Bob Wollek with no time for the fun park during the Le Mans classic, 17 June 1984…
The aluminium monocoque car was powered by a Ferrari 308C V8 and finished in 8th place, his co-driver Sandro Nannini, the best placed of the Lancias 34 laps behind the winning Porsche 956B of Klaus Ludwig and Henri Pescarolo. The dominance of the 956/962 extended into the early 1990’s.
After the 1955 grand prix season Lancia couldn’t afford its motor racing program, in fact Gianni Lancia lost control of the family company as a result of his profligacy! He and Vittorio Jano built some of the most fabulous racing racers ever built, he just couldn’t afford to do so! Lancia competed with great success in rallying with its Fulvia and later fabulous Stratos’ in the 1960 and 1970’s.
Lancia re-entered road racing with the 1982 Group C LC1, a spyder bodied car powered by a 1.4 litre turbo-charged 4 cylinder engine, it was eligible under the equivalence rules for the 2 litre class, which it won at World Championship level in 1979-81
For 1982 Lancia decided to contest the outright class getting Gianpaulo Dallara to design a ground-effect, aluminium monocoque racer powered by a race variant of Ferrari’s 308QV engine, the 4 valve V8 fitted to its Dino road car.
Fitted with 2 KKK turbo’s and Marelli fuel injection the Abarth developed 84X68mm, 3014cc V8 developed circa 800bhp @ 8800rpm. Suspension was conventional wishbones, coil spring/dampers and adjustable roll bar front and rear. Brakes were cast iron discs, the gearbox a Hewland 5 speed.
Wollek’s Lancia LC2-84 chassis ‘005’ during 1984 Le Mans scrutineering (Harmeyer)
Porsche developed a stranglehold on Group C with a combination of the speed of its works 956/962’s and a vast array of customers, Porsche masters of the ‘customer racing car art’ won with the 956 from ’82-85, with the 962 in 1986/7 and then with the Dauer 962 in 1994. Quite a run of success.
Lancia’s best chance at Le Mans during the three years they raced the cars was in 1984; Porsche was having a spat with the ACO over fuel regulations and boycotted the race but 7 private 956’ were in front of the Lancias at the finish… Wollek set the fastest race lap but he and Nannini had gearbox troubles during the race which slowed them significantly.
The LC2, 9 of which were built, warrant a feature article, for now this is a quickie, in 3 years of competition the team won 3 races of championship status.
Wollek/ Nannini LC2 during the race, aero treatment and lines of the car in contrast to the Porsche 956/962 (Martin Lee)
Etcetera: LC2-84 ‘005’ in scrutineering and during its race to 8th place, behind seven 956’s of varying spec…
Credits…
silhouet.com, Rainer Schlegelmilch, Bob Harmeyer, Martin Lee, Dale Kistemaker
Tailpiece: Wollek rockets his Lancia away from pole, behind is teammate Paolo Barilla, speed of these cars seldom in question, longevity a different thing…
primotipo... 