IMSA Daytona 24 Hours
AO Racing marks IMSA debut with tribute livery
The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona will see AO Racing’s Porsche running a colorscheme that marks the 40th anniversary of the Henn Swap Shop Porsche 935’s triumph in the same event.
David Malsher-Lopez
Published: Jan 17, 2023, 10:24 PM
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The team which is new to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will begin the season with the white over orange livery of the 1983 Daytona 24 Hours winner, the #6 Swap Shop ANDIAL Porsche 935, driven by Preston Henn, AJ Foyt, Bob Wollek and Claude Ballot-Lena.
The livery has a personal connection to two of AOR’s drivers, PJ Hyett and Gunnar Jeannette. Hyett currently owns the legendary 935 on which Gunnar Jeannette’s father, Kevin, was the crew chief. The car was built by motorsport legend Alwin Springer, former president of – and now consultant to – Porsche Motorsport North America.
“I’ve literally grown up around the Swap Shop 935, Preston Henn and Alwin Springer,” reflected Jeanette. “To have PJ acquire the car from the Henn Family and for us to be able to do this tribute at our first 24 Hours with AO Racing and Porsche is very special. I hope all the fans can enjoy the livery and get to know the special story which this car helped create in 1983.”
In 1983, Henn, an American entrepreneur and founder of Swap Shop, teamed with Frenchmen Wollek and Ballot-Lena for the 24-hour endurance racing event. Foyt joined the team mid-race after his original car, an Aston Martin-Nimrod, retired only 121 laps into the race. Although Henn jumped at the opportunity to put a 24 Hours of Le Mans and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner in the car, Wollek famously objected, noting his lack of experience in the Porsche 935, and a 15-year absence from sports car racing.
After a quick briefing on the car’s shift pattern from crew chief Kevin Jeannette mid-race, Foyt joined the fray and set the fastest lap of the race in a downpour. In the end, the Swap Shop squad fought back from two blown turbochargers and a 12-lap deficit to take the checkered flag with a six-lap lead.
Hyett, American software developer and co-founder of internet hosting service GitHub, first met Jeannette through vintage racing. The pairing has come together as friends and co-drivers as Hyett continues to build his sportscar racing career. The duo most recently finished in second place at the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 8 Hours of Bahrain with Ben Barnicoat completing the entry.
To mark the occasion, the original #6 Swap Shop ANDIAL Porsche 935 will journey to Daytona International Speedway this week alongside the #80 Porsche 911, 40 years after its momentous win. The pair of cars will have a special, on track side-by-side photo shoot before the modern entry begins the Roar Before the 24, the first official test of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech season.
Victorious Porsche 935 at 1983 Daytona 24 Hours, driven by Preston Henn, AJ Foyt, Claude Ballot-Lena and Bob Wollek.
Photo by: AO Racing
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