Porsche legend Hurley Haywood is one of the greatest endurance sports car racers of all time. The following year he was runner up to Donohue who in 1973 was piloting the even more powerful, longer-wheelbase 917/30. Following Penske’s instructions to win races but not break anything, Follmer took the incredible turbocharged 917 to five race wins in 1972 and the championship title by a comfortable margin. This brought him to the attention of Baron Huschke von Hanstein at Porsche HQ, who made sure that he had a whole 904 GTS to race at Sebring, where he promptly won his class.īut it was only a nasty accident for Mark Donohue in the 917/10 that caused Roger Penske to pick up the phone to Follmer and ask him to get himself to Atlanta as quickly as possible. He really made his name by taking the outright US Road Racing Championship, while still a rookie, in a Lotus 23 into which he had shoe-horned the motor from a Porsche 904.
He bought himself a two-year-old Porsche Speedster in 1959 before progressing onto a Porsche 550 RS. Born in Phoenix but brought up in California, George Follmer may retain his title as the oldest debutant in the modern era of Formula One forever, and his third overall in a Joest Porsche 956 at the 1986 Le Mans after returning from retirement is the stuff of legend – but it is for his exploits in Can-Am at the wheel of the mighty Porsche 917/10 that he will be remembered forever.īorn in 1934, Follmer started motor racing quite late after a stint in the Army.
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