Pontiac: The Audi of Daytona Prototypes?

[Layla's Keeper]

Well, the look of the DP's is actually a knee-jerk reaction to the death of an SRPII competitor where the car basically collapsed around the driver.

GARRA decided that in order to prevent this from ever happening again, the cars needed to be roomier and so the huge greenhouse and massive roll-cage were mandated into the DP design.

I'd be willing to be that if not for that fatality, DP's would look a lot like the old GTP Camel Lights.

And, for the record, that's a Fabcar.

 

[RACECAR]

Well, the look of the DP's is actually a knee-jerk reaction to the death of an SRPII competitor where the car basically collapsed around the driver.

GARRA decided that in order to prevent this from ever happening again, the cars needed to be roomier and so the huge greenhouse and massive roll-cage were mandated into the DP design.

I'd be willing to bet that if not for that fatality, DP's would look a lot like the old GTP Camel Lights.

And, for the record, that's a Fabcar.

and obviously, a porsche fabcar to be exact .from GTP to DP(what a change). to me, the Fabcars don't seem as aerodynamiclly efficent as the rileys are on the infields or the crawfords are on the superspeedways. wonder why?.

 

[JohnBM01]

Mulsanne, I'd agree with the tracks you mentioned. My list of GARRA courses that would look good with (for the purpose of defending GARRA fans, allow me to use...) the other series can race are Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant and Barber Motorsports Park. The thing is, should the other series have two races in Canada? Or is there such a deal?

I don't know the next race course for the GARRA, but have Pontiac down as favorites in Daytona Prototypes. That is, unless Lexus or some other engine make creates a monumental upset in DP.

Leyla's Keeper, I'm going to have to agree with you on that the Fabcar DPs kind of look like some old-school sportscar muscle. Carry on, please.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

No, no no, that GTP Lights car I posted from the 80's IS a Fabcar chassis. Fabcar's been around a while and have been involved in constructing some of the top race cars of the 80's.

Here's a few more Fabcars.

Jaguar XJR-5

Porsche 935 IMSA spec, Fabcar conversion (Joest, Holbert, and most popularly Kremer performed the IMSA conversions)

Fabcar CL chassis "Lights" category

Porsche 962 IMSA spec conversion (also performed by Chapman and Holbert)

Save Multimatic and Picchio, all of the DP manufacturers have roots in IMSA racing and race winning roots at that.

 

[RACECAR]

No, no no, that GTP Lights car I posted from the 80's IS a Fabcar chassis. Fabcar's been around a while and have been involved in constructing some of the top race cars of the 80's.

Here's a few more Fabcars.

Jaguar XJR-5

Porsche 935 IMSA spec, Fabcar conversion (Joest, Holbert, and most popularly Kremer performed the IMSA conversions)

Fabcar CL chassis "Lights" category

Porsche 962 IMSA spec conversion (also performed by Chapman and Holbert)

Save Multimatic and Picchio, all of the DP manufacturers have roots in IMSA racing and race winning roots at that.

seems like fabcar has mostly been involved with porsche. I know not all are porsche powered GTPs in all of those pics, but it looks as if really thats been the manufacterer they have been together with for a while. by the way, I noticed that all the chassis riley & scott(from the Intrepid GTP to the MK IV DP) has designed seem to share at some point the same blunt nose design. Could be just me but does anybody else thinks so too?

 

[JohnBM01]

For me, the coolest Porsche that isn't a Fabcar (or set me straight if I'm wrong) would be the 1998 Le Mans winning Porsche 911 GT1.

I found out the next race for Rolex Sports Cars is at Mid-Ohio this coming weekend. Good luck to all competitors.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

You're right, John. Riley has always used (save for the MkIIIC variant of their last competing LMP chassis) a "shovel-nose" style front bodywork to maximize downforce.

Most American road courses - unbeknownst to the import fans who have their heads firmly shoved up Japan's collective ass - are incredibly techinical and have many odd cambered corners and sweeping esses. But they also have very fast sections.

Mid-Ohio this weekend is actually one of the best examples of the dichotomy of American road courses. You have wicked tight corner complexes like Madness and the Keyhole, but still have long straights and fast sweepers. It takes a ton of downforce, but still low drag and lots of power, to run an American road course well.

Riley & Scott chassis tend to have the downforce in spades, and are typically paired with superb V8 lumps, so the power half is right in there too.