Daytona colors Gulf

The 1970 24 Hours of Daytona was the first race in which the Porsche 917K entered by JWA (John Wyer Automotive) participated, sporting its Gulf livery that would become iconic. In the months leading up to the big race, this 917K had been relentlessly tested on the Daytona circuit, and a small plexiglass window had been added to improve visibility on the steeply banked track.

Photo above: Pedro Rodriguez, Leo Kinnunen and Brian Redman have just crossed the finish line as the big winners, and are accompanied by their Gulf-JWA team mechanics towards the podium.

While JWA represented the Porsche factory with two 917Ks for Rodriguez-Kinnunen and Siffert-Redman, a third factory-backed car was entered by Porsche Salzburg and driven by Ahrens and Elford. Also making its debut was the recently homologated Ferrari 512S, with three factory cars plus two private entries.

Rodriguez-Kinnunen-Redman and Siffert Redman delivered a superb one-two finish for Porsche and Gulf on American soil, while the Ferrari 512S of Ickx and Merzario finished third, but 48 laps behind the winners.