PORSCHE'S 1970 RACING STRATEGY

After FIA's CSI banned mid-1967 the over 3-litre prototy-pes from the circuits, Porsche had good hope that it could eventually win the famous Le Mans 24-hours. However, both in 1968 with the 3.0 Porsche 908LH and in 1969 with the 4.5 Porsche 917LH ànd the 908LH, the proud make of Zuffenhausen was beaten by the rejuvilenated Fords GT40 Coupe of John Wyer Automoti-ve Gulf Racing. Under race director Rico Steinemann, the successor of Huschke von Hanstein, a good old strategy was followed: if you can beat them, join them! Indeed, after having won Le Mans 4 times in a row, Ford Motor Company decided to stop endurance racing. So John Wyer at once was free. For Rico Steinemann that was a unique opportunity to make a master deal with John Wyer: if he could maintain his main sponsor (Gulf) Porsche should deliver him 3 cars per race plus its two best factory racers, Jo Siffert (CH) and Brian Redman (GB). Wyer accepted the deal and attracted two own racers: Pedro Rodriguez (MEX), in 1969 still a Ferrari work's driver, and the unknown Leo Kinnunen (SF), who scored some fine results in Formula Vee racing.
Meanwhile the American Audi-Porsche importer, John von Neuman insisted to receive full work's cars for his team from Zuffenhausen. He made a racing joint venture with KG Salzburg and obtained that two other factory cars could be raced - in the 3 American Rounds of FIA's Manufacturer's Championship for "Porsche-Audi USA", in the other rounds for KG Salzburg Austria.
So doing Rico Steinemann & Co installed a kind of intramural competition, in 1966-67 already extremely fruitful at Fords. Later during the season Martini's signor Rossi made a similar deal, allowing him and Martini International Racing a semi-factory car at Le Mans and (off-championship) at the Kyalami 9-hours.

Of the 25 built Porsches 917 - already homologated in April 1969 - the 010 was already sold to the former Ferrarist David Piper. The 021 went to Finland's Aarnio A. Wihuri, having Shell as sponsor. The 007 went to Gesipa Racing Team (the rivets manufacturer) and the 018 to Alex Soler (who raced it exclusively in sprint races Spain). And the 025 went to Dominique Martin of Zitro Racing. In the course of 1970 no less than 20 other copies of the 917 were manufactured.
Contrary to 1969 nearly all Porsches received a new nose, another emplacement of the exhaust pipes and the short tail rear, inspired by the 917PA, raced by Jo Siffert in the CANAM series. For Le Mans 2 new LH versions were built, going res. to KG Salzburg and Martini International Racing. The story goes that John Wyer invented the short tail version during the October 1969 tests at Zeltweg, but there can be no doubt that Wyer was inspired by the much better road hoalding of the 917PA CANAM spyder.
In the course of the season the 4,494 cc motor, developing 560HP at 8,300 revs/min with a maximum couple of 50kg at 6,800 revs, was replaced by a 4,907cc motor with 600HP at 8,500 revs/min and a maximum couple of 54kg at 6,800 revs. Compression ratio was maintained at 10.5:1. The 4.9-litre motor was used for the first time in competition by the JWA Gulf cars at the 1970 Francorchamps 1,000-kms on May 10. At Le Mans John Wyer used the new motor on his #20 and #21 (not on his #22). KG Salzburg used it at its #25 917LH but not on its #23 917K and not on its T-car.
The organisation of Steineman's racing division was at all points superior to the organisation of Mauro Forghieri at SpA SEFAC. Indeed, at no occasion Ferrari showed with a T-car, whilst JWA Gulf - later also KG Salzburg - had at nearly all races a T-car. Furthermore Porsche's help to the privateers was much etter than Ferrari's.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - The Siffert/Redman Porsche 917K - chassis 004 - used the new 4.9-litre engine. The car qualified as 3rd but was retired after 156 laps with a blown engine. Only later chassis 004 was replaced by the 017. Earlier the 004 was 20th at the Brands-Hatch 1,000-kms. It TQ-ed at the Francorchamps 1,000-kms but was retired with a broken gearbox. In 1969 the car - in 917LH shape - was 8th at the Nürburgring 1,000-kms. At the famous Darren Galpin Racing Archives the 004 is erronously mentionned as the 017, despite the fact that the 017 chassis was only used by November 1970, to replace the 004.

FRANCORCHAMPS 1,000-KMS 1970, where the #25 - chassis 004 - of Pedro Rodriguez realised the pole position but was eliminated after a collision with the #24 sister car of Siffert/Redman, having won the race.

BOAC 1,000-KMS 1970 - The #10 4.5 Porsche 917K (chassis 016) of Pedro Rodriduez and Leo Kinnunen preceeds here, at the early stages of the race, the #9 - chasis 004 - of Jo Siffert and Brian Redman. Eventually the #10 won the race and the #9 was brought home after several technical problems as 20th.

FRANCORCHAMPS 1,000-KMS - With their private owned 4.5 Porsche 917K - chassis 007 - Helmut Kelleners and Jürgen Neuhaus qualified as 4th. Although they were eliminated by accident after 54 laps, they were qualified as 17th. Earlier the car - with #14 - finished as 10th at the Monza 1,000-kms.

NÜRBURGRING 1,000-KMS 1970 - The Gesipa Racing Team private owned 4.5 Porsche 917K - chassis 007 - was the only 917K at the start after Aarnio A. Wihuri decided to retire his 917K after the fatal accident of Hans Laine with the AAW Shell 3.0 Porsche 908-02 during practice. PICTURE: Sport Auto (French Edition), #102, p. 58.

NÜRBURGRING 1,000-KMS 1970 - The Gesipa Porsche 917K - chassis 007 - was not brought home by Jürgen Neuhaus and Helmuth Kelleners, having qualified it in 9th position. In 1971 the car will be transformed in a 917PA spyder and raced at the Interserie. PICTURE: Sport Auto (French Edition), #102, p. 58.

MONTLHÉRY 1,000-KMS 1970 - The Gesipa Porsche 917K - chassis 007 - was eliminated after 15 laps by accident. The car was also raced at the new Interserie - the European CANAM. With Jürgen Neuhaus it won 2 of the 6 rounds: the Norisring 200-mi and the Yellow Pages Thruxton Race. It finished at 3 other races as 2nd (Croft, Keimola and Hockenheim 300-mi) and was 6th at the Hockenheim Südwest Pokal. Its direct rival was the AAW Shell Porsche of Gijs van Lennep. Except 2 entries by the Picchio Rosso Ferrari 512S, there were no Ferraris involved.

SEBRING 12 HOURS 1970 - It's 9pm. Nightfall goes fast in Florida, much faster than in John Wyer's Slough. The Jo Siffert/Brian Redman Porsche 917K - chassis 009 - which set a new lap record at 122.265 mph (196.243 kph), experiences already for the second time front suspension and cooling troubles. Waiting in the pitlane becomes a burden for the drivers. With two hours to go there is no more hope for them. Technicians find a broken front suspension, despite the earlier reinforcement. In a couple of minutes the car will retire. PICTURE: Sport Auto (French edition), #100, p. 42.

MONZA 1,000-KMS 1970 - Start of the race with in front the 4.5 JWA Gulf Porsche 917K - chassis 009 - shared by Jo Siffert and Brian Redman. The car TQ-ed but will be brought home as 12th. In the left line we find the #1 Ferrari 512S - chassis 1026 - of Chris Amon/Arturo Merzario (4th at the finish), the #3 Ferrari 512S Spyder - chassis 1004 - of Nino Vaccarella/Ignazio Giunti (2nd), the #2 Ferrari 512S - chassis 1042 - of John Surtees/Peter Schetty, the #9 Salzburg Porsche 917K - chassis 020 - of Hans Hermann/Richard Attwood (DNF) followed by the first Alfa Romeo T33/3. In the right line we find the #10 KG Salzburg Porsche 917K - chassis 023 - of Vic Elford/Kurt Ahrens (DNF), the #7 JWA Gulf Porsche 917K - chassis 016 - of Pedro Rodriguez/Leo Kinnenunen (1st at the finish), the #14 Gesipa Porsche 917K - chassis 007 - of Helmut Kelleners/Jürgen Neuhaus (10th), the #12 AAW Shell Porsche 917K of Hans Laine/Gijs van Lennep - chassis 021 - (11th) and the second Alfa Romeo T33/3. PICTURE: Sport Auto (French edition), #101, cover.

BUENOS AIRES 1,000 KMS 1970 - David Piper's 917 Porsche - chassis 010 - starts from the pole position. The #50 is the VDS Team Belgian Lola T70mk3B. Piper and team mate Brian Redman failed to finish the race. Main sponsor here was Kelube. During the 1970 season the colour of Piper's car changed continuously from white, to red, to brown to green. It was the cameleon under the Porsches 917K.

BRANDS HATCH 1,000-KMS - After the Buenos Aires 1,000-Kms and the Buenos Aires 200-mi David Piper changed the nose and the rear tail of his Porsche 917 - chassis 010 - and changed the colour from white to red. Being one of the first drivers to pay his expenses by sponsor money, he found Wetson's Drive Ins as main sponsor. The car appeared a first time in the new colour at the Thruxton sprint race of March 30, 1970, where Piper won. Two weeks later at Brands Hatch, having qualified as 31st, Piper decided to withdraw his car before the start (just as was done at the Daytona 24 hours). Four weeks after Thruxton Piper entered the car as #11 at the Monza 1,000-kms. It qualified as low as 17th and was retired after 55 out of 174 laps with a broken gearbox selector shaft.

KYALAMI 9 HOURS 1970 - David Piper was the first privateer racing fully sponsored cars. Here we see his 917 - chassis 010 - in the Gunston version with the short tail. Having won the Kyalami 9 hours earlier 6 times - 5 times at the wheel of a Ferrari and in 1969 with his Porsche - he failed in 1970 to win a 7th time. The colours of Piper's 010 Porsche changed from sponsor to sponsor.

DAYTONA 24 HOURS 1970 - The KG Salzburg Porsche 917K - chassis 011 - was equipped with an extra window on the roof. The car was sold by Porsche AG to KG Salzburg ran by Louise Piech-Porsche, the sister of Ferry Porsche and daughter of the family patriarch Ferdinand Porsche. Louise and Ferry founded Porsche AG witch each 50 per cent of the shares. It was an uneasy association, especially when in 1964 Ferdinand Piech, son of Louise, entered on the scene. He was a young and ambitious engeneer, dropped by his mother within Porsche AG as head of the Research and Devopment section. Piech followed a policy that each Porsche race car should be made obsolete by its successor. So he replaced the 904 GTS by the 906 (1966), the 906 by the 910 and by the 907 (1967) and the 907 by the 908 (1968). When the CSI decided half 1967 to bann the over 3-litre prototypes from the circuits and to allow 5-litre sports cars if they were manufactured at 50 copies at least, that was only done to save the Fords GT40 and Lolas T70Mk3B as field fillers at the new Manufacturer's Worlds. However, when some Fords GT40 came in hands of John Wyer, they were real winners. Against such machinery, Ferdinand Piech, argued Porsche could not win Le Mans. Meanwhile several small British manufacturers - among them Chevron with its B8 - insisted upon the FIA that the rule of 50 copies for the homologation of a sports car should be lowered. Eventually the CSI accepted that 25 copies was enough for homologation. And here the young Piesch came up with a storming idea: since Porsche AG sold yearly some 30 of its used race cars to privateers, why not building 25 5-litre Porsches to let homologate them? The Porsche clan within Porsche AG was not hot for the idea, but the Piech clan won cause after the 1968 defeat from Ford at Le Mans. At the FIA they were all but happy with 25 ultra fast Porsches 917, but they hardly could refuse the homologation. Ferdinand Piech maintained the bore and stroke of the 3-litre motor on the 908, but by going after 12 cylinders instead of 8 he increased the motor's capacity by no less than 210HP.

When the Porsche clan, within Porsche AG, made the famous deal with John Wyer Automotive, Ferdinand Piech and mother Louise decided to use their own racing division (Porsche Austria) and to let race full factory cars under the new banner of KG Salzburg. For the American rounds of the Manufacturer's Worlds Louise co-operated with the American importer.
The 011 was only raced at the Daytona 12 hours (where it qualified as 4th, but was retired) and at the Targa Florio (where a mechanic crashed the car before the start and destryed it). It is not 100 per cent sure that the KG Salzburg 917K, having qualified 3rd at the Sebring 12 hours, was the 011, especially since the car (#16) missed the window on the roof.

SEBRING 12 HOURS 1970 - The JWA Gulf 1917K - chassis 013 - qualified as 5th, and was brought home as 4th by Jo Siffert and Brian Redman after several technical bothers. At the Daytona 24 hours John Wyer used the car as mule. The car had the little window on the roof, but here it has been taped. The car was used for the film "Le Mans" with Steve McQueen. David Piper crashed it severly and lost a leg in the accident. Body and chassis were later replaced by the 034.

DAYTONA 24 HOURS 1970 - A traditional picture of nearly the complete 1970 season: 2 JWA Gulf Porsches heading a 5.0 Ferrari 512S. The #1 - chassis 014 - is the Siffert/Redman one, finishing 2nd behind the #2 shared by Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen. PICTURE: Sport Auto (French edition), #109, p. 29. In the Darren Galpin Archives it was erronously put that the Siffert/Redman car was the 029.

DAYTONA 24 HOURS 1970 - Evening falls already when we find the Siffert/Redman 917K - chassis 014 - back with a taped front.

FRANCORCHAMPS 1,000-KMS 1970 - At the fast circuit in the Belgian Ardennes Jo Siffert and his 4.9-litre 917K - chassis 014 - had to fight until the real last lap to hold Jacky Ickx/John Surtees and their 5.0 Ferrari 512S off from victory.  At Spa the former F1 world champion John Surtees disappointed. He was always more than one full second per lap slower than Ickx, and contributed to Ferrari's loss. Ickx, Siffert and Pedro Rodriguez gave a superb demonstration of the racing abilities of the new generation of F1 drivers. At Francorchamps the 014 was no longer equipped with Goodyear tires, but by Firestones. Motor was the 600BHP 4.9 litre allowing the 917K to realise up from now the pole positions, after it was beaten on the grid at the 3 first rounds by the slightly faster Ferraris 512S. Note also that the window on the roof of the 014 had disappeared at Spa-Francorchamps.

WATKINS GLEN 6 HOURS 1970 - Equipped with the 4.9-litre engine Jo Siffert/Brian Redman and their JWA 917K - chassis 014 - realised the pole position but finished 2nd to their team mates Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnenen. The car was already equipeed with the little rear spoiler as was done at Le Mans. PICTURE: Sport Auto (French edition), #104, p. 61.

WATKINS GLEN CANAM 1970 - Immediately after the 6 hours several sports cars entered also the Watkins Glen CANAM race, among them Jo Siffert who finished with his 917K - chassis 014 - 2nd to McLaren M8D Chevrolet "big banger" of Dennis Hulme.

DAYTONA 24 HOURS 1970 - The JWA Gulf Porsche 917K - chassis 015 - was dominated at the qualifications by Mario Andretti's Ferrari 512S but won the race ...48 laps ahead over Mario's car, finishing 3rd. The roof was equipped with the small window. Tires were Goodyears.

DAYTONA 24 HOURS 1970 - Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen at the prize giving ceremonial, with behind their JWA Gulf Porsche 917K with chassis 015.

SEBRING 12 HOURS 1970 - After Daytona John Wyer used the 015 as mule at Sebring, Francorchamps, Watkins Glen and Zeltweg. Here the car with the roof window at Sebring.

WATKINS GLEN CANAM 1970 - Used as mule at the Watkins Glen 6 hours and equipped with the old 4.5-litre motor the 015 realised as mule the 9th best time, but was not raced. At the Watkins CANAM race Brian Redman finished as 7th with the car, equipped with Firestone tires, with a rear spoiler, but now without roof window.

BOAC 1,000-KMS 1970 - The JWA Gulf Porsche 917K witch chassis 016 was the winningest af all 917Ks entered in 1970. It won the BOAC 1,000-kms, the Monza 1,000-kms, and the Watkins Glen 6 hours, each time with Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen at the wheel.

MONZA 1,000-KMS 1970 - Without the unbelievable errors, made by Ferrari's race director Mauro Forghieri (a good engineer but a disaster as race director) the #7 Porsche 917K - chassis 016 - should never have won the race. After 100 laps (575 kms) the difference between the #3 Ferrari 512S Spyder of Ignazio Giunti/Nino Vaccarella was only ...2 seconds. Three laps further Giunti took over the lead from Leo Kinnunen in the #7 Porsche. When he enters the pits for refuelling he finds no less than ...2 Ferrari work's cars refuelling. Confusion is total so that Pedro Rodriguez comes out the pits for his last stint as the unexpected leader. When Forghieri sees that Pedro is a half second per lap faster than Vaccarella, he should have decided to call the #3 in for a driver's change, especially since the ultra fast F1 racer Chris Amon is free. But Forghieri waits and waits, does nothing as always. When Vaccarella pits for refuelling, 18 seconds down to the Porsche, the repanded fuel goes burning, so that an extra minute is lost. Only now Amon can get into the pits. When he comes on the track he's ...more than one complete lap behind the Porsche. Before more than 100,000 tifosi Amon fights like a devil, taking more than 1 second per lap back on the fast Mexican. However it's too late. The only thing he can do is dedoubling the #3 Ferrari for one metre at the finish. So Porsche won ahead of no less than 5 Ferraris, taking places 2 to 6. PICTURE: Sport Auto (French edition), #101, p. 51.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - Equipped with the new 4.9 litre engine and with the new Firestone tires, the #20 JWA Porsche 917K - chassis 016 - of Jo Siffert and Brian Redman qualifies as 3rd in 3'21"9 but will quit the race after 156 laps with an exploded engine.

WATKINS GLEN 6 HOURS 1970 - Again equipped with the 4.9-litre engine and the Firestone tires the #2 JWA Gulf Porsche 917K - chassis 016 -of Rodriguez/Kinnunen qualifies as 3rd to win the race ahead of Siffert/Redman in the sister car. At the CANAM race Pedro Rodriguez drove the same car, but failed to finish. At the Imola 500-kms (off-championship), the car TQ-ed but was retired.

ÖSTERREICHRING 1,000-KMS 1970 - Once equipped with the 4.9-litre engine the Porsches 917K dominated since Spa endurance racing until the moment that Jacky Ickx appeared at Zeltweg with the new 5.0 Ferrari 512M. At once the JWA Gulf and KG Salzburg Porsches are condemned to chase the leading 512M. Now the Ferrari dashed the 917Ks to pieces, just as the 917Ks did before with the Ferraris. However once more the race is lost due to the nonchalant behaviour of Forghieri's race direction. Before the race Ickx asked the mechanics to rechange the alternator. They, however, forgot to do. After 49 laps out of 170 Ickx came in the pits with a flat battery. The battle was over, and Siffert/Redman won the race with the #23 JWA Gulf Porsche 917K. The #22 - chassis 016 - realised the pole position 0"28 seconds ahead of Ickx, but was retired after 4 laps with plied valves.

THE PORSCHE 917K OF ESCUDERIA NACIONAL - chassis 018 - was only raced in Spain in 1970. It won, with Alex Soler-Roig at the wheel the three races at Jarama. Early 1971 it entered the Buenos-Aires 1,000-kms with Fittipaldi and Reuteman as drivers, but failed to finish. It was the car's last race.

SEBRING 12 HOURS 1970 - Porsche historians almost always forget how important the intramural competition between KG Salzburg and JWA Gulf was. Nevertheless it was the main motor for the success of the 917. Ferry Porsche (1910-1988), naturalised to German and his sister Louise Piech-Porsche (1904-1999) - who, contrary to her father Ferdinand and her brother Ferry, refused to change her Austrian nationality - lived since years in conflict. Although Ferry was a quiet perfectionist and good business man, Louise could not accept that her brother confined the new 917 to a "stranger', to John Wyer, especially since it was her son Ferdinand Piech who was the man behind the whole 917 project. So Louise and Ferdinand decided to race their own cars for the Austrian branch of Porsche, KG Salzburg. Ferdinand Piech, a young and brilliant but very ambitious engineer, claimed (and obtained!) more than once better attention from AG Porsche than the JWA Gulf team. Ferdinand Piech didn't respect the "stranger" John Wyer and his JWA Gulf team very much. He described Wyer as "too opinionated". Whilst Piech defended the 917LH, Wyer refused to race it. When Piech claimed that a 16 cylinder engine should be built (in order to keep concurrent Ferrari busy!), Wyer - not interested in CANAM racing - was strongly against it. Piech considered his uncle Ferry in racing affairs as too conservative, fully dominated by Wyer, as "a spineless chap". If Le Mans should be won this year, it should be won by the new 917LH, specially designed for Le Mans, not by the "old" 917K, so strongly defended by Wyer. Piech and his mother Louise had sworn that Le Mans could only be won by one of their Austrian KG Salzburg cars, never by a conservative "British" 917. Especially after their victory on the Nürburgring, where the JWA Gulf Porsches 908-03 were defeated by the KG Salzburg Porsches 908-03 - another concept of Piech - confidence was great. At Sebring the 2 KG Salzburg Porsches lost both at the qualifications and at the finish from the JWA Gulf Porsches. That both were beaten by Ferrari was less serious, than that a JWA Gulf finished 4th, whilst none of the KG Salzburg Porsches reached the finish. Here the 917K - chassis 020 - which was retired after 28 laps with engine bothers. 

BOAC 1,000-KMS 1970 - At the BOAC 1,000 the Salzburg Porsches finished as 2nd and 3rd, again beaten by a JWA Gulf Porsche. Here the #12 Porsche 917K of Richard Attwood and Hans Hermann who finished 3rd.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - The victory of the KG Salzburg Porsche 908-03 at the Nürburgring (round #7 of the Manufacturer's Worlds) gave Ferdinand Piesch and his mom great confidence that they could do what nobody at Porsches earlier could: winning the Le Mans 24 hours, more important than all other rounds together. So KG Salzburg came to Le Mans with 3 cars, 2 917K and 1 917LH.  Of them the #24 917K (the blue one with the white stripes) - with chassis 020 - was equipped just as the #25 917LH with the new 4.9-litre engine, whilst the #23 had the old 4.5-litre engine. Since the #24 was at the qualifications hardly faster than the #23 (3'31"5 versus 3'32"6) Ferdinand Piesch decided to withdraw the #24. Before the start - given by uncle Ferry Porsche himself - nobody believed that KG Salzburg had a serious chance against JWA Gulf having won the 2 last editions of Le Mans.

WATKINS GLEN 6 HOURS 1970 - A mechanic drives the #31 KG Salzburg Porsche of Vic Elford/Denny Hulme to the start. They finished as 4th.

WATKINS GLEN CANAM 1970 - A mechanic drives the same #31 to the start of the CANAM race, one day after the 6 hours race. Vic Elford finished 4th with the 4.9-litre car.

MONZA 1,000-KMS 1970 - The 4.5 Porsche 917K with chassis 021 was sold to Aarnio A. Wihuri. Here we see Hans Laine at the wheel of the car which was 9th on the grid and came home as 11th. Six weeks later, at practice for the Nürburgring 1,000-kms the same Hans Laine raced the 3.0 Porsche 908-02 of the same AAW Shell team. Laine (24 years old) hits the bump of the bridge where Henri Grandsire had his accident two years earlier. Laine is trapped in his 908 when it is overturning. When he tries to escape the whole car is a once a mass of flames, burning so fiercely tat no one can come near. It takes 15 minutes before the fire is under control. The Finnish racer is burnt to death. PICTURE: Champion, #53, cover. Two weeks earlier Laine and Gijs van Lennep finished 5th at the Francorchamps 1,000-kms with the AAW Shell Porsche 917K on Firestone tires.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - At the Le Mans 24-hours the AAW Shell Porsche - chassis 021 - is entered by David Piper for him and Gijs van Lennep. They qualify as 11th, but after 112 laps Piper is victim of a tire puncture and crashes the car.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - Here again the 4.5-litre AAW Shell Porsche 917K with chassis 021.

KEIMOLA INTERSERIE 1970 - Two weeks after the Le Mans accident the AAW Shell Porsche 917K - chassis 021 - comes to the Norisring for the first round of the Interserie. Just repaired at the factory the car appears with a white nose and white door. Gijs van Lennep finishes 2nd, 13 seconds down to winner Jürgen Neuhaus. At round #2 at Hockenheim Van Lennep is again 2nd. Much later, coming back from Watkins Glen, the car is repainted in psycholdelic yellow and red, and on August 23, at the Finnish GP at Keimola (picture above), Van Lennep wins, followed at less than 2 seconds by Neuhaus. On September 20 Van Lennep wins again, now in Zandvoort: The Trophy of the Dunes.

WATKINS GLEN 6 HOURS 1970 - Painted in the same psychodelic colours of the Martini 917LH, and entered by Martini International Racing, Gijs van Lennep and Gérard Larousse finish as 9th (July 11) with the 021. One day later Van Lennep is 6th at the Watkins Glen CANAM race. Once home the car is entered by Martini at the Swedish GP in Karskoga, where, on August 9, Van Lennep finishes 4th.

MONTLHÉRY 1,000-KMS 1970 - On October 11 Van Lennep finishes as 3rd with the 021 at the last round of the Interserie, the Hockenheim 300 miles. One week later he qualifies as 2nd at the Montlhéry 1,000-km, but he and team mate Gérard Larousse have to retire the by Martini International Racing entered Porsche after 18 laps.

YEARS LATER the 021 appears at a meeting for classic cars in its Watkins Glen outfit of 1970.

BOAC 1,000-KMS 1970 - Painted in solid white the KG Salzburg 4.5-litre Porsche 917K with chassis 023 had its first outing at Brands Hatch in hands of Vic Elford and former F1 world champion Denny Hulme. They brought the car home as 2nd to Pedro Rodriguez/Leo Kinnunen on the JWA Gulf machinery.

MONZA 1,000-KMS 1970 - At its second outing the KG Salzburg 023 with Vic Elford and Kurt Ahrens at the wheel was leading when, shortly after mid-race, a tire pucture damaged the whole front suspension, so that the car had to retire. At its third outing, at the Francorchamps 1,000-kms, Elford/Ahrens brought the car home as solid 3rd.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - At La Sarthe, where uncle Ferry Porsche should give the start, Ferdinand Piech showed with 3 cars, just as "enemy" John Wyer. Contrary to Wyer Piech equipped his cars with the good old Firestone tires, not with the new Firestones. Having studied the weather forecasts Piech found that in the wet Goodyears were better than Firestones. His main weapon against JWA Gulf and Ferrari was the #25 4.9 Porsche 917LH, confined to Vic Elford and Kurt Ahrens. Of his 2 other cars, one, the #24, was equipped with the new 4.9-lire engine, the other - on chassis 023 - with the good old 4.5-litre engine. Only after the qualifications he should decide which of those 2 cars should be raced, and which not. Although the #24 was a full second per lap faster than the #23, Piech opted for the last one, having being very reliable at its three former outings.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - In front of uncle Ferry Porsche, who was often not happy with the ambitious plans of his nephew Ferdinand Piech, the young ambitious engineer realised the pole position with his special 4.9 Porsche 917LH http://www.imca-slotracing.com/images25). That car dominated during the 2 first hours, until the rain became more definite. At KG Salzburg they made the mistake not to fit wet tires on Elford's #25, so that he was passed by Siffert on the #20 JWA Gulf 917K. The rain got heavier and heavier, and an enormous storm carried on through most of the night. After 4 hours of racing Siffert and Redman were leading the race, followed by the KG Salzburg #25, the Piper-Van Lennep #18 AAW Porsche and the #23 KG Salzburg 917K with chassis 023.  Having lost no less than 4 cars at the accident provoked by Clay Regazzoni, Ferrari found its first car only in 6th position (Ickx/Schetty). However, after 6 hours of racing, Ickx and Schetty, pushing as devils, came into 3rd position, just behind the #20 JWA Gulf 917K and the #25 KG Salzburg 917LH. When, after 7 hours of racing, Elford came in the pits, he complained that the handling of the #25 became peculiar. Finally a slow puncture was found, so that the Ickx/Shetty Ferrari 512S could move up to the second place. Elford dropped into 5th. Piper, now 3rd, however spun his #18 AAW Shell 917K, and damaged seriously the car. So Hermann/Attwood brought their #23 in 3rd position.
At quarter-to-two in the morning Ickx spun at the Ford Chicane, killing a marshal and writing off his Ferrari 512S. After 10 hours of racing the #23 KG Salzburg 917K is second, however 7 full laps down to the #20 JWA Gulf of Siffert and Redman. Then follow the 2 Porsches 917LH, Martini's and KG Salzburg's. At that moment John Wyer has no other cars in the race, since after 3 hours his #21 (Rodriguez/Kinnunen) was withdrawn with a broken connecting rod, and since after 4 hours Mike Hailwood, on the #22 JWA Gulf 917K, couldn't evade Carlo Facetti's Alfa Romeo T33/3, having spun in the slippery curve behind the pits. Shortly after 2 a.m. Siffert is in at the pit with 9,600 on the rev-counter and oil pouring from practically everywhere. Now the #23 leads, followed by the 2 LHs, Martini's and KG Salzburg's. Storm broke again and the rain bucketed down, when during the night Elford/Ahrens can pass the Martini Porsche for the 2nd place. When uncle Ferry wakes up at 8 a.m. he finds the 2 Porsches of nephew Ferdinand Piech at the 2 first places. The first non-Porsche was the Alfa Romeo T33/3 of Galli/Stommelen on the 5th place, followed by N.A.R.T.'s Ferrari 512S, res. 11 and 12 laps behind the leader. At 8.30 a.m. an inlet valve has broken on the Elford/Ahrens #25, so that KG Salzburg looses its best car. However Hermann/Attwood maintain the lead until the finish and offer Porsche its first and most important win at Le Mans.

ZITRO RACING PORSCHE 917K - The last of the 25 Porsches 917 having been homologated in April 1969 - chassis 025 - was sold to Switzerland's Zitro Racing. On July, 1970, 5 Dominique Martin (CH) finished 11th with the car at the Hockenheim Interserie race. Qualified as 6th for the Imola 500-kms, the car, shared by Dominique Martin and Nino Vaccarella, was retired after a crash. At the Coupes du Salon on October 4, Dominique Martin finished 3rd to winner David Piper and his 010 Porsche 917K. Two weeks later Martin/Vaccarella couldn't start at the Montlhéry 1,000-kms after an engine failure during practice.

BUENOS AIRES 1,000-KMS 1971 - At the Temporada of January 10, 1971 - that year the first round of the Manufacturer's Worlds - Martin/Brea finished 9th with their 917K with chassis 025.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - The #22 4.9 Porsche 917K - chassis 026 - was the third car JWA Gulf entered at the Le Mans 24 hours. Drivers were the motorcycle champion Mike Hailwood and David Hobbs. They qualified the car as 10th, but were already 3rd after 3 hours of racing. When under heavy rain Carlo Facetti lost the control over his 3.0 Alfa Romeo T33/3 prototype and hit the wall, Hailwood could not evade the Alfa and crashed. Later the car was repaired and received parts of the car with #031 chassis.

ÖSTERREICHRING 1,000-KMS 1970 - The repaired 4.9 Porsche 917K with chassis 026 (in fact the 031, but renumbered to 026) was initially dominated by the new 5.0 Ferrari 512S at the Österreichring 1,000-kms, but once the red car was retired with alternator problems, Jo Siffert and Brian Redman had no problems to win the race. Earlier Brian Redman won, off-championship, also the Imola 500-kms with the repaired 026.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - Ferdinand Piech of KG Salzburg had a very special "tic". Each time a car was raced he wished to replace it by a better car. Certainly not the best friend of the "invador" John Wyer, he was convinced that if Porsche wished to beat Ferrari at Le Mans, it should be done by a new car. Knowing very well that Wyer distrusted the 917LH - being the body Wyer replaced in 1969 by the 917K - Piech developped a new version of the 917LH. He called it the "streamliner". Mounted on the new chassis 042, the 4.9 Porsche 917LH of KG Salzburg realised the fastest lap at the qualifications: 3'19"80 at 242.68 kph. When in 1971 Piech was "fired" from Porsche AG after he let built a 755HP engine without the approaval of uncle Ferry Porsche, it was his biggest proud that the "invador" used the same 042 chassis with an (improved) LH streamliner to TQ again at Le Mans 1971, now in 3'13"9! Ferdinand Piech moved to Audi, where he created the racing version of the Audi Quatro, changed the standards in rally racing, and later became the #1 of Volkswagen. Never he and uncle Ferry were close friends... In 2002 Ferdinand Piech retired from VW, having made true all his ambitions.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - The 4.9 KG Salzburg Porsche 917LH with chassis 042 not only TQ-ed at Le Mans, the car was also leading the race after the first and third hour. Then, when some wipers were already going, Rico Steinemann of KG Salzburg made the mistake not to go after wet tires when Elford came in for refuelling. It offered Jo Siffert of JWA Gulf the lead, pulling away from the #25 and setting a new race lap record in 3'22"6. With a superior pit crew Siffert and team mate Brian Redman succeeded to increase their advance over the KG Salzburg streamliner. After 820 kilometres difference was already a complete lap. Problems with a slow pucture, followed by light bothers made the #25 loosing 4 more laps. After 9 hours and 1,634 kilomtres Siffert/Redman lead the Iclx/Schetty Ferrari 512S Coda Lunga by 4 laps and the #25 by 5. Struggling with a deficient road holding on the wet the #25 fails to take over the lead when both the Siffert/Redman and Ickx/Schetty machinery disappeared, res. with a leaking engine and after a driver's error. At mid-race the other KG Salzburg Porsche, the #23, leads, 3 laps ahead over the #25 917LH. Then follow 2 Martini International entries: the other 917LH (#3) and the 3.0 Porsche 908/03LH. Those positions are maintained until 8.30h in the morning...

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - When uncle Ferry Porsche wakes up, after 16 hours of racing he finds 4 Porsches at the 4 first places, the 2 first being KG Salzburg Porsches of nephew Ferdinand Piech. For the ambitious Austrian engineer it's his ultimate moment of glory, especially now the 3 917Ks of "invador" John Wyer are no longer there. But at 8h30 the #25 - chassis 042 - comes in with a broken inlet valve. For Elford/Redman the race is over. PICTURE: Famous automotive painting by John Watts.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - Painted in white with purple psychodelic effects, the 4.9 Porsche 917LH with chassis 043 practiced at Le Mans, where the car realised the 12th best time: 3'29"4.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - The Martini 4.9 Porsche 917LH - chassis 043 - was a semi-work's car. It came at the start in purple and flou-green. In 7 hours its drivers, Gérard Larousse and Willi Kausen moved up from rank 12 to a solid 3rd place. At mid-race the car was already 2nd, 3 laps behind the leading KG Salzburg Porsche. Five hours later, after heavy storm, difference with the leaders is always 3 laps, but the lighter #27 Martini Porsche 908-02LH was now second. A loss of 5 minutes in the pits to take off a wheel makes the #3 closing fast to the #27 Martini Spyder. When shortly after noon it's again raining, the spyder of Lins/Marko looses again 10 minutes in the pits with the same wheel refusing to come off. So they have to continue on slicks. That makes that the #3 is again 2nd. At the finish Larousse/Kauhsen are 5 laps down to the winners.

LE MANS 24 HOURS 1970 - Again the "hippie" 4.9 litre Porsche 917LH with chassis 043, having finished second.

TO BE CONTINUED