For our new column, dedicated to « Le Club des Pilotes des 24 Heures du Mans » – here- we have been very honoured to have some words by one the of the icons of sportscar racing, Brian Redman. Brian has one of the best records in endurance racing, with 53 wins.

However, though he has been racing 14 times at Le Mans, he has never won the French event. He is, as also is Bob Wollek, one of « the best drivers to have never won at Le Mans ». He has been a member of the best factory teams -Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Matra- and has been sharing cars with some of the most famous drivers, such as Jacky Ickx, Hurley Haywood of Jo Siffert.

He has played too a part in the famous « Le Mans » movie, driving Michael Delaney’s 917 Porsche in the film. Brian Redman bought this Porsche some years later before selling it later on to Richard Attwood, 1970 Le Mans winner.

Brian has kindly agreed to answer a few questions for Endurance-Info :

Brian, you have been winner of all the major endurance races : Daytona (3 times), Sebring (2 times), Targa Florio, Brands Hatch, Nürburgring and many, many others, but you have never won at Le Mans though you have raced 14 times in the French event. Was it one of your biggest disappointments in your career ? How do you explain it ?

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Winning Le Mans is the ultimate goal for any driver. Leading several times, but never winning. A great disappointment!”

“You are a member of the « Club des Pilotes de 24 Heures du Mans, ». How much is it important for you ? How do you consider this Club ? Is it merely a matter of nostalgia, the opportunity to meet some fellow racers, or could the Club be a link between past, present and future ?”

“For me, the Club is mostly a matter of meeting fellow racers from the past. Of course, it could, and should, be a link between past, present and future.”

Was Le Mans something special for you ? Was it a special atmosphere ? Can you compare it to Daytona and Sebring ?

“Yes, Le Mans has a special atmosphere, you cannot compare it with Daytona or Sebring, where the fans come mostly to party! I have seen some very wild scenes at Sebring! Drivers were warned that if they broke down, not to try and walk back through the infield!”

What are your best memories at Le Mans ? Your worst ones ?

“Most of my memories from Le Mans are disappointing. The best memories are from leading by more than four laps with Jo Siffert in the Gulf Wyer 917K in 1970 and also with Jacky Ickx in the Ferrari 312PB. Then the worst was not finishing in either of those cars. I have happy memories of the Aston Martin AMR1 in 1989 where although we had no possible chance of success – more than 30 mph slower down the Mulsanne than the Mercedes and Jaguars – we had a lot of fun.

Otherwise my memories are very good, from the Hotel de France in Chateau-sur-Le Loire, where in 1970 the mechanics from John Wyer drove the 917Ks back to the hotel each day for service!

In 1978, we went for dinner on Tuesday evening at the restaurant a La Gare in Chateau-du-Loir where the owner gave us brandy after dinner and then invited us to visit his “caves” and play boule! Which we did the next day!”

You have been part of factory squads as Porsche, Jaguar or Aston Martin. To your point, what was the strongest ?

“There can be no question that the Porsche – 908 special long tail spyder, 917K, 935, 936, 962 were the best team. The technical achievements, the testing, the performance, the reliability are second to none.”

Which car , to your point, has been the best sportscar ever ?

“It’s difficult to compare the best cars from so many different eras. For me the 917K was fantastic, but at the high-speed tracks, like Le Mans, Spa, Monza I was nervous that if I crashed then the car would perhaps break in half! Although I didn’t drive the Porsche 962 very much, it has to be one of the best ever.”

Who has been your favourite teammate in endurance racing ? And at Le Mans  ? Why ?

“I have been very fortunate to have some of the best team-mates. Jacky Ickx was amazing, so young, but with an old head on young shoulders. At the Spa 1000 Ks in 1968, it was of course raining. We were driving a John Wyer Gulf Ford GT40, at the end of the first lap, Jacky came past the pits and disappeared from sight and sound. Eventually, 38 seconds later the 2nd car appeared, Vic Elford in a factory Porsche 908. Jacky was thoughtful, blindingly fast if necessary and easy on the car, what could be better? Jo Siffert also extremely quick and a lot of fun, a slight problem for Le Mans was that Jo only had one speed – flat-out!”

Have you some individual stories of Le Mans and could you share them with our readers ?

“As you may – or may not! – know, I’ve recently written a book with my co-author, Jim Mullen. “Brian Redman – Daring Drivers – Deadly Tracks”. For instance, in 1973, I was about to drive a Ferrari 312PB at Le Mans with Jacky Ickx. Iwas asled to test the car at Paul Ricard. Among the concepts that team manager Mauro Forghieri wanted to explore was lowering the airbox that feeds oxygen to the engine and he asked me to gauge the effect on the airflow by loosening my belts at top speed and lifting my head. The immediate effect was that my helmet was sucked against the air intake and suddenly I was looking at the sky in a racing car doing 170mph. Emergencies unleash hidden strength and I managed to drag my head out of the airstream and control the car. It made for interesting dinner conversation. More wine, please !!”

“In 1979, I was sharing 936 Porsche with Jacky Ickx. The race began well and we were leading when I took over from Jacky at the end of his first stint. Then, as now, the tight, S-shaped Ford chicane slowed the field to a walk just before the start/finish straight, and at that time the pit entry came immediately after this chicane. As I pivoted through the chicane, the 936 didn’t feel quite right but I couldn’t identify any obvious problem. With just an instant to decide whether or not to pit, I chose to carry on. Thus began the most frightening of my Le Mans experiences. The tiny instability I’d felt in the chicane turned out to be a deflating left rear tyre. Entering the Dunlop curve at 160mph, the 936 spun without warning. I heard the rear body come off and saw the barrier flash by. Only the combination of a desperate swerve and a miracle kept me from smashing into it. The Porsche carried a substantial tool kit that included a ‘pad saw’, a hacksaw blade with one end covered in duct tape. After pulling off at the entry to Tertre Rouge, I cut the remains of the tyre off the rim and then slowly drove the seven miles back to the pits, keeping the left rear wheel on the grass as much as possible. Amazingly, after a lap lasting 38 minutes and repairs in the pits costing a further 53, we carried on, in 35th place. We had worked our way back to seventh place by one o’clock in the morning when, amidst thunder, lightning and pouring rain, the small television on the wall of our pit announced, ‘Jacky Ickx is stopped on the Mulsanne.’ Undaunted, Jacky was able to fit a spare fuel-pump drive belt and, 20 minutes later, the TV reported, ‘Jacky Ickx is going again.’ After just five more minutes it informed us, ‘Jacky Ickx is stopped at the Mulsanne corner.’ Now, I was sure we were out of the race. Wrong. Half an hour later, Jacky appeared in the pits and team manager Norbert Singer waved me into the car. After 45 minutes of frenzied driving in torrential rain, I received a signal to pit. ‘Brian, you can get out of the car,’ Herr Singer said. ‘We were disqualified an hour ago.’ It seems that a mechanic had taken a ‘sandwich’ and thrown it across the track to Jacky. A vigilant marshal spotted the drive belt in Jacky’s ‘lunch’ and we were disqualified for receiving outside assistance.”

Do you think that there was a Golden Era for endurance racing in the 70s and the 80s (or other decade) or do you think that the Golden Era will be the next one ?

“Looking back it seems that endurance racing in the ‘70s and ‘80s was a Golden Era, but yes, I think the coming years will be very good for endurance racing. Today the racing is better and more interesting than F1……..back in 1970, when the 917K was as fast and faster on some tracks than F1 there was a very strong rumour that Mr.Ecclestone was going to kill endurance racing!”

Will you be racing next July at Le Mans Classic ? If so, ith which car ? How do you consider Le Mans Classic ? 

“The Le Mans Classic is a fantastic event. I will not be racing there this year, I don’t think. Thank you.”

We do thank too Brian Redman for his words and for his kindness.