1980 24 Hours of Le Mans

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1980 24 Hours of Le Mans
Previous: 1979	Next: 1981
Index: Races \| Winners

The 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 48th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 14 and 15, 1980. It was also the seventh round of the World Championship for Makes.

1 Pre-race
2 Race
3 Official Results
- 3.1 Did Not Finish
4 Statistics
5 Trophy Winners

[edit] Pre-race

Porsche again sent no works Group 6 cars, in order to not compete against their many customers in their 935 Group 5 cars. The lone Group 6 Porsche, a Martini Racing-sponsored roadster entered by Joest Racing for Reinhold Joest himself and Jacky Ickx, was christened the Porsche 908/80 by the team (and "FrankenPorsche" by journalists), but looked much like the 1977 version of the 936. For a long time it was believed to be a hack on a 908 chassis until it discovered that it was in fact built on a real 936 replacement chassis, the 936-004. As Porsche didn't wish to be in the business of selling 936s to customers, the secret was kept by using a 908 chassis number plate.

The 908/80 was favorite but Porsche could also count on many 935, five Group 5 plus eight IMSA GTX, including three cars from the Sebring-winning Dick Barbour team. Most of the opposition was in the GTP class: three WM-Peugeot and a trio of local heroes, the Le Mans-built Rondeau-Cosworth.

[edit] Race

The start was the probably wettest ever at Le Mans. Ickx laid back in his roadster until he could actually see something else than the fog created by closed-cabin cars: Porsche 935s, BMW M1s and Rondeau coupes.

John Fitzpatrick was leading with Dick Barbour's Porsche 935. Hans Stuck had shoved his BMW M1 from 26th to second by 17:00. At that time Jean Rondeau had two of his made-in-Le Mans cars in the top 10.

When the rain decreased Ickx and Joest picked off one car after another. By the end of the third hour, Joest found himself in the lead. When Ickx was back in the car he broke the fuel injection pump belt. But Joest had planned wisely; there was a set of basic tools and a spare belt in the car. Ickx restarted just 14 minutes later but this was enough to lost the lead.

At nightfall, a Rondeau was leading the race but Ickx began the chase. By 01:00 Sunday, the 908/80 was on the same lap as the leaders. Two hours later, they were ahead and began to leave the coupe behind. After numerous lead changes caused by refuelings and scheduled maintenance on the cars around 07:00, the Joest Martini Porsche had built a solid lead.

But the Joest team had underestimated the Rondeaus, as they didn't expect the Cosworth to be reliable. As a result, Joest and Ickx did not run fast enough and at 10:00 when the 908/80 had a gearbox failure, like the works 936s in 1977, they had not built up a large enough lead. The Rondeau of Jean Rondeau himself and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud gained the lead with a gap of three laps over the second placed car. Ickx had to begin a third chase.

When Jaussaud took over from Rondeau with an hour and a half remaining, the Rondeau had still a two laps advance but the Porsche was running faster. With 35min left to race, the rain returned. Ickx pitted for wet tyres while Jaussaud kept the slicks. Jaussaud had made the right choice and remained in the lead. However there was a final surprise: As the rain became heavier in the last lap, Jaussaud lost the control of his car. By luck he did not hit anything. For the first time a driver had won Le Mans on a car bearing his own name. At the end of the race Ickx announced his retirement, which he reversed a few months later.

[edit] Official Results

Pos	Class	No	Team	Drivers	Chassis	Engine	Laps
1	S +2.0	16	LePoint Jean Rondeau	Jean Rondeau Jean-Pierre Jaussaud	Rondeau M379	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8	338
2	S +2.0	9	Equipe Liqui Moly - Martini Racing	Jacky Ickx Reinhold Joest	Porsche 908/80	Porsche 2.1L Turbo Flat-6	336
3	GTP	17	Belga Jean Rondeau	Gordon Spice Philippe Martin Jean-Michel Martin	Rondeau M379	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8	329
4	GTP	5	WM Esso	Guy Fréquelin Roger Dorchy	WM P79/80	Peugeot 2.7L Turbo V6	316
5	IMSA	70	Dick Barbour Racing	John Fitzpatrick Brian Redman Dick Barbour	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.2L Turbo Flat-6	316
6	GTP	4	Porsche System	Manfred Schurti Jürgen Barth	Porsche 924 Carrera GT	Porsche 2.0L Turbo I4	316
7	S +2.0	8	Alain de Cadenet	Alain de Cadenet Francois Migault	De Cadenet-Lola LM	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8	313
8	Gr.5	49	Velga Racing Team	Harald Grohs Dieter Schornstein	Porsche 935	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	313
9	IMSA	73	JLP Racing	John Paul Sr. John Paul Jr. Guy Edwards	Porsche 935 JLP-2	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	312
10	IMSA	76	JMS Racing Charles Pozzi	Jean Xhenceval Pierre Dieudonné Hervé Regout	Ferrari 512BB/LM	Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12	312
11	GTP	6	WM Esso	Jean-Daniel Raulet Marcel Mamers	WM P79/80	Peugeot 2.7L Turbo Flat-6	311
12	GTP	2	Porsche System	Andy Rouse Tony Dron	Porsche 924 Carrera GT	Porsche 2.0L Turbo I4	310
13	GTP	3	Porsche System	Derek Bell Al Holbert	Porsche 924 Carrera GT	Porsche 2.0L Turbo I4	305
14	IMSA	83	BMW France	Didier Pironi Dieter Quester Marcel Mignot	BMW M1	BMW 3.5L I6	293
15	IMSA	84	BMW Motorsport GmbH Dominique Lacaud	Hans Joachim Stuck Dominique Lacaud Hans-Georg Bürger	BMW M1	BMW 3.5L I6	283
16	GT	93	Thierry Perrier	Thierry Perrier Roger Carmillet	Porsche 911SC	Porsche 4.6L Flat-6 (Ethanol)	280
17	S 2.0	25	ROC - Sociéte Yacco	Bruno Sotty Daniel Laurent Philippe Hesnault	Chevron B36	ROC-Talbot 2.0L I4	276
18	S 2.0	23	ROC - Sociéte Yacco	Michel Dubois Christian Debias Florian Vetsch	Lola T298	ROC-Talbot 2.0L I4	272
19	Gr.5	53	Jolly Club - Lancia Corse	Carlo Facetti Martino Finotto	Lancia Beta Monte Carlo	Lancia 1.4L Turbo I4	272
20	IMSA	89	Hervé Poulain	Dany Snobeck Hervé Poulain Pierre Destic	Porsche 935	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	272
21	IMSA	86	Z & W Enterprises Inc.	Ernesto Soto Mark Hutchins Pierre Honnegger	Mazda RX-7	Mazda 12A 2.3L 2-Rotor	266
22	S 2.0	29	Dorset Racing Associates	Peter Clarke Nick Mason Martin Birrane	Lola T297	Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0L I4	263
23	IMSA	78	EMKA Productions	Steve O'Rourke Richard Down Simon Phillips	Ferrari 512BB/LM	Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12	262
24	GT	90	Georges Bourdillat	Georges Bourdillat Alain-Michel Bernhard Pascal Ennequin	Porsche 934	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	248
25	S +2.0	12	Dome Co. Ltd.	Chris Craft Bob Evans	Dome RL80	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8	246

[edit] Did Not Finish

Pos	Class	No	Team	Drivers	Chassis	Engine	Laps
26	GTP	7	WM Esso	Serge Saulnier Jean-Louis Bousquet Denis Morin	WM P79/80	Peugeot 2.7L Turbo V6	264
27	S 2.0	27	Michel Elkoubi / Primagaz	Patrick Perrier Pierre Yver	Lola T298	BMW 2.0L I4	255
28	GT	94	Equipe Alméras Fréres	Jacques Alméras Jean-Marie Alméras Marianne Hoepfner	Porsche 934	Porsche 3.3L Turbo Flat-6	251
29	IMSA	69	Racing Associates Inc.	Bob Akin Ralph Kent-Cooke Paul Miller	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	237
30	IMSA	95	BMW Zol-Auto	Francois Servanin Laurent Ferrier Pierre-Francois Rousselot	BMW M1	BMW 3.5L I6	237
31	Gr.5	43	Malardeau Kremer Racing	Xavier Lapeyre Jean-Louis Trintignant Anny-Charlotte Verney	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	217
32	Gr.5	45	Gelo Racing Team	Bob Wollek Helmut Kelleners	Porsche 935	Porsche 3.2L Turbo Flat-6	191
33	Gr.5	42	Gozzy Kremer Racing	Tetsu Ikuzawa Rolf Stommelen Axel Plankenhorn	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	167
34	GT	80	Diego Febles Racing	Armando Gonzales Diego Febles Francisco Romero	Porsche 934	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	164
35	Gr.5	44	Charles Ivey Racing	Peter Lovett Dudley Wood John Cooper	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	158
36	S 2.0	28	Scuderia Torino Corse	Lella Lombardi Mark Thatcher	Osella PA8	BMW 2.0L I4	157
37	GT	91	ASA Cachia	Christian Bussi Bernard Salam Cyril Grandet	Porsche 934	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	?
38	IMSA	85	Sun System Whittington Brothers Racing	Hurley Haywood Don Whittington Dale Whittington	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	?
39	GTX	96	Garage du Bac	Frederic Alliot Jacques Guérin	BMW M1	BMW 3.5L I6	?
40	IMSA	77	JMS Racing Charles Pozzi	Jean-Claude Andruet Claude Ballot-Léna	Ferrari 512BB/LM	Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12	?
41	IMSA	71	Dick Barbour Racing	Bobby Rahal Bob Garretson Allan Moffat	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	?
42	S +2.0	1	André Chevalley Racing	Patrick Gaillard Francois Trisconi André Chevalley	ACR 80 (Lola T380)	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8	126
43	S +2.0	15	ITT Jean Rondeau	Henri Pescarolo Jean Ragnotti	Rondeau M379	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8	124
44	Gr.5	41	Porsche Kremer Racing	Ted Field Danny Ongais Jean-Louis Lafosse	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	89
45	S 2.0	22	Hubert Striebig	Michel Pignard Mario Ketterer Hubert Striebig	TOJ SM01	BMW 2.0L I4	79
46	IMSA	75	JMS Racing Charles Pozzi	Lucien Guitteny Gérard Bleynie	Ferrari 512BB/LM	Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12	47
47	IMSA	82	March Racing Ltd.	Manfred Winkelhock Patrick Nève Michael Korton	BMW M1	BMW 3.5L I6	?
48	Gr.5	46	Meccarillos Racing	Claude Haldi Bernard Béguin Volkert Merl	Porsche 935	Porsche 2.9L Turbo Flat-6	37
49	S 2.0	24	ROC - Sociéte Yacco	Marc Sourd Bernard Verdier	Lola T298	ROC-Talbot 2.0L I4	27
50	Gr.5	52	Scuderia Lancia Corse	Piercarlo Ghinzani Markku Alén Gianfranco Brancatelli	Lancia Beta Monte Carlo	Lancia 1.4L Turbo I4	26
51	IMSA	79	Scuderia Supercar Bellancauto	Spartaco Dini Fabrizio Violati Maurizio Micangeli	Ferrari 512BB/LM	Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12	10
52	IMSA	68	Racing Associates Inc.	Skeeter McKitterick Charles Mendez Leon Walger	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	9
53	IMSA	72	Wynn's International Dick Barbour Racing	Robert Kirby Mike Sherwin Bob Harmon	Porsche 935 K3	Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6	7
54	S 2.0	20	Jean-Philippe Grand	Jean-Philippe Grand Yves Courage	Chevron B36	BMW 4.0L I4	6
55	Gr.5	51	Scuderia Lancia Corse	Hans Heyer Bernard Darniche Teo Fabi	Lancia Beta Monte Carlo	Lancia 1.4L Turbo I4	6