Daytona Endurance Racing 1980-1989

<http://www.caracingnews.com/admin/newsletter/Images/logo_caracingnews.gif> 

 

August 23, 2010

 

 


 

 

 



 



 


 <http://www.caracingnews.com/event.asp?id=235> 

 


 


 <http://www.caracingnews.com/event.asp?id=235> Rolex 24 At Daytona


Daytona (FL), USA

  <http://www.caracingnews.com/admin/newsletter/Images/pr_leaf_right.gif> 


 


 

 


T MINUS 18 MONTHS: A LOOK BACK AT DAYTONA ENDURANCE RACING: 1980 - 1989

 


 

 


Eagerly anticipated by drivers, auto manufacturers and race fans everywhere,
the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona is the first major race of the world's motor
sport season. Every January, the Daytona International Speedway (Daytona
Beach, Florida, USA) comes to life in celebration of this incredible
endurance race, recognized by leading drivers as one of the most difficult
in the world to win.

Building anticipation for 2012 50th Running 
2012 will mark the 50th running of sports car racing at the famous Speedway,
home of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Leading up to this unique anniversary, we
present a once-a-month look back through the history, people and events that
have made this famous race what it is today.

For the month of August, we trace a special decade within the history of the
Daytona race, highlighting key events and some interesting trivia - all part
of the fascinating lifeline of endurance racing and the Rolex 24 At Daytona.


Porsche domination from 1980 - 1989
In July, we looked at the Daytona endurance-racing story from 1967 - 1979.
Now we look at another decade, one dominated by Porsche who win every race
except one - when they are beaten by Jaguar by just one lap - but let's
start at the beginning in.

1980: The French ACO, organisers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, were moving to
a fuel-consumption formula, but the American-based IMSA wanted an engine
horsepower-to-weight formula to attract American fans. The two split and
went their separate ways. Several new and unproven GT Prototype cars entered
this edition of the 24 Hours but domination of the race rested with the 16
turbo-Porsche 935s. Owner/driver Reinhold Joest from Germany won, driving
his own version of the 935, with his countrymen Rolf Stommelen and Volkert
Merl. After 17 hours of close racing they won by more than 100 miles,
covering 2,745 miles at a record average of over 114 mph, making them the
first European entry to win at Daytona since 1972.

1981: Most Porsche racers opt for small, slightly detuned 2.8- or 3.0-litre
engines, but 48-year old Daytona rookie Bob Garretson (USA) gave his Style
Auto Porsche 935 a high-boost 3.16-litre 'sprint' engine. His lead
co-driver, experienced Brit Brian Redman, insisted they stay cool, saving
the car for a fast run at the finish, but their competitors began to drop
like flies and they took the lead at midnight ("Too early!" Redman shouted
to co-driver Bobby Rahal) and maintained a steady pace. The 'little
additive' they used in the fuel to make the turbochargers run cooler is
protested by others but proves to be within the rules. Redman tastes Daytona
victory for the third time, beating five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell into
2nd place, as the Garretson car covers 2,718 miles at an average speed of
just over 113 mph. This victory marked the start of top-line racing for the
young Bobby Rahal (USA) who would go on to win the Indy 500. "This was my
biggest victory, up to that point, in my career - before this, I just didn't
know if I was going to make it or not."

1982: The face of IMSA competition changed with the new Camel GTP class
mixing exotic new cars and new prototypes, racing in front of a record crowd
of 50,000 spectators (Daytona Beach Morning Journal). At the two-hour mark,
two of the top Porsche cars retired due to broken parts, and from that point
on two-time Daytona winner Rolf Stommelen's Porsche 935 took and held the
lead. Co-driven by American father-son pair John Paul Sr. and Jr., the JLP
Porsche clocked a triple record-setting win: 719 laps, 2,760.96 miles and an
average speed of 114.794 mph. John Paul Jr. went on to set an IMSA
single-season record, winning nine of 18 races and the Camel GT
championship.

1983: Bob Wollek (FRA) broke his own two-month-old track record, with a lap
of 135.324 mph to take pole, co-driving Preston Henn's Swap Shop Porsche
935. Although A.J. Foyt (USA) was driving an Aston Martin GTP, he told Henn
he always wanted to race a Porsche. "When that piece of crap you're driving
breaks - see me!" replied Henn. Prior to the race, Foyt had been convinced
by his hospitalized father to leave his bedside in order to participate and
when the Aston Martin withdrew due to timing chain problems, Henn seized the
opportunity to have Foyt take his place. Despite never having raced a
Porsche before and 30 minutes of rain prior to his stint, Foyt ran very
fast, sharing the final eight and a half hours with Porsche co-driver
Wollek. They won with 618 laps, 2,373 miles at an average speed of 98 mph.
Foyt was able to take the trophy back to his father just before he died.
This was Porsche's 7th consecutive Daytona victory and would be the final
Daytona win for the 935.

1984: A chicane was added at the end of the back straight to slow cars from
carrying top speed into the turn three banking, fractionally lengthening the
course from 3.84 to 3.87 miles. A wide variety of 82 cars entered, including
18 Camel GT Prototypes, the first Porsche 962 (driven by father-son Mario
and Michael Andretti), a pair of Group 44 Jaguar XJR-5s, four March
Porsches, two Lola T600s, a trio of Aston Martins and four Mazda-powered
prototypes. All eyes were on the Porsche 962, the fastest qualifier at over
125 mph, which unfortunately retired after 207 laps with transmission
troubles. The lead changed hands several times, but it was the rookies in
the Kreepy Krauly March-Porsche, South African trio Sarel van der Merwe,
Graham Duxbury and Tony Martin, that took the lead on lap 254 and never
looked back. The team was proud of their achievement, admitting, ". back in
South Africa, Daytona is the greatest name." They covered 640 laps, 2,476
miles at an average speed of 103 mph.

1985: Changes at the Speedway shortened the lap to 3.56 miles. Of the eight
Porsche 962s in existence at the time, six were seen at Daytona with
all-star line ups including Foyt, Holbert, Unser Sr. and Jr., Bell, Wollek,
Pescarolo, Stuck and Mass, some of whom would sweep up the top-four places
in the race. Seven Porsche 935s entered but, for the first time since 1977,
none were leading contenders. After an intense race, and a close father-son
battle between the Unsers, the race was won by the 962 driven by Bob Wollek,
A.J. Foyt and Al Unser, Sr. (USA) completing 703 laps, 2,505 miles, at an
average of 104 mph. The Lowenbrau Special 962 driven by Al Holbert, Derek
Bell and Al Unser Jr. finished 2nd. "I was crushed," said Unser Jr. "We led
nearly the whole race and lost. I talked my dad into racing, and he won. I
left the Speedway in tears." Drag racer Jack Roush, later of NASCAR fame,
entered and won his class, the start of a nine year Daytona winning streak.

1986: This endurance race would finish as a sprint, with three Porsche 962
teams battling, not only each other, but also mechanical problems. This
resulted in the closest finish in the history of the race with the first two
cars finishing on the same 3.5-mile lap for the first time. Al Holbert,
Derek Bell and Al Unser Jr. won, the same team that came 2nd the previous
year. It was the fastest Daytona 24 Hours yet covering 712 laps, 2,534 miles
and averaging 105 mph. Preston Henn's car was 2nd, driven by A.J. Foyt,
defending Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan (USA) and 1985 Indy 500
Rookie of Year Arie Luyendyk (NED), just one minute 49 seconds behind the
winner. Jim Busby was 3rd, only one lap down and 10 seconds behind the Henn
Porsche.

1987: Once again the Porsche 962 was the car of choice. As attrition thinned
the ranks, a terrific battle took place between the two winning teams from
1985 and 1986: Foyt and Holbert. The Foyt Porsche had a slight power
advantage, with their 3.0-litre engine, but Holbert's 2.8-litre Lowenbrau
Special was dominant in the infield. Holbert's star team of Derek Bell, Chip
Robinson (USA) and Al Unser Jr. lost the driver's side window and hot air
and fumes blew into the cockpit, exhausting and dehydrating the drivers. "At
each end of our motor home, Chip Robinson and I were being worked on by the
medics" recalled Bell. "I had terrible cramps from dehydration." When
neither of the young drivers, Robinson or Unser Jr., could take it anymore,
41-year old Holbert stepped in to drive before 45-year old Bell took the
last stint. The team won by over 25 miles, completing 753 laps and 2,680
miles at a new record average of 111 mph. A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Danny
Sullivan ran 2nd until retiring 20 minutes from the flag with a blown head
gasket. "It's heartbreaking for Dad, who was chasing his third Daytona win"
said Unser Jr. "If you break down early, no big deal, but to come this far
and lose is the biggest disappointment there is. This race really affects
you as it's such a long distance. In the end, your emotions show. You're
drained, physically and mentally - no, you are past drained!"

1988: TWR Jaguar launched a major assault to dominate both Europe and the
USA. No cost was spared - the best-looking, most competitive cars, catered
meals, professional masseurs and a mountain of over 1,000 Dunlop tires for
both night and day conditions. Three sleek Jaguar XJR-9s had a formidable
driver line-up from F1 and the USA, but started the race conservatively.
Eight 962 Porsches looked to build on the winning streak of 11 consecutive
wins at Daytona and Mauro Baldi (ITA) put his on pole with a 129 mph lap.
The leading Porsche lapped all three Jaguars before retiring after 90
minutes, having lost fifth gear, but still Porsche held the top-five places.
Turbocharger problems and a crash with the Redman Porsche eliminated two of
the Jaguars, but for Martin Bundle (GBR), Raul Boesel (BRA) and John Neilsen
(DEN) in the third Jaguar, the race was far from over.  In their Porsche,
Busby, Redman, Wollek and Baldi refused to give up without a fight. They
swapped the lead eight times with the Castrol Jaguar in the closing hours.
The fast pace of Lammers in the Jaguar took its toll on the Porsche, which
was running 2nd when it pitted with a cut tire, brake problems and loose
bodywork. The Jaguar took victory one lap and 54 seconds ahead of the
struggling Porsche, which finished without one of its doors. The Jaguar
completed 728 laps, 2,591 miles and averaged nearly 108 mph. This marked
Jaguar's first 24-hour race victory since the 1957 Le Mans race and its
first at Daytona, also signaling the end of Porsche's domination of the
previous decade in the 24 hours of Daytona.

1989: The infamous "20 hours of Daytona" saw racing stop for four hours due
to fog. Of the 68 cars starting the race, nine were Porsche 962s, plus a
Nissan-powered Lola, Dan Gurney's Toyota 88C and defending champion Tom
Walkinshaw's three TWR Castrol Jaguar XJR-9s. The pole-sitting Nissan
collided with Derek Daly's Jaguar on the second lap eliminating both cars.
Gurney's Group C Toyota lasted 180 laps before overheating saw it retire and
the Bayside/Havoline Porsche was out of contention after a broken throttle
linkage. The Nissan GTP-ZXT, driven by Geoff Brabham (AUS), was leading when
the fog hit Daytona just after midnight and racing stopped for four hours.
Then with just five hours remaining the Nissan engine failed and the Busby
Porsche took the lead. The final hour saw a close battle between the Porsche
of Wollek and the super fast 1988 winner, Jan Lammers (NED) in the Jaguar,
who set the fastest lap of the race at 125 mph. Wollek took the win by just
1:26.665 - a new record for the closest victory at Daytona. The Busby team
ran 621 laps, 2,210 miles, averaging just 92mph due to the fog, giving
Porsche their 50th victory in the Camel GTP competition.

More to come next month, but if you just can't wait, be sure to pick up a
copy of J.J. O'Malley's great book, Daytona 24 Hours: The Definitive History
of America's Great Endurance Race. A "must read" for any fan and a great
source of information on the history of the Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona.


In Current News: Finalists Announced for 2010 Rolex Bob Snodgrass Award Of
Excellence
Announced at the end of 2009, this inaugural award will be presented at the
completion of the 2010 GRAND-AM season to the team owner or team manager who
has demonstrated the qualities of integrity, passion for the sport, and the
love of cars, all values synonymous with the late Bob Snodgrass throughout
his life and career. A blue-ribbon panel of motorsports professionals will
make the final selection.

The list of candidates for the 2010 Rolex Bob Snodgrass Award of Excellence
has been narrowed down to four highly successful team owners competing in
the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

Chip Ganassi - owner of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
With as many as three Daytona Prototype (DP) teams entered at a time in
endurance events, Ganassi Racing has scored six wins, eight top-five and
nine top-10 finishes to date. Drivers include Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas,
Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray, Justin
Wilson and Max Papis. Rojas and Pruett are tied for the lead in DP class
points and Ganassi Racing leads in the team point standings.

Michael Shank - owner of Michael Shank Racing
Michael Shank Racing, with two DP teams under its umbrella, has collected
six top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. Drivers include Ozz Negri, John Pew,
Brian Frisselle, Michael Valiante, Mark Patterson and A.J. Allmendinger. The
team lies 4th in team standings.

Bob Stallings - owner of Gainsco Racing/Bob Stallings Racing
Competing with one DP team, Bob has earned one win, four top-fives and eight
top-10s so far. Drivers include Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney, Jimmy Vasser and
Jimmie Johnson. Gainsco Racing is 3rd in team standings.

Wayne Taylor - owner of Wayne Taylor Racing
With its SunTrust Racing DP team, Wayne Taylor Racing has collected one win,
five top-fives and nine top-10 finishes so far this season. Drivers include
Max Angelelli, Ricky Taylor, Pedro Lamy and Wayne Taylor. The team is 2nd in
team points. A Rolex Stainless Steel and Platinum Yacht-Master timepiece,
engraved with the words "The Rolex Bob Snodgrass Award of Excellence," will
be presented in perpetuity during the 2011 Rolex Grand Marshal Dinner, the
annual gathering that kicks off the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the new racing
season.  

 
About Bob Snodgrass: Bob Snodgrass was President of Brumos Racing and
President/CEO of the Brumos auto dealerships in Jacksonville, Florida, where
he lived for 35 years. His 10 wins at Daytona include three Rolex 24 At
Daytona victories as team owner, with eight enjoyed by Brumos Racing. He was
a driving force behind the formation of the Grand American Road Racing
Association and the Daytona Prototype class. A native of Elmira, N.Y., he
saw his first race at Watkins Glen, N.Y., and was hooked. Famous for his
humor and wit, and an accomplished vintage-car racer, Snodgrass, along with
Peter Gregg (owner of Brumos Porsche from 1965 until his death in 1980), was
instrumental in Brumos' entry into motorsports. Snodgrass passed away in
2007 at the age of 64.


Rolex Cosmograph Daytona: 4130 Chronograph Movement
The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is a world-class race, rewarding all its
deserving winners with a place in motor sports history, and a steel Rolex
Cosmograph Daytona, named "the world's rarest watch" by WatchTime magazine.

The Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona is the reference for those with a
passion for driving and elegance. Inside the elegantly designed exterior,
the Cosmograph Daytona is a masterpiece of the watchmaking art. The 4130
chronograph caliber movement was conceived and assembled exclusively by
Rolex in 2000 for the Cosmograph Daytona, and incorporates just 290
components - far fewer than a standard chronograph - making it a much
admired symphony of simplicity. It has a 72-hour Power reserve (66 hours if
the stopwatch is in use) and inside, the blue Parachrom hairspring - made
from a unique alloy impervious to magnetic fields - gives up to 10 times
more resistance to shocks than conventional hairsprings.

For more information about the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, please visit
www.rolex.com.


About the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, America's most prestigious sports car race is
one of only two 24-hour sports car events in the world. 2012 will mark the
50th running of sports car racing at Daytona International Speedway.

The famous twice-around-the-clock challenge always kicks off the
international motorsports calendar, as well as the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car
Series, and features a star-studded line-up of drivers from around the world
battling with Daytona's demanding 3.56-mile high banked road course.

For more information about the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona or to download
free, high-resolution images for editorial purposes, please register online
at www.caracingnews.com <http://www.caracingnews.com/> 


International Media Contacts
Key Partners (KPMS)
Sabrina Zumkehr
M: +41 79 359 15 47
E: sabrina@kpms.com

Karen Cooper
M: +41 79 267 2300
E: karen@kpms.com

Key Partners (KPMS) Main Office
T: +41 32 724 2829
E: info@caracingnews.com
www.caracingnews.com <http://www.caracingnews.com/> 

 


 

 



Edit <http://www.caracingnews.com/editaccount.asp?u=7028&c=288967>  your
account

Unsubscribe
<http://www.caracingnews.com/confirm_unsubscribe.asp?uid=7028&cn=288967>
from caracingnews.com

 


 

 

 


 <http://www.caracingnews.com/photo_enlarge.asp?id=9588&eid=235> 


 


 <http://www.caracingnews.com/photo_enlarge.asp?id=9994&eid=235> 


 


 <http://www.caracingnews.com/photo_enlarge.asp?id=9993&eid=235> 


 


 <http://www.caracingnews.com/photo_enlarge.asp?id=9992&eid=235> 


 


 <http://www.caracingnews.com/photo_enlarge.asp?id=9550&eid=235>