The next race race was scheduled at Portland. Twenty four cars would take the start of the race. Two Nissan ZX T GTPs were entered, driven by Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson each driving one car. They would have to face two Jaguar XJR10s for the first time. Jan Lammers was partnered by Price Cobb and Davy Jones ran the second car solo. A Jaguar XJR9 was entered, too, for John Nielsen. Five Porsche 962s were entered, but they were no more the favorites. Busby Racing fielded the most efficient car, which was expertly driven by Bob Wollek and John Andretti. Bayside Motorsport had two cars, but only one could be expected to run for the top spots. Jochen Mass was a world class driver while Bruce Leven was an honest one. Jim Adams drove the Wynn's car while Gianpiero Moretti drove his familiar Momo car. AAR fielded two different cars, and one could expect a good race from these racers. The new Eagle HF89 was still under develppment, but had showed great promises for the future. The car was driven by Willy T Ribbs and Rocky Moran. Juan Fangio II and Drake Olson still made miracles with the old 88C. Costas Los was at the wheel of the works Spice Firebird, and Jim Miller was again partnered by Bob Earl in his Chevrolet powered SE89 Spice. The Lights class was overshadowed by Spice, with no less than seven cars entered. Five Firebirds were facing one SE88P, which was the most recent chassis, and one 87P. Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman were the favorites, but they had to fear the Argo JM19 Mazda driven by Jim Downing and Howard Katz. Tom Hessert and Charles Morgan were possible contestants too. Two older Tigas would round off the field. The practice sessions highlighted the fact that the two top cars were closely separated by 0.026s! This situation would lead to a very close race. The other cars were one second off the pace, for the best followers. The Lights class was dominated by Scott Schubot, with Tom Hessert trailing him by one second, too. The race would be thrilling. At the start, Jan Lammers was in front, with Geoff Brabham trying to sneak past, but he failed. Willy T Ribbs had a good start, but he would spin in one of the following turns. He was back on the track dead last. The two leaders would then carefully move ahead of the pack, with Jan Lammers maintaining a one second or so hold on Geoff Brabham. Davy Jones, on the second Jaguar, pitted on lap ten and the car was withdrawn. He would then co-drive John Nielsen on the XJR9. Chip Robinson, who had lost some time while trying to pass Willy T Ribbs car, was gently closing in on the two leaders. After thirty laps, Jan Lammers was still leading, with Geoff Brabham, Chip Robinson, Bob Wollek and Drake Olson. The latter would overtake the French driver, then it was Jim Miller who did the same. Then, the first refueling session would take place, with Bob Wollek being the first to have his splash. His pit stop would last 1m17s, as he lost time to change his rear wing settings. The refueling session will see a show by Chip Robinson, who was so excited that he went back to the track with the refueling hose still attached to his car! He would go back to the pits to have his fuel cap sealed. Geoff Brabham kept the lead while Jan Lammers was in the pits. He would be back into the race in first place, slightly ahead of the Price Cobb. But the latter was in a great shape, and would pass him in the next lap. The end of the race would be thrilling. Behind them, John Nielsen would overtake Drake Olson who spun in the process. He had to pit with a puncture. Five laps to the finish, the two leaders, still nose to tail, would have a close battle leading the two of them off course. No one would surrender. The end of the race was epic, and it lead to a very disputed epilogue. In fact, a IMSA official had waved the chequered at the end of lap 94, which was in fact three laps earlier than the scheduled distance. The official then had the race go ahead three more laps, during which Geoff Brabham took the lead of the race. He took the chequered as the winner. But Jaguar did not agree at all. A thorough dispute between the Electramotive and TWR followed. The TWR team pointed out the fact that the chequered flag could not be waved twice, which appeared clearly in the FISA and IMSA rulebooks. The first 1989 Jaguar victory was awarded behind a conference table.
Scott Schubot had an outstanding season, and he captured the Lights title by winning eight races.
Copyright Norbert Vogel (courtesy Racingsportscars)
The Lights class would salute the first victory for Jim Downing and Howard Katz in their Argo JM19 Mazda. They finished just ahead of Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman in a Spice SE89P Buick. The next race would be a premiere, with the very first race at a brand new track, which took place in Kansas. The Camel GT Grand Prix of Heartland Park would host a nineteen car field. Two Nissan ZX T GTPs, driven by Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson, would face one Jaguar XJR9 and one XJR10. Price Cobb was still with Jan Lammers and John Nielsen with Davy Jones. AAR also had two different cars, the new Eagle HF89, driven by Rocky Moran and Willy T Ribbs, still under development, and the old 88C, driven by Drake Olson. Two Porsche 962s were entered by Busby Racing and Momo Racing. Bob Wollek and John Andretti carried the make's hopes while Gianpiero Moretti would try to do his best with Frank Jelinski. The GTP class entry list was closed with the two Spice Firebird and SE88P. Costas Los was in the works car while Bob Earl and Jim Miller drove the Chevrolet powered car. No new car, except for the Argo JM19 Mazda entered by Jim Briody, was expected to run. Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman would be the class of the field, two seconds faster than their closest competitors. It looked like Nissan was willing to take revenge from the previous race. Geoff Brabham was third on the grid, with Chip Robinson on the pole. John Nielsen and Davy Jones had slipped their Jaguar between the two Nissans. The race in itself could be summed up in these words : total domination. In fact, Chip Robinson would lead one lap and Geoff Brabham every remaining lap. He won the race over his teammate by twenty three seconds. Price Cobb and Davy Jones took a third place but were never in a position to threaten the flying Nissan ZX T GTPs. The Lights class was also a matter of domination as Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman won again at the wheel of their Spice SE88P Buick. Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert took the second place and were the only drivers to finish on the same lap as the leaders.
San Antonio was the next scheduled race. The two Nissan ZX T GTPs would have to face a stronger field of cars. While Chip Robinson and Geoff Brabham were the regular drivers to enter the race, it was Frenchman Michel Ferté who was at the wheel of the car usually driven by Jan Lammers. Davy Jones would drive the Jaguar XJR10, this time displaying number 61. Juan Fangio and Drake Olson shared the old Toyota 88C and Willy T Ribbs was to sort the new Eagle HF89 out. Bayside Disposal was back and fielded a Porsche 962C for James Weaver. Busby Racing entered two cars for John Andretti, who would run solo while the other car was devoted to Jeff Kline, who was entirely new to this type of car. Gianpiero Moretti was co-driven by John Paul Jr. Costas Los was entered at the wheel of the works Spice Firebird while a brand new welcome addition was the second car driven by Scott Atchison and Bernard Santal. Bob Earl and Jim Miller drove the familiar MTI Vacations backed Spice Chevrolet.
A new Spice Firebird appeared at the end of the season, which was driven by Scott Atchison, Wayne Taylor and Bernard Santal. The car would start from the front row at Del Mar.
Copyright Norbert Vogel (courtesy Racingsportscars)
The Lights class would feature the similar scheme previously seen on other tracks. Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman faced Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert, who were the fastest in practice. Jim Downing entered two cars for the first time, and was partnered by David Loring, while Howard Katz would run the new racer. A bunch of new cars would debut the San Antonio circuit, and one of these cars was the new Tiga GT287 Mazda driven by Charlie Vehle. John Higgins was back to racing with his Fabcar Porsche, which he shared with Howard Cherry. Tomas Lopez and Al Rocca were at the wheel of the car they had run at Daytona. An Argo JM19 Buick was entered, too. Brent o'neill and Jean de la Moussaye were the drivers. A bunch of Spice Firebirds would round out the field. As expected, the two Nissan ZX T GTPs were again in the front row, and it was no difficult task to guess what the race would turn into. In fact, when the green flag was set, the two cars would catch together in what ended up in a mutual off course. An impending disaster had been avoided! The two cars, which were not damaged, easily recovered their dominating positions, and would run away from the rest of the pack. Geoff Brabham was leading the race until his engine failed him, on lap eighty two. Chip Robinson then could fly away to an easy victory, giving Nissan another Manufacturers award. Second was the Toyota 88C driven by Juan Fangio and Drake Olson who had their best run of yhe season. Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman had a clever race, and won their class, while Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert had a dnf due to an accident. Niki Leutwiller and David Rocha drove the Huffaker Spice Firebird to a very good second place in class.
The next race would drive every team to Sears Point. The Lincoln Mercury Classic would produce a twenty six car field. The two Nissan ZX T GTPs were again the favorites, but Jaguar was still willing to strike hard. They would have to wait for the next race. Jan Lammers and Price Cobb were running strongly and posted the best practice time, just ahead of the Nissan cars. Davy Jones and John Nielsen were at the wheel of the older XJR9. All American Racers fielded their two cars, which were the faithful 88C and the unproven Eagle HF89. Willy T Ribbs had the new car in his hands. Juan Fangio and Drake Olson could do miracles with their small 2,1L turbo engine. Six Porsche 962s were entered, which was the highest figure since Daytona. Two new cars were to appear for the very first time in an IMSA event. Along with the usual Busby Racing car, this time driven by Bob Wollek and Derek Bell,the second car he would share with John Andretti. Gianpiero Moretti was running with Frank Jelinski. Jochen Mass remained a strong contender with the Bayside Disposal car. René Herzog, from Switzerland, entered a Porsche 962 he would drive with Mario Hytten, and Bruce Canepa, a well known Porsche dealer from the west coast, drove a more standard car with Greg Pickett. An interesting car was again the Alba AR9, Buick powered, which was driven by Amato Ferrari and Stefano Livio. The Spices were at home on this kind of track, and Jim Miller, Bob Earl on their Chevrolet powered car, Costas Los, this time with the help of Wayne Taylor, and Scott Atchison, on Spice Firebirds, had high hopes. The remainder of the field was all Lights. Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman had rocketed to the ranks of favorites, with a string of five wins. They had to fight against the almost similar car driven by Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert. Jim Downing, who complained about the massiveness of his car, the Argo JM19 Buick, had designed and built the Kudzu DG1, which was a 7/8 sized version of the Argo. The car was much more easy to drive, with the same powerplant. He was back with new ambitions. Four Spice Firebirds were entered, and they were still to be watched upon. Niki Leutwiller and David Rocha drove the Huffaker car, formerly driven by Dan Marvin. Don Bell drove the Whitehall car with Hendrick Ten Cate. Ferdinand de Lesseps and Jay Cochran were at the wheel of the Essex Tiga GT288 Buick. An old Alba AR3, Mazda powered, added diversity to the field. The car was driven by Russell Dotson, Rex Ramsey and Dean Hall. Al Rocca and Tomas Lopez had a Chevrolet powered Tiga. Jan Lammers once again proved the new TWR racer was a Nissan beater, in practice, at least. The two Japanese cars were just behind. At the start, however, Chip Robinson and Geoff Brabham would be overtaken by Jochen Mass, but it would not last for long. Chip Robinson would then lead the race while Davy Jones was just behind them. WillyT Ribbs and Bob Wollek were fighting hard behind the two leaders . After forty laps, Chip Robinson was still leading but Davy Jones was running very close. They would swap the lead many times. Costas Los was just behind but he would retire later on. Geoff Brabham, who had some time in the pits, was carefully carving his way back to the top. A few laps before the end of the race, Geoff Brabham would pass his teammate. It would be a very close victory. The two Jaguars were next, with Davy Jones and John Nielsen finally taking third overall on the old XJR9, who led Price Cobb and Jan Lammers on the XJR10. Scott Schubot once again won the Lights class, and he was just ahead of Jim Downing and Howard Katz new Kudzu DG1.
Tampa held its maiden race at the Florida State Fairground, which was yet another street circuit. It was a big swerve from the west coast previous track. The field would feature twenty five cars. A new Jaguar-Nissan battle was under the lights. Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson would have to run for the drivers points, and the two of them were potential Champions. The competition would be fierce. TWR was trying hard to beat the Nissan ZX T GTPs, but it was to no avail. Price Cobb would be at the wheel of the XJR9, while Jan Lammers was determined to make the XJR10 a winner. Not to forget the Spice SE89P, which was well driven by Bob Earl and Jim Miller. The two works Spice Firebirds, which were Pontiac powered with 5,3L engines, seemed to lack the advantage in terms of power. Costas Los, on one hand, and Scott Atchison, with Wayne Taylor could do well, however. Porsche stalwarts were still there, with Bob Wollek and John Andretti driving the most sophisticated car, while Gianpiero Moretti entered his Gebhardt prepped car. John Paul Jr was his co-driver. Joest Racing, who dominated the Porsche contingent in Europe, could hope to do the same in the US. But John Winter was not a "top gun", and it would be a hard task. René Herzog and Mario Hytten were to be treated the same way. All American Racers Toyotas, still on the learning curve, had to improve the cars' reliability. Once again, the two breeds were entered, with Drake Olson and Juan Fangio driving the old horse, and Willy T Ribbs driving the Eagle HF89. Martino Finotto and Giani Guidici were at the wheel of the Spice SE89P Ferrari they would later enter in Lights class, it was quite an impossible task to achieve with the big ones. The same could be told from the Alba AR9, Buick powered, entered by , and driven by Claudio Langes and Marzo Romano.
The Lights class, again, was to bring the now classical Spice-Kudzu battle. Scott Schubot was the favorite, but Jim Downing seemed to be back with a vengeance, now aided by a more effective car. He had entered his Argo JM19 Mazda, which he would drive too, with David Loring.
Charles Morgan, still running strong, was always a contender. A new Spice Firebird would appear for first time, which was driven by George Sutcliffe and Michael Dow. Huffaker Racing entered an identical car, driven by Dan Marvin and Niki Leutwiller, Ken Knott and Rob Wilson also had the same car. A very old Tiga GT285 Mazda driven by Ronald Parks and Sydney Smith was to be amongst the slowest cars, and a Fabcar Porsche, driven by Dennis Kazmerowski and Peter Dawe, not to be extremely fast, too, closed the entry list, along with the Tiga GT288 Buick driven Ferdinand de Lesseps and Jay Cochran. The track, which was new to everyone, did not allow anyone to rely on past data, so everyone would have to lap and lap again to be fast. Geoff Brabham would again capture another pole position, just ahead of Jan Lammers, in the Jaguar XJR10. The start of the race was again all Nissan, with Geoff Brabham taking the lead in front of Chip Robinson. The two cars would stay ahead of the rest of the pack until la ninety three. An extended pit stop would put the Australian driver out of contention for the win. Chip Robinson inherited the lead, which seemed not to escape Nissan, but unfortunately, he spun on lap 110. He was closely followed by Jan Lammers, who was carefully stuck in his lap. Trying to avoid the Nissan, the flying Dutchman went into a pile of tires. Out he was. As Chip Robinson managed to restart, it was only to take fourth. A gang of furious drivers went past him. Price Cobb, who was closely followed by Jim Miller, eventually won by a scant 0.5s! Bob Wollek and John Andretti were next. The Lights class was won by Charles Morgan, who did a big part of the race without any front end, which was consecutive to a collision with another car. It did not prevent him from running very strong, and he finally won. Jim Downing and Howard Katz took a second place while Scott Schubot was third with co-driver Linda Ludeman.
The last race of the season was the Camel Southern Californian Grand Prix, held at Del Mar. The two Nissan drivers were still possible Champions.
Jan Lammers ended up the season very strong. He won the last race at Del Mar with the Jaguar XJR10.
Copyright Norbert Vogel(courtesy Racingsportscars)
Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson would put on a show of themselves.TWR had two Jaguar XJR10s for the first time. Jan Lammers and Price Cobb drove each car. Joest Racing had entered two cars, one for Henri Pescarolo and Jean Louis Ricci, and John Winter and Frank Jelinski, the other cars were entered by Busby Racing and Bayside Disposal. Bob Wollek and John Andretti on one side, Jochen Mass and Dominic Dobson on the other side, had little hopes for the win. A single Toyota, which was the new one, was entered by AAR. Rocky Moran and Willy T Ribbs drove it. The lonely Alba AR9 Buick was still there, entered by DeBlasi Racing, this time it would be driven by Stefano Livio and Enrico de Benedetti. The remainder of the field was made up of three Spice Firebirds, with the two usual works cars, with a welcome addition in the name of Koll Motorsport, which entered a similar car for Bill Koll, Skeeter McKitterick and Jeff Kline. The two other cars would make history during practice! The Lights class, still providing very entertaining races, would feature that same old story proffered to the racing fans. The Spice SE88P Buick driven by Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman fighting against the other Spice, driven by Charles Morgan and Tom Hessert, and the Kudzu DG1 driven by Jim Downing and Howard Katz. A string of Spice Firebirds was to act as runner-ups, with Dan Marvin and Niki Leutwiller on the Huffaker car, and Don Bell and Ken Knott driving the Whitehall car. A single Tiga GT287 Chevrolet, driven by Al Rocca and Tomas Lopez, closed the entry list.
The practice session was to bring some great news to the Spice fans, with the two Firebirds winning the TRW award, and starting from the front row! Wayne Taylor had run very strong and was just ahead of Jim Miller! The race would alas prove luckless for the Brits, and Chip Robinson and Geoff Brabham were soon ahead of the pack. The title would have been awarded to the American until mid-race, when his driveshaft failed. Then Geoff Brabham could cruise to the chequered without having to push his Nissan ZX T GTP too hard. Content with his second IMSA title brought to him on a silver platter, he ended up second in the race behind Jan Lammers on a Jaguar XJR10. Chip Robinson, who had led the Championship from the beginning, was KO. Jim Miller and Bob Earl were the best placed Spice entrants, taking third overall. The two practice heroes had retired from the race. The Lights class once again went to Scott Schubot and Linda Ludeman, who finished just ahead of Charles Morgan, Jay Cochran and Ferdinand de Lesseps who drove the Essex Racing Tiga GT288 Buick. Next was the team's Spice SE88P Buick, which was also driven by these drivers, plus Tom Hessert. Jim Downing and Howard Katz ended up fourth. The season was over, with Nissan easily winning the Manufacturers Championship, and Geoff Brabham capturing another IMSA Drivers Championship. The season highlighted the team's ability to dominate the field, no matter the kind of track, or the race duration. The Nissan ZX T GTPs were a new breed of racers, and they would still dominate the two next seasons. Jaguar, via Tom Walkinshaw Racing, could only counteract the Japanese cars on some occasions, and the new Jaguar XJR10s were still too young. However, Price Cobb and Jan Lammers were valuable contenders and gave the Nissans a run for their money. The Lights class was the first season for Scott Schubot, and it was a dream come true for him and partner Linda Ludeman. Scott Schubot won six races and took the drivers Championship. Jim Downing was hampered by too bulky a car, and his new creation, the Kudzu, should prove a valuable entry for the season to come. The GTO class was spectacular, with a Lincoln Mercury-Audi battle which was really worth it. Audi chose not to compete in every race, and that is what probably lost them. Pete Halsmer and Wally Dallenbach never gave up, and the former won the GTO Championship. The GTU Championship went to Bob Leitzinger, who drove a very fast Nissan 240SX, and defeated the Mazda armada. IMSA Racing was heading into the nineties, and the Manufacturers were getting more involved in GTP racing. This would drive the concept to its future demise...
Paul Newman and Sam Posey debuted the car at Elkhart Lake, but it was a dnf.
The car was thoroughly modified for the 1981 season, with a new tail section, as it appeared at Lime Rock. Paul Newman finished twelfth.
Paul Newman had a good race at Sears Point, and he finished eighth overall.
Scott Schubot had an outstanding season, and he captured the Lights title by winning eight races.
A new Spice Firebird appeared at the end of the season, which was driven by Scott Atchison, Wayne Taylor and Bernard Santal. The car would start from the front row at Del Mar.
Recent Comments