24h Le Mans
Unveiled in 1982, the Porsche 956 was the successor to the 936. It heralded a new era in technical regulations for prototypes: the advent of Group C. It became the most successful Porsche model in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Photo : Archives ACO
Powered by a flat six-cylinder turbocharged engine with a capacity 2.6 litres, as was the 936 , the 956 was the dominant force of the 24 hours from 1982 to 1985. Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell drove the 956 to victory in its first entry at Le Mans in 1982 and finished second in 1983, after Ickx taking a second consecutive pole position. That year, it was another factory 956 that won the race , driven by two Americans, Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood and the Australian Vern Schuppan .
The races in 1984 and 1985 saw the victory of private 956s. In the absence of factory cars, Henri Pescarolo drove to his fourth victory at the Sarthe , in combination with Klaus Ludwig . Despite the return of factory 956s in 1985 , the race was once again won by Ludwig with two unusual team mates: Paolo Barilla, the pasta heir of the eponymous firm, and now the CEO of the famous Italian food company , and gentleman driver Louis Krages , who raced under the pseudonym of " John Winter ". Another significant detail : the owner and team manager of the twice victorious 956 was none other than Reinhold Joest , now a major partner of Audi with many wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2000. In 1985, the 956 allowed Porsche to beat the record of Ferrari , with their tenth success. And twenty-six years later, in 2011, Reinhold Joest's Audi team won their tenth Sarthe success. This year the "ringed marque" won their twelfth Sarthe victory on June 23 , at the 90th anniversary running of the famous race ...
To find out other stories of the great saga of Porsche at the Le Mans 24 Hours, please visit the official microsite: www.porsche.com/microsite/mission2014/international.aspx
Read also:
Porsche 917/30, the missing link
The Porsche victories at Mans (1) : the 917
The Porsche victories at Mans (2) : the 936
The Porsche victories at Mans (3) : the 935
Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO
Photo: CIRCUIT OF THE 24 HOURS (Le Mans, Sarthe), 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, 16 & 17 June 1984. The Porsche 956 gave Reinhold Joest his first two victories as a team owner in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
