9.06.12 Glory Days

It was a special week for Wolfgang Kaufmann at the second round of the Classic Endurance Series for historic GT and touring cars in Spa-Francorchamps.

Automobilcenter Aachen - Porsche 935 K3

Willi Kauhsen Racing RSR

Wolfgang Kaufmann

Before the actual race weekend, Kaufmann had the honour of shaking down a Porsche 935 K3, newly rebuilt at Uwe Niermann's Automobilcenter Aachen. "This Porsche was completely rebuilt from the ground up and I was allowed to put the car through its paces on its first, and very rewarding, test laps. It is the ex-Bobby Rahal Coca Cola car."

In the 1h race, Wolfgang Kaufmann was behind the wheel of a 1974 Porsche 911 RSR of Willi Kauhsen Racing. "We had pole position, were the fastest GT team and turned the fastest lap. We also held the lead for a while, but we still only finished third", Kaufmann says with a wry smile. Following the mandated pit stop, the driver side door kept opening in right hand turns, which necessitated another pit call. A broken bit part in the door catch was found to be the culprit. "This piece usually never breaks. Of course it is a pity that it had to happen during the race, and cost us the well-deserved win. But still, the weekend was phantastic for me. I've always been known as a Porsche fan, so these drives with the 935 K3 and the RSR were something very special for me. Driving these cars on the limit, without all modern driver aids, is as enjoyable as it is challenging."