1975 24 Hours of Le Mans
Colloquially called the “Le Mans Economy Run”,[1][2][3] stringent refuelling regulations were put in place.
Unable to match the requisite 7mpg fuel economy the manufacturer teams from Ferrari, Alfa Romeo withdrew and Matra had retired from the sport at the end of 1974.
The race was won by Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell in their Gulf GR-8, finishing just a lap ahead of the Ligier of Jean-Louis Lafosse and Guy Chasseuil.
[2] The ongoing fuel-crisis was having a growing impact on international motor-racing, as critics saw the sport as a profligate waste of petrol.
[7] The ACO also introduced a new “GTX” (Le Mans Grand Touring Experimental) class for GT cars to use non-homologated equipment.
[10] However, by 1975 with the economic recession and reduced interest in motor-racing, no work had been started, and in the end the project was cancelled later in the year.
[12] So he and JWA designer John Horsman set about adapting and optimising a new model, the Gulf GR-8 for this single race in the season.
[13] Once again, Wyer was able to call upon Jacky Ickx to drive, partnered with Derek Bell, while the other car had Vern Schuppan and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud.
[15] Meanwhile, in the World Championship, it had been the five-year old,[16] 360 bhp[3] Porsche 908/03 of Joest Racing taking the battle to Willi Kauhsen's Alfa Romeos.
[7] British privateer Alain de Cadenet arrived with a new car – a Lola T380 fitted with a Cosworth DFV capable of 400 bhp by engine-specialist John Nicholson.
[17] Swiss privateer Heinz Schulthess likewise entered a new Lola-Cosworth T284, tuned by another engine-specialist, compatriot Heini Mader.
[2] André Moynet, French war hero, politician and amateur racer, had been building his own sports car, based on a Chappe et Gesselin chassis with a 2-litre Simca-JRD engine and Porsche transmission.
This year's most successful team - Georg Loos’ Gelo Racing - had three cars entered, for John Fitzpatrick (the current European GT champion)/Gijs van Lennep, Tim Schenken / Howden Ganley and Toine Hezemans/Manfred Schurti.
Their main competition came from their compatriot Kremer Racing and Tebernum teams (supported by Joest Racing), the Swiss Porsche Club Romand, Spanish Escuderia Montjuïch along with the local French ASA Cachia-Bondy team and owner-engineers Robert Buchet and Louis Meznarie.
[25] Up against the armada of 911s (comprising half the field with 28 of 55 starters[3]) alongside the NART Ferrari, were two other 365s for the Ecurie Francorchamps and French privateer Marcel Mignot.
As expected, Porsche dominated the new Group 3 entry with eight of the nine cars against Wicky Racing's lone De Tomaso Pantera.
Lichtenstein engine-specialist Max Heidegger prepared a BMW 2002 TI with a F2 engine (capable of 260 bhp) for French privateer Daniel Brillat.
Hervé Poulain, an art dealer and keen racer, entered another 3.0 CSL and convinced his friend, artist Alexander Calder, to paint it.
BMW insured it for DM 1 million (~US$430 000),[27] and Poulain got 1964-winner Jean Guichet and American IMSA-BMW driver Sam Posey as co-drivers.
The ACO required every car to prove some time during the practice sessions that it could run at least 20 laps at a race pace before refuelling.
Team manager Luigi Chinetti was incensed and when his appeal was denied he pulled all four of his Ferraris off the dummy grid in protest, as the cars were forming up on Saturday.
[18] Paul Rilly, running the Lamborghini Islero that had not qualified in the GTX category was not at home and missed his call to bring the car back to the track.
However, in a race-first, the team still managed to sneak onto the back row of the dummy grid with its 911, and even got to run three laps in the race until it was spotted and black-flagged by the officials.
[25] Around 9.30pm, as night fell, the second-placed Gulf of Schuppan/Jaussaud spent 25 minutes in the pits replacing an alternator, dropping it to 5th, six laps behind the teammates[8] The BMW ‘art-car’ had got back up to 6th when a broken CV joint left Posey stuck out on the circuit.
[33] Just before midnight Alain De Cadenet, running third, was completely unaware[8] when the engine-cover of his Lola flew off while at speed on the Mulsanne Straight.
[7][33] By half-time, the Gulf cars were back running 1-2 (albeit 6 laps apart), ahead of the Lafosse/Chasseuil Ligier and the repaired Joest Porsche.
Throughout the morning the Ligier traded places with the second Gulf which would power past only to then come into the pits to investigate its engine vibration further.
The next eight places were Porsche GTs lead home by the Gelo car of van Lennep/Fitzpatrick/Hezemans winning Group 4 by four laps from the veteran Jean Blaton's privateer entry with Belgian racing-journalist Nick Faure.
[22] The last classified finisher, and winner of the Group 2 category by attrition, was the little BMW 2002 having spent the first half of the race battling with the Mazda RX-3 for last place.
This was the fourth win for John Wyer, dating back to the Aston Martin triumph in 1959 and the second for Jacky Ickx.
