Chevrolet Corvette GTP

Last updated

Bobby Rahal's Hendrick Motorsports Corvette GTP at Del Mar in 1988 CorvetteGTP.jpg
Bobby Rahal's Hendrick Motorsports Corvette GTP at Del Mar in 1988

The Chevrolet Corvette GTP was an American Grand Touring Prototype-class sports prototype racing car which successfully participated in the IMSA Camel GT from 1984 until 1989. The car was professionally fielded in competition as General Motors' Chevrolet Corvette C4 official factory team effort in the IMSA GTP class.

Contents

Development

Prior to 1984, Chevrolet naturally aspirated V8s and Buick turbocharged V6s were popular engines in the GTP class for privateer teams. General Motors (GM) saw the opportunity to enter the IMSA GT Championship for themselves in the 1984 season in competing against Jaguar, Porsche, Nissan and Mazda, but more importantly to expand and explore the limits of the V8 and V6 engine programs.

General Motors' Chevrolet Corvette C4 race engineering team developed the car partnering with Lola Cars International, who had previous experience building cars for Mazda, to build their own chassis dubbed the Corvette GTP. Following testing on an older Lola T600 equipped with a Chevrolet V8, an all new car was built, identified as the T710. The first chassis was delivered to General Motors in 1984 and outfitted with a 3.4-litre turbocharged V6 built by Ryan Falconer, a destroked version of the 4.3-liter Chevrolet V6. A second chassis, known as T711 used a Chevrolet Corvette C4-derived 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 developing 800 hp, and was campaigned by Lee Racing.

The cars featured bodywork similar to a Chevrolet Corvette C4 at the front, with a long pontoon-style tail featuring Corvette tail lights. Large side intakes would feed the radiators while the V6 turbocharged chassis had a snorkel built into the top of the fender to feed the turbocharger. Body evolution over the next few years included a change to the side intake and exploring a short tail layout and dual element rear wing.

Evolution

Following the successful first full season for the Corvette GTP in 1985, GM added two new chassis for 1986. Termed T86/10, the new cars featured evolved bodywork but remained essentially unchanged for the start of the season. The biggest difference was chassis HU01 sported a naturally aspirated V8, while chassis HU02 maintained the V6 power, but received a new shorter tail section.

In 1987 two more chassis were added to the GM racing team fleet. The first, designated T86/12, used an active suspension system that would allow the car to alter its suspension stiffness during the race. The second chassis was a 1987-specification T87/10 which retained the turbocharged V6 power plant, but also ran both a Chevrolet Corvette race-spec V8.

Peerless Eagle 700

Following the abandonment of the project at the end of 1988 by General Motors, Peerless Racing purchased a new Corvette GTP from the factory, and it was campaigned in a partial season effort in 1989. After that season the decision was made to take Peerless' car into international racing, entering the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car was used as a platform for 'Eagle Performance Engines' in an attempt to use a naturally-aspirated, 10.2-liter 4-cam, 32-valve, V8 Big Block Chevrolet to take on large manufacturers at Le Mans. The car was slightly modified to the point that Eagle chose to rename it the Eagle 700. Beyond the modifications necessary to house the large V8 engine internally, the car remained the same as it was run in IMSA series, including a short-tail design that GM had been developing for 1989. Hu8811-01 has been returned to its original state as was raced by Peerless Racing in the IMSA Series in Bud livery but the monster Eagle engine remains with the car as part of its racing and Corvette history. [1] [2] [3]

Racing history

GTP Corvette at the Columbus 500 GTPCorvetteColumbus.JPG
GTP Corvette at the Columbus 500

For 1985, the first Corvette GTP chassis was initially given to Lee Racing for its debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona but suffered gearbox problems and did not finish. This was followed by a seventh-place finish at Miami, then another failure to finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring. This was followed by a string of failures at Charlotte, Mid-Ohio, and Watkins Glen. By mid-season Hendrick Motorsports debuted their factory-backed team with GM Goodwrench sponsorship and leading driver David Hobbs. The team did not finish any races by the end of the season, although Lee Racing did rebound to score seventh-, eighth- and tenth-place finishes for the season.

Into 1986, Hendrick Motorsports and Lee Racing continued their campaign with mixed results. Although both teams failed to finish the first three races of the season, Hendrick took the first victory for the Corvette GTP at Road Atlanta for Doc Bundy and Sarel van der Merwe. However, by that time Lee Racing abandoned their effort. Hendrick continued and had a fourth-place finish at Charlotte, seventh at Lime Rock, and third at Mid-Ohio. A third Corvette GTP Lola chassis entered the season in May and campaigned by Hendricks would take the Corvette GTP's second victory on the streets of Palm Beach, defeating a Porsche 962 by four tenths of a second. The 1986 season would see the only two first-place finishes by a Corvette GTP during their racing career.

Hendrick started 1987 the same way they had 1986, failing to finish the first race of the season, mixed with relatively strong finishes, even suffering from a fire during the Miami event. Following a short stint of problems, the duo finished fourth and seventh at Portland, followed quickly by a lone third at Sears Point. One final third came in the streets of San Antonio before Hendrick closed the season with a series of problems. However, problems at Jaguar helped Chevrolet secure second in the manufacturers championship, once again losing to Porsche.

By 1988, the Corvette GTPs were becoming more consistent as the team managed to overcome their mechanical woes, helped by the use of the naturally aspirated V8s. The season again began with an eighth-place finish at Road Atlanta be the first finish by a Corvette GTP that season. A seventh at Lime Rock and Mid-Ohio was followed by a third at Watkins Glen, tenth at Road America, and finally ninth at Sears Point. It was late in the season before the two Hendrick cars were joined by the new Peerless Racing squad, using the newest Corvette GTP chassis. Peerless took fourth place at Columbus, followed closely behind by Hendrick in fifth. Hendrick closed the season with a fifth at Del Mar. Chevrolet however finished fourth in championship. The Peerless Team had such notable drivers as David Hobbs, Jack Baldwin, Jacque Villeneuve & Scott Goodyear.

After the 1988 season, General Motors chose to cancel their funding for the Corvette GTP project, and Hendrick Motorsport did not return to IMSA GT. Peerless Racing intended to continue through the 1989 season eventually finishing only one race, in 4th place at Watkins Glen. The Peerless car then was used by Eagle Performance which outfitted the chassis with their enormous 10.2-liter (4-cam, 32-valve) V8 Big Block Chevrolet engine unit, experimenting with this new setup Eagle intended to enter the car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans which was not successful as the car did not qualify in the night qualifying session due to an electrical problem, thus marking the end of the Corvette GTP. [4]

Chassis

Pinewood derby car modeled after the IMSA GTP Corvette GTPCorvettePinewoodDerby.JPG
Pinewood derby car modeled after the IMSA GTP Corvette

In total, seven cars were built under the Corvette GTP program. Each chassis has a different designation and number, the '10' in the chassis number indicates a car designed for GM's turbocharged V6, while '11' indicates a V8-powered chassis design, only two of the seven were designed for V-8 engines. Although, during 1986–87, GM did install 366 CID V8 engines in two of the V6 chassis.

T710-HU01

Winner at Road Atlanta (1986)

T711-HU02

T86/10-HU01

Winner at Palm Beach (1986)

T86/10-HU02

T86/12-HU03

Equipped with Lotus active suspension

T87/10-HU01

T88/11-HU01

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Corvette</span> American sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors (GM)

The Chevrolet Corvette is a line of American two-door, two-seater luxury sports cars, manufactured and marketed by GM, under the Chevrolet marque, since 1953.

Lola Cars International Ltd. was a British race car engineering company in operation from 1958 to 2012. The company was founded by Eric Broadley in Bromley, England, before moving to new premises in Slough, Buckinghamshire and finally Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and endured for more than fifty years to become one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of racing cars in the world. Lola Cars started by building small front-engined sports cars, and branched out into Formula Junior cars before diversifying into a wider range of sporting vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Monza</span> Motor vehicle

The Chevrolet Monza is a subcompact automobile produced by Chevrolet for the 1975 through 1980 model years. The Monza is based on the Chevrolet Vega, sharing its wheelbase, width, and standard inline-four engine. The car was designed to accommodate the GM-Wankel rotary engine, but due to mediocre fuel economy and emissions-compliance issues the engine was cancelled, and a V8 engine option was substituted. The Monza name has also been used for several other cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can-Am</span> Sports car racing series from 1966 to 1987

The Canadian-American Challenge Cup, or Can-Am, was an SCCA/CASC sports car racing series from 1966 to 1987.

The Barber Dodge Pro Series was a professional open-wheel auto racing series from 1986 to 2003. It was one of the first professional spec series for open-wheel racecars in North America. The races were primarily on road and street courses in North America, although the schedule did sometimes include a few ovals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytona Prototype</span> Prototype racing car

A Daytona Prototype was a type of sports prototype racing car developed specifically for the Grand American Road Racing Association's Rolex Sports Car Series as their top class of car, which replaced their main prototype racing class, specifically Le Mans Prototypes (LMPs). The cars later competed in the merged series of the IMSA SportsCar Championship, from 2014 to 2016, before being phased out and replaced by the Daytona Prototype International class in 2017. They are named after the main series event, the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Corvette (C4)</span> Fourth generation of the Corvette sports car

The Chevrolet Corvette (C4) is the fourth generation of the Corvette sports car, produced by American automobile manufacturer Chevrolet from 1983 until 1996. The convertible returned, as did higher performance engines, exemplified by the 375 hp (280 kW) LT5 found in the ZR-1. In early March 1990, the ZR-1 would set a new record for the highest 24 hour-5,000 mile land-speed by going over a speed of 175 mph (282 km/h). With a completely new chassis, modern sleeker styling, and other improvements to the model, prices rose and sales declined. The last C4 was produced on June 20, 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet Corvette C5-R</span> Grand tourer racing car

The Chevrolet Corvette C5-R is a grand touring racing car built by Pratt Miller and Chevrolet for competition in endurance racing. The car is based on the C5 generation of the Chevrolet Corvette sports car, yet is designed purely for motorsports use. It became one of the most successful cars in GT categories, with wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as championships in the American Le Mans Series. The Corvette C5-Rs debuted in 1999 and continues to be raced to this day in vintage racing events, although the C5-R was effectively replaced by the Corvette C6.R in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lola B98/10</span>

The Lola B98/10 was a Le Mans Prototype built by Lola Cars International for use in the International Sports Racing Series, American Le Mans Series, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. It would be the first international sports car built by Lola since they briefly left the sport in 1992 following the Lola T92/10. It would be succeeded in 2000 by the Lola B2K/10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IMSA GT Championship</span> Auto racing championship in the United States

IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan P35</span> Motor vehicle

The Nissan P35 was a planned Group C car built by Nissan Motors for competition in the World Sportscar Championship. Developed by Nissan Performance Technology Inc. (NPTI), which had formerly raced under the name Electramotive in the United States, the cars were intended to be completed by the middle of 1992, with competition starting in 1993. However economic troubles for Nissan led to the cancellation of the project soon after testing of the first cars had begun, meaning that the P35s never raced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo</span> Series of racing cars

The Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo was a series of racing cars developed for Nissan Motors by Electramotive Engineering to compete in the IMSA GT Championship. Running from 1985 to 1990, they were known for being the first car to defeat the Porsche 962 which had dominated IMSA's premiere GTP category. This led to Nissan winning the constructor's championship and 12 Hours of Sebring in 1989 and 1990. During 1990, the GTP ZX-Turbo was replaced by the newer NPT-90.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan NPT-90</span>

The Nissan NPT-90 was a racing car developed in 1990 for Nissan Motors by Nissan Performance Technology Incorporated (NPTI), formerly known as Electramotive Engineering. It was a replacement for the highly successful GTP ZX-Turbo that had won the IMSA GT Championship in 1989. The NPT-90 would go on to win the championship in 1990 and 1991 before being retired by Nissan at the end of the 1992 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lola T600</span> Racing car

The Lola T600 was a racing car introduced in 1981 by Lola Cars as a customer chassis. It was the first GT prototype race car to incorporate ground-effect tunnels for downforce. The revolutionary aerodynamic design of the T600 was widely imitated throughout the 1980s by International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and Group C prototype cars. The Lola T600 ran initially in the U.S.-based IMSA GT series and later in European Group C races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagle HF89</span>

The Eagle HF89 and its evolution, the Eagle HF90, is a racing car built and entered by Dan Gurney's All American Racers team, for the IMSA GT Championship. It was raced from 1989 until 1991 in IMSA's premier sports-car racing category, the GTP division. The design was also sometimes called the Eagle MkII.

The Lola T616 is a sports prototype built by Lola Cars to the Group C2 and IMSA GTP regulations. It was built with the intention to compete in the IMSA GT Championship and the World Sportscar Championship, and became the second Mazda-powered prototype to score a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after the 717C triumphed in the same C2 class at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 86G</span> Sports Prototype race car

The March 86G was a Group C and IMSA GTP sports racing car built by March Engineering. Built as simply a chassis with no engine, it was branded as one of three cars, the BMW GTP, the Buick Hawk or the Nissan R86V depending on which engine was placed in the chassis and which team was running it. There were a number of subtle bodywork changes to reflect the manufacturer which ran the car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buick Indy V6 engine</span> Motor vehicle engine

The Buick Indy V6 engine is a powerful turbocharged, 3.0–3.4 L (180–210 cu in), V-6, Indy car racing internal combustion engine, designed and produced by Buick for use in the C.A.R.T. PPG Indy Car World Series, and later the IRL IndyCar Series; between 1982 and 1997. It shares the same architecture, and mechanical design, and is based on the Buick V6 road car engine. A slightly destroked 3.0-liter V6 engine was also used in the March 85G and March 86G IMSA GTP sports prototypes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda turbocharged Indy V8 engine</span> Automobile engine

The Honda turbocharged Indy V8 engine is a single-turbocharged, 2.65-liter, V-8 Indy car racing engine, originally designed, developed and produced by Honda, in partnership with Judd, for use in the CART PPG Indy Car World Series; between 1986 and 2002.

The Oldsmobile Aurora Indy V8 engine is a 3.5-liter to 4.0-liter, naturally-aspirated, V-8 Indy car racing engine, designed, developed and produced by Oldsmobile, for use in the IRL IndyCar Series; from 1996 to 2001. It is a variant of the Northstar engine.

References

  1. "Lola Heritage".
  2. "Lola for sale | Classic Driver".
  3. "The Sickest Corvette Race Cars from Motorsports History". 29 October 2020.
  4. "Complete Archive of Chassis T8811-HU01". RacingSportsCars.com. Retrieved 25 October 2015.