European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Is mans by Randy Barnetts a motor sports editor the 24 hours of be Mam an endurance race for sports cars since 1923, will be staged this weekend at the Sarthe circuit outside the French City Ofle mans. Porsche which have dominated be mans More than 75 Yean face a major Challenge in this year s event from the British Laguar. We covered several races at lemans for the stars and stripes Over the years including the 1969 race one of the most dramatic in be mans history. The 1969 race had the closest finish with be Gam Lacky icky in a Ford gt4o beating German Hans Herrmann in his porsche 90s by a few Yards. It May come As a Surprise to Young motors Pons fans but in 1969 the porsche factory had t won at be mans. And after the Check ered Flag Felt it was still a Case of wait til next  Here s the Story. Going into the 1969 be mans the porsche cars were so heavily favored that betting against them was considered throwing Money away. By late May of that year porsche had clinched the world championship for sports cars with its decisive Victory on the curb urging and All preparations were being made for the 24 hours of be mans. Porsche s operation at be mans was massive and thorough. If the germans planned on giving the other teams an inferiority Complex the size of the Armada helped. The porsche factory entered four of its All conquering 908 prototypes along with two of its new 917 models. A private entry 917 and several other private entry 908s completed the juggernaut. The press billed the porsche team As the Stuttgart  headed by the Dapper Baron Huschke von Hansleit and employing some of the Best Drivers in the business the porsche team was supremely confident. But Belgium s Jacky icky just 24 years old and already at the top of his dangerous profession was conceding nothing. He and englishman Jackie Oliver would drive one of he aging Ford gt40s for the Gulf a. Automotive engineering team. It was the same gt40 thai had won at be mans the year before. I had talked to icky a week earlier at a formula 2 race in zolder Belgium. He said i think we have a Good Chance to win next week in the gt40.1 really do although everyone thinks i m crazy to say so. I know the car s old but if s still dependable. Hopefully Well go the distance. I know the press and everyone else says if s porsche s race but Don t forget one thing 24 hours is a Long  icky meant it. He was never a Driver who said something simply to please his sponsors. But what Chance did he and Oliver stand in a car that already had 20,000 racing Miles on it they affectionately called it the  it could t match the porsche or even the ferraris or Matras for that Mailer in Speed. At the end of the qualifying sessions the porsche were firmly in control. The official starting Grid had the Stuttgart Stormer in the first five positions. The big 917s were first and second followed by three 908s. Then came a Ferrari another porsche a Ferrari and finally two More porsche to give the germans eight cars among the fastest 10 starters. Icky and Oliver had qualified a lowly 14th. On race Day morning the weather was hot the atmosphere electric and the crowd enormous. The Start was set for 2 ., moved up two hours from the traditional 4  Because of the French National elections. The 1969 race would also be the last to feature the famous be mans Start where 55 Drivers ran across the track to leap into their cars and zoom off. Safety reasons dictated its end because Drivers would not take time to buckle their seat harnesses. With the approach of 2 ., the Drivers lined up across the track All eager to go. Icky meanwhile leaned nonchalantly against the Wall observing the whole scene. At the Call Start the sprint was on the Drivers Rushing for their cars. All except icky. He walked across slowly entered the old gt40 As if leaving on a pleasure trip buckled his Seatbelt calmly then finally got away behind an Ocean of noise dead last. He was in no hurry. That morning Fie had said again that Twenty four hours is a Long time and it will be sometime sunday morning before you can Tell the real pattern of this  he called it perfectly. Porsche s troubles began on the first Lap when the wealthy British Driver John Woolfe in his Pylate entry porsche 917, was killed when he lost control and crashed at 160 Mph. Four hours into the race the porsche led one through five the 917 driven by pole position Man Rolf Stemmelen of Germany at the front. Lust after the four hour Mark one of the porsche 908 cars was out with mechanical trouble and Stemmelen s 917 was blowing smoke. Stemmelen fell Back and the porsche 917 of englishmen Vic Elford and Richard Attwood went to the front followed by three More of the Stuttgart  at 2 a.m., the Halfway Point the porsche learn had lost another car to mechanical problems but was still leading one two three. The icky Oliver gt40 was running fourth eight laps behind the leading Elford Attwood 917 porsche. Another porsche 908, one that would prove the key machine for the germans had fallen to eighth place after a half hour pit Stop. This car was driven by Germany s Hans Herrmann and the Frenchman Gerard Larrousse. At 4 a.m., the porsche that had been running in second place crashed and Stemmelen finally gave up with engine problems. At Dawn things still looked Good for porsche. The Elford Atlwood  maintained its big Lead and a porsche 908 in was second place. The icky Oliver gt40 had moved up to third but still a Long eight laps Back. The Herrmann Larrousse porsche 908 had moved up from eighth to fourth place behind the gt40. That s the Way it stayed until 10 a.m., with four if ripes Magazine june 11, 1987