PROVENANCE
Vasek Polak, Hermosa Beach, California (acquired new in 1975)
Jeff Lewis, Newport Beach, California (acquired from the above in 1998)
Marc Devis, Schoten, Belgium (acquired from the above in 2004)
Current Owner (acquired from the above)

RACE HISTORY
IMSA GT Laguna Seca 100 Miles, October 3, 1976, Minter, No. 01 (DNF)

LITERATURE
John Starkey, From R to GT2: The Racing Porsches 911 & 930, discussed on p. 394

EXHIBITED
Wine Country Classic Vintage Car Races, May 2000
SVRA Mid-Ohio, June 2000
The HAWK with Brian Redman at Road America, July 2000
SVRA Watkins Glen, September 2000
Daytona Historic Sportscar Racing, December 2000
Sebring Historic Sportscar Racing, March 2001
SVRA Mid-Ohio, June 2001
The HAWK with Brian Redman at Road America, July 2001
Daytona Historic Sportscar Racing, November 2001
Sebring Historic Sportscar Racing, March 2002
Classic Motorsports Mitty at Road Atlanta, April 2002
Watkins Glen Historic Sportscar Racing, June 2002
Watkins Glen Historic Sportscar Racing, June 2004
Rennsport Reunion III, Daytona International Speedway, November 2007

THIS CAR
For the 1974 racing season, Porsche significantly improved the original RSR platform and offered a revised, road-going Carrera 3.0 RS. With a new type 911/75 engine, the 3.0 RSR boasted 330 bhp and weighed just 950 kg. The new model featured four-piston 917-type brakes, magnesium center-lock wheels, a strengthened transaxle with splash lubrication, a remote oil cooler, and an 80% locking limited-slip differential.

The body of the new 3.0 RSR was highly modified as well. Its G Series bumper shape gave it a distinctive outward appearance, and its wide front fenders, which ended abruptly before the doors, allowed heat to dissipate from the brakes. The rear fenders were also widened and vented both front and rear. A larger rear spoiler was homologated for the 1974 model year and significantly increased downforce at speed.

The 3.0 RSR was an outstanding racing car and remained competitive for nearly a decade after its introduction. In 1974 alone, the 3.0 RSR conquered GT racing with wins at Monza, Spa, Nürburgring, and Kyalami. It also captured the IMSA Camel GT Championship, the European Hillclimb Championship, and national championships in Switzerland, Sweden, Holland, and France.

As the ultimate evolution of the classic RS-RSR racing program, the 3.0 RSR is widely regarded as the Ferrari 250 GTO of the Porsche world. With just 54 examples built in 1974 and 1975, it is nearly as rare.

The third-to-last 3.0 RSR built, this car, chassis 911 560 9120, was completed by the factory in late 1974 and originally finished in Grand Prix White. Consistent with its late build, this RSR benefitted from chassis development carried out during the 1974 racing season and featured several improvements, such as relocated rear trailing-arm mounting points and wider rear-wheel arches with ultra-thin, lightweight fiberglas. As a result of these factory modifications, the rear suspension of this 3.0 RSR was virtually identical to the forthcoming 934, allowing the car to run larger rear wheels and improving traction out of the corners.

In early 1975, 911 560 9120 was delivered to famed Porsche dealer and racing team owner Vasek Polak of Hermosa Beach, California. Unlike most 3.0 RSRs delivered to North America, which were often campaigned for several racing seasons, this late-production example is recorded as having entered just one race, the Laguna Seca 100 Miles on October 3, 1976. Running under the Vasek Polak banner and driven by Milt Minter, the Porsche qualified 5th and then quickly took the lead before dropping out on the 20th lap with mechanical trouble.

According to Carl Thompson, Polak’s crew chief, the 3.0 RSR was then used for occasional track days and testing, being driven by Paul Newman at Riverside in 1976 and by Porsche development engineer Manfred Jantke at Laguna Seca in 1977 or 1978. Over the next two decades, the lightly used RSR remained in Polak’s personal collection. Following Polak’s passing in 1998, the car was sold to Jeff Lewis, a noted Porsche collector living in Newport Beach.

Having sat idle for nearly 20 years, the highly original RSR was entrusted to Kevin Ryan of Ryan Racing Restorations in Ohio, where it was completely restored and prepared for vintage racing. From 2000 through 2004, the 3.0 RSR was entered in several important historic races throughout the US, before being sold in late 2004 to Belgian collector Marc Devis. For nearly a decade now, this 3.0 RSR has been a fixture in a prominent Texas collection and has been displayed just once under the current ownership, making an appearance at Rennsport Reunion III in 2007.

Faithfully presented in its 1976 Vasek Polak IMSA GT livery, this remarkable 3.0 RSR is fitted with what may well be its original matching-numbers engine, a 911/75 unit stamped 6850166, the type and number corresponding to Porsche factory records. In addition to a file containing correspondence, copies of the car’s HMSA logbook, as well as various racing and restoration photos, the sale of this Porsche includes a beautifully presented 1969 Chevrolet C30 Ramp Transporter, chassis no. CE339Z869349, finished in a matching Vasek Polak livery.

An outstanding candidate for the best historic races and an ideal paddock display at exclusive Porsche gatherings, such as Rennsport Reunion, this Vasek Polak team 3.0 RSR represents an exciting opportunity for collectors to acquire a superb example of one of the all-time great racing 911s.