European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday november 11, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 25 racing Roundup porsche faces hard going in cart the porsche firm of Stuttgart has enjoyed so Many racing successes Over the years that the very name porsche has become synonymous with Victory where sports car racing is concerned. In International racing porsche s string of 12 vie tones in the 24 hours of la mans stands As a record and the same goes Tor in 11 straight wins in the 24hours or Daytona. In the world Chimp Mohip sports car series this series the sports car equivalent to formula on porsche has dominated there since its first championship in 1969, in american sports car racing it s More of the same with porsche dominating the old can am series practically from the first Day of a porsche entry and the same goes for the current Simsa series porsche cars winning practically every Simsa Rocc year in ind year out. And because porsche enjoys Strong and steady sales Success in the United states it came As no Grest Surprise when the German firm officially announced in february of this year that in planned to go indy car racing in the american cart pig championship. Sponsorship would come from the Quaker state Oil co. The porsche indy racing car was shown to inc Public in september during the Frankfurt Auto show and although porsche hoped to make the last three cart races preparatory to its full Lime entry for the 1988 season the project was a bit late and porsche could race Only in the two final rounds Laguna Seca and Miami. At the Start of the project porsche emphasized that both the Indianapolis car As Well As inc cart series Are new ground for porsche s racing team because the last single seater porsche race car dates Back to 1962 and our experience on High Speed Oval race circuits do not  both the Laguna Seca and Miami races were staged on Road course and both proved shocking failures for the porsche team to say nothing of major disappointments for the Many porsche fans in America. At Laguna Seca in Monterey Calif Al Unser or. Was Able 10 qualify Only 21st on the 24-car Grid while in the race the car lasted Only seven laps exiting with a broken water pump. Three weeks later things Well from bad to worse when the new porsche failed to qualify Al Miami. So after two cart race entries the new car has Only a total of seven laps experience and it s experience that porsche needs most. And where cart racing is concerned the German firm obviously has a lot to learn discussing the situation in a Telephone interview on monday porsche s press chief Manfred Jantke said Long before we started this american adventure we realized in would present a Brand new experience and perhaps even a painful one in the finl few races. But we considered it worthwhile because to go racing immediately is the fastest Way to find the Baseline for development. Doing this experimental work before a huge Public is a Tough Way to go but it s the fastest Way to go to develop a competitive car. Although we failed in those two races we still consider them Worth doing Jantke said because we collected a lot of Points on where to improve and what changes we must make. A of the  from those two races is being Analysed and Well use every element for  in America the new porsche indy car has been regarded As antiquated by people who should know including Mario Andretti a lop candidate for the porsche drive in 1988. Regarding rumours in the american and British press that porsche will scrap its car and buy a March Chassis with porsche powering an Effort to attract the services of Andretti porsche s Jantke said you know that porsche must compete Only on an All porsche basis. The Purchase of a March or Lola Chassis for compar iliac testing purposes has not been excluded there s no Deci Sion yet but i want to stress for testing purposes Only. We aim to be fully competitive in cart Rac ing within two years so nothing is impossible where testing is concerned. But in racing we will race our own porsche car Jantke said that the whole thing is a ques Tion of time and the 1988 season will be a devel Oping and learning process for us for 1989, we expect the car to be competitive and win a race or two. It s a Long term program and by 1990 we expect to be the Best. But in the meantime porsche fans must be patient and realize that for us everything is new engine Gearbox suspension and  now the engine is Good but the Chassis is poor but both obviously need further development "11 was especially disappointing hat the car ran Only seven laps in Hose two races Jantke said because we really needed a lot More racing laps and Lime on the tracks. At the moment we could t look worse and we re sorry to disappoint so Many people. Bui the Gap is wide from us to the front runners so we feel that even those seven laps were Worth it for the experience. Now we plan to do a lot of testing almost Alt of it in the slates. After Only two races we re certainly not Desper ate Jantke said and we plan to hang m  its no secret thai Mario Andretti is inter ested in the porsche ride especially after this season where he has led race after race in the Haas Newman Lola including inc indy 500, Only to be let Down in the engine department. But Jan Lac Points out that Andretti now age 47 and aiming for More cart victories Al this stage in his career May not want to race a car that needs the amount of development the porsche docs. The Job is still open o andr Clit Jantoc said and if he were 22, there would be no problem. But he s moving toward 50, he s extremely competitive and for him of we a car so far away from its Peak is a problem. If we Don t get Mario Well look for another answer. So at the moment there s still nothing definite on our Driver lineup for 1988," Jantke said. So with porsche s admission of a lot of hard work to come a Victory appears Only far Down the Road. But knowing porsche s background in the history of racing who would Bel against the German firm s eventual achievement of cart Success turning briefly to formula one grand prix racing the 16th and  round in the Long 1987 Campaign will be staged sunday in Adelaide Australia with no major dramas projected. About the Only thing remaining to be settled is second place the injured English Driver Nigel Mansill with 61 Points and the brazilian Ayrton Senna with 57. Three time world Champion Nelson Piquol of Bra 7.il will be defending his newly won Crown in the australian race White Mansell Runn nip last year and nol concerned about being runner up again will give like race a miss altogether. Mansell who crashed and lost out 10 Piquol in the title Chase during the recent japanese grand prix will remain in England to recuperate from his Acci Dent injuries. He said doctors had advised him to skip the australian finale because of lingering prob lems with his Bauk. In Germany an edited version of the australian grand prix will be shown sunday on the second program Adf. Beginning Al 4 42 . Where to co this weekend the third International adar Preis Der stall Heilbronn a racing program featuring formula cars sports cars and Louring cars is scheduled for saturday Al the Hoff Venheim circuit in Germany with Bolh qualify ing and racing to be be conducted on the circuit s Short 1.6-mile course. In England meanwhile the brands Hatch circuit Southeast of London will Host racing on sunday for formula Ford cars and touring can with the formula Ford 2000 series race the first of four in he bbl grandstand championship series. Practice and qua i Fig wll be held on saturday. Eth Bui ind Striph Schmidt Ripken sign to beat Agency deadline Biben Walker new York