Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1246257
MAY 2020 46 Le Mans pit stop, 1971, with the longtail 917, John Horsman between Jo Siffer and Derek Bell. Cosworth-powered Mirages. With drivers Derek Bell and Jacky Ickx, they won a third Le Mans race in 1975. John then worked for Harley Cluxton's Grand Touring Cars team based in Arizona and the ex- Gulf Mirages finished second at Le Mans in 1976 and 1977, beaten only by factory-entered Porsche 936s. John acted as a consultant to Vern Schuppan's Indy car team in 1981, resulting in a third-place finish at the Indy 500. John went on to work for Learjet in the 1980s and 90s and he also assisted the Schuppan team at Le Mans from 1988 through 1991. In 1988, their Porsche 962 driven by Brian Redman with Eje Elgh and Jean-Pierre Jarier finished in 10th place. After a long and peaceful retirement, John passed away just one day after his own great hero, Stirling Moss. Among the many tributes on Facebook, Brian Redman said that Horsman was the "power behind the throne" in the Gulf team. We know John Wyer was the face of the program and the dealmaker, but I think Brian meant that John Horsman was the secret to the team's success. The cars were always thoroughly and beautifully prepared. Performance advantages were explored to the greatest practical extent. John was also very proud that no driver lost his life in a Gulf Team car. For newer members or those who might be getting interested in the golden age of sports car racing, copies of John's book are occasionally available on eBay. They usually sell from $125 and up. The October 2016 issue of the Spiel is available at PNWR.org and Jacky Ickx with John Horsman at Rennsport V. has John Mueller's biographical information on page 12. The December 2016 Spiel has coverage of our event with John Horsman on page 47. The June 2017 issue of Panorama has my article, "Tall Tail" that discusses John's career and his role in taming the 917. Motor Sport magazine published a good summary of John's career on their website as did the British Racing Drivers Club at brdc. co.uk. – JG