I read a bit about this on the Nürburgring site forum, don't know how true it is, but apparently the story is in one of the German MSA books. Goes like this:
Gustav Heinemann was on a resignation tour through the Federal States and the Nürburgring was on the programme. The President wanted a lap in a really quick car, and Kauhsen & the 917/10 were duly selected.
It snowed the night before and next morning, all around
Hatzenbach was covered in the stuff. The President still says he is ready, but Klaus (Bischoff) tells Willi he can't go through with it. They eventually come to an agreement under a bit of pressure from Heinemann, saying they will do a 'careful' lap.
2 police Opels go off in front, Kauhsen & Heinemann (wearing Willi's spare helmet and coat) following 10 minutes later.
After
Flugplatz, the track is said to have been more damp than snowy, so Kauhsen gives it "70% of the maximum". A 360 through a slushy
Hohe Acht sees them pass one of the Opels in a ditch, before arriving on the Dottinger straight pulling 280 km/h (175mph). The lap was reputedly a 12.30, when a 7.30 would have been a good time in the dry (Bellof's record is a 6.25). Heinemann went off and did a few more visits in the region before arriving back to a dinner that evening. He looked around for Kauhsen, only to find he wasn't on the guest list.
Interesting that Kauhsen enjoyed long-term ownership of both 917 10 001 and the ex-Jo Siffert car, chassis no. 002 also, just learned that. I knew something about Willi's F1 asiprations though. Great stories seem to surround him; those were definitely the days! The car is also on the
Car and Classic and Coys websites.
