Porsche 917's currently racing

[Caramba]

I've always found the 917 an awesome car but I've only really seen them running at the Goodwood FOS (not old enough to have seen them in competition unfortunately).

How many of them are still used in anger at racetracks ?

There must have been a fair number built - I'm thinking of the closed coupe not the Can Am versions.

[skycafe]

Get thee to Daytona, Florida, November 1-4 this year for Porsche Rennsport Reunion III. Featured will be 917's and 956/962. That should not limit the fun, as I would expect a big turn out of a wide variety of other models.

I went to the second edition, and there is one gentleman who ran his 917 in race, I am sorry I do not recall his name or even know if he still has the car. There were several other 917's that did exhibition/parade laps. What was very cool was that all 600 plus cars there were able to be accessed, and the owners and crews were proud to show them off.

Last time tons of 356 of all varients, RS and RSK, Carrera Abarths, 904, 906, 907, 908's of all versions (I love 908/03's ) 917's, 917/10's and 917/30, 956, 962,, 935's, Carrera RSR's, racing 911's by the dozen.

robert

[skycafe]

I forgot to mention, there was enough Martini and Gulf liveries on display to make your head spin, and then there were the all three of the Shell 962 Le Mans team cars.

All at one of the spiritual homes of Porsche's International racing history.

robert

[dxk1]

I know that the first year they ran the 917 they were required to build 25 of them. They built more over the years including the long-tailed version that ran around 230-240 mph at LeMans.

DK

[KA]

Originally Posted by Caramba

I've always found the 917 an awesome car but I've only really seen them running at the Goodwood FOS (not old enough to have seen them in competition unfortunately).

How many of them are still used in anger at racetracks ?

There must have been a fair number built - I'm thinking of the closed coupe not the Can Am versions.

There have been two or three active at various times over the last few years in the CER historic series that supports the LMS races, although I don't think any have been out this season. LMP2 Zytek driver Juan Barazi appeared in his Martini-liveried car a couple of years back
http://www.cknet.org.uk/html/photo.a...rstone_Aug04_3
and both David Piper and Jean-Marc Luco have run 917's in the series.

Is Piper's car the same one he campaigned as a privateer in many of the major sportscar races when it was current?- if so, I think he's owned it continuously since buying it from the factory in 1969/70...it must have built up a fairly huge race mileage by now...

[brielga]

Quifel ASM team owner Miguel Amaral also has a 917, I think he raced it only once (this year) in Portugal during the WTCC weekend.

[eelboi]

Originally Posted by skycafe

Get thee to Daytona, Florida, November 1-4 this year for Porsche Rennsport Reunion III. Featured will be 917's and 956/962. That should not limit the fun, as I would expect a big turn out of a wide variety of other models.

I went to the second edition, and there is one gentleman who ran his 917 in race, I am sorry I do not recall his name or even know if he still has the car. There were several other 917's that did exhibition/parade laps. What was very cool was that all 600 plus cars there were able to be accessed, and the owners and crews were proud to show them off.

Last time tons of 356 of all varients, RS and RSK, Carrera Abarths, 904, 906, 907, 908's of all versions (I love 908/03's ) 917's, 917/10's and 917/30, 956, 962,, 935's, Carrera RSR's, racing 911's by the dozen.

robert

for us poor sods on the other side of the planet, will there be anything on any sites [or this one ] over nov 1-4

[minimangler]

shouldn't this be in "historic racing today"?

What happened to the one Barazzi had? Is it true he rented it of David Piper then Piper sold it?

[gsmith2424]

Hey maybe Penske will bring down the LMP2 car and run in it in anger and really show what a true race car can do at Daytona now.

[Caramba]

Thanks for the replies - I'd love to see the Porsche event at Daytona but I've got no chance.

Seen plenty of GT40's & T70's which are OK but there's something about the 917 that sets it apart - just a shame they're not seen in historic racing in the UK.

I imagine that most of the original 25 cars were used up by the factory supported teams.

[Tim the Grey]

I think the Piper one that we saw has been sold, as it is the Juan Barazzi one we saw. Either he was VERY careful, or Siggi Brun's 908 is VERY quick, but it was pretty much lapped in under an hour...

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by Caramba

Thanks for the replies - I'd love to see the Porsche event at Daytona but I've got no chance.

Seen plenty of GT40's & T70's which are OK but there's something about the 917 that sets it apart - just a shame they're not seen in historic racing in the UK.

I imagine that most of the original 25 cars were used up by the factory supported teams.

Actually, several went to private teams. I think Porsche actually had to sell them because they were in pretty heavily financially. The Piper car was 917-10 (not 917/10 Can Am type)I believe. There is a chassis list on 962.com.

Did Piper sell his car? It was owned by him for years and years.

GoRace will have photos, I am sure sportscarpros will cover the event again. Speed should be there.

I am sure that at least one RS Spyder will be there. Last time Porsche exected a huge display area. Hopefully the Spyder will parade too, but I do not have an expectation of it being at speed. Maybe the Flying Lizzard 997 will be there too, celebrating the ALMS GT2 Championship

I will be there...

[henk4]

here are some of those currently/recently active.

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4...che-917-K.html

David Piper had a Gulf Car at the Festival of Speed. I have the number, but not right at hand. I'll find it later.
The Porsche owned Sunoco 917-30 was also at Goodwood, but only "raced" on saturday on a dry track. I was not considered to be wise to let it run on slicks in the Sunday rain....

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by KA

Is Piper's car the same one he campaigned as a privateer in many of the major sportscar races when it was current?- if so, I think he's owned it continuously since buying it from the factory in 1969/70...it must have built up a fairly huge race mileage by now...

Piper's had several 917's through his hands and I'm not sure which one his most recent was. There was a test of it in Octane Magazine last year and there IIRC it said he had owned it for quite some time. The ardent 917 fan should try and get their hands on a copy of that magazine... it was very interesting.

Not that I want to divert people to other forums, but there's some stuff on 917s here that people may find interesting.

http://www.cknet.org.uk/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=4

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by skycafe

Did Piper sell his car? It was owned by him for years and years.

There was a article on the Piper 917 in Motorsport a few years ago. If I remember correctly it had never been rebuilt, just continually maintained, so was quite original.

There are photos on the "other site" of a Gulf 917 at Spa last weekend.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by henk4

David Piper had a Gulf Car at the Festival of Speed. I have the number, but not right at hand. I'll find it later.

Correction, it was not Piper's car, but the chassis is #13.

[Peter Horsman]

When I was priviledged to be driving Nigel Hulme's T70 on Pipe's South African race tour this year, his (green) 917 was there, being driven by Richard Attwood. I doubt he would let anyone else drive it - the engine looked fearsomely expensive...... We were in the same pit garage as it (as well as two of his Ferraris and a T33), which made for a magical experience.

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by Peter Horsman

- the engine looked fearsomely expensive......

I'm sure that my son (KRT917) will, in due course, stumble upon this thread and want to comment but he often bemoans the fact that 917s are so rarely seen in historic racing. I keep telling him that the cost of so doing is likely to be the most inhibiting factor even amongst those who have the wherewithall to own one of these iconic machines. I also understand that they also probably require even more care than most when driving them competitively.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by John Turner

I'm sure that my son (KRT917) will, in due course, stumble upon this thread and want to comment but he often bemoans the fact that 917s are so rarely seen in historic racing. I keep telling him that the cost of so doing is likely to be the most inhibiting factor even amongst those who have the wherewithall to own one of these iconic machines. I also understand that they also probably require even more care than most when driving them competitively.

I have heard from normally reliable sources that Jean Marc Luco is considering to enter his car for the 2008 CER races..

[Nortad]

Originally Posted by brielga

Quifel ASM team owner Miguel Amaral also has a 917, I think he raced it only once (this year) in Portugal during the WTCC weekend.

Yes it did, and won.

[ss_collins]

There was a Solar Productions (Gulf) 917 found in a French barn a few years ago - I remember seeing pics of it in the barn somewhere - anyone got them?

[ss_collins]

Answered my own question

[chunder]

Jesus, can you just imagine opening the door to that place if you didnt know what was in there and you knew what a seventten was!!

[White flag man]

I would think I'd died and gone to heaven

[ss_collins]

I actually think the barn pics above were faked, but the story is true that car was in a barn - but nobody took pics of it there, so according to a user on another forum - Motor Klassik took the only partly cleaned car to another barn and photgraphed it there.