24h Le Mans
A top Audi partner since 1999, Reinhold Joest was also loyal to Porsche for a long while, as a driver then outfit owner.
In nine starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, for Reinhold Joest eight were at the wheel of a Porsche. The one exception? His first participation in 1969 in a Ford GT 40, with a sixth place finish. His history with Porsche began two years later with a car that is now famous: the legendary "pig pink" 917/20! Subsequently, he became an expert in the 908, often entered by his own outfit, and even a factory driver (in 1973, '76 and '78). Behind the wheel of a Porsche he was always in the top 5 (third in 1972, fourth en 1972, third in 1978, second in 1980).
After his retirement as a driver, as an owner Joest won five of Porsche's 17 victories at the 24 Hours (1984-85-94-96-97). With a special nod to the 1985 edition at which he beat the factory 956s...simulateneously giving the German manufacturer, with that 10th victory, the win record at the 24 Hours of Le Mans! After the wins for the Dauer-Porsche 962 LM and the Joest-Porsche TWR, in 1998 he entered the last Porsche factory prototypes...before becoming Audi's right hand man at Le Mans. Joest, now 78 years young, has served as the representative of the two winningest constructors ever at the 24 Hours of Le Mans!
Click here for the previous 45 Porsche stories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans article.
Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY & SUNDAY JUNE 13 & 14 2015, RACE. For his final participation as a driver, Reinhold Joest was at the wheel of this Porsche 908 shared with Klaus Niedzwiedz and Dale Whitington.
