Only 13 customer 935s were built at Porsche in 1979. Porsche then stopped production to concentrate on prototype racing leaving the development of the 935 up to private teams such as Kremer and Joest. This particular car was the last 'Werks' car built by the factory. It was only raced five times in 1979 and 1981 and as a result is the most original 935 in existence.
Bruce Canepa was quite successful racing his 934.5 against the newer 935s in IMSA. He finished third overall at the 24 Hours of Daytona with Rick Mears and Monte Shelton in 1979. The Porsche factory was quite impressed and offered Canepa a new 935 and 'Werks' support. The car was delivered to California just prior to the eleventh round of the 1979 IMSA Championship at Sears Point. Driving a 935 for the first time, Canepa qualified the car tenth and finished fifth.
In his first visit to Portland International Raceway adn only his second time in a 935, Canepa qualified on the front row with Peter Gregg. With a lap and a half to go in the race they had a one-lap lead over Hurley Haywood when Canepa began to run low on fuel. Canepa crossed the finish line on fumes just as Haywood passed him for second place. Canepa finished third beating veteran drivers such as David Hobbs, Danny Ongais, Gianpiero Moretti, Milt Minter, and Jim Busby. At the Laguna Seca Trans Am in October Canepa finished fifth overall.
For the 1980 season Canepa began driving for the MOMO team with Gianpiero Moretti and did not race his 935. In the 1981 IMSA season he had mechanical problems at Laguna Seca but qualified sixth at Sears Point and finished ninth overall. At the end of the season the car was retired from active competition.
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