VIN: the Kremer Racing / Nova Engineering Porsche 956 chassis 101
History of chassis 101
Chassis 101 was the first customer 956 manufactured by Porsche for Group C racing.
It was sold to the Cologne-based Kremer brothers, Erwin and Manfred, who ran one of the most competitive privateer outfits around.
As a result of their exceptional preparation and considerable success, Kremer Racing often received a degree of factory assistance. The team’s greatest achievement came at the 1979 Le Mans 24 Hours where one of their custom built Kremer K3s won outright.
Chassis 101 was unveiled at a Kremer team presentation on April 27th 1983. It contested half a dozen races that season, ran four different liveries and was variously driven by F1 World Champions Alan Jones, Mario Andretti and Keke Rosberg.
Highlights were third overall at the Le Mans 24 Hours, fifth at the Silverstone 1000km and a win at Diepholz in the DRM.
In 1984, chassis 101 was used exclusively for World Sportscar Championship events. The car appeared in seven different liveries over the course of nine races.
Although it failed to make the podium, chassis 101 generally proved a model of reliability. On two occasions, it was driven by Walter Brun and ran under a combined Brun Motorsport / Kremer Racing entry. Best placings were fourths at Monza, Brands Hatch and Sandown Park.
For the 1985 season, Kremer Racing took delivery of two brand new Porsche 962s and chassis 101 was sold to Yojiro ‘Jiro’ Yoneyama.
Yoneyama ran Nova Engineering, one of the top sports car teams in Japan.
For the next two seasons, chassis 101 was raced exclusively in Japan wearing the yellow, black and white livery of the team’s sponsor, From A.
Its most significant result during this time was victory in the 1986 Suzuka 1000km, a round of the Japanese Sportscar Championship and 101’s penultimate outing.
With the 956 ruled obsolete at the end of 1986 (owing to safety regulations), Nova Engineering purchased a Porsche 962 for the 1987 season (chassis 126).
Yojiro Yoneyama sold chassis 101 to Vern Schuppan who stored the car until 1995 at which point it passed to a private UK owner.
Notable History
Porsche Kremer Racing, Cologne
27/04/1983 Kremer Porsche Racing team presentation
White & Red Grand Prix International livery
08/05/1983 WSC Silverstone 1000km (A. Jones / V. Schuppan) 5th oa, 5th C class (#21)
Blue Kenwood livery
19/06/1983 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (M. Andretti / M. Andretti / P. Alliot) 3rd oa, 3rd C class (#21)
Black & White Hugo Boss livery
03/07/1983 IND Norisring Trophy (K. Rosberg) 5th oa, 5th C class (#12)
24/07/1983 DRM Diepholz (F. Konrad) 1st oa, 1st C class (#10)
04/09/1983 WSC Spa 1000km (D. Warwick / F. Konrad) DNF (#21)
White & Pink Italya livery
02/10/1983 WSC Fuji 1000km (P. Alliot / S. Johansson) DNF (#21)
White Swatch livery
23/04/1984 WSC Monza 1000km (H.J. Stuck / H. Grohs / W. Brun) 4th oa, 4th C1 class (#19)
White, Yellow, Orange, Red & Blue Dallas livery
13/05/1984 WSC Silverstone 1000km (F. Konrad / D. Sutherland) 6th oa, 6th C1 class (#11)
17/06/1984 WSC Le Mans 24 Hours (T. Needell / D. Sutherland / R. French) 9th oa, 9th C1 class (#17)
White Warsteiner livery
15/07/1984 WSC Nurburgring 1000km (W. Brun / L. von Bayern) 9th oa, 9th C1 class (#20)
White, Yellow, Orange, Red & Blue Dallas livery
29/07/1984 WSC Brands Hatch 1000km (D. Sutherland / G. Fouche / D. Wilson) 4th oa, 4th C1 class (#10)
Black, Yellow, Orange, Red & Blue Sperry livery
05/08/1984 WSC Mosport 1000km (B. Adam / K. Nierop / G. Fouche) NC (#20)
White Pamatex livery
02/09/1984 WSC Spa 1000 km Spa (G. Fouche / K. Kroesemeijer) 7th oa, 7th C1 class (#10)
White & Pink Italya livery
30/09/1984 WSC Fuji 1000 km (M. Winkelhock / M. Thackwell) 5th oa, 5th C1 class (#10)
White Pretoria Brick livery
02/12/1984 WSC Sandown Park 1000km (S. van der Merwe / G. Fouche) 4th oa, 4th C1 class (#10)
Sold to Yojiro Yoneyama (Nova Engineering), Japan
Yellow, Black & White From A livery
07/04/1985 JSC Suzuka 500km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada) 7th oa, 7th D class (#27)
05/05/1985 JSC Fuji 1000km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada) 2nd oa, 2nd LD-1 class (#27)
28/07/1985 JSC Fuji 500 mile (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada) 8th oa, 7th LD-1 class (#27)
25/08/1985 JSC Suzuka 1000km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada) 5th oa, 5th D class (#27)
06/10/1985 WSC Fuji 1000km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada) DNF (#27)
24/11/1985 JSC Fuji 500km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada) 5th oa, 5th LD-1 class (#27)
06/04/1986 JSC Suzuka 500km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada / T. Asai) 2nd oa, 2nd C class (#27)
04/05/1986 JSC Fuji 1000km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada / T. Asai) DNF (#27)
20/07/1986 JSC Fuji 500 mile (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada / T. Asai) 6th oa, 6th LD-1 class (#27)
24/08/1986 JSC Suzuka 1000km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada / T. Asai) 1st oa, 1st C class (#27)
05/10/1986 WSC Fuji 1000km (J. Yoneyama / H. Okada / T. Asai) 21st oa, 17th C1 class (#27)
1987 sold to Vern Schuppan who retained it until 1995
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
