IMSAblog

Jaguar XJS : the car that could

Group 44 was the first team to introduce the Jaguar XJS into racing. British Leyland Inc had been impressed enough by the team's ability to prep and run the E type, which had won two SCCA B production titles. Bob Tullius was aware of the E type potential to win further races, and the new V12 engine could make the E type chassis even faster, but British Leyland was unwilling to back such a car, which was, according to Jaguar CEO, rather obsolete. So, the XJS would be the way to go, and the future of Jaguar racing. Group 44 had been chosen by the Jaguar headquarters to run and make the Jaguar XJS win. It was not thanks to Lord Stokes, who had seen no interest in getting the XJS to the track, but rather to Michael Dale, who was British Leyland's Vice President of Sales. An enthusiastic supporter of racing, he would work closely with Bob Tullius to develop the XKS.
Chassis 2W51120 was shipped at the beginning of 1976 and be used as a basis for the racing XJS. As for the E type, the preparation of the car would be overtaken by Brian Fuerstenau and Lawton "Lanky" Foushee. The car was shipped as a street car, and would be stripped from its sophisticated road equipment by the latter. This very first year would be a year of testing as no XJS had ever been raced before. The engine was not modified, but it was fitted with six double choke Weber carburetters. A manifold was provided by John Mangoletsi from Forward Engineering, which was a well established parts provider for Jaguar cars from the fifties. The most important modification to the engine was a dry sump lubrication system. At this early stage, the engine was given for 475hp at 7600rpm. Rubber was replaced with solid bushings in the suspension while the steering arms were bent to shorten the distance between them and the steering rack.The car was equipped with heavier springs and roll-bars.  The rear discs were kept inboard. The brakes featured Lockheed rotors , (8 piston calipers) were installed at the front of the car, while Girling ones were installed at the rear.The Group 44 team, which was run by Bob Tullius along with friend Brian Fuerstenau was, according to Alex Park, who was a Motoring News journalist, economically efficient and successful. That meant that they could be run without an official support, according to the British Leyland headquarters. They were backed by Quaker State, which was an oil manufacturer. A very professional team, indeed, but they had to do the most part of the job . It was a shame!  The very first race of the car was scheduled for Watkins Glen, which was part of the World Championship for Makes. Poor weather deterred the team who was unwilling to sort the car in such conditions, so they took the decision to run the next event, which took place in Mosport. While running well, the XJS, which was running in the Category I class, experienced some trouble with the oil temperature. Bob Tullius had to run free of any other car, to help his car getting cool! While running well, he had to slow down and settle for fourth in class. The team had opted not to run the IMSA before the end of the season, and showed up at the Daytona Finale.

Bob Tullius first IMSA race took place at Daytona for the 1976 Finale. The car overheated and ended up 40th.

Copyright Dave Kutz

Bob Tullius, in the meantime, had carved out his first victory at Lime Rock in a regional race. He was well placed to earn yet another National title, but it would not be so. The IMSA Finale was another practice session, in real time, as the car appeared to be some kond of boiling machine. The result was to be forgotten. That very fist season was a test one, but the car proved undoubtedly competitive. Some extra job had to be undertaken, for sure. Lanky Foushee would do the job for the next season. It had been decided to run the entire 1977 Trans Am season. In order to be more competitive, a complete rebuild of the car was done by Lanky Foushee. The engine had been improved and was now giving 540hp, which was somewhat respectable. Bob Tullius had a tough debut, winning at Seattle and Westwood, but then his closest opponent who was John Bauer, who was more consistent, took the Championship  lead. Bob Tullius was second, and he had no other choice than winning more races on the end. That's what he did, in the end, as he won three races out of six. He was the 1977 Category I Champion. However, the Manufacturer's title fell into the hands of Porsche, which had more cars and gathered more points thanks to this fact. The only appearance for the team would be the traditional Daytona Finale. Starting thirteenth in a field dominated by Porsche 934s, Bob Tullius ran as high as fifth in a race considered by many as one of the wildest ever. After being red-flagged, it was restarted, but Bob Tullius would retire due to mechanical problems.
A new chassis was built for the next season : 44-1. Lighter and more powerful(560hp), the aim was clearly to win both the Drivers and Manufacturers Trans Am Championships. In fact, after a difficult start, Bob Tullius virtually won every race until the end. The three last races saw two Jaguar XJSs for the first time, with Brian Fuerstenau earning some additional points to secure the Manufacturers title to Jaguar. It would be Brian Fuerstenau last year of racing, as he would concentrate later on the team's technical developments. The Jaguar XJS made a single appearance in IMSA racing in 1978, and it was once again at the Daytona Finale. The car was entered in GTO, and proved worth the competition, as it settled for second inqualifying behind Kenper Miller ultra fast BMW 3.0CSL.The race saw Kenper Miller dominating, but he had to retire on lap forty four. At the end, it was Rick Thompkins Chevrolet Corvette who emerged as the winner. Bob Tullius and Brian Fuerstenau ended up second, which was an excellent result, in such a context. The 1979 season would be rather different, with British Leyland willing to boost the new Triumph TR7 sales. This car was pretty different from the Jaguar, and fitted with a Rover 3,5L V6 engine given for 400hp, it could do well despite the loss in terms of horsepower compared with the Jaguar. The main difference was that the car would be entered mainly in the IMSA Championship. While being faster than the competition most of the time, the team did not win the 1979 and 1980 IMSA Championship.
Bob Tullius won three races in 1979, but finished 3rd in class while he and Bill Adam took second and fourth in 1980. The car was certainly less fun to drive than the Jaguar, but it had proved fast. The XJS had been parked for two years, but a new set of rules was crafted in order to revitalize the series, which had lost its attraction power. Tubeframe cars were now allowed to compete in a new professional series. Graham Whitehead was proud to announce the return of the XJS. It surely had a special meaning to him!
A brand new car was built by Lanky Foushee, out of a sturdy tubular frame around which to attach lightweight body panels. It was a true racer, as the engine was placed 7 1/2 inch further back. A Frankland NASCAR type quick change differential and inboard discs were used. The engine was given for 525hp, but due to the overall weight, the new car was a real rocket. Bob Tullius was confident about his ability to win the Trans Am Championship, and he won three races out of ten. In fact, he lost the title to Eppie Wietzes' consistency and took second. A real disappointment for the team, this time due to the car's sophiscated components, which sometimes failed him. 1981 was a rewarding year, however. The tubeframe car was supposed to be raced again in 1982, and a deal had been contracted with Gordon Smiley to run it again in the Trans Am series. Unfortunately, Gordon Smiley's death led the project to an end. The XJS had been entered in its last event, which was the 24 Hours of Daytona. The car, which was the tubeframe one entered in 1981 in the Trans Am Championship, was so sophisticated that it was moved up to the IMSA GTX class.

The last race for a Jaguar XJS in the US. Bob Tullius and Bill Adam had to run the tubeframe car in IMSA GTX class, thanks to the car's modifications.

Copyright Norbert Vogel

While extremely fast, the car, driven by Bob Tullius and Bill Adam had a troubled run. it would be the last appearance for a Group 44 XJS. From this moment, the team would concentrate on Jaguar's future in racing. A brand new prototype was under way, and would debut at Road America, in the hands of Bob Tullius and Bill Adam. A new era would era would be ushered, but that's another story.

One could wonder why the Jaguar XJS was never entered on a regular basis in the IMSA GTO Championship. The car had the potential for sure. Bob Tullius and his teammates surely knew all the answer.

1989 : Nissan again, part 1

By 1989 the manufacturers were getting more and more involved in Sportscar racing. Gone were the days when one talented team of drivers could enter the Championship with a slightly modified GT car and hope to win some races. Each major team wanted to be part of this now famous World class Championship. Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan and Toyota had top teams that could run for the title. The newcomer was Toyota, who had nothing to prove in GTO anymore, and wanted to compete with the best. Nissan, who had dominated the previous season, was still the team to beat, but the competition would be tougher. In fact, the Electramotive team, who remained particularly aware of this fact, had taken the decision to take part in the enduros, which meant that they would have to show how reliable their cars really were. So they showed up at the Daytona track with reliability in mind. Two cars were entered for Geoff Brabham-Chip Robinson-Arie Luyendijk-Michael Roe who shared the driving chores, splitting them into the two cars. TWR entered three cars for Davy Jones, Jan Lammers and Raul Boesel ; Price Cobb, John Nielsen and Andy Wallace ; Derek Daly, Martin Donnely and Patrick Tambay, all three of them new to the XJR9. Many Porsche 962s were still entered, with Brun Motorsport entering one car for Hans Stuck, Walter Brun and Oscar Larrauri. Bayside Motorsport was another top team with Klaus Ludwig, James Weaver and Sarel van der Merwe, the other car was driven by Bruce Leven, Rob Dyson, John Paul Jr and Dominic Dobson. Gianpiero Moretti had one all Italian team of drivers with Gianfranco Brancatelli, Massimo Sigala, Mauro Baldi and himself. Joest Racing fielded one car for Jean Louis Ricci, Claude Ballot Léna and Frank Jelinski and Jim Busby Racing entered two cars, one driven by Bob Wollek, John Andretti and Derek Bell, the other one by no less than Mario and Michael Andretti! The two remaining cars were less competitive. Tom Milner Racing had brought along a pair of Ford Probes which had not evolved that much. Tom Pumpelly and Ruggero Melgrati drove car #6 while Albert Naon, Lyn St James, Roth and Jean Pierre Frey were at the wheel of the second car/ While AAR had moved up one class, the team fielded the old Group C car which was run in Japan the previous year. Drake Olson, Chris Cord and Steve Bren drove the car. A Mazda 767B was the surprise entry for this race, entered by Mazda Motors of America, the car was to be driven by Yoshimi Katayama, Takashi Yorino and Elliot Forbes Robinson. A Fabcar, Buick powered, was an evolution of the 1988 version. Tim McAdam, Chip Mead and Bill Adam would drive this machine. Two Spice SE88P, one Buick powered, was entered by Ball Bros Racing, and driven by Steve Durst, Michael Brockman, Jay Cochran and Tony Belcher. The other car, a semi-works car, was driven by Costas Los, Dieter Quester and Jeff Kline. It was powered by a Pontiac engine. That would round up the GTP field. An interesting field of Lights cars would be seen too. S & L Racing had a SE88P Buick, which was the car they fielded in 1988. Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman would drive it with John Williams. Three older versions were entered by Whitehall Rocketsports and Taymar Inc. Dan Marvin, who did marvels with his car, was here again and was co-driven by Alan Freed, Mike Allison and Scott Liebler. Jim Downing had an Argo JM19 Mazda powered, of course. He was partnered by Howard Katz, John O'steen and John Maffucci. Another car was to be driven by David Cowart, Scott Brayton, Jim Fowells and Mike Meyer. Tom Hessert had brought his successful Tiga GT288 Buick which he shared with Charles Morgan and John Morrison. A lonely, but reliable Fabcar Porsches could do well in such a race. John Higgins was partnered by film star Lorenzo Lamas, Buddy Lazier and Justus Reid. The remainder of the field was made up of a Badger Mazda, as well as older Tigas or Royale. The GTO class harboured a brand new look, with Toyota gone, and Lincoln Mercury, via Roush Racing, now entering Cougar XR7s. Those brand new cars would prove quite efficient. Pete Halsmer, Bob Earl, Mark Martin and Paul Stewart drove the first car, while Wally Dallenbach, Dorsey Schroeder and Mark Martin would drive the second car. They were backed by two older Mercury Capris. The main opposition seemed to be coming from the Rocketsports Oldsmobile Cutlass. Driven by Scott Pruett, Paul Gentilozzi, Jerry Clinton and Les Lindley, this car could really be a real threat to the Roush fleet.

Pete Halsmer, Bob Earl, Mark Martin and Paul Stewart earned yet another GTO victory for Roush Racing, this time they drove a Mercury Cougar XR7.

Copyright Mark Windecker (courtesy Racingsportscars)

Roger Mandeville fielded his now familiar three rotor RX7. He was co-driven by Kelly Marsh and guest star Brian Redman. A pair of huge Buick Somersets brought some welcome diversity to this field. Several Chevrolet Camaros, Pontiac Firebirds would be seen, but no Corvette at all. The best amongst them being the Skoal Bandit car, driven by Buzz McCall, Jack Baldwin, Max Jones and Tom Kendall. No GTO Porsche were to be seen, too. The GTU field was dominated by Mazda, numerically speaking. However, Nissan was particularly agressive in this class, with Bob Leitzinger entering a very fast 240SX. He would be co-driven by his son Butch and Chuck Kurtz. Kryderacing also had a 240SX, for Reed Kryder, Zoltan Polony, Craig Shafer and Brian Goodwin. Team Highball led the Mazda troops, with a view to a new class win for Amos Johnson. Al Bacon, Bob Reed and Rod Millen were strong contenders too, but you could not override the Full Time Racing Dodge Daytonas. Tommy Riggins, Joe Varde and Kal Showket on the first car and Kal Showket, Neil Hanneman and PJ Jones on the second car. A single Pontiac Fiero, entered by Seventy Four Ranch, was driven by George Robinson, Bart Kendall and Johnny Unser. The remainder of the GTU class was a bunch of Porsche 911s. SP Porsche had the fastest of all, with Gary and Bill Auberlen, Cary Eisenlohr and Monte Shelton.

Al Bacon, Bob Reed and Rod Millen won the GTU class at Daytona, breaking Amos Johnson's attempt at making it five in a row.

Copyright Mark Windecker

The local team 901 Shop had some chances for the class win with Peter Uria, Jack Refenning, Freddy Baker and Rusty Scott. Sixty nine cars were lined in front of the pits. The practice sessions were dominated, as one could expect, by the Nissan ZX T GTP driven by Geoff Brabham. He posted a 1m39s182, well ahead of Jan Lammers 1m39s855, on the first Jaguar. The best Porsche 962s were led by Hans Stuck while Bob Wollek could not find out why his car was so slow in practice : things would be changed later as he was the fastest during the warm-up session. The cars would line up under a sunny weather and, at the green, it was Klaus Ludwig who took the lead, leading Jan Lammers and Arie Luyendijk. Frank Jelinski had a strong start and made up his way from sixteenth to fourth place. Jaguar and Nissan had a very difficult start as the two cars driven by Michael Roe and Derek Daly collided when entering the banking in the first lap. While the Nissan had a tire cut, the Jaguar was too much damaged and was retired. In the lead, the Bayside Motorsport car easily kept his position and, what's more, had the lower fuel consumption! The Jaguar XJR9s were the first cars to pit for fuel, which did not mean they burnt more fuel, it was probably a matter of strategy. Then it would be Bob Wollek and Frank Jelinski. Positions would be kept until the second refueling sessions, with the two Jaguar XJR9s pitting on lap fifty eight and sixty one, while Claude Ballot Léna and Klaus Ludwig on lap sixty six. While Klaus Ludwig and James Weaver easily led after two hours and a half of racing, night fell on the track. Davy Jones and Jan Lammers were still second but they had to push their Jaguar very hard.
Geoff Brabham was next, leading the two Porsche 962s driven by Bob Wollek and Mario Andretti. The surprisingly fast Joest car was next. Mauro Baldi, who held the position, suddenly felt himself without any brake system and hit the guardrail, braking his leg. The pace car was out for eighteen minutes. By now, Sarel van der Merwe, who had taken the wheel of the leading car, was in the pits with a broken throttle cable. He would lose twelve laps and drop in the standings to twentieth! The lead was now held by Davy Jones, whose Jaguar XJR9 was fighting with the remaining Nissan, driven by Geoff Brabham, and the second Jaguar, driven by John Nielsen. A hard fought battle. The only cars able to follow were the two Porsche 962s driven by Bob Wollek and Claude Ballot Léna. Hans Stuck had lost seventeen minutes for brakes repairs. Every other car was out of the pace. The single Toyota, driven by Drake Olson, would retire in the evening with an overheating engine. It looked like the pace was too much for some cars and even the best would be hit. Shortly before 1AM, Davy Jones, Raul Boesel and Jan Lammers retired with a broken engine. The race was now led by the Nissan, driven by Geoff Brabham, Chip Robinson and Arie Luyendijk, who enjoyed the fact to be here. The race then was about to come to an unexpected halt, due to the fact that fog was detected shortly after 1AM. The race was thus red-flagged. The race would be restarted at 5:38. The Nissan was leading the race, followed by John Nielsen, Price Cobb and Andy Wallace Jaguar XJR9 and Bob Wollek, Derek Bell and John Andretti in the Porsche 962C. In GTO, Pere Halsmer, Bob Earl and Paul Stewart was just ahead of the Chevrolet Camaro driven by Jack Baldwin, Tommy Kendall and Paul Dallenbach.

Bob Wollek, Derek Bell and Mario Andretti had a fantastic win at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Copyright Michael Crews

The Nissan held the lead until the nineteenth hour, but the engine failed then. From that moment, things turned bad for the remaining Jaguar XJR9, which spun and was fighting with overheating problems. The Busby Racing Porsche 962 had taken the lead but the Jaguar was tailing it. At the end, Bob Wollek had maintained a one minute and twenty six second advantage. The closest in the 24 Hour race event. The GTO class was won by the Mercury Cougar driven by Pete Halsmer, Bob Earl, Mark Martin and Paul Stewart, who drove the car at the chequered. The second place was held by the sister car driven by Dorsey Scroeder, Wally Dallenbach and Mark Martin. The Lights class was won by class champion Tom Hessert, who drove his Tiga GT288 Buick with Charles Morgan and John Morrison. They won by a record margin of fifty five laps over the Tiga GT286 Ferrari driven by Uli Bieri, Martino Finotto and Paolo Guaitamacchi. The GTU class was won by Mazda, once again, but this time, it was Al Bacon, Bob Reed and Rod Millen who took the win. They managed to hold off the Leitzinger Racing Nissan 240SX driven by Bob Leitzinger, son Butch and Chuck Kurtz.

Tom Hessert, Charles Morgan and John Morrison took the Lights class win at Daytona with their reliable Tiga GT288 Buick. The team would switch to a Spice later.

Copyright Mark Windecker (courtesy Racingsportscars)

The next race was to be held at Miami, for the now famous Grand Prix. Twenty five cars were entered, and the big names were here, ready for the show. A single Nissan ZX T GTP was entered, driven by Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson. The Japanese would be facing its usual opponents, in the name of Jaguar, Porsche, Spice and Toyota. Jan Lammers would drive solo the first Jaguar while Price Cobb and John Nielsen would share the second TWR machine. Porsche had strong hopes for that particular race, with Busby Racing entering one car for Bob Wollek and John Andretti. Bayside Motorsport had Klaus Ludwig and James Weaver while Momo Racing had Massimo Sigala driving. Joest Racing entered the French pair Claude Ballot Léna and Jean Louis Ricci, the last car being run by Tom Shelton, who was partnered by Derek Bell! AAR once again entered two different cars. The old car, which was the 88C, was to be driven by Chris Cord and Drake Olson, whereas the Eagle HF89 would be driven by Willy T Ribbs and Juan Fangio II. Four Spices were entered, and could play a very interesting role in such a race. Albert Naon and Jeff Kline ran the semi-works entry, powered by a Pontiac powerplant. Jim Miller used a Chevrolet engine on his own car and Bob Earl and Costas Los ran a Pontiac too. Steve Durst and Mike Brockman ran their familiar Buick powered car.
The GTP class featured a Phoenix Chevrolet, entered by owner-driver John Gunn, who was partnered by Jon Lewis and John Paul Jr. An interesting field of Lights cars was to be displayed, with a bunch of Spice Firebirds, led by Dan Marvin, who ran the Huffaker car. Scott Schubot ran his Buick powered 88P car solo and Tom Hessert would do the same. Jim Downing was co-driven by Howard Katz in an attempt to earn his first class win with such a car. Brent o'neill and Steve Shelton had an Argo JM19 Mazda.
Uli Bieri and Martino Finotto were driving a Tiga GT286 Ferrari powered, of course. The other Tiga was driven by Al Rocca and Tomas Lopez, and was Mazda powered. Rounding out the field were one sole Fabcar, driven by Chip Mead and Howard Cherry, and a Gebhardt, driven by Gary Robinson and Jan Thoelke. The practice session highlighted Nissan's goal, which seemed to be clearly aimed at the win. Bob Wollek was second, followed by Jan Lammers and Klaus Ludwig. The race, however, proved to be a Nissan domination. Leading for the most part of the race, Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson took their first win of the season. They finished seven seconds ahead of Price Cobb and John Nielsen, one a Jaguar XJR9. The big surprise for the race was the third place earned by local driver Albert Naon and Jeff Kline on a Spice Firebird. The Lights class was won by Scott Schubot, who finished two laps ahead of Jim Downing and Howard Katz.
The next race was an enduro, held at Sebring, for the traditional 12Hour race. Fifty three cars were entered, but the GTP entry appeared to be disappointing. Quality was not matched by quantity. However, the good news was that Electramotive was here for the first time, with two Nissan ZX T GTPs entered. Geoff Brabham, Chip Robinson and Arie Luyendijk shared the number 83 car while the other car was supposed to be maintained if the other one failed. Jaguar had some chances for the win with two cars entered for Jan Lammers-Davy Jones and Price Cobb-John Nielsen. Only five Porsche 962s would try to provide with a valuable opposition to the favorites. James Weaver and Dominic Dobson drove the Bayside Motorsport car and Bob Wollek, John Andretti and Derek Bell were to drive the Busby Racing car. Gianpiero Moretti, Massimo Sigala and Michael Roe would try to have a good run on the Gebhardt prepared car. Joest Racing entered one car for Frank Jelinski and Jean Louis Ricci. The last car was the Hotschkis Racing one, driven by Jim Adams, John Hotschkis Sr and his son. Two Spice Firebirds were entered, with the works car driven by Costas Los and Jeff Kline. Ball Bros Racing fielded a Buick powered car, with their usual drivers Steve Durst, Michael Brockman and John Cochran. AAR had opted not to enter its new car, and only the 88C was here for Chris Cord, Drake Olson and Steve Bren. John Gunn was here with his Phoenix, his car strongly looking like a modified March 82G. The Lights class was consistent, with the Spice Firebirds clearly the class of the field. Scott Schubot, Linda Ludeman and Tom Blackhaller were driving the S & L Racing 88P. The car was Buick powered, as was the Essex entry, driven by Tom Hessert and Charles Morgan. Another strong entry was the older Huffaker Racing car. Dan Marvin and Bob Lesnett were the drivers. Jim Downing, Howard Katz and John o'steen were at the wheel of the underpowered Argo JM19 Mazda. Brent o'neill and Don Courtney drove a Buick powered similar car. Martino Finotto, Uli Bieri and Paolo Guaittamacchi drove a Ferrari powered Tiga, with high hopes too. A Fabcar Porsche, driven by John Higgins and Lorenzo Lamas could count on its reliability. The remainder of the field was a pair of outdated Tigas, as well as an old Lola T616 Mazda. The GTO field was supposed to be dominated by the Roush Racing Mercury Cougar XR7s. They were driven by Pere Halsmer-Bob Earl and Wally Dallenbach-Dorsey Schroeder. They should have to fear a newcomer, however, in the name of the new Nissan 300ZX T entered by CCR. Although it was still under development, the car was fast. John Morton and Steve Millen drove it. Buzz McCall and Max Jones were on the Skoal Bandit Chevrolet Camaro, which was consistent. The other good surprise was the Andison Racing Chevrolet Corvette, driven by Richard Andison, along with Hunter and John Jones.

Roger Mandeville, Kelly Marsh and Gary Drummond ended up third in class at Sebring.

Copyright Michael Crews

Roger Mandeville was partnered by Kelly Marsh and Gary Drummond on his three rotor Mazda RX7. The remainder of the field was made of some Chevrolet Camaros, with one lonely Oldsmobile Toronado and a Pontiac Firebird. The GTU class seemed to be devoted to Mazda but it was not to be. Nissan, Pontiac, Dodge and even Porsche could emerge as the winner in such a race. The strongest Mazda entry was the Team Highball car, driven by Amos Johnson, Dennis Shaw and Dan Robson. Al Bacon and Bob Reed were potential winners too. New team Overton Racing was here with drivers John Overton, Jeff Alkazian and Lance Stewart. Nissan had two cars, amongst which the Leitzinger Racing car was the fastest. Bob Leitzinger shared his car with Chuck Kurtz. Kryderacing had drivers Reed Kryder and  Frank del Vecchio. Seventy Four Ranch fielded a Pontiac Fiero, driven by George Robinson, Bart Kendall and Johnny Unser. Kal Showket and Neil Hanneman shared the Full Time Racing Dodge Daytona. Several Porsche 911s were entered, but Luis Mendez would surprise everybody in being the fastest qualfier in the car he shared with Mandy Gonzales and Tato Ferrer. An unusual BMW 325 rounded out the field. The practice session again proved that the Nissan GTPs were extremely fast. The two cars were more than two seconds per lap faster than their opponents. The question was : would they last?

Nissan dominated Sebring from start to finish.

Copyright Michael Crews

The largest crowd ever to be seen at Sebring would watch a very inpredictable race. At the start, Geoff Brabham took the lead and began to set a very strong pace. The second car, which was second, expired abruptly after fourteen laps, with a suspension failure. Second behind the Nissan was the Jaguar XJR9 driven by Price Cobb and John Nielsen. This car would soon have to pit for a long time to have its brakes repaired. While James Weaver and Dominic Dobson managed to end up in third position, they could in no way threaten the dominating Japanese car. In fact, Geoff Brabham, Chip Robinson and Arie Luyendijk led 316 out of the 330 laps completed; for what appeared to be the greatest domination in Sebring history. It was also the first time a Japanese manufacturer won this famous race. Porsche was defeated for the first time since long. The Lights class was won by the Huffaker Racing Spice Firebird driven by Dan Marvin and Bob Lesnett. They finished two laps ahead of Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert who drove a Spice SE88P Buick. The GTO class was won by the Mercury Cougar driven by Wally Dallenbach Jr and Dorsey Schroeder, who led the sister car, driven by Pete Halsmer and Max Jones. The Nissan 300ZX T lost a lot of time  early in the race, and ended up low in the standings. The GTU class was won by the Pontiac Fiero driven by George Robinson, Bart Kendall and Johnny Unser. It was the first victory ever in this class by an American manufacturer. The car was prepared by Huffaker, who enjoyed two class wins for this race. Dick Greer, Mike Mees and John Finger finished second.
While the track had undergone some layout changes, it had become a major international venue in the IMSA schedule. Sports car racing, thanks to IMSA was as healthy as ever(to be continued).

1989 : Nissan again, part 2

The next race was to take place at Road Atlanta, which was a very fast course. The race featured an extremely poor starting field, with only sixteen cars showing up. Fortunately, every possible winner was not missing and you could expect a hot race. A single Nissan, driven by Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson, had to face two Jaguar XJR9s. Jan Lammers had opted to drive solo while Price Cobb and John Nielsen shared the second car. Three Porsche 962s were present, with Bob Wollek and John Andretti still running strong. Gianpiero Moretti was partnered by Stanley Dickens on his usual Momo backed car, John Hotschkis and Jim Adams drove the last car. Drake Olson and Chris Cord were at the wheel of the Toyota 88C. Two Spices were entered, and Costas Los and Jeff Kline drove the works car while Jim Miller was co-driven by Bob Earl in his Chevrolet powered SE89P car. The remainder of the field was made of seven Lights cars. Scott Schubot drove is Buick powered Spice car, whereas Tom Hessert and Charles Morgan had a similar car. Dan Marvin was at the wheel of the Huffaker Racing Spice Firebird. Jim Downing and Howard Katz could rely on their Argo JM19 Mazda. Two Tigas were entered : one for Uli Bieri, together with Martino Finotto and Michael Dow who shared his car with Jeff Purner. Unlike many of the last races held on fast courses, it was the Toyota which was on the pole, thanks to Drake Olson. He shared the front row with Price Cobb and John Nielsen, on the Jaguar. The Nissan was only third on the grid, and one could hope that the race would be a hard fought one. At the start, the Toyota, driven by Drake Olson, took the lead. The Jaguar held off the Nissan ZX T GTP, but only for a while. Drake Olson and Chris Cord were struck by mechanical problems and had to retire later. Then, the remainder of the race proved to be a copycat of many previous IMSA events.

Frank Everett and Ron Nelson entered a Spice Firebird at Mid Ohio, but they were non finishers.

Copyright Mark Windecker (courtesy Racingsportscars)
 

Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson took the lead, chased by the only Jaguar left, driven by Price Cobb and John Nielsen. Jan Lammers could not even prove his mettle, as he retired with a dropped valve after twenty five laps. At the end, Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson had a thirty four second advantage over the TWR car. Gianpiero Moretti and Stanley Dickens took distant third place, five laps down. The Lights class was a repetition of the Miami race, with Scott Schubot easily dominating his opponents in practice. John Paul Jr, who was second on the grid, ended up fourth in class. Jim Downing and Howard Katz managed to finish second, but they were two laps down the winner.
The next race, held at West Palm Beach,which was another street course. Twenty two cars were expected to do the show. Nissan had opted to enter two cars, and this choice will prove judicious. Cars number 83 and 84 were devoted to Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson, but they planned to run only one car. The other one will prove useful. The main opposition for the team was again the TWR Jaguar XJR9s. As per usual, the drivers were Jan Lammers, and Price Cobb and John Nielsen. The cars were constantly updated, but the drivers were eagerly waiting for the car, which was to debut at Lime Rock : the Jaguar XJR10. This car was supposed to be the new weapon aimed at the manufacturer's title. Another team anxiously willing to win races was AAR. They brought along their two cars, with the Eagle HF89 thoroughly tested and improved. Willy T Ribbs and Dennis Aase were given the task of sorting it out. Chris Cord and Dennis Aase would drive the old 88C. The same three Porsche 962s were entered at West Palm Beach, and the only difference was that it was Derek Bell who co-drove Gianpiero Moretti in the Gebhardt prepared car. Two Spices were entered, and they nurtured great hopes for the win. Costas Los and Jean Louis Ricci shared the works car, which was of course Pontiac powered. Jim Miller and Bob Earl would drive the SE89P, which was powered by a Chevrolet 5,5L. A very unusual entry was the Chevrolet Corvette GTP, This was no more the Hendrick Team, but Peerless Racing which entered the last car ever built. Jacques Villeneuve drove the car, which was very difficult to drive. The Lights class was led by the two Spice 88Ps, driven by Scott Schubot, who was partnered by Linda Ludeman, and Tom Hessert-Charles Morgan, both cars were Buick powered. Three older versions were entered, too. Ferdinand de Lesseps and John Cochran drove the Whitehall car, and Dan Marvin had the Huffaker car, and Ken Knott. They faced the classical opposition, which was made of Jim Downing and Howard Katz in an Argo JM19 Mazda, while Brent o'neill and Rob Stevens had a Buick powered car. Two Tigas were entered, with Uli Bieri and Martino Finotto in the Ferrari powered car. Justus Reid and Michael Dow drove an ex-Essex car. This closed the entry list. Geoff Brabham captured the pole, followed by Chris Cord and Drake Olson. Nissan would experience its first failure in this very race. In fact, Geoff Brabham took the lead, but his engine expired after only four laps! The Electramotive Team chose to run the other team's car, but it would enter the race on lap eight. This fact led to a big battle between Bob Wollek-John Andretti and Price Cobb-John Nielsen, with Chris Cord and Drake Olson following closely. The race was strongly fought, and no one could guess who could win, as the gaps were so tiny. The Spice Firebird would lose some time in the pits and the race would be won by a very tight margin. John Andretti and Bob Wollek, always in front, managed to keep a one second advantage over Price Cobb and John Nielsen, what a race! Chris Cord and Drake Olson were third while Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson took a sixth place overall, seven laps down. They should have won, for sure, and grabbed some very useful points. The Lights class, once again, was a Spice affair. Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman were beaten by Dan Marvin in practice, but they dominated the race once again. Dan Marvin retired in the race, and Tom Hessert and Charles Morgan could wind up another second place in class, but they were two laps down.
The next race was to take place at the beautiful Lime Rock track for the Toyota Grand Prix. The new Jaguar XJR10 was the attraction of the race, and it would be driven by Jan Lammers. Price Cobb and John Nielsen used their familiar XJR9. The XJR10 was sleeker than its predecessor, and the main difference laid in the use of a 3,0L turbocharged engine. TWR had great hopes. Electramotive entered two cars, too, driven by Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson. Their main problem for the team was more in terms of identity, as it was now obvious that things had evolved too much for the small Californian team. Nissan was now fully involved in racing and so, Electramotive became NPTI, a wholly subsidiary of Nissan USA. Kas Kastner was executive vice president and Don Devendorf was senior vice president of research and development. Porsche was represented by four cars, and Dyson Racing was a welcome addition to the German ranks. What's more, Rob Dyson was co-driven by John Paul Jr. The other cars were entered by Gianpiero Moretti, this time with Frank Jelinski, John Andretti and Bob Wollek and John Hotschkis Sr with Jim Adams. Toyota had two cars, and Drake Olson was at his favorite track. Willy T Ribbs and Juan Fangio II drove the always under development Eagle HF89. Costas Los drove the works Spice Firebird, while Jim Miller was again co-driven by Bob Earl in his MTI Vacations backed Spice SE89P Chevrolet. James Briody had a very rare March 86G Buick, which he drove with Bruce McInnes. The Lights class was led by the two Spice SE88P Buicks. Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman would have to fight against the Charles Morgan-Jeff Purner car. Essex Racing had brought along their Tiga GT286 Buick for Tom Hessert also co-driven by Jeff Purner. Three Spice Firebirds would bring them a valuable opposition. The usual Tiga GT286 Ferrari, entered by Bieri Racing could be seen with another Argo JM19 Mazda, entered by Erie Scientific, and driven by John Grooms and Frank Jellinek. A private Fabcar Porsche, driven by Dennis Kazmerowski and Peter Dawe, added a little variety to this twenty three car field. Drake Olson outrageously dominated the practice sessions, shattering the previous mark and sending his closest competitor 1s3 back. The race would alas not bring the team any satisfaction as the car suffered from another engine failure on lap 134, after leading the race for seventy nine laps. Geoff Brabham, who started from a lowly seventh place on the grid carefully worked his way through the field. He had to fight against the two TWR Jaguars, and he could take the lead late in the race, which he maintained to eight seconds until the chequered. The XJR10's debuts were very encouraging. The Lights class saw yet another win for the Spice SE88P Buick driven by Charles Morgan, this time partnered by Jeff Purner. Second was the other team's car, which was the Tiga GT286 Buick driven by Tom Hessert. This race was a total disaster for Scott Schubot and co-driver Linda Ludeman, who retired after seven laps with a broken engine.
The Nissan Camel Grand Prix at Mid Ohio was the next race, and it seemed that its name would bring luck to the NPTI team, from the beginning. One car was entered, with Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson running together. Jan Lammers and Davy Jones shared the Jaguar XJR10 while Price Cobb and John Nielsen would drive the faithful XJR9. AAR had two cars, again splitting its goals. Drake Olson and Chris Cord running the old car, while Willy T Ribbs and Juan Fangio II used the new HF89. Costas Los and Jeff Kline drove the Spice Firebird and Jim Miller was partnered by Bob Earl. Peerless Racing was entering the Chevrolet Corvette GTP, with Jacques Villeneuve at the wheel. Three Porsche 962s were entered too, and it was by the same teams seen in the previous races. John Andretti and Bob Wollek counted on their car to reiterate theit two victories. Gianpiero Moretti was partnered by Stanley Dickens and John Hotschkis by Jim Adams.The Lights class featured new entries, such as the new Spice SE89P Ferrari, entered by Bieri Racing. Almo Coppelli was to drive this new racer while Uli Bieri was due to drive the Tiga GT287  Ferrari. The two top teams fielded Spice SE88P Buicks, and Scott Schubot was aiming at erasing his disappointing Lime Rock race. Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert would be his best opponents. New cars were to be seen, bringing again a welcome variety to this field. Tim McAdam and John Higgins re-entered their Fabcar Porsche, Tommy Miller and Dick Rose drove an older Tiga GT285 Mazda, which had a stunning purple livery. Frank Everett and Ron Nelson were at the wheel of a Spice Fiero. Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson took the pole position, but their were closely followed by the new Jaguar XJR10. It looked like it would be a very close race. The race once again went to the Nissan, who had to watch over the Jaguar driven by Price Cobb and John Nielsen. who ended up six seconds behind the Japanese car. Next was the Porsche 962 driven by Gianpiero Moretti and Stanley Dickens. An extremely good result was to reward the Lights class winner, which happened to be Tom Hessert and Charles Morgan, who ended up fourth overall, and capturing the win, with seven laps over Jim Downing and Howard Katz. A good surprise was the fifth place gained by the new Eagle Toyota HF89, which seemed to have gained some reliability.
The next race was held at Watkins Glen, for the Camel Continental race. A  poor nineteen car showed up for the race. Nissan again entered one car for Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson. TWR brought the two Jaguar XJR9 and XJR10, with Davy Jones and Jan Lammers driving solo.

Jim Miller and Bob Earl took an outstanding second place overall at Watkins Glen, driving this Spice SE89P Chevrolet.

Copyright J W Todd (courtesy Racingsportscars)

Toyota too had two different cars but Juan Fangio II was teamed with Drake Olson on the older car, while Willy T Ribbs was to drive the new car with Rocky Moran. Two Porsche 962s were entered, which was the lowest figure ever for the German make. Gianpiero Moretti, along with Frank Jelinski, and Bob Wollek, co-driven by his teammate John Andretti would try to do their best. Jim Miller and Bob Earl would be the fiercest Spice competitors, with Costas Los and Jeff Kline. Jacques Villeneuve and Scott Goodyear would try to drive their Chevrolet Corvette GTP to the chequered. The Lights class was nine car strong. A Spice domination was awaited, with the now familiar faces of Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman, Tom Hessert and Charles Morgan, with the new Ferrari powered car, driven by Martino Finotto and David Loring. Jim Downing and Howard Katz would try to counteract this invasion. Three Spice Firebirds and two Tiga, one GT286, Ferrari powered for Uli Bieri and Niki Leutwiller and a newer GT288, Buick powered driven Jan Tingdal and Jim Martin. The Nissan-Jaguar battle was set. The race turned out to be a disaster for the TWR team, with the two cars out early in the race. Nissan was to fight against Drake Olson and Juan Fangio II, who led early in the race. Unfortunately, they were awarded a pit stop penalty during the race, then suffered from turbo boost problems. Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson then took back the lead and had to maintain their advantage over the Spice SE89P Chevrolet driven by Jim Miller and Bob Earl. The Toyota was third, but the team probably lost a chance for victory in this very race. The Lights class saw the victory for Jim Downing and Howard Katz, who set a well planned strategy, which allowed them to defeat the fast Spice SE88P Buick droven by Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert.
The next race, held at Road America, was quite different from every race, with a big field of fifty one cars, mixing GTPs, Lights, GTOs, ACs and GTUs. It was a 500km race, but the race would be more tough, because of the traffic. NPTI had one car, driven by Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson. The favorites would have to fight against two Jaguars, one XJR10 for Jan Lammers and Price Cobb, and the XJR9 for Davy Jones and John Nielsen. Drake Olson and Juan Fangio II drove the Toyota 88C and Willy T Ribbs and Rocky Moran used the Eagle HF89. Busby Racing had brought two cars, and Bob Wollek shared his car with John Andretti, while Derek Bell was co-driven by Steve Bren. Gianpiero Moretti had a new co-driver, in the name of Jean Louis Ricci. Jim Adams was with team owner John Hotschkis in the Wynn's car. Costas Los was on the Spice Firebird, while Jim Miller and Bob Earl would try to do as well as in their last race. The Lights class featured the usual entrants, who were anxiously willing to fight on this very fast track. Scott Schubot would run solo against Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert on Spice cars. Martino Finotto and David Loring also could do well. Jim Downing and Howard Katz were the main opponents for the Spice squadron. Uli Bieri and David Tennyson were not to be forgotten with their Tiga GT287 Ferrari. A trio of Spice Firebirds was a possible challenge for the favorites. The GTO cars would provide a fantastic battle, too, as Audi had entered two cars. Hurley Haywood and Scott Goodyear shared one car and Hans Stuck was partnered by Walter Roehrl. Roush Racing had found a valuable opposition, but the Mercury Cougars were impressive. Wally Dallenbach and Pete Halsmer would drive the two XR7s, which were turbocharged. Not to forget CCR, with a very powerful Nissan 300ZX, in the hands of Steve Millen, you nearly had your perfect field. Roger Mandeville and Kelly Marsh were at the wheel of the three rotor Mazda RX7, which looked slightly underpowered.

Steve Millen captured his first win at Road America with the CCR Nissan 300 ZX T.

Copyright Mark Windecker (courtesy Racingsportscars)

The last GTO car was Buzz McCall's Chevrolet Camaro. A bunch of AC cars was entered, which were less modified cars, and American built. Clay Young was the favorite, driving a Pontiac Grand Prix. Three Chevrolet Berettas were seen, with Mark Porcaro and Dan Osterholt driving their car solo. Robert Borders, Alan Wells and Carson Hurley drove another one and you could find a very unfamiliar Oldsmobile Ciera, in the hands of Linda Sharp and Dick Danielson on the grid. The GTU class featured the classical Mazdas, which were now RX7s and MX6s. Amos Johnson entered an MX6 GT, which proved very efficient. A handful of RX 7s, amongst which you could find the Overton Racing cars, driven hy Lance Stewart-John Overton and Jeff Alkazian-Ron Cortez. Paul Lewis drove the ex-Amos Johnson RX7, and John Hogdal was partnered by John Finger. Leitzinger Racing fielded a very fast 240SX, driven by Bob Leitzinger and Chuck Kurtz. Kryderacing entered another car for Reed Kryder himself. Full Time Racing entered a pair of Dodge Daytonas, which were driven by Kal Showket and Jeremy Dale. Seventy Four Ranch fielded a Pontiac Fiero for George Robinson and Bart Kendall, which could do very well. A lonely Porsche 911, driven by Jay Kjoller and Patrick Mooney round out the field. Davy Jones captured the pole in the Jaguar XJR9, with Jan Lammers alongside for a Jaguar front row. At the start, the two cars kept their positions, with Geoff Brabham following. They were chased by Drake Olson, in the Toyota, until the later fell off the track, losing a couple laps. Geoff Brabham could pass Davy Jones, but had trouble getting around Jan Lammers. Until the first pit stops, the positions were maintained, John Nielsen took over the Jaguar, leading Chip Robinson. Price Cobb was slightly further, having lost time due to a brake pad change. Bob Wollek then grabbed the third place. The Jaguar could hold off the Nissan in the lead but had to pit when a tire went down. Chip Robinson was now in the lead, but Bob Wollek and Price Cobb were closing on in. The second pit stop session was hard on the Busby Porsche 962, which was held in the pits by IMSA officials with faulty brake lights. Geoff Brabham took over the Nissan ZX T GTP, and only had to hold off Price Cobb and Jan Lammers while Davy Jones and John Nielsen took third. Bob Wollek and John Andretti took a fourth place while Drake Olson and Juan Fangio II had a great race, and finished fifth, one lap down. Scott Schubot lead and won a very quiet race, leading Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert, en route to his first Camel Lights title.

Scott Schubot easily won his class at Road America, and captured his first Lights Championship in doing so.

Copyright Mark Windecker (courtesy Racingsportscars)

The GTO class was a very short race for Pete Halsmer, who had a broken gearbox. Then it was Hans Stuck who was sent into the guardrail by Costas Los. This race saw a total domination from Steve Millen, who led the race from start to finish. He was followed by the Audi 90 Quattro driven by Hurley Haywood and Scott Goodyear. Third was Wally Dallenbach in a Mercury Cougar XR7. The GTU race was much more tough, with Amos Johnson an early leader. Bob Leitzinger was soon passing him, but he was overtaken by the two Dodge Daytonas driven by Kal Showket and Jeremy Dale. When Jeremy Dale broke a steering shaft, it was his teammate who then took the lead. But he retired later with a broken piston, leaving John Hogdal as class leader. He held the lead until refueling, but a misfire cost him two laps. Bob Leitzinger took over, but was later passed by Amos Johnson, who inherited the lead, which he kept until the end. A very exciting race! Dan Osterholt took the AC class win and Robert Borders, Alan Wells and Carson Hurley were second in a race where the winner was the sole finisher in his class! (to be continued)