Great car driven by one of the greats. I met Brian Redman at Laguna when he was driving an IMSA sports prototype, the Group 44 Jaguar XJR-5s in the early 80's, and we talked as we walked along the pits. He was so gracious and charming. Pure class and a real gentleman.
What a talented chap. Have followed his career since the 70s. Got to be one of the greatest drivers of all time. I think within racing one of the most respected. Thanks. John h
Brian Redman is a such a nice gentleman, a natural commentator, I wish he commented on TV for F1. Would bring a touch more genuine humanity and humour from the drivers perspective that even more modern driver-turned-commentators often struggle with.
Brian is one of my all time favorite racers,right behind Derek Bell who I had the chance to talk to back when he was racing with Al Holbert in the Lowenbrow 962. Wonderful gentleman! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
A couple of years ago I was in a crowded customs/passport queue at Gatwick, Derek Bell was right there a few passengers up from me with his wife. As he surveyed the disgruntled rabble he had that ‘I’m famous, but thankfully only in motorsports circles’ look on his face 😂
Imagine driving that. Then imagine driving it in the Targa Florio. Road debris, paper, chickens, hay coming over the bow at every turn, drunken fans, holy crap, that's an epic rip.
great video. Brian Redman is such a great story teller ( good vid of him talking about the 917 ) and looks like such a friendly person, always has a smile. I like how he admits he screwed up 2 times, true gentleman. Redman=gentleman 908 = beast
1970........ I was 19 and a complete motor racing geek. I bought Autocourse magazine weekly and Autocourse annual every year from 1970 for 25 years! I remember BR as one of my favourites as a sports car maestro and he was top notch. Never made it in F1 but that’s always more luck than ability . Derek Bell didn’t either and he was effing brilliant in sports cars!o I never realised that the 908 was chain driven......wow... it’s a glorified motorcycle but it didn’t stop performing wonders in the hands of BR and DB and others. Chapeau guys........those were the days when motor racing was motor RACING not the tedious procession it is now! The only actual racing these days is the lower class single seaters and especially touring cars!!!
I was at Laguna Seca at the Corkscrew when he put that hickey on the side of the car. I chatted with him afterwards and we had a pretty good chuckle at that. A very nice guy.
thanks...appreciate your kindly comment and do subscribe to keep the ball rolling. also, let us know if you might be interested, at a circuit of your choice, to race action document the lovely 917 pictured!
True gentleman, met him often with 2 other great racers and gentlemen, Australian Vern Schuppan and Brit David Hobbs at Le Mans such brilliant drivers and van Lennep is a wonderful guy as well.
i would be quite "nervous" with my feet "in front of the wheels" too.....but i'd be prepared to overcome that for a 1 hour stint at laguna seca in a 908......fully prepared, new tyres and tank full....Yep....i'd do that....haha...
Try being a mechanic back then and refueling at times was done with a funnel and cans of fuel, the stuff spilling and sloshing and mechanics had on greasy overalls...I was one of them.
I adore these racers. The real ones who really has to drive the car. I feel big respect, cause i am less than 1% as good driver as they would be with their eyes closed.
Ill always like Brian Redman such a personable person, and so likeable. very methodical and down to earth person. tired of the silly hyper type younger drivers and talk to much,
Good point. There were 2 other 'former' professional drivers in the mix (driving 917's) but the more nimble 908/3 plus Brian's ability were to prevail.
908 first seen in 1968, but 907 was more reliable. Piddling things like injector drive belts.. Came round right for Sebring, '69... Great race with Andretti 312P and the Wyer Fords.. I put up the big FERRARI sign just before the MG Bridge that year.. Butchers paper and red tempura... FORZA FERRARI GO MARIO Made the magazines.. Noticed by the Scuderia.. The sort of thing one would see at The Targa Florio was my intent.. HA!
This is the 908/3 built especially for the Targa Florio and Nurburgring. An evolution of the 908/2 spyder, the original 908 was a coupe. And I don’t think there has ever been a driver who can drive as quick, drink as much and knows as many jokes as Brian Redman!
GetajobUAhole Not quite. The 917 is descended from the 908. It’s basically 908 engine parts but there are 50% more of them and, of course, the 917 had valve driven gears and a central power take off. The 908 was 3 litres and the original 917 was 4.5 litres.
This man should be exempt from any possible future laws barring the elderly from driving. And that car is getting me awkwardly excited, in an inappropriate for public fashion.
That was such a "Bad A#s" Car..love the color with the "Gulf" logo on the nose (No way you miss that coming in your rearview mirror..lol) Thanks for uploading this great film
The Silver Martini cars were cool, TOO! Always want to see these cars at The 12 Hours.. and Daytona... To run with the 312P Coupes.. Didn't happen.... MONEY!
OMG! This guy commentates beautifully whilst driving better than todays young talent. He probably got paid as much during his career as Lewis Hamiltons dog walker makes in a year.
To be honest being able to have memories of your driving 908/3 competitavely, winning Targa Florio in its original form etc.. is something you can’t equal with any kind of money account anyways.
@@drazenbudis7881 Totally agree, in the last moments of you're life money means nothing but memories mean everything. Enjoy life, you only get one shot.
The more I read of Redman the more I think he was a properly quick driver who never really got a proper shot in F1. Bell and van Lennep seem to be more 'steady' drivers who were well suited to sportscar racing at the time.
Racing is always a calculated risk. Less so in the hands of an experienced professional with long history of racing. Also, with some exceptions, Historic racing is not a 10-10th endeavor.
A great pity we did not see the 908/3 at Sebring and Daytona, 1970-'71.. Particularly since Steve and Peter were a close SECOND to Andretti/512S in their 2 year old 908/2. The 917's mostly BROKE suspensions and chassis. I was THERE! 1964 - 1972 J.C.
I think the 908/1 was/is prettier. The /3s could have been coffins. I was at Sebring '65-72. Been 17 times in all. Haven't been since my relatives there moved or died. Loved the flood of '65.
'64-'72 here... Ditto Daytona Continental, those years... Yes the older cars were prettier The Ferrari 330P4s prettiest of ALL that era. jcarroll330P4@
from my perspective (I've done a bit of Historic racing) the simulators (which I've also tried) are nice, can be effective, time savers but are really not nearly the same (there not meant to be) as actual seat of the pants action. That's just my opinion.
+Felipe Freire yes, that's correct. This circuit, with its relatively short straight, is not particularly suited to the longer legged 917. The 903 is quick, nimble and fits the slow/medium speed turns quite well. Thanks for your comment.
Checkered Flag Films Somewhere on them internets there is a video of a 908 doing the same thing at the same circuit to a 917/30, which had three times the power output. Clearly there is more to racing than engine power and top speeds.
Yeah, but I'm pretty sure everybody can predict who's going to win in which car before the race even begins. I imagine most of the drivers are there for the same reason as the fans; just to celebrate motorsport history, and let the old horses come out of the garage to play for real.
absolutely. also, the difference between its nimble power to weight handling and the tight twisty bits at Laguna Seca where its much better suited than the 917.
+racebends a V supposedly has a two plane crank while a boxer is one plane. So the V has cranks at 90 degree angles. People who argue about this would be better off spending their time arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.
Does Peugeot strike anybody else as a bit of a Porsche wann'a-be? Porsche had the 908, now Peugeot comes out calling their car the 908. And ever since Peugeot returned to Le Mans every model has been called the 908, even though the cars are different through a couple generations, which is like how there were multiple generations of car branded under 917. Anybody else feel that?
