M1 Momentum issue 3 Autumn / Winter 2023 by Hothouse Media

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF M1 CONCOURSE

ISSUE 3

FORDvFERRARI THE TRUE STORY, AS WE CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF LE MANS AT AMERICAN SPEED FESTIVAL

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WELCOME TO THE THIRD EDITION OF M1 Momentum, which I hope you enjoy. We continue to be delighted and flattered by the reaction to our new publication. As I write this we’re about to host the Woodward Dream Show again, and are building up to the American Speed Festival. Both continue to grow, as you’ll see in the pages that follow. And what a year for celebrations: 50 years of IROC, 70 years of Corvette, 100 years of Le Mans, all of which we’ve been celebrating at our events this year. For the American Speed Festival we’ve just added a tribute to the event. Reeves Callaway was one of the legends in the world of Corvette performance and made an impact when he went to Le Mans. In his memory we are proud to help celebrate his life with his family and the Callaway community. To mark the IROC anniversary, well known author Matt Stone explains in this issue of the magazine how the series started out and progressed through the inaugural year’s Porsches to the more obvious muscle cars – and how top-named drivers from different disciplines fared against each other. To follow on from issue 2’s epic piece on Americans at Le Mans, Simeone Automotive Museum curator Harry Hurst this time relays

Welcome

M1 MOMENTUM

the true story of Ford v Ferrari, a tale that’s considerably more fascinating and nuanced than Hollywood’s version. We’ve also signed a deal with Sunoco Race Fuels to supply high-octane fuel from our newly opened Prefix Performance Center; so now you can refuel without leaving the site. Sunoco has an amazing history, and its racing division dates back to the 1960s when it first started to sell high-octane fuel – attracting the attentions of competitors – and then began to sponsor race cars. One of the greatest of those cars, and a personal favorite, is the Porsche 917/30 campaigned by the late, great Mark Donohue (otherwise known as both ‘Mr Nice’ and, later, ‘Dark Monohue’). Seeing as it’s also Porsche’s 75th anniversary this year, we couldn’t resist celebrating our new partnership with Sunoco by featuring Donohue’s all-conquering 917/30. In the brand’s dark-blue colors, it looks simply stunning. Finally, congratulations to M1’s chief instructor Johnny O’Connell, who has returned to racing – and to the podium – recently. Le Mans veteran Johnny’s presence at M1 Concourse is yet another reason to enjoy the venue; we hope to see you here soon. Tim McGrane, CEO, M1 Concourse 5

The Winning Tradition continues… With its unsurpassed innovations and years of experience, it’s easy to understand why more and more engine builders, racers, tracks and sanctioning bodies choose Sunoco over all other racing gasoline combined. As the largest manufacturer of racing gasolines in the world, Sunoco has a 50-year track record of winning performances. With an expanded product line, Sunoco offers drivers more choices than ever before. For the performance your engine is designed to deliver, consistently choose Sunoco Race Fuels.

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MOMENTUM ISSUE 03 FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

CONTENTS UPFRONT

M1 Concourse events diary – what’s in store for 2024

Captured on Camera Memories of some recent M1 events

Preview American Speed Festival

News Prefix Performance Center is now open on site

News M1 Concourse wins RACER’s Edge Award

News Latest from M1’s artist in residence Nico Rousselet

News The appeal of Michigan’s Oakland County

Report Fiero 40th Anniversary Celebration

Report Woodward Dream Show

Report Sick Powerfest

F E AT U R E S

58 M1 MOMENTUM

Dream Garage Unit 149

Porsche’s 917/30: the Turbopanzer

Cover Story Ford v Ferrari

New-Car Track Test Radical SR3 XXR

International Race of Champions

Johnny O’Connell returns!

102

GMC Motorhome

110

The M1 Story Track cars

114

Local History Rapid Motors, Pikes Peak and William Durant 7

118

MOMENTUM ISSUE 03 FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 2 3

CONTENTS USEFUL

118

Local Knowledge Yankee Air Museum

124

Desirables Products

130

Desirables Books

132

Desirables Watches

140

134

Buying Guide Lambo Gallardo

140

Automobilia Car posters

144

Track Tips From the experts

146

Parting Shot Andretti wins!

124

134

144 8

M1 MOMENTUM

W H O T O C O N TA C T

The official magazine of the M1 Concourse www.m1concourse.com 1 Concourse Drive, Pontiac, MI 48341-2216

248-326-9999

Timothy P McGrane Chief Executive Officer tmcgrane@m1concourse.com

Brian Harris Director of Finance bharris@m1concourse.com

Blair Cremeens Director of Marketing bcremeens@m1concourse.com

Keith Bonn Director of Track Operations keith@m1concourse.com

Bruce Rothschild Director of Event Center Sales brothschild@m1concourse.com

Mike Roberts Director of Hospitality mike@m1concourse.com

Joe Pope Director of Operations joe@m1concourse.com

Anne Sloney Executive Administrator asloney@m1concourse.com

Austin Fietsam Car Selection Specialist afietsam@m1concourse.com

Julie Keats Merchandise Brand Manager jkeats@m1concourse.com

Shelby Harris Events Operations Manager sharris@m1concourse.com

Nathan Roeske Client Services Administrator nroeske@m1concourse.com

Dan Fuoco Digital Marketing Manager dfuoco@m1concourse.com

Cathleen Chonacki Marketing Project Manager cathleen@m1concourse.com

Jonathan Petrous Marketing Project Manager jpetrous@m1concourse.com

Richard Powell Graphic Designer rpowell@m1concourse.com

William Kneal Sr Facilities Manager bkneal@m1concourse.com

Anthony Smith Facilities Safety Manager anthony@m1concourse.com

Lisa Molzon Motorsports Club Administrator lmolzon@m1concourse.com

Marc Molzon Lead Driving Instructor marcmolzon@m1concourse.com

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© Hothouse Media Ltd. M1 Momentum and associated logos are registered trademarks of M1 Concourse. All rights reserved. All material in this magazine, whether in whole or in part, may not be reproduced, transmitted or distributed in any form without the written permission of M1 Concourse and Hothouse Media Ltd. Hothouse Media Ltd uses a layered privacy notice giving you brief details about how we would like to use your personal information. For full details, please visit www.magnetomagazine.com/privacy. M1 Momentum is published biannually by Hothouse Publishing Ltd on behalf of M1 Concourse. Great care has been taken throughout the magazine to be accurate, but the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions that might occur. The editors and publishers of this magazine give no warranties, guarantees or assurances, and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised in this edition.

M1 MOMENTUM

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MOMENTUM NEWS

Dates for the diary 2024 M1 Concourse’s actionpacked year ahead includes everything from Cars & Coffee to on-track action and charity fundraisers

OCTOBER 03-06 JANUARY 2024

M AY 2 0 2 4

North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year Awards M1 plays host to one of the most prestigious events of the year, with manufacturers from across the globe vying to be top dog.

MARCH 2024

Japanese Domestic Manufacturers (JDM) and Asian Brands.

Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride

Detroit AutoRama

This global motorcycle event raises funds and awareness for prostate-cancer research and men’s mental-health programs on behalf of the Movember Foundation.

APRIL 2024

31-JUN 2

01-03

Make your way to Huntington Place for the 71st running of this haven for hot rods and customs.

Detroit Grand Prix

A high-octane weekend of IndyCars flashing through the streets of downtown Detroit.

M1 Cars & Coffee

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.

M1 Cars & Coffee

M1 MOMENTUM

EVENTS DIARY

JUNE 2024

TBD

Teen Street Skills

16-17

Get front-row seats in your own car as the night sky comes alive over a community-led car show.

Moving motoring history at M1 and along the roads that forged the legends of Woodward Avenue. An escorted parade will cruise down the avenue to downtown Pontiac before heading back to M1 for the all-day cruise-in.

Cars Under The Stars Fireworks Spectacular

Advanced driver-training program in Detroit for newly permitted and licensed teen drivers.

J U LY 2 0 2 4

TBA

Celebrate historic American aircraft and cars at the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport.

Antique, antique and classic.

Detroit’s Invitational Wings and Wheels

M1 Cars & Coffee

General Motors brands.

Tin Roof Music Festival

Entertainment guaranteed as great live music meets a feast of automotive delights at M1.

EyesOn Design at the Eleanor and Edsel Ford House Rarely seen concept cars and cutting-edge design at this fundraising event in aid of the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology.

Motor Muster at The Henry Ford

Travel through the history of the American automobile with this laid-back show.

APRIL 06

M1 Cars & Coffee

Collector Car Appreciation Day. SEMA’s celebration raises awareness of the role automotive restoration and collection plays in US society will see Garage Owners, Motorsports Club and Car Club members enjoy M1 circuit laps.

Woodward Dream Show and Dream Parade

SEPTEMBER 2024

TBA

Detroit Concours d’Elegance at the Detroit Institute of Arts

Automotive glitterati from across the globe and home soil compete for concours glory.

TBA

North American International Auto Show

AUGUST 2024

Head to Huntington Place for the inside scoop on the freshest designs and innovative technological advancements.

TBA

All eyes on Detroit as the leading lights in the international motor industry are honored.

Supercars and European marques.

Automotive Hall of Fame Induction Awards

M1 Cars & Coffee

Hot rods, customs and street rods.

Sick Powerfest presented by M1

Burn-outs, drag-strip action and drifting for those who love the smell of burning rubber.

M1 Cars & Coffee

09-10

Old Car Festival at The Henry Ford

Enjoy antique cars, live music and street food at America’s longest-running antique car show.

OCTOBER 2024

03-06

American Speed Festival

Held in association with Comerica Bank, this is your chance to witness everything from vintage Indy cars and historic stock cars to modern-day supercars taking on M1’s challenging circuit. There’s plenty more to see off-track, too.

Checkered Flag Ball

Fine food and friendship from Checkered Flag Challenge, in aid of M1 Mobility.

M1 Cars & Coffee

Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth and all Mopar brands.

EVENT REPORT

ABOVE July’s M1 Cars & Coffee event celebrated everything from the Mopar performance universe, with plenty of hot machinery from Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, Ram and Jeep in attendance.

RIGHT AND BELOW The Shifters and Shenanigans St Patrick’s Day Celebration was a fabulous opportunity for participants to let their hair down.

Captured on camera Want to know what else has been going on at M1 Concourse? Our roving photographers caught just some of the events and excitement

THIS PAGE From European exotica to all-American muscle – as well as would-be ‘Rosie the Riveters’ touting their actual

muscles – everything and everybody is welcome at the M1 Cars & Coffee events.

ABOVE A crisp early start for April’s M1 Saturday Cars & Coffee turned into a spectacularly sunny day.

ABOVE Fins ’n’ chrome classics never fail to draw a crowd, and this spectacular 1955 Buick Roadmaster convertible’s ‘jukebox’ dashboard shows why.

M1 MOMENTUM

BELOW The Meeting Planners’ Showcase was an evening just for corporate, industry and charity meeting and event planners, highlighting all that M1 Concourse has to offer.

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EVENT PREVIEW

American Speed Festival SEPTEMBER 28– OCTOBER 1, 2023

A rare opportunity to see race cars from every era perform on the M1 Concourse Speed Ring – and a whole lot more as well. We’ll see you there!

W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K

A M E R I C A N S P E E D F E S T I VA L

THE AMERICAN SPEED FESTIVAL IS back – and it promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Presented in association with Comerica Bank and 106.7 WLLZ Detroit’s Wheels, it will feature everything from vintage IndyCars and Historic stock cars to the very latest supercars, all performing around the exciting 1.5-mile Speed Ring. This year M1 Concourse is paying tribute to the Le Mans 24 Hours in its 100th year, 70 years of the Chevrolet Corvette and 50 years of the IROC series. However, that’s just the start – so let us guide you through four days of spectacular action on and off the track.

CONFIRMED CARS In honor of the Le Mans 24 Hours centenary, there’s a chance to see the 1967 Ford GT40 MkIV racing car built for Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt. In 1967 the duo beat the second-placed Ferrari by 32 miles at a record-breaking average speed of 135.48mph. There’s also an opportunity to study a Continuation of the 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe, built by Mike McCluskey to evoke memories of GT class wins at Le Mans in the mid-1960s. Other 24 Hours cars include the 1994 24

PREVIOUS SPREAD See the world’s greatest car brands and motor sport icons at the American Speed Festival. THIS SPREAD Plenty of action on track – and M1 Concourse hospitality as well.

‘Where else can you see the likes of vintage IndyCars and stock cars on the same bill as drift and rally machines, as well as modern supercars?’ M1 MOMENTUM

Callaway C6 SuperNatural Corvette LM built for Enrico Bertaggia, Johnny Unser and Frank Jelinski. It was the first Corvette to race at Le Mans in 18 years when it debuted in 1994, and it bagged second in class and ninth overall in 1995. The 2001 Callaway C12-R developed by the late, great Reeves Callaway will be on display at the American Speed Festival, too. Corvette fans will also love their chance to see a recreation of the 1960 CERV 1. The forerunner of the Corvette C8, inside GM it is known as the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle, and it was Zora Arkus-Duntov’s pet project. You’ll also get to see Corvette serial number 21550 – the best-documented L88 Convertible in the world. It’s believed to be the only 1967 L88 Convertible to retain its engine block, heads, crankshaft, rods, pistons, lifters and valve train. It’s the most successful L88 Convertible of them all, with an eight-year racing career that included a second-place class finish at the 1970 Daytona 24 Hours for the Cliff Gottlob privateer racing team. It notched up 300 podium finishes during its racing career, with more than half of those being outright victories. Impressive stuff! On the subject of Chevrolet, we are

celebrating 50 years of IROC with a brace of storied Camaros to enjoy. The first is the 1974 car campaigned by Roger Penske’s team between 1974 and 1977 with such driving talent as David Pearson, Johnny Rutherford, AJ Foyt, Jody Scheckter, Brian Redman, Bobby Allison and James Hunt behind the wheel. We also have the 1978 light-blue Camaro campaigned by Darrell Waltrip, Gordon Johncock, Cale Yarborough, Peter Gregg, Alan Jones, Donnie Allison, Keke Rosberg, Buddy Baker and Don Whittington. This car gave Gregg one of his most famous victories back in 1978; at the Riverside International Raceway event, he led every lap. If you’re a fan of open-wheel racing, you will be pleased to hear that we have two tribute cars to AJ Watson’s machines. The first is a tribute to Jim Hurtubise’s 1960 car, which set a single-lap speed record of 149.601mph at Indy in his rookie year. The second is a tribute to the 1963 Indy 500-winning car driven by Parnelli Jones, which was also the first car to record laps in excess of 150mph. Other vintage IndyCars will include the famed STP Turbine, 1972 Olsonite Eagle, Chuck Jones’ 1970 Eagle, the Domino’s Pizza

SPEED & STYLE EXPO CLASSES

Class 1: Americans at Le Mans: The Drivers, The Teams, The Cars Class 2: Corvette Class 3: IROC Class 4: Time Trial Fastest Lap Competition Class 5: Vintage Indy Class 6: Sports Cars and Endurance Race Cars Class 7: Supercar Class 8: Rally and Drift Race Cars Class 9: Lamborghini (60th Anniversary) Class 10: Aston Martin Class 11: Chevrolet Corvette Class 12: Mopar Class 13: American Classic (Up to 1989) Class 14: Import Classic (Up to 1989) Class 15: American Performance (Post 1990) Class 16: Import Performance (Post 1990) Class 17: Muscle Car (Pre-1990) Class 18: Pony Car (Pre-1990) Class 19: Hot Rod (All Years) Class 20: Custom (All Years) Class 21: Motorcycle (All Years)

M1 MOMENTUM

Lola-Cosworth, the popular Gilbert Cheetah, the Dan Gurney Racing/AAR Pepsi Challenger Eagle and the stunning Swede Savage STP Eagle, which will be emerging from a full restoration just in time for the event. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be bringing along cars from its museum as well – and not all of them Indy machinery. These will include the last Ferrari to win Le Mans until 2023 – the 1965 250LM.

DRIVE & DINE TOUR (THURSDAY) Start the day with a continental breakfast in M1’s Event Center, before taking in a rare opportunity to get up close to two car collections via a guided tour around the rural outskirts of Detroit. Then return to M1 for a parade lap. Enough to work up an appetite? You bet – helpfully, the Motor Grille will be able to help with that at the end of the day, with a fine-dining experience...

MOTOR GRILLE (THURSDAY) Join like-minded enthusiasts for an evening of fine food, intriguing conversation and good old-fashioned banter about all things automotive in the Motor Grille. 25

A M E R I C A N S P E E D F E S T I VA L

SPEED RING COMPETITION (FRIDAY AND SATURDAY) Whatever your favorite era of motor sport, you’ll be sure to enjoy our Speed Ring Competition. Where else can you see the likes of vintage IndyCars and stock cars on the same bill as drift and rally machines, as well as modern supercars? You’ll also see IROC, sports and endurance cars and Le Mans icons take on M1’s circuit. On Friday there will be a parade dedicated to Corvettes, while Saturday will favor Ford GT40s.

GARAGE REVEAL (FRIDAY) A rare opportunity for public access to an otherwise private community. Shuttles will deliver you to the front door of each garage throughout the evening as you stroll through the spaces in awe, allowing you to peek behind the curtain to see astonishing cars, fascinating automobilia and fantastic architectural designs. To keep energy levels high for a night of exceptional automotive delights, dinner will be served at the Event Center before the tours begin. 26

CHECKERED FLAG BALL (SATURDAY) Join us for an exclusive evening of dinner, drinks, great live music and special guest appearances at the Checkered Flag Ball. It’s all for a good cause – the event is presented by Checkered Flag Challenge, the philanthropic arm of M1 Concourse, and will benefit M1 Mobility and the Pontiac Community Foundation. The initiative seeks to provide transportation solutions that connect Pontiac residents with essential community services and programs in the area. Join 300 guests for a memorable celebration of the world of elite motor sport, enjoy chefdriven cuisine plus exceptional wines and spirits, and dance the night away at an exclusive after party overlooking the track.

SPEED & STYLE EXPO (SUNDAY) Vintage racing cars of every persuasion, the latest performance cars, club displays, parades and more – this relaxed day allows you to take in the sights and sounds of a variety of cars, over M1 MOMENTUM

21 classes. These include Corvette, IROC, Le Mans, Vintage Indy, Lamborghini (60th Anniversary), Aston Martin, plus a variety of American and import classes spanning many generations. There’s an opportunity to vote for the best automobiles on the day, and just after midday there’s a speaker symposium panel discussion in the Event Center Ballroom. If the weekend hasn’t been adrenalin fueled enough, book yourself in for a Race Speed Track Experience around the M1 Circuit North Loop.

ART EXPO (SUNDAY) Today also gives the chance to sample the finest artistic works in the automotive field in the 6200sq ft M1 Event Center conference hall.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL... Throughout all four days you’ll be able to enjoy a wide range of food and drink, as well as remotecontrol car racing and live music. There really is something for everyone. Find out more at www.m1concourse.com.

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PREFIX PERFORMANCE CENTER

PREFIX CORP HAS OFFICIALLY OPENED its Prefix Performance Center at M1 Concourse, with fuel service supplied by Sunoco Race Fuels thanks to a newly announced partnership between Sunoco and M1. The performance automotive services at Prefix are not typically available to the general public, but they will be open at the M1 Concourse to M1 garage owners and car enthusiasts who visit the facility. The three-bay service garage and retail pro shop will handle most regular maintenance, tech inspections for performance drivers, brake work plus wheel and tire changes. More extensive work, such as complete engine builds, restorations and dyno testing, will be performed at the nearby Prefix Rochester Hills location. “M1 Concourse is an exciting location with a lot of cool activities taking place,” explained Prefix Corporation vice president, Jhan Dolphin. “Most of the concept vehicle work and other projects we’re involved with at our Rochester Hills corporate headquarters are extremely confidential. Our presence at M1 provides us not only with an opportunity to promote who we are, but also to work 28

MOMENTUM NEWS

Prefix opens one-stop shop New Prefix Performance Center now on site at M1 Concourse, with Sunoco Race Fuels available, too

ABOVE Retro-style facility is a fabulous new addition to the facilities at M1 Concourse.

M1 MOMENTUM

directly with the M1 garage owners and those who visit the property.” Established in 1979 and now with nearly 300 employees, Prefix serves the automotive and aviation industries, creating concept vehicles and prototypes, while its paint division applies finishes to a variety of luxury vehicle programs and specialty low-volume projects. In addition, the Prefix Entertainment division creates attractions for theme parks, including props for shows and exhibits, as well as models and specialty vehicles for television and film. As for Sunoco, it has grown from its humble roots as a small oil company in Pittsburgh, PA, to one of the largest fuel-distribution companies in the US. Its fuels first came to the attention of racers in 1950, when it blended its first high-octane fuels, 260 and 280. Then in 1966 it officially entered motor sport, sponsoring and fueling victories for Mark Donohue and Penske Racing Team’s Corvette Stingray. Its distinctive liveries have gone down in racing history. The Sunoco Race Fuels division will be supplying 87UL, 89UL, 93UL, 100UL and 110L-octane gas from the new retro-style facility.

GASSER BUSH ASSOCIATES

FOR ALL YOUR LIGHTING NEEDS!

LIGHT LEVEL

We couldn’t be happier with our partnership with Gasser Bush. They have been the premier lighting supplier for the M1 Concourse Event Center and several of the private M1 garages. – Timothy McGrane, CEO, M1 Concourse

R A C E R’S E D G E AWA R D

M1 Concourse wins RACER’s Edge Award Accolade presented in recognition of 87-acre ex-GM site’s incredible transformation

ABOVE M1 Concourse CEO Tim McGrane accepts the 2023 RACER’s Edge Award from administrative trustee Elliott Laws.

IN EARLY AUGUST, M1 CONCOURSE WAS presented with the prestigious 2023 RACER’s Edge Award, in recognition of its innovative reuse of the former General Motors’ manufacturing property in Pontiac, Michigan. Elliott P Laws of EPLET, LLC, administrative trustee of RACER Trust, presented the award to M1 Concourse CEO Tim McGrane during a ceremony at Huntington Place, host of the 2023 National Brownfields Training Conference. “The work Tim and his team have done in building M1 Concourse and turning it into a must-see destination for auto enthusiasts in southeast Michigan is nothing short of inspiring, and has played a major role in the ongoing revitalization of Pontiac,” Elliott said. “We couldn’t be more pleased and happy that M1 Concourse has been so successful, both for the community and for the people whose work and commitment to a bold vision are bearing fruit.” Tim responded: “With our owner’s vision, the property’s transformation was nothing short of extraordinary. This could only have been possible with the support and guidance of RACER Trust and the brownfields experts M1 MOMENTUM

who guided the inception of this 87-acre project. The development of the track, garages and special-events venue came to life and far exceeded our imaginations, and we’re continuing with further development of M1.” RACER Trust presents RACER’s Edge Awards to individuals and organizations in recognition of their successful redevelopment of former RACER properties, or for their support in helping RACER achieve its remediation and redevelopment mission in RACER communities. In addition to M1 Concourse, this year’s winners were the American Center for Mobility located in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, RAV Properties in Syracuse, New York, and the City of Flint and the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, Michigan. Past winners include Ashley Capital (redevelopment in Livonia, Michigan), AUCH Construction (Pontiac, Michigan), Lear Corporation (Flint, Michigan), Sirmax (Anderson, Indiana) and Ameresco (Danville, Illinois). RACER Trust stands for the Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response Trust. The organization’s environmental cleanup and subsequent redevelopment by buyers and end users of former General Motors Corp (GM) properties have had a significant, positive impact on the regional economies that were hurt by GM bankruptcy in 2009. RACER Trust was created in March 2011 by the US Bankruptcy Court, in order to clean up and position for redevelopment the properties that had been abandoned by General Motors. At the effective date, RACER Trust’s real property portfolio consisted of a huge 336 tax parcels, 34 million square feet in 167 buildings, and 6776 acres of land at 83 locations in 14 states. When it was formed, RACER was one of the largest holders of industrial properties in the US, and the biggest environmentalresponse trust in history. Since then, it has completed more than 90 property sales and achieved a ‘no further action’ status or similar regulatory closure for more than 50 components of clean-ups. The Trust’s buyers and end users have generated annual, recurring impacts of more than 59,600 permanent FTEs, $4.5 billion in labor income and $16.4 billion in regional economic output, creating new opportunities and revenue for RACER’s communities. For more details, please visit www.racertrust.org.

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ARTIST NICO ROUSSELET

MOMENTUM NEWS

Art in motion M1’s artist in residence Nico Rousselet paints up a storm for this year’s American Speed Festival ONE AGAIN, M1 CONCOURSE HAS teamed up with Detroit-based artist Nicolas Rousselet, known as Nico, for this year’s official American Speed Festival artworks. Born in France to a visual artist and an automotive engineer, and trained in Paris as an automotive designer, Nico’s favorite painting subject has always been the car. Ranging from classic machinery to modern-day supercars, objects engineered for transportation and recreational purposes are transformed into impassioned images in his paintings. For 2023 Nico has produced artworks that represent 60 years of the Corvette, the successes of the Ford GT and 100 years of Le Mans, with four separate studies of iconic 24 Hours cars: the 1960 class-winning Briggs Cunningham Corvette; the 2001 class-winning Corvette C5-R; the 1967 Ford GT40 MkIV overall winner; and the 2016 class-winning Ford GT. Nico explains that he uses the paint as an organic part of the image that often breaks away from the cars’ clean lines. This seems to give the work a painterly quality, which separates it from the sharpness of a photographic likeness but at the same time makes it look like convincing representations of the painted subject. The impressionistic use of lines and colors gives a graphic feel and transcribes the movement to create a ‘moving’ fixed picture. Nico’s work has been displayed in the Petersen Automotive Museum, and is currently exhibited in numerous art galleries including the Robert Kidd Gallery in Birmingham, Mouche Gallery in LA, Le Garage in Tokyo, David Rosen Galleries in Miami, HMH Art Gallery in Spain and San Diego Automotive Museum. More details at www.gallerymomentum.com. 32

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1968 Le Mans winner GT40 chassis 1075

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M1 CONCOURSE IS PROUD TO BE PART of the Oakland County community – located in Southeast Michigan, an area of the US that is proving to be a popular breeding ground for innovations in technology, design and engineering, especially in the mobility sector. The Oakland County Economic Development Department takes an active role in attracting and retaining businesses to the region. “Oakland County has a robust economy with something for everyone,” says Louis Starks, the Manager of Business Development. “It’s considered the epicenter of the global auto industry. It’s home to 76 of the top 100 tier-one automotive companies, and all 12 global OEMs have research facilities here.” Oakland County’s location in southern Michigan means it’s ideally placed for providing a base for firms working on mobility research and development. The state ranks number one in the country for the greatest concentration of engineers, with 95,000 in total – and a quarter of those live in Oakland County. More than 17,000 industrial and commercial designers, 34

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Center of attraction

Why the ethos ‘All Ways, Moving Forward’ makes Michigan’s Oakland County a draw for mobility businesses and innovation

ABOVE AND OPPOSITE Michigan ranks top in the US for engineers, while Oakland County also has the highest concentration of industrial and commercial designers.

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or industrial engineers, live in the region – which is the highest concentration of those occupations anywhere in the US. In addition, 56.2 percent of Oakland County residents have college degrees, compared with 41.6 percent of the US average; 48 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher. “Michigan colleges and universities graduate more than 10,000 engineers and engineering technicians each year,” Louis explains. The state’s proximity to Canada is a major factor: “Michigan alone accounts for more than half of the total US trade with Canada, with almost all of that handled at the Detroit and Port Huron International border crossings. The Montreal-Toronto-Windsor-Detroit-Chicago transportation corridor is one of North Americas densest and most interconnected.” Oakland County is both developing and strengthening its talent base with initiatives such as Oakland80. This has a goal of having 80 percent of adults in the region with a posthigh-school degree or credential by 2030. To take advantage of that skills base, Oakland

County’s Economic Development team is seeking companies for mobility research and development pilots. Manufacturers are already waking up to the benefits Michigan has to offer – 26 vehicle firms are already present in the region, and $15.8bn is spent on automotive research and development each year. “For example, ABB chose Michigan for its recent expansion project due to the state’s automotive leadership,” says Louis. “The project is expected to generate investment of $18.5m and create 72 jobs, supported by a $450,000 Michigan Business Development Program grant. ABB has been in Auburn Hills since 1993, and currently has 347 employees; we’ve assisted in many of their expansion projects over the years. Together we made history in 2015, opening the first industrial robotics manufacturing plant in the US, right here in Auburn Hills.” The Oakland County Economic Development Department is a convenor, facilitator and thought leader for businesses. “We work with the Michigan Economic Development

Corporation, the Detroit Regional Partnership, and our local cities, townships and villages,” Louis explains. “Our Business Development reps help businesses find grants, loans and R&D incentives, and suitable sites for development with these partners. “Work-Force Development staff provide support for training and apprenticeship programs, and work closely with local jurisdictions in helping businesses navigate permitting and zoning regulations, and address their infrastructure needs.” On the subject of infrastructure, Oakland County has pursued pilot opportunities for 1600 signalized intersections in order to help improve traffic flow, increase safety for vulnerable road users and provide better vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. “There’s also a dedicated I-94 Autonomous Lane in nearby Wayne County, and a truckplatooning system that runs across Genesee, Lapeer and St Clair to the north,” says Louis. “Genesee and Wayne County also have airports, and there are five international trade M1 MOMENTUM

crossings with Canada within an hour and 61 miles. A sixth – the Gordie Howe International Bridge – is due to be completed in 2024.” Oakland County is also keen to provide a base for the development of electric and autonomous vehicles. More than $10b has been invested in Michigan by electric- and autonomous-vehicle firms between 2010 and 2020, and just under 22,000 software engineers reside in the region. “FLO expanded into Oakland County by adding a EV charger-manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills,” Louis says. “The $3m investment is expected to create 133 jobs in 2023.” The region also has top public test facilities. As well as M1 Concourse, there’s the American Center for Mobility, Detroit Smart Parking Lab, Holly Oaks ORV Park for off-road testing, University of Michigan’s Mcity and Kettering University’s GM Mobility Research Center. There’s also the Oakland University Outdoor Automotive Antenna Range wireless laboratory: “We’re ‘All Ways, Moving Forward’ with our competitive and creating thinking,” says Louis. 35

EVENT REPORT

Fiero 40th Anniversary Celebration M1 Concourse hosted a huge gathering of sports cars as fans paid tribute to Pontiac’s most famous mid-engine son this year

WORDS JENNIFER GOSS PHOTOGRAPHY JENNIFER GOSS / STEVEN JOHNSON / D E B O R A H S A L A D A / M AT T G O S S

IN 2020, WHEN GENERAL MOTORS launched the mid-engine Corvette, automotive enthusiasts worldwide were enthralled with brand’s design and engineering. This highly touted sports car was not, however, GM’s first foray into mid-engine production – that honor goes to the Fiero. This Pontiac’s production run saw 370,168 examples being sold across five model years (1984-88). While the car’s lifespan was short, its following has been lengthy – and last July more than 300 Fieros, their owners and other enthusiasts converged on Pontiac, MI for a five-day celebration that included a signature event at M1 Concourse hosted by the Midwest Fiero Clubs Region AACA. The 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Pontiac Fiero Presented by M1 Concourse came to Pontiac on July 12-16. The event officially kicked off on Wednesday afternoon

at the host hotel, the Auburn Hills Marriott Pontiac, with a full afternoon of registration, classification and track technical inspections. On the Wednesday evening, attendees traveled to Brighton to visit M1 Advisory Board member Ken Lingenfelter’s personal collection. On Thursday, following a declaration by Pontiac mayor Tim Greimel, and speeches by both representatives from the Pontiac Transportation Museum and Fiero 40th event organizers, M1 CEO Tim McGrane took the stage to share his thoughts on this special homecoming. After all, Pontiac was not only the birthplace of the Fiero, but the very last car to roll off the assembly line in Pontiac was a Fiero, on August 16, 1988. Event attendees and the general public had the opportunity to view over 100 examples of Fieros, as everything from stock machines to

THIS SPREAD From Indy 500 Pace Cars to stockers and modifieds, the 40th Anniversary Celebration at M1 Concourse was the place to be for enthusiasts of all things Fiero this summer.

highly modified editions lined the streets of Pontiac outside the Crofoot Ballroom. The venue hosted the main Thursday event – a Distinguished Guest speaker series featuring various individuals who spanned the car’s creation from conception through design, performance and manufacturing. As event co-organizer and MWFC secretary, I was most looking forward to Friday during a fully scheduled weekend. Since first touring M1 Concourse in October 2020, I had a vision of giving Fiero owners the opportunity to enjoy the full range of their cars’ abilities on the M1 course. With the incredible support of Tim McGrane and his staff, the 40th Anniversary Committee was able to make this dream a reality. The event was also greatly enhanced by the availability of a series of special cars displayed in the M1 Event Center. On site that day were 37

F I E R O 4 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y C E L E B R AT I O N

the three original Fiero Indy 500 Pace Cars that were created specifically for the event on May 27, 1984. This was the first time since then that the trio was reunited, and the event was made even more special by the presence of former head of Pontiac Motorsports Engineering John Callies, who drove Pace Car No. 1 on race day. The reunification of these machines was made possible by the GM Heritage Center, the Team Penske Collection and Fred Bartemeyer, the MWFC’s president and event co-organizer, who holds Pace Car No. 3 in his private collection. Bartemeyer was also generous enough to stretch that car’s legs by leading the Parade Laps segment, at one point bringing along Fiero chief of design John Schinella, who was also on hand for the weekend. In addition to the three Pace Cars, the Event Center also hosted the first Fiero that rolled off the assembly line, and the last Fiero ever made. The former, a red 1984 SE owned by the GM Heritage Center, was placed next to 402 – the final Fiero – a red 1988 GT owned by the Bartemeyer and Thuerauf families. The display 38

THIS PAGE Blue and silver Fiero, fitted with an LS4 engine, won the Best in Show – Non Stock Winner. Track time made all the difference to the event.

was rounded out with the red 1990 Fiero prototype, which enthusiasts haven’t seen in public since its was on show at the 25th Anniversary Celebration in Pontiac in 2008. The display of notable cars was accompanied by the sound of a wide range of engines on the M1 course. Six performance-lap sessions were run in the morning, featuring a wide range of powerplants from stock 2.5-liter four-cylinders and 2.8 V6s to highly modified models including a Turbo LS4 run by event sponsor Pickardt Performance. Then parades featured additional notable cars and allowed enthusiasts of all ages to have an M1 experience. The entire day was a success due to Joe Pope and his able staff, with broad smiles visible on the faces of all attendees and spectators. The remainder of the event weekend featured a cook-out at the Pontiac Transportation M1 MOMENTUM

Museum, one of the key supporting partners in the 40th Anniversary Celebration. The museum, which details Pontiac’s automotive history, played a crucial role in planning the event. Saturday’s show at the Auburn Hills Marriott Pontiac brought in the display of over 300 Fieros and several other on-site events for the entire Fiero family. The celebration ended on Sunday with an awards ceremony, before participants dispersed for the travels home – some who would go as far away as Vancouver and Brazil. Participants and the show committee alike deemed the 40th Anniversary Celebration the “best anniversary event yet”. Both Fred Bartemeyer and I credit the event’s success to the hospitality of the city of Pontiac, the host hotel, the Pontiac Transportation Museum and, of course, M1 Concourse. It is something that will be hard to top in five years’ time, when the next event rolls around – but both we and the organizing committee of the MWFC Region AACA know that we look forward to returning to Pontiac and M1 Concourse for events in the future.

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EVENT REPORT

Woodward Dream Show Our huge celebration of car enthusiasm in the heart of the Motor City this year paid special tribute to the Corvette on its 70th anniversary

PHOTOGRAPHY M1 CONCOURSE

W O O D WA R D D R E A M S H O W

OPPOSITE What a sight – and what a way to celebrate 70 years of the Chevrolet Corvette. THIS PAGE Plenty of additional attractions, from slotcar racing to skydiving displays, kept the M1 Concourse site buzzing throughout the show.

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THIS PAGE Keeping the kids smiling, showing off Mopar machinery big and small, catching up with friends – and the opportunity to admire rarely seen exotica.

OPPOSITE The chance to parade en masse along Woodward Avenue and through downtown Pontiac gave car owners an extra thrill.

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BELOW FROM LEFT M1 Concourse’s fleet of track cars put in circuit time with the pros at the wheel. The event’s younger visitors got in on the action, too, in their scaled-down cars.

ABOVE A Corvette for each production year – including the 1983 model, of which there is only one in existence. RIGHT The Yankee Air Museum’s B-17 Flying Fortress ‘Yankee Lady’ staged a spectacular flyover.

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SICK POWERFEST

FROM LEFT Screamin’ thrills, tire-smoking action and crazy cars big and small – Sick Powerfest had it all.

BURNING RUBBER, MONSTROUS MOTORS and a strip of asphalt acting as a super-heated playground for the maddest, baddest and greatest creations on four wheels – the Summit Sick Powerfest Presented by M1 Concourse didn’t disappoint. The concept is simple: bring along your dragster or drift car, and perform for an appreciative crowd, with burn-outs, drifting, RC drag racing and nitro cackling all up for cash prizes. The $20,000 pot at August’s event was split between those four categories. Away from the track, there was a chance to take in vintage dragster displays, plus some of the drag-racing community’s finest. Highlights included Jim Kline’s Big Tire-category-winning 46

EVENT REPORT

Sick Powerfest Burn-outs, RC drag racing, drifting, nitro cacklefest and more – topped off by a $20,000 prize pot

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Pontiac Acadian and Joe Barry’s Creamsicle ’56 Chevy. There was also a chance to take in Mikael Borggren’s spectacular 1987 Volvo wagon and Dave Schroeder’s 1966 Corvette, which was helped by its voracious appetite for nitrous. Cackle cars were well represented, with Paul Brown’s recreation of the Doug Thorley Chevrolet Corvair Funny Car and David Stewart’s recreation of the Perrenot family’s Lincoln-powered dragster. However, the big draw was the burn-out competition, won by Adam Kelley’s 1967 Ford F100 pick-up. Steve Metcalf’s 1969 Chevrolet Camaro finished second, and third was tied between Patrick Corcoran’s Chevy pick-up and Chris Mills’ 1968 Road Runner.

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149 DREAM GARAGE

Tom Celani’s unit at M1 Concourse reflects his life, his work and his passions, and has opened up a new car community to him as well

DREAM GARAGE

ABOVE AND OPPOSITE Ferrari is a major theme in Tom’s life, and a 812 Competizione, Enzo and SF90 Aperta are among his collection of Prancing Horses. His customized 1955 Chevrolet, meanwhile, pays tribute to his father.

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LEFT Cars, wine, gaming and cigars – Tom’s space reflects many of his passions. The roulette wheel comes from the Cal Neva casino, which he once owned.

DREAM GARAGE

‘The Chevy is definitely a fun car to drive during the Woodward Dream Cruise – everybody loves the ’55 Chevys’

“I DID IT WITH THE THEME OF WHAT’S going on in my life, and my past,” says Tom Celani of his garage design. “I’m obviously a big Ferrari guy, so there’s a lot of Formula 1 art, but I was also a Miller distributor for a big part of my life, so there’s NASCAR memorabilia from being around Penske and the Miller team.” There is no doubting Tom’s passion for Ferrari – there’s an 812 Competizione, an Enzo, a LaFerrari and an SF90; at the time of writing, he’s settling his specification for the new Purosangue. However, paying tribute to his own past leads me to the one car that sticks out. “It’s a customized 1955 Chevy from the year I was born,” Tom says. “It was a car I always followed – my Dad had one, so there’s gotta be a ’55 Chevy in my collection.” Although Tom’s heart beats to the drum of Maranello, he has form for American automobiles. “I’m a Dodge guy – I was a Chrysler dealer for eight years – so I have a Demon, too. The Chevy is definitely a fun car to drive during the Woodward Dream Cruise – everybody loves the ’55 Chevys.” However, it’s another American icon that helped define the look and feel of Tom’s garage. “I was in the casino business for 35 years, and I used to own the Cal Neva on Lake Tahoe,” he explains. “We were the next owners after Frank Sinatra – everyone stayed there, from

OPPOSITE Tom has owned his Ferrari Enzo for 20 years, and it is his favorite car to look at and drive. He has had the karts for more like 30 years, and is eagerly awaiting M1 Concourse’s new dedicated kart track.

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presidents to the Rat Pack – and the blackjack table and roulette wheel are from there.” Gaming is just one of Tom’s passions, and another is cigars – and it is that what led to him being a somewhat late addition to the roster of M1 Concourse garage owners. “The venue is five minutes from my home, but I waited until they built a garage with three stories that had a cigar/barbecue patio on the roof – that really got me motivated,” he laughs. “For the past ten years I’ve been doing an event called Cars and Cigars, bringing Detroit guys together for networking at an automobile show. Then we go into an auction – we’ve raised more than $12 million via that platform.” Wine is also a big part of Tom’s life. He’s owned a Napa Valley winery for 19 years, so not only does the garage have its own wine cellar, but wooden barrels are used on part of the roof. The design was led by an M1 Concoursesuggested design team, who helped bring Tom’s vision to life: “They were great listeners for what I wanted to put in there, and I let them tweak it their way – they knew the theme of it was vineyards, Ferrari and gaming.” Aside from wanting a place to entertain, Tom – who used to race vintage Ferraris and a Ford GT40 – also needed space for his growing car collection. “M1 was the perfect choice – plus I can get on track with my son Vinny, who 55

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is getting his IMSA license to run the Ferrari Challenge series next year.” The 488 Challenge racer wasn’t there for our photoshoot, but when it comes to track driving Tom certainly has a favorite – the Enzo. “You know, technology wise, it’s fun to go back,” he says. “The Enzo has one of the first-era paddle-shift transmissions they took out of F1.” It’s also a car Tom can simply stare at and enjoy – with a cigar and a glass of wine, of course. “Most Ferraris are a work of art, and anyone who buys one should be able to enjoy it as much sitting next to it in the garage as when you’re able to drive it,” he says. “The Enzo is timeless – I look at it after 20 years’ ownership and reckon you can’t tell from the outside that it wasn’t designed today.” Despite his admiration of the Enzo, he does hanker after something with a stick shift. “The next step is to collect a manual-transmission Ferrari, maybe an old Testarossa – obviously new cars are faster due to the technology, but driving an old stick is a lot of fun.” Watching all the fun happening at M1 is why Tom loves his location in the garage line-up. “I get to see most of the corners in the front of the track, where all the action is – all the parties, the skid pans and everything else that’s going on at M1,” he says. “We also use the top deck a lot to entertain – and, of 56

ABOVE Tom describes his Enzo as a ‘timeless’ design that looks as fresh today as it did when it was first built.

‘We are all in love with looking at other people’s cars, talking about how to fix things up, what the next purchase will be...’ M1 MOMENTUM

course, smoke cigars. Not that you can’t have a cigar anywhere in the building – just as long as you stay away from the fuel...” You can really sense the passion for motor sport flow through Tom; even though he owns some of the fastest, most exotic and most exclusive supercars Ferrari has ever made, he has a pair of karts ready for when M1 builds its dedicated kart track next year. “I bought them 30 years ago, and they’ve sat in the garage ever since – they’ve never been raced. We’ll get them reworked ready for when the track opens,” he explains. “Karts are such fun – people don’t realize how much. They’re so close to the ground, you get a sensation of pure speed that you don’t even get in a race car – and they’re a lot cheaper to fix when you screw ’em up.” While the karts await their M1 debut, Tom is usually at the garage every week. “If I’m not having a car out, I love to watch other guys go round the track,” he says. “I love the friendship I’ve built at M1 – there are golf communities, but this garage community is different. We are all in love with looking at other people’s cars, talking about how to fix things up, what the next purchase will be... It’s really good when M1 has open-house days, when everybody’s got their garage open and you can see the cars that are being collected in Michigan that you wouldn’t normally see on the street. It’s such fun.”

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Porsche’s 917/30 remains one of the finest endurance racers ever made – and in the hands of Mark Donohue, it proved simply unstoppable WORDS N AT H A N C H A D W I C K PHOTOGRAPHY PORSCHE / PETERSEN MUSEUM

P O R S C H E 9 1 7/ 3 0

THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR displacement – we’ve all heard that refrain. Roger Penske and Mark Donohue would disagree, however, and the proof of the pudding is the infamous car you see on these pages, the Porsche 917/30. For some, it’s the ultimate evolution of one of the finest endurance racers ever crafted. For others, it’s the car that led to the downfall of arguably the greatest motor sport categories ever contested – Can-Am. Porsche had already shown the natives the way home with the 917/10 in 1972; Penske Racing’s George Follmer took the championship, with the team scoring six victories out of nine. That car had a ‘mere’ 900bhp – for 1973, the 917/30 offered more. A whole heap more... But let’s rewind a little first. Porsche had been competing in Can-Am for some time, yet its 908 had been underpowered compared with the Lolas and McLarens at the head of the field. Its one victory at Road Atlanta in 60

ABOVE AND OPPOSITE No. 003, the most successful Sunoco-sponsored Porsche 917/30, took Donohue to victory in the 1973 Can-Am championship: “It’s the only car I’ve ever driven that can spin the tires at 200mph,” he said.

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1970 came when all the more powerful cars failed to finish. Its replacement was the 917PA, a Spyder version of the 917K that had proved so dominant in Europe, but this too was somewhat lacking – even at 530bhp, its naturally aspirated flat-12 felt underpowered against the McLarens at the head of the field. Porsche persisted without turbochargers for 1971, with the 917/10. Despite the best efforts of Jo Siffert, along with a radically lighter and more wind-cheating bodywork design, fourth in the championship was all that could be achieved however. Something radical needed to be done – turbocharging – but only after a flat-16 was considered. Porsche had seen its allconquering 917 become no longer eligible in the World Endurance Championship at the tail end of 1971, and it chose instead to focus on more production-relevant formulae with its 911-based cars in Europe. This freed up development cash, and Penske’s team was

‘Performance wasn’t merely quick, or fast, or scorching – it was the equivalent of bringing a machine gun to a knife fight’

RIGHT Super-lightweight car weighed a mere 849kg – of which 285kg was the engine alone; it could sprint to 60mph in around two seconds.

charged with leading the Porsche effort, putting Mark Donohue behind the wheel on testing duties for 1971 and 1972. Donohue was more than simply a super-fast pilot – he qualified from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1959. It was during his senior year that he began racing, with a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette; he won the first event he entered, and just three years later he’d won the SCCA National Championship in an Elva Courier. Within a few years Donohue was competing at Le Mans for Ford with its GT40 race program. He was also proving his technical skills with a stint at Griffith. Roger Penske saw Mark’s potential inside and outside of the cockpit, and brought him to his team in 1966. Penske and Donohue would be a formidable pairing, taking race wins and championships in several formulae – most notably IROC, Trans-Am and USRRC, plus the Indy 500 in 1972. “One of the reasons Mark is so good is that he can evaluate what we are doing on the drawing board, then see if it works as it should on track,” Penske once said. “You might call him a built-in reliability factor.” The resultant Porsche, the 917/10 TC Spyder, boasted two turbochargers strapped to a 5.0-liter flat-12 engine for a mighty 900bhp. It looked like being Donohue’s year, but it wasn’t to be, following a massive accident at Road Atlanta that ruled him out for three months of the 1972 season. Team-mate Follmer would take the title; between the two of them, the 917-10 would take six out of nine races. Bigger and better was to come in 1973. The 917/30 was born in November 1972, starting with chassis no. 001. It featured an adjustable spaceframe to perfect the right wheelbase, and after initial test drives at Weissach it was sent for wind-tunnel testing at the University of Stuttgart. Following that, the car was delivered to the Circuit Paul Ricard in France, to hone the package still further. Testing would prove that the long-wheelbase option would be most effective, so the 917/30 ended up being 7.2 inches longer than the 64

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‘In race trim, Penske would use 1.3 bar to deliver 1100bhp – but in qualifying trim this was wound up to a mighty 1500bhp’

LEFT Donohue and the 917/30 lapped Talladega in 43.3sec in August 1975 – a closed-course World Speed Record that would stand for 11 years.

917/10. The engine, however, was even more special. The flat-12 was bored out to 5.4 liters, and fitted with adjustable boost. In race trim, Penske would use around 1.3 bar to deliver approximately 1100bhp – but in qualifying trim this was wound up to 2 bar for a mighty 1500bhp. All this in a car that weighed a mere 849kg – of which 285kg was the engine alone. The performance wasn’t merely quick, or fast, or scorching – it was the equivalent of bringing a machine gun to a knife fight. The Porsche could sprint to 60mph in around two seconds, shoot past 124mph in 4.5 seconds, flash by 186mph in 11 seconds and kiss goodbye to 200mph in 13 seconds. Chassis 001 would go on to dominate the German Interserie championship, and another five cars would be built before the year’s end. Two would be for Donohue alone to use – and use well, sporting distinctive sponsorship from the now M1 Concourse partner and long-time Penske sponsor Sunoco, and Porsche + Audi. No. 002 gave the car and Mark a first victory in round three at Watkins Glen, but was then crashed. It was rebuilt and used as a T-car for the rest of the season; it now lives in the Porsche Museum. No. 003, however, would prove unstoppable. It took Donohue to victory in the year’s last five races, and a championship win. Despite his dominance, the 917/30 still shocked him: “It’s the only car I’ve ever driven that can spin the tires at 200mph,” he said. His nearest challenger was former teammate Follmer in a 917/10, with less than half Mark’s points haul. Such was the yawning gap between Donohue and the rest of the field, the 917/30 was soon nicknamed the Turbopanzer – but if anything, it would prove to be too dominant. Porsche made up the top four places in the championship table and, having seen the drubbing the turbocharged German missiles had given the US-engined cars, Can-Am’s management team set about making changes. These updates would introduce fuel limitations, which at a stroke made the 917/30 uncompetitive in the Can-Am series; Brian Redman drove one once in 1974, yet didn’t make much of a mark. Three more chassis were built, but none of them competed; 67

P O R S C H E 9 1 7/ 3 0

no. 003, the most successful of the Sunoco cars, is now part of a private collection. Can-Am itself would be dead by the end of the year, thanks to reduced entries and a lack of spark. As such, the 917/30 is often dubbed the ‘Can-Am killer’ due to the abandonment of the regulations free-for-all after its dominating year. In truth, the 917/30 cannot claim full responsibility for that – performance-car sales had been waning for a while, and the 1973 oil crisis only exacerbated that. A racing series that glorified the wanton ignition of fossil fuels while filling stations across the US struggled with blocks-long queues wasn’t good PR. Donohue himself would retire (temporarily, as it turned out) at the end of the year – but his story with the 917/30 wasn’t quite over. In 1975, he, Penske and Porsche set their minds on breaking the closed-course World Speed Record. However, Donohue soon deemed the 5.4-liter 917/30 far too unstable for full-throttle driving after initial tests at Daytona, so a more reliable 68

ABOVE The Turbopanzer’s dominance caused race organizers to make changes that unintentionally hastened the downfall of the Can-Am series.

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5.0 engine was used, but critically armed with intercoolers to provide 1230bhp. Porsche was so confident, it performed 120-second full-throttle test-bench inspections and agreed to pay for any damages caused during the record attempt. The aerodynamics and springs were tweaked, and the chassis was altered so it pulled to the left when flashing down the straights, in turn providing more stability in the corners. It all came together – on August 9, 1975, Donohue lapped the Talladega Superspeedway in 43.3 seconds, clocking a 221mph average and maxing out at 237mph along the way. It was a record that would stand for 11 years. Alas, he would not be around to see it. He lost his life just ten days later, while testing for the Austrian Grand Prix during his first full year in Formula 1 – he was 38 years old. He was taken far too early, but his legacy endures as the only person to truly tame the 917/30 in full-fat 5.4-liter form. As the man himself said: “Too much power is never enough.”

DRIVE YOUR IMAGINATION Combining classic styling with modern technologies for bespoke interior and exterior design and build. FIND OUT MORE

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WORDS HARRY H U RST

What to do when thwarted by Ferrari? Beat it at its own game! Here’s the true story of how the Blue Oval’s GT40 took on the Prancing Horse’s stallions – and won

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BY NOW, EVERYONE KNOWS THE STORY of the Ford GT40: Ford comes to Matt Damon and asks him if he can build a race car to beat Ferrari at Le Mans. “Shucks, yeah,” he says – but only if he can get his buddy Christian Bale, a cantankerous mechanical genius with a lovely wife and son, to help him make it happen. After fighting on the front lawn, they overcome all obstacles to win Le Mans, only to have it stolen from Bale on the last lap by evil Blue Oval executives. Oops, sorry! That’s the movie version. The real story of how the Ford GT40 came into existence and went on to beat Ferrari is much more nuanced and even more interesting. The movie did at least get the broad strokes right: Ford was suffering from a stodgy image and wanted to reinvent itself under the Total Performance banner. In 1962 it introduced a new lightweight V8, and racers everywhere saw great potential. One of these was Carroll Shelby, who shoehorned the engine into a new sports car he was building with an English chassis, called the Cobra. At the same time as Shelby was starting to get attention, Ferrari made overtures to Ford for a possible merger/acquisition. After an intense courtship, the Prancing Horse called the whole thing off. This angered Henry Ford II so much that he told his key executives, led by product engineer Don Frey, to spend whatever they needed to “beat Ferrari’s ass” at Le Mans, arguably the greatest race in the world. Up to this point, the movie has it pretty much right. But after that, a few years of racing and several important characters are missing from the story.

THE BIRTH Rather than Shelby or Ken Miles, as represented in the Ford v Ferrari movie, the one man most responsible for the birth of the Ford GT40 was an unassuming 37-year-old Englishman, Roy Lunn. Lunn had moved to Dearborn only five years before, and had been asked to join the new special vehicles department. He had degrees in both mechanical and aeronautical engineering – but even more importantly, he

THIS SPREAD Early on, Roy Lunn – the father of the GT40 – prepared a detailed report with spec for a racing GT car along with schematic drawings, artist’s renderings and photographs of clay models.

‘The decision to proceed was quick; the rest of the meeting was spent talking about the marketing value of winning Le Mans in 1964’ M1 MOMENTUM

had worked in the racing departments of low-volume sports car manufacturers AC and Aston Martin. He was also a racer himself, having won the 1952 RAC International Rally. Lunn had been lobbying hard to be in charge of the Ford-Ferrari production-car unit had the merger come to fruition, and now he was lobbying to be head of the Blue Oval’s racing efforts. Among Ford executives, he was almost alone in having experience with limitedproduction, high-performance cars in Europe. The day after the breakdown in negotiations, May 21, 1963, Lunn wrote to Frey: “I was disappointed in the result of the Ferrari negotiations, but I was most gratified by your attitude to proceed regardless. I am most aware of your desire to have hardware for portraying innovation and image: if I have any ability, I think it is in creating such hardware. I sincerely hope the proposed plans will make it possible for me to provide the answers you require…” In the ensuing three weeks, Lunn enlisted the support of Ford Styling to prepare a detailed report, GT and Sports Car Project, Program and Package Book, Issue I, with complete specifications for a “racing GT car that would have the potential to compete successfully in major races such as Sebring and Le Mans”. Included were specs, schematic drawings with major components located, as well as artist’s renderings and photographs of clay models of the two-seat race car. Lunn’s team were able to move so quickly with this high level of detail because they had already built a mid-engine, two-seat concept the year before – the Mustang I. While having a different chassis and engine, this car nevertheless set the overall design parameters for what eventually became the Ford GT40. Lunn made his presentation to the executive committee on June 12, and they quickly appropriated $235,000 for the project. As he later recounted, their reaction showed an ignorance of the enormity of the task: “The decision to proceed was quick; the rest of the meeting was spent talking about the marketing value of winning Le Mans in 1964.” The next day a group of key Ford executives, 73

HARRY HURST

FORD V FERRARI

including Lunn, Shelby (who had won Le Mans in 1959 driving for Aston Martin), Ray Geddes (lent by Ford to Shelby) and Hal Sperlich (from Ford Division product planning) left for Europe. Their mission, according to Sperlich, was: “To allow us to catch the Le Mans race to evaluate the competition, and to begin contacts with the people we want to see, most of whom will be at the race. The principal contacts will be Lotus, Lola, BRM, Cooper and AC, although others will be contacted.” Even though the design work was being done in Dearborn, everyone realized that building a race machine of this nature was a highly specialized undertaking. One of the biggest obstacles to Ford designing and campaigning a car such as this was, in the words of Leo Levine in his racing history, Ford: The Dust and The Glory, ‘The System’; the inertia within any large corporation to make the quick decisions necessary in a highly fluid situation, ie racing. They did not feel, despite (or possibly because of) their Shelby association, that a US shop had the capabilities. At this time, and even today, England was considered the center for specialized race-car construction. The group quickly narrowed the choice to one firm, Lola Cars, headed by Eric Broadley. Broadley was an unlikely choice since he had trained as an architect, not an automotive engineer. He had become interested in racing a decade before, and built a 1100cc racer that dominated its class. He began building examples for customers, and then founded Lola Cars. What attracted Ford’s attention was the car Broadley introduced just five months earlier, the Lola Mk6, which featured the new Ford V8 mounted mid-ships in a beautifully compact two-seat chassis – the concept Lunn and his team were working on. A contract was signed with Broadley, both for his services and to use the cramped Lola facility. In August, Lunn and his team members Len Bailey, Chuck Mountain and Ron Martin moved to England. On Shelby’s advice, ex-Aston Martin racing head John Wyer was also hired, becoming the general manager of what was to become Ford Advanced Vehicles (FAV), responsible for actually building and preparing the cars. Along 74

THIS SPREAD Behind-the-scenes developmental images from the period show the extent the design and engineering teams went to in order to perfect a Ferrari-beating car.

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with larger premises in Slough, Berkshire, the car also received a new name, the GT40 – so called because it was only 40 inches from the ground to the roofline (actually 40.5). As development work on suspension pieces proceeded using two of the Lola Mk6s, with Bruce McLaren hired to do the test driving, a wind tunnel was used to refine the bodyshape. The suspension design was finalized using an IBM 704 and FORTRAN in Dearborn (the first race car to be designed with the aid of a computer). The monocoque concept was borrowed from aviation, where the structure is made entirely of sheet metal, with no removable frame. This idea was introduced to racing only the year before with Colin Chapman’s Lotus 25 Formula 1 car, and was

‘Broadley, fighting The System, felt the Blue Oval’s designers had no idea what was required for a modern race car’

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develop in the working relationships between Broadley and the Ford executives. Broadley, fighting The System, felt the Blue Oval’s designers had no idea what was required for a modern race car, later saying: “They just thought it was a matter of a big engine and a slinky shape.” Lunn and the other Ford designers had low regard for Broadley, since he had little formal automotive engineering training; they thought of him more as a clever amateur. The building of the initial two chassis, assigned to specialty sheet-metal fabrication shop Abbey Panels, proceeded over the winter, and by April they were ready for testing. Trial runs revealed significant problems with the stability of the cars at racing speeds. Reflecting the split within the team, Broadley felt it was the US 75

HARRY HURST

also how the revolutionary Lotus-Ford that almost won Indy that May was constructed. Although being more complex to build, it offered exceptional strength while saving weight compared with a traditional tubular frame. The engine choice initially was easy: the new aluminum Fairlane 260 V8 that had been so successful at Indy. However, over time the cast-iron version, now 289ci, developed by Shelby and delivering 350bhp, won out for its reliability. To deliver the power to the wheels, Ford had only one option: an Italian transaxle made by Colotti. This was the unit used in the Lotus-Fords, but the stresses at Indy are much less than those in a 24-hour race such as Le Mans, with thousands of shifts required. As the design continued, issues began to

FORD V FERRARI

‘The aerodynamic problems finally got through to them and they did something about it, but it wasted so much valuable time’

apparent to me that you don’t either.” The decision was made in December to turn the cars over to Shelby American in California to see if they could get better results. This wouldn’t be difficult to achieve since, in their first year, the Ford GT40s had not only not won any of the four races entered, but none of the nine entries had even finished an event. Shelby’s crew was made up of Southern California hot rodders who had learned racing on the desert lakebeds at Muroc and tough road courses such as Riverside. They intuitively knew what worked and what didn’t. In little more than six weeks the guys, led by legendary crew chief Phil Remington and driver Ken Miles, tore the two cars down to the bare chassis and rebuilt them to their standards, re-engineering as they went. Remington had learned his craft from a previous generation of racing greats, and had an innate sense of what was wrong with a race car and what was needed to fix it quickly. ‘Rem’, as everyone called him, was that rare individual who commanded the respect of both top-flight racing mechanics and degreed automotive engineers alike. The cars went to Daytona in February of 1965, and won the first time out. Sebring the next month brought another victory in the prototype class. But Le Mans, again, was a disappointment. The Shelby team, responsible for preparing and racing 11 cars – six Ford GT40s and five Cobra Daytona Coupes – was stretched too thin. The race was a disaster for Ford, and Ferrari won again.

THE EVOLUTION

THE NEXT GENERATION

Although the GT40 showed great speed, the results in the first year were a disaster for Ford. Leo Beebe stepped in to intervene. Beebe, who was unfairly cast as the villain in the movie, had served with Henry Ford II in the war, and in his 20 years with the company had done various clean-up jobs. His great talent was in bringing order to chaos. The government had borrowed him to help resettle 33,000 Hungarian refugees, and he had recently been called to help handle the influx of Cubans fleeing Castro. Beebe was put in charge of the Special Vehicles Unit in May of 1964, just in time to witness the Le Mans failure. He freely acknowledged his lack of racing experience, and in the team debriefing session after the disastrous first season ended, he said: “I don’t know anything about racing, but it has become

The disastrous 1965 Le Mans race nonetheless saw what would be the salvation of the GT40 program: two new Ford GTs entered at the last moment with big 427ci engines. After the 1964 season, Lunn and others felt the best package to win at Le Mans against the quickly improving Ferraris was to use the biggest engine available: the NASCAR 427. John Wyer did not agree, and felt the lighter 5.0-liter GT40 Mk1 still had tremendous potential – but he was not included in the discussions because he was busy building the GT40 chassis for customers (over 100 chassis were eventually produced). To complete his mission, Lunn moved back to Michigan and helped establish Kar-Kraft, a private company with one client – Ford. Here they’d modify the chassis as supplied by FAV to accept the heavier big-block motor. Along

OPPOSITE After several years of trying, in 1966 Ford achieved ultimate success with this Le Mans-winning machine.

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TIM SCOTT

body design; Lunn felt it was the suspension. Some fixes were made, but at a testing session at Le Mans in April where the cars could reach speeds approaching 200mph, one example was totaled and the other damaged due to stability problems. Eventually, Broadley was proven correct: it was excessive lift, something that hadn’t shown up in the windtunnel testing, since the facility could only simulate speeds up to 150mph. The issue was eventually cured by adding a spoiler to the rear and redesigning the front nose. Broadley would sever his relationship with the project at the end of his contract. In an interview years later he explained: “When the initial deal was made, I was going to control the design and the engineering, but Roy Lunn politicked it away from me. Lunn decided he wanted a steel monocoque, whereas the Mk6 was aluminum. Then they designed a body for the car with no discussion with me, just sent it over to us. High nose, low tail, hopeless... The aerodynamic problems finally got through to them and they did something about it, but it wasted so much valuable time.” By the time the 1964 Le Mans came, the bodyshape had been tweaked enough that Phil Hill, America’s first Formula 1 World Champion, set the fastest time in the race, and another GT40 led for a considerable time before the over-stressed transaxles broke – a frequent occurrence in 1964. Ferrari won again, for the sixth time in the past seven years. The saving grace for Ford was one of Shelby’s Cobras coming in fourth overall and first in class.

ABOVE Le Mans, June 1966: the GT40 driven by McLaren and Amon led Ford to a legendary 1-2-3 result – a victory hard won and a long time coming.

Committee, but rather than being another bureaucratic obstacle, this proved to unite all the various strengths within Ford toward the common goal. Beebe also dictated that no one team would be responsible for more than three cars, learning from the mistake of the year before. So at Le Mans in 1966 there were three Mk2s for Shelby, plus three prepared and entered by Holman-Moody. Two more were prepared and entered by the English firm Alan Mann Racing, who had led the Cobra assault in Europe the year before, winning the World Manufacturer’s Championship for Ford, and beating Ferrari for the first time. Five 5.0-liter GT40 Mk1s, entered by independent teams, supported this formidable line-up. Much has been written about the controversial finish of this race, including accusations of Ford (Beebe) stealing the victory from Miles,

‘It takes a bunch of California hot rodders to transform the disaster into a winner – and they do this in weeks’ M1 MOMENTUM

thus robbing him of being the only man to win all three major endurance races (Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans). However, the truth is much more difficult to parse. Certainly, Miles’ reluctance to follow team orders to slow down (as he had also done at Sebring three months before, possibly causing Gurney’s retirement 100 yards from victory) played a part in the decision to have a ‘dead heat’ tie, even though Beebe and others found out after the decision had been made that this would result in Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon being given the win due to starting the race further down the grid. But Ford did achieve its goal of beating the most dominant force in racing, and it repeated that performance the next year with a new car designed and built entirely in Dearborn, the Mk4. John Wyer continued to build and develop the Mk1, and this would deliver unexpected results as this model continued Ford’s victory streak at Le Mans in 1968 and 1969. Yes, it was a Goliath v David story – but what a story it was. A big company decides to take on a goal many feel is impossible. It enlists the world’s finest minds to design and build a race machine with a combination of space-age tech and family-car components. The first year is a dismal failure, and it takes a bunch of California hot rodders to transform the disaster into a winner – and they do this literally in weeks. They go on to accomplish their ‘impossible’ objective just two years after their first attempt, largely due to a small group of racers with an intuitive sense of what it takes to win. Someone should make a movie.

MOTORSPORT IMAGES

with the larger engine came the associated problems of added weight and the strain it put on the braking system, not to mention the need for a stronger transaxle. All these issues were addressed. KelseyHayes upgraded the brakes with a special alloy. The Colotti transaxle was replaced by the robust T-44, a Kar-Kraft design using gearsets from a Ford production car. By February 1966, the big-block GT40, now designated the Mk2, was ready – and it was a convincing victor in the 24-hour race at Daytona, driven by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby. At Sebring the next month a Mk2 also won, again driven by Miles and Ruby. The stage was set for Le Mans and the achievement of Ford’s quest. The Mk2s had been extensively trialed specifically for Le Mans. A computer-controlled dynamometer was built to test the drivetrain under race conditions. It was programmed to accelerate and shift using electronic servos to mimic what a driver would do on the eight-mile circuit. Included was the flat-out 3.7-mile Mulsanne Straight, where the Mk2s would reach speeds exceeding 210mph. Ford engineers ran the drivetrains day and night until they could produce 485bhp at 6400rpm maximum for 48 hours without failure. But the car, despite the extensive use of magnesium, was still very heavy: over 2800lb with all fluids. This put a tremendous strain on the brakes, which were required to dissipate an enormous amount of heat repeatedly over 24 hours. The turn at the end of the Mulsanne called for the Mk2 to slow to 35mph from over 210mph, requiring the conversion of over four million foot-pounds of kinetic energy into heat. As a comparison, in a typical road car coming to a complete stop from 70mph requires about one-sixth of that – and it isn’t being done continually for 24 hours. The exotic alloys the Ford engineers developed for the brakes had not proven to be effective. The solution came from two guys with race experience rather than degrees. Remington devised an ingenious quick-change brake-pad system, while John Holman of Homan-Moody, Ford’s stock-car partner, designed a floating brake rotor that could be easily replaced. Rather than try to invent new materials so the brakes would last 24 hours, the Mk2 had a system that allowed for new brakes in just minutes. After the 1965 Le Mans, Beebe had called for a complete reorganization of the Ford racing efforts. A new group was formed, the Le Mans

XXR FACTOR WORDS K

YLE FORT

UNE

PHOTOG RAPHY RICK NOË L

The ongoin g de of the Radic velopment al SR3 sees small changes m aking a big difference to perform ance and d urability. W took the XX e R version t o the track

RADICAL SR3 XXR

“YOU CAN GO SO MUCH LATER ON THE brakes and so much quicker through the corners than you’d think, especially if you’ve come from road or sports cars,” says racer and driver coach Michael Lyons. “You almost need to take a minute, sit down, to take it all in.” That’s easy for him to say; such is his ability, his trophy cabinet is tight on space. That’s in stark contrast to mine, which is empty. He has been tasked this morning with getting me up to speed with the Radical SR3 XXR, a car he’s had a hand in the development of, as well as raced extensively. The SR3 itself should need no introduction, with previous iterations of it being the world’s best-selling racing car. The SR3 XXR we’re driving today is Radical’s latest development, enhancing the well proven racer with a series of upgrades to increase power and precision. In turn, that allows harder, faster lapping, with the ultimate aim being improved times. Stood in the pitlane at the UK’s Silverstone circuit during Radical’s pre-season track event, the SR3 XXR warming up prior to our drive, the brand’s head of R&D James Pinkerton explains that the Radical Performance Engines (RPE) 1500cc four-cylinder will get up to 82

‘Upgrades increase power and precision, which in turn allow harder, faster lapping with the ultimate aim being improved times’

ABOVE AND OPPOSITE The newcomer is more powerful, torquier and lighter than its predecessor, making it even more malleable in the hands of anyone with a modicum of driving skill.

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temperature far more quickly as a result of recent changes. Naturally there’s more power, with output now stated at 232bhp (up from 226bhp), but Pinkerton says the goals for the Generation 5 RPE unit were more about usability, drivability and durability than chasing outright muscle. Significantly, the cooling has been improved, with the adoption of a water-to-oil cooler fed by larger radiators. This not only means the SR3 XXR will easily cope with lapping in 40ºC (104ºF) temperatures, but also allows that quicker warm-up, without the need to use pre-heating. The application of drive-by-wire control means Radical has also added a warmup engine map with a higher idling speed, which, again, is all to the benefit of run time. Indeed, thanks to the modifications with the Generation 5 engine, Radical now recommends 50 hours between rebuilds. That represents a not-insignificant 25 percent, or ten-hour, gain over the SR3 XX. Similarly, oil changes are now recommended every ten hours, as opposed to every six hours previously, and such changes impact very positively on running costs. The drive-by-wire’s greater control has a

RADICAL SR3 XXR

number of other advantages, too, notably in smoothing out the engine’s delivery. Pinkerton says it’s allowed the adoption of a softer revlimiter, which rolls the throttle bodies off and gently reduces torque, significantly reducing strain on the valvetrain. This all plays a sizable role in the durability improvements. The power gain is slight, but a richer, earlier torque delivery was a development aim, the engine’s shower-form fuel injection and the carbonfiber intake having improved volumetric efficiency and response, as well as being beneficial to cooler running. Pinkerton admits that during the RPE engine’s development it’s been through 60-plus hours of rig testing – the majority of that being “aggressive track loops, literally simulated laps around Silverstone”. It’s unlikely that, even with Lyons alongside for guidance, I’ll be giving the engine the kind of brutal work-out it had during its development – and the fact the track is wet is also certain to slow things down a little. The damp surface means we are running Hankook wet tires, which nevertheless reveal incredible grip and traction. We have got the full circuit at our disposal – although we’re not alone, with the pit garages alongside packed full of Radical customers running some pre-season testing. Busy or not, Silverstone is a big track, so there’s plenty of opportunity to explore the SR3 XXR’s potential as well as the developments Radical has made. Lyons takes me out in the passenger seat for a few sighting laps, which proves enormously useful. While Silverstone is familiar to me, I’m used to

‘The SR3 XXR’s balance is hugely exploitable and outrageously enjoyable at the same time’ 84

experiencing it from the rather loftier seating position of a GT or sports car rather than the Radical’s low-slung vantage point. With those sighting laps completed, Lyons’ incredibly late braking and huge speeds through the fastest corners have left me wondering whether I’ll get anywhere near the performance the SR3 XXR has just demonstrated it’s capable of. The first hurdle, though, as with any race car, is getting it out of the pit garage without stalling it. Steady revs and the positive clutch bite help me achieve that, the new drive-by-wire set-up meaning I can press the wheel-mounted speed limiter while driving down the pitlane, trying hard to ignore my impostor syndrome. Merging onto the track is my first proper opportunity to experience the immediacy of the engine’s response and its eagerness to rev; my left clutch foot will now be redundant until I pull up again at the pit garage later, because I’ll be right-foot braking today. The SR3 XXR’s slightly greater power and earlier torque are shifting around 20kg less than in the car’s predecessor, with some mass reduced from its extremities here thanks to the optional fitment of a carbonfiber splitter and rear diffuser. These are not only around 50 percent lighter than the standard components, but stiffer, too, to the benefit of downforce. As with the rest of the XXR’s enhancements, the aero revisions have been more about making detailed improvements rather than creating a leap in performance, all of which means owners of previous SR3 iterations won’t see their efforts obliterated by the new car when it lines up alongside them. Further aero changes include newly profiled, vented front-wing tops to aid the reduction of pressure around the wheels. These are complemented by reshaped side pods that tidy up the airflow along the car’s flanks and better exploit it for the side-mounted radiators. The most notable differentiator, visually, is the spine that runs down from the air intake behind the open cockpit. This LMP-inspired feature not only helps keep the car on the

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ABOVE AND OPPOSITE Configurable and adjustable enough to suit any driver, the SR3 XXR is described as the “sweet spot” in Radical’s range.

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ABOVE A damp day at Silverstone is the perfect setting in which to demo the SR3 XXR’s freshly honed power and performance.

ground in the event of a spin, but also aids directional stability in high-speed corners. There are plenty of those at Silverstone, of course, and after a few familiarization laps to get my head around the performance offered by the SR3 XXR, the speed is starting to climb. Lyons is encouraging me to push harder – not only when getting on the brakes before entering corners, but also to get back onto the power earlier through and out of the bends, in order to exploit the huge grip and traction on offer. From my relatively limited experience of genuine aero racing cars, I recall the almost counterintuitive requirement for more speed to create more of the same; the harder the car is pushed into the track, the harder you can push it. What’s very quickly apparent is just how biddable and approachable the SR3 XXR is, even in the damp. I’m astonished at the way it gains speed, loses it and changes direction. The steering is light, with the nose reacting instantaneously and faithfully to the slightest movement of the beautifully contoured wheel. Its turn-in is incisive, and the entire car feels like it is pivoting underneath me with no wasteful understeer or oversteer. The brakes – this car has the optional AP Racing set-up – are incredible, with superb positivity from the pedal and their stopping power resolute and easily read. Indeed, all of the Radical’s limits are revealed in such an approachable manner that it allows you to chip away at your time without ever feeling like you’re crossing into dangerous territory. That benign, exploitable neutrality is instrumental in building confidence, with each full Silverstone lap being an exploration of not M1 MOMENTUM

only the SR3 XXR’s ability but mine as a driver. Given the tantalizing 11,000rpm red line, I had anticipated needing to manage the engine more than I am, keeping it revving in a high, narrow power band. That’s not the case: indeed, its ability to lug with real enthusiasm even from low revs means the odd wrongly chosen gear through a corner, or short-shift, isn’t the disaster it might be. The six-speed paddle-change sequential ’box is lightning quick on both up and downshifts, with an auto blip smoothing the latter. What is genuinely surprising is just how quickly I can get up to speed – admittedly my speed, not that of Lyons, but given time and a bit more expert guidance I reckon I could get close enough to be within a few seconds of the pro racer. That’s something Pinkerton admits is the idea, and indeed the ethos, of the SR3 XXR; it’s incredibly fast and capable, as well as configurable and adjustable enough to suit any driver, so allowing everyone with a modicum of skill to pull convincing lap times from it. As Lyons says, “it’s like a proper little prototype racer”, with everyone I speak to in the pitlane saying it’s the sweet spot in the Radical range. It’s got just the right performance and power, without having too much of anything, to deliver a balance that’s hugely exploitable and outrageously enjoyable at the same time. I could go on lapping in it all day, but in order to allow some existing – and more talented – Radical customers to experience the new model on-track, I reluctantly get out. I’m thrilled not to have embarrassed myself, but I am keen to come back and try it again sometime. Later on, I speak to Peter Tyler, a racer and Radical SR3 XX owner who takes a run in the SR3 XXR. He enthuses: “There’s not one big change, it’s just a tidier package that gives you even more confidence to drive it.” All of which could simply be shortened to ‘job done’… Find out more from www.teamstradale.com

‘This Radical has got just the right performance and power, without having too much of anything’

IR INTERNATIONAL RACE OF CHAMPIONS SERIES, 1973-2006 On the 50th anniversary of its very first event we look back at the match-racing series that brought together many of the world’s greatest drivers W O R D S M AT T S T O N E

“WHO ARE REALLY THE BEST RACING drivers?” It’s a question as old as motor racing itself – one often asked and seldom answered. In the early 1970s, three motor sport titans formed a partnership in an effort to find out. First was the incomparable Roger Penske, even then a powerhouse car dealer, racingteam owner and builder with SCCA Trans-Am and Can-Am championships under his belt, and already an Indy 500 winner as an entrant. Meanwhile, Mike Phelps was an advertising/ marketing/PR guy who well understood the burgeoning ‘sports on TV’ scene, plus sponsorships and the money aspects of how these things work. Finally, Les Richter, a retired NFL linebacker who happened to be president of Riverside International Raceway. Together, they jointly developed the idea of a made-for-TV racing series, pitting top drivers from around the world of motor sport (think Formula 1, sports cars, NASCAR and IndyCar racing), going head-to-head in identically built and matched cars. They’d call it the International Race of Champions (IROC). A variety of car type, brand and spec were considered. Through his SCCA teams and championships, Penske was an important customer of – and had built rock-solid relationships with – Porsche. After research and consultation with some of the prospective drivers (including his own thoroughbred piloti, Mark Donohue and George Follmer), and the folk at Stuttgart, it was decided that a specially configured 3.0-liter version of Porsche’s 911 RSR would offer the ideal combination of racing chops, brand recognition and performance for the big, fast road courses in the plan: Daytona International Speedway and the aforementioned Riverside. Who to drive for that first season? The watermark was active pro-level only; no pure amateurs or retired pros. After much discussion, invitations, meetings and machinations, the list for season one (1973-74) boiled down to NASCAR’s Bobby Allison, superlative allrounder Donohue, 1972 F1 champ Emerson Fittipaldi, Can-Am/Trans-Am champ Follmer, Indy 500 king AJ Foyt, Can-Am/F1 stalwart 90

THIS SPREAD The ‘M&M’ colors of the Porsches ensured maximum viewing impact on TV. Mark Donohue won the first series, which began at Riverside in late 1973 and finished at Daytona in February 1974.

‘The 911 RSR would offer the ideal combination of racing chops, brand recognition and performance for the big, fast road courses’ M1 MOMENTUM

Denis Hulme, open-wheel standout Gordon Johncock, USAC do-it-all man Roger McCluskey, NASCAR kingpins David Pearson and Richard Petty, Indy/F1/Can-Am star Peter Revson and Indy/Pikes Peak dominator Bobby Unser. Obvious picks Mario Andretti and Al Unser were tied to a Firestone Tire exclusivity contract, thus couldn’t run this Goodyear-shod series; Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney (who ultimately served as the series’ pace-car driver) and Jackie Stewart were out, as recent pro-level retirees. The series format was pretty straightforward: three ‘heat’ races at Riverside in fall 1973, and a season championship-deciding winner-takesall finale (for the top six) at Daytona in February 1974. Cars were swapped and rotated among the drivers between races to balance out any performance advantage or disadvantage inherent in any individual machine. There was timed qualifying for the first heat race, and after that an inverted starting grid based on the finishing order of the previous race. The drivers’ draw was for the love of the game, beating the other guys for bragging rights and meaningful prize money. The care, feeding and maintenance of all the cars was handled strictly by Porsche factory mechanics, prior to assignments for each race, again to root out favoritism. Funding, much as today, came from sponsorship, plus a well developed TV package deal with ABC’s Wide World of Sports (WWS). Car development was carried out at the Weissach race shop and test facility, by the factory engineers working in concert with Penske’s people – primarily Donohue, himself an experienced development engineer and roadcourse race winner. Dr Ernst Fuhrmann was the primary project leader on Porsche’s end. Fifteen cars were built: a dozen to cover the 12 drivers in each race, and three extras to be used as back-ups, shakedown and practice machines. All were created from new bodiesin-white to 1974 spec, all no-sunroof coupés. There was a bit of chassis stiffening around the shock and strut towers and such, while the bodies wore the curvaceously wide fender flares of the RSR 2.8. The latter’s single center wheelnut gave way to oversized yet standard

PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR AND AUTHOR COLLECTION, AND COURTESY PENSKE RACING, STELLANTIS MEDIA ARCHIVE, CORPORATE ARCHIVES PORSCHE AG AND BILL WARNER

I N T E R N AT I O N A L R A C E O F C H A M P I O N S

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five-bolt Fuchs alloys – the IROC heat-race pitstops called for neither tire changes nor refueling, so quick-change rims weren’t needed. The cabin was stripped of all non-essentials, although the dashboards and instrument panels very much resembled those of street 911s sans clock, console, power windows and climate controls. A sturdy roll-cage system was fitted, as was a proper on-board fire-suppression set-up and a competition fuel cell up front. The new 3.0-liter IROC-spec engine ran lightweight cases and beautiful tubular headers with individual runners leading to an open, un-catalyzed exhaust system. The twin-sparkplug, mechanically fuel-injected engine was officially rated at 316bhp – although a more common estimate is 320-325bhp. This special RSR unit was mated to a Porsche Type 915 five-speed transaxle. A large, rectangular engine oil cooler was mounted in a special lower front facia, and the IROCs were initially built with the Carrera RS 2.7’s trademark reardeck ‘ducktail’ bürzel wing. Porsche brewed up a dazzling palette of ‘M&M’ colors, including a variety of blues, reds, greens, yellow, beige, black and white – no two cars were painted identically. Each carried just a few sponsor decals plus a race number on the front hood (or ‘frunk’) and rear fenders; the driver was identified by name banners on the upper windshield header and each door. All conventional hood and deck latches were replaced by racing-pin locks, and black blanking plates supplanted the headlight lenses. Each driver wore an IROC-spec suit, and supplied their own, individualized helmet. Dr Fuhrmann famously said: “The car couldn’t be broken – as long as it wasn’t over-revved and as long as it was shifted correctly.” Fortunately, transaxle maladies were few. Supporters, naysayers and pundits alike all predicted that “the sports car guys will dominate the series”, “the NASCAR guys will struggle” and “some of the Indy guys might do OK” – which isn’t altogether incorrect as to how season one unfolded. Donohue, in the white car, dominated and won the first Riverside heat. Follmer, after spirited tussles with Pearson and Allison, handily claimed the 92

THIS SPREAD Former driver turned TV commentator Jackie Stewart interviews NASCAR king Richard Petty. All the Camaros were built to be identical, to even the playing field.

second Riverside heat, while Donohue was locked and loaded for the third heat to win again, this time in the black car. Allison and Pearson were superb road racers, and while neither won an event, they acquitted themselves credibly. Unser and Hulme both finished all 90 laps of the three Riverside Raceway heats. The six drivers who qualified for the season one final at Daytona were Donohue, Follmer, Pearson, Foyt, Revson and Unser. Follmer and Pearson DNFd, and Donohue in the orange RSR won the final race in Florida and the season championship. He promptly announced his retirement – and then ‘unretired’ the following year to take a shot at F1, only to die in a testing accident in Austria on August 19, 1975. The IROC finale turned out to be his last M1 MOMENTUM

professional race win and championship. All four races were recorded for rebroadcast at a later date, according to a pre-published schedule. WWS invested real effort into making the races and telecasts visually exciting; Daytona and Riverside are big, sprawling places, and tough to capture without a relatively large and capable camera and sound crew. The cars looked great in color. Birdseye footage came courtesy of the omnipresent Goodyear Blimp, which circled high above the raceways – at the time it was the closest thing a TV crew could get to a camera drone, short of using helicopters. It would’ve been marvelous to watch Jackie Stewart compete; just retired, and absolutely at the height of his driving powers, he’d have been an IROC player for sure. That said, he

‘Chevrolet felt that IROC provided a good opportunity for the Camaro brand, and it became a great partnership’

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was also just coming into his own as a motor sport broadcaster, and he did a fantastic job; accurately and intuitively reading situations, understanding what was going on with drivers and cars, making worthwhile commentary. Credit to veteran host Keith Jackson, too, who did all the things an anchor needs to do. He was unselfish in sharing the broadcast with Stewart – logical, because the three-times F1 champ knew the game and the players. Jackson, at times, got a little over enthusiastic in some of his commentary, but he did a solid job, and he and Stewart meshed well. For better or worse, IROC was destined to run its special fleet of Porsche RSRs for only one year. It was clear some of the drivers didn’t like the cars, and neither was the RSR at its 93

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best as an oval racer – and for many reasons IROC wanted to expand its calendar into some oval-track venues. It opted instead for a newly developed IROC-spec Chevrolet Camaro, beginning with season two. As Roger Penske explains today: “Penske Racing had a good relationship with Chevrolet, and the manufacturer was very interested in getting involved and becoming a sponsor of the series. Chevrolet felt that IROC provided a good opportunity for the Camaro brand, and it became a great partnership.” Multi-time championship-winning NASCAR crew chief Ray Evernham was brought in to develop and manage the transformation of the stockbodied Camaros into IROC racers. The first-gen cars for season two started as 1974 street-production models, equipped with the 350ci V8 and Borg-Warner Super T-10 fourspeed transmission. Penske’s crew stripped out the cabins and installed roll cages, instrument panels, a racing seat and Simpson fire bottles. The Camaros retained their steel bodywork, however. The basic front coil-spring and rear leaf-spring suspension set-up also remained, but with much higher spring rates and Delrin bushings in place of the stock rubber bits. Holman-Moody supplied Ford rear ends with fully floating axles. From the Corvette came spindles, hubs and four-wheel disc brakes, and the cars used a power-assist unit from a fullsize Chevy station wagon. Power steering was also employed. Wheels were 15x8in Minilites, while bulging fender flares were pop-riveted to the body to cover the Goodyear racing tires. Legendary Traco Engineering built the mildly destroked 336ci small-block Chevy V8s, using off-the-shelf General Motors and aftermarket performance parts. All engines were dynotuned to 440bhp, plus or minus no more than 5bhp, and an ignition cut-off limited revs to 7200rpm for durability. The dry-sump oil system’s five-gallon tank sat in the space of the removed front passenger seat. A 30-gallon fuel cell replaced the stock tank. Penske stalwart Jay Signore explains that these Camaros were created not for ultimate speed, but rather for equal performance and durability at a reasonable cost. Fifteen were built in summer 1974, including three back-ups. “We relied on driver feedback during shakedown to tune the handling, so drivers from different series were comfortable,” Signore says. In the 1974-75 IROC, four drivers came from NASCAR Winston Cup, four from F1 and three

‘Dale Earnhardt won the title in 1990 (however strange as it may have seemed to see “Mr Chevy” taking a championship in a Dodge)’

THIS SPREAD Dodge became the IROC marque of choice for the 1990-95 era, first with the Daytona and then the Avenger. This tenure was dominated by NASCAR drivers.

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from USAC Champ Car. George Follmer came primarily from road racing, and remained with IROC as a development driver for some years. To keep an even playing field, participants drew for the cars at each event, and their custom-fit racing seats and name decals would then be installed. In another departure from the first IROC season, two road races were run at Riverside, with the other two on the Michigan International Speedway and Daytona ovals. The Camaro was better suited to big ovals than would have been the Porsches. Moreover, the Chevy was a more ‘conventional’ car layout, with a powerful V8 up front and a tough four-speed trans behind it, as opposed to the Porsche’s rear-engine weight bias and potentially finicky five-speed transaxle. The Camaro was therefore naturally more familiar and appealing to the NASCAR drivers (and fans) than the 911s. As with the Porsches, the IROC Camaros were built up out of standard production cars. So were the NASCAR stockers of the day; this was before the ‘tube-frame’ eras in NASCAR and Trans-Am. Additionally, the Camaros cost less to build, and likely to maintain, than did their German counterparts. It all helped the series, which actually lost money its first season. All in all, the move proved to be logical. Several of the European drivers commented on how much fun they had driving the thundering Chevys. As principle Mike Phelps opined: “While the Camaro made a pretty good IROC racer, the production chassis – in spite of the roll cage and other stiffening measures – was heavy, and still had too much flex in it, so we ultimately had to go to a full tube-frame set-up.” Just as NASCAR and SCCA Trans-Am also did... New venues were added, more NASCAR drivers got involved in the series, more sponsors came aboard and the TV coverage was expanded. Interestingly enough, it was bigname IndyCar drivers who dominated many of the races and several seasons of the Camaro era of IROC. Bobby Unser, who showed promise in the Porsches but didn’t like them at all, won the IROC title in 1975. AJ Foyt, who also showed potential in the Porsches, became IROC’s first two-time champion, bagging the title in 1976 and ’77. Bobby’s brother Al took home the crown in 1978. Fresh off winning the F1 world driver’s title in 1978, Mario Andretti became IROC champ in 1979. The first classically NASCAR driver to win the championship was IROC 1 vet Bobby Allison in 1980. During the Porsche season, he 95

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had demonstrated that he knew how to turn both left and right – and it all came right for him seven seasons after his first run in the series. Cale Yarborough was next followed by Harry Gant. Al Unser Jr became the first secondgeneration driver to win the IROC title in 1986 and ’88, split by NASCAR stalwart Geoff Bodine in 1987. The final IROC champion of the Camaro era was NASCAR’s Terry Labonte in 1989. The series switched to the Dodge Daytona beginning with the 1990 season. The streetproduction Daytona was a compact, frontengine, front-wheel-drive sport coupé, so in order to offer the performance and appeal of the IROC Camaro, it needed to be recast as a tube-framed, V8-powered racer. Dodge’s first four seasons as IROC’s brand of choice (199093) were contested with cars resembling and badged as Daytonas, and the final two years of the manufacturer’s reign were run with Avenger models replacing the Daytona, which went out of production at the end of the 1993 model year. The Dodge era kicked off in fine style with the late and legendary Dale Earnhardt winning the title in 1990 (however strange as it may have seemed to see ‘Mr Chevy’ racing and taking a championship in a rival brand). The rest of the Dodge IROC tenure, through 1995, was dominated by NASCAR drivers, with champions Rusty Wallace in 1991, Ricky Rudd in 1992, Davey Allison (son of previous champ Bobby) in 1993, Mark Martin in 1994 and Earnhardt bookending the Dodge days of IROC by bagging another title in ’95. GM decided to get back in the IROC game beginning in 1996, an era that heavily favored NASCAR champs. From 1992-2005, the season was exclusively run on ovals. In 2006, a road course was reintroduced to the series formula, with the cars competing on the ‘Roval’ course at Daytona International Speedway. The weapon of choice for this final IROC era was the Pontiac Firebird. Also a tube-framed ‘silhouette’ racer, as had been the secondgeneration Chevys and all of the Dodges, the IROC Firebird was an evolutionary version of the later Camaros run in the series. Mark Martin convincingly proved himself a worthy champion, dominating the IROC series and taking the season crown three times in a row from 1996-98. Earnhardt backed up his first two IROC titles, winning again back-toback in 1999 and 2000. Bobby Labonte earned a singular championship in 2001, followed by NASCAR mainstays Kevin Harvick for ’02 and 96

‘IROC provided great competition, and it was a unique format that was well received by motor sport fans’ Kurt Busch in ’03. Matt Kenseth snuck in to wear the crown for 2004, with Martin capping a remarkable IROC run with his fifth season championship in 2005 – more titles than any IROC driver among all eras. Martin also won more individual IROC races, with a total of 18. IROC’s final season was 2006, with that year’s title being well earned by multi-talented charger Tony Stewart, marking his sixth championship in as many major racing series. IROC’s final showdown, held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, was won by Martin Truex Jr, capping off 30 remarkable racing seasons.

WHY DID IT END? IROC wound down after 2006’s four races. The reasons are many, and the opinions differ. One common thread is that IROC had become measurably less ‘international’ over time; at the end, there was not an F1 or Indy 500 winner among the contenders. Original series principle Mike Phelps and IROC competitor George Follmer both added that IROC had just become “a junior NASCAR series”. True enough, the cars were very much built like NASCAR machines, ever more NASCAR drivers populated the ranks, and for a time IROC was an ovals-only series. That final race at Atlanta looked and sounded for all the world like a NASCAR event, run on the high-banked ovals where drifting could make or break you. And ten of the 12 entrants were NASCAR stalwarts. So yes, very much of the original variety and international flavor had evaporated. Roger Penske adds an additional, thoughtful and businesslike perspective, as he always does: “Unfortunately the IROC series was not financially viable after the 2006 season, so we made the decision to discontinue its operation. Sponsor conflicts also became an issue with drivers and their teams. It was challenging to have drivers compete in a car for a different brand than what they were running for the full M1 MOMENTUM

season, and there were other [advertising and sponsorship] partners on the car that could conflict with their main team sponsors as well. “IROC provided great competition, and it was a unique format that was well received by motor sport fans. It would be challenging to operate the series in today’s environment, however. The challenges that we faced when we made the decision to disband the series still exist: title sponsorship, manufacturer support and a consistent TV package.” He goes on: “It’d also be difficult to secure commitments from today’s top drivers, due to the demands of the expanded schedules as well as sponsor and manufacturer obligations.” IROC’s safety record was remarkable; there were accidents, some significant, most less so, but short of minor injuries, no driver was ever critically hurt in the series, and there were no pilot fatalities in its 30 seasons and 120 events. It is interesting that ostensibly the same management and ownership team ran IROC for its three-plus decades of existence. Mike Phelps moved away from the series in the early ’90s to pursue a variety of other racing and TV-packaging interests, to be replaced by Jay Signore, ultimately named IROC president. Les Richter retired, and passed away in 2010. Roger Penske’s accomplishments in racing and business (and the business of racing) continue to evolve. His ventures and empires (including a substantial automotive dealership and truck-rental group) play out on the world stage, while his inventory of ‘human capital’ (employees) nears 70,000. Nobody has won more Indy 500 races as a team owner and entrant, and ‘The Captain’ now owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, among the many other significant racetracks that have starred in his portfolio over time. In retrospect, he speaks well and fondly of the International Race of Champions he created. As does anyone who followed the racing.

CAR COUNT BREAKDOWN Model Chevrolet Camaro Pontiac Trans Am

Number of seasons 12 11

(rebranded as ‘IROC racers’ once the Firebird ceased production)

Dodge Daytona Dodge Avenger Porsche Carrera RSR

4 2 1

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JOHNNY’S BACK! JOHNNY O’CONNELL

Former GM works driver and M1’s lead instructor Johnny O’Connell has returned to racing after a five-year break

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YES, HE’S THE LEAD INSTRUCTOR AT M1 Concourse, but Johnny O’Connell is even better known as America’s most successful GM factory driver. After retiring five years ago, his love of motor sport has got the better of him again – and now he’s back on track in the SRO Motorsports GT America series with SKI Autosports.

guys. And so to be out there in a 2014 Audi R8 LMS, and winning, is really cool. The advantage of the newer cars is mostly aerodynamic; they can carry a little bit more pace to the corners. How did the SKI Autosports thing happen? My old team-mate Andy Pilgrim had driven for the team for a long time. The guy who owns SKI, Kent Hussey – he used to be the CEO of [Spectrum Brands’] Remington Shaving and Grooming – he’s a big racing guy. He’s friends with Zak Brown and a lot of the big guys, but for a long time he was just a car collector. Then he got into racing. Remington actually sponsored some racing with Andy in the Cadillacs in the 2000s. They became friends; Andy was driving for them on and off in Historic events – minor stuff, nothing pro. And then Andy got an offer to train this

So how are you doing, Johnny? Good! Good and busy! I think in June I had a total of, like, six days at home. I got to go to Spa and Le Mans, and to race myself. So, yeah, that was a good month. It’s great to see you on the podium. That was good! What’s exciting is that all the guys I’m running against are in 2023 stuff, Mercedes and Porsches. Those are the main M1 MOMENTUM

young kid. He took that job, which prohibited him from racing for SKI. They had heard about me through a couple of other people, and reached out to me last year. We did a few things in 2022, and they made an offer. How’s it going in the GT America series? Well, we skipped the first two rounds but we’ve done really well, so the team is pretty excited. They’re already making sure that I’ll drive for them next year and all that kind of stuff. I’m excited about that. It’s good when it’s the beginning of July and you already know you have a drive for the following year. You sleep a whole lot better. It’s just turned out to be the coolest thing. I mean, it’s a tiny team. Our budget, I bet, is a quarter of whatever everybody else’s is, but they’re really good people and the engineer is outstanding, a very sharp lady. And you’ve been coaching at Le Mans? Yeah, with my buddy Brad Fauvre. He’s awesome because he’s an extremely successful businessman, with a really busy life, so it was literally two weeks before Le Mans that he called me up and was like: “Hey man, are you available [to coach] if I want to do Le Mans?” I said: “You’re playing games, aren’t you?” But he was serious. I was going to Spa anyway, so I knew I could zip over to Le Mans. Le Mans is the type of place that gives you goosebumps. It’s just crazy. To see the look on Brad’s face after his first session, and then after his second session, was so good. He 100

‘You drive to the lap time, but the pressure on you at Le Mans is insane. Mentally it’s at another level. It’s awesome’

was saying: “I’ve got to come back here.” Then after the third session he said: “Johnny, if you want to race here next year, I’m going to help you.” Oh wow! Is that the dream, even after four class wins? You fall in love with Le Mans. When you’ve been in the sport your whole life, and then you’re out of the cockpit for a while, to go to a place like that, it lights a fire under you: it’s magical. You come to Tertre Rouge and you look down and it’s just insane. It’s so fun. I always broke up the circuit and the sectors, my own personal sectors: “Okay, boom, hit these marks, boom, hit these marks.” The cool thing about race cars now is I can look at my dash, and be like: “Okay, I’m up twotenths.” You very much drive to the lap time, but the pressure on you at Le Mans is insane. Mentally it’s at another level. It’s awesome. Could you equal Masten Gregory’s record of the most Le Mans races by an American? I plan on it, yes. Hopefully next year [the record is 16; Johnny is on 15, with a record 11 consecutive finishes].

ABOVE Johnny heads for victory in the SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS at Nashville’s Music City Grand Prix.

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It’s great to see you so happy racing again. After not racing for five years, I feel reborn. I recognize how much I missed it – and then, of course, I get to come to M1. I’ve made so many friends here over the past two years, and I’ll get text messages during the week asking me questions while I’m away, or wanting to get in a class and all that kind of stuff. It’s been fun!

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MOTORHOMES FROM THE HOME OF M1

GMC MOTORHOME

WHAT IS NOW M1 CONCOURSE WAS once the birthplace of the commercial truck industry; that site manufactured trucks since 1905, when the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company began truck-assembly operations. In 1909, General Motors claimed Rapid as a subsidiary and rebranded it as GMC in 1912. Fast forward to 1968, when GMC’s Product Development Department was considering using minibuses as a mass-transit alternative. Out of the research, a few alternatives evolved for a variety of applications, including the creation of a new industry: the motorhome. Work began in 1970, and in early 1972 GMC Truck & Coach announced it would produce and market the world’s finest motorhome. The GMC Motorhome was unique in many ways. It was given an Oldsmobile Toronado drivetrain, which meant it was front-wheel drive for a low point of entry and clearance. It also had a wide frame, a lot of windows and a modern, aerodynamic shape. There was no back axle, instead utilizing tandem, independent rear

suspension. It drove more car- than truck-like. When those GMCs began rolling off the Pontiac production line as 1973 models, they were given names representative of adventure travel: Canyon Lands, Glacier, Painted Desert, Sequoia… all US National Parks. The interior team at General Motors consulted with House & Garden magazine to design the GMC interior and exterior color selection. Production numbers for those 1973 models were 461 23-foot and 1598 26-foot GMCs, for a total of 2059. In the five years they were manufactured, the highest production number came in 1976, when 3260 models rolled off the Pontiac West assembly line. GMC Truck & Coach, of course, produced and assembled the vehicle, but for the first two model years the interiors were contracted through PRF Industries/Gemini Corporation of Mt Clemens (now New Baltimore). The motorhomes were driven 25 miles from Pontiac, and there PRF/Gemini designed and built all the furniture, assembled the modules, applied

THIS SPREAD The GMC Motorhome remains the only such vehicle to be designed, created and built entirely by an auto maker.

We explore the history of the radical yet luxurious GMC Motorhome – and its special place at the heart of what is now M1 Concourse WORDS K AREN E BREEN P H O T O G R A P H Y G M A R C H I V ES

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the Textolite laminate and installed everything, bringing it all through the motorhome’s rearaccess opening. Fifteen different floor plans and a multitude of options made the interiorassembly process very complicated. Gemini’s target was to complete 32 motorhomes per day; its best was closer to 20 per day, and quality was becoming a concern. Plant No. 3 was the birthplace of the GMC Motorhome, and public tours were provided at least through 1976. The plant was located exactly at the southwest portion of the M1 Concourse track – Turn 1 – and where the Phase I and IV condos are built. Plant 3 operated on two levels: the bodyshell was formed on the upper and the chassis was fabricated on the lower. They were eventually joined back on the upper level. Due to quality and timeline concerns with Gemini interiors, GMC brought the interior-fabrication and -assembly processes in house in 1975. Plant No. 4 would now handle this – and with it, upgrades to seating, fabrics and furniture modules. Additionally, the exterior would now feature Imron paint. Initially, the GMC used a 265bhp Oldsmobile 455ci V8 and a three-speed transmission. In January ’77, that engine changed to an Olds 403. The program met many challenges, the largest being the oil embargo of 1973, just as sales had begun. However, the GMC remains the only motorhome designed, created and built entirely by an auto manufacturer. Of course, it was only natural for an owners’ club to form, and in January 1976 the GMC Michigan Wolverines passed their charter. They soon became the official GMC Great Lakers, the first official club, as owners in other states and Ontario, Canada expressed interest. Many nationwide rallies were organized by the GMC Motorhome Owners’ Club, which was also formed in January ’76 by GMC. An attendance record was set at the Grand National Rally at Lake Lawn Lodge in Delavan, Wisconsin in July 1978: 274 GMCs turned out. There are presently at least 21 chapter clubs, including in Europe and Australia. A registry exists on which 8958 GMCs are registered worldwide. There are 31 in Australia, 29 in the UK and 22 in Germany. In the US, the five largest states with GMCs are California (1120), Texas (812), Florida (722), Michigan (445) and Washington (361). Also, a Google Map/Black List is an assist list created to aid any stranded GMC owners. It is named for its creator, Roger Black. Volunteers offer their contact information and details 104

about what type of assistance they can provide: tools, space to work on a GMC in need of repair, advice, local knowledge or simply a place to stay. It has been a godsend to many. Fifty years on, the GMC community is still going strong, with many vehicle stewards carrying the torch for the next generation. Time and again, the most common phrase used to describe the GMC is: “Ahead of its time.” Car collector Karen E Breen is the proud fifth owner of a range-topping, last-year-of-production Royale that has always been stored in an indoor, climate-controlled environment. She fell in love with the GMC when she was 11. She’s done extensive research on her GMC’s ownership history, is truly ‘wunderlusting’, and has begun to enjoy traveling in the motorhome with her young grandchildren. The GMCMI organization is planning a 50year anniversary Homecoming convention in Metro Detroit in the fall. More than 100 GMCs will caravan from their convention location through downtown Pontiac and into M1 Concourse for festivities. Also slated to fully open soon is the Pontiac Transportation Museum, located at 250 W Pike Street, Pontiac, Michigan. www.pontiactransportationmuseum.org M1 MOMENTUM

ABOVE ‘The world’s finest motorhome’ was built by GMC Truck & Coach, and used an Oldsmobile Toronado drivetrain.

GMC MOTORHOME

RIGHT A home away from home: the GMC offered plenty of mods cons for the discerning traveler.

1984

LEFT A 265bhp Olds 455ci V8 initially powered the GMC; that changed to a 403 in January 1977.

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ABOVE House & Garden magazine was consulted when the General Motors interior team designed the color selections.

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RIGHT Two body lengths were available during the GMC’s 1973 to 1978 model-year run: 23 foot and 26 foot.

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ABOVE Versatile interior was available with 15 different floor plans and a multitude of options. LEFT GMC’s period advertising reflected the great outdoors and the freedom a luxury house on wheels could bring. BELOW Front-wheel drive allowed for a low point of entry and clearance. GMC drove more like a car than it did a truck.

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GMC MOTORHOME

LEFT Numerous chapter clubs around the world mean enthusiasts of these classic machines have lots of like-minded folk to network with.

BELOW “It’s as easy to live with on the road as it is standing still.” Five decades on, fans will agree nothing’s changed.

BELOW Plant No. 3 at the Pontiac facility was the birthplace of the motorhome; exactly at the southwest portion of M1 Concourse now.

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TRACK STARS

M1 CONCOURSE TRACK CARS

THIS SPREAD Mustang or Porsche? Diverse cars offer very different experiences on the M1 Concourse track.

M1 Concourse has a feast of cars for you to sample. We speak to the man who runs the fleet about what makes each of them special W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K

“THE MUSTANGS HAVE A GOOD SOUND to them, right?” laughs Marc Molzon, M1 Concourse’s lead instructor. “They have throaty V8 powerplants and they handle pretty good for street cars.” Marc’s job is perhaps one of the greatest it’s possible to have – running and looking after M1 Concourse’s corral of track cars. This fleet includes a Mazda Miata, two Toyota GR86s, two Porsche Caymans and no fewer than four Ford Mustangs: two GTs and two Mach 1s. Marc has been an instructor for 18 years, racking up the track miles with BMW, Porsche and Lotus clubs over that time. He leads a team of instructors who help drivers perfect their circuit driving, with the different styles of car offering a wide variety of approaches. “We do ‘lead follows’ with people who M1 MOMENTUM

haven’t driven on the circuit or are still learning it,” he explains. “They’ll be following in our tracks while we guide them in the orientation, having them follow directly behind our wheel tracks, with three or four cars behind one lead car. We have a rotation system on the back straightaway, so that everybody has a chance to get right on the instructor’s bumper and see exactly where the line is.” If the instructor feels sufficiently comfortable, sometimes he or she will get in the passenger seat in order to give the driver more input. “When you are in the car as an instructor, you can feel different things happening from the cockpit that you can’t really see from a lead-follow situation,” Marc says. However, the cars also get used for the Race Speed Track Experience, with an instructor 111

M1 CONCOURSE TRACK CARS

taking over driving duties. “We’re pushing the car, and the passenger feels the Gs in the turn, feeling the tires start to give – we’re right on the edge of traction,” he explains. Each of the cars has been chosen to give a different driving experience – and the Mustangs are a big draw. “The Fords tend to move about a bit,” Marc laughs. “They’re pretty much street cars, but they handle well considering they are on all-weather street tires, not race rubber.” Those who get to drive the GT shouldn’t feel left out of the Mach 1 experience, either. “The Mach 1 has more suspension tuning and a diff cooler to make it a little more durable, so we’ve done a bit to the GTs to get them up to the Mach 1 level, so they’re pretty close,” he says. “However, due to the aero package on the Mach 1, the GTs ended up being a little faster on the straightaways.” It’s well worth checking out the Toyota GR86 too, though, as Marc recommends: “It’s got a lot less horsepower, but it’s also a lot lighter and much nimbler. It handles really well, and is very controllable, but because of its much skinnier tires it moves around a lot more. It’s very good fun to drive.” The Mazda Miata is the sole car in 112

ABOVE Japanese Miata and GR86 are lighter and even more nimble than their Western counterparts; the Mazda gives drivers good stick-shift experience.

‘Our rotation system gives everybody a chance to get right on the instructor’s bumper and see exactly where the line is’ M1 MOMENTUM

the corral that has a manual transmission. “We only bring this out every once in a while, to allow owners to perfect their driving,” Marc explains. “That’s because you can go much faster through the turns, and it helps drivers to see where to go.” The Porsche Cayman pairing rounds out the collection. “The Cayman is a very nice platform – when people get in the car, they just feel very confident,” Marc says. “It feels very solid going around the track.” On the subject of solidity, while these are road rather than race cars, some changes have been made in the name of durability, particularly concerning the brakes. “We’ve done a lot of research on pads and rotors, and use upgraded and more durable versions,” he explains. “Safety-wise we’re sticking with basically the stock set-up, but everybody is required to wear a helmet any time they go out on track.” With such a variety of machinery at Marc’s disposal, there’s a lot of fun to be had – but which is his favorite? “I’m a big Porsche guy: it’s where I came from,” he smiles. “When Porsche Motorsport came out to M1 with the Cayman GT4 and 911 GT2 Clubsport for members to drive, I had a go. Driving those cars kind of ruined me forever.”

ABOVE Rapid trumpeted its truck’s achievement in climbing Pikes Peak, as seen in this Elks Club parade in Detroit.

LOCAL HISTORY

RAPID MOTORS, PIKES PEAK AND WILLIAM C DURANT BY 1908, THE LAND THAT EVENTUALLY became ‘The Triangle’ around M1 Concourse contained the showcase of horseless-vehicle manufacturing in Pontiac, Michigan – the factory of the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company. Max Grabowsky, the brilliant inventor and designer who had started the business with his brother Morris back in 1900, had resigned only that year, but the company continued to grow. This was due in part to the fact that Max’s designs were still in use. In late 1908, a new office building was opened with “12 private offices and a mammoth general office”. Plans were made for additional buildings, which were eventually completed. In 1909 Rapid was advertising delivery wagons, trucks, buses, sight-seeing cars, ambulances, and “every type of vehicle in the commercial line”. The company had agents and dealers located just about everywhere from Vancouver, British Columbia to Mexico City. The company was also actively seeking additional agents, promising “greater

The latest installment of how ‘The Triangle’ in Michigan – home of M1 Concourse – became the center of the US automotive industry WORDS C A R O L EG B O

M1 MOMENTUM

money-making possibilities” than any other vehicle line. Ads described “every user of one or more horses” as a prospective buyer of a Rapid Commercial Power Wagon. An example of the far-ranging uses of Rapid trucks can be found in a 1909 article that appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. According to the article, Nicholise Micholuf, a leading business man of Helsinki, Finland, bought and paid for five Rapid trucks in New York City in January of that year. The vehicles were to be shipped immediately to Finland, where they were to “crunch out innumerable versts (miles) daily over the icy, wind-swept steppes of the Far North”. The article carefully explained that Mr Micholuf had been influenced to make the large order by a trip a Rapid truck had made from Pontiac to New York in just eight days, through severe snow and ice. A similar Rapid vehicle would go on to make a much more spectacular trip in July 1909, when it took part in the Glidden Tour that year. 115

THE 1909 GLIDDEN TOUR Sponsored by the American Automobile Association, the Glidden Tours were named after Charles Glidden, a wealthy industrialist and strong automobile supporter who offered financial back-up for these racing contests. The first Tour, in 1904, ended at the World’s Fair at St Louis, Missouri. These Tours were designed to prove the reliability of automobiles and their potential as long-distance vehicles. The early events provided many people with their first view of a ‘horseless carriage’. The 1909 Glidden Tour route, which covered 2600 miles, began in Detroit on July 12 and ended in Kansas City on July 31. The Tour included a Rapid Motor Vehicle Company oneton truck model F-406-B, with a cargo box that was used to transport baggage for participants. When the Tour brought the Rapid team close to Pikes Peak in Colorado they attempted to climb to the top. The Horseless Age automobile trade magazine described the adventure: “The Rapid Truck reached Colorado Springs at 11:30pm. It left the next morning at 6:15am, and nearly reached the top of Pikes Peak when it was enveloped in a cloud and was unable to proceed further, owing to the dangerous nature of the road. The night was spent on the peak. Grogan, the driver, was lost from the party, and not until morning did he find his way back. The car reached the summit early the next morning, however, and after finding that it would cost $100 to take the car down by rail, it was brought down on its own wheels. The crew consisted of the driver, Grogan, a mechanic and a photographer. At 3:30am this morning (July 28) they left Colorado Springs to catch up with the Tour.” A Rapid truck also accompanied the 1910 Glidden Tour. This time it operated as a moving print shop. It was equipped with a printing press and paper designed to publish a daily newspaper. On the side of the truck was written “The Rapid Way: Daily News of the Glidden Tour”. The Tour that year was a 2800mile trek that stopped in places such as Dallas, Wichita, Des Moines, Memphis and Chicago. 116

A QUIET EVENT IN NEW JERSEY WITH REMARK ABLE RIPPLE EFFECTS

THIS PAGE Rapid’s successful products attracted the attention of WC Durant. The new chimney and powerhouse were completed under GM’s ownership.

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In 1909, after the Glidden Tour had drawn to a close, an event occurred in New Jersey that would not only impact Rapid but also change the course of automotive history. On September 16 in that state, incorporation papers for the General Motors Company, organized by WC Durant, were filed. At nearly the same time, Durant started purchasing stock in Rapid, and by 1909 he had gained control of the company and it became a GM subsidiary. As a Detroit Free Press headline stated, General Motors had “gobbled another” – a reference to the fact that it had also absorbed the Reliance Motor Company, another manufacturer of commercial vehicles. At the time of the GM takeover, Rapid Motors had 200 employees and owned the

LOCAL HISTORY

largest commercial-vehicle factory in the world. It had begun a huge two-story addition. In William Durant’s words: “The company had grown to such an extent as to be beyond the capacity of the present company’s capital and resources.” The implication, of course, was that GM had both the capital and the resources to continue that growth.

Power Wagon with a “crude affair” of a motor. Morris gave no specific reasons for his departure, and began working with the United States Motor Company, where he was placed in charge of the commercial-vehicle department. He left that company in 1912, and later worked as a purchasing agent for the Kelsey Wheel Company. Morris is remembered for being the business brain behind the Grabowsky partnership. One can’t help but wonder how the story of the Grabowsky Power Wagon Company of Detroit might have been different if Morris had left Rapid at the same time as his brother Max, and joined him in developing that firm. Yet despite great potential and early success, the Grabowsky Power Wagon Company had run into financial problems and had filed for bankruptcy in 1912. Perhaps the business acumen of Morris may have extended the life of that business.

GENERAL MOTORS CONTINUES EXPANSION OF THE RAPID PLANT General Motors completed the two-story addition to the factory and made plans for a third story. Work also began on a new chimney and powerhouse. A temporary hotel was built to house the laborers working on the construction. A Detroit Free Press story from October of 1909 described the buildings as being: “The latest approved architectural design, and of the Kahn system of reinforced concrete fireproof construction.” The project was not without incident, however, and tragedy struck on November 19, 1909 when the top of the massive new chimney toppled over and two workmen were killed. A coroner’s inquest ruled that the accident was the result of “green concrete” and that the chimney had not been given time to set firmly before new sections were added. The chimney was finally completed in December 1909. The powerhouse itself was finished in 1910, and it is the only remaining structure of the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company today.

MORE CHANGE FOR RAPID AS THE GMC LOGO APPEARS In 1911 General Motors formed the General Motors Truck Company (GMTC), and folded Rapid and the Reliance Motor Company – as also, remember, gobbled up by WC Durant – into it. In 1912 the Rapid and Reliance names were dropped, and a GMC logo replaced those of both brands. In 1913 the manufacturing of all GMC trucks was consolidated in the Rapid Street plant located within The Triangle in Pontiac. In 1914 the first of a new line of trucks was announced. These were designed exclusively by GMTC engineers, and heralded the end of Rapid and Reliance products.

MORRIS GRABOWSKY LEAVES RAPID When the census was conducted in 1910, Morris Grabowsky and his family were living at 121 Orchard Lake Road in Pontiac. This was not far from the Rapid plant. By the end of the year they had moved back to Detroit, and Morris had resigned from Rapid Motors where he had been serving as secretary and caring for the purchasing, sales and other business interests of the company. Morris’s departure brought about the end of an era for Rapid Motors, a last chapter in a story that began with two brothers and a sputtering

WHAT ABOUT THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TRIANGLE?

THIS PAGE Within a very short time of General Motors taking control, the GMC brand had replaced those of both the Rapid and Reliance companies.

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Rapid had been making vehicle history in the northern part of The Triangle, but what had been happening in the southern part? Had the area that once was home to an early African American neighborhood, a shoemaker and a toll gate also become involved in vehicle manufacturing? We will soon find out. The story of this historic site continues in issue 4. 117

THIS PAGE Kids of all ages love the Yankee Air Museum. OPPOSITE A Ford Trimotor – the ‘Tin Goose’ – and the ‘Yankee Lady’ Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress are among the active aircraft.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE YANKEE AIR MUSEUM Less than an hour’s drive south of M1 Concourse is Yankee Air Museum – one of the best institutions of its kind in the US

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DURING WORLD WAR TWO, FORD opened its Willow Run Bomber Plant in the Van Buren Township in southeastern Michigan. From its start in 1941, the factory produced over 8600 B-24 Liberator bombers, a key element of the Allied arsenal in World War Two. Forty years later, in 1981, a group of aviation enthusiasts established the Yankee Air Museum about a mile away from the original bomber plant, building up a substantial collection of flyable and static aircraft along with aviation artifacts. Visitors were given the chance to fly in B-17 Flying Fortress and B-25

Mitchell bombers and a C-47 Skytrain, some of America’s most iconic aircraft. It was a great success – one of Michigan’s go-to attractions – but in 2004 disaster struck; fire ripped through the museum, tragically destroying the original World War Two building that the institution was housed in, along with most of the artifacts and aircraft. Incredibly, the museum then remained open in temporary facilities, while its small team worked hard to secure a new, permanent home. Following a successful Save the Bomber Plant campaign, the museum was able to buy

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

the last-remaining 144,000 square feet of the Willow Run Bomber Plant. Now the building is used to house and protect much of the larger static aircraft acquisitions. Since its reopening in 2010 in the old MIAT School a block away from the original museum, the facility has grown its collections as well as its public programing. It’s acquired a dozen static aircraft and five flying aircraft, and it opens exhibits annually. In 2017 the museum became a part of Unity in Learning, a partnership that brings together the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Leslie Science and Nature Center as well as the Yankee Air Museum, in educational programing with a STEAM background. The Air Adventure program was previously located at Hangar 1, approximately five miles from the museum. But in 2018 the building was decommissioned for aeronautical use, meaning the aircraft had to move – another blow. Not to be defeated, the museum launched its own Roush Aeronautics Center in the summer of 2022, which is now a permanent home for the Historic Flying Aircraft Collection – just blocks away from the current facility. Among today’s flying aircraft are the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress ‘Yankee Lady’, one of the legendary four-engined bombers built in response to a 1934 Army Air Corps spec, and the North American B-25 Mitchell ‘Rosie’s Reply’ twin-engined bomber, named in honor of Major General William ‘Billy’ Mitchell, a pioneer of US military aviation. There’s also the C-47 Skytrain ‘Hairless Joe’, a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner, and a Ford Trimotor (nicknamed the ‘Tin Goose’), a three-engined transport aircraft built between 1925 and 1933 by the companies of Henry Ford. A Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed ‘Huey’) utility military helicopter that first saw service in combat operations during the Vietnam War is another stalwart. In addition, there are a wide range of static aircraft as varied as a record-breaking SPAD S.XIII biplane, a 1950s RF-84F Thunderflash fighter and supersonic jets including the famed McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the North American F-100 Super Sabre. The Yankee Air Museum is open year round, with a membership scheme, several educational programs and events throughout the year, the biggest of which is Thunder Over Michigan, which takes place every August. For more details, visit www.yankeeairmuseum.org. M1 MOMENTUM

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PHOTOGRAPHY ENVISAGE

INSIDE KNOWLEDGE

With its background in cutting-edge concepts, coachbuilding and creative tech, Envisage can bring industry-leading know-how to the machine of your dreams

THE ENVISAGE GROUP IN COVENTRY, UK is one of those hidden gems of the automotive world. You will undoubtedly have seen some of the international projects it’s been involved with, but you might never know just how deep its contribution went. The company is known within the industry for creating concepts and show cars for makers, as well as for more traditional coachbuilding – but recently it’s also made its services available to private individuals and low-volume brands who want to create their own cars or even adapt the styling or workings of existing ones. These include the 300mph-plus 7X Rayo, the Lynk & Co Next Day concept and the evocative 120

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

Healey-based Caton sports roadster. Envisage Technologies managing director Nick Colledge says: “We can offer a complete solution or take someone’s design and follow it through to paint and delivery. We’ll build a 20-30 percent scale model if required, and we’ll work in partnership or collaboration with designers, remotely or co-located in our studios. “We can work with carbon or aluminum; we will redesign the interior, advise on material selection, and design bespoke electronic components and systems.” For 7X Design, the firm behind the 7X Rayo, Envisage was involved almost from the first sketches. The customer had owned several supercars, but now wanted to make a car more suited to his personal tastes. The restyled and re-engineered, Lamborghini Huracán-based 7X Rayo was the second car 7X Design had created with Envisage; founder David Gomez explained that, for the first, his firm produced a design and then searched for a coachbuilder that could convert this from a 3D model to a real vehicle. Envisage was chosen due to its background with auto makers and show models. This was a great experience, so Envisage was chosen again for the 7X Rayo. The Huracán was selected because it is a relatively small and light supercar, it has fourwheel drive and its engine is very tunable. 7X Design had it tuned to 2000bhp and, with Envisage, processed 50 CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulations to ensure correct aerodynamics and downforce, before taking the Rayo for a test-track shakedown. It reached 280mph before feeling unsettled. With further tweaks, the aim is for 310mph. After that, it’s likely that the next 7X Design/ Envisage project will be a full carbonfiber chassis with a Nissan GT-R engine. With the Caton, Envisage has demonstrated 122

ABOVE From the Caton to the Huracán-based 7X Rayo and Lynk & Co Next Day, Envisage has everything covered through all stages of development and build.

its understanding of the classic car world, with an update on the Healey 100 that reimagines how the model would have been built had today’s production techniques been available. The aluminum body is subtly smoother and curvier, although you’d have to park a Caton alongside a real 100 to spot all the differences. Meanwhile, the Lynk & Co Next Day concept was wholly made by Envisage right down to its futuristic deployable Human Machine Interface driving controls. The cabin design came from Envisage’s CMF (color, materials, finish) team, which works with – and develops – the latest interior trends and tech. The company works with outside specialists, too. Among them is Venture Engineering, an authority in modern and historic competition cars as well as one-offs. As commercial director M1 MOMENTUM

Andy Williamson explains, the firms work for each other on different projects: “We have developed from a motor sport background. We are used to working quickly to a deadline, applying the latest tech and thinking to the solutions we are trying to develop. [With Envisage] we found we had a very similar approach to projects and problems. And so working closer on certain aspects of activities has become normal between the two businesses. “That fusing of our skill sets means we can deliver a complete project for people; we work together to deliver them a final solution.” Avant Design specializes in low-volume and one-off cars, as well as the user interface/user experience (UI/UX) side of infotainment setups. Envisage applies its engineering expertise to Avant’s designs. Director Chris Gould says: “We’ve currently been working on an exciting project; we’ve gone from the design and 3D phases and are now into the manufacture.” What does this all mean to car enthusiasts and entrepreneurs? It gives them a onestop shop to create one-off or low-volume panels, remodel interiors, modify suspension geometry, convert to EV power – or conceive and build an all-new car or conversion, whether for business or personal use. And if you see such a car out on the street, it may well be that the Envisage Group has had a hand in it. www.envisagegroupltd.com

DESIRABLES

124 M1 Concourse products 126 New products 130 Books 132 Watches

The latest temptations, from automobilia to the greatest reads, exquisite watches and clothing, plus exclusive M1 Concourse gear

W O R D S N AT H A N C H A D W I C K PHOTOGRAPHY M1 CONCOURSE

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Woodward Dream Show Timepiece

This stylish design evokes memories of 1950s hot rods, and is limited to 50 pieces. Developed for M1 Concourse by the Detroit Watch Company, it features an all-black dial over an automatic and manual Seiko NH35A caliber. The 42mm case is crafted from stainless steel with a checkered-flag motif on the lug, and the strap is calf padded leather. shop.m1concourse.com

DESIRABLES

M1 CONCOURSE PRODUCTS

Women’s Weekend Fleece Sweatshirt

Legacy M1 Beanie Marled with M1 logo

Produced by LAT Brand, this sweatshirt is available in Natural Heather, Granite Heather and Black. shop.m1concourse.com

Keep the passion for motor sport hot as the temperatures drop, with this knitted beanie that proudly displays the M1 logo. Suitable for adults of all sizes. shop.m1concourse.com

M1 Concourse Woven Blanket

Knit Pom Hat from Legacy

What better way to curl up in front of the fire with a copy of M1 Momentum than with this woven blanket? Custommade for M1 Concourse in North America by Five1Four Supply Co, it’s a fresh-for-2023 design. shop.m1concourse.com

Available in White and Alabaster Heather, this will be useful for chilly events. shop.m1concourse.com M1 MOMENTUM

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NEW PRODUCTS

Scrabble: Shinola Detroit Edition

Detroit’s own Shinola has turned its luxury attention to the US’s favorite word game. This edition of Scrabble features Shinola’s signature white-oak cabinet on a rotating wooden base. It houses everything you need such as ivory-resin tiles in a navy cloth pouch, white-oak tile racks, a sand timer, a scorebook and a pencil. It costs $395. shinola.com

1969 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Model This super-detailed 1:18-scale model is made up of 150 individual parts,

and simply sparkles in Cortez Silver. The wheels are steerable, and the tires are real rubber. This hand-painted model has chrome-colored accents,

Stingray emblems, the Corvette script on the rear valance and the crossedflag motif on the gas-filler lid. It costs $256.90. bradford.co.uk

Amalgam Ferrari Daytona SP3 Engine and Gearbox

This 1:4-scale model exactingly represents the 6.5-liter F140HC V12 engine and its gearbox, as found in the Daytona SP3. Amalgam has worked with Ferrari’s CAD data in a development program that has taken 3500 hours. Limited to 599 pieces, each model takes 325 hours to cast, paint and assemble, and costs $14,093. amalgamcollection.com 126

M1 MOMENTUM

DESIRABLES

Dunhill Performance Leather Hoodie

There’s a real militaryvehicle aesthetic to this hoodie, which is crafted from sage lamb’s leather that is bonded to a technical jersey. There

Porsche 75 Years Garage Mat Porsche is celebrating its 75th anniversary with panache by producing a range of lifestyle M1 MOMENTUM

are perforated silk panels under the arms for ventilation, as well as an elasticated hem with draw-cord adjusters to keep it in shape. It’s available in sizes M and L, and costs $4233. dunhill.com

accessories. This velour mat has a non-slip rubber underside, while the black trim is made of Nubuk leather. It costs $168. shop.porsche.com 127

DESIRABLES

NEW PRODUCTS

Corgi Great Escape Triumph TR6 Trophy model

The Great Escape is one of the best World War Two films ever made. The scene when Captain Virgil Hilts steals an enemy-army motorcycle and makes a break for the GermanSwiss border is a movie icon. The on-screen bike was a modified Triumph TR6, made to look like a German machine. This 1:12-scale model of that very motorcycle features ‘weathered’ paint for extra realism. It costs $120. uk.corgi.co.uk

Mopar Men’s Patriotic T-shirt

Shelby Collapsible 20oz Water Bottle This officially licensed water battle can squish down to half the size, and 128

This officially licensed T-shirt is made from 100 percent ring-spun cotton. It features a crew neck, is finished with short sleeves and is available only in navy. It’s available in sizes Small to 3XL for $25.95. wearmopar.com

can be easily clipped to your backpack – or perhaps a roll cage – with the integrated carabiner. It costs $19.95. shelbystore.com M1 MOMENTUM

DESIRABLES

BOOKS

Formula 1 Technology: The Engineering Explained

ULTIMATE COLLECTOR: MOTORCYCLES 1894-2020

Weighty tome brings the two-wheeled world to life, from icons to the obscure

Motorcycles have often struggled to exude the same glamor as their fourwheeled cousins, despite their undoubted artistry and engineering intrigue. It’s a point made by Jay Leno, who writes the foreword to Charlotte and Peter Fiell two-volume, 940-page epic – and it is a package that should go some way to redressing the balance. We’ve come to expect excellence from Taschen books, and this doesn’t disappoint; the studio photography is magnificent, with strong colors highlighted well on the excellent paper stock. As an overall package, it more than justifies the $250 price tag, if only on heft alone. However, this is not merely a picture book about the usual suspects; its magnificence is that while it obviously highlights the key marques from around the world, it dives deep into the obscure, the offbeat and the manic. Across the two volumes – split as 1894 to 1939, and 1940 to 2020 – each bike has a story attached to it, which is expanded into the tale of the company that made it. Some bikes have had a lucky escape, such as the Norton 350cc 40m Lowboy, a one-of-one machine saved only by a quickthinking engineer. There are far too many iconic racing machines to mention, with wonderful archive photography in competition and build to back up the engaging text. However, what really catches the eye are the super-rare, almost unheard-of motorbikes. Take, for example, the Pininfarina-styled Morbidelli 850 of 1997, which used a 32-valve longitudinal V8 to produce 120bhp at 11,000rpm. Just three were built before the company was sold and the project was halted – but unlike many development prototypes, it came achingly close to a full-bore production bike. It’s almost upsetting that only three were made, and the exceptional photography lays bare just how developed the bike was. The book is full of such individualistic wonders. Take, for example, the Giulio Alfieri-designed, V6-powered Laverda 1000 prototype endurance bike that did only one race before being retired to the family collection, but set a 176mph top speed down Paul Ricard’s Mistral Straight in the process. As well as all the stunning photography, this is a proper reading experience full of insight and delight. Highly recommended, even for those more used to four wheels than two. If it inspires you to climb in the saddle for the first time, we fully understand. taschen.com 130

M1 MOMENTUM

Even if you have a decent grasp on current motor racing, understanding developments in F1 might leave you a little nonplussed. Steve Rendle’s 336-page book provides a superb introduction to current tech, but it also tracks development. This $73 tome might still bamboozle if it were text alone, but the superb illustrations help bring the words to life. Its fascinating snippets will bring back much of the wonderment about a sport at the cutting edge of physics, science and ingenuity. evropublishing.com

Audi R8: The Autobiography of R8-405

Audi’s domination of endurance racing seems like a lifetime ago. The R8s made their debut in 2000 and were pretty

much unbeatable for five years. R8-405 is the subject of Ian Wagstaff’s 320-page, $69 book, and was there at the start, bagging second on its debut. It’s a beautifully realized book that charts the car’s history from factory racer to privateer steed for ALMS, and eventually in its second life in Historic racing. With plenty of insight from the likes of Allan McNish, Andy Wallace and more, it’s a fascinating life story of a game-changing car. porterpress.co.uk

Driven To Crime: True Stories of Wrongdoing in Motor Racing

With true-crime docs becoming irrepressibly popular on TV, Crispian Besley’s 480-page, $53 book is a timely read. However, while many TV shows can seem exploitative and some crime books glamorize criminality, it’s not the case here. Although the tales are gripping and exciting, in the most part it’s clear the wrongdoers end up with a bitter pill after the sweetness of hollow success. A genuine page-turner. evropublishing.com

DESIRABLES

FERRARI 550 MARANELLO PRODRIVE: THE LAST V12 FERRARI TO WIN AT LE MANS The last great Le Mans victory with 12 cylinders came from nowhere near Maranello

The Last Lap: The Mysterious Demise of Pete Kreis at the Indianapolis 500

For all the legends of Ferrari’s motor sport past, Formula 1 might dominate but, arguably, it is the GT racing names that perhaps have a greater hold in the collector world. After all, even if you had the requisite bank balance to buy an ex-F1 Ferrari, fitting inside and driving it might be another matter. This is why the most expensive Ferrari is a 250GTO, and why the GTs with track links – particularly V12s – keep asset-management specialists twitchy during auction season. However, Maranello itself has not produced a V12 for quite some years, and the last yellow badge to wear a Le Mans winner’s rosette was built in, er, Banbury, UK. Keith Bluemel’s tome, produced with Girardo & Co and DK Engineering, is a roller-coaster ride that starts with a 550 Maranello being plucked from a used car lot in 2000 by Prodrive customer Frédéric Dor, dispatched to said firm and turned into a racing car in just 16 weeks. It’d soon become the one to beat in both the FIA GT Championship and the American Le Mans Series, before taking the GTS class victory from under the noses of the Works Chevrolet Corvettes in their 50th-anniversary year in 2003. The 20th anniversary of that famous victory provides a great opportunity to delve into the story, with a $702, 592-page, two-volume book that not only seeks out Dor, but also all of the key characters from the engineers to designer Peter Stevens, plus Stéphane Ratel – who desperately needed a Ferrari presence on the grid as he refocused the FIA GT at the time. Prodrive’s car was so impressive it went to the Fiorano test track to be analyzed by Ferrari, but the racing division’s then general manager Jean Todt turned the concept down. Instead, Ferrari looked to N Technology to create its own – ultimately not quite as successful – 550/575. Twelve examples would be built in the end, with ten racing, and the history of each is covered in detail, with fascinating interviews with owners and competitors. There are season overviews and detailed race reports, too. It’s a comprehensive tome – this really does feel like a labor of love, rather than a ‘mere’ book, from all involved. With superb archive and current images, and huge yet approachable technical depth, it is an excellent book about what will come to be seen as a golden era for GTs. It’s a timely addition, with the Scuderia currently stepping up its endurance-racing ambitions – and while the early-season form looks promising for Ferrari, the story is unlikely to have the same sort of romance as that of the 550GTS. girardo.com/the-550-prodrive-book M1 MOMENTUM

While this 304-page book reads like a pulp detective story, the tale is alarmingly real. William Walker has uncovered just what happened when Pete Kreis drove an apparently healthy car into the wall at the 1938 Indy 500. Kreis and his mechanic were killed, but the mysterious crash has been debated for many years. The conclusion of this $19.95 tome hits home hard. octanepress.com

Through My Eyes: The Coming of Professional Sports Car Racing In California This magnificent tome captures the essence of a critical era in motor sport, when the postwar brightness of the Californian racing scene forged legends that are

still revered today. David Friedman was at the heart of it, capturing the great names and cars of the day. This 364-page, $295 book features 650-plus rarely seen images of the teams, drivers and owners that competed from 1958 to 1965. However, an unexpected delight is the focus on the crowds, with wonderfully intimate photos of racegoers – most memorably, jostling for position in one of the trees next to Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew. throughmyeyesbook.com

Kim: A biography of MG founder Cecil Kimber

MG sports cars were initially exciting and daring, and in this luxuriously presented $150, 536-page book from Jon Pressnell, it is apparent marque co-founder Cecil Kimber exhibited similar characteristics. The well researched profile charts not only his meteoric rise within MG, and the politics that forced his departure, but also his somewhat wayward private life. With extensive archive pictures, this highly detailed deep dive is a must for those with a love for MGs. daltonwatson.com 131

DESIRABLES

MHD Daily Driver Reverse Panda

WATCHES

Designed by former Morgan stylist Matthew Humphries, this timepiece features a matt-black dial with laser-cut holes to allow the vintage-color super luminova sub dial to glow through at night. The superluminova treatment extends to the precision hands, too. The stainlesssteel case features knurled, polished and brushed finishes, as well as crystal glass, and ensconces a Seiko VK64 Hybrid Meca-Quartz chronograph movement. This means it has a quartz movement for everyday timekeeping, and a mechanical movement for the 60-minute chronograph. It costs $391. mhdwatches.com

Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Bamford Edition ‘Desert Racer’

Limited to 50 pieces, this latest collaboration between Bamford Watch Department and Chopard uses the Mille Miglia GTS Power Control timepiece as its base, with Bamford developing the look with orange, gray and black details, oversized numerals and a woveneffect rubber strap. The

case is made from bead-blasted titanium to be sturdy but light. It’s powered by the Chopard 01.08C movement and costs $10,400. chopard.com

Herbelin Cap Camarat Skeleton The Cap Camarat line takes its inspiration from the French Riviera, and is now available in automatic form. Limited to 500 pieces, it uses the Sellita 13 1/4 SW400-1 Automatique movement in a 42mm 316L stainlesssteel case, while the dial is made from brushed stainless. It costs $2015. herbelin.com

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Rolex Daytona Cosmograph 24 Hours

To celebrate the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Rolex has produced a special version of its Daytona Cosmograph. Finished in 18ct white gold, it features a Cerachrom bezel in black ceramic, while the number ‘100’ M1 MOMENTUM

is finished in red ceramic on the tachymetric scale. The transparent-backed Oyster case is teamed with an Oyster bracelet. It has an exclusive caliber 4132 movement, which allows the hours of the chronograph function to be counted over 24 instead of 12. It costs $55,000. rolex.com

BUYING GUIDE

The Gallardo was a great supercar when new, and its popularity has hardly diminished as it settles into modernclassic status

BUYING GUIDE

Model history 2003 Gallardo coupé introduced with a 493bhp 5.0-liter V10 powerplant for 2004 model year. Six-speed manual and six-speed E-Gear transmissions available.

2005 Detail changes to gear ratios, exhaust, suspension and steering. Power now up to 513bhp.

2006 Gallardo Spyder unveiled.

2007 Gallardo Superleggera arrives; lightweight panels reduce curb weight by 100kg. Now 523bhp; 618 units built globally.

2008

THANKS TO PARENT COMPANY AUDI’S influence, Lamborghini has long shed its image as a maker of exciting yet frail supercars. Thankfully, though, it has lost none of the unhinged madness that sets apart the Sant’Agata marque from its major rivals. In the case of the Gallardo, that unique character is thanks to the painstaking development work undertaken to differentiate it from the mechanically similar Audi R8 V10, which shared a number of components. Continual refinements and updates kept the Gallardo current throughout its decade-long production run, and there is a marked difference between how the first and last models performed and felt on the road. The very first Gallardo coupé was launched in 2004. Its 5.0-liter V10 engine pumped out a class-leading 493bhp to all four wheels, and it could be specified with either a traditional sixspeed manual or a single-clutch automatic E-Gear transmission. Throughout the Gallardo’s lifespan, there were notable updates and changes carried out on a virtually annual basis until production 136

ended in 2013. There were almost 20 Gallardo models in total, including limited-edition variants such as the desirable RWD LP550-2 Valentino Balboni and track-ready LP570-4 Superleggera. Engine capacity was upped to 5.2 liters in 2008, and power outputs rose incrementally over the years, topping out at 562bhp. While the Audi connection has added a level of reliability to the Lamborghini supercar formula, don’t expect frugal servicing costs. After all, the Gallardo is still a proper Lambo, with many of the quirks and traits that come with a highly strung mid-ship supercar. With in excess of 14,000 units shifted globally, the Gallardo remains the best-selling model in Lamborghini’s long history. That makes for a lot of choice in the used-car market, but there are still plenty of things to be wary of before taking the plunge.

Second-generation Gallardo unveiled. New 552bhp 5.2-liter V10 powerplant replaces old unit. Updated E-Gear transmission now incorporates Corsa mode for quicker shifts. Both coupé and Spyder available.

2009 New LP550-2 Valentino Balboni available solely with RWD and six-speed manual ’box. 250 produced globally.

2010 Superleggera offers 562bhp and cuts a further 38kg off curb weight.

2013 Production ends (sold as 2014 model-year cars). Final production just over 14,000.

ENGINE The earliest 5.0-liter V10s (2004-2005) have been found to have weaker conrod bearings than later models with upgraded components. The earlier cars were also plagued by oil-pump

A number of special editions built over the years, generally differentiated by unique color options and customizations.

issues, so it’s essential to check that the pressures are correct and carry out a compression test if anything is suspect. Sticking throttle bodies are a relatively easy fix by a Lamborghini specialist, but they do indicate that the car has spent much of its time idling around high streets instead of being driven hard as intended. The 5.2-liter engines introduced in 2008 offered more power and had direct injection, and no recurring issues have been noted with these motors.

ABOVE Gallardo shared a number of components with the Audi R8 V10. OPPOSITE The open-top Spyder version was unveiled in 2006.

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES

GEARBOX Manuals are rare but robust, with only a stretched gear linkage cable reported as being a problem, and one that’s easy to fix. The E-Gear transmission is a single-clutch automated manual, and is nowhere near as harsh as the modern unit fitted to the Aventador. However, the shift action was still a little rough on early cars. The E-Gear was specced on around 80 percent of Gallardos. Facelifted models have a revised E-Gear set-up that gives smoother shifts, and software updates can be applied to the earlier

cars to help with this. Upgraded clutches were also introduced during the Gallardo’s production run. These units are pricey to replace, and the flywheel generally needs to be done at the same time, too. The unit’s lifespan is driver dependent and can be as short as 5000 miles.

‘There is a marked difference between how the first and last models performed and felt on the road’ M1 MOMENTUM

The suspension set-up is largely trouble free, but make sure you check for any cracked bushes or uneven tire wear; either of these can indicate worn shocks or bad alignment. The optional nose-lift system can fail if left unused, and the anti-roll-bar bushes may exhibit excessive wear. All this is cured by fitting uprated parts available from a dealer. Steel brakes of varying diameters were fitted to the majority of cars, but carbon-ceramic stoppers were an option from 2007 onwards. Both set-ups work well, although replacing the carbon-ceramic version is costly. Aftermarket wheels are not uncommon, but this can affect the car’s value, so be sure to have the originals included in the sale if possible. 137

BUYING GUIDE

BODYWORK AND INTERIOR The aluminum chassis is lightweight, but repairs to it or the body are costly. Consequently, check for evidence of accident damage and that panels align properly. Wraps are a popular modification, and they can hide a number of bodywork issues, so approach with caution. The Audi-sourced switchgear is hard wearing, and everything should work as expected. Unlike in previous Lamborghinis the air-conditioning blows cold, and the only wear and tear on low-mileage models should be on the driver’s-seat base and bolsters.

‘In general, the later cars (especially post-2008) are the ones to have, due to continual refinements’

Specifications Engine Power Top speed 0-60mph Economy

5.0-liter V10 493-523bhp 201mph 4.2 seconds 20mpg (est)

Engine Power Top speed 0-60mph Economy

5.2-liter V10 552-562bhp 202-204mph 3.2-3.6 seconds 20mpg (est)

BELOW There is plenty of choice in prices, condition, spec and editions, so you can afford to be picky.

Which to buy The sheer number of cars on the road, and a relatively accessible price point, mean many Gallardos have had more owners and seen more regular use than you’d expect. Prices vary greatly, as does quality. This is bookmarked by heavily modified, high-mileage early models, and mint garage queens. Watch out for track-abused examples or ones that seem tired compared with the claimed mileage. In general, the later cars (especially post-2008) are the ones to have, due to continual refinements. Models such as the LP570-4 Spyder Performante and both Superleggeras are always going to demand big figures. High prices should also be expected for the sought-after, rear-wheel-drive LP550-2 Valentino Balboni. This came exclusively with a manual ’box, while most Gallardos had the E-Gear auto. With so much choice, you can afford to be picky. Whether you are looking for an appreciating future classic or a track-day toy for the weekends, there is a Gallardo that fits the bill.

Values 2004 Gallardo coupé Concours Excellent Good Fair

$154,000 $114,000 $78,900 $70,000

2008 Gallardo LP520-4 Spyder Concours $176,000 Excellent $124,500 Good $98,800 Fair $74,400 2014 Gallardo LP560-4 coupé Concours $200,000 Excellent $143,000 Good $109,000 Fair $95,000 All values are taken from Hagerty Price Guide, August 2023. Add up to 50 percent for manual transmissions. More on www.hagerty.com 138

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AUTOMOBILIA WALL PAPER When posters were the primary form of publicizing an event or new car, top artists were commissioned to produce them. Now, they’re highly collectible. Here’s what to look for

WORDS D AV I D L I L LY W H I T E

PHOTOGRAPHY PAT R I C K T R EG E N Z A

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AUTOMOBILIA

WHAT COULD BE BETTER TO DECORATE your garage walls than a vintage automotive poster? There is a huge range of styles and prices available – and such an artwork will always provide a great talking point. If you have ever paid any attention to the subject, you’ll probably already have come across California-based Tony Singer, who has been dealing in posters since 1980 as Vintage Auto Posters. He’s always quick to point out that the price will depend on the rarity of the poster, the appeal of the image itself, the artist and the event depicted. How much? Not a lot considering the impact they have. Tony’s rough guide for event posters is this: 1970-80s are $400 to $1300-plus; 1960s are $650 to $2600-plus; 1950s are $1000 to $3000-plus; and 1900-40s are $1000 to around $10,000 – although they can go for far more. Marque-specific posters are usually higher. “The market is stable; I don’t tend to see

THIS SPREAD Porsche commissioned the Daytona 1-2-3 celebration poster from artist Erich Strenger; the Sebring artwork is one of several by John Zito; this Le Mans work was the first of several by Michel Beligond, who later designed the Alpine A310.

‘trends’,” explains Tony. “If there’s a change it’s that there’s less supply, but there’s less demand, too. Porsche and Ferrari are popular, but the gold standard is pre-war Monaco Grand Prix and 1920s Le Mans. For example, a 1923 Le Mans poster sold at Artcurial for €20,000.” What makes the older posters special is that photography back then was rare, so the posters were illustrative not photographic, and created by the leading artists of the day, such as Géo Ham, Cappiello, Alexis Kow and Falcucci. One of the greatest ever – and most valuable – posters is an art deco masterpiece for the 1934 Grand Prix Suisse by Kaspar Ernst Graf, but at the other end of the scale are the more

affordable 1970s posters of Daytona, Le Mans and Monaco, which now feel equally evocative. There were often barely hundreds of posters printed, and their intended life was six months – maybe just three months. Yet plenty have survived intact and without serious fading. It all depends on how they’ve been stored over the intervening years. Provenance is not a major issue, but condition is. Tony mounts his posters on pHneutral archival linen using a water-based wheat adhesive, attending to any “edginess” – damage to the edges – at the same time. Where things get difficult is if the poster has been DIY mounted – to fix that, it might need solvents, heat and pressure to rectify. But, as Tony stresses, it’s worth all these efforts. “People buy posters for the wackiest reasons, yet the important thing is to buy what you love. It’s pure art.” See www.vintageautoposters.com for details. 141

AUTOMOBILIA

THIS PAGE 1934 Grand Prix Suisse poster by Kaspar Ernst Graf is an art deco masterpiece; another Porsche item by Erich Strenger, marking its Mille Miglia victories; the Nîmes GP poster is by Geo Yrrab, better known for his advertising work.

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Track tips Simulation stimulation M1 Concourse’s lead instructor explains why simulators can make a difference – if they’re used in the correct way WORDS JOHNNY O’CONNELL PHOTOGR APHY EXSIM

144

IT WAS REALLY ONLY TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO that I first got into a decent simulator, and I was surprised at what great training they can provide. There’s a guy I coach who asked me: “How do I get better?” And I asked: “Do you have a simulator?” He didn’t, so I said: “I’ve gotta tell you, I’ve been surprised by simulator technology – it’s gotten pretty good now.” And so he went and acquired a simulator, and he’s driving well now. I’ve got one or two other guys here [at M1 Concourse] who are considering doing the simulator thing, because if they are going to go off to other places it gives them such an advantage. Just knowing the circuit, what gear to expect to be in, all that kind of stuff – it makes a big difference. There are some members here who are so incredibly passionate about driving and have a great desire to get better – the simulators really help them. One of the very cool things I’m most familiar with is iRacing. So if someone is on their simulator up here [at M1] and I’m on my simulator in Georgia, we can book a session and we can spend a couple of hours driving together, and so I can teach them the lines. Then there’s video – they can do a couple of laps and then watch different views, even a helicopter view, to watch where they’re going right or wrong. I’ve got some clients who I work with in the Ferrari Challenge. Before an event we will get on a simulator together and spend an hour driving around, talking about it all. The other thing that is great about sitting in M1 MOMENTUM

the simulator is that you can learn chassis set-up, which is a bit intimidating to a lot of people. They don’t know what’s going to happen if they add more bump or change the ride heights, and all that kind of stuff. A simulator gives the opportunity to do all that, but it’s important that they’re not doing it by themselves, without help. There’s one kid I coach in England, at a place called iZone Performance at Silverstone circuit that’s owned by a friend of mine, Andy Priaulx [Touring Car champion and Le Mans racer]. This kid was there on the simulators every day, but he was getting his ass kicked. I’ve been telling his parents that he should do just one or two days a week on that simulator, because if he’s making mistakes there’s no one there to catch it every day. Then he’s going to take that mistake out onto the race track. Getting a guy to coach you on a simulator is really not a bad idea. Also, you have to remember that driving on a simulator isn’t real life. In 2015 at the Long Beach Grand Prix, I was leading and a guy just torpedoed into me and another guy – took both of us out and went on to win the race. I was doing an interview afterwards, and I said: “I gotta tell you man, this isn’t like a video game. These guys are driving like they’re on a simulator.” And I got more hate mail for saying that than from anything else I’ve ever said. The simulator world is crazy, but used right it can work really well.

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PA R T I N G S H O T Mario Andretti gets a victory kiss at an early Riverside International Race Of Champions. Did you catch this issue’s IROC feature? Turn back for a look at the match-racing series that brought together many of the world’s greatest drivers. PHOTOGRAPHY J A C K B R A D Y / G E T T Y I M A G ES