| The time period spanning from the late 1960s and | | | | Ferrari would be well represented for the 1971 French |
| into the very early 1970s can be considered one of | | | | classic, as some eight 512M models would arrive to |
| the most pivotal and evolutionary time periods in the | | | | take the grid against seven Porsche 917s of which |
| history of motor sport. Innovative technologies were | | | | three were prepared by the J.W. Automotive squad |
| being developed and tested in road racing daily and | | | | with Porsche factory support. Maranello rose to the |
| the world itself seemed to be enthralled by these | | | | occasion, with a strong effort coming from their |
| marvelous, sleek new machines that would arrive at | | | | customer squad in North America known as NART |
| the worlds greatest racing venues to display these | | | | (North American Race Team). NART was headed by |
| new found technologies and take both man and | | | | the North American Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti, and |
| machine to new thresholds each time they turned a | | | | for the 1971 race, no less than three 512Ms would be |
| wheel. The Le Mans 24 Hour Race held in the French | | | | prepared by the young North American team. |
| country side each summer has long been the race | | | | One of the drivers selected to drive for NART for |
| for such men and machines to display their newest | | | | the Le Mans effort that year was a young Tony |
| talent and technology. The 1971 running of the Le | | | | Adamowicz. Tony, also known as Tony A2Z, was a |
| Mans 24 Hours was to represent the high water | | | | talented young American driver with a Trans Am title |
| mark of this empirical era in motor racing as no other | | | | in the less than 2.0L class and a Formula 5000 title |
| race could come to do. | | | | under his belt. With his sights set on winning the |
| The FIA had created several new sporting groups | | | | world's toughest endurance race, Tony headed to |
| for race cars through out the 1960s and their efforts | | | | France in the summer of 1971 fulfilling a dream to not |
| set the stage for what would become a tuetonic | | | | only drive at Le Mans, but to also pilot a Ferrari |
| showdown of epic proportions that would set two | | | | sports prototype. Tony's team mate in the #12 |
| companies, Porsche and Ferrari, in an all time clash of | | | | Ferrari 512M would be another young American driver |
| the titans type battle with two of the greatest | | | | with a strong road racing background, Mr. Sam Posey. |
| sports racing machines to ever roar down the | | | | Together, Tony and Sam would pilot their racing red |
| Mulsanne Straight. Porsche's weapon of choice would | | | | with white and blue stripe Ferrari 512M to a 3rd place |
| be the 917K, a tubular space frame chassis car with a | | | | podium finish that cool and dry weekend in June of |
| 580 horsepower flat twelve engine mounted mid-ship | | | | 1971. After the disastrous race Ferrari endured in |
| in the frame and weighing in at 800kg. The great | | | | 1970, the efforts and achievement of a podium finish |
| Enzo Ferrari was undaunted by this German marvel | | | | by the two young American drivers was something |
| of speed and engineering; and responded by building | | | | that was greatly applauded by Ferrari, and Ferrari |
| the Ferrari 512M, a sleek red warhorse from the | | | | fans across the world. This was very fitting, as this |
| Italian heartland with a mighty 620 horsepower V-12 | | | | would be the last Le Mans race to see the |
| engine mounted longitudinally behind the driver's | | | | thunderous 5 liter cars take to the track. The FIA |
| cockpit and weighing in at 930kg. Not since the days | | | | would announce a new displacement cap of no more |
| when Norse Gods roamed the earth had the world | | | | than 3.0 liters for 1972, thus ending the days when |
| seen such incredible weapons forged to enter a form | | | | true lightweight titans ruled the world's road circuits. |
| of combat like no other. | | | | |