The next race was scheduled at New Orleans street circuit. With eighteen cars entered, the field was almost the same which could be seen at every track. The prognosis was : one Jaguar XJR14 driven by Davy Jones facing two Toyota Eagle MKIIIs. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones were running stronger. NPTI, on the other hand, had only one car left for Geoff Brabham : they were having hard times. On such a track, the Chevrolet GTPs were perfectly suited, and they could have won in 1991. Tom Kendall was perfectly aware of that fact. Jeff Purner and Hugh Fuller were certainly not so fast, but who knew? Joest would be the sole Porsche representative, with Oscar Larrauri and John Winter, Gianpiero Moretti was partnered by John Paul Jr. Mazda Motorsports had two cars for Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer. David Tennyson was the last GTP entrant with his familiar Spice SE91P Chevrolet. Six cars were run in Lights class, which also displayed a déjà vu air. Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin shared the wheel of one Spice SE91P Acura. The two of them would have to face two Kudzus. A DG2 for Firmin Velez and Andy Evans, and a DG1 for Tommy Riggins and Charles Morgan. Huffaker fielded a Buick powered car for Mark Rodrigues and David Rocha. The last car to be entered was another Spice SE90P Buick for Carlos Bobeda and Paul Debban. Juan Fangio captured the pole position in his Toyota, edging Davy Jones by one half second. Surprisingly, Davy Jones never managed to get ahead of his opponent, and he finally had to settle for fourth in the race. The race main exciting happened when Price Cobb would hit Pete Halsmer, bringing the full yellow. Geoff Brabham was pretty happy with his second place, forty seconds behind Juan Fangio. The Lights class again escaped the Comptech, with Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins taking the win in the old car. At Watkins Glen, where the 2,5 mile track was used, a slightly different field of cars was entered led by the enigmatic BRM P351. Powered by a V12 3,5L engine, the car was a true mystery to everyone, and even driver Wayne Taylor would discover it. The car was not to meet IMSA's regulations and the team had to modify the air intake in order to be eligible. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones were now clearly the favorites on such a fast track. Davy Jones was to be a fierce opponent, however. Two Nissan NPT91s were entered, with Geoff Brabham running the latest evolution of the car. Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer ran their Mazda RX792Ps, which had to be updared constantly. No change was to be noticed as to the drivers who shared the Joest cars. The teams were basically the same. David Tennyson kept fielding his Spice SE91P Chevrolet. Six Lights cars again were entered. They were led by the Comptech Spice SE91P Acura driven by Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin. Scandia Motorsports fielded the same Kudzus as per usual. Firmin Velez and Andy Evans would drive the latest car while Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins still relied on the DG1 version. Jim Downing was back, after skipping the previous event. He was still partnered by Tim McAdam. Mark Rodrigues and David Rocha drove the Huffaker car and Bob Schader had Tom Hessert as co-driver. The practice session highlighted the fact that the Jaguar was a very car, once again. With a lap well under the 60s, he posted a 245,888km/h average lap. Unfortunately, he was not so dominant during the race. Juan Fangio finally cruised to an easy victory while Davy Jones was to be slowed down by some unplanned pitstop. He finally ended up third, five laps down the winner. Second and scoring his first podium result was Price Cobb who gave Mazda its best result ever. The Lights class was somewhat different, with Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin dominating the race, but they experienced a late race problem, which caused them to finish the race in the pits! They won over Firmin Velez and Andy Evans by one lap, however. The next race was a swerve to the west coast, at Laguna Seca.
It was the track which saw Toyota dominate the previous year. The AAR team entered both cars for Juan Fangio and PJ Jones. TWR, which was aware of the fact that the opposition was more fierce than expected, entered two Jaguar XJR14s, with Davy Jones and Arie Luyendijk trying to break Toyota's streak of wins. Mazda Motorsports also fielded two cars for Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer. Tom Kendall was the sole Chevrolet GTP defender. Tom Milner had opted not to enter his cars. NPTI could rely on two cars : Geoff Brabham had the latest version. His car was now dubbed NPT91C, it sported the latest aerodynamical mods. Chip Robinson was at the wheel of the NPT91A car. One Porsche 962C was entered, and it was the Oscar Larrauri-John Winter entry. Two Spice SE91Ps were entered. David Tennyson had his usual Denon backed car, and John Hotschkis had hired John Paul Jr to drive his Pontiac powered car. The Lights class was no different from the classical fixture, but Comptech entered two cars. Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin drove their usual car while Ruggero Melgrati would team up with Wayne Taylor for the very first time.
Copyright Mark Windecker
Their main opponents were still the two Scandia Motorsports cars. No change was to be noticed as for the drivers. Firmin Velez and Andy Evans would drive the latest car, while Tommy Riggins and Charles Morgan still drove the DG1 car. Bob Schader and Tom Hessert had a Spice SE90P Buick, and Paul Debban was co-driven by Steve Fossett in an old Spice SE88P Buick powered by a 3,0L engine. Jim Downing and Tim McAdam closed the entry list with Kudzu DG2 Buick. The week end was set under a sunny Californian weather. The practice session would clearly lay the background with Toyota placing both cars in the front row. PJ Jones edged his teammate for the first time.
Davy Jones was third. The race was already set. Juan Fangio jumped in the lead and was never to be challenged. His teammate PJ Jones clearly hanging to his second place. Davy Jones was only able to cling to the third place, and he easily did it, as Arie Luyendijk was to pit for an unscheduled pitstop : he managed to finish fourth, two laps down. David Tennyson had his best race ever, as he ended up ahead of Chip Robinson! The Lights class was a Spice Acura affair, with Ruggero Melgrati and Wayne Taylor winning the race, just ahead of their fellow teammates. The two Scandia cars finished third and fourth.
The next round was due to take place in Portland, Oregon. The very fast track was to favor the turbocharged cars. AAR was aware of that fact, and the two cars entered by the team were given as the favorites. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones would have to face one sole Jaguar XJR14, driven by Davy Jones. NPTI had two cars, with Chip Robinson own updated to a B version. Gianpiero Moretti was the one of two Porsche proponents, with John Paul Jr and Frank Biela as co-drivers. Oscar Larrauri again would drive the Joest car. Mazda Motorsports was eager to do its best against this tough competition, with Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer driving. In association with the Scandia Team, Al Unser Jr would run Tom Milner's Chevrolet GTP. It was the sole car, apart from David Tennyson's Spice, which was powered by a Chevrolet engine. The remainder of the field was made of Lights cars. Comptech was fielding two cars, in order to gather more points for the manufacturers' title. The Scandia team had chosen to run each car solo, so Charles Morgan and Firmin Velez would do the job alone. The latter would use a DG2 car for the first time. Two Spice SE90Ps were entered, with Tom Hessert also running solo, and Carlos Bobeda and Paul Debban running the boss' car. Steve Cameron and David Rocha drove the Huffaker car while Jim Downing, still partnered by Tim McAdam, seemed to get into trouble keeping up with the best. As per usual, Juan Fangio again stuck himself in the pole, while PJ Jones was trailing him. Davy Jones was on row two with Al Unser Jr alongside him. The race would turn into a Toyota domination, with Juan Fangio leading the race from the onset, PJ Jones was just behind him. Davy Jones was third, but unable to overtake the japanese cars. Al Unser Jr was a surprising fourth, and it looked like he could make it to the finish until his engine let go after thirty four laps. Davy Jones would try his best to catch up the Toyotas, but he was to be failed by his clutch. So the race belonged to AAR, and Juan Fangio would be pipped the race by his teammate, who went on to win the race. Third was Chip Robinson, who was three laps down. The Lights was another one-two for the Comptech team. Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin managed to finish ahead of Ruggero Melgrati and Wayne Taylor. A surprising third was Carlos Bobeda and Paul Debban in a Spice SE88P Buick. Firmin Velez would be stalled in the first lap, with gearbox problems.
The next race was scheduled at Road America, but this beautiful track was not to attract more than sixteen cars. A fine weather was to host the race, which would turn into a Toyota-Jaguar battle. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones were still looking for a new victory, but Davy Jones was eager to be back in winning form. The events would unfortunately prevent him from running, as he destroyed his car prior to the race. Geoff Brabham was the sole NPTI defender and the two Mazda RX792Ps had been thoroughly improved. Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer could rely on cars that would no longer ignite! Tom Kendall was back again in the works Chevrolet GTP. The two Joest Porsche 962Cs were still filling the fields, with John Paul Jr co-driving Gianpiero Moretti and Oscar Larrauri being partnered by John Winter. Three Kudzu DG2 Buicks were entered, by the usual teams. Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins now using the same car as Firmin Velez and Andy Evans. Jim Downing and Tim McAdam, in the Bel-Ray car, would try to break the Acura dominance. Tom Hessert and Bob Schader had the sole Spice entered, while the Comptech team fielded a pair of Spice SE91P Acuras, with Parker Johnstone-Dan Marvin and Ruggero Melgrati-Wayne Taylor. They would have a tough week-end. While Juan Fangio shattered the previous mark by three seconds, he was less than one second shy of Bobby Rahal's Indy Car track record! The Jaguar XJR14 would be sent into the barrier during the warm-up session, and Davy Jones was out before the race! Since they lost their main opponent, the two Eagle Toyotas would run easy, never to be threatened by anybody. Tom Kendall, who seemed to be able to go at it, was out after five laps with a broken suspension. The remainder of the race was dull, with Geoff Brabham running and finishing a distant third, well ahead of Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer. The Lights was bizarre, as the two Comptech Spice Acuras led the race, but they both retired with engine problems.
Copyright Mark Windecker
Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins then took over and won the race, just ahead of Jim Downing and Tim McAdam. Parker Johnstone, however, had already clinched the Championship for the second year in a row.
The next race was a new venue, as it was staged at Phoenix International Raceway. A small track, with a banking-infield combination.
A host of new cars would enter this race. They would face the two Eagle Toyotas, driven by Juan Fangio and PJ Jones. Geoff Brabham's car had been updated to its latest specs, and now it was a NPT91D version. This late version was equipped with a 2,5Liter engine with a single turbo and traction control. A 6speed gearbox and the side big air scoops were the notable aerodynamical changes. He would not be backed by Chip Robinson. The same could be said from Price Cobb who would run the sole Mazda RX792P. Davy Jones also was alone with his Jaguar XJR14, and he was struggling for a new victory which escaped him. No new Porsche 962C was expected, as Joest was the only German entrant. Gianpiero Moretti had John Paul Jr as co-driver and Oscar Larrauri would do his best at the wheel of his Joest car.
Copyright Paul Ajari
From Europe came a URD 04/3, which was BMW 3,5L powered, driven by Mario Hytten. With 450hp, you could not expect any feat from that car. Tom Milner was back again, with his two Chevrolet GTPs, driven by François Migault and Jeff Purner. The second would be withdrawn, and the two drivers would team up in a single car. The Lights class was still competitive, and a new contender was to be registered, in the name of a Kudzu DG2 Buick entered by Huffaker. Dominic Dobson and David Rocha would drive this car. Comptech still entered two cars, and they were facing some hardships, with some engine failures to be registered. Dan Marvin would drive solo, while Parker Johnstone would be co-driven by Ruggero Melgrati. Scandia Motorsports was relying on its two consistent teams, with Charles Morgan-Tommy Riggins and Firmin Velez-Andy Evans. Bob Schader and Tom Hessert fielded a Spice SE90P Buick while Jim Downing and Tim McAdam were to close the entry list. Growing strong, PJ Jones managed to stick his Eagle Toyota in the pole, edging Juan Fangio once again. Davy Jones was on the second row, with Geoff Brabham alongside. The fastest lap was clocked at 49s669, which meant that the spectators would enjoy the race thoroughly. The race saw PJ Jones stay ahead of Juan Fangio in the early stages of the race, then he would have to pit with engine troubles, and let his teammate grab the lead and win. Davy Jones never managed to threaten the Toyota and he had to settle for a new second place. Geoff Brabham was third, two laps down. Parker Johnstone and Ruggero Melgrati had a very clean race, and they won over Dominic Dobson and David Rocha in their Kudzu DG2 Buick. Dan Marvin retired on lap eighteen.
Copyright Paul Ajari
The very last race was to take in Del Mar, for the season finale. Juan Fangio was already crowned, and Davy Jones was willing to end up this season in a beautiful way. The chances for a great race were high. NPTI could only hope for ending up second in the points standings, passing Jaguar, who had a surprisingly bad season end. So, Juan Fangio and PJ Jones would face again Davy Jones and Geoff Brabham for the win. Three Chevrolet GTPs were also entered, with Tom Kendall running his works car, and Tom Milner entering two cars for François Migault-Jeff Purner and John Paul Jr, who had become some kind of rent-a-pilot. Mazda Motorsports would enter, for the last time, the two Mazda RX792Ps, with Pete Halsmer and Price Cobb. The sad news was that the entire project would be dropped definitively, due to financial reasons. David Tennyson entered his Spice SE91P Chevrolet, and he could be proud of his achievements as a true private entrant facing the works teams. The Lights class was a remake of every 1992 race, with the season long battle between the Comptech team, with Parker Johnstone-Dan Marvin and Ruggero Melgrati-Wayne Taylor. The latter being involved in the Chevrolet GTP project from the beginning was apparently searching for greener pasture. Firmin Velez-Andy Evans and Charles Morgan-Tommy Riggins now were fighting on the same level as the Acura powered cars. Jim Downing-Tim McAdam had a difficult season, always one level slower than the top contenders. Dominic Dobson and David Rocha, whose Kudzu was promising in the first place, seemed to mark time. The GTE-Mobilnet Spice SE90P Buick was driven by Tom Hessert and Jim Pace, while Carlos Bobeda's car was an older chassis. Carlos Bobeda was co-driven by Paul Debban. Juan Fangio would stick his car on the pole, with Davy Jones on the outside of the front row. The race was very promising. For the second time in the season, Juan Fangio had a dnf, as he retired on lap seventeen. The victory went to PJ Jones, who successfully resisted to Davy Jones. As it turned out, Davy Jones' Jaguar XJR14 faltered, but he was still classified in third place at the end. Geoff Brabham managed to finish second. The Lights race was again very exciting, with Comptech and Scandia cars battling for the lead throughout the race. Firmin Velez and Andy Evans won the race over Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin. Parker Johnstone won his second Championship in a row. The manufacturers crown went to Acura with 228pts over Buick with 222pts. It was pretty close!
As the season was through, the time had come to draw some conclusions for the elapsed season. It was a very disappointing one for Jaguar, who probably had the best weapon to win this championship. However, it seemed that the car was not properly developed. Very fast, and very well driven by Davy Jones, some mistakes were also made by the team, who lost the Championship by season end. AAR then almost won every race, with Juan Fangio and PJ Jones, who was awarded the Most Improved Driver title. The cars were incredibly fast and reliable. Juan Fangio took his first IMSA GTP Championship, easily beating Davy Jones in the end. But the races had become too much works oriented, and fields never over twenty cars. As Mark Raffauf would put it : "We need to tone things down, cars have become too fast." For the season to come, the GTP cars rules would change a lot, and older cars should be given weight advantages for 1993. Expensive turbo engines would be handicapped. No more Mazda RX792P and NPTI would offer his cars for sale. The end of the GTP era was silently lurking around. In fact, 1993 would the GTPs' last season. Many changes would happen during the upcoming season.
