Mulsanne's Corner: Porsche 962-101

Porsche 962-101

Images copyright Martin Spetz & Michael J. Fuller
Text copyright Michael J. Fuller

Vintage Sebring 1991 Joest Porsche 962C, Copyright Mike Fuller 2003

The first customer Porsche 962, chassis number 962-101, was sold to Bruce Leven, team owner and driver of the Bayside Disposal team in 1984. Leven would sell -101 to Dyson Racing in 1985. Dyson Racing would then take 962-101, with Drake Olson at the wheel, and win at Lime Rock in '85; their debut event with the chassis.

The original IMSA Porche 962 arrived in a hybrid configuration coupling a Le Mans long tail (956 derived) with a high downforce underfloor, putting the IMSA 962 between the Le Mans car and the bespoke sprint car in terms of downforce. The car's single element, long-chord, rear wing was mounted close to the deck and attached to endplates that were integral to the bodywork. But notably, the rear wing did not project past the trailing edge of the bodywork, this because of a peculiarity of the IMSA regulations. At the time, IMSA regulations (11.5.7.1.5, Article L to be precise) stated all aerodynamic devises had to be contained within the plan profile of the car. Norbert Singer was able to quickly produce a car meeting IMSA's regulations by utilizing the 956's Le Mans tail as it extended out to the car's overall length. This had the added benefit of setting the rear wing back as far out as possible (in better airflow and allowing for positive cantilever effect). By 1985 the IMSA regulation was rewritten removing the wording that constrained the wing’s relationship to the bodywork perimeter.

962-101, Sebring Florida, November 2007 962 bellhousings were originally a single piece cast aluminum part. Porsche soon replaced these with magnesium alloy versions in an effort to save weight (the switch to magnesium meant some of the wall thicknesses had to be changed to accommodate the change in material though the outside shape remained the same). But there were issues with the aluminum bellhousings flexing and cracking and this required regular inspections. Cracks that would appear would then have to be welded up to stop their propagation. The bellhousing on 962-101 is an original and bears witness to these welds.

962-101 underfloor, Sebring Florida, November 2007

The underfloor on early 962s, specifically the area that was just below the engine and forming the leading edge of the tunnels, was made out a single piece of bent aluminum. Initially the underfloor was vented with louvers to cool the engine by allowing the heated air to exit underneath the car, though this was quickly found to be detrimental to the car’s aerodynamics and closing the slots off became an easy way to increase the car’s L/D out of the box.

When the 962 debuted in ’84, IMSA regulations initially limited Porsche to the single-turbo and air cooled, 2.87 liter 962/70 engine. The intoxicatingly large KKK turbo "snail", with its twin waste gates (one for each cylinder bank) tucked underneath, wouldn’t look out of place on a WWII fighter and is prominently placed on top of the bellhousing. The inlet duct for the turbo is molded into the engine cover. The NACA duct in the background (with 101 written on it) directs air to the centrally located engine cooling fan.

Joest Porsche 962C detail, Atlanta, 1993, Copyright Mike Fuller 2003

Twin four piston brake calipers grab steel discs and attach to cast magnesium uprights both front and rear.

962-101 race history

1984

Riverside 6 Hour, April 29, 1984
Qualified 3^rd, finished 2^nd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Al Holbert (USA) & Derek Bell (GB)

Laguna Seca 100 Mile, May 6, 1984
Qualified 3^rd, finished 8^th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing (Lowenbrau livery), Derek Bell (GB)

Mid Ohio, June 10, 1984
Qualified 4^th, finished 3^rd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Hurley Haywood (USA) & Bobby Rahal (USA)

Watkins Glen 6 Hour, July 8, 1984
Qualified 12^th, finished 2^nd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & John Paul, Jr. (USA)

Portland 3 Hour, July 29, 1984
Qualified 9^th, finished 4^th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & Jim Adams (USA)

Road America 500 Mile, August 26, 1984
Qualified 8^th, finished 2^nd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & David Hobbs (GB)

Michigan 500 Km, September 16, 1984
Qualified 15^th, finished 3^rd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & Bill Adam (CDN)

Daytona 3 Hour, November 25, 1984
Qualified 6^th, finished 4^th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & David Hobbs (GB)

1985

Daytona 24 Hour, February 3, 1985
Qualified 7^th, finished 60^th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Thierry Boutsen (B), Bruce Leven (USA), Henri Pescarolo (F)

Miami 3 Hour, February 24, 1985
Qualified 29^th, finished 8^th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Henri Pescarolo (F) & Claude Ballot-Léna (F)

Lime Rock 2 Hour, May 27, 1985
Qualified 2^nd, finished 1^st
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA)

Mid-Ohio 500 Km, June 9, 1985
Qualified 5^th, finished 4^th
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA) & Drake Olson (USA)

Watkins Glen 3 Hour, July 7, 1985
Qualified 5^th, finished 3^rd
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA) & Drake Olson (USA)

Portland 300 Km, July 28, 1985
Qualified 7^th, finished 3^rd
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA)

Sears Point 300 Km, August 4, 1985
Qualified 5^th, finished 3^rd
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA) & Drake Olson (USA)

Road America 500 Mile, August 25, 1985
Qualified 2^nd, finished 1^st
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA) & Bobby Rahal (USA)

Pocono 500 Km, September 8, 1985
Qualified 3^rd, finished 11^th
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA) & Drake Olson (USA)

Watkins Glen 500 Km, September 29, 1985
Qualified 6^th, finished 7^th
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA), Drake Olson (USA), Price Cobb (USA)

Columbus 500 Km, October 6, 1985
Qualified 4^th, finished 1^st
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA) & Price Cobb (USA)

Daytona 3 Hour, December 1, 1985
Qualified 4^th, finished 8^th
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA) & Bobby Rahal (USA)

1986

Daytona 24 Hour, February 2, 1986
Qualified 3^rd, finished 32^nd
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA), Drake Olson (USA), Price Cobb (USA)

Miami 3 Hour, March 2, 1986
Crashed in qualifying (right front suspension removed), DNS
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA)

Skipped Sebring

Road Atlanta 500 Km, April 6, 1986
Accident in practice (major tub damage, write off), DNS
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA)

962-101 was written off following the Road Atlanta accident. The damage to the chassis was such that it made better sense to replace the car then exert the effort in repairing it during a busy racing season. 101 was then tucked away in the Dyson shop and a replacement ordered (962-120). Effectively forgotten, it was many years later before 101 was dusted off and repaired and given a proper restoration. And this is how we see it today; as it was following the accident in '86 but for a repair and a 20 year time span.