo taken from the final turn.

Cooper MacNeil in a 1977 Porsche 935

Steve Schmidt in a 1976 Porsche 935K3 heading down the Corkscrew.  He finished eighth.

Classic Corkscrew shot with Kees Nierop in a 1976 Porsche 934 leading a group through the corners.  Kees finished 15th.

Patrick Long in a 1983 Porsche 935 leads another group through the Corkscrew combination.  Patrick finished second.

A 1972 Porsche 914/4 driven by Ronald Mistak.

Group 6 – Stuttgart Cup – for 956, 962, and more modern WSC cars.  This was another good reason to come and the noise they made brought back memories of when motor racing was wonderfully loud!

A rolling start to the qualifying race on Saturday.  Note that one of the 962s was mixing it with the later Porsche RS Spyders.

Bruce Leven was driving this 1985 Porsche 962.

Two more Group C Porsche 962s head through the final curve.

John Higgins in the 1985 Porsche Fabcar GTPL heading out of the final curve.

Jeroen Bleekemolen was extremely fast in this 2006 Porsche RS Spyder and he won the race.

A 2008 Riley Porsche Daytona leads a 962 and a GT3R out of the final curve.

Christian Zugel driving this lovely 2008 Porsche Porsche RS Spyder down the Corkscrew

Charles Nearburg in a Rothmans liveried 1986 Porsche 962 descends the Corkscrew

Another photo of Jeroen Bleekemolen in the Porsche RS Spyder, this time at turn 10.  Photo taken from the camp site.

Jim Torres in the 1986 Porsche 962 speeds through turn 10 on Sunday morning.

John O'Steen in another 1986 Porsche 962.  Chassis 962122.

Rather common these 1986 Porsche 962s!   This is Tom Haacker in a beautiful Brun Jagermeister liveried car exiting turn 10.   Chassis 117. 

This was the fastest of the 962s.  It is a 1990 Porsche 962C and was driven by Bruce Canepa.

At last a 956!   This is the 1983 Porsche 956C of Richard Harris.

2007 Porsche RS Spyder.  Chassis 015 1650.  Driven by Cooper MacNeil it finished second.

Group 7 – Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Challenge.  The last round of this IMSA sanctioned championship.

Lucas Catania negotiates the Corkscrew in his 2014 Porsche 911 GT3

The GT3 cars going over the brow just after the start.

The podium for the GT3 Cup Challenge.....

Maybe we will see these drivers soon progressing to higher things.  1st in Race 2 on Sunday was Colin Thompson.  2nd was Angel Benitez Jnr.  3rd was Jesse Lazare.

...and then came the usual Champagne celebration!

As well as the race cars there was an amazing exhibition of historic racing Porsches in the paddock and display cars it the pits area.  A truly amazing collection.   Below are just a few:

This is the Tony Dean Porsche 908/3 that won Porsche's first Can-Am race at Road Atlanta in 1970, a giant killer act against the dominant McLarens.

The Porsche exhibition tent was full of gems such as this 1953 Porsche 550 Coupe that raced in the Carrera Panamericana.

A reminder that Porsche competed successfully in Indy Car racing.

The Porsche 962 that won at Daytona in 1989.

....and then I came across what was in the pits garages!   Heaven!

Porsche 908/2 Spyder Langheck.  This was driven at Le Mans in 1970 by Rudi Lins and Helmut Marko. 

1998 Porsche 911GT1 and RS Spyder.

The 1981 Le Mans winning Porsche 936 that was driven by Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell

1971 Le Mans Porsche 917 long tail.  Derek Bell told us this was the car he drove in Gulf colour but that it had been repainted for political reasons.

Porsche 917K in 1971 trim and iconic Gulf colours.  The Le Mans film car.

Unusual shot of the Porsche 908 Langheck

Porsche 936 in the exhibition tent

1968 Porsche 908 short tail coupe

One of the few 904s present joins the Porsche parade around the track.  I think this is a 1964 Porsche 904GTS

Add to this some other attractions and the incredible car parks full of the spectators’ cars and you have an incredible weekend.

A WWII Mitchell bomber made a flypast.  Not sure that this was in good taste for the Germans present!

Porsche were showing off some of their new cars such as this 918 Spyder.

Porsche 959 Rally car out of the exhibition does some demo laps.

Fresh from its recent victories, a Porsche 919 performed many fast laps during the weekend.

This 2015 Porsche 911RSR was driven very enthusiastically in the demo runs and here has a minor "off" at the Corkscrew.

The car parks were full of Porsches!

Special thanks to those who I engaged with in interesting conversations over the weekend, especially the couple from Los Angeles, another couple from Texas and the gents from New Zealand.  You also helped make a great weekend.

The crowd enjoying the shade at the Corkscrew on a very hot Saturday afternoon.

FAMOUS PORSCHE PERSONALITIES

Group 1 were left to right and top to bottom -

James Weaver - Won in the Porsche 962 at Miami and San Antonio

Jochen Mass - Won the Brands Hatch 6hrs for Porsche.

Jorg Bergmeister - Class win at Le Mans for Porsche.

Jackie Oliver - Won at Daytona and Spa partnering Rodriguez in a 917.
Hans Joachim Stuck - Twice a winner at Le Mans for Porsche.

Derek Bell - Four times a Le Mans winner with Porsche.

Vern Schuppan - A winner at Le Mans with Porsche.

Gijs Van Lennep - Twice a winner at Le Mans with Porsche.

Earl Bamber - a current Porsche driver and part of this years winning team at Le Mans.

Group 2 were left to right and top to bottom -

Hartmut Kristen - A former head of Porsche's motor sport programs.

David Murry - Won the SCCA World Challenge for Porsche.

Mark Webber - a current Porsche driver and a winner this year at Nurburgring, Fuji and Austin.

Hurley Haywood - won with Porsche three times at Le Mans, 5 times at Daytona, twice at Sebring.

Jacky Ickx - won with Porsche four times at Le Mans.

John Fitzpatrick - won the European GT championship in 1972 with Porsche.

Danny Sullivan - podium finishes at Le Mans and Daytona for Porsche.

Rudi Lins - A class winner at Le Mans in a Porsche.

Brendan Hartley -a current Porsche driver and a winner this year at Nurburgring, Fuji and Austin.

Group 3 were left to right and top to bottom -

Bob Garretson - Won the World endurance title with Porsche in 1981 driving a Porsche.

Vic Elford - Won the Monte Carlo Rally, the Targa Florio and other endurance races for Porsche. 

Dickie Attwood - Won Porsche's first overall victory at Le Mans in 1970 with Herrmann.

Norbert Singer - The engineer behind the 917, 935, 956 and 962C programs amongst others.

George Follmer - Won the Can Am championship for Porsche & finished on the podium at Le Mans.
John Horsmann - Engineer whom partnered with John Wyer to run the Gulf JWA team of 917s.
Gerard Larrousse - Won at the Nurburgring for Porsche.
Nick Tandy - a current Porsche driver and part of this years winning team at Le Mans.
Hans Herrmann - Won Porsche's first overall victory at Le Mans in 1970 with Attwood. 

To see more of my Motor Racing blogposts click here or on the Motor Sport button at the top of this page.

A lot of photos but edited down from over 2,000!    As usual all were taken on a Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ70 compact camera from the public viewing areas.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

A shame that Pedro, Jo, Al, Mark, Stefan and others didn't survive to be with us at Rennsport V.