This Yankee Never Won The World Series, But It Finished Second In Class At Le Mans
How quickly do you think a 2002 Porsche 911 GT3 R Le Mans GT2-classed race car could round the bases at Yankee Stadium? Could it do it quicker than an average MLB runner? It might be tight. Flip that hypothetical, however, and there's no way that Mickey Mantle could run around Circuit de la Sarthe in a quicker time than this 540-horsepower rear-engine sprinter, even in his prime. This factory-built racer was among the most popular machines of its era thanks to tried and true speed and reliability. A full squad of seven GT3 Rs showed up to Le Mans in 2003 and swept the top six positions at the end of the race. This one finished second in the GT2 category after 314 hard-charged laps, 17th overall from a 50-car field. A full 22 years later, you can buy this pinstriped racer during Broad Arrow's Air/Water auction on April 26 in Costa Mesa, California.
I have been informed by my New York City colleagues that YES Network was Yankee Entertainment and Sports. The network showed up on the car because one of the drivers, Leo Hindery, was involved in securing the television rights for Yankees baseball and owned YES Network. Hindery was joined by Porsche factory driver Marc Lieb and the squad was rounded out by software tech sales guy Peter Baron (who would eventually go on to start Starworks Motorsport). The car was prepared for the race by Florida's Orbit Racing, and ran with YES Network branding for the full 2002 and 2003 seasons. Its highest finish was sixth overall and fourth in class at the 2003 24 Hours of Daytona. Pretty impressive, honestly.
Read more: These Are The Most Annoying Things About Your Cars
This car, chassis number WP0ZZZ99Z3S692065, was recently subjected to a full restoration in its original livery. According to the seller this car has never seen significant damage, and has never been "retubbed". The original Le Mans tech inspection stickers are still applied to the chassis. It has been updated with modern safety equipment to meet historic racing standards around the world, including a modern fuel cell and modern racing harnesses. It has had a single shakedown test since the restoration was completed, so if you're looking for a turn-key race car to take vintage racing this season, this is the one you want. Well, you know, if you have the $450,000 to $500,000 that Broad Arrow has put down as the pre-auction estimate.
I'm an absolute simp for the 996-generation Porsche 911, and I would absolutely be on my way to buy this car if I had that kind of money to spend on one. Alas, I do not, and therefore won't be buying at this time. You won't have to bid against me, don't worry.
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