Porsche's legendary 1977 Le Mans comeback with Jacky Ickx

In 1977, Jacky Ickx drove Porsche 936-001 to a historic Le Mans win after a major setback. Discover the race, the record lap, and the ultimate comeback.

Le Mans, 1977. A 24-hour trial of endurance, precision, and resolve — and for Porsche, a rollercoaster of failure and triumph. What began as a technical catastrophe transformed into one of the most dramatic victories in motorsport history.

Things unraveled early. At 7:40 p.m., the Porsche 935/77 suffered a blown head gasket, forcing Rolf Stommelen and Manfred Schurti out. Soon after, the #4 Porsche 936 driven by Jürgen Barth and Le Mans rookie Hurley Haywood lost its fuel pump. The repair cost them nine laps, pushing the car down to 41st place. The third entry, with Jacky Ickx and Henri Pescarolo, retired after just 45 laps with engine damage.

With nothing to lose, Porsche made a bold move: they put Jacky Ickx behind the wheel of the #4 car — chassis 936-001, the same car that had won the previous year and already clocked over 22,000 kilometers. It had even spent time in the Porsche Museum before successfully completing a 28-hour test prior to the race.

At around 8:30 p.m., Ickx started the fightback. Rain or not, he maintained blistering pace, pulling triple stints and climbing through the field. Lap after lap, he closed the gap. Not only did he break the lap record three times, he set a new fastest time of 3:36.50 — 3.1 seconds quicker than the previous best. While few believed a win was possible, Ickx never lost faith.

By 9:30 a.m. Sunday, the #4 Porsche had taken a commanding 19-lap lead. Then came another twist: with just 46 minutes to go, a piston gave out. Haywood limped the car back to the pits. In a critical repair, mechanics cut ignition and fuel supply to the damaged cylinder. The rules required a car to cross the finish line under its own power to win. Ten minutes before the end, Barth went back out with just five working cylinders, embarking on what would become the two slowest — and most nerve-wracking — laps in Porsche's Le Mans history.

At 3:50 p.m., the battered 936-001 crossed the finish line. It was Porsche’s fourth overall Le Mans victory — and perhaps the most iconic. "By the end, I was physically and emotionally drained," Ickx recalled. But it was worth it. An unforgettable triumph, born from grit, daring, and belief.