IMSAblog

1985 : Porsche takes over, part 1

The 1985 season was a new step towards a GTP evolution. Porsche had sold two new 962s to Jim Busby's BF Goodrich sponsored team. No less than six or seven cars were now entered on a regular basis. Things would get tougher for the opposition. Al Holbert had his Löwenbrau Special car which he knew better than any other competitor. He had the factory support and was now a recognized star. He would earn his fourth Camel GT Championship, scoring points in every races but two. The Championship had a new category, set up to accomodate the small prototypes. The Lights cars were small displacement GTPs that low budget teams could afford, and they would provide some competition for the fans. Seventeen rounds were offered to a growing attendance, ranging from 500Milers to 24 Hour races.
As per usual, the season took off at Daytona for the traditional 24 Hour race. Sunbank backed the race which hosted a very eclectic seventy six car field. Porsche 962s were now facing two Jaguar XJR5s, a handful of Marches of all types, a new Corvette GTP, Gianpiero Moretti's Alba and a host of reliable Porsche 935s.
Holbert Racing had their 962 entered for Al Holbert-Derek Bell and Al Unser Jr. Bayside Disposal had two cars for one team of drivers! Henri Pescarolo-Thierry Boutsen and Bruce Leven would share the driving chores and keep the best running car later in the race. Bob Wollek was partnered by AJ Foyt and Al Unser Sr on Preston Henn's car. BF Goodrich were the new top contenders for the overall, with two cars for a stellar line-up. Jim Busby-Jochen Mass and Rick Knoop were on the first car, while Pete Halsmer-John Morton and Dieter Quester were on the second one. Bob Akin was co-driven by Hans Stuck and Paul Miller on the Coke machine. The main opposition appeared to be the Group 44 Jaguars. Bob Tullius-Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood were on the number 44 car, while Chip Robinson-Bill Adam and Claude Ballot Léna drove the number 04. They were counting on the reliability of their V12s. The Marches were powered by various types of powerplant  as well as different chassis types. The Conte Racing Buick powered car was driven by John Paul Jr-Bill Adam and Whitney Ganz. Sarel van der Merwe drove the ex-Holbert Racing 85G chassis, which was Porsche powered. Ian Scheckter and Tony Martin were willing to go for a second win in a row. Leon Bros Racing had a Porsche powered 85G for Bill Whittington-Randy Lanier and Al Leon. The other cars were less efficient ones. Gianpiero Moretti was partnered by Ludwig Heimrath Jr, who had purchased the car for the remainder of the season, and Massimo Sigala. Don Courtney had a Buick powered Argo, which he shared with Brent o'neill and Steve Shelton.
The GTO class was now dominated by the Roush Racing Ford Mustangs. A fierce opposition could be awaited from the Dingman Bros Pontiac Firebird driven by Walt Bohren and Craig Carter. The Chevrolet Corvette driven by Allen Glick and Billy Scyphers was not far away, unlike the numerous Porsche Carreras and 934s. A Ferrari 512BB entered by Mosler Racing was now part of this class, and driven by John McComb, Rick Mancuso and Fred Fiala. Many Chevrolet Camaros and Corvettes would be part of this race, also. The new Lights category was created to allow small displacement prototypes. The new Argo JM16s, Tiga GT285s and Royale RP40s, which took part of the GTP class last year, were now the main contenders. Jim Downing-John Maffucci were the favorites with a Mazda powered Argo, while Charles Morgan and Bill Alsup had a Buick powered one. The Tigas were less efficient cars, and Tom Burdsall-Peter Welter were more than ten seconds slower. The GTU class displayed the now usual Mazda-Toyota-Porsche battle. Elliot Forbes Robinson would set the John Schneider Porsche 924GTR on the pole, just ahead of 1984 champ Jack Baldwin-Ira Young-Jeff Kline, and Paul Lewis-Scott Pruett, and Chris Cord-Dennis Aase on the AAR Toyota Celica. Many outdated Porsche 911s were part of the show while a Ferrari 308GTB driven by George Alderman-Joe Hill added a little variety to the small class.

John Paul Jr was on the pole, and led the field on the banking with Sarel van der Merwe on the outside

Copyright Dave Kutz

John Paul Jr was on the pole, on the Conte Racing March Buick, just ahead of Sarel van der Merwe, on the Kreepy Krauly Porsche powered car. The Porsche 962s were just behind them, led by Bob Wollek and Al Holbert, while the Jaguars were slightly behind, but the drivers were optimistic. The race was set with a warm weather, and plenty of spectators. At the start, the two top starters were quickly ahead of anybody. Behind them, AJ Foyt, running at a slowly pace, was passed by many drivers, and was down in the standings. A battle would next follow, involving most of the main contenders for the win. Al Holbert was fighting with the two Jaguars, Hans Stuck and Al Leon. The latter would have a puncture later, just before the first refueling session. Sarel van der Merwe, pushing his March very hard, would pay the price for that and lose a lot of time on the track after running out of gas! John Paul Jr lost the lead to Al Holbert while refueling. Later in the race, Bob Wollek was gaining fast on the leaders, after refueling very late. Al Holbert was now firmly in the lead, with Bob Tullius Jaguar XJR5 second. The second Jaguar had lost five laps after having a puncture on the banking. A rain shower would bring some kind of a ballet in the evening, and then things  began to accellerate. John Paul Jr had a suspension problem, and lost a lot of time. The John Schneider Porsche 924GTR hit the wall and bits and pieces were strewn all over the track. The pace car was out for fifteen minutes. At the restart, Pete Halsmer tangled with a Corvette and the pace car was out again. Positions were straightening down, with Al Holbert's car always in front. As many cars were suffering from various ailments, Porsche seemed to get rid of its more avid competitors. The Marches and Jaguars would undergo various troubles, and the main question was : what Porsche would win? Thierry Boutsen had joined the Preston Henn 962, as two of the drivers were sick! During the night, a stuck throttle sent the car eleven laps down. The race lost the most of its excitement very soon, as it seemed that the Holbert car had won the race, but, in the morning, things turned very bad. Running more and more slower, the car lost the race to the T Bird Swap Shop car. Al Holbert was second and the BF Goodrich car was third, ahead of Bob Akin's two cars, the 962 and the 935.

Jim Mullen, Ray McIntyre and Kees Nierop finished fifth overall at the wheel of this Porsche 935-84, just behind the four 962s.

Copyright Michael Crews

Porsche had utterly dominated the event. Ford did the same in GTO, with Wally Dallenbach-Willy T Ribbs-Doc Bundy easily winning their class. Amos Johnson-Jack Dunham-Yojiro Terada gave Mazda a new victory, while the Lights class very first winners were Don and Kelly Marsh, along with Ron Pawley won driving their Argo JM16 Mazda.
The next event was due to happen in Miami. The race had become one of the season's highlights, and this was due to Ralph Sanchez abilities to cope with every aspect of a race organisation. Thirty eight cars were part of the main GTP-GTX event, and the field displayed some extras. First of all, Emerson Fittipaldi was entered in the works March 85G Chevrolet, which was rent to Ralph Sanchez. The car was of course the public's favorite, and proved worth it. Tony Garcia, Fittipaldi's co-driver, did not prove up to the task, unfortunately. Ralph Sanchez had another car for Jan Lammers-Roberto Guerrero, who replaced Emilio de Villota for the race. A big handful of Marches, ranging from 85Gs to 82Gs, would take part of the race. The Conte Racing car, driven by John Paul Jr-Bill Adam, would be the fastest car in practice. The other valid cars were the Blue Thunder one and the de Atley Motorsport entry, driven by Darin Brassfield and David Hobbs. Five Porsche 962s were entered, but only two ones appeared really apt to fight for the win. The Preston Henn car, driven by the now legendary Bob Wollek-AJ Foyt duo. Al Holbert-Derek Bell were also amongst the best. The two Jaguar XJR5s were here too, willing to reiterate their 1984 triumph. They were driven by Bob Tullius-Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood-Chip Robinson. John Gunn had brought his Phoenix Chevrolet, which
he drove with Chip Mead. Fomfor was here with his C7, now powered by a Chevrolet engine, he was co-driven by Albert Naon. A Rondeau M382, heavily modified, and powered by a Chevrolet engine, was entered by Vic Gonzales-Hugo Gralia. A pair of Royale and Argo, along with three Lola T600s, which were now second hand cars, and the Lew Price Chevrolet Corvette GTP, were amongst the entry list. The Lights class displayed four Argos, one Tiga and  one Gebhardt. Jim Downing-John Maffucci and Charles Morgan-Bill Alsup were the fastest. The GTO-GTU race was scheduled  before the main event : it was a new Ford Mustang one-two. Willy T Ribbs won over John Jones in what appeared to set the GTO year. The race would be launched after the usual pre-race festivities. At the start, it was Bob Wollek who managed to pass John Paul Jr.  Al Holbert followed, with the two Jaguars following three Marches(Bill Whittington, Emerson Fittipaldi and David Hobbs). Bob Wollek would maintain his position for six laps, while Brian Redman retired with a broken gearbox. After turning the boost down, Bob Wollek saw John Paul take the lead, but he would spin later. Al Holbert would take the lead while Emerson Fittipaldi followed him. After a shunt between the Red Lobster March and a Tiga, the pace car was out. A confusion would follow, with Emerson Fittipaldi and Bob Wollek taking the lead in a very strange way. They would be black-flagged at the restart. Al Holbert was again the leader. As things seemed to calm down, the pace car was out once again, for a new strange piece of  action. The leader went back to his pits for a refueling, and it was Bob Wollek-AJ Foyt  who then took the lead. In fact, David Hobbs was now second, just ahead of Al Holbert. AJ Foyt would then pit without turbocharger at all, he was out. Then a succession of racing woes would happen, with many cars out for good. But it seemed that it would be Al's day, and he would avoid every race trap, unlike many others. After forgetting the Budweiser March, he would go on without any trouble. Gaston Andrey would literally explode his Tiga against the wall, getting out of the race with a broken leg, and a new pace car session. Derek Bell lost the lead at the new restart. Darin Brassfield took the lead but would commit two mistakes, leaving a wide open gap, then sending Chip Robinson's Jaguar into the wall. Derek Bell was too happy to take back the lead, and this time for good. Al Holbert and Derek Bell held their first 1985 victory. Jim Downing and John Maffucci won the Lights class with their Argo JM16 Mazda.
The next event was to be held at Sebring, for the Coca Cola Classic. It attracted a very fine field of machinery, with total rewards now exceeding $100000. The track had been improved, and it was no lost job! It was also the first time Porsche would bring its 962s at Sebring. Seventy four cars were entered, and it was a wild looking field. Five Porsche 962s had to face a pair of Jaguar XJR5s, some March GTPs, a Chevrolet Corvette GTP and some ageing Porsche 935s. Quality did not match the Miami field, but one could count on some great racing. The GTO class could produce some great competition between Dave Heinz Chevrolet Corvette and Walt Bohren Pontiac Firebird, but the Roush Racing Ford Mustang had proved it was nearly unreachable in the previous events. The GTU class, for its part, was the usual Porsche-Mazda war. In practice, it was Hans Stuck, driving Bob Akin's Porsche 962, who shattered the previous mark by more than six seconds.

Hans Stuck was on the pole and literally shattered the previous mark by more than six seconds!

Copyright Michael Crews

Al Holbert shared the front row with the German superstar. Bob Tullius was next, with Bill Whittington alongside, John Paul Jr was fifth, but he did not drive hias usual car. He shared a drive with Ken Madren and Wayne Pickering on an older car, entered by Pegasus Racing. Then came Jochen Mass, Brian Redman and John Kalagian. Bob Wollek was lower on the grid, just ahead of the team's 935. Walt Bohren was the best GTO qualifyer, while John Jones would start from the back of the grid, with no time. Elliot Forbes Robinson was the fastest GTU qualifyer, just ahead of Jack Baldwin.

The start of the race, with Jochen Mass just ahead of AJ Foyt.

Copyright Michael Crews

At the start of the race, which was given under a clear blue sky, John Paul Jr jumped into the lead, which
three laps. Then Hans Stuck took the lead, which he kept until lap thirty. Al Holbert was involved in a collision with a slower car, and was out of contention in the opening laps. AJ Foyt was running without first gear and accomodate to this situation. Then it was Jochen Mass who took it, and the car built up a solid margin upon its pursuers. At that point, the Coke machine, now driven by Bob Akin, was put out of the race by Bob Akin, who crashed his car after a puncture. Third overall was the second BF Goodrich car which stopped on the track out of fuel. After twenty five minutes, the car was back in tenth position. After four hours, Jochen Mass-Jim Busby and John Morton were two laps ahead of  Bob Wollek-AJ Foyt, running two laps ahead of the next car, which was the March 85G driven by John Kalagian. Next was Al Holbert-Derek Bell who were running very strong, and making up for their early misfortune. The valiant Argo Mazda driven by Jim Downing led the Lights class, followed by the unbelievable Ford Mustang driven by John Jones and Wally Dallenbach. But attrition of this race proved the worst ever, with many suspension or engine  failures. While the BF Goodrich was still in the lead after mid-race, it was clear that the following cars were gaining on her. In fact, the car was hit by a big piece of concrete, and retired at 6:25. Bob Wollek and AJ Foyt were the new leaders but they would lose a wheel on the track, and twenty five minutes! Al Holbert was the new leader of the race, but while everybody thought the race was over, the Löwenbrau car was running more and more slower. The car would be normally overtaken by the T Bird car who went on to win by a four lap margin. Third was the second BF Goodrich car, who lost its hopes for a second place finish, as Dieter Quester had an off course, losing enough time to end up thirteen laps behind the winners.

Wally Dallenbach Jr and John Jones did not meet any opposition in the race, finishing at a very convincing sixth place overall.

Copyright Michael Crews

The Bob Tullius Jaguar was next, while Jim Downing easily won the Lights class, two laps ahead of the GTO class winner, the Roush Racing Ford Mustang driven by Wally Dallenbach and John Jones. It was clear that things were thorouhly evolving in this category. And you should get accustomed to this fact. The only real surprise of the race was to be brought by the GTU winners, who were Gary Auberlen-Pete Jauker and Adrian Gang, driving their reliable Porsche 911. One never know what may happen in Endurance racing.(to be continued)

1985 : Porsche takes over, part 2

The next race was held at Road Atlanta, a 500 Miler. A strong fifty three car field was to take the start of the first continental race. Porsche 962s were the favorites as Al Holbert wound up a new'pole position, just ahead of John Paul Jr, always fast on the Conte Racing March Buick. BF Goodrich had entered two cars and Bruce Leven was here, sharing the drive with David Hobbs. A handful ovf Marches were also making for the field, with an untypical Rondeau being part of the show. In GTO, a new contender for the all-conquering Roush Ford Mustangs was to be seen with a new Ford Thunderbird entered by Brooks Racing, and driven by John Bauer and Greg Pickett. They would be by no means outsiders! Ken Murray was co-driven by Phil Currin in his Pontiac Firebird and Chet Vincentz had his beautiful Porsche 934 entered. For sure, the opposition was stronger for the quite unbeatable Mustangs. In the Lights class, while the Argos appeared unbeatable in the previous races, a new car, designed by Dave Klym, and powered by a Porsche flat six engine, was new to the field : it was called a Fabcar. Entered by Whitehall Motorsport and driven by Tom Winters and Elliot Forbes Robinson, the car proved very fast. It was a welcomed addition to the field. In GTU, the now classical Mazda-Porsche-Pontiac confrontation seemed to turn into a Mazda domination, as the opponents appeared but lonely. The race started with Al Holbert and John Paul Jr jumping in front of the field, with the Jaguar XJR5s waiting for their time. While John Paul Jr-Bill Adam retired after eighty five laps, it seemed that Porsche would have the race won, but Al Holbert-Derek Bell lost  four laps in the pits, losing the race to the Group 44 Jaguar XJR5s. Brian Redman-Hurley Haywood won the race over Bob Tullius-Chip Robinson for a one-two finish. The Lights class was won by the new Fabcar Porsche driven by Tom Winters-Elliot Forbes Robinson, who survived the race. The GTO class was won once again by the Roush Racing Ford Mustang driven by John Jones-Wally Dallenbach, but the Electrodyne Porsche 934 driven by Chet Vincentz-Kees Nierop proved it was worth the competition. The GTU class saw a new victory by Jack Baldwin who drove solo, but the second place finisher was the astonishing little Nissan 200SX driven by Frank Carney and Dick Davenport who upset everyone in a New Raytown entered car.
The next race was to take place at Riverside, with a new car to be entered by Electramotive. It was the first Nissan GTP ever to be entered, and the car needed further development. It was driven by John Morton and Tony Adamowicz. Yet, it was not still amongst the favorites. The car was under development, and would not start the race. Al Holbert and Derek Bell were on the pole, with Pete Halsmer and John Morton alongside. .The race was all BF Goodrich with Al Holbert-Derek Bell, being shoved from the lead and finishing in eleventh position. Pete Halsmer and John Morton took the over teammates Jim Busby-Rick Knoop. Bob Tullius-Chip Robinson were third, but five laps down. The Lights class was won by Jim Downing and John Maffucci, who were just ahead of Kelly Marsh and Ron Pawley, driving an Argo JM16 Mazda too. Lyn St James and Bruce Jenner dominated the GTO class, and the Ford winning streak was going on.

Jack Baldwin and Jeff Kline dominated the race at Riverside, capturing another GTU class win.

Copyright Dennis Currington

Jack Baldwin and Jeff Kline easily outclassed the opposition, while Tom Kendall and brother Bart took a second place on the Kendall Racing Mazda RX7.
The next event was due to take place in Laguna Seca, for a 300 kilometer sprint race. A very scant eighteen car field took the green, with four cars closely held together in practice. Bob Wollek was the fastest, John Paul Jr was next, with Klaus Ludwig and Al Holbert just behind. The Ford Probe was sporting a brand new 2,1L 4 cylinder turbocharged engine, which appeared to be blindingly fast. Chuck Kendall had brought his ageing Lola T600, adding a little diversity. The race looked quite promising, At the start, John Paul Jr jumped into the lead, but he would be penalized for jumping too fast. He would not be able to make his five second pit stop, as he retired on lap twenty four. Klaus Ludwig would follow him three laps  later, with fuel pressue gone. Then it was all Al Holbert. Bob Wollek, who missed the start, was the only challenger. He was closing in on him, but his turbo failed him when he pitted for tyres. The race was over, and Al Holbert took a new victory over the two Jaguar XJR5s. Bob Tullius-Chip Robinson were second and Brian Redman-Hurley Haywood third. The BF Goodrich Porsche 962s were next. The Lights class went to Bill Alsup, who drove the Royale RP40 Buick entered by Charles Morgan to his first win. Jim Downing finished second, strengthening his points lead. A noticeable entry was the new Nissan GTP, entered by Electramotive. Driven by Don Devendorf and Tony Adamowicz, the car was still under development, and finished eleventh.
At Charlotte, twenty nine cars took the green, with six GTO cars allowed to run with the big guns. Al Holbert was on the pole, with John Paul Jr second. Klaus Ludwig was next, then came John Morton, and the two Jaguar XJR5s. Don Devendorf had crashed the Nissan GTP in practice and the car was destroyed. Despite a late grid placing, the Ford Probe jumped into the lead at the start, followed by Al Holbert. The two BF Goodrich cars were next, followed by the two Jaguars. Bill Adam had a desastrous start and was  forced to let the entire field pass after spinning. Several cars pitted later, as the March Buick driven by Ken Madren-Wayne Pickering and the Chevrolet Corvette GTP driven by Lew Price. John Kalagian hit the wall on lap twenty five, after his front suspension broke. A full caution period resulted in Jimmy Leeward's crash on the banking. Bill Adam, who had gained on the leaders, would lose one lap when refueling too early. Then John Paul Jr would push his car too hard, and he would stop with tyre problems. Brian Redman had taken the lead, and another collision was due to happen between John Paul Jr, who met a GTO car, and he was propelled into Bob Akin's 962. The two cars were out. The Ford Probe had taken back the lead, with Brian Redman still second, and Al Holbert next. The next refueling session was to become a real disaster for the Ford team as the car took fire while refueling. Brian Redman was in the lead, but he lost control of his car, and the tail of his car hit the wall. The Löwenbrau car was now in the lead, and would maintain this positon till the chequered. The Lights class saw a new victory for Jim Downing, who had a long chase with Bill Alsup-Charles Morgan in a Royale Buick. The fuel consumption was on the Mazda powered car side, the gap was up to one lap at the end. Tommy Riggins-Gene Felton won the GTO class in their Pontiac Firebird.
At Lime Rock, a new team was to enter the GTP field. Dyson Racing entered a car for Drake Olson. The team was new to GTP racing but they had a strategy which proved to be unfailable. A single pit stop, due to a low fuel consumption, would allow Drake Olson to capture the win over Brian Redman-Hurley Haywood, in a Jaguar XJR5 and Pete Halsmer-John Morton on the BF Goodrich car. Al Holbert took a fourth place out of a fourteen car field.

Drake Olson stunned everybody by winning the Lime Rock race in his very first Porsche 962 ride.

Copyright Robert Manley

At Mid Ohio, the race saw the debut of a new radial tyre made by Goodyear. The win would belong to the car with the best compound. A strong twenty seven car field took the green, with some new cars to be featured. The Polimotor Lola T616, plastic engined, driven by Peter Kuhn, and the Jack Miller Aston Martin Nimrod was back. At the start, Al Holbert jumped into the lead while David Hobbs, who shared the front row with him, dropped to seven. John Paul Jr was second with Klaus Ludwig next behind. Jim Trueman was fourth in his Alba Ford, using his perfect knowledge of the track. Jim Busby was the first to retire with a broken fan drive. Jim Trueman, unortunately, retired after losing his clutch. Klaus Ludwig passed John Paul Jr, then would close in on Al Holbert. He disappereared on lap twenty five with an oil pressure problem. John Paul Jr would recover his second
place, David Hobbs was next. Al Holbert, still in the lead, was black-flagged for a malfunctioning stop light. The Bayside Racing car, now driven by Bob Wollek, could get closer but he had to refuel two laps from the finish. Al Holbert captured another win.

Bob Wollek and David Hobbs had a very good race, at the wheel of the Bayside Racing Porsche 962. They took an excellent second place overall.

Copyright Robert Manley

The Lights class saw  Jeff Kline Alba AR2 Mazda on the pole. Jack Baldwin took the wheel of the car, but he had trouble with his driving suit. Jim Downing was in the lead, but Jeff Kline could grab the win when he overtook John Maffucci.
The first Watkins Glen race was a 3 Hour race, which saw Al Holbert on the pole, leading Hans Stuck. Klaus Ludwig was third and Bob Wollek was next. Once again, Al Holbert and Derek Bell would wind up another win, but the biggest surprise came from the Zakspeed Ford Probe, driven by Klaus Ludwig and Doc Bundy, which finished at an excellent second place overall. Drake Olson and Rob Dyson took a third place, and confirmed they were a force to be reckoned with. Charles Morgan and Bill Alsup once again took a new Lights class win, beating the Alba Mazda driven by Jeff Kline and Jack Baldwin, while class points leader Jim Downing took a third place.
Portland's hot surface awaited the usual GTP-Lights field. Twenty cars would be a part of the race. Holbert Racing had brought two cars for the first time, and Derek Bell would have to race against his boss. The two drivers shared the front row and were ahead of their usual contenders, say Bob Wollek and Klaus Ludwig. Derek Bell jumped into the lead at the start, only to retire two laps later when he lost a piston. Then it was all Al Holbert. He dominated the race and pitted for fuel without switching to new tyres. His advantage over the opposition did rarely exceed ten seconds but it was enough to secure him another win. Bob Tullius and Chip Robinson took a well deserved second place after Klaus Ludwig lost time with consistent door problems which entertained the crowd. He finished fifth while third place was taken by Drake Olson and Rob Dyson. Jim Downing drove solo to capture yet another Lights win over Kelly Marsh Argo JM16 Mazda.
Twenty cars were entered at Sears Point, under a sunny weather. The California GT was sponsored by Ford, and the Detroit Iron was willing to do well. Bob Wollek was on the pole, on the Bridgestone shod Bayside Racing Porsche 962, with Klaus Ludwig next to him. Holbert Racing had entered two cars once again, but Derek Bell had crashed the older car in practice, so a single Holbert Racing car would be running. Jaguar had strong on this very particular track, but the same could not be told from Conte Racing, withdrawing its two cars after they proved uncompetitive.

Klaus Ludwig had his best race of the season at Sears Point, where he finished at the second place

Copyright Van Zannis

A very strange car could be seen in the form of a Porsche 935, entered by John Klug, which was outrageously modified. It did not look like a Porsche 935 any more, but it did not qualify. At the start of the race, Bob Wollek immediately was in the lead, while Klaus Ludwig suffered from too slow a start. Then the chase was on, with Al Holbert leading the two Jaguars, Drake Olson trailing them. Klaus Ludwig had recovered his position, but soon Al Holbert would pass him. Al Holbert would then experience shift linkage problems and his pace would then slow down to finish at a lowly seventh place overall. The two Jaguars would have a disappointing race. Brian Redman-Hurley Haywood had drive train problems and Bob Tullius-Chip Robinson retired after forty two laps. While Klaus Ludwig was now firmly clinging to his second place, Drake Olson would inherit third place. Bob Wollek finally won the race, dominating right from the beginning and finally never really threatened.

Jeff Kline took the Sears Point Lights class win driving his Alba AR2 Mazda.

Copyright Van Zannis

The Lights class was quite different from the usual scenario, with Jeff Kline dicing all the way with Ron Nelson's Tiga Mazda. Jim Downing could not even start the race as he had his shifter preventing him to show up. Jeff Kline was running in second place but managed to pass Ron Nelson in the pit stop session. He then increased his advantage to capture a well deserved win. The race had begun under sadness with the loss of Jim Cook, a long time IMSA competitor, who died from a heart attack in the final qualifying session.(to be continued)

1985 : Porsche takes over, part 3

A very strong fifty five car field showed up at Road America and it was the classical mix of classes with the GTP-GTO-GTU cars that made the enduros. Klaus Ludwig took his first pole position at the wheel of the Ford Probe, beating off the previous and being the sole driver running under the two minute mark. As the weather got rainy, it appeared that the qualifying times would have to be set up by the race direction. The GTU cars were the only cars running under a dry track. The Conte Racing car was third and it appeared that Dave Bruns had made a terrific job on the car. At the start, it was Klaus Ludwig who took the lead, which he kept for one lap. Then Bob Wollek and Drake Olson passed him, while Jochen Mass was just behind his fellow countryman, and leading John Paul Jr. The Nissan GTP took the start of the race, but was black-flagged for spilling oil on the track. Brian Redman would have to stop while having his windshield scattered. The GTO class leader, Darin Brassfield, retired after six laps with an engine gone. Scott Pruett would inherit the lead, but he stopped for a long while, and it was the sister car, driven by John Jones and Lyn St James,  which would take the lead.

Don and Kelly Marsh, co-driven by Ron Pawley, captured their first Lights class win at Road America.

Copyright Mark Windecker

Pete Halsmer lost a wheel while he was in seventh place, but he could make it to the pits and continue the race. Then there was a caution period, due to a collision between the Nissan and Brian Redman's Jaguar. The Nissan ended up in the guardrail and a Ford pit crew member got slightly hurt. Another incident involved three cars. The Pontiac Fiero driven by John Oates, the Buick Regal T driven by Kurt Roehrig and the Mazda RX7 driven by Paul Lewis. John Oates spun and the Mazda hit something and the Buick went into the outside of the track. A caution period would set and, at the restart, rain came back. No more Conte Racing were left, while the Ford Probe had disappeared too. At mid point, Derek Bell led the race with Drake Olson, Brian Redman, Jochen Mass and Bob Wollek following. Then Jim Mullen destroyed Bob Akin's Porsche 962 but no caution period was necessary. Drake Olson took the lead and Hurley Haywood overtook Derek Bell too on lap ninety six. The Löwenbrau car stopped then, with engine problems. The Jaguar expired too, in a cloud of smoke. The race was over and it was a new victory for Dyson Racing. The Lights class was won by Don and Kelly Marsh with Ron Pawley on an Argo Mazda. The Roush Ford Mustang driven by John Jones and Lyn St James had a two lap advantage over Chet Vincentz and Kees Nierop while Jack Baldwin and Jeff Kline piled up a new class victory, beating off the AAR Toyota Celica driven by Chris Cord and Dennis Aase.

Drake Olson was partnered by Bobby Rahal and captured a convincing win at Road America

Copyright Mark Windecker

At Pocono, things went back to normality. Forty two cars were entered but no Chevrolet Corvette GTP was to be seen. The car was undergoing further development and would be back at the next race. The Porsche 962s were facing the Jaguar XJR5s and the lonely Electramotive Nissan ZX T GTP. Two new cars would give the Lights class a little more excitement. The new Denali Mazda entered by Z and W Enterprises and driven by David Loring and Pierre Honegger, and the Harrier Mazda, driven by Tom Hessert and Steve Durst. Scott Schubot and Dennis Vitolo had a new Tiga GT285 Mazda, while Kelly and Don Marsh had a new Argo JM19 Mazda. The GTO class seemed to be more prone host a new class winner, as Roush Racing had chosen not to enter any car for the first time in the season. Ford would however be well represented, as Brooks Racing had its 7Eleven backed Ford Thunderbird, driven by Darin Brassfield and Scott Pruett, while Jim Robbins had a Ford Mustang for himself and Bruce McInnes. In practice, BF Goodrich could be content with Pete Halsmer's putting the Porsche 962 he shared with John Morton. Second were Al Holbert and Derek Bell, who shared the front row. The race again was all Al Holbert's, who was at his home track. As Pete Halsmer's car was slowed by tyre problems, it appeared that the sole real opposition for the Holbert Racing car was the Group 44 Jaguar XJR5 driven by Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood, who finished on the same lap at the end of the race. Bob Wollek and Mauro Baldi, who were two laps down. A new winning car was to be cheered in the Lights class, as Scott Schubot and Dennis Vitolo enjoyed their first ever victory at the wheel of their Tiga GT285 Mazda.

Scott Schubot and Dennis Vitolo enjoyed their first class win at Pocono, driving this Tiga GT285 Mazda.

Copyright Jeffrey Payne

Jim Downing had to retire early in the race after forty two laps. The GTO class was clearly dominated by the Brooks Racing Ford Thunderbird driven by Darin Brassfield and Scotf Pruett, who did not meet any real opposition, and were seven laps ahead of the Ford Mustang driven by Jim Robbins and Bruce McInnes. It was a premiere too for AAR in the GTU class, with Chris Cord and Dennis Aase taking a first win in 1985.
At Watkins Glen, Hans Stuck seemed to be back in winning form, and he had put the Bob Akin Porsche on the pole, with a new qualifying record. Klaus Ludwig was alongsidle him, with Al Holbert next. The two BF Goodrich, with Pete Halsmer and Jochen Mass were behind them, while Drake Olson and David Hobbs followed next. GTO was much more exciting as the Roush Ford Mustangs were back, while Peerless Racing had brought along a beautiful Chevrolet Camaro for Craig Carter and Gene Felton. Darin Brassfield again was the fastest, but Craig Carter was very close, and ahead of every Ford Mustang! The Lights class promised a beautiful duel between Jim Downing, who appeared as the favorite, and contender Jeff Kline, who had an Alba AR3 Mazda. In GTU, two Pontiac Fieros, entered by Huffaker Racing, now faced the Mazda squadron. The start of the race saw Al Holbert jump into the lead, while behind him Skeeter McKitterick and Sarel van der Merwe, who drove the Leon Bros March 85G Porsche collided. Hans Stuck would stick on Al Holbert's tail for twenty four laps and fight for the lead. Later in the race, Chris Cord would find himself stuck in the ARMCO, bringing a full yellow flag caution period for several laps. At the restart, Hans Stuck would pit with a broken halfshaft. Al Holbert and Derek Bell were in the lead, and never relinquish it. Drake Olson was the only contender for the end of the race. He would unfortunately lose a great deal of time with oil spoilt onto his windshield, and it was Jochen Mass and Jim Busby who finally were second. The Ford Probe was never able to run as fast as during practice, and finished a distant fourth, behind Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood Jaguar. The Lights class win to Jim Downing and John Maffucci, again triumphing from Kelly and Don Marsh Argo JM19 Mazda. David Loring, on his Denali, was a valuable contender, but he retired after forty five laps. The GTO class was the first ever female solo win in IMSA history while Jack Baldwin defeated Terry Visger driving his CCR Mazda RX7.
The next race was using a quite different track configuration, as Columbus was a new street course. A strong thirty two car field was to be displayed for the fans. While everyone seemed to foresee disaster, things improved with time. The race would be exciting. Klaus Ludwig was on the pole, once again, with Bob Wollek next to him. Al Holbert and Drake Olson shared the next row. Bob Tullius was on the fifth place, driving his usual Jaguar XJR5. At the start, Klaus Ludwig was in the lead, and hold off Drake Olson until lap seven. Then Drake Olson passed him and maintained his position until lap thirty eight, when he pitted for fuel. Klaus Ludwig was back on the lead but his car would suffer from a gear linkage  problem, which would eventually lead him to a retirement later.

Chip Mead had an excellent race at Columbus, placing as high as fourth before retiring, at the wheel of the Chevrolet Corvette GTP entered by Lew Price.

Copyright Mark Windecker

Many cars had already retired, as John Paul Jr's Hawk Buick, David Hobbs' Chevrolet Corvette GTP, and Chip Mead, whose privately entered Chevrolet Corvette GTP had run as high as fourth. Bob Tullius took the lead for four laps, but retired too when Chip Robinson took back the car. After the first refueling session, Drake Olson recovered his position, just ahead of Bob Wollek and Pete Halsmer. Then Rick Knoop's car suddenky caught fire, and a full caution period was on. At the restart, Price Cobb was always in the lead, while Mauro Baldi and John Morton were behind backmarkers. Mauro Baldi took the lead when Price Cobb pitted, and then John Morton passed him. After the last refueling session, things went back to their initial state, with Price Cobb and Drake Olson always in the lead. Bob Wollek and John Morton were still fughting for second place. Bob Wollek managed to stay in front of John Morton while Ludwig Heimrath and Jim Trueman were fourth on their Alba Ford. Dyson Racing had packed up yet another well-deserved win. The Lights class saw another victory for Jim Downing and John Maffucci, who had another win at the wheel of their Argo JM19 Mazda, beating Charles Morgan and Bill Alsup on their Royale RP40  Buick. Jim Downing clinched the Championship and was the first ever Lights Champion to be crowned.
The traditional season ending race could boast a huge seven three car field. With the new BMW GTP entered by MacLaren North America and the Chevrolet Corvette GTP, both on the front, sure the race was promising. Al Holbert would drive two cars, Preston Henn's 962 and his usual Löwenbrau car. He would let Al Unser Jr start with his car, while he wouls start on the T Bird car. Sarel van der Merwe jumped into the lead, followed by David Hobbs, who drove the BMW and Bob Wollek. David Hobbs then took the lead, on the next lap and kept it for five laps, then retired with transmission failure. Sarel van der Merwe took back the lead, but lost his engine cover on the banking.

BMW had entered a new GTP car which was driven by David Hobbs, Davy Jones and John Andretti. It qualified on the front row.

Copyright Michael Crews

A caution period was on and the Chevrolet Corvette GTP lost the lead. The Porsche 962s were again in the lead, with Pete Halsmer, Bob Wollek and Jim Busby in the top spots. Jim Busby was hit by a backmarker, and Bob Wollek was now in the lead. Al Holbert was third, but he soon pitted for fuel, leaving the car to AJ Foyt, and climbing in his car, which was lower in the standings. He was fighting Brian Redman and AJ Foyt! The latter would retire later, with a turbo gone. The Jaguar would take the lead when Bob Wollek retired on lap fifty one. Al Holbert was second and was now fighting for the win. A late race incident gave the Porsche the final advantage, and the race was over. Al Holbert had won the race, and was the 1985 IMSA series Champion. The Lights class belonged to Jim Downing and John Maffucci, who ended up a very successful season. Second was the Royale RP40 Buick driven by Don Courtney, Brent O'neill and Mike Hackney. The GTO class was won by John Jones and Lyn St James, easily beating a battered Ford Thunderbird driven by Darin Brassfield and Scott Pruett.
John Jones was the 1985 GTO Champion, driving a Roush Racing Ford Mustang, but Darin Brassfield and Scott Pruett were strong contenders and fought them well throughout the season.
The season ended up well for AAR, and it was the Toyota Celica driven by Chris Cord and Dennis Aase who took the last season race win. Second was Al Bacon, driving a Mazda RX7. Jack Baldwin was the 1985 GTU Champion, driving the CCR Racing Mazda RX7 entered by Clayton Cunningham.

The season was over with a new title for Al Holbert. However, his domination was now utterly complete and he had to fight hard to capture his fourth crown. New drivers, such as Drake Olson or John Jones in GTO, proved they were valuable challengers for the win and new cars added diversity to the fields. Chevrolet with his Lola born GTP, Nissan and BMW would be back in 1986 and be strong contenders for the next season. The GTO class was dominated by Roush Racing, whose Ford Mustang appeared quite unbeatable. They would field new cars in 1986. The Lights class ushered a new era in GTP racing, and many new contenders were expected to enter the IMSA Championship's new class. Jim Downing would enter a new Argo JM19 Mazda while Pontiac would field a Spice built Fiero. Mazda again won the GTU class but Pontiac Fieros, entered by Huffaker, were expected to come back with new and improved cars, as well as AAR, with their ever developed Toyota Celicas. The IMSA Championship was now on the verge of internationalisation, and the fields were now full World Class, with foreign drivers entries. The evolution was on its way.

BMW M1C : a new approach to GTP racing

BMW was no new contender in IMSA, at that time. As soon as 1974, CSL cars were privately entered by the Hurtig Team Libra, and then by the Bavarian Motor Works team headed by Jochen Neerpasch. Then MacLaren North America would go on with the 320i with normally aspirated engines and then turbocharged engines. They would provide a rather consistent challenge but would gather only a few success, and this fact was probably due to the relative loneliness of the cars. Yet, BMW was always willing to do well in IMSA, as the American market was the most rewarding one in terms of sales.
The 320i program ended up at the end of the 1979 season, and BMW had just launched a new supercar, which appeared as a kind of flagship : the M1. It was clear that this new weapon had been built with racing purposes in mind. And it clearly was.
The new Procar series was some kind of a big show, involving Formula 1 drivers challenging highly fortunate privateers.
BMW had developed the Procar, which was a tubeframe version of the M1. Jim Patterson had become head of BMW Motorsport North America, and he had arranged his friend Dale Detrick to prepare the two Procars which were to be entered in two WEC events in 1980. As these cars, which could give 460hp or so, were unable to challenge the Porsche 935s, it was decided to make a splash in the USA and go ahead. The new wing car project was to be drsigned by French aerodynamics expert Max Sardou and BMW engineer Raine Bratenstein.

Also known as the March 81P, the BMW M1C was a quite radical car. At first, the car was utilizing the ground effect, even with the banned skirts. Thoroughly tested at the SERA facility in France, the scale model was the basis for the full scale racer, and March was capitalizing on the accumulated knowledge to prepare future cars. It was unfortunately not to be.
The nose was dominated by two lobster claw fenders supported by a splitter that separated air to the front  mounted radiator from airflow to the ground effect tunnels. Rear wheels were covered to reduce loss of air around the wheels. A BMW style grille was added above the front wing.

The front end of the car was dominated by the typical two lobster claw fenders, which were the trademark of every future March GTP cars.

Copyright Mark Windecker

David Hobbs was the lead driver and a hole was cut in the rear bulkhead, forcing the fuel bladder to be stuffed between the driver and the motor.
The Procar BMW engine was used in the beginning, then it was replaced by a turbocharged engine. Raine Bratenstein was the engineer who conducted the project, and he was chosen by Robin Herd himself. Max Sardou did work on the car's aerodynamics, and the car bore some resemblance with the French Ardex, which was to debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 3,5L engine was centrally mounted, and coupled with a Hewland DG300 gearbox. The coque was built out of L72 aluminium, reinforced with a  honeycomb chassis. The suspensions used the Procar system. The brakes were ATE type with 12,5 inch diameter disc. The wheels were BBS ones, with 16X12 diameter in front, and 16X16 in rear. The bodywork was quite sleek and very enveloping. Rollbars were cockpit driven, with the brakes repartitor fitted in it. A 120L fuel tank was fitted in the center of the bodywork. While tested by Christian Danner in Europe, the car showed great promise. It was to debut at Riverside, in the hands of David Hobbs and Marc Surer.

The new BMW M1C debuted at Riverside, in the hands of David Hobbs and Marc Surer, and finished sixth despite numerous problems.

Copyright Van Zannis

The car finished sixth in spite of numerous problems. During the race, drivers reported that the steering wheel had moved. The driver, in fact, had been pushed closer to the steering wheel as the check valves did their job to prevent fuel spillage, which caused a tank enlargement, thus pushing the driver closer. The poor cockpit ventilation equally caused the drivers to be deshydrated.
Wiley McCoy, from MacLaren North America, decided to to put the turbocharged engine from the 320i. But things looked like the car was not designed to host this engine. Dick Yagami developed a cooling system that let the car run with the same intercoolers used on the 320i. The engine produced between 675 and 700hp. The car ran with this engine at Sears Point, but retired with a broken suspension.

The BMW M1C started in fourth place at the Road Atlanta fall race, which was its best performance.

Copyright Dave Kutz

A fourth place start was to be gained at Road Atlanta fall race while a fourth place finish at Portland was the best result in the season. At Road America, the car ran well but retired with a transmission failure. It appeared that the car was never to be seriously developed. It was a BMW half-hearted attempt to get the Bavarian marque into the GTP category. At the end of the season, Detrick, Patterson and Dave Reeves of March compiled a list of modifications to be made on the car for 1982. That would be the 82G. Then BMW decided to leave IMSA. There would be no factory effort in 1982 while everything seemed to be set for the new season, but it never grew up really, and it was over.