Porsche 917-026
Competition Group : 5, Interserie
Constructed For : John Wyer Racing
Engine Specification : 4,494cc, 580hp
Chassis Notes : "K"


Prepared for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1970, the Porsche 917 chassis 026 is entered with a 4.5 liter engine to support the two usual Gulf team cars.
Entrusted to the reserve tandem Hailwood / Hobbs (3rd on GT40 in 1969), the third Porsche of John Wyer's team qualified in 10th position with a time of 3'29 "1.

Very well off, Hobbs completed the first lap in 5th position. The blue Porsche progressed steadily, 4th at the second hour, then, when the rain increased, 3rd at the third hour, less than one lap behind the leaders. Mike Hailwood then at the wheel, was convinced that he could continue his stint on intermediate tires and refused the rain tires that were offered to him.
Around 7:05 p.m., when he started his 50th lap, "Mike the Bike" lost control of the 917 in the Dunlop curve and hit the Alfa Romeo of Zeccoti / Facetti which had been stopped following a spin that had occurred. a few laps earlier.
After the crash, the damages to the car were too heavy and Mike Hailwood was unable to restart and rejoin the pits and the car was retired form the race.
Seriously affected, 917-026 will be rebuilt with the new 031 chassis supplied by the factory.

The chassis 031 was then rebadged 026.
This was common practice to prevent additional custom charges.
The original damaged 026 chassis was repaired by Porsche and given the 917.031 identity.
So from that point the original chassis "026" racing life ended.

The 917-026(031) was fitted with a 4900 cc engine and raced twice in 1970 :
09-13-70, Imola 500 kms (#3, Brian Redman, 1st-100 laps in 2h 43m 53.5s-117.20 mph, 3rd in qualifyings -1:34.2, engine #27, gearbox #33)
10-11-70, zeltweg 1000 kms (#23, Jo Siffert - Brian Redman, 1st-5h 8m 4.67s, 5th in qualifyings -1:42.02, engine #46, gearbox #63)

In 1971, 917-026(031) raced at Sebring 12 Hours before heading back to Le Mans still as 3rd Team Gulf car. Led by Richard Attwood, the 1970 winner and the Swiss Herbert Müller, she will be the only survivor of the team, and will finish in a brilliant second place :
20-03-1971, Sebring 12 Hours (#1, Jo Siffert - Derek Bell, 5th-244 laps, 6th in qualify 2:35.18, engine #44, gearbox #70, fastest lap 2:30.46 on lap 22)
12+13-06-1971, Le Mans 24 Hours (#19, Richard Attwood - Herbert Müller, 2nd-394 laps, 11th in qualify-3:22.2, engine #52, gearbox #77, fins on tail)


The 917-031(026) was used at the end of 1971 to build a 917 Spyder for the popular Interserie, which was Europe's equivalent of Can-Am.
As 917-031, the 917 Spyder was sold to German Ernst Kraus, to replace the Porsche 908 he had used in 1971.
The car was run at the first 1972 Interseries race in Hockenheim (with unpainted bodywork).
03-04-1972, Nurburgring Interseries (#17, Ernst Kraus, 8th, 4500 cc engine)
01-05-1972, Imola Interseries (#17, Ernst Kraus, 3rd, 5000 cc engine)
21-05-1972, Silverstone Interseries (#17, Ernst Kraus, 4th, 5000 cc engine)
09-07-1972, Osterreichring Interseries (#17, Ernst Kraus, dnf, 5400 cc engine)
16-07-1972, Hockenheim Interseries (#17, Ernst Kraus, dns. ). The car was badly crashed and damaged in practice.
Reports said for the Norisring race Ernst Kraus made an arrangment with AAW team to hire the old Kinnunen 917 winner of 1971 Interserie Cup (chassis #01-021).
The 5400 cc Kraus engine and box were fitted. Kraus also raced Keimola and Hockenheim Interserie later in 1972.
Reports do not say if the raced car was #01-021 or #026.
06-08-1972, Norisring Interseries (#17, Ernst Kraus, dnf, 5400 engine) 917-021
27-08-1972, Keimola Interseries (#17, Ernst Kraus, 8th, 5400 engine) 917-021
01-10-1972, Hockenheim Interseries (#17, Ernst Kraus, dnf, 5000 engine) 917-021
The car ended fifth in the Interseries championship.

After racing twice in the hands of Jurgen Barth in 1973, the Spyder was acquired by the Chandon family in France. They retained the car until 1987 when it was sold to American Porsche collector Michael Amalfitano. In 2006 he showed the car at The Palm Beach International. Since then the car has been carefully restored by Gunnar Racing. In August 2010 Bonhams will offer the car, along with the late Amalfitano's other fabulous Porsches, in their annual auction at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering.



The car was sold to Jeff Hayes (Pennsylvania -USA ).
917-026(031) was restored back to Coupe configuration.