Derived from the potent Porsche 911 Type 930 Turbo, the Porsche 935 competition car enjoyed a long and immensely fruitful racing career in the hands of Porsche’s Works drivers and privateers worldwide. Of that latter group, few were as successful, and arguably none were more colorful, than the American father-and-son team of John Paul Senior and Junior.

Beginning with the 935 JLP-1 of 1978, the Pauls’ JLP Racing would construct a series of ever-more-radical 935-based racing machines, culminating in the ground-effect aerodynamics-equipped JLP-4. These cars would take the team to incredible heights, including wins at the 1982 Daytona 24 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours in JL-3. Successful in its own right, JLP-2 also represents an important development milestone between the team’s first 935 and the more extreme cars (which ultimately used few Porsche-supplied chassis and body components) still to come.

Following the 1979 racing season and the destruction of JLP-1, the team decided to build a new 935 from the ground up. Starting with a chassis, engine, and other components purchased from Porsche, the so-called JLP-2 was wrapped in Kremer K3 bodywork. The build incorporated everything the team had learned about the 935 so far; in addition to the proven performance-enhancing and weight-shaving efforts developed by Kremer, there was a particular focus on improving chassis rigidity, in part to help tame the car’s ferocious 3.2-liter forced-induction flat-six. Equipped with twin KKK turbochargers and a Kugelfischer fuel injection system and mated to a four-speed transaxle, this engine could produce well in excess of 740 horsepower, depending on the boost level.

As Paul Jr. told Car and Driver in November 2013,

“We really modified that car, especially stiffening the tub and sills. We’d later get into trouble with Porsche for stuff like that. I went right from Formula Fords into the JLP-2. I was using the same braking points at Road Atlanta as in my Ford, but I was going about twice as fast. That’s how good the brakes were.”

Lightweight, rigid, and wickedly powerful, JLP-2 enjoyed a successful debut season, with Paul Sr. and British driver Brian Redman notching a class win and a 3rd overall at the 1980 Silverstone 6 Hours; a 9th overall and 2nd in class at the Le Mans 24 Hours followed, with Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Guy Edwards taking stints at the wheel. Back on the other side of the Atlantic, JLP-2 remained a contender, earning 1st at the Road America 500 Miles with both Pauls sharing driving duty.

The next year, JLP-2 was partially supplanted by the newly constructed JLP-3, and hence saw comparatively limited use in 1981. For the 1982 IMSA Championship season, it was sold to American racer M.L. Speer. That year Speer, along with Terry Wolters and Charles Mendez, achieved 3rd at the Sebring 12 Hours, among other strong results. The car was campaigned through the 1985 season, after which it was retired.

Speer sold the car to American collector Dick Silva in 1988, and from 1994-1995 it was restored by noted California Porsche tuning and race shop ANDIAL. Acquired out of the collection of Steve Goldin by a French historic racing enthusiast in 2015, JLP-2 was again restored with an eye toward vintage competition by Paris-area Porsche motorsports specialist Crubilé Sport. At that time, the engine and gearbox were rebuilt, and the fuel injection system, brakes, and chassis were restored. The engine was rebuilt again in 2019 by Crubilé Sport, who also restored the bodywork back its 1980 Le Mans specification.

Supplied with FFSA (French Federation of Automobile Sport) passport number 77290, it has participated in historic racing events, including the Le Mans Classic in 2016 and 2018, as well as the 2017 and 2019 Dix Mille Tours du Castellet.

Today, this significant Porsche 935 is presented in its 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans livery, including the striking light blue and yellow JLP Racing color scheme. Built for and raced by an unforgettable father-son duo, JLP-2 is a noteworthy part of motorsports history with a record of success on some of endurance racing’s greatest circuits. Moreover, the legendary performance characteristics of the 935, along with the enhancements incorporated into this chassis for John Paul Sr. and Jr., make JLP-2 a particularly appealing prospect for top-level vintage racing events worldwide.