VIN: the Gulf Racing / Ernst Kraus Porsche 917 chassis 031
History of chassis 031
Chassis 031 was a 917 dispatched to the Gulf Oil-backed John Wyer Automotive team in England for use during the 1970 season. For carnet reasons it ran with the identity of chassis 026 which had been crashed at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June 1970.
Following a rebuild over the following winter, the real 026 re-appeared as a Spyder for the 1971 season and correspondingly ran with the ID of 031.
Meanwhile, the real chassis 031 made its debut at the non-championship Imola 500km race on September 13th 1970. Two Gulf 917s were entered: Brian Redman qualified third in 031 behind team-mate Pedro Rodriguez in the sister car while pole went to the Peter Schetty / Jose Juncadella Ferrari 512 S from Escuderia Montjuich.
With Rodriguez and the Ferrari out by one-third distance, Redman had an easy run to the flag.
Chassis 031 was next wheeled out for the Zeltweg 1000km World Sportscar Championship finale four weeks later. The sister car of Rodriguez / Kinnunen took pole ahead of Ickx / Giunti in the brand new Ferrari 512 M. Siffert / Redman lined up fifth in 031 behind a pair of Porsche Salzburg 917s.
After the other three 917s and the works Ferrari dropped out, Siffert / Redman recorded 031’s second race in succession. However, for the last half hour it ran very rough having suffered a partial camshaft failure. Nevertheless, the Gulf Porsche was still able to finish two laps clear of the second place de Adamich / Pescarolo Alfa Romeo 33/3-71.
The 917s did not race again that year. They returned for 1971 when chassis 031 made another two outings as a Gulf Racing entry.
At the Sebring 12 Hours on March 20th, Jo Siffert and Derek Bell started from sixth behind two Ferraris, two other 917s and an Alfa Romeo. They crossed the line fifth having run out of fuel and then been docked four laps for receiving outside assistance.
031 then contested the Le Mans 24 Hours over the weekend of June 12th and 13th. It formed part of a three-car Gulf Racing team which was supported by another trio from Martini Racing.
Richard Attwood and Herbert Muller qualified eleventh for 031’s final race as a works car. Despite having required a full gearbox rebuild during the night, it went on to finish second behind the Martini Racing sister car of Gijs van Lennep / Helmut Marko.
With Porsche and John Wyer’s agreement at an end (the Group 5 917 was not eligible to compete in 1972), chassis 031 returned to Weissach where it was converted to Group 7 Spyder trim over the winter. The car was then sold to German privateer Ernst Kraus as a replacement for a 908/02 he had raced throughout the ‘71 season.
Although turbocharged 917/10s were now the dominant machines in Group 7 racing, Kraus claimed a number of good results with his green and orange 5.4-litre 917 Spyder. He picked up a third and fourth at the Imola and Silverstone Interserie races and also finished second at the non-championship Mainz-Finthen event in June.
Unfortunately, during the first Saturday practice session for the Interserie race at Hockenheim on July 16th, Kraus was forced off track by the KMW SP20 of Jurgen Peter Kraus who did not check his mirrors while exiting the chicane as chassis 031 went by. The KMW sideswiped the Porsche which resulted in both cars leaving the track and incurring heavy damage albeit without injury to either driver.
Afterwards, Ernst Kraus leased Leo Kinnunen’s Interserie championship winning car from the previous season to complete his campaign (chassis 01-021).
Chassis 031 returned to Weissach and in 1973 was sold to Porsche dealer Vasek Polak. It subsequently remained at Polak’s Hermosa Beach collection in California until 1988. The car than found its way to Kevin Jeanette of Gunnar Racing and in 2004 returned to Europe.
Today, the restored chassis 031 resides in the Gulf Racing themed collection of Roald Goethe.
Notable History
John Wyer Automotive Engineering (Gulf Racing)
13/09/1970 IND Imola 500km (B. Redman) 1st oa, 1st S5.0 class (#3)
11/10/1970 WSC Zeltweg 1000km (J. Siffert / B. Redman) 1st oa, 1st S5.0 class (#23)
20/03/1971 WSC Sebring 12 Hours (J. Siffert / D. Bell) 5th oa, 3rd S class (#1)
13/06/1971 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (R. Attwood / H. Muller) 2nd oa, 2nd S5.0 class (#19)
Converted to Spyder trim
Sold to Ernst Kraus, Garmisch-Partenkirchen
03/04/1972 INT Nurburgring (E. Kraus) 9th oa, 7th INT class (#17)
01/05/1972 INT Imola (E. Kraus) 3rd oa (#17)
21/05/1972 INT Silverstone (E. Kraus) 4th oa (#17)
18/06/1972 IND Mainz-Finthen (E. Kraus) 2nd oa, 2nd SRP 2.0+ class (#4)
09/07/1972 INT Zeltweg (E. Kraus) DNF (#17)
16/07/1972 INT Hockenheim (E. Kraus) DNS (#17)
1973 sold to Vasek Polak, California
1988 sold to Kevin Jeanette, Florida
2004 sold again
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Porsche - https://www.porsche.com
