Abarth Carrera GTL

[Porschinelle]

Ulrich Schumacher Carrera Abarth at the 2014 Le Mans Classic

[Porschinelle]

Peter Vogele Carrera abarth at the 2014 Le Mans Classic

[Porschinelle]

Sorry Fiat Abarth race number 21

[Porschinelle]

2 Abarth Carrera at the Nassau speed week 1964 or 1965


Car number 27 on the lorry is also an Abarth but not a Porsche (Fiat)

[356]

[Porschinelle]

Now the answer to your question : why the 4 Porsches in the dirt
Just after the finish the cars have to stop and to avoid a terrific trafic jam, the track marshall direct the cars into the ditch which separate the track from the spectators
As you will see on the below pic representing a Renault Alpine in the 60's the above tratment

was not reserved to the German cars

[Porschinelle]

Therefore except for the first few cars who cross the finish line on Sunday 3PM after 24 hours of racing, it is impossible for all the remaining cars to do another lap due to thousands of spectators on the track
As you see on the 2 following pics up to the recent years the spectators were only separated from the track by a row of straw bales a ditch and a simple concrete wall

[Porschinelle]

[Porschinelle]

Hi Jack

Thanks for your interest in my post
The 24 hours Le Mans race have always attracted a large number of spectators with a maximum of over 460.000 spectators in the 70's
This number has decreased in the recent years due to the increase of the ticket prices and a demand from the spectators for a better comfort as larger and more comfortable seats in the stands hence less room
The 2014 edition with the return of Porsche was a total success with 263.000 paying spectators ie 15% more than in 2013
A tradition who still exist to day is that these spectators are allowed to enter the track at the end of the race

[Jack Staggs]

Terrific picture. Thanks for posting them. Can you tell us why they are parked in the dirt, with a drainage canal?

[Porschinelle]

The 4 off Porsches

who finished the Le Mans 1961 race
Only Buchet car is missing (engine failure)

[Porschinelle]

Robert Buchet (with the black suit) alongside his 356 Carrera GT before the race start

[Porschinelle]

Sorry I have made a typing error in the above post
Date is June 1961 not 64
356 GT 1002 is one of the first Abarth Carrera built
This same 1961 year the the French Porsche Carrera GT of Auguste Veuillet was included in the team of the 4 official Porsche cars
3 off 718 RS61 race numbers 30, 32 and 33 for Jo Bonnier/Dan Gurney, Hans Hermann/Edgar Barth and Masten Gregory/Bob Holbert and another Abarth Carrera GT race number 36 for Ben Pon/Herbert Linge

[Porschinelle]

when official Porsche supplier was Bosch

[356]