Gijs Van Lennep drives Porsche 917 at Monterey

Gijs van Lennep Reunited with Porsche 917K at Monterey 2009

It’s a quarter to 8 in the morning, the early sunlight casts an orange glow on the Monterey peninsula. I’m driving through Carmel where houses have no numbers and the humblest piece of land costs millions in a speed yellow ‘95 993 borrowed from my friend John Gray. The mild sea climate of Carmel (Clint Eastwood was once the mayor of said town) is the reason of the popularity of this beautiful town. Thanks to a befriended American couple I was able to spend a few days in this oasis of peace.

After 3 blocks, through the dense pinewood, I spot a red flash from the left corner of my eye. I brake at the STOP sign and a red Ferrari Enzo slowly crawls by. The familiar rumble of the legendary 12 cylinders preceding me, I follow one of the best shaped rear ends in car history, to Steve Earle’s race party for classic cars aficionados at Laguna Seca Raceway.

The theme for this year’s Monterey Historics was 60 years Porsche. However, the main reason for my visit is the reunion, after nearly 40 years, between Dutch Race Car Driver of the Century: Gijs van Lennep, and the 1970 Porsche 917K of Finnish racing team AAW Racing, which he drove at Le Mans that year. And today is Historics practice day.

Driving on Highway 68 towards the Legendary “Home of the Corkscrew”, the yellow 993 is giving it all she’s got, but it is clear that this is an urban purpose Porsche.  Despite having 49K miles on the odometer and a good 270BHP under the rear lid, the ’95 993 hasn’t been broken in yet. It smells new a drives that way! I used to own a worn out version years ago in Florida and that went like stink. It does drive surprisingly comfortable on the poor roads in bankrupt California.

I pass the entrance to Concorso Italiano on the 68 and press the throttle a little more…, not much interest in Q-tipped cars. The entrance to the circuit is just a few miles down the road. I’ve had the pleasure of being here once before, but at that time there was little action going on. There were 2 cars at Skip Barbers’ driving school and the lady of the souvenir shop had to be radioed in from the next town.

What a difference now! On the intersection near the track I take a left and the entrance is teeming with California Highway Patrol officers and the event staff,  guiding the massive crowds. Following John Gray’s advice I got a Porsche Corral Pass and was waved through everything and drive the grade road over the hill which hides Laguna Seca Raceway. Flags and tents everywhere and the first visitors are already wandering about. I park in the Porsche Corral and very quickly bump into fellow R Gruppe members Tom and Gib Bosworth who came all the way from Arizona with Gib’s Vipergreen Psychedelic Porsche-Kremer S/T. These gentlemen unloaded their 2.5 Liter S/T at their hotel and drove the rest of the way to the track, just so that they can show their gorgeous replica.

After having past a long corridor of vendor stands, I arrive at the Coopertires bridge, codenamed ‘The Tunnel’. This bridge covers the connection between corner 3 and 4. Beneath me the pre-war Bentleys, Allards, Frazer Nashes and other very cool museum pieces are giving it all they’ve got. The most characteristic sound comes from the small Bugatti T35b from 1926, just as I pass through the sound enhancing wooden Tunnel! Goosebumps!

At the top of the stairs I observe a sea of white paddock tents covering a few hundred high quality classics and their racing teams. On my left hand side are the display tents for Rolex and Porsche. Rolex is the main sponsor and Porsche is the celebrated brand of the event. Porsche has sent a small selection of endurance racers over, including the GT1, 962 and a 917K which won the 1998, 1986 and 1970 Le Mans overall.

I’ve been told that the red 917 from 1970 is not really the car that won Le Mans but another chassis painted in the colors of the winner. The ‘real’ winner is allegedly in the hands of a collector in the US. Porsche didn’t participate in the races with any cars, but at least they were there in shining armor at the decennial celebration of their fantastic brand.

I come to California several times a year and every time I’m overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of cars at these types of events. And they all get driven in anger. Both the paddock and the Porsche Corral are filled with awesome pieces of Porsche machinery. And here’s Glockler Porsche Roadster #3 driving by on its way to pitlane. Silver with a yellow stripe over the nose. That’s the Walter Glockler designed inspiration for the Porsche 550 Spyder. Only 3 of those have ever been built and this one still races around after 50 years. My kind of owner!

Are you looking for a 356 Carrera street model? In which color would you like to meet one? Spyders, Speedsters and Carreras, both well-used and brand new, they’re all here this temporary Porsche Mekka. Even at the Oldtimer Grand Prix on the Nurburgring or Classic Le Mans you won’t find a variety of classic material this size. For years 30 per cent of Porsche’s total production was sold to California, regardless of model.

There is plenty of 911 eye candy around in the Porsche Corral, but the prototypes and pure racing Porsche steal the lime light.

I’m walking torwards corner 4. It’s almost 10 o’clock  and around 11 the 917’s will start their training session. Wouldn’t want to miss those cars ripping up the track. Gijs van Lennep called me the day before and explained where I could find the tent where his team was located: “through the ‘tunnel’, take a right, next to the Bernardus hospitality tent”. In the distance I could see the nose of the freshly painted yellow 917K, chassis number 021 sticking outside the tent used by Kevin Jeanette’s team: Gunnar Racing.

I followed the 917 restoration on YouTube, but Gunnar Racing never posted a final video, showing the end result. So nobody had seen the product of Team Gunnars work. Untill now. As Gijs waves me into the Gunnar tent I feel a tingle running down my spine. It’s been 39 years since this legendary driver and this legendary car stood side by side at a track and I get to witness the reunion.

Gijs introduces me to the owner of this and multiple other Porsche racers surrounding the tent, Christian Zugel. Christian is a real enthusiast, who speaks with pride about his historic restoration project and he is clearly over the moon with the result. Christian participated in the 24 hours of Daytona a few years ago with Gunnar Jeannette (Kevin’s son and the youngest finisher on Le Mans ever (just 18) and is driving a K8 with 800 bhp this event. It doesn’t take long before the conversation moves towards classic events in. Our shared passion for classic Porsches breakes the ice in seconds. It’s time for Gijs to put on his overall and prepare for the training session. Exactly 45 minutes before the pit lane opens, Andy, the mechanic who performed the largest part of the 917’s technical restoration, gets ready to start the engine of the Sandeman racer. The engine cover is raised, oil and fuel levels are double-checked and the legend comes to life.

Attracted by the the thunderous noise, spectators approach in drones. I’ve had the honor of hearing a 917 running several times before, but it never tires me. Slowly the revs are built and the growl of the beast is intensifies.

Gijs leaves the trailer in his overall and poses next to the 917 so the small army of spectators can take their pictures. Gijs is beaming with joy. It’s been 38 years since he last drove a 917. Last weekend he was able to taste how the care handled. “It really is a supercar. Beautiful road holding and unlimited power. You can’t let go of the steering wheel, the width of the tires around the 10,5” wheels pass every grit of sand through on to your hands. On the curbstones you really have to hold on.”

The 917K was designed by Ferdinand Piëch, currently Chairman at Volkswagen, but in 1969 he was responsible for the race department of his family-run company Porsche. Piëch allegedly was, and still is, a very ambitious man who granted himself merely a few hours of sleep every night and pushed his team to great heights and achievements. The rate at which Porsche was able to develop racing cars in utter months has not been achieved again since Piëch left in the early 70’s. Using a loophole in the FIA regulations for GT class, Piëch’s team manufactured 25 917 Langheck racers with 4.998cc engines in a few months. The prototype class at Le Mans ran up to 3 liters. However, having met GT minimum production numbers for the 5 liter 917, Porsche could enter prototype style, but much bigger-engined cars in the GT class, ensuring superiority in both the GT and Protoype Classes. Piëch was determined to win Le Mans overall, what ever it took.

Gijs van Lennep drove the first version of the 917, the so-called ‘Hippie’ car. This was the Martini Racing purple-blue car with green flames in Langheck version. “Those cars were a lot faster on the straights than the later versions. About 20 km/ph and that was a lot. In the turns the 917K (K for Kurzheck or Short Rear End), like this Sandeman car, handled much better, because of the upward sloping engine cover, generating the required amount of downforce in the corners.

Meanwhile, I saw Kevin Jeannette walk off with a mischievous grin on his face, holding Gijs’ helmet and starting to fidget with it. I slowly approached Kevin and asked what he was doing. “Gijs gave us all a run for our money at the golf course yesterday. He’s not just a great driver, but also an outstanding golf player! We gave him the nickname ‘Tiger van Lennep’.”

That’s what he wrote on a piece of red tape across the front of Gijs’ helmet! As he handed the helmet back to Gijs, laughter erupted all around. The crowd in front of the tent is still growing, but it’s time for Gijs to get in and drive through the paddock, dodge the spectators and get into the pits. Kevin Jeanette yells at Gijs that the red button left of the steering wheel operates a horn, should he need to carve a path through the crowd. I’ve seen Gijs get into race cars before.

The relaxed expression on his face turns into a concentrated look of determination as soon as he prepares for a race. His gloves are hanging over the wheel. His ‘Tiger’ helmet sits next to him on the ‘passenger seat’ (yes, I asked, wasn’t granted…) Gijs slowly rolls the Sandeman 917K  through the crowd to the pits.

I’m walking up the hill behind corner 4 and after 15 minutes I get to a good vantage point from where I can follow the field with my camera, as they blast through the famous Cork Screw. A few days later I would make a few laps around the circuit with Bas de Rijk and experience why this is one of the hardest circuit turns in the world. At the end of a straight, up a hill, you hit a blind 90 degree corner to the left.

The circuit falls away beneath you and you enter a left-right S turn that gives you the feeling that you are driving down a hill at a 30 degree angle. This spectacular corner is a popular point to take pictures and now I can see why. The training only takes 20 minutes, but what a view. The field consists of 4 917K’s, a few 908/2 and 908/3 models and about 6 906s. Complemented by a few early 911s and Chevrons the history of 70’s racing screams past.

I hurry back to the Paddock to meet Gijs and listen to his feedback. The Sandeman 917K is fully restored but the engine, gearbox and suspension have been left practically untouched. This model used titanium springs and the shocks are as old as the car itself. Gijs mumbles something about the road ability: “whilst accelerating and braking the car rocks a lot. I don’t have a lot of confidence in the car when I’m entering and exiting corners. I have to discuss this with Kevin”. Despite this challenge, hardly anybody was able to keep up with him…

The next day is for timed training. The Gunnar Racing team put a few rubber blocks between the rear springs to enhance the suspension dynamics of the 917K. Gijs is already suited up by the time I arrive at the Paddock. We have a cup of coffee. Gijs: “What a power. Then again, I’ve been told that this car is a 5,4 Liter and not a 5 Liter. On the straights I really take off, but I really need different earplugs.

I have shooting ear plugs, but they don’t work that well with constant noise.” Hearing that, I pull a pair of earplugs out of my bag that I bought a while back for use on the plane, but never used. These ribbed ear plugs are exactly what Gijs needs and he is able to drive the whole weekend in comfort.

Andy is warming the engine up and Gijs is curious how the adjustments to the suspension will affect the car. While Gijs drives through the Paddock I move to the pits to observe the contestants up close.

In the pits a Mexico-blue 908/2 with yellow wings draws my eye. Haven’t seen that one before. The driver is patiently waiting in his cockpit and I ask him if it isn’t too hot in there. He mumbles that the heat isn’t a problem but he is not allowed to drive with his prosthetic teeth in… After reminding him of the weight advantage this creates I wish him a good race.

I am truly amazed. Almost every driver is at least 50 years old. In most cases the driver is the owner of the car. After admiring a perfect Ferarri P3, I slalom through this movable museum to Gijs’ 917 Sandeman. He just put on his balaclava and helmet and the marshal at the end of the pitlane shows the 5 minute sign. The engines are starting up and the pitlane is filled with fumes and a delightful cacophony. Moments like these a classic car aficionado never forgets. All these historic vehicles, legendary drivers like Gijs, Derek Bell, Brian Redman and Vic Elford behind the wheel on one of the greatest race tracks in the world.

The sun is beating down on me and the temperature is significantly higher than yesterday. The tires will heat up a lot quicker and although there won’t be any award ceremonies, this field filled with ambitious drivers and businessmen alike all want to be seen at the front. The 1 minute sign is raised and the engine’s are by now producing a wonderful symphonica of German, Italian and American pride. You sense that there is something different in the air. With a tremendous amount of aural violence the cars are released and the timed training has begun.

Now that the pitlane is empty I walk towards the railing and start taking pictures. This is corner 11 and here the cars pass in 1st or 2nd gear before heading onto the first straight. It turned out to be a great spot.

The ‘burst’ function on my camera was on overtime and Gijs was really pushing the 917 to the limit. It’s hard to imagine that he has not driven in a car like this on track for almost 40 years. Four-wheel drifting, he manages to clip the curbstones at corner 11 and in 2nd gear he launches the 917 towards the sloped hill towards the start-finish line.

Gijs’ beast won’t come out of 3rd on this track; the long gears are still dimensioned for Le Mans. Kevin Jeanette’s restoration philosophy comes down to this: “First, we make the car drivable and make sure that all the plumbing and electronics function properly. Then, on the basis of this kind of track-experience, we fine-tune it. Gijs is an excellent driver and really has a feel for the dynamics of this car. That helps us to take the next steps and we know what to do with the suspension.”

After 20 minutes the flag goes down and qualification is over. Tim, Gunnar Racing team member and ex-team manager of Ford’s WTTC factory team, has a fat smile on his face. “Gijs was 3 seconds faster than yesterday; I think he is on pole tomorrow!”. This good news is confirmed by the organization. Imagine: Gijs puts a 40 year old car with barely any mechanical renovation since then on pole in a field of peers on a track where he rarely drives. Derek Bell is 2nd with a 917, Brian Redman 3rd with a 908/3 and behind him is Bruce Canepa in a 917. What an accomplishment.

I hurry back to the paddock, where Gijs just arrived. I yank open his door to be greeted with a big smile. Gijs knows what he just did. His hands are shaking and his face is covered in sweat, but boy is he proud. “you’re on pole Gijs!” I shout excitingly. He climbs out of the car and I go and fetch a bottle of water for him. Gijs: “Yes, it did go a lot better than yesterday, but I did have to clench the steering wheel with my thumbs. That thing is way to slippery!”. The 380mm prototipo steering wheel is worth a fortune, but Kevin understood the complaint and got a bit of sanding paper to make it a bit rougher on the edges… “Find yourself a good set of gloves with fresh leather on them, Gijs” yells Kevin. Another problem solved. Christian Zugel is beaming. His car, the first time back on the track and immediately on pole position. Gijs receives a firm handshake and of course, many complimens.

Gijs and I are having lunch in Ben Pon’s hospitality tent. I proudly tell Ben how well Gijs did and he says: “Gijs is an exceptional good driver. Fast, but always driving with his head. I don’t recall him ever blowing up an engine or destroying material, which wasn’t already broken.

That’s why the factory liked to use him as a driver. He’s a real endurance racer.” Gijs then starts to tell how it wasn’t like that for all the drivers. In 1975 Gijs was driving a 911 Carrera RSR 3.0L at Le Mans. The factory rented this car from Georg Loos. “Because in the GT class we weren’t able to keep up with the prototypes, but wanted to get maximize straight-line speed we drove in each others slipstream. In this case Clemens Schickentanz was driving the same car as I was, right behind me on Mulsanne. At 2/3 of the straight he came out of my slipstream. We were nearly doing maximum revs and he started to pass me at almost 300km/h. I looked him in the eye and waved at him. At that moment his engine blew up and all I saw in my rearview mirror was debris flying everywhere. The race was over for Clemens.”

After lunch we stop by Andy, because Gijs was getting too little ventilation in the cockpit. Immediately Andy gets to work and fabricates 2 flexible tubes that lead air from under the car, through the steering wheel straight onto Gijs’ face. Another improvement made. “Andy, my helmet is hitting the roof of the car a lot. Could you fix that as well?”. 30 minutes later the roof and Gijs’ helmet have a small layer of foam and now everything is set for Gijs.

Saturday is Race Day. Ben Pon whispers a few tips in Gijs’ ear and tells him which drivers he has to watch out for at the start of the race. Although Gijs is on pole, local celebrity Bruce Canepa, is the most favored to win.

Canepa often starts historic races voluntarily from the last row in his 935 and usually works his way up to the front within the first  15 minutes of the race. However, in this race he starts in a 917 3 positions behind Gijs. Brian Redman in his 908/3 is also to be reckoned with, mainly because that car is much more maneuverable on this short track than the 917. Derek Bell is next to Gijs on the rolling grid. [Not young anymore, but very sharp].

Gijs sits at the head of the dummy grid. Again, its very hot. You can see Gijs transform again. His focus is sharpening. While Andy and Tim keep the doors open for fresh air Gijs plays with the switches a bit.

The 5 minute sign is raised. Helmet on, gloves on, start the engine. 3 minutes and the doors are closed. The pitlane is swept clean and the spectacle is about to start.

They’re off! Behind the Panamera Turbo pace car 2 full laps are driven. While accelerating on the straight Derek Bell pulls a trick. Just before the green flag is waved he accelerates and goes past van Lennep by half a length, hoping that Gijs will take the bait and start early.

However, Gijs stays cool and when the green is waived, he is first across the starting line. What a sound, what a sight. If you have seen the movie Le Mans, then you know how a start like this sounds. The crowd rises as one and all stare towards the first corner. Gijs is still ahead but the pressure is tremendous. He leads for 1 lap, Derek Bell then shoots past him, and proceeds to drop out due to a technical malfunction. Van Lennep-effect?

In the next laps Gijs is passed by Canepa and Redman; it seems the long gears are not giving him an advantage. He manages to keep 3^rd spot and the atmosphere upon his return to the paddock tent is great. Zugel, who drove a 962 himself, arrives 30 minutes after Gijs came in. But he was already informed about Gijs’ performance.

David Piper, who’s name is on the Sandeman car, but who dosn’t do much driving himself anymore, arrives to congratulate Gijs.

Chad McQueen and Steve McQueen’s grandson arrive to take another look at the car. Bas de Rijk overhears David Piper and Chad, both present at the shooting of “Le Mans” in 1970, talk about which car was which. I asked Chad if the Heuer Monaco on his wrist used to belong to his father. He said this was a newer version and that he gets a new Heuer from the factory every year. The ‘real’ Heuer is said to be in possession of Jack Heuer.

Gijs gets a beer for us out of the cooler and we toast to Gijs’ achievement. Besides getting 3^rd place in the race, the organization awarded Gijs and his team the “Outstanding Performance for a post-1940 Race Car” qualification.