1974 Porsche IROC RSR

The legendary 1974 “Fittipaldi” IROC RSR is now available. 

Chassis #: 911 460 0100

Prod #: 104 0024

Engine #: 684 0024

Gearbox #: 0034

Color: Sahara Beige  

Crashed by Emerson Fittipaldi at the Riverside heat races, #1. Qualified on the pole, but had to start from the back of the grid as he turned up late for the drivers' briefing. #11 in another heat. Repaired at Penske's. Sold to John Tunstall., Sarasota, Florida.

1975:
March 21: Sebring 12-Hours: Tunstall/Jenkins; 41st

1976:
March 20: Sebring 12-Hours: Tunstall/C. Wade; 23rd
April 4: Road Atlanta: Tunstall; 12th

1977:
March 19: Sebring 12-Hours: J. Tunstall, #57; 72nd NR
April 17: Road Atlanta: Tunstall, #57; 11th
July 4: Daytona: Tunstall, #54; 45th NR

1978:
February 4-5: Daytona 24-Hours: Tunstall/Behr/Timolat, #54; 61st NR

Sold to Venezuela.
Sold to Jim Torres.
Sold to California.

1974 International Race of Champions Porsche RSR 

This 1974 RSR is one of fifteen cars built by the Porsche factory for the inaugural International Race of Champions (IROC) competition. It is one of the most highly documented IROC cars with copies of the original bill of sale signed by Roger Penske on October 31st, 1973 to North Lake Porsche Audi in Tucker, Georgia. That same bill of sale has the second assignment from North Lake Porsche Audi to John Tunstall’s T. & C. Racing, Inc. in Sarasota, Florida in June of 1974 for competition use in the IMSA series.

In its first race the incomparable Emerson Fittipaldi, F1 & Cart champion and two-time Indy 500 winner, put this IROC on pole at the very first race of the very first season of the International Race of Champions at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California on October 27, 1973.

Unfortunately, Fittipaldi was 5 minutes late to the drivers meeting and was penalized to 11th spot on the grid. On the DVD of the race that was televised on the Wide World of Sports Emerson was very upset and first year commentator the legendary Jackie Stewart agreed that the penalty was unwarranted, yet Fittipaldi was relegated to start 11th.

Not to be deterred, Fittipaldi quickly began to pass cars wholesale in the race and moved through the field quickly. Unfortunately, an aggressive pass took him off track, and though no damage seemed to  occur, Fittipaldi continued to race. Unfortunately, the plastic fuel cell had been punctured pouring the life blood out of the streaking RSR.

Since there were three back-up cars 0100 was not repaired and one of those three cars was moved into the line-up for the next race.

Only six of the twelve drivers would advance to the finale at Daytona. The other cars were sold and 911 460 0100 went to North Lake Porsche Audi on October 31, 1973, only four days after the first IROC race at Riverside.

The original assignment signed by Roger Penske to North Lake also has a spot for the second assignment that was in turn signed by North Lake giving ownership to T. & C. Racing Inc. (John Tunstall) of Sarasota, Florida.

John Tunstall wasted no time and less than two weeks after purchasing the RSR he teamed up with legendary driver Charlie Kemp for his first race with 911 460 0100 at the Mid- Ohio 5 Hour race on June 30, 1974. In a race pack with over fifty cars and a lot of Porsche’s Kemp and Tunstall finished 9th. Charlie Kemp used this car for additional races throughout 1974 after a shunt in his 73 RSR.

Tunstall continued to race the IROC and competed in the Sebring 12 Hour races in 1975, 1976 and 1977.

The last race Tunstall ran this IROC was the 1978 Daytona 24 Hour event. After the race Tunstall was approached to sell the car. He made a deal with legendary Porsche mechanic Conrado Casado who took possession of the car and delivered it to its new owner a Columbian named Pablo Escobar.

It had long been rumored that Escobar had a 935 in his collection and often a photo of him standing next to a Porsche in a 935 body has been seen in various documentaries on television. However, the car shown was the Fittipaldi IROC RSR that Tunstall sold after the 78 Daytona 24.

The Fittipaldi #1 continued its legacy being raced in South and Central America by Escobar and eventually ended up in the hands of now Miami resident Sergio Garcia.

Garcia raced the car in South America in races such as the Esso 300 Millas and the Bogota Six Hours Doria in Colombia in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

Garcia sold the car back to the US. It was stored in ex-IMSA driver Steve Southard’s warehouse in Ohio for many years before being sold in 2008/09 and immediately being restored with completion in 2011. The IROC is stunning in every detail.

The car has not been raced, but has been displayed at many prestigious events such as Rennsport, Monterey Historics and The Quail. It has also attended many of the highest regarded Concours such as the pinicle for Porsche, the Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance where this IROC won the Amelia Award in March of 2013.

Except for Escobar all the owners are still available to discuss the car’s history and it has an unbroken chain of ownership. 

The current owner has had the car since 2012 and it was a constant in his collection that included a 935, 918, Carrera GT, Emory 356 Special and all the latest and greatest Porsche has to offer.