XXX - Story of the Porsche 917-020

The Porsche 917-020

Porsche 917-020
Competition Group : 5, Interserie
Constructed For :
Engine Specification : 4,494cc, 580hp
Chassis Notes : "K"

Even with the passage of thirty years, few vehicles can move an enthusiast as can Porsche's mighty 917 !
For one brief shining moment, all that Ferrari and Porsche had learned was put to the test in a "Clash of the Titans".

Nothing before or since in motorsports has surpassed these few brief battles where one Factory effort fought another. Throughout the 1970 and 1971 season, before the organizers banned both machines forever, Porsche and Ferrari went head to head for domination of theWorld Championship. While Ferrari was able to score an occasional victory, the war was decisevly won by Porsche in a near clean sweep. Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans, Monza, Spa, Nurburgring etc... one after another Porsche's incredible 917 swept to victory each of the races necessary to win the F.I.A.'s World Championship of Makes.

Without exception the vehicle described in this document will forever encompass this most special period of motor racing history. Chassis 917.020 remains arguably the single most correct, meticulously restored and one of the single most historicly important surviving vehicle of its type in existence. This car is one of only three remaining 917s known to have won a major World Endurance Championship race.

Chassis 917.020 remains fully documented from the very moment built by the Porsche Factory, through each of its individual races and on to only its second private owner since new. In fact, it is believed to be the only 917 known to still have its original Porsche Factory Invoice.

While '020' is most frequently associated with its overall victory at the gruelling 12 Hours of Sebring, this is but one small part of this most fortunate vehicle's charm, character and carisma.

917.020 started its racing life on April 2, 1970 when it was driven by Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann at Brands Hatch for the BOAC 1,000 Kms race, using a 4.5 liter Flat-1 2 engine. Attwood and Herrmann qualified 9th and finished 3rd in a race run in atrociously wet conditions. Monza was the next venue for 917.020 for the 1000 Km race held April 25th. Attwood and Herrmann were teamed up again but, despite running 6th, were forced to retire when the engine failed. The very fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium was the venue for the next race, another 1000 Km event where Attwood and Herrmann finished in sixth place.

For the 1971 season, "020" received a new 4.9 liter engine plus wider wheels and a four-speed gearbox. 917.020 was used as a practice car for the opening race at Daytona but at Sebring, for the 12 Hours Race in March, "020" was to be driven by Vic Elford and Gerard Larrousse. "020" was qualified 4th by Vic Elford and, in the first hour, was delayed by contact with a back-marker, which cost the car a complete lap. Elford and Larrousse then began to press on and by the third hour, "020" was up to 4th place. The leading Sunoco-sponsored Ferrari 512 was now in collision with Pedro Rodriguez's Gulf-entered 917K, leaving "020" in second place, behind an Alfa Romeo T33. Lapping ever faster, Larrousse caught up to and passed the Alfa Romeo to leave "just" 572 miles to go for the well-earned victory which awaited the English/French driver combination.

At the end of the season, Vasek Polak bought all three of the Porsche Salzburg Team 917's, chassis numbers "019", "020", and "023". Mr. Polak sold "019" to an American collector and kept the LeMans winner, chassis "023" and the Sebring winner, chassis # "020".

917.020 has been meticulously rebuilt and restored by Robert Hatchman Autocraft of Grants Pass, Oregon with all the mechanicals being restored by Gustav Nitsche, Vasek Polak's ex-Porsche Factory Team engineer. Most recently the car was competition prepared by renowned Porsche restorer Kevin Jeannette of Gunnar Racing.

There are no finer sports-prototype racing cars than the Porsche 917. This coupe, with its Sebring Twelve Hour Victory and immaculate preparation is, arguably, the finest 917 today.

Porsche 917 chassis inventory (to be updated)

Chassis	Model	Year	Group	First owner	Next owners (year)	Comment
917-001		1969	Gr.5	Porsche		Test car, now in Porsche Museum (painted as 1970 Le Mans winner).
917-002		1969	Gr.5	Porsche		Test chassis, scrapped.
917-003		1969	Gr.5	Porsche		Test chassis, then T-car at Spa 1969. Scrapped after accident.
917-004		1969	Gr.5	Porsche	=> John Wyer (1970)	Nürburgring '69 (Piper/Gardner). John Wyer then rebuilt after crash at Brands Hatch 1970 as 017.
917-005		1969	Gr.5	Porsche	=> John Woolfe (1969)	Spa '69 (Mitter) John Woolfe at Le Mans 1969 - destroyed
917-006		1969	Gr.5	Porsche		Le Mans 1969 T-car. Roller endurance test, scrapped.
917-007		1969	Gr.5	Porsche	=> Gesipa (1970)	Stommelen/Ahrens LM 69. To Gesipa in 1970. Rebuilt as spyder in 1971
917-008		1969	Gr.5	Porsche		Elford/Attwood LM 69. Roller endurance test in 1970, scrapped.
917-009		1969	Gr.5	Porsche/Von Wendt?	=> John Wyer (1970)	Siffert/Ahrens Zeltweg 1969. John Wyer car 1970. Scrapped after Sebring 1971
917-010		1969	Gr.5	David Piper		Sold to David Piper 1969. Still owned & raced by him to-day (1997)
917-011		1969	Gr.5	Porsche Salzburg		Porsche Salzburg no. 3 car at Daytona 1970. Written off while testing at Targa Florio 1970.
917-012		1969	Gr.5	Porsche		Scrapped after tests, 1969.
917-013		1969	Gr.5	John Wyer		John Wyer 1970. Used for Le Mans film and crashed by David Piper. Allegedly rebuilt with 034 parts, but kept number 013 (probably not true).
917-014		1969	Gr.5	John Wyer		John Wyer car 1970. Rebuilt for 1971 as 029.
917-015		1969	Gr.5	John Wyer		John Wyer car 1970. Daytona 24 Hours 1970 winner. Rebuilt as Spyder for Interserie 1971 with chassis 917-01-021. A new chassis 035 became 015 in 1971. In 2000 car was restored in its original Daytona 1970 configuration and Gulf colors by Gunnar Racing. But 917-01-021 was re-created using the original roll bar and rear section of the chassis while about 80% of the Spyder chassis was new.
917-016		1969	Gr.5	John Wyer		John Wyer car 1970-71
917-017*		1969	Gr.5	John Wyer	=> Ernst Kraus (1972)	John Wyer car, rebuild of 004, carrying number 004. Used in 1970-71
917-018		1969	Gr.5	Alex Soler-Roig	=> Chuck Stoddard (1975~2001)	Alex Soler-Roig, Spanish races 1970 , and Buenos Aires 1971
917-019		1969	Gr.5	Porsche Salzburg	=> Martini International (1971)	Porsche Salzburg 1970, Martini International 1971
917-020		1969	Gr.5	Porsche Salzburg	=> Martini International (1971) => Vasek Polak (end 1971÷1997) => Gustav Nitsche (~2001)	Porsche Salzburg 1970, Martini International 1971. Sebring 1971 winner. In 2000 restored in its Martini 1971 colors.
917-021		1969	Gr.5	Team AAW	=> David Piper (1971)	Team AAW 1970. Crashed at Le Mans. parts used to build 1971 spyder 917 01 021. It was also rebuilt using 917-012, possibly to David Piper (1971, Chris Craft in 1972 Interserie, for Piper-White Racing). Interestingly, at one point in this car's history it wore an Alabama license plate and was driven on Germany's public roads.
917-01-021	Spyder	1971	Gr.7	Team AAW	...=> Wayne Jackson (~2001)	Spyder built on 917-015 using parts from 021.Gunnar Racing restored 917-015 from 917-01-021 in 1999-2000, but re-created 917-01-021 using the original roll bar and rear section of the chassis. All of the original suspension, engine, gearbox and bodywork from the spyder have been used though.
917-022		1969	Gr.5	Solar Production	=> Brian Redman => Richard Attwood	Le Mans film car, Auto Usdau 1971. Originally purchased by Steve McQueen's Solar Productions for the movie "Le Mans." After the filming the car ran a couple of races and was briefly owned by Brian Redman, who then sold it to Attwood. Sold at auction in summer 2000. Limited use in competition.
917-023		1969	Gr.5	Porsche Salzburg	=> Martini International (1971) ...=> Matsuda Collection, J (early 1980s) => Dr. Julio Palmaz (early 2001)	Porsche Salzburg 1970, Martini International 1971. Winner of Le Mans 1970 - first ever Porsche victory at Le Mans. Wearing incorrect paint and secluded in Japan's famous Matsuda Collection since the early-1980s, this car has been returned to its proper Salzburg red and white livery (2000).
917-024		1969	Gr.5	Jo Siffert		Originally sold to Jo Siffert. Used for Le Mans film. No race history
917-025		1969	Gr.5	Zitro Racing		Team Zitro (Dominique Martin)
917-026		1969	Gr.5	John Wyer	=> Jürgen Neuhaus (1971) => Georg Loos (1972)	John Wyer car 1970. Crashed by Hailwood at Le Mans. Rebuilt using chassis 031. Original crashed chassis repaired and rebuild as Spyder for Uschi Heckersbruch driven by Neuhaus in 1971.
917-027	917PA	1969	Gr.7	Porsche		Prototype 917PA. Test chassis.
917-028	917PA	1969	Gr.7	Porsche/Audi	=> Vasek Polak (1971)	Siffert 1969, to Vasek Polak 1971 (Milt Minter). Given 917/10 body for CanAm 1973.
917-029			Gr.5	John Wyer		John Wyer car 1971, carried plate 014.
917-030			Gr.5	Porsche Salzburg	=> Martini International (1971)	Martini car Osterreichring 1971. To Count Rossi as road car
917-031			Gr.5	John Wyer	=> Ernst Kraus (1972) => Monsier Chandon, F => Mike Amalfino (1988~2001)	Used to rebuilt 026, used by John Wyer 1970-71. Possibly converted to spyder for Ernst Kraus.
917-032			Gr.5			Scrapped after tests
917-033			Gr.5			Sold in Germany. Never used
917-034			Gr.5	John Wyer		Used as a 'new' 013.
917-035			Gr.5	John Wyer		Numbered as 015 for John Wyer 1971. A new chassis.
917-036			Gr.5			Car sold without engine. Never raced
917-040*	LH Coupe		Gr.5			1970 Long-tail test car using parts of 917-006. Scrapped after accident.
917-041			Gr.5			Le Mans tests 1970. Scrapped
917-042			Gr.5	Porsche Salzburg	=> Martini International (1971)	Elford/Ahrems Le Mans 1970., Elford/Attwood Le Mans 1971
917-043	LH Coupe		Gr.5	Martini International	=> John Wyer (19710	Martini long-tail Le Mans 1970, Rodriguez/Oliver le Mans 1971
917-044			Gr.5			Spare chassis.Never used
917-045			Gr.5	John Wyer		Siffert/Bell Le Mans 1971. Now in Le Mans museum, painted as Martini 1971 (042)
917-051			Gr.5			Magnesium chassis; scrapped after tests
917-052		1971	Gr.5			Magnesium chassis; scrapped after tests
917-053		1971	Gr.5	Int. Martini		Martini Le Mans 1971 (1st)

Note: Totally built 59 P-917s: In 1969-71 were 43 cars built (36 shorter version, 5 917L and 2 spiders) and 16 Porsche-Turbo (13x 917/10 and 3x 917/30).

Chassis 037, 038, 039, 046 - 050 weren't built.

The Porsche 917-020

Rennsport Driver

Rennsport Driver