Porsche 962 Chassis #962-101
The first customer Porsche 962, chassis number 962-101, was sold to Bruce Leven, team owner and driver of the Bayside Disposal team in 1984. Leven would sell -101 to Dyson Racing in 1985. Dyson Racing would then take 962-101, with Drake Olson at the wheel, and win at Lime Rock in ’85; their debut event with the chassis.
The original IMSA Porche 962 arrived in a hybrid configuration coupling a Le Mans long tail (956 derived) with a high downforce underfloor, putting the IMSA 962 between the Le Mans car and the bespoke sprint car in terms of downforce. The car’s single element, long-chord, rear wing was mounted close to the deck and attached to endplates that were integral to the bodywork. But notably, the rear wing did not project past the trailing edge of the bodywork, this because of a peculiarity of the IMSA regulations. At the time, IMSA regulations (11.5.7.1.5, Article L to be precise) stated all aerodynamic devises had to be contained within the plan profile of the car. Norbert Singer was able to quickly produce a car meeting IMSA’s regulations by utilizing the 956’s Le Mans tail as it extended out to the car’s overall length. This had the added benefit of setting the rear wing back as far out as possible (in better airflow and allowing for positive cantilever effect). By 1985 the IMSA regulation was rewritten removing the wording that constrained the wing’s relationship to the bodywork perimeter.
The 962-101 was written off following a Road Atlanta accident. The damage to the chassis was such that it made better sense to replace the car then exert the effort in repairing it during a busy racing season. 101 was then tucked away in the Dyson shop and a replacement ordered (962-120). Effectively forgotten, it was many years later before 101 was dusted off and repaired and given a proper restoration. And this is how we see it today; as it was following the accident in ’86 but for a repair and a 20 year time span.
Porsche Chassis 962-101 race history
1984 Race Season
Riverside 6 Hour, April 29, 1984
Qualified 3rd, finished 2nd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Al Holbert (USA) & Derek Bell (GB)
Laguna Seca 100 Mile, May 6, 1984
Qualified 3rd, finished 8th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing (Lowenbrau livery), Derek Bell (GB)
Mid Ohio, June 10, 1984
Qualified 4th, finished 3rd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Hurley Haywood (USA) & Bobby Rahal (USA)
Watkins Glen 6 Hour, July 8, 1984
Qualified 12th, finished 2nd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & John Paul, Jr. (USA)
Portland 3 Hour, July 29, 1984
Qualified 9th, finished 4th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & Jim Adams (USA)
Road America 500 Mile, August 26, 1984
Qualified 8th, finished 2nd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & David Hobbs (GB)
Michigan 500 Km, September 16, 1984
Qualified 15th, finished 3rd
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & Bill Adam (CDN)
Daytona 3 Hour, November 25, 1984
Qualified 6th, finished 4th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Bruce Leven (USA) & David Hobbs (GB)
1985 Race Season
Daytona 24 Hour, February 3, 1985
Qualified 7th, finished 60th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Thierry Boutsen (B), Bruce Leven (USA), Henri Pescarolo (F)
Miami 3 Hour, February 24, 1985
Qualified 29th, finished 8th
#86, Bayside Disposal Racing, Henri Pescarolo (F) & Claude Ballot-Léna (F)
Lime Rock 2 Hour, May 27, 1985
Qualified 2nd, finished 1st
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA)
Mid-Ohio 500 Km, June 9, 1985
Qualified 5th, finished 4th
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA) & Drake Olson (USA)
Watkins Glen 3 Hour, July 7, 1985
Qualified 5th, finished 3rd
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA) & Drake Olson (USA)
Portland 300 Km, July 28, 1985
Qualified 7th, finished 3rd
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA)
Sears Point 300 Km, August 4, 1985
Qualified 5th, finished 3rd
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA) & Drake Olson (USA)
Road America 500 Mile, August 25, 1985
Qualified 2nd, finished 1st
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA) & Bobby Rahal (USA)
Pocono 500 Km, September 8, 1985
Qualified 3rd, finished 11th
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA) & Drake Olson (USA)
Watkins Glen 500 Km, September 29, 1985
Qualified 6th, finished 7th
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA), Drake Olson (USA), Price Cobb (USA)
Columbus 500 Km, October 6, 1985
Qualified 4th, finished 1st
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA) & Price Cobb (USA)
Daytona 3 Hour, December 1, 1985
Qualified 4th, finished 8th
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA) & Bobby Rahal (USA)
1986 Race Season
Daytona 24 Hour, February 2, 1986
Qualified 3rd, finished 32nd
#16, Dyson Racing, Rob Dyson (USA), Drake Olson (USA), Price Cobb (USA)
Miami 3 Hour, March 2, 1986
Crashed in qualifying (right front suspension removed), DNS
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA)
Skipped Sebring
Road Atlanta 500 Km, April 6, 1986
Accident in practice (major tub damage, write off), DNS
#16, Dyson Racing, Drake Olson (USA)
