Porsche 935/77A #44 – Spark

1978 Porsche 935/77A
Pilots: C. Cord, J. Busby, R. Knoop 
Team: Porsche Kremer Racing Team
Race: 6th overall (1st in Group 5 class) at Le Mans in 1978
Spark - S2010 (resin) 

Published 10/21/19

Produced from 1976 to 1981, the 935 was one of the most successful cars of the Group 5 era. At the time, a Group 5 car could have an engine up to 4 l and should weigh only 970 kg. So to keep things light, Porsche opted for turbo-charging. That meant that using the 1.4× turbo equivalency rule, the new engine could only have 2857 cm³. The engineering team then fitted a large KKK turbo hung behind the engine, mated to an intercooler. The resulting flat-6 delivered a massive 580 to 630 hp, depending on the tune.

Kremer Racing had a very straight relationship with Porsche. Moreover, from the team’s beginning in 1962, the Kremer brothers only raced Porsche cars. So Kremer was the first privateer team to adopt the 935 as their weapon of choice for endurance racing. The team bought this 935/77A #44 (chassis #930-8900012) new in early 1978. The car’s first race was at the 24 Hours of Daytona, in February 1978. Unfortunately it had engine troubles and DNF. For the 24 Heures du Mans of that year, Kremer counted on direct factory support from Stuttgart. They had three cars in the race, one 935 K2 and two 935/77A. Of the three cars, the pilots of #44 were the least experienced, and 1978 was their first race at La Sarthe.

However, junior team or not, Cord, Busby and Knoop had a smooth race. While #46 abandoned due to engine failure and #45 lost too much time in the pits (and DNC), 935/77A #44 soldiered on. To the point that they finished in sixth overall and first in Group 5. In model terms, though, being from Spark, the car is a winner from the get-go. Rookie pilots notwithstanding the model looks pro, and was a great acquisition for the W-143 Garage.