GPX Racing, a former class podium finisher in the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook, has unveiled a trio of liveries honouring Porsche’s 908/03 Spyder, 50 years on from the sports car’s triumph on the 1970 Targa Florio.
In 1970, Brian Redman, a future two-time Sebring 12 Hours winner, and Jo Siffert, a two-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner, co-piloted Porsche’s then-new 908/03 Spyder to the German marque’s 10th victory on the Targa Florio and its fifth in succession. The #12, decked out in Porsche’s traditional Gulf Racing colours and powered by a 3.0-litre flat-eight, finished more than 1m 42s ahead of its nearest rival, and sister #40 entry, driven by Leo Kinnunen and Pedro Rodríguez. The third of the John Wyer Automotive Engineering works Porsches, driven by future World Rally Champion Björn Waldegård and that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Richard Attwood, finished 5th.
50 years on from Redman and Siffert’s triumph Sicilian triumph, Porsche customer GPX Racing has now unveiled a trio of Gulf Racing liveries that pay tribute to the John Wyer 908/03s. Each of the UAE team’s three Porsche 991 GT3 Rs don the famous blue and orange, in deference to GPX’s own relationship with Gulf Racing, as well as the #12, #40 and #36 race numbers. The liveries themselves though differ slightly: while the #12 bears two orange arrows across its bonnet, akin to the original #12 908/03, both the #40 and the #36 have just one, on the driver’s side and across the bonnet in its entirety respectively, again aping the originals. The front radiator grilles are also different, having been painted green (#12), orange (#40), and blue respectively (#36).
A regular competitor in the 24H SERIES since 2017, GPX Racing made its series debut as ‘GP Extreme’ on home turf at the 2017 Hankook 24H DUBAI, though poor luck during the event itself meant the team failed to see the chequered flag. Later that year, the UAE team, running two Renaultsport R.S.01 GT3s, claimed its maiden podium at only the third time of asking at the Hankook 12H RED BULL RING in Austria.
Following a fraught part-season in 2018, and after the team had traded its Renault for a brace of Porsche 991 GT3 Rs, the re-branded ‘GPX Racing’ took a series best 2nd at the Hankook 24H PORTIMAO in 2019 and 3rd at the Hankook 24H BARCELONA one round later. Though its race in Dubai ended on lap three earlier this year, the now-frontrunning GPX Racing has shown interest in a return to 24H SERIES action at future events.
GPX Racing took one of its most significant endurance racing victories to-date when it secured overall victory at last year’s Spa 24 Hours.
*Images courtesy of GPX Racing / Sean Bull Design, Porsche Newsroom, and Petr Frýba.
