Sports car world championship 1979
The 1979 World Sports Car Championship was the 27th season of this championship. It started on February 3rd and ended on November 18th.
championship
For the second time since 1978 , the World Challenge for long-distance drivers was held alongside the Manufacturers' World Championship . Ten of the 17 races were included in this classification, which was won by the American Don Whittington ahead of his compatriots Dick Barbour and Tony Garzia . The best non-American in this ranking was the German Rolf Stommelen in fifth. With five wins this season, the two Whittington brothers Don and Bill were the most successful drivers of the year. In addition to their successes in the 6 Hours of Riverside , the 6 Hours of Daytona , the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen and the 6 Hours of El Salvador , they also won the prestigious 24-hour race from Le Mans . Third driver in the Kremer - Porsche 935 was Klaus Ludwig .
The makes world championship ended with a superior overall victory for Porsche . It was the seventh world title for the German sports car manufacturer.
Racing calendar
No. | date | Race name / circuit |
team | Overall winner | vehicle | championship |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | February 3-4 |
Daytona 24 Hours ( Daytona International Speedway ) |
Interscope Racing |
Ted Field Danny Ongais Hurley Haywood |
Porsche 935/79 | Brands and drivers |
2 | 17. March |
Sebring 12-hour race ( Sebring International Raceway ) |
Dick Barbour Racing |
Bob Akin Rob McFarlin Roy Woods |
Porsche 935 | driver |
3 | March 18th |
6-hour race of Mugello ( Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello ) |
Gelo Racing Team |
John Fitzpatrick Manfred Schurti Bob Wollek |
Porsche 935 / 77A | Brands |
4th | April 1st |
Talladega 6 Hours ( Talladega Superspeedway ) |
Brant Doell |
Tom Waugh Rick Knoop |
AMC Concord | driver |
5 | April 22 |
6-hour race of Dijon ( Circuit de Dijon-Prenois ) |
LM Joest Racing |
Reinhold Joest Volkert Merl Mario Ketterer |
Porsche 908/3 Turbo | Brands |
6th | April 22 |
6 Hours of Riverside ( Riverside International Raceway ) |
Whittington Brothers Racing |
Don Whittington Bill Whittington |
Porsche 935/79 | driver |
7th | May 6th |
Silverstone 6 Hours ( Silverstone Circuit ) |
Gelo Sportswear Team |
John Fitzpatrick Hans Heyer Bob Wollek
|
Porsche 935 / 77A | Brands |
8th | 3rd of June |
1000 km race on the Nürburgring ( Nürburgring ) |
Gelo Racing |
John Fitzpatrick Manfred Schurti Bob Wollek
|
Porsche 935 / 77A | Brands and drivers |
9 | June 9-10 |
24 Hours of Le Mans ( Circuit des 24 Heures ) |
Porsche Kremer Racing |
Don Whittington Bill Whittington Klaus Ludwig |
Porsche 935K3 | driver |
10 | June 24th |
6 hour race of Pergusa ( Autodromo di Pergusa ) |
Scuderia Torino Corse |
Lella Lombardi Enrico Grimaldi |
Osella PA7 | Brands |
11 | July 1 |
Daytona 6 Hours (Daytona International Speedway) |
Amos Johnson |
Don Whittington Bill Whittington Dennis Shaw |
AMC spirit | driver |
12 | 7th of July |
6 Hours of Watkins Glen ( Watkins Glen International ) |
Whittington Brothers Kremer Racing |
Don Whittington Bill Whittington Klaus Ludwig
|
Porsche 935 / 77A | Brands |
13 | July 21-22 |
Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race ( Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps ) |
Gordon Spice Racing |
Jean-Michel Martin Philippe Martin |
Ford Capri III 3.0S | driver |
14th | 5th of August |
Brands Hatch 6 Hours ( Brands Hatch ) |
Joest Racing |
Reinhold Joest Volkert Merl
|
Porsche 908/3 Turbo | Brands |
15th | September 2nd |
500-mile race at Road America ( Road America ) |
McLaren North America |
David Hobbs Derek Bell |
BMW 320i Turbo | driver |
16 | 16th September |
6-hour race of Vallelunga ( Autodromo Vallelunga ) |
Enzo Osella |
Lella Lombardi Giorgio Francia |
Osella PA7 | Brands |
17th | November 18 |
6 Hours of El Salvador ( Autódromo Internacional El Jabali ) |
Scorpio Racing |
Don Whittington Bill Whittington Enrique Molins |
Porsche 935 | driver |
Mastery of the constructors
Brand world championship overall ranking over 2 liter displacement
position | constructor | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Porsche | 20th | 20th | 20th | 20th | 20th | 20th | 20th | (20) | (20) | 140 |
2 | Ferrari | 15th | 15th | 30th | |||||||
3 | De Tomaso | 6th | 6th | ||||||||
4th | triumph | 4th | 4th | ||||||||
5 | BMW | 1 | 1 |
Overall brand world championship ranking under 2 liters
position | constructor | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lancia | 10 | 20th | 20th | 50 | ||||||
2 | BMW | 20th | 12 | 32 | |||||||
3 = | ford | 15th | 15th | 30th | |||||||
3 = | Porsche | 15th | 15th | 30th | |||||||
5 | Fiat | 20th | 20th | ||||||||
6th | Volkswagen | 6th | 6th | ||||||||
7th | Audi | 2 | 2 |
World challenge for long-distance drivers
The table includes the ten races of the drivers' championship, as noted in the race calendar.
Overall rating
position | driver | constructor | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9 | 10 | total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Don Whittington | Porsche , AMC | 21st | 20th | 24 | 22nd | 20th | 147 | |||||
2 | Dick Barbour | Porsche , AMC | 19th | 8th | 15th | 23 | 18th | 98 | |||||
3 | Tony Garcia | Porsche | 18th | 16 | 14th | 15th | 15th | 16 | 94 | ||||
4th | Roger Mandeville | Mazda | 21st | 11 | 18th | 9 | 20th | 12 | 92 | ||||
5 | Rolf Stommelen | Porsche | 19th | 15th | 16 | 23 | 88 | ||||||
6th | Bill Whittington | Porsche , Mazda , AMC | 21st | 20th | 24 | 20th | 85 | ||||||
7th | Klaus Ludwig | Porsche | 20th | 16 | 19th | 24 | 85 | ||||||
8th | Charles Mendez | Porsche , Datsun | 10 | 21st | 10 | 8th | 19th | 68 | |||||
9 | Bob Akin | Porsche , Ford | 22nd | 10 | 17th | 16 | 63 | ||||||
10 | Diego Febles | Porsche , Mazda | 12 | 18th | 20th | 12 | 62 |
literature
- Peter Higham: The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing. A complete Reference from Formula 1 to Touring Car. Guinness Publishing Ltd., London 1995, ISBN 0-85112-642-1 .