Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Roadwarrior
ONE OF these days, on June 14 and 15, to be exact, it is time yet again for the great Le Mans 24-hour endurance race.
Steeped in history and drama, this race is probably my favourite motor sport event, as I am sure my more regular readers (Hello Pa!) have already gathered over the few years I’ve been doing this column.
And this year, it is even more special. The town of Le Mans in central France will be welcoming the return of a record-breaking team to the top class of the race, the Le Mans Prototype 1 category.
And that team is none other than Porsche. The holder of a record 16 overall wins on the Circuit du Sarthe, Porsche’s history is almost as interwoven with this race as the town itself, one could say.
And to mark this history, Porsche has recorded the memories of some of their greatest drivers over the years, as they drove Porsches to the chequered flag.
I give you their words as Porsche gave them to me.
First, let us listen to Jacky Ickx, born on January 1, 1945 in Brussels, who had four overall wins with Porsche, six in total, about his 1977 victory:
“After three hours we thought we’d lost the race. My 936 was out, and I joined up with Jürgen Barth and Hurley Haywood. But they were having trouble as well. We were in 42nd place. I still can’t get my head around what happened next. It was this euphoric state. I drove the whole night through at top speed, always at the limit. In rain and fog. I just got faster and faster. 42nd, 35th, 28th, 20th, ninth, sixth, fifth.
“Everyone felt that we could achieve the unimaginable. Jürgen and Hurley drove faster than ever, and the mechanics did an incredible job. I didn’t feel tired at all. Then we took the lead. On Sunday morning I was totally spent. In the end, Jürgen hauled the 936 across the line with only five cylinders.”
Then there was Hans Herrmann, born on February 23, 1928 in Stuttgart who won overall once with Porsche in 1970:
“I lost to Jacky Ickx in 1969 after we’d spent the last hour-and-a-half overtaking each other several times each lap. In 1970, Ferdinand Piëch ensured that we had a good chance to go for the win with a more powerful engine. Being able to win just a year after losing by a hair’s breadth was, of course, very special. It was also the first overall vic- tory for Porsche – and it was my last race. I announced my retirement from racing after that. I had promised my wife. She had started to press me a year or two before, because of the many friends we had lost. And I knew it myself: there was no reason I should have all the luck, and at some point my luck might run out.”
In that 1970 race, Richard Attwood, born on April 4, 1940, codrove with Herrmann.
“We won under odd circumstances. In February, Helmuth Bott, who was then board member for development, asked me what car I wanted for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I told him three things: First, I wanted the 4.5-litre 12-cylinder instead of the 5-litre engine, which I thought was less reliable. Second, I wanted the ‘Kurzheck’ (short-tail) version of the 917 because the longtail version was so fidgety. Third, I wanted Hans Herrmann as my partner, because he knew how you have to pace yourself with the material to get through the long race. I got everything. And then we qualified in 15th. At that moment I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life. We wouldn’t stand a chance against the 5-litre engines. We weren’t competitive and could only hope that the cars in front of us would have problems. And that’s exactly what happened.”
Hans-Joachim Stuck, born on January 1, 1951 in GarmischPartenkirchen, Germany, was overall winner with Porsche 1986 and 1987, but the moment he relished most was a qualifying lap:
“My Le Mans moment lasted three minutes and 14.8 seconds. Pole position with the Porsche 962 C, a perfect lap. And because the Mulsanne straight was later defanged through the addition of chicanes, it will likely be a record for posterity. The 962 is the best race car that I ever drove. Brute force and unbelievable ground effects. The centrifugal forces were enormous, and there was no power steering. You needed the strength of a bear and a lot of courage. I just had one run because of the tyres. Start, Dunlop curve, left, right through the Esses. At Tertre Rouge I was pushing the traction limits. But the corner is so important for your speed on the Mulsanne straight, and it was right on. Fifty seconds of flooring it, then brake from 360 km/h for the Mulsanne corner and jump back on the gas as soon as possible.”
Le Mans is not only a source of memories for drivers, but also for spectators. With Porsche entering LMP1 this year, there will be three teams competing for top honours. The other two are Toyota and, almost naturally, Audi.
More memories seem ready to be made.