24h Le Mans
At the sixth edition of the Rennsport Reunion, the biggest sporting Porsche gathering in the world, the German manufacturer will highlight motorsport legends via the theme "Marque of Champions." From 27 to 30 September, cars and drivers - namely six-time 24 Hours winner Jacky Ickx - will put on a show at the Laguna Seca circuit in California.
After three editions hosted on the East coast of the U.S., in 2011 the Rennsport Reunion (held approximately every three years) crossed the country for the Laguna Seca circuit with its stunning blind "Corkscrew" turn. This year, the sporting Porsche gathering will take place over four days instead of three, with an exciting program that includes as many as 12 official drivers and 11 cars, authors of the German marque's history in motorsport, all disciplines considered.
Endurance racing will be represented in part by the Porsche 919 Hybrid, three-time winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2015 and 2017, the same "EVO" version that helped two-time winner Timo Bernhard beat the lap record at the Nordschleife (North Loop) of the Nürburgring this past June (read Timo Bernhard smashes Nürburgring lap record in a tweaked Le Mans Porsche 919 Hybrid!).
A 2008 Porsche RS Spyder, that the marque used to prepare its return to competition, will be on display. A two-time LMP2 class winner at Le Mans in 2008 and 2009, the car allowed Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard and Emmanuel Collard to score the overall win at the 12 Hours of Sebring despite the presence of more powerful cars. The RS Spyder will be joined by another Sebring winner: the 1960 718 RS Spyder brought to victory by Olivier Gendebien and Hans Hermann. Hermann, along with Richard Attwood, gave Porsche its very first win at the 24 Hours 10 years later.
12 Hours of Sebring winners will be represented by Vic Elford (in 1971 with a Porsche 917K) and Brian Redman (in 1975 and 1978), both two-time class winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as Hurley Haywood and Jacky Ickx: the American driver won Sebring twice and Le Mans three times, and the Belgian driver won Sebring twice (not with Porsche) and the 24 Hours six times.
In attendance among the more recent winners of the two races: Timo Bernhard (overall at the 24 Hours), Patrick Long (Sebring in 2014 and two-time class winner at Le Mans) and Michael Christensen (LMGTE Pro class winner this year at the 24 Hours for Porsche's 70th anniversary). The Dane will be joined by his two teammates Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor. Estre and Vanthoor have yet to win Sebring, nor has two-time overall Le Mans winner Earl Bamber.
Engineers will be notably represented by Nobert Singer, the "father" of the iconic Porsche 962, still active in paddocks like at the Le Mans Classic in July despite having taken his well-deserved retirement!
The kickoff of the Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI will be given on 27 September at the Laguna Seca circuit, the scene of the next-to-last round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship last weekend.
PHOTO: Grand Marshal of the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans Jacky Ickx next to tennis player and event starter Rafael Nadal.
