Summary of winners

... came across this summary in a British motoring magazine ...
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Thanks for sharing Steve. Wonderful year for Porsche! I had forgotten how successful Pedro and Jackie were that year.

.. the latter is often overlooked in Porsche circles

I will always count myselfl privileged to have met Derek Bell, got his autograph and shook his hand...

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I will always count myselfl privileged to have met Derek Bell, got his autograph and shook his hand...

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Me tooooo Peter … :)

By accident once had lunch at Woodcote Park with two of these chaps.. hadn’t planned it. Just happened. Richard Attwood came down from his room and by coincidence sat on table I was at so when Bell came down soon after he naturally joined the table. Discussed with Derek Bell how he had been under contract to drive at Le Mans for a previous owner of my RS (a well respected former F1 team manager / Motorsport engineer) team but in lead up to the race he got a call from the Porsche factory asking him to race for them. Fortunately for Bell my car’s previous owner and his team partner (Pink Floyd manager /gentleman racer Steve O’Rourke) were gracious enough to release him from their contract to race for the factory team instead. Also Bell explained over lunch the top speed he achieved in 917 was calculated by engineer using a slide rule.

Got a photo of that unplanned lunch at Woodcote somewhere. Both them often around UK events and are very approachable but unexpected lunch was a bonus and probably wouldn’t have worked out if I’d tried to somehow manoeuvre to join their table.

Completely separately got a handwritten note to me from Vic Elford explaining the finer points double declutch / toe and heel technique that is a nice keepsake from a very talented and versatile Londoner who moved to USA ...
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Steve

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Originally Posted by 72targa

I will always count myselfl privileged to have met Derek Bell, got his autograph and shook his hand...

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Originally Posted by Chuck Miller

Me tooooo Peter … :)

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Originally Posted by 911MRP

By accident once had lunch at Woodcote Park with two of these chaps.. hadn’t planned it. Just happened. Richard Attwood came down from his room and by coincidence sat on table so when Bell came down soon after he naturally joined the table. Discussed with Derek Bell how he had been under contract to drive at Le Mans for a previous owner of my RS racing team but in lead up to the race he got a call form Porsche asking him to race for them. Fortunately for Bell the my car previous owner and his team partner Pink Floyd manager /gentleman racer Steve O’Rourke were gracious enough to release him from contract to race for the factory team instead. Also explained over lunch the top speed he achieved in 917 was calculated by engineer using a slide rule.

Got a photo of that unplanned lunch at Woodcote somewhere. Both them often around UK events and are very approachable but unexpected lunch was a bonus and probably wouldn’t have worked out if I’d tried to somehow manoeuvred to join their table.

Steve

S

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Nice! Great memories.:)

... probably great memories for Mr Bell as that team’s gentlemanly decision to release him from the contract that year gave him one of his five Le Mans victories alongside a well known Belgian driver iirc...
Found photo of that unplanned lunch...Attachment 522417

If I’m not mistaken about the year to release Derek Bell the team raced at Le Mans that year with a final driver lineup that included racer turned TV commentator David Hobbs and a future F1 team owner Irishman Eddie Jordan when he was an aspiring driver.

Steve