<< Prev Page 2 of 2 The design and construction of the new 917 K/81 (K was for Kremer this time, not Kurz) took longer than expected, so the aerodynamics had to be rushed. Naturally, the original design of the 917 was carried over but again changes were made to incorporate the latest ideas in aerodynamics. Ideas was the best description as there was no time to actually test the final package in the wind-tunnel. Among the most obvious alterations were the removal of rounded lower sections of the body in favour of slab sides to help generate some ground effect. A full width rear wing was fitted, mounted between two sizeable tail fins.
With backing from French real estate company Malardeau Enterprises and BP, the 917 K/81 was fielded by Kremer Racing for the all-French line-up of Bob Wollek, Xavier Lapeyre and Guy Chausseuil. With the exception of a brief shakedown at the Nürburgring, the car was untested. As a result, it suffered from a variety of problems, in particular on the important long straights where the 917 barely breached the 300 km/h barrier. This was partly addressed by changing the gear ratios but it was also obvious that there were also aerodynamic problems.
With a qualifying time that was a full 17 seconds slower than the pole-sitting works Porsche, the new 917 started the race back in 18th. A steady run saw the car move into the top ten during the opening hours of the race but it then hit a variety of problems. It was finally forced to retire after seven hours following an off that had damaged an oil line, eventually resulting in terminal damage to the engine. By that time, a grief-stricken Bob Wollek had already left the track following the fatal accident of his close friend Jean-Louis Lafosse.
Repaired, Kremer's 917 was brought out once more for the Brands Hatch 1000 km of the World Championship. Shared by Wollek and Henri Pescarolo for the occasion, the car proved better suited to this track and even took the lead briefly. Sadly, it was prompted to retire once more, this time with a suspension failure. This really was the end of the contemporary racing career of the Porsche 917 as the one-off machine was retired and displayed as the centrepiece in the Kremer Racing showroom. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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The design and construction of the new 917 K/81 (K was for Kremer this time, not Kurz) took longer than expected, so the aerodynamics had to be rushed. Naturally, the original design of the 917 was carried over but again changes were made to incorporate the latest ideas in aerodynamics. Ideas was the best description as there was no time to actually test the final package in the wind-tunnel. Among the most obvious alterations were the removal of rounded lower sections of the body in favour of slab sides to help generate some ground effect. A full width rear wing was fitted, mounted between two sizeable tail fins.