This week I got to do something unique in a car few people ever get to drive. I had the distinct honor of driving a piece of iconic sports car history in preparation for the upcoming Porsche Rennsport Reunion, which will be held at Laguna Seca at the end of the month.
My good friends at the Ingram Collection, with support from Road Scholars, prepared an absolutely gorgeous 1967 Porsche 906E, which debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this summer.
I test drove the car at Virginia International Raceway, where we were shaking it down in preparation for its run at the Rennsport Reunion. It’s probably the only car that both competed at Pebble Beach and is being raced! Not only is the car going racing, but it will be driven at the Reunion by Mark Webber.
I’ve driven historic prototypes before, but I’ve never driven something quite like this Porsche. It’s the oldest race car I’ve ever driven, and it was impressive to me just how precise all the inputs were, from the gearbox to the handling characteristics.
It’s a snug fit!
Everything had an impressive amount of performance, all led by the 2-liter, fuel-injected 6-cylinder engine. It’s pretty significant for a car of that age to have fuel injection. The car’s nimble handling was enhanced by its light weight: it tips the scales at only 1300 pounds. It was just pure driving enjoyment for me!
An impeccably clean restore, fuel-injected 2-liter flat 6!
It’s amazing to think how good the car is for something that’s more than 50 years old (and built well before I was born!). It’s a true credit to Road Scholars for their immaculately detailed preparation. We had a smooth shakedown and were able to focus on the small things to maximize the car’s performance.
I’m honored that Ingram trusted me to drive this priceless race car! I’m looking forward to being at the Rennsport Reunion for the first time as I continue coaching the JDX team, who will be running that weekend since Carrera Cup is a support race at the event.
Before that, though, I’m heading to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I’ll be up there this week as part of IMSA’s return to the famous Brickyard.