The sports car tradition in Australia - Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge

Name: Porsche 936 1981
Brand: Porsche

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Created on March 22, 2013

Text:

Daniel Reinhard

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

109

Daniel Reinhard

109

Alfa Romeo T33 SC12 (1975) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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ARGO JM19C (1987) - Participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Elfin 400 (1966) - Participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Elfin MS5 (1969) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Elfin MS7 (1974) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Elfin Traco Chevrolet (1966) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Elfin Traco (1966) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Genie MK10 (1969) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Lola T160 Spyder (1968) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Lola T163 Spyder (1968) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Lola T163 Spyder (1968) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Lola T163 Spyder (1969) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Lola T310 (1972) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Lola T332C (1979) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Lola T70 Spyder (1966) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Lola T70 (1969) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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March 717 (1973) - Participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Matra Simca MS 670B-C (1974) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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McKee Mark10 (1967) - Participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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McLaren M1A (1965) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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McLaren M1B (1965) - Participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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McLaren M6B (1968) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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McLaren M8E (1971) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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McLaren M8F (1971) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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MRC Repco (1968) - Participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Sting (1974) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Porsche 935 (1978) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Porsche 936 (1981) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Porsche 956c (1984) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Porsche 962 (1987) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Rennmax Repco (1972) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" as part of the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

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Long before there was talk of hybrid, bio-diesel or even electric motors, there was motorsport in a different sphere.

The Can-Am (North America's Can-Am Series) allowed everything that technology had to offer at the time. There were neither displacement limits nor aerodynamic rules to adhere to. It was the dream of every racing car designer to let off steam in the Can-Am series.

Cars with up to or even over 1000 hp were rushed onto the racetracks with twin turbos or vacuum cleaners. Drivers such as Jackie Stewart, John Surtees, Jackie Oliver, Dennis Hulme, Mark Donohue, Bruce McLaren etc. sat at the wheel of these four-wheeled Group 7 rockets.

Lola T310 (1972) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

Memories of the legendary sports car prototypes

The "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" is a reminder of those times. The "golden era of sports car racing", consisting of Can-Am, Group C and WSC (world sportscar championship), is represented in a field of around 40 vehicles from all over the world. The European elite of Porsche, McLaren and Lola will meet the Australian eleven.

McLaren M8F (1971) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

Sports cars of the seventies

The Can-Am cars are joined by the Le Mans cars from the European sports car scene. Vern Schuppan was the first and so far only Australian to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1983, together with Americans Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood, he won the prestigious race in France in a Porsche 956.

Lola T70 (1969) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

Group C is also integrated

Group C competed twice in a World Sportscar Championship round in Melbourne in the 1980s. Derek Bell won together with the unforgettable Stefan Bellof in a Porsche 956 in 1984 and Jo Schlesser won the second race of 1988 together with Jochen Mass in a Sauber-Mercedes C9.

Porsche 956c (1984) - participant in the "Total Oil International Sports Car Challenge" in the supporting program of the 2013 Australian GP

Australia's own sports car championship

Australia also had its own sports car championship for over three decades. This resulted in various sports car designs such as the Elfin, Matich, Kaditcha and VesKanda.

Slowed down by the weather

It was a shame that the weather at Albert Park didn't really cooperate. As a result, various practice sessions and qualifying sessions on Saturday had to be postponed to Sunday or even scrapped from the program altogether.

Unfortunately, the race only lasted a short six laps. The concert of the high-capacity engines ended after around twenty minutes.

Nevertheless, the numerous fans were thrilled and the great, diverse cars made the start of the first F1 race of 2013, which was full of surprises, complete.