Porsche 961

Last updated
Porsche 961
Porsche 961 Coupe 1986 frontleft 2009-03-14 A.jpg
Category Group B sports prototype
Constructor Porsche
Technical specifications
Suspension (front) Double wishbone
Suspension (rear) Double wishbone
Engine Porsche Type-935 2,847 cc (173.7 cu in) Flat-6, turbocharged, rear-mounted
Transmission 6-speed manual
Tyres Dunlop
Competition history
Notable entrants Flag of Germany.svg Porsche AG
Notable drivers Flag of France.svg René Metge
Flag of France.svg Claude Ballot-Léna
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kees Nierop
Flag of Germany.svg Günter Steckkönig
Flag of Switzerland.svg Claude Haldi
Debut 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans
Last season1987
RacesWins Poles F.Laps
31 (class)00

The Porsche 961 was a racing car built by Porsche and based on their 959 sports car. It was intended for Group B sports car racing, complementing the purpose-built 956 and 962C which ran Group C in the World Sports-Prototype Championship. The 961 project was short-lived, running only three races and seeing the construction of only one car. [1] Plans to sell the car to customers were scrapped when the Group B class was canceled.

Contents

Development

In the early 1980s, the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) reorganized their classification structure for motorsports. Two new categories, known as Group B and Group C, were designated for use in the World Sports-Prototype Championship. Porsche had developed the 956 for the Group C rules, and following the 956's debut, began work on developing a Group B car. An initial prototype concept, named the Porsche Gruppe B, debuted in 1983, after which plans were made to build the car for production and provide racing versions for customers as had been done with the 956.

By time the Gruppe B had been launched as the production 959 in 1985, Group B rules had been altered by FISA to better suit the class' use in the World Rally Championship rather than the Sports-Prototype Championship. Plans to develop multiple customer cars for sports car racing were therefore scrapped by Porsche, but development continued on the production of car which could be factory run in order to put the car's development to use. This lone racing car, built on 959 chassis No. 10016, became known as the 961. [1]

The new 961 retained much from the 959 road car, including most notably the four-wheel drive system that was uncommon in sports car racing at the time but allowable under the Group B regulations. The system was modified to distribute power more to the rear wheels rather than the balanced distribution of the 959. The driver adjustable damper and suspension systems were removed and replaced by a racing unit that could only be adjusted from by the pit crew, but was more reliable for endurance racing. [2]

The 961's engine was a Porsche Type-935 unit. This twin-turbocharged engine was not only used in the 959, but also in the Group C 956 and later the 962C. [1] This racing development helped the 961 run higher boost level than the standard 959. This resulted in a peak power output of 680 hp (510 kW). The brakes were also adopted from those developed for the 962C. [2] Bodywork was replaced with lighter panels to bring the car down to a weight of 1,150 kg (2,540 lb), while the rear wing and front fascia were replaced with modified designs in order to create more downforce. [2] Dunlop, who already supported Porsche's factory 962C team, supplied the tyres for the 961.

When the 961 was completed in 1986, Porsche had not yet built enough 959s to satisfy the Group B regulations for homologation. Due to this, the 961 had to be classified under International Motor Sports Association's similar GTX class. [1]

Racing history

Making its first appearance at the May test for the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 961 was able to show its potential pace quickly by setting the tenth fastest lap time under the control of French driver René Metge. [1] The 961's time was not only quicker than the BMW M1 which was entered in the Group B category, was also faster than several C1 and C2 class prototypes. [3] At the race in June, Metge was joined by fellow Frenchman Claude Ballot-Léna [1] and the two were able to qualify the car 26th. Through dependability the 961 was able to climb through the field as the race progressed and eventually finished the race in seventh place, 47 laps behind the winning factory 962C. [4]

The Porsche 961 as it appeared for the 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans Porsche 961 Coupe 1986 backleft 2009-03-14 A.jpg
The Porsche 961 as it appeared for the 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans

Later in 1986, the 961 was moved to the United States and entered in the Camel GT Championship's final round at Daytona International Speedway. The car was reclassified once again by International Motor Sports Association, this time being entered in the GTP category alongside sports prototypes like the 962. Drivers Kees Nierop of Canada and Günter Steckkönig of Germany were assigned to the car. The 961 however struggled with the banked turns of the Daytona circuit. The 961's Dunlop tyres were pushed beyond their limits and suffered several blowouts while the car was at full speed. [1] This slowed the 961's overall pace down before it eventually finished the race in 24th position. [5]

Porsche continued to develop the 961 into the 1987 season where it was prepared once more for Le Mans. The car was repainted in the colors of Rothmans to match the scheme used by the factory 962Cs. [1] Performance fell from the previous year as the 961 earned only the 16th fastest lap in the May test session. [6] Swiss driver Claude Haldi was assigned to partner René Metge, but the two were later joined by Kees Nierop whose 962C had been destroyed in a qualifying accident. Although the 961 managed to run as high as 11th overall in the race, Kees Nierop crashed the car after a mis-shift. The car was stopped and retired after it caught fire as Nierop attempted to return to the pit lane. [1] [7]

Following the Le Mans difficulties, and with no championship with which to run the 961 against similar machinery, the project was canceled. [1] The 961, repaired after its crash and fire in 1987, now resides on display in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

Related Research Articles

Porsche 959 Sports car model

The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 1986 to 1993, first as a Group B rally car and later as a road legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring at least 200 units be produced.

Porsche 935 Motor vehicle

The Porsche 935 was a race car developed and manufactured by German automaker Porsche. Introduced in 1976 as the factory racing version of the 911 (930) Turbo and prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules, it was an evolution of the Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype, the second place overall finisher in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Vern Schuppan Australian racing driver

Vernon John Schuppan is a retired Australian motor racing driver. Schuppan drove in various categories, participating in Formula One, the Indianapolis 500 and most successfully in sports car racing.

Porsche 956

The Porsche 956 was a Group C sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer and built by Porsche in 1982 for the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was later upgraded to the 956B in 1984. In 1983, driven by Stefan Bellof, this car established a record that would stand for 35 years, lapping the famed 20.832 km (12.93 mi) Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6:11.13 during qualifying for the 1000 km Sports Car race. The record was finally surpassed by Timo Bernhard in a derestricted Porsche 919 Evo on 29 June 2018.

Porsche 962

The Porsche 962 is a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had. The 962 was introduced at the end of 1984, from which it quickly became successful through private owners while having a remarkably long-lived career, with some examples still proving competitive into the mid-1990s. The vehicle was later replaced by the Porsche WSC-95.

Group C

Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993. Group C applied to sports car racing, with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs.

World Sportscar Championship Defunct auto racing series

The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.

1993 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 61st Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 19 and 20 June 1993.

1985 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 53rd Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the fourth round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France, on 15 and 16 June 1985.

Kremer Racing is a motorsports team based in Cologne, Germany, founded by racing driver Erwin Kremer and his brother Manfred. They have competed internationally with Porsches for nearly all of their existence, and were even one of the factory-backed squads for many years. Besides running Porsches, the team was also known for their tuned Porsche race cars that they both raced and sold to other teams who could not gain the best equipment from the factory.

The Supercup was a West German auto racing series created by the ADAC in 1986 as a replacement for the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM). The series used Group C category sports prototypes identical to the ones used in the World Sportscar Championship, yet running nearly exclusively within West Germany. The series lasted for four years before it was cancelled following the 1989 championship.

Joest Racing is a sports car racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest. Their headquarters are in Wald-Michelbach, Germany.

Porsche in motorsport Motorsport activities of Porsche

Porsche has been successful in many branches of motorsport of which most have been in long-distance races.

Brun Motorsport

Brun Motorsport GmbH was a Swiss auto racing team founded by driver Walter Brun in 1983. They competed as a Porsche privateer team in sports car racing for their entire existence, running in a multitude of international championships. They notably won the World Sportscar Championship in 1986 and later became a full-fledged chassis constructor. Brun was also briefly part of the EuroBrun Formula One team from 1988 to 1990. The team was eventually dissolved in 1992.

Lancia LC2 Series of racing cars by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia

The Lancia LC2 was a series of racing cars built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia and powered by engines built by their sister company Ferrari. They were part of Lancia's official factory-backed effort in the World Sportscar Championship from 1983 to 1986, although they continued to be used by privateer teams until 1991. They were also the company's first car meeting the FIA's new Group C regulations for sports prototypes.

Richard Lloyd Racing (RLR), originally named GTi Engineering, was a British auto racing team created in 1977 by driver Richard Lloyd. Originally named for the Volkswagen Golf GTIs that Lloyd raced in the British Saloon Car Championship (BSCC), they went on to become a successful Porsche privateer in the World Sportscar Championship (WSC). Richard Lloyd Racing eventually folded at the end of the 1990 season due to the increased cost of the World Championship.

1984 Sandown 1000

The 1984 Sandown 1000 was an endurance motor race staged at the Sandown Raceway in Victoria, Australia on 2 December 1984. It was the eleventh and final round of the 1984 FIA World Endurance Championship and was the first FIA World Championship race to be held in Australia. It was to be the first of a three-year contract to race at Sandown, though the final two years would be cancelled.

Dauer Sportwagen GmbH was a German automotive company founded by former racing driver Jochen Dauer in Nuremberg. Initially founded as Jochen Dauer Racing in 1987, the racing team had several years of participation in the German Supercup and European Interserie championships, as well as occasional runs in the World Sports-Prototype Championship and Camel GT Championships with the Porsche 962. Following the demise of sports prototype racing in the early 1990s, Dauer Racing GmbH was created to begin limited production of road cars, including a road-legal version of the 962, known as the Dauer 962 Le Mans, which later went on to win the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans. Once changing to Dauer Sportwagen, the company sold a continuation of the Bugatti EB110. The company went bankrupt in 2008 and parts for the EB110 were transferred to Toscana-Motors GmbH.

1986 1000 km of Nürburgring

The 1986 ADAC Kouros 1000 km Nürburgring was the seventh round of the 1986 World Sports-Prototype Championship. It took place at the Nürburgring, West Germany on August 24, 1986.

1985 1000 km of Spa

The 1985 1000 km Spa was the seventh round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. It took place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium on September 1, 1985. In the first half of the race the two leading drivers collided, which resulted in the death of defending Drivers Champion Stefan Bellof. The race organisers ended the race early, thus allowing the Martini Racing Lancia of drivers Mauro Baldi, Bob Wollek, and Riccardo Patrese to win their only victory of the year. It was also the last victory scored by the Lancia LC2.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Porsche 959 Part 3: 961". QV500.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  2. 1 2 3 "The 959 Goes To LeMans". TheAutobahn.com. 2 July 2004. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  3. "Non Championship Races 1986". World Sports Racing Prototypes. 2 October 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  4. "FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship 1986". World Sports Racing Prototypes. 2 October 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-04-26. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  5. "International Motor Sports Association 1986". World Sports Racing Prototypes. 14 February 2007. Archived from the original on 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  6. "Non Championship Races 1987". World Sports Racing Prototypes. 2 October 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  7. "Porsche 961 racer driven | evo".