Tag Archives: Le Mans

Classic Run Americana – Chipping Sodbury

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Just over a week ago a friend mentioned he was taking part in the Chipping Sodbury Classic (Car) Run and I thought it would be fun to pop over to see what was happening.

Chrysler 77 Royale Coupé, Classic Run Chipping Sodbury

There were a trio of Chryslers taking part two late twenties, E80 convertibles and this 1930 77 Royale Coupé a vehicle spold on it’s superior engineering which included standard “weatherproof hydraulics” for the braking system and came in without extra’s at $1725.

Oldsmobile Saloon, Classic Run Chipping Sodbury

By 1937 US cars were displaying a good deal more Art Deco style than they had been just seven years earlier, an Oldsmobile Six also known as as an F37 and also “The Four Door Touring Sedan, a vehicle in US culture by the 1983 low budget made for TV production of “A Christmas Story” which was declared to be “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant” by the U.S. Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Hudson Commodore 8, Classic Run Chipping Sodbury

In 1942 Hudson was ordered to stop making vehicles for civilian use in order to contribute to the war effort. On the 30th of August 1945 Hudson resumed civilian vehicle manufacture with the mildly face lifted Hudson Commodore 8 at the top of it’s range. The convertible seen above is a 1947 model which was replaced by a completely new design in 1948.

Ford F100, Classic Run Chipping Sodbury

Inspired by the F-100 Super Sabre Jet fighter Ford changed the name of it’s second generation F Series pickup from F1 to F100, the example above was built in 1955 and is powered by a 4.7 litre 286 cui motor.

Ford Mustang, Classic Run Chipping Sodbury

Today’s tenuous link brings together the Hudson Commodore 8 convertible and the Ford Mustang. One of the team who contributed to the design of the pre war Hudson Commodore 8 was Elizabeth Ann Thatcher who left Hudson in 1941 when she married Cadillac designer Joe Oros who went on to become head of the design team at Ford that created the Mustang. The example seen above is a second generation model built in ’67.

Pontiac GTO Convertible, Classic Run Chipping Sodbury

Today’s final featured vehicle is a 1972 Pontiac Le Mans sport convertible with a GTO options including a rare spoiler on the boot / trunk lid. The reason the spoiler is rare is because soon after production of the accessory started the mould broke and the item was subsequently deleted from the options list.

Thanks for joining me on this “Classic Run Americana” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at some Ferraris at the recent San Marino Motor Classic. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Wrecked Prototype Reincanated – Nimrod Aston Martin NRAC/1 #001

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With a world caravan speed record in his pocket set with his twin turbocharged Aston Martin ‘Muncher’ Robin Hamilton came to an agreement with Aston Martin Chairman Victor Gauntlet to enter a partnership to form Nimrod in 1981 which set out to build Aston Martin powered prototype Group C and GTP racing cars.

Nimrod Aston Martin NRA/C2, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The design of the cars was credited to Eric Broadley, though I have always had my doubts about the extent of his involvement because the design does not feature ground effect aerodynamics that were de rigeur in Formula One and becoming rampant in prototype sports cars such as Eric’s contemporary Lola T600 Group C / IMSA GTP design shows.

Nimrod Aston Martin NRA/C2, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Nimrod chassis tubs were certainly built by Lola, they were known in the Lola factory as T385’s and the cars do appear to bear a familial resemblance to the smaller open Lola T380 of the type Alan de Cadanet purchased in 1975. The heavily modified Aston Martin V8’s were prepared initially by Aston Martin Tickford and later by Aston Martin Lagonda.

Nimrod Aston Martin NRA/C2, Goodwood Festival of Speed

It is believed that the 1981 car, seen here at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, belonging to the Louwman Museum is the rebuilt wreck of the prototype that crashed before ever turning a wheel in open competition, that was never raced subsequently either.

Nimrod Aston Martin NRA/C2, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Nimrods turned out to be underfunded and inevitably disappointed, the works cars best result, in second generation NRAC/2 guise that appeared in 1982, was a 5th place finish in the IMSA GTP series which fell to Reggie Smith, Lyn St. James and Drake Olson in the 1983 Sebring 12 Hours. At the end of the season Nimrod Racing folded.

The best Nimrod finish in the World Sports Car Group C series fell to Ray Mallock and Mike Salmon on the Nimrods debut at the 1982 Silverstone 6 Hours. This private entry by Viscount Downe was independently developed by Ray Mallock until 1984 and proved quicker and more reliable than the works entries scoring the marques only Le Mans finish in 1983 when Ray and Mike were joined by Simon Philips and finished 7th from 23rd on the grid.

In 1983 for the Daytona 24 Hours Nimrod manged to team up both 4 time Indy 500 winner and one time Daytona 500 Winner AJ Foyt up with fellow Daytona 500 winner and three time NASCAR Cup winner Darrell ‘Jaws’ Waltrip and an unknown Argentinian Guillermo Maldonado with Darrell’s sponsor Pepsi in their lead #11 car.

They qualified 13th, but retired with engine failure to be classified 54th. AJ who had not driven the car in the race moved over to join Preston Henn in the Henn’s Swap Shop Porsche 935 and shared a victory with Preston, “Brilliant” Bob Wollek and Claude Ballot-Lena.

Thanks for joining me on this “Wrecked Prototype Revived” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psychoontyres” I hope you will join me again for Maserati Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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New Rules Same Result – Audi R18 TDI #106

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New regulations, mandating a smaller motor and smaller fuel cell presented Audi with a new challenge for it’s 2011 Le Mans Challenge.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Ulrich Baretzky was responsible for designing R18 TDI to meet the new challenge and elected for a Coupé body,

Audi R8C, Goodwood Festival Of Speed

a body type not seen on an Audi Le Mans challenger since the Peter Elleray designed Audi R8C, seen above, built in 1999.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The single piece carbon-fiber composite aluminum honeycomb monocoque was manufactured by Dallara in Italy.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

To improve the handling the R18 TDI is fitted with taller and wider front tyres, by effectively moving the mass of the car forwards the balance of the the car is better optimised for to create better front tyre temperatures which improve mechanical grip.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The L shaped tube in front of the cockpit is a Pitot tube for measuring airflow, this could be useful information for determining the aerodynamic balance of the car or more likely to help the engineers determine the engine settings for the motor which is fed air by the duct above the cockpit.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Unlike the previous R15 TDI Le Mans challengers fitted with a pneumatic gear selection system the R18 TDI six speed gearbox was fitted with an electronic gear change system, the main benefit of which was to save weight.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The fuel tank situated behind the cockpit was restricted to 65 litres / 14 imperial gallons comparable to that found in a large, European, daily driver.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The motor was restricted in size to just 3.7 litres / 225 cui for turbocharged diesel powered motors and so a single turbocharged V6 replaced the twin turbocharged 5.5 litre / 335 cui V10 used to power the Audi R15 TDI.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

With only 532 hp, adown from 590 hp on the previous years V10 the R18 TDI chassis #106 seen here at Goodwood, driven by Benoit Tréluyer, Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer was three seconds a lap slower than the 2010 R15 TDI Plus, but still qualified on pole for the 2011 Le Mans 24 hour race.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The 2011 Le Mans 24 hours proved to be a game of cat and mouse between the Audi and Peugeot teams. Audi had the advantage of outright speed, good tyre durability – capable of going 44 laps on a set of slicks, but poor fuel economy – only going 11 laps on a tank of diesel.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Peugeot meanwhile could run 12 laps on a tank of diesel, but only 36 laps on a set of tyres.

Audi R18 TDI, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Audi’s cause was not helped when Allan McNish crashed the #3 entry out of the race in the first hour after tangling with a back marker in an incident from which everyone miraculously managed to walk away.

Seven hours later the #1 Audi driven by Mike Rockenfeller was involved in a similar incident from which he also walked away.
After the a 2 hour safety car period during which the track safety barriers were repaired the #1 Audi was left to fend off a three car onslaught from the diesel V8 powered Peugeot’s which did not suffer their first serious set back until the #7 Peugeot driven by Alexander Wurz hit the barriers and lost 3 laps.

The #1 Audi driven by Benoit, Marcel and Andre manged to pit for the final time without losing the lead and held on to cross the line, just 13 seconds ahead of the fastest Peugeot after 24 hours of racing.

#106 seen here a couple of weeks after the victory appears to have been retired from active competition thereafter. Apart from the Le Mans test weekend in April 2011 where Marco Bonanomi joined the cars regular squad of three drivers to set 4th fastest time the cars only other appearance was in the Spa 1000kms where Benoit, Marcel and Andre finished 5th from 2nd on the grid.

Thanks for joining me on this “New Rules Same Result” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a British Group C Le Mans Challenger. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Hot In Miami – Jaguar XJR5 #006

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If one foreigner deserves a knighthood for trying to keep the British Motor industry alive while it was in self destruct mode twixt the early 1960’s and late 1980’s my nomination without question would go to Bob Tullis who prepared and raced a succession of British sports cars from Triumph and Jaguar to numerous victories over the 30 years in question.

Perhaps most remarkably of all having been a successful driver for 20 years, which included driving a few non British vehicles like the Dodge Dart, AMC Javelin,Bruce Jennings Porsche 911 and a one off drive in a works Oldsmobile Cutlass, Bob and Group 44 Inc business partner Brian Feurstenau managed to persuade Mike Dale of Jaguar Cars Inc, New Jersey, to fund an IMSA GT Prototype project which would see Jaguar return to Le Mans nearly 30 years after their last official appearance at the circuit in 1955.

Tullis who’s diverse endurance experience included driving the Triumph Spitfire Coupé and Howmett gas turbine car at Le Mans employed Lee Dykstra to design the new Jaguar XJR5 IMSA GTP challenger.

Jaguar XJR5, Miles, Silverstone Classic

The XJR5 was to be powered by a variant of the 2 valve per cylinder 5.34 litre / 326 cui Jaguar V12 which Bob had successfully campaigned in his Trans Am Quaker State Group 44 Inc Jaguar E-Type and later XJS models since the mid 1970’s.

In August 1982 Bob and long time co driver Canadian Bill Adam drove the XJR5 to a debut 3rd place finish behind two of the outgoing Porsche 935’s at Road America to score a debut class victory.

Bob and Bill scored the teams first overall victory at Road Atlanta in April 1983, two more followed at Lime Rock and Mosport, Doc Bundy then shared the final XJR5 victory in 1983 at Pocono with Bob.

Jaguar XJR5, Miles, Silverstone Classic

Today’s featured chassis #006 first appeared at the 1984 Daytona 24 Hours where Bill Adam, Pat Bedard and Brian Redman qualified 6th and were classified a disappointing 24th, the sister car driven by Doc Bundy, David Hobbs and Bob Tullius qualified and finished 3rd.

Next time out at Miami with Brian and Doc at the wheel chassis #006 qualified 4th but more importantly crossed the line first when the chequered flag fell. Despite the team increasing the capacity of it’s V12 motors to a full 6 litres / 366 cui a couple of months later this would prove be their only overall victory in 1984.

After Porsche’s top driver Derek Bell had been suitably impressed with the XJR5 after testing it in 1983 Jaguar gave the green light to Bob and Group 44 to take the cars, one of which would be #006 driven by Tony Adamowicz, John Watson and Claude Ballot-Léna to Le Mans in 1984.

Jaguar XJR5, Miles, Silverstone Classic

Tony, John and Claude qualified 19th and retired after an accident on lap 212 while the sister car driven by Brian, Doc and Bob qualified 14th and made it to lap 291 before the gearbox gave up.

Chassis #006 returned to the States and finished the season with a 2nd place finish in the Daytona 3 Hours with Brian and Hurley Haywood at the wheel.

For 1985, by which time Lee Dykstra reckoned he had redesigned 99% of the XJR5, #006 was prepared for the Le Mans 24 hours.

Jaguar XJR5, Miles, Silverstone Classic

Jim Adams joined Brian and Hurley in chassis #006 where the car was qualified 17th and retired after only 151 laps with a constant velocity joint failure.

The sister car driven by Bob, Chip Robinson and Claude qualified 16th and finished 13th overall and first in the GTP class.

The cars final two races were back in the States where Chip Robinson joined Hurley to score a best 2nd place finish at Pocono in September 1985 on it’s final in period race appearance.

At Daytona in December 1985 the XJR5 model appeared for the last time, before it was replaced by the all new XJR7 in 1986, Brian and Hurley sent the model into retirement with a fine second place less than 8.5 seconds behind the winning Hobert Racing Porsche 962 driven by Al’s Holbert and Unser.

Today #006 is owned by Don Miles who can be seen driving the car at Silverstone Classic events in these photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hot In Miami” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Brock’s Fantuzzi Body – de Tomaso Sports 5000 #P70-001

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In 1965 Alejandro de Tomaso turned his attention to building a run of 50 sports racing cars, to be known as the Sport 5000 using the central backbone chassis architecture of his Vallelunga road car as a starting point.

de Tomaso Sport 5000, Modena

Photo Courtesy Bill Noon / Symbolic International.

He replaced the 100 hp 4 cylinder Ford Kent motor used in the road car with a 475 hp 4.7 litre / 289 Ford V8 sourced from Carroll Shelby of the type developed for the Cobra sports racing cars.

de Tomaso Sport 5000, Modena

Photo Courtesy Bill Noon / Symbolic International.

The open top aluminium body work was designed by Pete Brock, who was responsible for designing the Cobra Coupé bodywork for Carroll Shelby, a year earlier and crafted by Fantuzzi.

de Tomaso Sport 5000

Photo Courtesy Bill Noon / Symbolic International.

The cars first public appearances, with rear wheels covered, were in the 1965 Turin Motor Show and 1966 Modena Racing Car Show. Around this time Ghia had stepped in with some financial assistance and the car was known as the Ghia de Tomaso. In March 1966 Pierre Noblet, Franco Bernabei, Umberto Maglioli were entered to drive the car in the Sebring 12 Hours, but it failed to show up.

de Tomaso Sport 5000

Photo Courtesy Bill Noon / Symbolic International.

The Sport 5000 entry for the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours was refused by organisers Automobile Club de l’Ouest, but in July 1966 Roberto Bussinello drove the Sport 5000, on it’s competition debut, in the Cuircuito del Mugello road race where the car retired on the opening, 66 km, lap.

Palm Springs Concours d'Elegance

The only Sport 5000 built at de Tomaso’s Modena factory would never race again, by this time Shelby had turned his attentions to the Ford GT40 programme and production of the Sport 5000 was put on indefinite ice.

Pete Brock used elements of the Sport 5000 design including the adjustable rear wing, in the Suzuki Hino race car, while de Tomaso used the strengthend chassis design in the Ford 289 and later 302 cui V8 powered de Tomaso Mangusta.

The unique Sport 5000, a contemporary of the Ford GT40 and Ferrari P3, did not surface again until after Alejandro de Tomaso died in 2004. In 2006 a second car was built known as a 70P using the original cars panels as a template for the copy.

Earlier this year the de Tomaso Sport 5000, which is now being offered for sale by Bill Noon’s Symbolic International, was seen, above, by Geoffrey Horton at Palm Springs Concours d’Elegance.

My thanks to Bill Noon at Symbolic International for sharing his photographs of the Sport 5000 and to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photograph too !

Thanks for joining me on this “Brock’s Fantuzzi Body” edition of Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at an American project that took Jaguar back to Le Mans in the mid 1980’s. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Pulling The Plug – Peugeot 908 HYbrid4

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In 2007 Peugeot started a A V12 Turbo Diesel Prototype Sports Car programme that produced victory at Le Mans over the hitherto dominant Audi Team in 2009.

Peugeot 908 HYbrid4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

For 2011 new regulations saw the introduction of a smaller V8 powered turbo diesel 908 Prototype Turbo Diesel racer which scored outright wins at Spa, Imola, Silverstone, Road Atlanta and Zhuhai

Peugeot 908 HYbrid4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

As early as 2008 Peugeot had shown a V12 turbo diesel powered hybrid racer, but it was not until 2011, after the HYbrid4 had been taken to the Geneva Motor Show, that development of the V8 turbo diesel powered HYbrid4 started to gather momentum with a view to racing in 2012.

Peugeot 908 HYbrid4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

In addition to it’s traditional diesel fueled motor the Hybrid4 was fitted with a 60 kw kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) which stores kinetic energy generated under braking in Li-ion battery cells which was used to power electric motors driving the rear wheels under acceleration.

Peugeot 908 HYbrid4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Peugeot KERS system is said to have developed and additional 80hp at the mandated speed limit with out aid from the diesel motor.

Peugeot 908 HYbrid4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Towards the end of 2011 Peugeot gave the HYbrid4 a systems test at Estoril,

Peugeot 908 HYbrid4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

In 2012 while the Peugeot team was preparing to test the new car at Sebring Peugeot head office announced poor financial circumstances meant that the manufacturer had no option but to withdraw from Protoype Sports Car racing effective immediately, and so the HYbrid4 never turned a wheel in competition.

Thanks for joining me on this “Pulling The Plug” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at another car that did not quite make it to Le Mans. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Racing Van – Maserati 151/3 Recreation

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Parts of today’s featured car started life as the Maserati France entered Maserati 151 chassis #151.002 which raced at Le Mans in 1962 alongside Briggs Cunningham’s chassis #151.004 and #151.006, the latter which I looked at last Monday.

Maserati 151/4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

#151.002 was driven by Maurice Trintignant and Lucien Bianchi in the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours qualifying 7th, slowest of the three Maserati 151 models and retiring after completing 152 laps with suspension issues.

Maserati 151/4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

In April 1963 #151.002 reappeared at the Le Mans Test with a 5 litre / 302 cui V8 motor replacing the original 4 litre / 244 cui unit. André Simon and Lloyd Casner drove the car to the 4th fastest time and returned in June to qualify 5th for the 24 Hour race but retired after 40 laps with gearbox issues.

Maserati 151/4, Baxter / Mass, Goodwood Revival

#151.002, also known at the time as 151/2, appeared in three more events in 1963 scoring a best 8th place finish in the Trophée d’Auvergne at Clermond Ferrant (F) with Lucien Bianchi at the wheel.

Maserati 151/4, Baxter / Mass, Goodwood Revival

For 1964 #151.002 was further upgraded with a dry sump motor mounted lower in the chassis which was also altered to accommodate wire tires and wheels. Finally the car also had a new Piero Drogo penned unpainted aluminium body fitted just in time for the 1964 Le Mans test, the new body quickly earned the “Racing Van” sorbriquet.

Maserati 151/4, Goodwood Festival of Speed

Maurice Trintignant and France’s Maserati importer André Simon set 4th fastest time in the reworked Maserati and found it capable of 196 mph on the Mulsane straight. For the ’64 Le Mans race the Maurice and André qualified #151.002 15th, but retired after 99 laps with electrical issues. The same drivers were entered to drive #151.002 in two more events but retired with ignition issues from the Reims 12 Hours and after an accident from the Paris 1000 kms at Circuit de Linas-Montlhéry.

For 1965 the final incarnation of #151.002 also known as 151/4 included fitting a slightly larger 5055cc / 308 cui V8 which produced 450 hp. The car was again taken to the Le Mans Test weekend where Lloyd “Lucky” Casner of Camoradi Racing Team fame met his untimely demise in #151.002 at the kink on the Mulsanne Straight being fatally thrown from the car which was effectively destroyed in the accident.

During the 1980’s Herr Kaus of the Bianco Museum owned one of the 151/3 spec motors from the crashed #151.002, as he did the uncrashed #151.006 car, and was supplied by Maserati with drawings to build a new 151/3 spec chassis and the original 151/3 body buck so that Sig Allegretti, who built the original body, could build another !

Herr Kaus never got the project finished, but more recently Barrie Baxter, seen sharing the car with Jochen Mass at Goodwood Revival, has.

My thanks to Doug Nye and driverider at The Nostalgia Forum for their comments.

Thanks for joining me on this “Racing Van” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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