The 1980 Silverstone 6 Hours, was the fifth round of both the World Championship for Makes and FIA World Challenge for Endurance Drivers, and was held at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, on 11 May.
Report
Entry A total of 40 cars were entered for the event, across eight classes ranging through Group 2 up to Group 6. Of these 31 cars practised.
Qualifying The Porsche 935 K3 of Porsche Kermer Racing, driven by John Fitzpatrick, partnered by Guy Edwards and Axel Plankenhorn took pole position. They were joined on the front row by the André Chavalley Racing’s ACR-Cosworth 80 of Patrick Gaillard, André Chevalley and Francois Trisconi.
Race The race was held for 6 Hours, on Silverstone’s Grand Prix circuit, a distance of 1,106.6 km. Alain de Cadenet and Desiré Wilson took the winner spoils for the second round in a fortnight, for the de Cadenet team, driving their De Cadenet Lola-Cosworth LM1. The pair won in a time of 6hr 00:00.000mins., averaging a speed of 114.602ph. Whilst Wilson was driving, she lost the lead when she locked the brakes and was penalised one lap for missing the Woodcote chicane, but she produced a strong drive in spite of a misfire, to retake the lead 25 minutes remaining. In Italy, de Cadenet and Wilson had beaten Jürgen Barth and Henri Pescarolo in a Porsche 935K3. At Silverstone, Barth was second again, but this time sharing Siegfried Brunn’s amazing Porsche 908/3. Third but so nearly a late retirement, was the Porsche 935 of John Paul, Sr. and Brian Redman. Riccardo Patrese’s work Lancia Montecarlo crashed early in the race when its suspension broke up. But the sister car of Walter Röhrl and Michele Alboreto, streamed onto a class winning fourth place. The race was initially dominated by a brand new Kremer Porsche, destined for Le Mans and driven by pole-man Fitzpatrick, joined by Edwards and Plankenhorn. However, the car retired.Peter Swinger, "Motor Racing Circuits in England : Then & Now" (Ian Allan Publishing, , 2008)
Classification
Silverstone 6 Hours
Class Winners are in Bold text.
Note: Class winners in bold Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Tyres Laps Engine 1 S+2.0 8 Alain de Cadenet Alain de Cadenet Desiré Wilson De Cadenet LM 235 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8 2 S+2.0 5 Siegfried Brunn Jürgen Barth Siegfried Brunn Porsche 908/3 235 Porsche 3.0 L F8 3 IMSA 18 JLP Racing John Paul, Sr. Brian Redman Porsche 935 JLP-2 234 Porsche Type-935 3.0 L F6 Turbo 4 Gr. 5 54 Lancia Corse Walter Röhrl Michele Alboreto Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo 232 Lancia 1.4 L I4 Turbo 5 Gr. 5 16 Vegla Racing Team Dieter Schornstein Harald Grohs Porsche 935/77A 228 Porsche Type-935 2.9 L F6 Turbo 6 Gr. 5 16 Weralit Elora Team Edgar Dören Jürgen Lässig Gerhard Holup Porsche 935 K3 225 Porsche Type-935 3.0 L F6 Turbo 7 IMSA 11 Rosso Ltd. Steve O'Rourke Chris Craft Vic Norman Ferrari 512BB 207 Ferrari 4.9 L F12 8 GT 29 Autofarm Ltd. Richard Cleare Tony Dron Porsche 934 206 Porsche Type-930 3.0 L F6 Turbo 9 IMSA 12 Z & W Enterprises Racing Inc. Ernesto Soto Pierre Honegger Mark Hutchins Mazda RX-7 206 Mazda 1.2 L 2-rotor 10 GT 31 Christian Bussi Jacques Guérin Frédéric Alliot Christian Bussi Porsche 934 206 Porsche Type-930 3.0 L F6 Turbo 11 T 58 Eggenberger Motorsport Enzo Calderari Marco Vanoli BMW 320i 197 BMW M12 2.0 L I4 DNF IMSA 6 March Racing Patrick Nève Michael Korten March-BMW M1 208 BMW M88 3.5 L I6 DNF S2.0 35 Scuderia Torino Corse Osella Squadra Corse Lella Lombardi Vittorio Brambilla Osella PA8 181 BMW M12 2.0 L I4 DNF Gr. 5 20 Charles Ivey Racing John Cooper Pete Lovett Dudley Wood Porsche 935 K3 175 Porsche Type-935 3.0 L F6 Turbo DNF S2.0 42 Dorset Racing Associates Nick Faure Nick Mason Peter Clark Lola T297 166 Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0 L I4 DNF Gr. 5 55 Jolly Club Carlo Facetti Martino Finotto Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo 165 Lancia 1.4 L I4 Turbo DNF Gr. 5 19 Porsche Kremer Racing Guy Edwards John Fitzpatrick Axel Plankenhorn Porsche 935 K3/80 128 Porsche Type-935 3.2 L F6 Turbo DNF GT 32 Morris Stapleton Richard Down Bruce Stapleton Bill Wykeham Morgan Plus 8 121 Rover 3.5 L V8 DNF Gr. 5 24 Malaya Garage Ltd. Adrian Yates-Smith Mike Wilds Barrie Williams Porsche 911 SC 115 Porsche 2.8 L F6 DNF GT 30 Formel Rennsport Club Peter Zbinden Edy Kofel Porsche 934 85 Porsche Type-930 3.0 L F6 Turbo DNF Gr. 5 27 Tony Wingrove Tony Wingrove Barry Robinson Porsche Carrera RSR 45 Porsche 2.8 L F6 DNF S2.0 43 David Mercer David Mercer Mike Chittenden Richard Jones Vogue SP2 45 Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0 L I4 DNF Gr. 5 53 Lancia Corse Riccardo Patrese Eddie Cheever Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo 26 Lancia 1.4 L I4 Turbo DNF S+2.0 1 André Chevalley Racing Patrick Gaillard André Chevalley François Trisconi ACR 80 25 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8 DNF GTP 10 Ault & Wilborg Ltd. Robin Hamilton Derek Bell Aston Martin AMV8 20 Aston Martin 5.3 V8 Turbo DNF GTP 9 Ault & Wilborg Ltd. David Preece Simon Phillips Gipfast Special 4 Aston Martin 5.3 V8 Turbo DNS S+2.0 2 Ian Bracey Tiff Needell Tony Trimmer Ian Bracey Ibec P6 - Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8 DNS Gr. 5 47 Willy F Racing Team Preben Kristoffersen Kurt Simonsen BMW 320 - BMW M12 2.0 L I4 DNS Gr. 5 50 Richard Jenvey Lawrie Hickman Richard Janvey Lotus Esprit S1 - Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0 L I4 DNS Gr. 5 51 Frox Clothing Company Ltd. Martin Birrane Syd Fox Lotus Esprit S1 - Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0 L I4 DNS Gr. 5 54 Janspeed/ADA with the TR Register John Sheldon Ian Harrower Triumph TR8 Turbo - Triumph 3.6 L V8 Turbo
Fastest lap: Porsche Kremer Racing #19, 1:25.53secs. (124.13 mph)
References