Typically of this generation of hardened racers, Redman remains unsentimental about his fellow Florida resident as he attempts to raise much-needed financial aid. “Of course I knew about Vic’s rally success and his wins in 1968 at Daytona, the Targa and Monte Carlo Rally,” said the Lancastrian when asked for his memories of Elford. “I heard that he asked if I could drive with him in the new 1969 Porsche team with initially 10 drivers and five cars. So I arrived at Daytona to meet Vic and the team in January.
“My right forearm, broken in the Spa F1 accident [in 1968], hadn’t healed, and had to be redone in Johannesburg just five weeks before the race. I took the sling off and didn’t tell anyone, driving pretty well with one hand – so I was not unhappy, or to be more accurate was extremely happy, when one by one our 908s broke down. On Monday morning Rico [Steinemann, Porsche’s team manager] asked if I’d like to be No1 and choose my co-driver or would I go as No2 to Jo Siffert. We had a great season, winning five of the 10 races. So of course now I’m racing against Vic!
“Unknown to the official JWAE Porsche 917 and 908 team was the fact that Porsche Salzburg were also going to run cars for Vic and Kurt Ahrens. So again, we were competitors in 1970. You’re not exactly ‘friends’ when competing against each other, but Vic and I have always had a good relationship. At dinner parties Vic will boast – sorry, talk – about his five Nürburgring wins. I then gently tease him by reminding him that two of those wins came when we broke down: 1970 when the 908/03 ran out of oil and also 1970 when my Chevron B16/S, leading by two and a half minutes, caught fire. Vic won in factory B16.”
Click here to access A GoFundMe account that has been established to benefit Elford.