1982 Porsche ANDIAL 935L

Going into the 1981 season, IMSA introduced new regulations for the 'GTP' (Grand Touring Prototypes) category for prototype cars allowing various types of engines and ground effects. By this point in history, Porsche had ceased production of its 935 and had refocused their efforts on preparing the fourth-coming 956 for the new Group C formula in Europa. Both Group C and GTP were for prototype chassis, distinguished by fuel stipulations. Group C dictated the amount of fuel allowed while Group C did not have restrictions. Other differences included minimum weights and engine capacities. Brian Redman driving a Lola T600 with a Chevrolet engine was the first GTP champion and the 1983 championship was won by Al Holbert in a Chevrolet-powered car, changing to Porsche power later in the season. After the Porsche 962 was introduced in 1984, it dominated the series from 1985 to 1987.

Porsche privateers in the United States were left without a viable contender for IMSA in the early 1980s, as the Porsche 956 was unable to compete due to its design which placed the driver's feet ahead of the front axle. Since Porsche did not support teams (yet - this changed in 1983) that placed Porsche engines in other chassis, several teams constructed variations of the 935-79. Ted Field and his Interscope team acquired a Kremer K4 but testing revealed it was off the pace of the Lola T600, so it never raced. John Fitzpatrick also purchased a K4 and following numerous modifications, had some success during 1982. Among the most famous attempts were the so-called 'Moby Dick' 935-78 replicas of Reinhold Joest, but instead of air-cooled engines, he used air-cooled versions. One of the Joest cars was purchased by Gianpiero Moretti and raced during the 1981 and 1982 IMSA season with some success. John Paul built JLP3 and JLP4, and Bob Akin had two cars built - the L-1 Gaaco car and the FABCAR 935-84 with a tube frame.

Another team who decided to build a Porsche contender of their own was ANDIAL - short for Arnold Wagner, Dieter Inzenhofer, and Alwin Springe. They owned a Porsche repair facility in Costa Mesa, California and were very familiar with Porsche vehicles, and had worked on prior 935s. Their 935 used a steel tube frame chassis with a similar design to the Moby Dick car. Unlike the car built by Joest, the ANDIAL team did not have factory drawings to support them in this monumental effort. Glen Blakely was commissioned to help with the chassis construction which housed the running gear from Howard Meister's 1981 935 car. Numerous modifications were made to improve performance, including the relocation of the intercooling ducts through the top of the doors, the intercooler was moved to the middle of the car, and the turbochargers and waste gates were now on the side of the car. These changes resulted in improved weight distribution and maintenance efficiency, and drivability.

During testing at Willow Springs Raceway in California, it was revealed that the chassis was unable to cope with the power of the engine. Drino Miller and Ted Mangels suggested that additional steel tubes be welded into the chassis at the front and rear. The modifications were quickly made but there was no time for testing prior to the 1982 IMSA Riverside 6-Hour race in April. Al Holbert and Harald Grohs qualified the car in 46th position and led for some of the 6-hour race. As the race was nearing the end, the car was struck in the back by another car, damaging a wastegate resulting in a loss of power. This ultimately cost them the lead and had to settle for second place overall.

In the fall of 1982, the car was sold to Preston Henn and it competed once more in 1982 at the Daytona Finale in November. Driving duties were assigned to Al Holbert, Doc Bundy, and Preston Henn. Despite an off-track excursion by Doc Bundy and some damaged bodywork, the car finished fourth overall.

For the 1983 season, Bob Wollek qualified the car on the pole position at the 24-Hour Daytona race. The car used a 3.2-liter engine during qualifying and a 3.0-liter unit for the race. Both of the turbochargers had to be changed early in the race, but by Sunday morning, the car was in the lead by a full lap. Much of the night-time driving was done by Wollek and Claude Ballot-Lena, and both were tired by the early morning. So Preston recruited A.J. Foyt to assist with driving duties. Foyt had been driving for Aston Martin but his car retired early in the race. Although Foyt had never driven a 935, he would end up doing much of the driving for the remaining seven hours of the race, eventually winning by six laps.

At the Miami Grand Prix, the car had been running in fourth place but made a pit stop. During to stop, the race was stopped due to flooding, which meant the car finished ninth. A few weeks later, the car was brought to Sebring where John Paul Jr. qualified the car on pole position. During practice, however, the car ran over debris leading to a broken oil line which ultimately destroyed the engine. The team worked through the night to repair the engine and have it re-installed in the car prior to the start of the race. The Herculean effort was for not, as the engine failed early in the race.

At Daytona in 1983, Hurley Haywood and co-driver A.J. Foyt qualified the car in pole position. Near the close of the race, while in the lead, the alternator failed, which meant the team had to use the lights sparingly to conserve battery power. Rules stated the car must have functioning lights, which the team argued were working. Before any official action could be taken, the race ended with A.J. Foyt in the lead.

The remained of the 1983 season (including Riverside, Elkhart Lake, and the Daytona Finale) were met with disappointing results due to mechanical failures.

For the 1984 edition of the Daytona 24 Hours, the car was piloted by Wollek, Foyt, and Derek Bell to a second-place overall. At Miami, Wollek and Foyt finished fourth. During the Sebring race, the car driven by Wollek, Foyt, and Bell was leading the race until it suffered a broken left front upright. By the time the issue was resolved (with A.J. Foyt assisting in the repairs), the car was in third place.

For the 1985 season, the car was used as a backup to the team's 962. Although the 935 did not race, the team's 962-104 won at Daytona and Sebring.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021