Photo : DAN-R-BOYD - ALMS

At the conclusion of the 2010 season, four cars are due to pass into the history books: the Ferrari F430 GT, Peugeot 909 HDi FAP, the Audi R15 and Porsche RS Spyder.

In 2005 the German carmaker made a true return to racing prototypes in LM P2 with the RS Spyder. Thanks largely to the organisation of Roger Penske, one of the most prestigious team bosses across the Atlantic, and talents of Porsche factory drivers Sascha Maassen, Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas. The RS Spyder fast became the car to beat in the American Le Mans Series, and made and achieved overall victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring 2008, in the hands of Bernhard and Dumas and Emmanuel Collard. It was Porsche's first win on the Florida circuit for twenty years.

That year, the RS Spyder also conquered Europe through the Dutch gentleman-driver Peter van Merksteijn. Along with Jos Verstappen (and Jeroen Bleekemolen at Le Mans), in LM P2 in both Le Mans Series and 24 Hours. In 2009, it was the turn of Team Essex to win the laurels of Mans with Casper Elgaard, Kristian Poulsen and Emmanuel Collard and in 2010, CytoSport made a great symbolic achievement for the RS Spyder, by remaining in the title race until the final race of the ALMS at Petit Le Mans. In its five years, the RS Spyder has proved that Porsche still know thier business when it comes to prototypes, and also raised the bar for the LM P2 category.. For this it has won a place in the history of endurance racing, along with its prestigious brothers 917, 936, 956 and 962C, which earned the German manufacturer eleven victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

Jean-Philippe Doret

Photo: Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville (Canada), 29th August, 2010. Klaus Graf and Romain Dumas in the last victory of the Porsche RS Spyder at the penultimate round of the ALMS season 2010.