The 6 Hours of Silverstone was a gripping opening race for the 2015 World Endurance Racing championship. Incredible speed in the LMP1 class set a new distance record in an event that will go down as one of the best: scroll down for the Porsche AG video report.
Porsche Racing at Silverstone
Both Porsche 919 LMP1 Hybrids qualified on the front row and had a good start. The number 17 Webber/Hartley car set the early pace, ahead of the number 18 919 of Dumas/Lieb/Jani. While the Audis got trapped behind a Toyota, Webber built a lead of more than 12 seconds up to quarter race distance, through a full course yellow and virtual safety car.
Just over an hour and half into the race, the 17 car entered pit lane earlier than expected. The leading 919 Hybrid was pulled back into the garage and taken to bits. Rear drivetrain issues (gearbox failure) was the reason given for what would become its early retirement, with all attention switching to the number 18 919.
Meanwhile, the 911 RSRs battled hard to run in the lead of both GT classes early on. The 92 RSR of Pilet/Makowiecki hit problems with a damper failure mid-race, but kept running at the back of the pack to pick up any stray points in the manufacturer championship.
The number 91 Lietz/Christensen Porsche 911 RSR took no prisoners with a robust drive to the podium. Lietz was on a mission from the start, supported by the stylish Danish driver. The Ferraris and Astons proved tough competition, with the AF Corse cars dominating the middle part of the race. A quick last pitstop by the Porsche Manthey team put Christensen into a Ferrari-splitting P2 for the final stint: a position he never relinquished.
As the incredible race hit the last twenty minutes, the number 7 Audi that had run a blistering pace all afternoon was hit with a stop-and-go penalty that could have handed the lead to the 919 Hybrid. Toyota had already done its final stop, as had the 919. The Porsche was running P2, but Buemi’s Toyota was closing the gap.
The eventual grandstand finish was the perfect end to an exceptional race. Sixteen seconds covered the top three positions: Porsche finished second, less than five seconds behind the winning Audi. Three LMP1 hybrid solutions showed amazing versatility: the torquey Audi strongest in the corners and in traffic with the Porsche insanely fast on the straights. If every race is like this through the 2015 championship, this could be the best endurance racing season ever.
Watch the Porsche AG video below and don’t miss the next round of the 2015 WEC from Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Nice to see this superb Porsche 993 GT2 race car tucked away in the pits at Donington on St Patrick’s Day. Even nicer to see it exit the pits and head out on track, driven by ‘Take That’ vocalist, Howard Donald.
I was at Donington with the former Formula 1 driver, Mike Wilds, and Dave Summers’ Porsche 997 GT2 built to celebrate Mike’s 50th year in motorsport, when I spotted a familiar wheel-rim-meets-front-arch shape peeking out of garage 1. Not too many 993s in the world running BBS Motorsport wheels so I hopped straight on pit wall for a look.
Call me surprised to see the Champion Motorsports-liveried Porsche 993 GT2 EVO parked in the garage, very low key. With some “do not disturb” body language from the mechanics and driver, I kept my distance but enjoyed watching the car do some laps through the day. My type of music is more alternative than modern-day pop charts, so I learned the driver’s identity later on, courtesy of the Donington media chief.
A previous ad for this Porsche for sale tells how it started life as a 993 Turbo S factory race car, running in the IMSA Supercar Championship of the early 1990s. John Wood drove the car in 1992/1993 before it changed hands, selling to Champion Motorsports.
Porsche 993 GT2 Evo history
With the help of Andial, Mike Colucci and Porsche Motorsport North America, the new owners converted the car to GT2 EVO spec, competing in the GT1 category of IMSA’s Exxon Supreme series. Champion brought in some superstar drivers including Hans Stuck, Brian Redman, Derek Bell and Dorsey Schroeder, taking a class win at the 1996 Sebring event before the 993 GT2 was sold into private hands.
I don’t know what engine the car is running now, but Andial built a killer motor for it back in the day: a 962-style flat-fan 3.6-litre running over 700 bhp, depending on mapping. Sounds pretty juicy. This 993 GT2 EVO had cockpit-selectable maps, which wasn’t too common back then. The chassis was apparently pretty lightweight for an IMSA turbo car with the NASCAR-style cage, thanks to carbon & kevlar panels. Power delivery is reported as more predictable than a 934 or 935: not that this would be difficult.
Here’s a short video from Ferdinand Porsche Magazine on Youtube of the Porsche 993 GT2 EVO leaving the pit garage at Donington. Subscribe to our Youtube page for more Porsche videos in the future.
After a decent day one of the 2015 Circuit of Ireland Rally, the Tuthill Porsche 997 R-GT failed to leave the start line at the evening’s special stage around Newtownards town centre. The car was pushed out of stage on to a trailer and recovered to the service area.
By the time we got back, it was dark. Spectators surrounded the tent, with plenty of work ahead of us. The boys set the car up on jack stands and set to work on removing the gearbox. Just over half an hour later, the transmission was out and the clutch was exposed. It took engine builder Anthony just a few seconds to spot the issue: one clutch plate had lost all of its friction material.
Single Clutch Plate vs Mutiple Clutch Plate Pack
The clutch kit in most road cars consists of three main parts: single pressure plate, single friction plate and a release bearing. In competition cars like the 997 GT3 Cup on which the R-GT rally car is built, the cars run a set of multiple clutch plates, arranged in a clutch pack.
The advantage of a multi-plate clutch is that it can transmit higher levels of torque through a smaller diameter unit. The more plates there are, the more torque it can transmit, or the smaller the pack needs to be: Formula 1 clutch packs are about the size of your fist. The clutch pack in the 997 R-GT is a bigger diameter than an F1 pack, but smaller than a single plate road clutch.
With a carefully calculated number of plates in the assembly, the failure of one plate does not leave enough friction to drive the car. This is what happened to R-GT. As the team carries spare clutch packs, it was straightforward to fit new parts and get the 911 ready to restart day two of the rally.
Chief Engineer Graham Moore also decided to change all four dampers on the Porsche, to make driver Robert Woodside more comfortable behind the wheel. The car enjoyed a trouble free run through Day 2 and the team came home satisfied with a job well done.
Circuit of Ireland Porsche Rally Video
I put together a short video of our experience on the 2015 Circuit of Ireland Rally, which you can watch below. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the first modern Porsche to start this great rally for almost thirty years: it was cool to see it in person.
Our second day on the 2015 Circuit of Ireland was day one of the rally. Robert Woodside and Allan Harryman would set out from service in the Tuthill Porsche 911 R-GT just after 9am and head into the hills of Downpatrick for the Buck’s Head stage, then on to the famous Hamilton’s Folly, before finishing around Lough Henney.
The rally would then regroup back at service and do a second loop of the same three stages that afternoon, before finishing with two runs through a special stage around Newtownards town centre that evening.
Mood was good in service as a group of us headed for Buck’s Head to watch the Porsche coming through. We would spend the next two days on the road following the rally, led by an expert recce guy and rally driver. It definitely made my Circuit something special: kudos to Robert for organising this, and main man Stuart Woodhead for driving our minibus!
Circuit is a round of the European Rally Championship (ERC) and not the World Rally Championship (WRC), which this Porsche usually rallies in. WRC cars are seeded according to pace, so the 911 and Robert were known to have enough speed to run in the main group, but the ERC crowd put them in behind the ERC cars and just ahead of the National Rally: local competitors in everything from WRC Subarus to classic Escorts.
This was no great hardship for Robert and Allan, but it meant we spectators had to get into position before the rally arrived and then wait 45 minutes for the Porsche to come through. This was not always a trouble-free and Buck’s Head was a perfect example. Couple that with spectator areas where you couldn’t even see the cars and no wonder fewer people go to rallies these days.
Anyway, we got into position and waited. The Porsche was cautious through the square junction on front of us and pace on the opening stage was steady: Robert was playing it cool and keeping it together over a muddy, slippery stage. Leaving that stage later than planned, we headed back to service for a couple of hours then headed back out towards Hamilton’s Folly.
If one stage sums up The Circuit, maybe this is the one. Second longest stage on the event at 17kms, it has the most spectacular scenery and the biggest jumps. Our vantage point was exceptional: we could see just over a mile of high-speed road section that would surely set Porsche hearts pounding.
The lead group came through with no issues – a few wobbly moments on the jump early on in the stage – but one breakdown right in front of us. This narrowed the road quite considerably, so I was a bit worried for the 911, but some spectators got the car running and by the time the 911 came through, it was clear. The boys were definitely pushing harder on the much drier roads.
Lough Henney was also good for the car, but we headed straight for Newtownards to watch the special stage. Our leader was awesome at parking us right by the front, so we walked in to town and prepared for Porsche arrival. As we ate our chips and awaited the sound of the flat six, the commentator announced the Porsche was on the start line. And then it went wrong.
“Here it is: the one we’ve all been waiting for – the superb Porsche 911 GT. The clock’s ticking down – and – oh no, there’s a problem. Robert Woodside can’t get the car off the line. Oh no, this is a disaster for Robert.”
It was a disaster. We went back to the stage start and waited. Allan ran through some resets, but we had definitely lost all drive. The boys brought the van down to the stage, we loaded the car and headed back towards service. What happened next? Find out in part 3.
Just back from the 2015 Circuit of Ireland Rally with Tuthill Porsche, doing team media and shooting some video of the Porsche 911 R-GT rally car. As the first contemporary Porsche 911 rally car to take part in ‘The Circuit’ (as we call it in Ireland) for almost thirty years, this was a proper weekend, worthy of my volunteer status!
Circuit of Ireland Porsche drivers
Robert Woodside and co-driver Allan Harryman were in the car for this event: two great guys whose fathers have both won previous Circuits. Having set fastest stage times in the production class last year, they would be quick and precise. Testing went well and Robert put huge effort into sorting out some great sponsors for the event, including Karcher UK and Rushmere Shopping Centre: Ireland’s second-largest shopping mall.
I flew in on Thursday and went straight to service in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. It’s eleven years since I was last in Belfast and it looks pretty different now! Titanic Quarter is based around the docks and slipways where the most famous ship in history was constructed. It’s super interesting and a great place for the rally HQ. We were right by the entrance, so our tent was surrounded by spectators throughout the weekend.
As soon as I arrived, we were off: the car was due in scrutineering and we had to make tracks. I’ve just started using a Sony HXR-NX30E camcorder (awesome device), so I had a little play with that as the car went through technical inspection and received official approval to take part. The Sony’s complete lens and sensor unit is internally stabilised – check out the video at the bottom.
Once back from scrutineering with permission to compete, we had a short while to change tyres and get the car ready for shakedown. Robert and Allan took over the Porsche from here, and did two runs on a closed course to see how the car felt (top pic). That all worked out fine, so then they headed off to Belfast City Centre for the ceremonial start, while we retired to the hotel to make preparations for the following day. More of this story tomorrow!
Classic Porsche racing parts specialists, EB Motorsport, scored an emphatic result at Goodwood last weekend, finishing second in a unique race for pre-‘67 Porsche 901 and 911 racers.
Twenty-two Porsche 901s and 911s took to the grid for the Aldington Trophy, honouring Porsche GB founder, John Aldington. Following an exciting twenty-minute race, former BTCC champion Andrew Jordan came home first overall, with EB’s Mark Bates just twelve seconds behind at the flag. Yorkshire’s two-time Masters Historic champion was over the moon with his podium finish in the beautiful Light Ivory 1965 SWB 911 race car, built by Tuthill Porsche.
EB Motorsport 1965 Porsche 911
“With a short practice, short race, and so many proper racing drivers on the grid, I wasn’t sure where we’d end up,” said Mark. “Our 1965 911 has done well in endurance events for FIA cars, like the Spa 6 Hours, but this was a sprint race, and our first time at Goodwood.
“Andrew Jordan is a touring car champion and exceptionally quick: we’re pretty pleased to be best of the rest. 2015 is the first full season for our short wheelbase 911, so we’re still on a learning curve. We’re running a brand new Tuthill Porsche two-litre engine, and an all-new exhaust developed in-house, so it was good to test the package in racing conditions.”
Tuthill Porsche Historic Race Preparation
“This is a great validation of Tuthill Porsche preparation and build quality,” said Richard Tuthill. “The Porsche 2-litre flat six is a beautiful engine, and one that our team enjoys decades of experience with. We made some last-minute tweaks to carburation before the car left for Goodwood on Friday, and were delighted to see them pay off. The chassis and engine package comes together perfectly on track at the hands of a highly talented driver. Well done Mark: roll on the next event!”
The next outing for the EB Motorsport 911 is at the Donington Historic Festival, from May 2-4. Follow all EB Motorsport race news at www.eb-motorsport.com.
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