IMSAblog

Ford Mustang GTP : too hot!

Ford's involvement in IMSA racing became effective in 1980, with Walter Hayes, vice president of public affairs in Europe. He was transfered to Dearborn, Michigan and started to take actions to get Ford more racing prone. Michael Kranefuss, who ran Ford touring cars as well as he worked for Zakspeed, joined Ford's racing program. He was named Motorsport Director in 1976. Walter Hayes called Michael Kranefuss later in 1980, and the two of them made plans to get Ford into big time racing. In 1981, Michael Kranefuss was named head of Ford's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO). After hiring some people and setting up what had to be done, Ford's future was set. One of the first thing Michael Kranefuss did was to get in touch with Erich Zakowski, the German Ford touring car specialist for whom he had driven a decade ago. The first really big move was to withdraw the Ford Capris bodywork off, and use the Mustang bodywork instead. While the cars had some potential, they appeared slightly short on power. They were consistently hampered by overheating problems. However, Klaus Ludwig grabbed some victories aboard the Ford Mustang TC. Bill Scott and Tom Milner had some facilities, and this led them to run the cars for Ford Motorsport. In 1981, Klaus Ludwig won at Brainerd and Sears Point, after leading from flag to flag. Ford took back the program in 1982, after Miller High Life withdrew its support at the end of the 1981 season.

Klaus Ludwig had some great races with the Ford Mustang GTX car. He won at Sears Point in 1982.

Copyright Van Zannis

The 1982 saw two Ford successes, always with Klaus Ludwig driving, but it was now clear that Ford needed a better weapon to tackle IMSA. So the GTP program was born. Zakspeed USA opened in Livonia, Michigan, in a space leased by Jack Roush Racing. Zakspeed/Roush was formed at the beginning of 1983. Zakspeed and Roush were working in conjuction while the Zakspeed team was learning about the wherabouts of American racing while Roush gained an access to higher technology level. Ian Dawson was named team manager, and Alan Smith general manager. Bob Riley was then brought in as chief designer for the team. After thinking for a while over which should be the engine location, it was decided that the new GTP car engine would be front located. While Zakspeed had its own prototype in Germany, Al Turner made the trip to look how good it was. In fact, it was so good that Bob Riley took the best out of this concept. By the fall of 1982, Roush/Protofab began fabricating it. The chassis was made out of composites provided by Ford Aerospace. The front engine configuration allowed Bob Riley to design a car with maximum downforce. 'A clear edge of technological development' as would put it Ford Chairman Philip Caldwell. The car had been designed through CAD/CAM technologies, and Aluminium and Mylar templates were used to produce the panels. All of the chassis individual sub parts were then bonded together.
The Bob Riley creation was tested in the Ford wind tunnels by Don Kopka and his staff. The tub was made of a carbon fiber/Nomex  sandwich. This choice had been made because of the carbon fiber qualities. Lighter and stronger than steel, it appeared as the perfect choice to build this car. The driver's safety was not to be forgotten as ballistic-grade Kevlar was added to critical areas to enhance it. The chassis, thus finished did not weigh more than 100 pounds. A conventional suspension was bolted to the tub. A frames were mounted at the bow, they carried alloy uprights and four piston ventilated disc brakes. Koni coil-overs and a driver-adjustable sway bar made up the balance of the front suspenders. A similar setup was mounted aft and worked in concert with a rear-mounted five-speed transaxle. At 1770lb, it was probably the most plastic intensive racecar ever built.
The car's engine was mounted ahead of the cockpit. The tunnels made up the entire rear of the car, allowing for maximum downforce. This configuration was to enhance the overall ground effects. The engine was a 2,1L turbocharged, DOHC, four cylinder Ford BDA powerplant. While this seemed to be a small engine, it could produce more than 600hp. With a Cd of 0.15, the car should be efficient. The car was presented prior to the 1983 Detroit Grand Prix, then tested at Mid Ohio by Klaus Ludwig and Bobby Rahal. Some minor problems had to be sorted out before the car debuted at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin in August. The race was to be run under a very wet weather. Klaus Ludwig and Tim Coconis had qualified second while Geoff Brabham and Bobby Rahal were fifth. It was a shortened event, after 115 laps. While the race conditions were horrendous, the cars' ground effects kept them in front of the pack.The cars had been cheered while rolled onto the grid, and the very first race of a Ford Mustang GTP was an unpredictable outright victory. Klaus Ludwig and Tim Coconis went home first while Bobby Rahal and Geoff Brabham took a third place.

At Pocono, for its second race, the Ford Mustang GTP retired after eight laps.

Copyright Robert Manley

Unfortunately, the remainder of the season was far to be as successful as Pocono and the Daytona Finale ended up with retirements after starting from the pole each time. The powerful small engine had to be improved, and Al Turner work steadily in order to do so. It seemed that Zakspeed and Al Turner were not really synchronized about the way things had to be carried out, so Al Turner quit after a month. Three cars had been actually built, and one was designed to receive a Roush V8 engine. It was not to be, as  literally hit the ceiling when he knew it. In fact, Jack Roush and Erich Zakowski did not have the same views, as Jack Roush intended to use his homebuilt V8s in GTP racing. But Ford did not intend to use this kind of powerplant in GTP racing, as they needed a high tech image. That's why Jack Roush left the program at the end of 1983, Michael Kranefuss was in charge of the whole thing, and he knew what he had to do. However, it seemed that Erich Zakowski's will not to work with Cosworth finally nailed the program. His engines were powerful, but very unreliable. High temperatures were reached within the cockpit, and it caused a driver's fatigue. The chassis also was a problem, as it was not designed by racing experts. Ford Aerospace seemed not to master some race constraints.

Bob Wollek was involved in the Ford Mustang GTP program, but he did not enjoy any success. Here at Charlotte in 1984, he retired after twenty one laps.

Copyright Dwight Deal

The 1984 season began and two cars were to be entered in almost every race. Now backed by 7-Eleven, the team skipped the first enduros of the season. The first race of the season was to be run at Miami, where Klaus Ludwig retired after thirty one laps. The next event was Road Atlanta, and it was a retirement as well, as was the Riverside race. Two cars were entered at Laguna Seca, and Bob Wollek was the new driving star. But the two cars did not see the chequered anyway. Retirements were the reward for the Charlotte, Watkins Glen and Portland races too. After such a series of disappointments, relief came at Sears Point with a fifth place taken by Klaus Ludwig. At Road America, one year after their maiden victory, Klaus Ludwig and Bobby Rahal were out after 83 laps. The two last races were Michigan and Daytona Finale. A dnf was again the result for Michigan while Klaus Ludwig and Tom Gloy took a fifth overall at the very last race of the season.

Klaus Ludwig and Tom Gloy finished fifth at the 1984 Daytona Finale, but it would be the last race for the car.

Copyright Mike Smith

Then the cars were never to be raced again! After two seasons and one single victory, the Ford Mustang GTPs career sounds like disaster. Some major problems literally prevented from being a good racecar, but was it a conception problem? Many people were convinced that the engine configuration that had been chosen was the good one. Yet, it seemed that when the fuel tank was empty, the car was literally undrivable. In fact, many problems appeared within the course of the season, and Michael Kranefuss' final opinion about this project said it all : "It was the worst project I've ever been involved in. The car had many problems."
As a conclusion, it was a could have been car, and the project was dropped at the end of the 1984 season. Ford lost a great occasion to prove its mettle. But things would change very soon, with Jack Roush coming back with his unbeatable Ford Mustangs which would dominate the GTO class for a very long while.

VIR 71 : the very first IMSA race

The very first IMSA program cover. A piece of history.

Courtesy Nick England

This was the first IMSA race ever, and it took place at the Virginia International Raceway course on April 18. The race featured a twenty four car field, which was the first of its kind. In fact, this was to be some kind of test race for the racers, who had already entered races such as the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Those events were part of the World Endurance Championship and IMSA would therefore provide a new home for those underraced racers. As it would be for some time, the main attraction for the spectators would be the Porsche-Corvette duel. In fact, this would be a continuation for a fight which had taken place in the two WCM races. Two Chevrolet Corvettes were entered, but only one seemed to be a possible winner. Dave Heinz rebel Corvette had proved its mettle and was the favorite for the win. Mel Shaw and Cress Taylor were not as competitive. What's more, the car would suffer from overheating problems. The big bore's main challengers would be, and for long, the Porsche 911s and 914/6s. Amongst those were Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood. The two of them had already proved they were valuable competitors. They drove a 914/6 prepared by Brumos Racing, which was a Jacksonville Porsche dealership. Although less powerful than the American Iron, the nifty car could run and rely on a single refueling pit stop compared to the Chevrolet Corvette's required two pit stops. Another potent contender was the similar car driven by Ralph Meaney and Steve Behr. A bunch of Porsche 911s were entered, with virtually the same chances for the win. Michael Keyser drove solo the Toad Hall car, Pete Harrison and Sam McLaughlin, Jack Rabold, Jim Locke and Bob Beasley driving such racers. An outdated Austin Healey Sprite, driven by John Cavin, would try to outlast them, but it was a rather arduous task. Derek Sims and Howard Smith had a Triumph TR4, which was underpowered. This closed the entry list for the GT cars, both classified as GTO and GTU. These classes would remain unchanged for years, but they were completed by two other classes, which were TO and TU. TA and TB were the two other classes admitted in that race, they were basically Touring cars with a minimum modifications allowed. An odd mix of cars made the bulk of thoses classes, with one Thiokol sponsored AMC Javelin driven by Robert Hennig and Richard Staples. This car was surprisingly the only TO registered, and no Chevrolet Camaro would show up, thiugh they were still popular cars. An Opel Kadett, driven by Amos Johnson, Roger Mandeville and Bunny Diggett was entered, along with a Fiat 124SC, driven by Paul Fleming. Two Austin Mini Coopers made up the field. Joe Richardson and Fred Willard drove the first one, with Alan Kline and Jerry Baird at the wheel of the other one. The TA class, which were sedan cars under 2,0L , was the most populated one, with six cars. Three Datsun 510s were to be run, with George Alderman driving his car with Roger Blansfield, Steve Coleman co-driven by Grover Sawyer and Wayne Lockhart with brother Ron and Dennis Dougherty. A near stock Audi 100LS was entered by Hugh Heischman with Jon Krogsund at the wheel. A tiny Fiat 850 was to be seen with Paul and Clark Stimson running. Another Mini Cooper was entered by Wolfgang Christian. A very potent BMW 2002, driven by Byron Morris and Clint Abernethy was the sole TB car. (Sedan over 2,0L class)
The qualifying sessions saw Dave Heinz dominate the field, with Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood just behind him. A remarkable fact was that Hurley Haywood was still an Army recruit at that time. He had a few days off and was apparently happy with this. With less than one month on duty, his aim was to devote himself to auto racing. Peter Gregg, who noticed his abilities while at an autocross event, later proved he had chosen the right man.

The field during the pace lap with Dave Heinz and Peter Gregg in front.

Courtesy Nick England

At the start, Dave Heinz took the lead in his powerful Chevrolet Corvette, building up a lead of thirty three seconds after twenty two laps. However, Peter Gregg, who spared his brakes, closed in on Dave Heinz, waiting for him to make a mistake. The Chevrolet Corvette had to refuel on lap thirty six, and the Porsche 914/6 took the lead. Peter Gregg would hold the lead until lap forty eight when he had to refuel too. Hurley Haywood took the wheel of the Porsche 914/6. Jim Locke, who was running strong, retired with an oil leak at mid-point.
Dave Heinz inherited the lead, but for a mere eleven laps. He again refueled on lap fifty nine, but his pit stop was extremely long. He went back to the track in second place, at a hard charging pace. Pushing hard, he could gain three seconds per lap on the Porsche driver. On lap seventy seven, the gap had shrinked to forty eight seconds, which meant that everything could happen within the chequered. Unfortunately, exhaustion took its toll on the Corvette driver, and Dave Heinz went off course, damaging an oil line and the car's clutch arm.

Bad luck struck Dave Heinz, who ran a powerful Chevrolet Corvette 7,0L. He dominated the race until he spun off course. He finished second after several pit stops.

Copyright Si Cottrell

This piece of action necessitated a pair of pit stops for repair, and Dave Heinz never caught up. At the end of the race, Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood had built up a one lap advantage over the powerful GTO car. The race was over. Both cars easily dominated the pack, with another Porsche 914/6 driven by Ralph Meaney and Steve Behr ending up in third place, five laps down! Finishing fifteen laps down was the first B Sedan car, which was the fast BMW 2002 driven by Byron Morris and Clint Abernethy.
The A sedan class was won by George Alderman, who drove a Datsun 510. This very first race saw 10000 spectators watch the twenty four car field fighting over the beautiful VIR. The race enjoyed some success and would be run again the following year, but then things would turn bad, and the racetrack would be destroyed in 1974. The fledgling IMSA organization had succeeded in organizing this first GT-Touring race. The following months proved John Bishop was right in the new direction taken by IMSA. The sad story was that VIR would no longer host such wonderful events. It was surely mourned over by many autoracing and VIR fans.

Full race results : VIR71 results

You may visit Nick England's wonderful site at : VIR History

Many thanks, Nick.