SPORTS CAR RACING IN CAMERA

1970-79 Volume Two

 

The original Sports Car Racing in Camera 1970-79 that appeared in 2008 was very well received and my thanks to you all.

Fast forward some 13 years and volume 2 has more images, an increase in drivers, circuits and the myriad of sports racing, GT and occasional saloon cars that frequented the period.

Inevitably there were sad days with the consequences that with hindsight could have been better handled given the ever faster cars, but the powers that be seemed to have looked the other way. 

Additionally, there was the meddling with the sports racing cars regarding their engine size that were cut down to 3 litres in 1972, shades of the 1958 to 1961 era. This finished off Scuderia Ferrari’s 312 PBs at the end of 1973 followed by Matra in 1974 and later Renault and Porsche in 1976 and Alfa Romeo in 1977 by which time over half of the season was racing in the GT class plus a Group 5 category.

In 1978 Porsche won every round in their 935s of varying types plus older 911 based cars but in 1979 the prototype cars were back in the system. This however was a modest attempt for their return at this time with Reinhold Jöst/Volkert Merl winning at Dijon with Mario Ketterer in Jöst’s old Porsche 908 turbo and later at Brands Hatch with Jöst/Merl again.

Additionally there was a rapid uptake in the 2 litre sports category especially in the European countries such as Mugello, Dijon, Nürburgring, Pergusa, and Vallelunga together with Silverstone and Brands Hatch.

Thus the end of the 1970s that began with Porsche’s 917K and their Italian counterpart Scuderia Ferrari with the 512 S and ended in a mismatch of bits and bobs that later evolved into another dominant Porsche triumph that began in 1982 with their new 956.
 

Paul Parker 

Autumn 2023