Sports car world championship 1979

The works Lancia Beta Montecarlo Turbo at the 6-hour race at Silverstone

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 .

Web links

• Results of the Sports Car World Championship 1979
• World Challenge for Driver