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The FasTesT sporTs Car raCe Article by JAy Gillotti, Photos courtesy of Porsche AG They say records are made to be broken, but this one never will be. May 9th, 1971. Spa. 1000 kilometers… in 4 hours, in a Gulf 917. This amazing and historic event is often overlooked in the annals of racing. However, as we continue reviewing 40 year anniversaries of Porsche 917 triumphs, we must not forget about the fastest sports car race ever run. To help us remember, we were fortunate to receive previously unpublished comments and additional context from John Horsman himself. Mr. Horsman was the Chief Engineer for JW Automotive Engineering (the Gulf-Porsche team) in 1970 and 1971. Thanks to our friends at David Bull Publishing, we were able to contact Mr. Horsman by email for this piece. The Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium was (and still is) synonymous with speed. It also shares history as a great public road circuit with Le Mans and the Targa Florio. Of course, in the first 60 or so years of motor racing history, there were many public road courses and racing on closed public roads was common. By the early Seventies, the speed of the cars and the concerns about safety made this form of racing less and less acceptable. Races increasingly took place on purpose-built circuits. While Le Mans was known for the ultimate top speed demands of its three mile long Mulsanne straight, the Spa circuit allowed for lap speeds averaging 10 to 15 miles per hour faster. Hidden deep in the Ardennes forest, often shrouded in rain and mist, the lore of Spa had grown up around its high speed, sweeping turns that demanded extremes of courage and commitment from the drivers. The length and terrain of the circuit (14 kilometers or 8.7 miles) meant that drivers would often experience different and changing weather conditions in the course of a single lap. It was the sheer speed that gave Spa its fearsome reputation. Brian Redman rated it the toughest place in the world to race. Here's a quote from my 1985 interview with Brian: "In 1966, with Peter Sutcliffe, we went to the Spa 1000 KM race (in a GT-40) and I had been driving a very fast Lola T70 Can-Am car on all England's fastest circuits and I really thought that I could drive anything, anywhere. But when I arrived at Spa, I changed my mind! Actually, the first day of practice I wanted to go home and retire from racing. I Sale and Purchase of Privately Held Businesses Exit Planning Business Consulting Acquisition Analysis & Support Superior Expertise, Experience, and Client Service Eric Breidenbach Bridgeview Brokers 14205 SE 36th St. Suite 100 Bellevue WA 98006 425.649.1186 Voice 206.577.5016 Fax eric@bridgeview.biz 18 July 2011