Porsche & Indy – The Tale of Two Worlds (Part 1)

Between 1987 and 1990, Porsche forged a remarkable path in American motorsports, with one of its most memorable moments being the team’s short-lived, yet intense, stint in CART/IndyCar. Join us in the first part about the story of this adventure, as the Zuffenhausen-based company tried to establish itself in the competitive scenario of the premiere American open-wheeler single-seater category.

EARLY TRIES (AND A COUPLE OF FAILURES)

Porsche’s relationship with IndyCar is marked by a strange chain of events, which for years went unnoticed by the Zuffenhausen-based manufacturer. Thus, although the renowned 1987 initiative is officially recognized in Porsche’s books as the manufacturer’s first participation in the category, other names deserve credit for attempting to foreshadow the German manufacturer’s arrival in the series.

Among the first were the duo Al Stein and Joe Huffaker, who took the “Valvoline Twin Special” to Indianapolis in 1966. Equipped with two 2.0-liter Porsche 911 flat-six engines, this machine set a milestone worthy of note, certainly, as it marked the first official appearance of the Porsche name in one of the most iconic races in American motorsports.