Motorsports Trivia Thread!

  • Thread starter Cap'n Jack
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TenEightyOne
Lotus 25? I know that was the first stressed monocoque, not sure about the other attributes.
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No, but a good start!

The Lotus 25 of 1962 was the first sheet metal monocoque F1 racing car, I believe. It had disc brakes, rear engine and independent suspension, but not the other required attributes of 4WD and forced induction.

Interestingly, Jim Hall's Chaparral 2, debuting in 1963, had all those same attributes of the Lotus, except its monocoque was fiberglass.

I believe we may classify the 1955 Jaguar D-Type as monocoque and having disc brakes, but Jaguar would not go IRS until the E-Type.




 
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Dotini
No, but a good start!

The Lotus 25 of 1962 was the first sheet metal monocoque F1 racing car, I believe. It had disc brakes, rear engine and independent suspension, but not the other required attributes of 4WD and forced induction.

Interestingly, Jim Hall's Chaparral 2, debuting in 1963, had all those same attributes of the Lotus, except its monocoque was fiberglass.

I believe we may classify the 1955 Jaguar D-Type as monocoque and having disc brakes, but Jaguar would not go IRS until the E-Type.
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I'd missed the 4WD part of the question! In that case it could have been a Climax body... and all I can recall is that it was a tractor manufacturer who built a drive train for it. John Deere?
 
TenEightyOne
I'd missed the 4WD part of the question! In that case it could have been a Climax body... and all I can recall is that it was a tractor manufacturer who built a drive train for it. John Deere?
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You are thinking of the 1961 Ferguson P99 4WD F1 racing car. Front engine, 4WD, independent suspension and disc brakes, but not monocoque. It has a multi-tubular space frame.



Edit:
There are at least two monocoque racing cars that preceded the D-Type that I know of, one of them English, and designed by a Knight of the Empire (hint).
 
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A rear-engined 4WD car was an extremely rare configuration until the MR supercar explosion of the 1980s and 1990s. I think it might be a somewhat later racer that had all of those attributes.

Jaguar XJ220? Monocoque, independent suspension, twin turbo with intercooler and possibly 4WD with the engine behind the driver. The prototype was 4WD but possibly not the final product.
 
Liquid
A rear-engined 4WD car was an extremely rare configuration until the MR supercar explosion of the 1980s and 1990s. I think it might be a somewhat later racer that had all of those attributes.

Jaguar XJ220? Monocoque, independent suspension, twin turbo with intercooler and possibly 4WD with the engine behind the driver. The prototype was 4WD but possibly not the final product.
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Excellent answer! Perfectly rational, brilliantly skeptical, deeply knowledgable, but in this case incorrect. The correct answer to this trivia question involves a car of ridiculously, almost supernaturally advanced specs for it its time. It was designed by a recognized obsessive true genius of a bygone era. However, it was a failure under actual racing conditions, being unreliable for various reasons not necessarily associated to the design features.

Below is the other monocoque car prior to the D-Type I was referring to. It was designed pre-war by another genius, Sir Alec Issigonis, also designer of the very advanced and famous 1959 Mini.



This little racing car which was known as the Lightweight Special is here being driven by its co-designer George Dowson at the Cockfosters Rally, held on July 14, 1945, one of the first automotive events in England after the end of the war in Europe. Dawson’s partner in the design of the Lightweight Special was Alec Issigonis whose fame as an automotive engineer was assured when he designed the ground-breaking Mini-Minor for the British Motor Corporation in 1959.

The Lightweight Special had been built up by Issigonis, working in his home garage with Dowson between 1933-1938. The chassis was actually a very light and stiff monocoque structure of plywood sandwiched between aluminum panels, supported by steel cross-members. The suspension was all independent with swing axles in the rear and used rubber units instead of springs, an effective idea which was carried on to the Mini. The wheels were made of Elektron, a magnesium-aluminum alloy, thereby reducing unsprung weight. The power unit was a supercharged 750 cc Austin Seven motor (perhaps sourced from Issigonis’ own Austin Ulster) which postwar was replaced by an overhead cam 748 cc Morris engine which was substantially more powerful.

The Lightweight Special was very successful prewar with its Austin power, defeating even works-entered Austin-powered cars in hill-climbs and sprints. It still appears in historic car events to this day. Alec Issigonis was knighted in 1969 for his service to the British automobile industry and died in 1988.

Photo by Louis Klemantaski ©The Klemantaski Collection – http://www.klemcoll.com
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http://www.auto-britannia.co.uk/2017/07/31/the-issigonis-lightweight-special/+
 
Some research leads me to the 1938 Miller Gulf Special, the first 4WD car to qualify for the Indy 500.

As you can see, the engine is at the back but I'm unsure about its suspension or body type.

38_Miller-Gulf-Miller-Spcl-DV-11-AI_01.jpg


miller_gulf_special.jpeg
 
We have a winner!
The car was designed by Harry Miller, also responsible for the FWD Indy winning Millers with their straight 8 supercharged Miller engines, more powerful than any pre-war Mercedes or Auto Union on a volumetric basis. Also the designer of the famous Offenhauser, which started life as a boat racing engine.
 
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I have been the team mate of Philippe Streiff, Keke Rosberg and Stefan Johansson but I have never raced in Formula One.

Who am I?
 
Not the driver I have in mind but if you can make the pieces fit, the point is yours. :)

Good guess though.
 
Liquid
Not the driver I have in mind but if you can make the pieces fit, the point is yours. :)

Good guess though.
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It was a guess. Based on an interview with Johansson at the Canadian Grand Prix where he said the car he had driven at Le Mans the previous year was winning now. While he was stuck in Canada. It won. Therefore it probably isn't right. It would be careful Klaus instead.
 
Sorry to mix up the questions with you guys but a thought just came across my mind.

What Formula 1 season has had the most amount of rookie drivers?
 
I'm just going to guess 1994 for the sheer number of pay drivers that blighted that year's grids.
 
I'll guess 1952 or '53, since the switch from the dying era of 1.5 liter superchargers to 2.0 liter normally aspirated cars brought relatively huge grids of newcomers into GP racing.
 
And if the Indy 500 counts...?

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Incidentally, Lewis Hamilton equalled one record and set another one on Sunday:

He equalled Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher's records of 8 pole positions at one Grand Prix.
He set a new record of failing to convert the most pole positions at a Grand Prix with six of his eight pole positions not resulting in wins.
 
Dotini
What is the total of Jan Magnussen's LeMans wins and Rolex watches?
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Class or outright? He's a long-term Corvette driver so he'll have a few class wins at Le Mans but no outright wins. As for Daytona, again, he's a long-term Corvette driver but I've no idea if he's ever won there. Didn't the ALMS and the Grand-Am Rolex series merge to get the current US sports car championship?
 
Liquid
Class or outright?
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Either, but it'll be class.


Liquid
He's a long-term Corvette driver so he'll have a few class wins at Le Mans but no outright wins. As for Daytona, again, he's a long-term Corvette driver but I've no idea if he's ever won there. Didn't the ALMS and the Grand-Am Rolex series merge to get the current US sports car championship?
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Yes, the NASCAR-owned Grand Am have merged with ALMS (and IMSA).
 

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