Le Mans is a magical race. Jacky Ickx and this race have had a love story over almost two decades. The climax of this romance dates from 1977. The race that year is, according to Jacky himself, the most beautiful of his career. Living less than two hours drive from Le Mans, I had the opportunity to attend many editions of the event and to witness all the victories of Jacky Ickx on this circuit except for the legendary race in 1969 where I was just a young child.

Of all these races, the most vivid memory dates back to 1977, which is certainly no coincidence. That year, for me, the 24 hours of Le Mans started on a Wednesday. Indeed, for the first time I was attending the tests of the biggest race in the world thanks to a high school teacher who had organized a trip on the circuit for a day.
Happiness since the tests were the ideal opportunity to approach the cars and drivers in complete freedom. Glorious era far removed from the bunkers of today’s Formula 1. So that day I had the opportunity to get very close to many drivers: Bell, Laffite, Beltoise, Depailler, Jabouille, Tambay etc… and above all: Jacky Ickx.

Arriving in the paddock behind the wheel of his Porsche 911, stuck in traffic, he was there, real and palpable. As a young teenager, this encounter overwhelmed me with happiness. I had seen Jacky before, but always on the other side of a track or at the wheel of his car during races. And in that moment, for the first time, I could have physically touched him. He was no longer just a distant icon of magazines and television. He was no longer just a comic book character in Michel Vaillant. He was present!!!

In my opinion, this encounter already made the 1977 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans a special vintage. But the best was yet to come.
After this short day of Wednesday, back to school to finish the work week while waiting very impatiently for Saturday to return to attend the race which promised to be particularly tempting with the duel between Porsche, holder of the title, and Renault the challenger.

The forces at play are impressive. At Renault, with four cars, the crews are made up of a group of current and future F1 drivers: Depailler, Laffite, Bell, Jabouille, Arnoux, Tambay, Pironi. Opposite, Porsche is lining up two 936s and a 935s. On one of the 936, the star crew of these 24 hours at Le Mans: Ickx-Pescarolo who have won 6 races between them! To complete the list, the underdog is the Mirage-Renault.
At the end of qualifying, two Renaults took the front row, followed by Ickx-Pescarolo in third place on the grid.

From the start of the race, Jabouille at the wheel of one of the Renaults takes command, followed by the factory Porsche 935 of Stommelen who, until its first supply, will achieve a real fireworks in 2nd position. At the stop of this one to refuel (from the 7th lap), Ickx will position himself behind Jabouille, driving at a pace that preserves the Porsche. In the Renault clan, a coup de théâtre occurred from the first round with the abandonment (fire) of Pironi-Arnoux’s car. However, after hitting Renault, it is on Porsche that the hard blows will fall.

Thus, after 90 minutes of racing, the Porsche 936 no. 4 from Barth-Haywood was grounded for more than 30 minutes and plunged into the depths of the standings. After less than three hours of racing, Pescarolo, who took over from Ickx on the Porsche 936 no. 3, returned to the pit to retire due to a link failure. Finally, about an hour later, it is the Porsche 935 of Stommelen who gives up the ghost.

At this stage, after 4 hours of racing, the event seems decapitated. The nightmare is total at Porsche as well as among the supporters of the German brand and the Belgian driver… of which I am obviously one. That’s when the miracle will begin and history will be set in motion. Jacky Ickx as well as the regulations allow him to do so will move on to the Porsche 936 No. 4, the team’s only survivor, which then occupies the 41st position in the standings. Having nothing left to lose, Jacky will, from the beginning of the evening, follow the relays, turning at a frantic pace, constantly improving his time until he breaks the lap record held by François Cevert since 1973.

In the always magical night of Le Mans, from the edge of the track the show was prodigious. Seeing the 936 swallow the “S du Tertre Rouge” or the “Virage Ford” at a hellish pace for hours was mind-blowing, surreal. At the sight of this show, it was impossible to go to bed and it was a sleepless night for me. Over the hours, Porsche no. 4 climbed up the rankings to take 2nd place at dawn. The appearance of rain will not stop Jacky, who continued his flawless performance, thus justifying his nickname “Rainmaster”. The rest of the race was the disappearance of the Renaults. Jabouille-Bell, who had been leading since the start, gave up around 9.00, leaving Ickx’s Porsche in first place. The abandonment of the Renault was caused by a broken piston. This damage had already made the Tambay-Jaussaud crew disappear at mid-race. It would also lead to the retirement around noon of the last Renault, that of Depailler-Laffite then in 2nd position and who was trying to get back on the Porsche. After the disappearance of all Renaults, the Porsche was 17 laps ahead of the Mirage-Renault in second position, and seemed on track to win a race that seemed irreparably lost on Saturday at 8 p.m.

From 1 p.m., I stood in front of the Porsche stand to witness the triumph of my favorite driver. But it was written that this race would be incredible until its outcome. When around 3:10 p.m., Haywood at the wheel of the n°4 entered the stand in slow motion dragging a plume of smoke, the victory seemed to move away. In the stands, the emotion was at its height; some spectators, disappointed by the defeat of the Renault, were happy with what was happening to the Porsche, hoping that it would not leave. For my part, I could not imagine that this victory would escape the man who had led so wonderfully and fought to the end of his strength. From my observation post, I could feel the tension within the Porsche team. When around 3:40 p.m., Barth took the track back to cross the finish line at no. 4, the two laps locked in slow motion were a nightmare for my spectator/fan heart. Was this engine going to hold? When the car rolled out of “Ford Turn” for the last time, it was a real relief and the end of a tense suspense that had been on my nerves and those of many others. Joy then made its appearance.

Today, more than 25 years after that race, everything is still very present, very fresh in my memory. The simple fact of evoking these 24 hours of Le Mans triggers the film of this 936 rolling at full speed in the night. Today, there is still a sense of having been one of the privileged witnesses to a great moment in the history of motorsport. To have been the spectator of an exceptional race won by a driver in a state of grace. That day, and especially that night, Jacky Ickx drove longer, more than 13 hours, and faster than any other driver on the circuit giving the feeling of being on another planet.

This weekend of June 1977 will forever remain my most beautiful experience in contact with motor racing. Through the magic of an anthology race and a pilot in a state of grace. Congratulations and thank you, Mr. Ickx!!!

Written by Dominique Dreneau
Originally published on 01-03-2003