Off the blocks

Cougar Group C cars out of captivity are a rarity, more so chassis that have such an interesting history as the Porsche-powered example now owned by Mike Jankowski. It may have made the last of its five appearances at the Le Mans 24 Hours as a C26S in 1991, but this car dates back to the early days of Yves Courage’s French team.

Jankowski’s car started life as the Ford Cosworth-powered CO2 that raced at La Sarthe in 1984. It subsequently appeared in a further four iterations, all with Porsche power. By ’91 it was bodged a C26S but failed to make the start of that year’s 24 Hours.

Jankowski, who purchased the Cougar as a runner in 2003, shook the car down for the first time at Donington Park in November and plans to field it in Historic Group C events with his Creation Autosportif squad this season.