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left front suspension. “We actually stole suspension parts from another 512 in the parking lot (the owner was compensated) and rebuilt the suspension. The accident also destroyed the nosepiece and support structure. We had a spare nose and supported the left front with a broomstick and silver duct tape.” Pictures show an ugly patchwork of duct tape, temporarily ruining the
looks of the beautiful car, but the goal was to win the race, not a beauty contest. Finally, Donohue and teammate David Hobbs came in third, with a few pieces of duct tape flapping in the breeze.
As was often the case in racing, things did not always go as planned. “We took the Ferrari to Sebring, with Donohue driving the truck, but the truck broke down and had to be towed to Sebring for
Tech Inspection. Roger Penske (with me as passenger) drove the Ferrari on public roads from the tech session in Sebring to the racetrack. It barely cleared some railroad crossings on the way.”
The Le Mans race that year was the next challenge for the 512M and the Penske crew. Woody recalls “we were there with that beautiful blue Ferrari 512M and no spare engine. We had acquired a second engine, but Traco could not get it to seal up. Still, Donohue qualified third behind two longtail Porsche 917s that could do 230 mph on the Mulsanne straight; we could only do 212. Ferrari came to Roger and told him they had brought a new engine that would beat the Porsches. ‘Put our engine in and loan your engine to team X.’ Roger, Donohue and I met. Donohue and I voted against the idea. But Roger had three votes. We lost. Now we have to change the engine and the race was the next day! We had an interpreter who worked with us, and he found a place to change the engine. We towed the Ferrari on a rope to a local gas station where the work was going to take place. I noticed when he got there that we had no means of lifting the engines! Donohue says, ‘I’m on it.’ He leaves and a while later I hear this big roar. Here comes Mark Donohue with a smile on his face, driving a huge four- axle, tandem steering crane with a hook on it which weighs more than the race car! We got that engine in after an all-
The beautiful (when not taped) Ferrari 512M that the Penske team raced frequently in 1971. (Martin Rudow collection)
John “Woody” Woodard
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