Chassis No. 944.007
Al Holbert had a lot on his plate throughout the 1980s. In addition to his public role as a Porsche factory driver, he was also the director of Porsche Motorsports North America (PMNA). Analyzing rules within various racing series, Holbert had broad authority to determine which Porsche cars would fit best in terms of class and competitiveness. Life-long racers, like Holbert, are always looking for a gap whether on the track or in the rule book and this was the case with the creation of the 944 GTR. Holbert’s partners in the ambitious 944 GTR project read like a who’s-who of the 1980s sports car racing world. In addition to Al Holbert, Dave Klym of Fabcar Engineering based in Tucker, Georgia would design and construct a strong, lightweight tubular spaceframe chassis. The 944 GTR would feature coil-over suspension, 962 wheels and brakes, the robust torque tube from the 928, and a transaxle from Hewland. Andial, the official 962 engine builder for PMNA, would handle the assembly of the four-cylinder, 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, producing around 575 hp at 1.5 BAR according to period Porsche documentation. Ultimately, just eight 944 GTR were completed for Porsche Motorsport North America and, while the other seven were built to be used in SCCA Trans-Am competition, this example, the final one produced, was built for use in IMSA GTO.
According to 000’s seminal article on the model (Issue 008), this 944 GTR was first delivered directly to Porsche Motorsport North America and Al Holbert. While it is noted that Holbert tested each 944 GTR directly after they left Fabcar, this 944 GTR was likely selected by Holbert for additional development as, unlike the other seven, it was destined to compete in IMSA’s GTO class. According to Dave Klym’s recollection, this IMSA car differed from its SCCA siblings by the inclusion of air jacks, and Tom Seabolt, the PMNA 944 GTR program director, believes it likely featured body modifications as well. Additional research indicates a likely first test in July 1987 at Road Atlanta with Elliot Forbes-Robinson at the wheel before it visited Lee Dykstra later that month. Further testing was noted to occur in January 1988 with the timeline indicating chassis no. 007 was with Holbert and his team for approximately seven months while attempting to develop it into a front-running IMSA GTO entry.
Leaving Al Holbert’s more than capable hands, it was sold in early 1988 to privateer Chester Vincentz of Electrodyne Inc., a company that specialized in performance parts and upgrades for Porsche cars. What better way to advertise a company than to field one of the fastest Porsche 944s on the planet? Campaigned in IMSA GTO in 1988, 1989, and a single race in 1990, Electrodyne’s IMSA effort faced an uphill battle. An onslaught of factory-supported entries from Audi, Mazda, Roush, and Protofab, proved difficult for a privateer outfit, no matter how professional, to overcome. Support from Porsche Motorsport North America would have been expected, after all, as the car only existed because of their efforts. However, the untimely death of Al Holbert in September 1988 in a plane crash not only ended the life of one of America’s finest endurance drivers but also brought a rapid halt to U.S.-based PMNA racing programs championed by Holbert like the March-Porsche Indycar and the 944 GTR.
After its professional racing career ended, this 944 GTR, still emblazoned in its red and yellow Electrodyne livery, was featured not just in Electrodyne’s showroom along with other racing Porsches, but on the cover of their many catalogs as well. Later, in 2003 Electrodyne parted ways with their 944 GTR as it was sold into the collection of Carlos de Quesada, owner of Alegra Motorsports of Tampa, Florida. While with de Quesada, this 944 GTR was a participant of both Rennsport Reunion II and III at Daytona with additional windshield technical inspection stickers indicating time spent as a vintage racer with HSR in Florida. The consignor notes that as the owner of Alegra Motorsports, de Quesada’s maintenance, services, and pre-race tech would have been conducted in-house at Alegra. In 2021 this 944 GTR once again changed hands, leaving de Quesada’s collection and joining a short series of owners who are thought not to have entered it in any major events. Additionally, the consignor reports that it retains an Andial-built engine thought to have approximately three hours of run-time on it since approximately 2004. Finally, it is consigned with an additional spares package that, according to the consignor, includes a fresh Andial engine complete with fuel injection, a set of BBS three-piece center-lock wheels, body panels, brake parts, and more. With Rennsport Reunion VI and many other North American motorsport-related events scheduled for Porsche’s 75th anniversary, this 944 GTR, the final example produced for Al Holbert and Porsche Motorsports North America, makes quite the intriguing choice for those looking to stand apart — while racing against — a host of 911 racing variants.
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