1970 Watkins Glen 6 Hours

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Track map of Watkins Glen International (1956-1970) Watkins Glen International Track Map-1960-1970.svg
Track map of Watkins Glen International (1956-1970)

The 1970 Watkins Glen 6 Hours was an endurance race held at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course, New York, United States on July 11, 1970. It was the ninth round of the 1970 World Sportscar Championship season. [1]

Contents

Pre-race

Martini Racing blue and green "psychedelic" livery on a 1970 917K, as raced at Watkins Glen in 1970 with #35 (#31 was on a blue&white 917K) 2006FOS 1970Porsche917L.jpg
Martini Racing blue and green "psychedelic" livery on a 1970 917K, as raced at Watkins Glen in 1970 with #35 (#31 was on a blue&white 917K)

John Wyer's team had not won a race since Spa and they came off a disastrous attempt at winning Le Mans; losing all three of their cars in 10 hours and the race to their sister teams, with Porsche Salzburg and Martini Racing on the podium. Mario Andretti returned to Ferrari to try to help the great marque repeat their triumph at Sebring less than 4 months previously. Ferrari were keen on doing this; a win here would be sufficient comeuppance for them after their humiliating Le Mans run; all four works cars had retired after 4 hours and 4 of 6 other privately entered 512's also retired.

This particular race was one of four time-limited races on the 1970 calendar; the others being at Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans. It was the only 6 hour race on the calendar in 1970, with the winner covering 1140km. There were five 1000km races, lasting over 4 to nearly 7 hours depending on track and weather, and the 1970 Targa Florio had 11 laps for 792 km in 6:35 hours.

Qualifying once again went to a Porsche; the Gulf-Wyer Jo Siffert/Brian Redman 917K managed to edge out the Andretti/Giunti Ferrari 512S and the Rodriguez/Kinnunen 917K by three tenths of a second.

A pair of blue and white-striped Porsche Salzburg 917K were entered as Porsche Audi Division, while Martini Racing showed another blue-green Hippie car design, this time on the #35 917K.

This would be the last Watkins Glen 6 Hours race on the original circuit. The circuit was rebuilt for the next year; they used the short track (as the extension had not yet been finished) and the whole track in 1972.

Race

At the start, Andretti took the lead from Siffert, but the Swiss driver took the lead back from Andretti on the third lap. He then lost the lead to Rodriguez. Later on in the race, Rodriguez attempted to switch off the 917K's headlights; but instead he switched off the fuel pumps, and the engine started to fail. Rodriguez was about to come into the pits, but then he realized what he had done, switched the pumps on, and then stormed through the field, made fastest lap and he & Kinnunen went on to win for the 4th time in the season. Wyer's team finished 1-2, and both cars finished on the same lap, with the works Ferrari of Andretti/Giunti completing the podium.

Official results

PosClassNoTeamDriversChassisEngineLaps
1S
5.0
2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Wyer Automotive Engineering Flag of Mexico.svg Pedro Rodríguez
Flag of Finland.svg Leo Kinnunen
Porsche 917K Porsche 4.9L Flat-12308
2S
5.0
1 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Wyer Automotive Engineering Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jo Siffert
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Brian Redman
Porsche 917K Porsche 4.9L Flat-12308
3S
5.0
92 Flag of Italy.svg SpA Ferrari SEFAC Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti
Flag of Italy.svg Ignazio Giunti
Ferrari 512S Spyder Ferrari 5.0L V12305
4S
5.0
31 Flag of the United States.svg Porsche-Audi USA Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Vic Elford
Flag of New Zealand.svg Denny Hulme
Porsche 917K Porsche 4.9L Flat-12302
5S
5.0
91 Flag of Italy.svg SpA Ferrari SEFAC Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jacky Ickx
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Peter Schetty
Ferrari 512S Spyder Ferrari 5.0L V12298
6S
5.0
32 Flag of the United States.svg Porsche-Audi USA Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard Attwood
Flag of Germany.svg Kurt Ahrens Jr.
Porsche 917K Porsche 4.9L Flat-12295
7P
3.0
36 Flag of Germany.svg Martini International Racing Flag of Austria.svg Helmut Marko
Flag of Austria.svg Rudi Lins
Porsche 908/02 Porsche 3.0L Flat-8288
8S
5.0
50 Flag of Sweden.svg Ecurie Bonnier Flag of Sweden.svg Jo Bonnier
Flag of Sweden.svg Reine Wisell
Lola T70 Mk.3B Chevrolet 5.0L V8264
9S
5.0
35 Flag of Germany.svg Martini International Racing Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gijs van Lennep
Flag of France.svg Gérard Larrousse
Porsche 917K Porsche 4.5L Flat-12260
10GT
+2.5
9 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Grossman Flag of the United States.svg Bob Grossman
Flag of the United States.svg Don Yenko
Chevrolet Camaro 427 Chevrolet 7.0L V8243
11S
2.0
52 Flag of the United States.svg Dr. Mervin Rosen Flag of the United States.svg Merv Rosen
Flag of the United States.svg Dick Jacobs
Porsche 906 Porsche 1.9L Flat-6241
12S
2.0
53 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Rahal Flag of the United States.svg Hugh Wise
Flag of the United States.svg Werner Frank
Porsche 906 Porsche 1.9L Flat-6236
13GT
2.5
77 Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Jennings Flag of the United States.svg Bob Tuillus
Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Jennings
Porsche 911T Porsche 2.2L Flat-6233
14GT
2.5
41 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Bandy Flag of the United States.svg Jim Bandy
Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Cargill
Lotus Europa Ford 1.6L I4233
15S
2.0
39 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rainer Brezinka Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rainer Brezinka
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Horst Petermann
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rudy Bartling
Porsche 906 Porsche 1.9L Flat-6231
16GT
2.0
84 Flag of the United States.svg Ralph Meaney Flag of the United States.svg Gary Wright
Flag of the United States.svg Francis C. Grant
Porsche 911S Porsche 2.0L Flat-6223
17P
2.0
46 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Baker Flag of the United States.svg Wayne Christian
Flag of the United States.svg Charles Reynolds
Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rinzler
Chevron B16 Ford 1.8L I4223
18GT
2.5
70 Flag of France.svg Sylvain Garant Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Andre Wicky
Flag of France.svg Sylvain Garant
Porsche 911T Porsche 2.2L Flat-6217
19P
2.0
46 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Baker Flag of the United States.svg Paul Richards
Flag of the United States.svg Jim Baker
Chevron B16 Ford 1.8L I4206
20GT
2.5
94 Flag of the United States.svg Ralph Meaney Flag of the United States.svg Ralph Meaney
Flag of the United States.svg Stephen Behr
Porsche 914/6 GT Porsche 1.9L Flat-6181

Did Not Finish

ClassNoTeamDriversChassisEngineLaps
GT
+2.5
20 Flag of the United States.svg John Greenwood Flag of the United States.svg Allan Barker
Flag of the United States.svg John Greenwood
Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet 7.0L V8116
GT
2.5
37 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sunoco Canada Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jacques Duval
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg George Nicholas
Porsche 911T Porsche 2.0L Flat-692
GT
+2.5
63 Flag of the United States.svg Robert Luebbe Flag of the United States.svg Robert Luebbe
Flag of the United States.svg Michael Summers
Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet 7.0L V885
S
5.0
33 Flag of Germany.svg Georg Loos Flag of Germany.svg Georg Loos
Flag of Germany.svg Franz Pesch
Ferrari 512S Ferrari 5.0L V1224
GT
+2.5
63 Flag of the United States.svg William A. Schumacher Flag of the United States.svg Bill Schumacher
Flag of the United States.svg Robert R. Johnson
Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet 7.0L V88
P
3.0
53 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg A. G. Dean Ltd. Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tony Dean
Flag of the United States.svg Peter Revson
Porsche 908/02 Porsche 3.0L Flat-83

Statistics

References

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World Sportscar Championship
Previous race:
24 Hours of Le Mans
1970 season Next race:
Austrian 1000km