1972 IMSA Porsche 911 GTU



Originally built by Mark Altman using a 1972 911T, this important 911 GTU debuted at the IMSA Watkins Glen Six Hours in 1981 and finished 9th overall. Mark raced the car with IMSA in approximately 20 additional events including the Camel GT Grand Prix at Pocono four times.


After the GTU was acquired by Jay Kjoller in 1987 it became the first 911 GTU in IMSA to feature double A-Arm suspension in the front and rear. Designed by Jay O'Connel, former head of Jaguar's F1 program and head of engineer at Rahal Letterman Racing, and Cornell classmate David Malicky, the concept for the suspension and chromoly tube frame design was literally created on a napkin while at dinner with Jay Kjoller. The chassis itself was designed and hand built by O'Connel, Malicky and Kjoller to a safety factor of 5, nearly two and a half times stronger and safer than GTU standards.


The car placed fourth in its first race at Mosport and was the top finishing privateer (GTU was made up of $1M factory teams and $50K private teams) throughout the season they regularly ranked among the top placing privateers. One of the hired drivers said it was the "best handling 911 he had ever driven." -DM (That was Joe Cogbill, who finished second in the car at Road America, beating all factory and private 911's, behind only the Mazda.)


One Designer described the build in the following way: "So we tore off the front and rear of his car and tig welded new triangulated structures with double wishbone suspension, a first for a 911. The rear suspension is a 5-bar for ease of replacement in a crash, with roll and instant center control identical to a double wishbone."


The Kjoller IMSA 911 GTU went on to become one of the most enduring racers in IMSA history, racing from 1981 until the series ended in 1994 while pioneering the most sophisticated suspension design in IMSA.



Notable IMSA Events:


See More Pictures
Video inspection on the lift.
Video of it in action, driven by Mike McGovern @ Bondurant.