IMSAblog

Roush Racing, part 1

Jack Roush was born in Covington, Ky., in 1942 and raised in Manchester, Ohio. He attended Berea College, where he majored in mathematics and earned a minor in physics. He graduated in ‘64 and immediately moved to Dearborn, Mich., after Ford Motor Company recruited him to work on the processing of car assembling and tooling.
During that time he began working on his Master’s Degree in Scientific Mathematics at Eastern Michigan University and became intrigued by engine development and motorsports. He realized soon that his job on the assembly plant would not fuel his ambitions.
He left Ford in ‘69 and worked briefly for Chrysler. He sensed that working in the assembly plant would not fulfil his ambitions. He formed a partnership that involved him strictly in drag racing during the early ’70s. He won the ‘73 National Hot Rod Association and ‘74 International Hot Rod Association Pro Stock World Championships while gradually expanding his business enterprise. He was beginning to attract attention as part of the Gapp and Roush Racing. This same organisation would later provide powerplants for Charlie Kemp on his famous Ford Cobra II.
In the mid-’80s he turned to sports cars and became a fixture in the Sports Car Club of America and International Motor Sports Association divisions.
Roush was involved exclusively in drag racing until 1978, and advanced in power classes to the NHRA Pro Stock division. He also managed to find time to provide engines for race teams in other sports, such as the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb and various powerboat and oval track series.
In 1976, Roush ended his partnership with Gapp and formed Jack Roush Performance Engineering. Roush’s success at the track and his reputation as a performance engineer helped deliver project after project to his doorstep. He stopped operating the drag racing team, but kept doing race business for other teams. Roush primarily built engines for other teams throughout the early 1980’s.
In 1982 Roush formed a partnership with Zakspeed Racing to run GTX and GTP cars for Ford in the United States. Zakspeed had much success racing in Europe and wanted to partner with Roush for the US races. Some of their drivers included Kevin Cogan, Bobby Rahal and European superstar Klaus Ludwig.

Klaus Ludwig drove the very first car entered by Zakspeed and Roush

Copyright  Van Zannis

In 1984, Roush returned to competition in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) road racing series and a legend was born. In the first year, he won the manufacturer's title for Lincoln-Mercury. Since then, Roush Racing has claimed 24 national championships and titles in the two series, including 12 manufacturer’s championships. Some of the drivers who helped Roush achieve his 119 road racing victories are Tommy Kendall, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., Scott Pruett, Willy T. Ribbs and former Craftsman Truck team general manager, Max Jones.
Many other drivers drove for Roush Racing, including Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Ricky Rudd, Kyle Petty, Ken Schrader, Robby Gordon, Pete Halsmer, Lyn St. James, as well as actor Paul Newman and Olympian Bruce Jenner.

Roush Racing won a combined 24 road race championships in those two series from ‘84-‘97, including 12 manufacturer’s crowns and capturing the sedan class of the 24 Hours of Daytona a remarkable 10 straight years. Overall, Roush Racing has registered 116 road-racing victories.

The first race that saw a Roush Racing Ford Mustang was the 1984 Daytona Finale. A V8 6,0L powered car immediately dominated the field. Willy T Ribbs powered the car to an unchallenged race victory, snatching the pole, best race lap and class victory in the process! It was the car's first ever IMSA race, and victory, but many were to come by. When he took on IMSA Racing, the team was named Roush-Protofab, as Jack Roush was partnered by Protofab, a team which was involved in race car components fabrication, led by Bob Riley. Charlie Selix and Gary Pratt partnered with Jack Roush in this effort.
When the 1985 season opened, they entered two cars in the traditional 24 Hours of Daytona. The first one was the car which won the Daytona Finale, while the second one was a Mercury Capri, which entered the Trans Am.
The race itself was a matter of simply dominating the GTO field for the Ford Mustang driven by Wally Dallenbach Jr, John Jones and Doc Bundy. The second car did not finish the race, after Willy T Ribbs went into the wall, fortunately uninjured. The team had entered IMSA racing in a very spectacular manner, and literally outpaced every competitor. Jack Roush, who was the ambitious type, knew exactly what he had to do, and he did it very well. The cars were thoroughly prepared and would last for 24 Hours without any major trouble. The next race, held at Sebring, would be no different. One single car was entered, and started only on forty ninth spot. But the race would prove once again the Ford Mustang's ability to dominate the GTO class. At the end, Wally Dallenbach and John Jones had a twelve lap advantage over the Road Circuit Technology entered Pontiac Firebird driven by Les Delano, Andy Peterey and Patty Moise.

Wally Dallenbach and John Jones drove their Ford Mustang to an easy class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring 1985

Copyright Michael Crews

In fact, the real opposition did materialize in the form of three potent cars : the Dingman Bros Pontiac Firebird, the Peerless Racing Chevrolet Camaro, the Brooks Racing Ford Thunderbird and the very impressive Porsche 934 entered by Chet Vincentz. Wally Dallenbach and John Jones won at Road Atlanta and Riverside, but had a dnf at Charlotte. The Lime Rock race was not a success too, and the pair finished only sixth. They took over the winning trail at Mid Ohio, second at Watkins Glen with Doc Bundy as a co-driver, Portland and Sears Point. Then they had another win at Road America, two dnfs at Pocono and Watkins Glen, while Lyn St James became the first female driver to win a GTO race, driving the sister car. The newly formed pair John Jones and Lyn St James took the Daytona Finale, with John Jones being crowned as the 1985 IMSA GTO Champion. Darin Brassfield took five wins, and the runner-up. It was quite a very good season forbthe team as they swept up the Trans Am Championship too with Wally Dallenbach Jr winning the driver's title. The season to come was dawning under auspicious ways, but it was to become some kind of nightmare for Jack Roush. Chevrolet had hired more than half from his racing crew for his new racing team, and Roush Protofab became Roush Racing during the 1986 winter. He lost most of his drivers in the process. Even Ford seemed not to be willing Roush Racing to run the awesome V8 engines and urged him to develop the V6 turbocharged powerplant. Nonetheless, he worked on the Merkurs with the turbocharged engines. He went on working on the Ford Mustangs, and he had new drivers for this new season to come. The first race of the season was a one-two for Roush Racing with Lanny Hester, Maurice Hassey and Lee Mueller winning in a semi-works car, while Bruce Jenner, Scott Pruett and Klaus Ludwig were second in the Seven Eleven backed car. They had led most of the race, only to lose their ninety lap advantage when they had to pit for a lengthy oil leak repair.
The next car was more than one hundred laps down! The team equally enjoyed a very popular success with the all NASCAR team drivers Bill Elliott, Kyle Petty, Ricky Rudd and Ken Schrader, who had a dnf in the race. The next race was disappointing for everyone as Bruce Jenner, who was the best Roush entry finished only fifth overall on the Miami street course. The next race, at Sebring, will be remembered as the race the NASCAR men should have won, but it was once again Bruce Jenner and Scott Pruett who took the chequered first. It seems that a late minute unscheduled pit stop, due to a pitboard which was unintendedly displayed pitboard for the NASCAR men lost them the race! Scott Pruett won solo at Road Atlanta in the 100Mile event. The dominating team was beaten at Riverside by the Peerless Racing Chevrolet Camaro driven by Jack Baldwin and Jim Miller. They drove the fastest Camaro ever built, which was a lightweight tubeframe car, and would provide a stiff competition to the Roush contingent throughout the 1986 season. Scott Pruett was again successful at Laguna Seca, beating the All American Racers Toyota Celica driven by Dennis Aase. The Ford opponents were becoming more and more fast and new cars appeared, which were lighter, and faster than ever. At Charlotte,  Jack Baldwin won again, this time over Tommy Riggins and Craig Carter, who drove the Dingman Bros Pontiac Firebird, Bruce Jenner and Scott Pruett were only third. Mid Ohio and West Palm Beach were new victories to the team, while Watkins Glen saw a new victory for Jack Baldwin on his Chevrolet Camaro, Bruce Jenner and Scott Pruett taking second.

Bruce Jenner proved he was a true racer, driving his Ford Mustang to consistent results

Copyright Mark Windecker

Portland, which is a horsepower track, saw a new victory for the Fords, but at Sears Point, Willy T Ribbs, who had left Roush Racing at the end of the 1985 season, was back in the winners' circle with a new Chevrolet Camaro entered by Brooks Racing. Second was the Toyota Celica driven by Chris Cord and third was Dennis Aase, also driving a Toyota Celica. The best Ford Mustang was only sixth, and it was obviously not the best racer on this type of track. Road America came next but they were again beaten by the nifty Toyota Celica driven by Rocky Moran and Dennis Aase. Bruce Jenner and Scott Pruett were second, and were leading the Championship points, but it was not the same kind of domination. Lime Rock and Watkins Glen were the kind of races you had better forget as no car were to be found in the top ten positions at the finish. This was due to oiling failures, and this were getting tough.
At Columbus, Willy T Ribbs won again, this time over Pete Halsmer, while Scott Pruett took a seventh place. The season would end pretty well for the team who made a very special effort, entering four cars at the Daytona Finale. Scott Pruett won the race over Chris Cord, who drove a Toyota Celica, while Bruce Jenner took the third place. At the end, Scott Pruett was the 1986 IMSA GTO Champion. With that kind of killer determination, Scott Pruett had the real mental positive attitude which drove him to the Championship, driving a four-year old car. The car had a powerful engine, but it was now getting outdated, and 1987 would not bring any radical change. New cars had appeared, and now you had fierce competitors around. At Daytona, it looked like things were to change for Roush Racing, as the All American Racers Toyota led for the biggest part of the race, only to be sidelined at the end of the race by a broken suspension. It was really tough for the AAR Team and the Ford Mustang driven by Bill Elliott, Scott Pruett, Tom Gloy and Lyn St James won the GTO class, and it was a third in a row for Roush Racing. Once again, Ford had the most reliable cars. It was now clear for everyone that the All American Racers Toyota Celicas were now the cars to beat. The Ford Mustang were clearly outdated. At Miami, Bob Earl won in a V6 Pontiac Fiero over Jack Baldwin and Tom Gloy. At Sebring, Ford would undergo a severe defeat as the Protofab Racing Chevrolet Camaro driven by Greg Pickett and Tommy Riggins won easily over the Ford Mustang driven by Bruce Jenner and Bobby Akin by seven laps.

Lyn St Jamed became the first woman to win a GTO race. She is at the wheel of her Secret backed car at Mid Ohio in 1987

Copyright Kirk Hoffman

They were just ahead of the Toyota Celica driven by Chris Cord and Juan Fangio II. At Riverside, Chris Cord won in an impressive way over Tommy Riggins on a Camaro and Tom Gloy. The remainder of the season would be a succession of top five results, and a sole victory at West Palm Beach for Tom Gloy. Jack Baldwin powered his Chevrolet Camaro to wins at Firebird and Sears Point, while Bob Earl took another win at Lime Rock. Chris Kneifel and Paul Dallenbach won the raincast Road America event. However, the new dominators in the series were the now reliable Toyota Celicas. They were fast but they could win every kind of race. Ultra-sophisticated, the lightweight Japanese rockets proved it was now the way to go for the next season. Chris Cord and Willy T Ribbs, now driving for Dan Gurney, won every remaining race. Chris Cord was the 1987 IMSA GTO Champion and Tom Gloy was second, but fifty eight points was the difference between the two men.

Tom Gloy took a second place in the 1987 IMSA GTO Championship, but it was due to his great consistency

Copyright Kirk Hoffman

Jack Roush had now grasped the fact that the successful Ford Mustangs had to be parked away, and it was time for the now ready Mercury Merkurs to have their share of success. He had run the cars successfully in the Trans Am series, and the cars could be easily converted to IMSA GTO specs.They would be Roush Racing spearhead for the 1988 season.

Roush Racing, part 2

In 1986 and 1987, Roush Racing played a major role in GT racing, but the team was involved in a Prototype program as well. The new Ford Probe GTP was built in Germany, in the Zakspeed shop in Niederzissen, and was powered by a turbocharged four cylinder powerplant. The car had been assembled in order to be able to be quickly and efficiently serviced, yet it needed to be sorted out. Designed by Zakspeed's Paul Brown, the car was sleek and was introduced to IMSA GTP racing in May 1985, at Laguna Seca. Starting from the second row, Klaus Ludwig, who drove the car, retired early in the race. The remainder of the season was a handful of dnfs and some top five finishes, with the season's highlights at Watkins Glen, earning a second place finish. The drivers, Klaus Ludwig and Doc Bundy, finished thirteenth overall in the standings.

Klaus Ludwig and Doc Bundy drove this Ford Probe in 1985, the car was usually fast but unreliable

Copyright Mark Windecker

At that point, Zakspeed and Roush Racing worked together on the car's development, but it was clear that would not get together for long. Tension was palpable between the two teams who would later go their own way. Zakspeed would be left to develop the Probe on his own. In 1986, Roush Racing would concentrate on the GTO program, with great success. The main problem with the Probe was that Zakspeed was entirely dedicated to using and developing its own turbo four cylinder engine. Ford was not backing up this project, and they had their V8 in store. Roush Racing would benefit from Ford, and a new car was yet to come for 1987. Zakspeed would go no further with its four cylinder engine, and a new car would appear at Daytona, driven by David Hobbs, Gianpiero Moretti and Whitney Ganz, but the car retired, as did the new Roush Ford GTP, dubbed Ford Maxxum. The future of GTP had been sealed for Ford, in fact, it would be the only year Roush Racing would run its own GTP car. Paul Brown and Alan Smith, who were part of the Zakspeed program, were dissatisfied with the way things were conducted, left the ream and decided to build their own car. Very similar to the Probe, the Maxxum was designed to host a variety of engines. At that point, both engineers had built the chassis, but they were still looking for an engine. Jack Roush, who was still interested in making his way into GTP racing, phoned Alan Smith, and the deal was arranged by the end of 1986. The car was delivered in December 1986. Designed to be mounted on Goodyear tyres, the car was to be Bridgestone shod, and this fact did alter a lot of things. It underwent a lot of redesigning, which was something Alan Smith was somewhat miffed when thinking about it. Too much modified from the beginning, the car would not react as expected, and it brought an awful lot of setbacks. The best showing for the car was a second place finish at Lime Rock with Scott Pruett and Pete Halsmer driving.

Scott Pruett and Pete Halsmer drove the Ford Maxxum to an excellent second place finish at Lime Rock : it would be their best result in the year

Copyright Jeffrey Payne

Sponsored by Applicon, the car was powered by a V8 6,5L normally aspirated engine. Unfortunately, it would be the sole decent result for a car that should have been probably more competitive, had it remained in its original configuration. But, that is history now. After a late dispute with Alan Smith, the car went back to England, and would be rebuilt to its original shape. The GTP chapter was over for Roush Racing, who had to face a new challenge in 1988 : exit the Ford Mustangs, enter the Mercury Merkur XR4Tis. After a very tough 1987 season, the Ford Mustangs were obviously not up to the task. They have been beaten up by the sleek Toyota Celicas, and the new tubeframe Camaros had proved very efficient too. The team had been very successful in Trans Am Racing with the Mercury Merkurs, and the cars could be easily updated to the IMSA GTO specs. So it was decided it was the way to go. Things would start in a very good way at Daytona. Two cars were entered for the first enduro of the season. They were apparently similar but, in fact, the two cars were not powered the same way. The first one sported a V8 6,0L engine and was driven by Scott Pruett, Pete Halsmer and Paul Miller.

Scott Pruett, Pete Halsmer and Paul Miller drove this Mercury Merkur XR4Ti to an easy victory at Daytona in 1988

Copyright Dave Kutz

The second car was powered by a turbocharged 2,5L 4 cylinder given for 600 hp. They were supported by two other Capris. Mark Martin, Deborah Gregg and Lyn St James drove car one while Andy Peterey, Les Delano and Craig Carter drove the second one. Those two cars were semi-works cars, but they were Roush prepared cars. Facing the AAR Toyota Celicas and the two Protofab Chevrolet Corvettes, this was obviously no easy task for the Roush squadron. After a domination from the Toyotas, followed then by the two Chevrolet Corvettes and the Skoal Bandit Chevrolet Camaro, the Mercury Merkur would take the lead, after a very tough race, and go on to win the race. It was the fourth GTO win in a row for the Roush team. The next race would be a little different as the Protofab Chevrolet Corvette went on to win its class at Sebring. Wally Dallenbach and Tommy Riggins were sixteen laps ahead of the Mercury Merkur XR4Ti driven by Deborah Gregg, Lyn St James and Pete Halsmer. The next race, held at West Palm Beach, saw Pete Halsmer take the win in the first sprint race of the season. Then, Scott Pruett won at Summit Point. In fact, it would his last win of the season, but he had consistent top five finishes, including four seconds, one third and three fourths. He was the 1988 IMSA GTO Champion. 1988 was the year Jack Roush moved southward and entered the NASCAR series for the first time. Nowadays, Roush Racing has become one of the major teams involved in that kind of racing. It was a very competitive season and the Roush Racing team proved his ability to handle a very harsh opposition. The team won in a very impressive way, Scott Pruett winning over Wally Dallenbach with thirty five point margin. For 1989, the team moved to a new challenge, and entered a pair of Mercury Cougars. It was the first time in twenty two years that such a legendary name was brought back to competition. The cars were very impressive, and were backed by Stroh's. The opposition was quite different from the previous year, as Toyota had moved up to the GTP category, and the Protofab team was entered in the rival series, the Trans Am. However, two very strong newcomers were now facing the Cougars. Group 44 was entering two Audi 90 Quattros driven by such drivers as Hans Stuck, Hurley Haywood, Walter Roehrl and Scott Goodyear. Nissan was to enter the fray with Clayton Cunningham Racing and a host of renowned drivers, such as Johnny O'connell, Steve Millen and John Morton. They had a very strong debut at Daytona for the 24 Hours, as they made a one-two in GTO, Pete Halsmer, Bob Earl, Mark Martin and Paul Stewart winning over Wally Dallenbach, Dorsey Schroeder and Mark Martin again.

Pete Halsmer, Bob Earl, Mark Martin and Paul Stewart were the GTO class winners at Daytona in 1989

Copyright Mark Windecker

The teams had been thoroughly renewed, but the winning spirit was still present. Pete Halsmer won again at Miami, while Audi entered the race with Hans Stuck and Hurley Haywood. Sebring was another Mercury Cougar sweep as Wally Dallenbach and Dorsey Schroeder went on to an easy win over the second Roush car. Things were getting tough at Summit Point, where Hans Stuck won the race, Hurley Haywood was second and the two Mercury Cougars were next. The remainder of the season would feature a very intensive battle Audi and Mercury, each of one having seven wins. Nissan had one win, but at the end, it was Roush Racing who was the season's champion, with Pete Halsmer winning the GTO title over Wally Dallenbach, both driving Mercury Cougars, powered by a turbocharged four cylinder 2,5L engine. Roush Racing was back to big time racing and had run in a marvelous fashion. In 1990, things would go on the same way, the only change being that of the sponsors, while Robby Gordon would replace Pete Halsmer, who had joined the new Mazda team. The opposition was now exclusively a Japanese one, as Nissan was gaining momentum, and Mazda had a pair of quadrirotor RX7s. At Daytona, Roush Racing made it six in a row when the Whistler Radar Receiver sponsored Mercury Cougar driven by Robby Gordon, Calvin Fish and Lyn St James went on to finish fifth overall and easily capture the GTO class win. The Mazda RX7 driven by Pete Halsmer, Jim Downing, Amos Johnson and John O'steen. The next race at Miami saw a Nissan victory with Steve Millen over Pete Halsmer, Dorsey Schroeder was next. Sebring saw a new Cougar triumph with Robby Gordon, Calvin Fish and Lyn St James renewing their Daytona win. .The Roush drivers held a commanding points lead early in the season. However, the Mazda challenge appeared to become a threat to them as Pete Halsmer scored his first win at Topeka. He was second in points at mid-season. Attrition took place then when each contender scored a victory. Robby Gordon scored his first victory while Dorsey Schroeder won later in the season at Portland. The Roush team took two other impressive wins by season end and Dorsey Schroeder took the 1990 GTO title, while Robby Gordon was second.

Dorsey Schroeder won the 1990 GTO title driving this Mercury Cougar XR7

Copyright Mark Windecker

The 1991 season would be a continuity of the previous season, but Roush Racing switched back to Ford Mustangs. The season proved to be a hard fought battle between the three marques : Ford-Mazda-Nissan. After a very strong season beginning, the Roush team winning the two classical enduros, Daytona and Sebring, the task appeared to be much harder to sustain. Mazda had a pair of excellent drivers, Pete Halsmer and Price Cobb, who nailed down four victories, alongside some top five finishes by the two drivers. Nissan had a very good season end, and won at Mid Ohio, Road America and Watkins Glen. Robby Gordon took two more victories, at Portland and Road Atlanta, and things were growing very tight when approaching the end of the season at Del Mar. Robby Gordon won, but Pete Halsmer took sixth, which was enough to secure the 1991 IMSA GTO title. Robby Gordon finished second overall, only four points down the winner.

Robby Gordon lost the 1991 title by a mere four point margin

Copyright Mark Windecker

Roush Racing lost the title, but proved again it always was a team you had to count on in terms of competitivity. 1992 was the first season Roush Racing would run a limited schedule. In fact, the team would enter three races : Daytona, Portland and Del Mar. Robby Gordon would win two out of these three races and take a fourth at Portland. Despite running on this very limited schedule, Robby Gordon finished fifth overall! Things would change in 1993 with a new car appearing as the ultimate weapon for Jack Roush : the Ford Mustang Cobra. Things began in an extraordinary way with the Roush Team taking the GTO victory but also a second place overall behind the winning Toyota! Tom Kendall, Robbie Buhl, Wally Dallenbach took the ninth GTO victory in a row for the team.

Tom Kendall and John Fergus took a sixth overall at the wheel of this impressive Ford Mustang Cobra at Sebring in 1993

Copyright Michael Crews

A record that will be difficult to beat in the future! The unbeatability displayed at Daytona would be shaken down by the opposition throughout the season with no more victory for the team but a very consistent string of high finishes. A very close battle between Nissan, Oldsmobile and Ford with Tommy Kendall emerging as the 1993 IMSA GTS Champion. Oldsmobile took the manufacturers crown over Nissan and Ford. Once again, Roush Racing proved it had the consistency and it would be their last GTO-GTS title. Last but not least, 1994 would host a set a new rules by the new IMSA staff. WSC would now dominate the fields while the GTS, GTO and GTU would remain hardly unchanged, but Roush Racing would win again at Daytona in 1995, with its unbreakable Ford Mustang, driven by Paul Newman, Michael Brockman, Tom Kendall and Mark Martin. The tradition would simply not die! Their ten GTO victories in a row look quite an unbeatable challenge. Roush Racing has set its mark on IMSA GTO for long.

24 Hours of Daytona 1984 : a South African win

The first race of the year had a brand new look, and by two aspects. First, the track sported a new chicane, which was aimed at slowing the cars on the banking. And for the first time, no spectacular accident was to be seen. Second, Pepsi Cola was no longer the main sponsor of the race. Sun Bank had taken over the Florida's Enduro destiny. As this new money backer was effectively welcomed, the chicane would cause new problems to the drivers : too tight, you had to go single-filed after sorting out before entering it. It was a minor trouble, but slow cars would always be a problem, and fender to fender fight would cause torn bodyworks. At the end, this twenty second edition of the 24 Hours of Daytona was a real success. Eighty two cars were entered, with three drivers or so per car, you had a very wide range of driving skill and experience. That race would feature the very first race on an American track of the Porsche 962, and it was a premiere too for the drivers, who appeared to be Mario and Michael Andretti. The car was factory backed, and some cars were to be sold to fortunate owners. Al Holbert  had ordered his one, as Bruce Leven and Bob Akin. However, at Daytona, the three of them had their faithful 935s entered. Even if those cars were now outdated, they were still potent ones, but the GTP cars were strongly represented. Three other 935s, which were less sophisticated ones, would take the green, too, but they would not play any major role in the race.

Mario and Michael Andretti drove the very first Porsche 962 ever running in the US. Factory backed, they failed to finish the race

Copyright Mark Windecker

March had five cars, but only two 84Gs. A new 84G was entered by Pegasus Racing for Mark Speer, Ken Madren and Wayne Pickering. This car sported a very powerful turbocharged 3,4L engine, but the drivers were not up to the task. The Leon Bros had a Chevrolet powered car, but they were not rated as top drivers! The ex-Holbert 83G Porsche car had been sold to a new South African team, Kreepy Krauly Racing, with Tony Martin, Graham Duxbury and Sarel van der Merwe. The car and drivers proved very strong. Two other cars, which were 83G models were entered by Red Lobster Racing, with Kenper Miller and David Cowart and Mauricio de Narvaez, while Marty Hinze had an 83G which he shared with Randy Lanier and Bill Whittington. Two Jaguar XJR5x were for the first time entered by Group 44, and they were now fuel injected. Given for 600hp, they were driven by Bob Tullius, David Hobbs and Doc Bundy on the #44 car and Brian Redman, Jim Adams and Pat Bedard on the #04. Lola had four cars entered, but there were only two T600s, and two new T616s. The two T600s were old cars, and entered by John Kalagian for himself, John Lloyd and John Mills, on the ex-JLP car. The car had been modified to accomodate the changes made on the exhaust system. Conte Racing had a standard car, powered by a 5,0L prepared by VDS. More interesting were the two new Mazda powered T616 cars. Aerodynamically developed, they were very fast according to their relatively short on power Mazda engines, which were given for 300hp. A pair of Aston Martins, two from Great Britain and one from the US,  gave the field a definitive international air. A 3,5L BMW powered Sauber C7 was entered by a Salvadorian driver. A single Argo JM16 debuted at Daytona. Jim Downing, a GTU stalwart, had a Mazda powered car which he drove with John Maffucci and Whitney Ganz. The car was beautifully turned out, yet would run very well vor its very first race. A Mazda GTP entered by Pierre Honegger closed the GTP entry list. You could find a beautiful Ferrari 512BB for Steve and Tom Shelton. A wild Chevrolet Camaro and  a Porsche 934/5 entered by Ludwig Heimrath were not eligible for the GTO class and appeared in the GTX-GTP class.

Ludwig Heimrath Porsche 934 was too modified to run in the GTO class, so he moved into the GTP category. He had to retire early in the race.

Copyright Mark Windecker

The GTO class was the home of the big bangers, with a host of Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros. The fastest car was the usual Stratagraph Chevrolet Camaro driven by Gene Felton and Billy Hagan. Tommy Riggins drove the Centurion Auto car with Les Delano and Andy Peterey. Some Pontiac Firebirds could be seen with Gordon Oftedahl bringing in two cars for Craig Allen, George Schwarz and Richard Spenard plus Jack Newsum, Mike Field and Rob McFarlin. Robert Overby and Liz Kleinschmidt had a very fast car too. Some Chevrolet Corvettes were here too, with the wild looking Dingman Bros car, driven by Walt Bohren, Billy Dingman and Roger Bighouse. Tom Nehl, Nelson Silcox and Jerry Hansen could have their chance for a class win. Two Chevrolet Monzas were part of the field too but had not any chance for the class win. Two lonely BMW M1 were part of the field too but it was some kind of outdated machinery, Uli Bieri, Angelo Pallavicini and Matt Gysler would count on the car's reliability for the race. A bunch of Porsche Carrera RSRs and a very unusual Porsche 928, driven by Vic Elford, Dick Attwood and Howard Meister, backed by the Porsche factory, complered the GTO field.

The Stratagraph Chevrolet Camaro driven by Gene Felton, Terry Labonte and Billy Hagan was clearly the class of the GTO field, finishing sixth overall.

Copyright Mark Windecker

The GTU class was very interesting indeed, with the usual Mazda RX7 contingent, now traditionaly opposed to the Porsche 924GTRs. John Schneider and Elliot Forbes Robinson drove the same car which had won the Daytona Finale, while Tom Winters, Bob Bergstrom and Innes Ireland had Whitehall car, which was very fast too. Roger Mandeville, driving his Mandeville Auto Tech Mazda RX7, and he took the GTU pole, just ahead of the two best Porsche 924s. Kent Racing had brought a Mazda RX7 for Lee Mueller-Terry Visger and John Casey and CCR had an RX7 for Jack Baldwin-Ira Young and Bob Reed. Two AAR Toyota Celjcas were entered for Chris Cord and Jim Adams, coming right down from the GTP class. The second car was driven by Wally Dallenbach and Michael Chandler. Another interesting entry was that of the new Pontiac Fiero. It was the very first attempt to seriously tackle this category by an American marque. Backed by Dole Fruit, the car, which was driven by Clay Young, Doug Grunnet and Jim Burt, made its debut on this track. One single Datsun 280ZX was to be seen and it was entered by George Alderman who shared the drive with Carson Baird and Lew Price. A tiny Datsun 200SX, which would qualify, was entered by New Raytown Datsun for Frank Carney, Dick Davenport and Bob Hindson. As per usual, a handful of ageing Porsche 911s would make for the start, with Chris Wilder's's car being the fastest. Eighty two cars would finally take the green, which was the biggest field ever in this race.
The practice sessions will demonstrate the Porsche 962 ability to dominate the field. It was its first race ever and the car did outpace everybody else. 1m50s989, Two seconds faster than its closer opponent, things were looking good for the Porsche factory. Second overall was the South African March 83G Porsche which proved very quick, and Robin Herd looked quite satisfied with Sarel van der Merwe's position. The Porsche 935s were a little farther and seemed unable to run faster. Those cars were six years old now. The Lola T616 Mazdas were just over the two minutes level, which extremely fast for cars with such low hp engines. In GTO, no surprise with Gene Felton easily fastest qualifyer, while Roger Mandeville was the best GTU starter, running in 2m09s601.

The cars are lined up in front of the pits, with the Porsche 962 in front

Copyright Michael Crews

The weather forecast was not very optimistic as the field set up in front of the pits for the race, but it was still sunny when the cars were lined up for the start. The warm-up lap took place at 15:25 PM. AJ Foyt did have an off-course at the new chicane. At the start, Mario Andretti and Sarel van der Merwe immediately set the pace and had a quarrel, well ahead of anybody. Sarel van der Merwe would push Mario Andretti very hard, while everybody else was far away. While the March 83G, which was Porsche powered, could keep up with the new Works 962, then Mario Andretti would suddenly burst into a rage and take the lead for the next twenty one laps. As the March kept its position, Bob Tullius was third in his Jaguar XJR5. He was well ahead of a bunch of drivers, led by AJ Foyt, who was in trouble while struggling with the traffic. Marty Hinze was just behind him, at the wheel of his March 83G Chevrolet. Brian Redman was behind him, followed by Holbert's Porsche 935, and the two Lola T600s driven by Bob Lobenberg and John Kalagian. The latter would not continue for long, pushing his car very hard, the transmission would break after twenty eight laps. Behind the leaders, Bob Akin was quite unlucky with his Porsche 935/84, as he pitted with gearbox troubles, losing ninety minutes. As the Porsche 962, now driven by Michael Andretti, was still in the lead, the car would suffer from transmission trouble caused by heat from the turbocharger. Losing one hour for repairs, the car went back to the race in sixty third position. Then it was the March 83G Chevrolet driven by Marty Hinze, Randy Lanier and Bill Whittington which took the lead, followed by the Kreepy Krauly car, with the Jaguar XJR5 not far behind. At the three hour mark, it was Bob Tullius, running his Jaguar XJR5 at his own pace, who would become the new race leader. The South African March 83G would experience problems with the gear shifter, and would lose some ground on the leaders. Running quite flawlessly, the Bayside Disposal Porsche 935, driven by Al Holbert, Bruce Leven, Hurley Haywood and Claude Ballot Léna, appeared in third place, then in second place when the Marty Hinze March would be stopped with transmission problems. The Works Porsche 962 was back in the race, but it would not last for long, and a broken camshaft would lead to its retirement later in the evening. It was a great disappointment for the team, as they were expected to do much more better.

Brian Redman, Doc Bundy and Pat Bedard finished twenty fourth and suffered from many alternator belt problems

Copyright Michael Crews

The Jaguar ran trouble free for six hours, then would lose ground with a broken alternator belt. Then it was the March 83G Porsche which would take the lead. As the car would undergo one sole major problem, it ran out of fuel at about one-third into the race. Sarel van der Merwe had to jog for one mile to carry a five-gallon can of gas. At that point, the Preston Henn Porsche 935L took the lead while the Bayside Disposal car was rolled into the pit wall to have a crack in the intake system welded. As the Andial car seemed to be able to renew its 1983 performance, it seemed that AJ Foyt had trouble keeping up the lead. He had to off-courses during the night, causing bodywork damage. While the car was being repaired, the Kreepy Krauly March was back in the lead. The Porsche 935, with an ailing brake cooling intake, was now running slower. As the leading March was now easily leading, the same could not be told about its followers.

Graham Duxbury, Tony Martin and Sarel van der Merwe took the lead by the 254th lap and won the race by a nine lap margin.

Copyright Mark Windecker

The Jaguars were consistently hampered by their alternator belts, and the victory now seemed out of reach. The race was losing its attraction for the lead, but some unexpected cars did appear in the top ten. The new Argo JM16 Mazda and the two Lola T616 Mazdas were now in sixth, seventh and twelfth position, which was quite remarkable! While the leaders were now nine laps ahead of anybody, those cars were running with the best. After two hundred and fifty four laps, the three South African drivers were in the lead, and definitively! The two best Porsche 935s will never be able to catch in on the leaders, and the cars were not in their best shape. The Jaguar were losing more ground and would never appear as a threat to the Porsche powered leading cars.

Bob Wollek, AJ Foyt and Derek Bell drove this Porsche 935L to a second place overall

Copyright Michael Crews

At the end, Preston Henn's Porsche 935 would finish second overall, and Bob Wollek had some regrets as to AJ Foyt mistakes. Third was Bob Tullius Jaguar XJR5, which managed to finish ahead of the Bayside Disposal Porsche 935, driven by Al Holbert, Bruce Leven, Hurley Haywood and Claude Ballot Léna. The GTO class again was dominated by the Stratagraph Chevrolet Camaro driven by Billy Hagan, Gene Felton and Terry Labonte.

Battered but not beaten, the Mazda RX7 driven by Jack Baldwin, Ira Young and Bob Reed won the GTU class after taking the lead in the eighteenth hour.

Copyright Mark Windecker

Running as high as third with four hours remaining, the car was then slowed down with minor mechanical problems, but it took sixth overall, easily winning its class. The GTU class was another triumphbfor Mazda, but it was the CCR car, driven by Jack Baldwin, Ira Young and Bob Reed, which won. They took the lead at the eighteen hour mark, and won over the surprising Porsche 911 driven by Rusty Bond, Blake Prigden and Ren Tilton. Jack Dunham and his co-drivers dominated the early stages of the race, but were sidelined later in the race to finish third in class. A special mention was to be made about the Porsche 928 driven by Howard Meister, Vic Elford and Dick Attwood, who managed to bring this near stock car to a well-deserved fifteenth place overall.

The Porsche 962 had not succeeded in its first US race, and would have hard times during the 1984 season, but things were changing in a big way as Porsche 962s would dominate the next IMSA Championships.

1984 : the last thunder, part 1

It was the year of the GTPs. Fields were changing radically and you could find prototypes everywhere. Lola and March had established themselves as strong contenders, but the biggest news was only to come : Porsche was back with a home made prototype : the 962. The 956, which was eligible for the World Championship for Makes, was not suited for the IMSA Championship, but Porsche had suitably reacted and built the IMSA compliant 962. They were clearly announcing their will to dominate ; in fact, they would have to wait for one year to win the Camel GT series.
Daytona was the first round of the series, as per usual. A very big eighty two car entry would make for the start. The field was now a classical GTX-GTP-GTO-GTU mix, but a new car was here to upset everyone. Porsche had brought the new immaculate Porsche 962, which was to be driven by Mario and Michael Andretti. Of course, this car was easily the fastest of all, while the March 83G Porsche, the ex-Holbert one, was second on the grid, but two seconds slower. Many 935s were entered by the top teams. Bob Akin had a new car, dubbed 935-84, which was very similar to the 935L, but it was kind of unique, with many personal solutions. Preston Henn still had his 1983 935L winner entered for Bob Wollek and Preston Henn, and he nurtured some good hopes for the win. Bruce Leven had also a 935 for Al Holbert-Hurley Haywood and himself. Those three teams would be running Porsche 935s for one of the very last times, as they had purchased a Porsche 962, those cars were to debut within a few weeks. The other cars were less effective, and the opposition would naturally come from the outside. March was probably the most capable make. Powered by different powerplants, there were new 84G entered by Leon Bros and Pegasus Racing for Ken Madren, Mark Speer and Wayne Pickering. While very powerful, you could not expect great things from a semi-professional team. You had to turn to the 83G to find out any potential winner. Al Holbert had sold his IMSA winning 83G Porsche to a new South African team, and it was driven by Graham Duxbury, Tony Martin and Sarel van der Merwe. Two Lolas were entered but they were becoming outdated and had not a great deal of chance for the win. Group 44 had two improved XJR5s entered for Bob Tullius-David Hobbs and Doc Bundy and Brian Redman-Bill Adam and Pat Bedard. As per usual, the supporting categories were full of drivers willing to win. The race appeared to be some kind of strolling around for the Porsche 962 driven by the Andrettis, but it would not last for a very long time. After a short quarrel with the South African March 83G Porsche, the Works Porsche 962 would undergo engine problems. While the Jaguar driven by Bob Tullius would lead for a while, the March would take back the lead very soon.

An interesting new entry was the Sauber C7, which was powered by a L6 3,5L BMW. The car, driven by Fomfor, Albert Naon and Diego Montoya, finished twenty second overall.

Copyright Michael Crews

The TBird Swap Shop Porsche 935, driven by Bob Wollek, AJ Foyt and Derek Bell, appeared as a threat to the future winners, but it would not make it two in a row as AJ Foyt nullyfied their chances for the win when he had two off-courses. The GTO category was won by the very strong Chevrolet Camaro driven by Billy Hagan-Gene Felton and Terry Labonte. Jack Baldwin, Ira Young and Bob Reed dominated the GTU class and had a new win for Mazda.(full story here)
The next race was set for Miami, on the street circuit. The event was split into three races featuring the different categories. An all-star field  of thirty cars would take the green, led by Ralph Sanchez March 84G Chevrolet driven by guest star Emerson Fittipaldi. Klaus Ludwig was alongside him in the Ford Mustang GTP. No Porsche 962 was to be seen and Porsche had to rely on its rather unsuited 935s. The race was likely to be eagerly contested, as a lot of new cars had appeared on the track. A good surprise was the very good position held by the Alba driven by Gianpiero Moretti. A new Chevrolet Corvette GTP, which rather kept its original shape, was to make its debut on a track which was not much suited to its bulky shape. But the extensive use of carbon fiber should compensate, according to Ray McIntyre, whose son was to drive the car with John Martin. The race itself was much a disputed one. Brian Redman had a very good start and easily got past Tony Garcia, Emerson Fittipaldi's co-driver. While watching his mirrors, the rest of the field was vying for position, and Klaus Ludwig managed to get past the Jaguar on lap twenty six. But the Ford Mustang GTP would not maintain its position for long, as Klaus Ludwig retired on lap thirty one. Brian Redman was back in the lead, and he was able to stay ahead of everyone until the chequered.

Brian Redman and Pat Bedard won at Miami in a convincing way.

Copyright Robert Manley

The second Jaguar, driven by Bob Tullius and Pat Bedard, finished second. It was the first ever one-two for the British marque, and for Group 44. Third overall was the Conte Racing Lola T600 Chevrolet driven by John Morton and Bob Lobenberg. Bob Wollek and AJ Foyt had a brilliant drive and brought their TBird Swap Shop Porsche 935L to fourth place. The two supporting races, featuring the GTUs, then the GTOs. Jack Baldwin was on the pole on his CCR Mazda RX7. After dominating the early stages of the race, a yellow flag allowed Lee Mueller, driving the Kent Racing Mazda RX7, to take the lead, but only for a short while. A deflating tyre put hom off the pace, as well as Jack Baldwin, who finished fifth. Chris Cord, on the AAR Toyota Celica, was charging hard and took the lead, he finally won the forty five minute race. The GTO event saw a new winner. Gene Felton was on the pole, but he was not driving his usual Stratagraph Chevrolet Camaro. He was driving the Auriga Racing Chevrolet Corvette. Gene Felton had not as much luck as usual and finished only fifth, while Walt Bohren, driving the Dingman Bros Chevrolet Corvette, had a brilliant drive, starting only sixth on the grid, to win the race.
A huge eighty one car field was to take the green at Sebring, but the field was not the same as Daytona. The two Group 44 Jaguar XJR5s were here and did appear as the crowd's favorites, with Brian Redman-Pat Bedard and Brian Fuerstenau driving the #04, and Bob Tullius and Doc Bundy on the #44. The Daytona winning March 83G Porsche seemed willing to repeat its round one victory, while a new team, Blue Thunder Racing, was fielding a March 83G Chevrolet for Randy Lanier-Bill Whittington and Marty Hinze. Three other Marches were entered, but they were far less competitive, and would not play any major role in that race. Many Porsche 935s were still entered, and a lot of them could win the race on such a track. Bob Akin had his Porsche 935-84, which he drove with John O'steen and Hans Stuck, and he had high hopes for the win. Preston Henn too, with the same team of drivers as for Daytona. The car was now displaying a red livery. Bayside Disposal was entering an unusual car, which was the Kremer Porsche 935K4, formerly owned by John Fitzpatrick. The car was to be driven by Al Holbert, Hugo Gralia, John Graham and Bob Wollek, which was very strange. A very old car was entered by Joest Racing, a 935J, and driven by Mauricio de Narvaez, Hans Heyer and Formula One driver Stefan Johansson. While clearly outdated, with more than one hundred races to its records, this car would be the surprise of this race. A new Argo JM16, which was Ford powered, was entered by Don Courtney, Brent O'neill and Steve Shelton. Jim Downing had brought his Mazda powered entry, which he shared with his usual partner John Maffucci. A new welcomed car was that of Gary Belcher, a regular entrant for many years. He shared a Chevrolet powered Rondeau M382 with French driver-builder Jean Rondeau, the 1980 Le Mans 24 Hours winner. The car was not completely sorted out but the Frenchman should be of great help.

Gary Belcher entered a very unusual Rondeau M382 Chevrolet which he shared with French builder Jean Rondeau. They finished forty seventh

Copyright Michael Crews

The BMW Sauber C7, driven by the Fomfor-Willy Valiente and Swissman Max Welti was here too. A very strange car could be seen too : the Mazda OVS-1 driven by Larry O'brien and Mike van Steenberg, which appeared as an underpowered Camaro, but it was not fast. The GTO class, once again, seemed to be an all Camaro kingdom. Gene Felton dominated the practice sessions, but Walt Bohren, driving the Dingman Bros Chevrolet Corvette, was not so far. Good for the spectators, always willing to see fights. Not so far too, the fast Pontiac Firebird driven by Paul Fassler and the Chevrolet Corvette driven by Phil Currin. Diego Montoya drove the Walker Brown BMW M1 with Brian Goellnicht and Michael Roe. A lot of Porsche Carreras were entered, but none of them were currently able to win the GTO class. Lance van Every drove the fastest of them. A lot of Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros were still running for fun, and nothing more. A Chevrolet Monte Carlo, driven by Tim Chitwood and Joe Llauget could be noticed among the starters, as a local Buick Skyhawk. The GTU class, once again, would be the home of Mazda RX7-Porsche 924 battle. The Porsches, led by Elliot Forbes Robinson, were the fastest during practice, but the Mazda RX7s were not far away. Bob Bergstrom was second, just ahead of Roger Mandeville, driving the fastest of the rotaries. Next was Jack Dunham on his familiar Dunham Trucking RX7. A tight field of strong drivers was next, with Al Bacon and Jack Baldwin leading the sole Datsun 280ZX, entered by George Alderman. Clay Young was here with his Pontiac Fiero, which needed further development. A Porsche 911 squadron was making the bulk of the GTU entry, but they were no more contenders for the class victory, as was the single, and beautiful Porsche 914/6, driven by Tim Selby and Earl Roe. A record number of entries was set for a big race. Brian Redman set a new qualifying record at the wheel of his Jaguar XJR5, and was followed by Sarel van der Merwe, who was one second slower. Next was Hans Stuck, who qualified Bob Akin's Porsche right ahead of the second Jaguar driven by Bob Tullius. The next cars were the two special Porsche 935s, entered by Preston Henn and Bayside Disposal. Sebring organisers could rejoice, it was IMSA's best entry ever. At the start of the race, as for Daytona, two men were willing to dominate the field : Bob Tullius and Sarel van der Merwe had a race of them. Behind them, Brian Redman was running at his own pace, leading Bob Wollek, Hans Stuck and Derek Bell. As the Jaguar seemed to keep the lead, Sarel van der Merwe would pit on lap seventeen, a loose part needing to get fastened on his turbo. Tony Martin climbed into the cockpit of the March. Bob Tullius and co-driver Doc Bundy would dominate the race until the fourth hour, but then the race would be over for the Jaguar.The Porsche 935L driven by Bob Wollek, AJ Foyt and Derek Bell then took the lead, which they would keep for nearly five hours. They had built up a two lap lead upon their closest contender, which was the Bob Akin car. Unfortunately, they had to pit for a very long while, when they had to repair a broken suspension. The Bob Akin Porsche then took the'lead, with the Blue Thunder March 84G Chevrolet, driven by Bill Whittington and Randy Lanier, unning on the same lap. The end of the race brought its share of misfortunes to the leading cars, as the Porsche had to pit with a broken wheel hub. The March inherited the lead, but not for long. At 8:28PM, the March went back to the pits, with smoke trailing behind. The smoking radiator needed water, while the bonnet had trouble keeping safely fastened. The Porsche 935 was now again in the lead, but a new contender was appearing as threatening as ever. The Joest Porsche 935, driven by Mauricio de Narvaez, Stefan Johansson and Hans Heyer, was now very close, and running steadily. They would take the lead as Bob Akin pitted. The Coke machine was running without third gear. In fact, its last pit stop was a bad one, as a mechanic had trouble changing a wheel. Hans Stuck managed to take the lead, but suddenly felt his car dangerously vibrating. As Bob Wollek was slowing more and more, and the Blue Thunder March went back to the pits, nearly destroyed, Hans Stuck went back to the pits, too, and lost twenty minutes. The race was now sealed, and was finally won by the slowest of the GTP cars. But it was the car that did last until Victory Lane, and ain't it what matters? Second was the battered March 83G driven by Bill Whittington and Randy Lanier, while Bob Wollek and Derek Bell managed to keep a third place finish, with no other choice than running slowly. The Stratagrah Chevrolet Camaro driven by Gene Felton and Billy Hagan took an impressive eighth overall, easily winning its class while Jack Baldwin, Ira Young and Bob Reed took ninth to win the GTU class, just ahead of the Datsun 280ZX driven by George Alderman and Carson Baird, who dominated the race for hours, before losing the race to the Mazda. The race was as thrilling as ever, and spectators got their share of emotions.

George Alderman and Carson Baird finished second in class at Sebring, at the wheel of their Datsun 280ZX.

Copyright Martin Spetz

At Road Atlanta, it was just another story, with new winners appearing on top. In practice, it was Klaus Ludwig who took the pole on the Ford Mustang GTP, while Sarel van der Merwe escaped death while he had an accident on his newly acquired March 84G Porsche, which caught fire during practice. The race was quickly set, with Klaus Ludwig rapidly out of contention for the win, and the Jaguar XJR5s experiencing overheating trouble. Don and Bill Whittington both drove March Chevrolets, and the race finally was just a family affair. They fought as hard as ever, even keeping the cars for themselves until the end. Don Whittington, driving the Marty Hinze car, finally won over his brother, who drove the Blue Thunder car. Brian Redman and Pat bedard were third on their Jaguar XJR5. Billy Hagan and Gene Felton were dominant in GTO as they easily won their class. Fifty seven cars took the start of the race, and one can easily imagine how crowded the track could be, according to its length(4,054km). Werner Frank, a regular Porsche entrant, fielded a new Osella PA10 BMW, which he brought to an encouraging forteenth overall, just behind the GTU class winners, Jack Baldwin and Ira Young, getting accustomed to winning their class at every race! (to be continued)