Porsche Withdraw from Indianapolis

Porsche Withdraw from Indianapolis

POR,H1:. tc,tally frustrated by the conflio, and myopic decisions and indecisions of the 115 organising clubs. reluctantly withdrew trom the Indianapolis 500 on May 25t1s and have dropped their plans 0500s500 the rest of the Indy series. Some weeks agit LISAC announced a would reduce the Porsche boost pre,ure to 48″ Irian the originally specified 54. Thi, would have meant a totally nett development program’. for Porsche’s tlat-sis and was simply nru on. Porsche unsuecessfully sought a compromise of for Indy_ A statement from the Porsche Board read: “This most difficult and disappointing decision MIS reached after a change In rules on March 7th. 1980 by the United States Autoniobile Club for the Porsche

six-cylinder -engine which was at such shoo notice that it effectively diSqualified the entry of a competitive vehicle.

“After the change in rules was confirmed on April 2I00 following lengthy negotiations in the last few weeks by the Championship Racing League which w.as newly created for body, Porsche had nO alkrnativc but to withdraw and so lose their great hopes. on a very promising project”.

Porsche had been full of enthusiasm for this American project, which we described in thejanuary issue of MOTOR SPORT. Now, sadly, the prototype Porsche chassis and the oss completed turbocharged engines will be relegated to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart. ‘The shinnanigans in As USA have killed a protect which could have injeCte.d 0000 spark of life into the Indy seriesandended a Porsche single-seater interest which might one day have culminated st a return to Formula One. — C.R.