In the late 1970’s the technology of racecars was changing very fast. Racing organizations such IMSA were re-writing rules to allow new cars to race and owners were putting a lot of pressure on the factories to supply them with THE latest evolution as fast as possible. The Porsche 934 and in particular this 934 1/2 is a prime example of the intense competition in world sports car racing at that time.
The Porsche 930 was configured for racing in two FIA categories; Group 4 (934) and the faster Group 5 (935). In the US the 934 was accepted in the SCCA Trans Am in 1976 but not into IMSA until the following season. The 1977 IMSA rules allowed the 934 to be even more heavily modified using some 935 parts. The Porsche factory created an IMSA only version called the 934-1/2 late in 1976. The first race of the IMSA season is always the Daytona 24 Hours held in January so the factory was under great pressure to get cars done and delivered in time.
INTERSCOPE RACING
Ted Field’s Interscope Racing Team had ordered two new 934-1/2s for the coming season but they were not going to be ready until later in the year. Under pressure from Field to get the car as soon as possible, the factory took this car, the last unsold 1976 934, and converted it to full 934 1/2 specification. They missed the Daytona 24 Hours and only made the second race at Sebring by shipping the car over by air. At Sebring, right out of the box and still painted factory white, Danny Ongais qualified the new car second to Peter Gregg with virtually no practice. It was driven by Ongais, Field, and Hurley Haywood to 5th place overall. After Sebring it was painted the signature colors of Interscope, black with red and orange trim and used race number 00 for the remainder of the year winning once at Brainerd.
1977 IMSA Team Interscope
Sebring 12 Hours — Ongais, Field, Haywood, 5th Overall
Road Atlanta — Field, 9th
Laguna Seca — Field, 10th Overall
Brainerd — Ongais, 1st
Pocono — Field, 22nd
Mid Ohio 3 hour — Ongais, 5th
Road Atlanta — Ongais, 4th
Daytona Final — Ongais, 47th, Fastest Qualifier
HAL SHAW RACING
Interscope ordered two brand new 935s for the 1978 season and sold this car to Hal Shaw. Jim Busby and Glen Blakely converted it to full 935 specifications. They changed the intake system, fuel injection pump, installed a steel roll cage and all the 935 fiberglass body panels. The team would compete with the car for the next two years as no. 13 in selected IMSA and Trans Am races.
1978 IMSA
Daytona 24 Hours, Busby, Shaw, Meister, 10th
Sebring 12 Hours, Shaw, Spalding, 3rd
Talladega 6 hours, Shaw, Spalding, 23rd
1978 Trans Am
Westwood, Shaw, 2nd
Watkins Glenn 6 Hours, Shaw, Shelton, 13th
Mosport, Shaw, 7th
Road America, Shaw, 4th
Laguna Seca, Shaw 32nd
Mexico, Shaw, 21st
1979 IMSA
Daytona 24 Hours, Shaw, Spalding, Ridgely, 40th
Sebring 12 Hours, Shaw, Ridgely, Kroll, 7th
Riverside 6 Hours, Shaw, DNF
1979 Trans Am
Watkins Glenn 6 Hours, Shaw, Belcher, 23rd
After the 1979 Trans Am at Watkins Glenn it was retired from active competition and returned to California. It remained in Shaw’s shop for several years.
TOM MCINTYRE
Tom McIntyre purchased the car from the Shaw Estate in November 1982. He drove the car twice in Los Angeles Porsche club time trials before a full restoration was undertaken.
Over the next five years, the car would slowly be dismantled and carefully restored to its former glory. Should it be as Ted Field raced it or as Hal Shaw raced it? No, McIntyre wanted it to look exactly the way it was for its first race at Sebring when Ongais/Field/Haywood finished 5th Overall. McIntyre was there that day and saw first hand the car arriving at the airport and being delivered to the team. After a beautiful job done by Jim Torres and Jim Borsos, the car was accepted for the Monterey Historic Races in time for the year of the Porsche in 1998. It has only been raced in selected events for the past few years and is currently in perfect race ready condition.
