Hans Joachim-Stuck meets an old friend

Hans-Joachim Stuck has been reunited with the Shell Porsche 962C which he used to win the 1987 ADAC Würth Supercup, the inaugural German domestic Group C championship.

The meeting was made possible after the Porsche Heritage and Museum department undertook work to convert the vehicle from a reference car for the corporate collection back to its racing spec. This included the then-new Porsche dual clutch transmission (PDK) which Stuck was one of the first to test.

“This car means a lot to me because it was ‘my car’,” Stuck said at the first running of the restored car. “I was the only driver, with exactly the set-up I wanted. It was very special. When I saw it, it gave me goosebumps. There are some things from the development that weren’t for long distances, but for sprint racing. The car is made very sharp and tough to drive.”

Stuck even had his original race suit as he took the beast for a spin at Weissach. “It was both physically and mentally very demanding,” he added. “Attempts to get power steering at the time were rejected by Mr Singer. ‘You have to train, you lazy lads!’ he said.”

The rejuvenated 962 is set to appear at more events next year as part of a planned ‘40 years of Group C’ anniversary.