The largest gathering of Porsche racecars—more than 550 from around the world—descended on Daytona International Speedway on April 23–25 for the Porsche Rennsport Reunion II.
As popular as the 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning cars were among those who attended the event, the stars of the show were the collectors and famous race drivers who thrilled Porsche enthusiasts with their appearances.
In addition to the almost continuous stream of on-track activities, the weekend was punctuated by several very special dinners. More than 1,000 diners attended the Competitors Dinner, which featured addresses by the Rennsport Reunion II’s Co-Grand Marshalls: Peter Schwarzenbauer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, and Chris Economaki, founder of the National Speed Sport News. The evening was capped off by the introduction of all the legendary Porsche racing drivers in attendance.
At the special reunion dinner held Saturday at Daytona USA, Porsche presented the Vasek Polak Award to six-time Le Mans champion Jacky Ickx for his performance on the track and his contribution to motorsports. The award is named for the famous racecar entrant, driver talent spotter, Porsche dealer and philanthropist.
Vic Elford and a former Vasek Polak racer, Milt Minter, were also honored for their contributions to Porsche’s racing heritage. The overall weekend was dedicated to the late Bob Akin, whose Porsche racing participation spanned more than two decades of 935, 962 and vintage racing.
Overall, spectators were thrilled by the rare appearance of Porsche racecars from the Porsche Museum, the Brumos Porsche collection, the Collier Museum, Gunnar Racing, G&W Motorsports, Joest Racing and a host of other Porsche racecar collectors.
The celebrity drivers who returned to the Daytona speedway to participate in the event included Dan Gurney, Jacky Ickx, Vic Elford, Richard Attwood, Hurley Haywood, Brian Redman, Derek Bell, Bobby Rahal, Chip Robinson, John Andretti, Dave Helmick, Reinhold Joest, John Paul Jr., Kevin Buckler, Vern Schuppan, Herbert Linge, Price Cobb, Kees Nierop, Joe Buzzetta, Doc Bundy, Bruce Leven, George Drolsom, John O’Steen, Dick Barbour, Dennis Aase, Milt Minter, Howard Meister, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Dave White, Rick Bye, Bill Adam, David Donohue, David Murry, Sasha Maassen, Lucas Luhr, Darren Law and Mike Fitzgerald.
