In 1983, the meteoric rise of Stefan Bellof set the racing world alight. His success racing the Porsche 956 alongside heralded names like Ickx, Bell and Stuck, despite his tender age, indicated the promise this young man held. So esteemed was his 6:11.13 record lap at the Nurburgring, that it opened the doors into Formula One with Tyrrell.

Though most remember the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix as the race where Ayrton Senna announced himself to the world by chasing down Alain Prost in an inferior car, it was Bellof who was gaining on the Brazilian hand-over-fist. Had the race not ended prematurely due to rain, the German had a good chance of overtaking Senna, and history might have played out differently.

Bellof is still seen, in many’s eyes, as the “King of the Ring.”

However quick he was in a Grand Prix car, Bellof did his best work in Porsche’s 956. It was one of the best, if not the dominant force, in eighties sportscar racing, thanks to its combination of reliability, incredible grip and a punchy turbo motor. In fact, the ground effects this car became known for helped usher in an era of sportscars with performance not far from that of a contemporary F1 car.

The 956 was a physical machine, too. Though the ride was exceptionally comfortable for a racing car, the inputs were all heavy and unaided, and poor cooling meant the cockpit would get incredibly hot during races. More importantly, the ground effects gave the car huge levels of grip, and the g-forces put huge strains on the driver. As Hans Joachim Stuck says, “it was a real man’s work.”

Bellof and Porsche enjoyed plenty of success with the 956, and with a segway into Formula One, his future looked bright. However, the young German’s life was cut short in an accident at the 1000km of Spa in 1985. Aged only 27 years old, Bellof’s professional career was still in its fledgling stages. What would’ve come is uncertain, but there’s no doubt, he would have set a few more records.