Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI - Can-Am and Interserie

Porsche 917/10s attack the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca agin.

There were lots of reminders at Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI of Porsche's success in Group 7 via Can-Am and Interseries.  Laguna Seca is of course an appropriate place to bring these cars to as it held rounds of the original Can-Am series from 1966 to 1973.   Porsche won the last two Can-Am events at Laguna Seca - George Follmer in 1972 in a 917/10 and Mark Donohue in 1973 in a 917/30.

Each day at RRVI the Porsche 917/10s and 917/30s did exhibition runs.

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Strangely enough, although Porsche ended dominating the Canadian-American Challenge Cup as it was properly known, their first win was a giant killing act.  The occasion was the 1970 round at Road Atlanta.  The big boys all hit trouble but Tony Dean's privateer Porsche 908/2 ran reliably and fast and took the win.  It was the first time in 19 races that the all conquering McLaren team had been beaten!   Tony Dean went on to finish sixth in the Championship.

Tony Dean's giant killing Porsche 908/2 in the Chopard exhibition at Laguna Seca. (Not the Tony Dean colours but this is the same  chassis 908.02.15 in its third place Targa Florio 1969 livery)

From 1969 to 1974 the Watkins Glen Can-Am round was run as a double header with the World Championship 6 Hour endurance race.   Thus in 1970 and 1971 many Porsche 917Ks took the opportunity to enter the Can-Am round.  Jo Siffert, Richard Attwood and Vic Elford finished second, third and fourth respectively in 917Ks in 1970 at Watkins Glen.   Gijs Van Lennep and Brian Redman finished sixth and seventh, also in 917Ks.   Van Lennep was the highest 917K finisher in 1971 at Watkins Glen in ninth place.

We mustn't forget that the Porsche 917K was also a Can-Am car.

One of Porsche's first serious Can-Am efforts was in 1969 with the Porsche 917PA.   Although it didn't take any wins, Jo Siffert was to finish fourth in the 1969 Can-Am championship driving it.  Best result was a third place at Bridgehampton.   Milt Minter was to drive the car in 1971 finishing sixth in the championship and Sam Posey drove it in 1972.

The Porsche 917PA that came fourth in the 1969 Can-Am Championship.

Porsche's next serious Can-Am effort was in 1971 when Jo Siffert entered a STP sponsored Porsche in the series 917/10.  However, again he only finished fourth in the championship with two second places the best result.   With the 917 banned from endurance racing after 1971 it renewed its attack on the Can-am series with a revised 917/10 run by Roger Penske.   Thus in 1972 Porsche finally won the Can-am championship with George Follmer winning five our of the nine rounds in an L&M sponsored 917/10.  Mark Donohue also won a round and Milt Minter finished third in the championship in the Vasek Polak car.   McLaren had at last been beaten after dominating from 1967 to 1971.

Porsche 917/10 like the one that won the 1972 Can-Am championship.

The view that most competitors had of the car.

In 1973 Porsche gave Roger Penske the absurdly fast Porsche 917/30 to run in the Can-am series.  Mark Donohue drove the car and won the championship and took six wins in eight rounds.  This domination and the oil crisis pretty much killed off the series.

The all conquering Porsche 917/30.

Whilst Mark Donohue was dominating upfront the 917/10s were fighting over second place.  Hurley Haywood finished third in the championship in the Brumos Racing 917/10 with one second place and two third places as his best results.  The car was at Laguna Seca as was Hurley Haywood.  They were reunited.

1973 Can Am cars with the Brumos 917/10 in front driven by Hurley Haywood.

Some famous drivers were trying their hands in the Can Am cars at Laguna Seca.

Patrick Long having his go in the white No.4 Porsche.

Jochen Mass was driving the same car on Sunday but it broke down.

Interserie started in 1970 as a European version of Can-Am.  In 1970 it was dominated by the Porsche 917K.   In 1971 Leo Kinnunnen won in a Porsche 917 Spyder.  In 1972 and 1973 Leo won again but in a 917/10 against competition from Willy Kauhsen in a similar car.  The Willy Kauhsen Bosch sponsored car was at Laguna Seca.  It won two years running at Imola and also won two other Interserie races including 1974 at Silverstone.

Ex-Willy Kauhsen Porsche 917/10.

Another Interserie Porsche 917/10 was the George Loos driven Gelo Racing Team car.  This was also at Laguna Seca.  It scored a number of second places.

The Gelo Racing team Porsche 917/10.

Some of the Group Seven Porsche Drivers present at RRVI.

From left to right Gijs Van Lennep, Willy Kauhsen, , Hurley Haywood, Vic Elford, Brian Redman.  A reminder below of their achievements in Porsches in Group Seven races.

Gijs Van Lennep won an Interserie race at Keimola in 1970 in a Porsche 917K and scored Can Am points in two consecutive years at Watkins Glen also in a 917K.
Willy Kauhsen drove a Porsche 917/10 in both the Can Am and Interserie championships.  He had four Interserie wins to his credit in the 917/10 and his best result in Can Am was an eighth place.
Hurley Haywood drove a 917/10 in Can-Am in 1973 and 1974.  Best result was second at Riverside in 1973.
Vic Elford scored the first win for the 917/30 at a Interserie race at Hockenheim in July 1973.
Brian Redman drove a couple of Can Am races in 1973 for Vasek Polak in a 917/30 but didn't finish either race.  In 1974 in drove one Can Am race for Roger Penske in a 917/30 finishing second at Mid Ohio.

Some more pictures of these amazing cars:

Two Porsche 917/10s descending the Corkscrew.

917/30 leads 917/10 through the Corkscrew.

Hurley Haywood driving again the Porsche 917/10.

Ex-George Loos Porsche 917/10.

Hurley Haywood  reunited with his Porsche 917/10.

Porsche 917/30.

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. 

Famous 917/30 cockpit.

Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI - Gmund Trophy

The 1953 Cooper Pooper driven by Cameron Healy.

This particular blogpost is dedicated to lovers of early Porsches and Porsche Specials such as the Pooper above.  However, one cannot do that without mentioning the first ever Porsche - Porsche 356 No.1 - which was at Laguna Seca for the occasion of Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI and is pictured below.

Dr Wolfgang Porsche driving Porsche 356 "No.1" Roadster.  It was built in 1948 in the Austrian town of Gmünd.  It is the only 356 to have a front engine.

The Porsche Rennsport Reunion is a unique event, that is held once every three or four years, dedicated just to classic and more modern racing Porsches, their drivers and the men and women who made it all possible.    Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI held over four days in September 2018 was again located at Laguna Seca like the last one in 2015.  No surprise as Laguna Seca is in California, which also happens to be the biggest market for Porsche.   This year the event was subtitled The Marque of Champions - a name that speaks for itself.  The event was also part of Porsche's 70th birthday celebrations.

The field comes around the last corner for the start of Saturday's Qualifying race.

On the wonderful 2.238 mile Laguna Seca road course, seven groups of Porsche cars raced over the weekend.  The Gmünd Trophy event was for cars such as Porsche 356, 550, RS60, RSK, Porsche Abarth. 4 cylinder 904s and various Porsche Specials.     An amazing variety turned up to race.

The Race
The race was held over 25 minutes on Sunday and the fastest seven cars covered 15 laps.  No surprise that the race was between Campbell and Healy in their respective Devin and Pooper specials.

The winner of the Gmund Cup was Gregory Campbell in this 1955 Porsche Devin Special.

Pace lap at the Corkscrew on Sunday for the main race.

The 1953 Cooper Pooper driven by Cameron Healy came second.  It has a 1.7 litre Porsche engine in a 1953 Cooper Mk7 F3 chassis clothed in an aluminium body. 

Pooper in the paddock.

Third was this 1961 Porsche 356B T5 Roadster driven by Andrew Larson.

In fourth place was this 1961 Porsche 356B Roadster driven by George C Balbach.

The fifth placed 1959 Porsche RSK driven by Stephen Hill at the Corkscrew.

This beautiful 1960 Porsche RS60 came sixth driven by Johannes Van Overbeek.

Seventh was Mark Esckuche in his 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster.

This 1962 Dolphin America came eighth driven by Vic Skirmants.

Racing down the Corkscrew in Sunday's race.   Dolphin leads RSK.

A 1961 Porsche Abarth Carrera came in ninth driven by Ranson Webster.

No12 a 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster driven by Robert Van Zeist rounded out the top ten.

A 1960 Porsche 356 driven by Carl Toffelmire came eleventh.

This race worn 1958 Porsche 550A was twelfth driven by Tommy Trabue.

A bright 1960 356 Roadster driven by Bob Clucas into 13th place.

Arthur Conner in a 1959 Porsche Devin was fourteenth.

Fifteenth was Charles Christensen in a 1959 Porsche 356 Super D.

A 1963 Porsche 356 Super 90 driven by Lindsay Ross came sixteenth.

Rex McAfee in a 1960 Porsche 356 Super 90 leads a group down the Corkscrew.  He came 17th.

A 1957 Porsche 356  came in 18th driven by Max Jamiesson.

Nineteenth was No.19 driven by Steve Schmidt.  He is in a 1958 Porsche 356A.

A smoking 1956 Porsche 356.

A  very early car, a 1951 Porsche 356 Coupe.

1952 Porsche Glockler.

1959 Devin Porsche.

1959 Porsche RSK 719 Centresteer.

1955 Porsche Continental Coupe.

1955 Pupilidy Spyder Special.

1954 Porsche 356.

1960 Porsche RS60.

1960 Porsche 356B Carrera GT.

A 1964 Porsche 904 GTS leads a varied group onto the start finish straight.

The Exhibition Cars

The striking 1939 Porsche Type 64.   This is considered by many to be the first car produced by what became the Porsche company.

356 Gmund Coupe detail.

1960 Porsche 718 RS 60.  The 1960 Targa Florio winner.

1956 Porsche 550A Le Mans Coupe.  It won its class in the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans.

1958 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder.

Porsche 356 Gmund SL Coupe.

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.