IMSA RETRO: The unexpected 956

Porsche's 962 became IMSA's most identifiable GTP car in the 1980s. The mass-produced, turn-key prototype gave professional drivers and journeymen equal chances to find Victory Lane, and with a variety of memorable liveries and teams to promote, IMSA capitalized on the 962's arrival in 1984 to grow the GTP brand.

Before the 962's arrival, however, there was an interesting historical footnote created by its predecessor, the 956, at Road America in 1983.

With a seating position that placed its driver's feet ahead of the front axle centerline, IMSA refused to accept the 956 in GTP and as a result, it left England's John Fitzpatrick and his Fitzpatrick Racing 956 without a natural home for the car.

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Thanks to IMSA's hardline safety stance with the 956, Porsche commissioned the 962 to comply with IMSA's standards for 1984, so Fitzpatrick turned to the one catch-all series America had to offer at the time – SCCA's former glory, Can-Am.

Pitted against single-seaters with mountain-sized V8 engines, converted Formula 1 cars and smaller home-built junior open-wheel cars with hand-fashioned fenders, Fitzpatrick and Porsche's Le Mans-winning 956 looked like a spaceship among dragsters.

Click on the thumbnails below for larger images of the contenders:

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In front of an estimated 10,000 fans, Fitzpatrick put the JDavid-sponsored 956 on pole by more than a second (2:00.622) over Jacques Villeneuve's Frissbee GT2-Chevy (2:01.752), and with the enclosed prototype's comparatively advanced aerodynamics providing an advantage through Road America's sweeping corners, Can-Am's old guard had a major problem to overcome.

Fitzpatrick traded the lead with Villeneuve and Jim Crawford – whose Ensign N180 F1 car was a regular threat – throughout the 40-lap race and crossed the finish line in the No. 11 956 with an advantage of almost 12 seconds over Villeneuve after an hour and 28 minutes of racing.

Mostly forgotten, Fitzpatrick Racing's triumph marked the 956's first win in America – fittingly, at Road America, 23 years ago – and set the stage for Porsche's upcoming ownership in GTP with the 962. Following Fitzpatrick's 1983 victory, the 962 went on to win at Road America for four consecutive years. Thanks to the unexpected spark started by the Can-Am 956, the combination of Porsche and the GTP-inspired 962 helped IMSA to become a roaring success that rivaled IndyCar and NASCAR for popularity through the late '80s.