by John Glynn | May 15, 2012 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
This weekend is the 2012 Nürburgring 24-Hour race. I’m there with Falken Tyres Europe and in the garage with Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler, Peter Dumbreck, Martin Ragginger and Sebastian Asch.
As 170 cars take to the most famous racetrack in the world for the 2012 24-Hour, I’ll be attempting some live Porsche reportage through the weekend, via the Ferdinand Porsche Magazine Twitter feed, and blog posts with pics. It all depends on decent wi-fi availability, so fingers crossed for that.
One team that is bound to be in the news is Manthey Racing. Manthey will field four 911s with most of the Porsche works drivers amongst their pilots. This year, Manthey will not use the GT3 RSR, but the GT3 R. “Last year’s winning car has earned its place in the Porsche Museum,” says Olaf Manthey. “We will use two GT3 R (as lead cars). Both vehicles are cared for in Meuspath since 2010, and we have modified the cars over the winter to bring good performance, as the last VLN races have shown.”
Manthey’s leads cars run numbers 10 and 11. 10 is a Moskovskaya Pinstripes GT3 R, driven by works boys Marco Holzer, Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, alongside SuperBrit Nick Tandy. 11 is the Wochenspiegel Assist-liveried 911, piloted by Stuttgart’s own Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz and Romain Dumas, with former works driver Lucas Luhr also in the car. 12 and 14 are also run by Manthey: a GT3 MR and GT3 Cup respectively.
The team is guarded on this year’s chances. “We did win in VLN already, but that does not make us favourites for the 24-Hour,” says Marc Lieb. “The fast factory BMW, and factory-backed Audi R8 and Mercedes-AMG SLS show how close the GT3 competition. In changing conditions, the Z4 goes around corners as if on rails, until they arrive at the Döttinger Height so far ahead that you cannot challenge. Our advantage is the top speed on the straights and the fuel consumption. The 911 has a four-litre engine with six cylinders: the engine is the smallest among the top cars.”
This all sounds like sandbagging, but outright speed did not bring victory in last year’s race. Peerless reliability was Manthey’s route to victory. This year, their intention is identical. “For the 24-hour race, we check once every screw, every clip and every part, however small it may be,” says Olaf. “We started early with the complete routine inspections, well before our last VLN race. As for the typical Eifel weather, we are well sorted. Our company is located in the Rufreichweite Döttinger Height, and in 30 years based here, we have overcome every possible Nürburgring weather situation already.”
Last year’s 24-Hour really switched me on to modern Porsche motorsport: the Hybrid’s charge and the Carrera World Cup was the best racing I had seen in ages. Follow Ferdinand Porsche Magazine on Twitter, or track our updates here.
by John Glynn | May 11, 2012 | Classic Porsche Blog, Porsche News
Porsche Classic on the Mille Miglia is rich in shades of 1953’s “downright phalanx”. Mille Miglia – literally a thousand miles – is for cars approved by the FIA or FIVA that would have raced in period, so up to 1957, when the 24th and final Mille was run.
From the press release, it sounds like the Porsche museum is sending two Porsche 550 Spyders, 356 Speedster 1500, 356 Speedster 1600, 356 Speedster 1600 S and 356 Coupé, the so-called “Knickscheibe” (bent windscreen).
Hats off to Stuttgart if it really is sending all that precious metal. Entry fees for the Mille Miglia are €7260 per car, for three nights B&B, some parking and a road book. Single beds, additional stickers or road books for support crew, and parking for transporters while the race is going on are all extra. Times that by six cars, plus drivers and navigators, plus transport, plus support, plus PR, plus staff costs and I guess you are knocking on €200k, for three days driving around Brescia to get some promo pics. Heavy duty!
Of course, for some people, it’s a proper race: 1,600 kms in three days. A few years ago, I pitched a story idea to Porsche, to follow his highness Gijs van Lennep in the State of Art 550 Spyder around the Mille Miglia in a Boxster Spyder. Got big thumbs down on that one, but one of the days I will follow the race in a Boxster: the only modern Porsche worthy of the jaunt.
Before I leave, back to that fabulous word. In ancient Greece, phalanx was a military formation, made up of heavily armed troops in tightly packed ranks. The soldiers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, several rows deep, often with shields interlinked. It was a formidable force that was difficult to match. At the turn of the 20th century, a Munich art cluster including Bauhaus legend-to-be, Wassily Kandinksy, formed a group known as Phalanx “to oppose old-fashioned and conservative viewpoints in art”.
Combining the two interpretations, I doubt there is a better collective noun for racing Porsches than ‘phalanx’. An impenetrable group of conquering soldiers, opposed to old fashioned concepts in art? That’ll do nicely, phalanx.
by John Glynn | May 3, 2012 | Classic Porsche Blog, Project Cars
British law says that cars over three years old must have an annual safety inspection, known here as the MoT (Ministry of Transport) test. Racing Restorations UK recently took our Project 924 Turbo for its test. It’s the first step in registering the Italian-plated Porsche here in England.
The test checks what you’d expect:
- Body or vehicle structure free from corrosion or damage, engine mountings secure etc. Fuel system: No leaks. Security and condition of pipes or hoses. Fuel cap fastens and seals securely.
- Exhaust emissions: dependent on the age and fuel type. Exhaust system: secure & complete. Catalyst where one was fitted as standard. Without leaks and is not too noisy.
- Seat belts: checked for type, condition, operation and security. All seat belts must be in place. Seats: driver’s seat can be adjusted. All seats for security and seat backs can be secured in the upright position. Doors: Latch securely. Front doors open from inside and outside. Hinges and catches for security and condition. Mirrors: minimum number required, condition and security. Load security: boot or tailgate can be secured in the closed position. Bonnet: securely latches in the closed position.
- Brakes: condition, inappropriate repairs or modifications, operation and performance. ABS or electronic stability control (ESC) where fitted. Tyres and wheels: condition, security, tyre size and type and tread depth. Spare tyres are not inspected.
- Registration plates: Condition, security, colour, characters correctly formed and spaced. Lights: Condition, operation including HID and LED headlamps for cleaning, self levelling and security. Headlamp aim. Main beam warning light.
- Wipers and washers: operate to give the driver a clear view ahead. Windscreen: condition and driver’s view of the road. Horn: correct operation and of suitable type. Steering and suspension: condition, steering oil level, operation, a check for inappropriate repairs or modification including corrosion to power steering pipes or hoses. Operation of steering lock mechanism.
After an hour’s worth of checking, the 924 failed, but only on a few things.
First was the headlamps, which are left hand drive and dip to the wrong side. Track rod ends and one rear wheel bearing were past it. There’s a problem with the rear fog light being intermittent, the windscreen washers don’t work and it needs new wiper blades. The tyres passed but they are pretty old, so we’re changing them.
Rob at Racing Restorations will do the track rods and wheel bearing, I’ll swap the lamps and fix the other bits from my stock of 924 and 944 parts and we should be good for a re-test next week. Then I need a letter from Porsche confirming the build date, and we’ll be ready to submit a registration application.
The boys say it drives well: worn second gear synchro being the only real issue. My transmission guy has our spare gearbox apart and apparently it’s not pretty, with worn selectors on 1 through 4. We’re still trying to figure out what bits Porsche and Getrag used in the early 924 Turbo gearbox: must be Mercedes or similar from the period. More news on that as we find it.
As an aside, I’ve just bought a complete 924S back end including the aluminium arms from a mate, so that might come in handy. Aluminium arms will be nice if we go for this Carrera GT idea and try for trick underpinnings – same as fitted to 944 Turbo.
by John Glynn | May 1, 2012 | Project Cars, Race and Rally
Glenn Janssens leads the Belgian Historic Rally Championship, following victory in a Tuthill Porsche 911 equipped with the all new Tuthill Porsche Dog Box on last weekend’s Wallonie Rally.
Wallonie was the third round of the Belgian Historic Rally Championship. Janssens’ victory is the driver’s second podium this season after finishing second on the opening round.
Janssens and co-driver Tom de Geetere stormed to an early lead in their 3-litre Porsche 911, after posting two fastest stage times on Friday. “Friday evening was wet and the opening cobblestone stage was slippery. We started with a reasonable safety margin, but were surprised to find our pace was quickest,” said Janssens.
Over the next two days, Janssens extended his lead. By Sunday’s chequered flag, he had a winning margin of over two minutes, claiming 17 out of 22 class stage wins.
“Our car has been running extremely well since Tuthill built us a specially developed gearbox at the start of the season,” added Janssens. “On this event, the car was absolutely perfect from start to finish; it couldn’t have run better. I was seventh before Wallonie, so it’s fantastic to leave with a championship lead.
“My goal is to be champion this year. We can drop the results from two events out of six so, if I was to drop my second event, I have actually finished first and second so far. I’ve got some big competitors, but if I keep going like this then my chances are good.”
The fourth round of the Belgian Historic Rally Championship – the Sezoens Rally – will take place on May 19, where Janssens will be joined by his regular co-driver, Stephane Prevot.
Richard Tuthill: “It’s been a very successful weekend for Tuthill Porsche; both at home and abroad. On the Pirelli International Rally, Dessie Nutt (above) and Edmund Peel finished second and fifth in class. It was also a fantastic performance from Glenn over the weekend in Belgium.
“With 90 percent of the Belgian championship run on Tarmac, the Sezoens Rally coming up next is unique, because it will challenge the competitors with mostly gravel roads. Glenn is feeling confident: we have a superb suspension set-up on the car now, with good gravel tyres. Last year we finished second with Glenn, so our sights are set on a repeat podium as a minimum.”
![Porsche Carrera Cup Germany: Thrilling Season Opener]()
by John Glynn | Apr 29, 2012 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
British media channels are obsessed with the 2012 London Olympics at present, but British athletes continue to impress beyond the Olympic microsphere. Good examples can be found in motorsport, such as Porsche Carrera Cup racing.
English driver Sean Edwards (below) had a cracking start to the 2012 Carerra Cup Deutschland season at Hockenheim this weekend, narrowly missing out on a weekend whitewash. Edwards is the master in a racing 911, and this first race was proof of that.
Starting race one from the pole, Edwards was second early on but quickly recaptured the lead. A measured pace out front looked like a guaranteed victory, until a lap six puncture put him out. Team-mate René Rast took over the lead, eventually winning the race with his usual determined style of driving. P2 went to Nicolas Armindo, with rookie wheelman Michael Ammermüller finishing third on his debut Porsche Deutschland event.
Ammermüller’s excellent podium finish, from eighth on the grid at the start stamped his class on a second Porsche championship, after an electric performance in Bahrain last weekend on the Porsche Supercup series. Bahrain is an exceptional track that shows 911s at their most exciting.
Race two start positions were set by qualifying lap times. Edwards again took pole, initially pulling out a lead on Estre and Rast. While his challengers managed to catch up eventually, Sean never conceded the position. The win (above) was well-deserved, but René’s third place means he maintains the championship lead. The driver standings show Rast out front on 36 points, followed by Armindo on 27, then van Lagen third with Ammermüller fourth on 23.
Could this be the year a rookie wins Carrera Cup Deutschland, once Michael Ammermüller (above) has the car how he wants it? Rast and Edwards had better watch their mirrors: we’re in for an exciting Porsche racing season. The Porsche Carrera Cup Germany is really an incredible race series: all Porsche motorsport enthusiasts should check this series out.
