935 Drive at Rennsport – 2nd - 4th November 2007

Rennsport 2007 has come and gone and we (George Tuma, David Hinton and the lads from Predator) were all there for some great racing and to watch goggle eyed at more than twenty 917s and twenty 962s gathered together plus an amazing array of other competition Porsches.

If you were there, it was mind blowing, if you weren't, no words that I could write could do it justice. Just make sure you’re at Rennsport 2010.

I’ll particularly remember Rennsport 2007 for one wonderful, thirty minute period when I got the chance to drive the Vaillant-sponsored green 935 that we have for sale on the web site. I drove it on the banking, behind the Interscope 935 with, in front of that, the Joest 935 that won the Daytona 24 Hours in 1980.

What a car! I had dug out the dyno sheet from the factory the previous week and glanced at it. 805 horsepower at 7,800 rpm it says, and this from a factory dyno.

Climbed in, buckled up the belts and got comfortable. Felt great, immediately “at home”. With the boost turned all the way down on the 962 engine, I pulled out the little button that controls the ignition. On came the lights, press the button marked “start” and it did. No fuss, no frantic jiggling of throttle, it just sat there and warmed up. Electramotive engine management, I love you. Engage the in or out clutch, select first on the built-up gearshift and off we drove, very easily, to the pre-grid for the demo on Saturday where there appeared to be hundreds of cars ready to go out. Switch off. Wait for what seemed to be ages, pit marshals twirl fingers in the air, start up again and trundle down pit road out onto the infield part of the circuit.

Down to turn one, warming up the tires, find how easily she goes through there, even on old tires, and head up through the elbow, overtaking cars all the way, through the second horseshoe, noticing how firm and good the brakes are and then...up onto the banking. Get it all straightened up, press down on the throttle, the turbos spool up with a whine and.. “Oh my Gawd!” This is like holding onto a rocket sledge, I kid you not. Swiftly grab third and then fourth, watch the revs get to 7,000 and then we’re coming down the back straight and catching up to a gaggle of traffic fast. Brake hard, tuck in behind the Interscope 935 that Ted Field, Milt Minter and Danny Ongais drove at Le Mans in 1979 and then follow it. It’s not hanging around and in front I can see the Joest 935 of Lloyd Hawkins that won Daytona in 1980. As we carve our way through the chicane and then back up onto the banking for the run down to the tri-oval, I watch flames spouting out of the Interscope 935’s exhaust as he shifts down in preparation for turn one.

Tires are warm now and the Vaillant 935 sweeps easily through turn one and then we accelerate down to the first horseshoe turn, with me marveling at how well this car handles. It fills you with confidence, so well is it sorted. I guess Jurgen Opperman, who used to drive it round the old Nordschleife circuit, really knew how to sort a car and, if so, he’s done a great job. A few more laps and the checkered flag is out. It’s over. What a car! At some points, I realized that I could have overtaken the 935s in front quite easily but hey, have a bit of decorum John!

When I got back to the paddock, I switched off, listened to the tinkling sounds of the engine and turbos cooling down and got out, announcing to my friends: “That’s the best racecar I’ve ever driven.” I’m so impressed. What a great car but, then again, it was built by the Kremer Brothers with DP supplying the bodywork. They supplied all the K2/3/4 bodywork for Kremers and “our” 935 was the final variation. Love it. Want it. Can’t afford it. Ah well.

A big thank you to the owner for letting me drive the 935 and to Doug Radix, who very kindly transported it to Daytona and back to it’s home. At least Doug got to drive it on Sunday and he was as impressed as I was.