In 1979, a Kremer Porsche 935 K3 sat atop the podium at LeMans, and its success led to a growing interest in 1980. Kremer sold a number of cars to customers and packaged up kits to update old cars with an updated prowess. Of those new cars, Dick Barbour took delivery of a brand new 1980 Porsche 935 K3, chassis number 00023, just before the 1980 LeMans was scheduled to begin. Rolling directly off the Kremer shop floor, Dick Barbour entered the Sachs liveried k3 along with the iconic Apple car and one other. Barbour himself, Brian Redman, and John Fitzpatrick were on the drivers list for the number 70 Porsche as rain soaked the course. The drivers fought hard and the new car ran well, holding the overall lead as the clock passed the 12-hour mark. Unfortunately, the engine began to cough at the hands of a mysterious misfire. Having already retired their own cars from racing, the Kremer engineers joined Dick Barbour Racing’s efforts to diagnose the misfire at each pit stop, swapping parts from the DNF participants to remedy the situation. Nothing seemed to work, and eventually the cylinder gave up, ticking as it rolled into the pits. The team quickly disabled fuel and spark to that cylinder and rolled back into the fray on 5 cylinders, determined to maintain the lead in the IMSA class. Brian Redman and Barbour pushed on, one cylinder down, and completed the race in 5th place overall, ensuring a win in the IMSA class. Following a recent restoration at Canepa, the 00023 chassis 935 lives on and continues its racing career here on US soil. As it sat in the paddock of last year’s Rolex Motorsport Reunion, I took the opportunity to peek my head in and explore the inner workings of one of the later model 935s in all of its glory.
