IMSAblog

1992 : Toyota, part 1

It was to be a season of revelations. Nissan was having a hard time keeping his cars up to date, and Toyota had a new weapon in the name of the Eagle Mark III. Jaguar would try to make for a very disappointing 1991, with more wins than ever, but no title in the end. Mazda was now another GTP competitor while Porsche still could rely on some fierce competitors. The Championship would be a hard fought one, although it had become a factory series. It was deserted by privateers, who could no more engage in a costly competition. Fields were getting thinner and the privateers had begun pulling out from those costly competitions. It was becoming clear that the GTP cars were no more the right solution for IMSA's future.
The first race of the season, again, was to take place at Daytona, for the traditional 24 Hour race. The entry field would be fifty car rich, and LM cars were allowed to enter the race, without being eligible for Championship points. Those two cars were very potent cars, in the name of Nissan R91CP and CK. Nismo fielded the first one for Kaoru Hoshino, Masahiro Hasemi and Toshio Suzuki. The From A car was slightly different, and displayed its traditional yellow livery. Mauro Martini, Volker Weidler and Jeff Krosnoff drove it. The two other Nissans were R90s, which were similar to the aforementioned cars, but they were entered as GTPs, which meant that they were not restricted according to their fuel consumption. Geoff Brabham, Chip Robinson and Bob Earl drove car #83 and Derek Daly, Steve Millen and Gary Brabham were at the wheel of car #84. The cars were featuring the LM bodywork but were in fact real GTP cars.
They would have to face two Eagle MKIII Toyotas, which were extremely fast. Juan Fangio, Andy Wallace and Kenny Acheson drove car #99 while Rocky Moran, PJ Jones and Mark Dismore drove car #98. Their goal, for that race was obviously to make it to the chequered. A lonely Jaguar XJR12D was entered by TWR, and Scott Pruett, Davy Jones, David Brabham and Scott Goodyear would drive it. The car was also a slight evolution from the XJR12. The team was aiming at a GTP class win. As were the Porsche entrants. Joest Racing had a Porsche 962 for John Winter, Massimo Sigala, Oscar Larrauri and Bernd Schneider and Momo Corse fielded another car for Hans Stuck, Henri Pescarolo, Gianpiero Moretti and Frank Jelinski. The Team 0123 car was also a strong entry, with Hurley Haywood, Roland Ratzenberger, Eje Elgh and Vern Schuppan at the wheel. No other Porsche entry was to be noticed. Tom Milner had brought a single Spice SE91P Chevrolet, with Wayne Taylor, Jeff Purner, Brian Bonner and Hugh Fuller trying to do their best with a slightly underpowered car. Daytona was a new adventure for Yves Courage, who fielded a pair of Cougar C28S Porsche. Bob Wollek was part of the challenge. He was partnered by Pascal Fabre and Lionel Robert in the first car. The second car was driven by François Migault, David Tennyson and Tomas Lopez. A handful of Lights cars was to be entered. They were naturally dominated by the two Comptech Racing Spice SE91 Acuras. Parker Johnstone, Dan Marvin, Jimmy Vasser and Steve Cameron would share the fastest of those cars, while Costas Los, Bob Lesnett, Ruggero Melgrati and Kaoru Shimizu were a tad slower. Andy Evans, Firmin Velez, Lon Bender and Dominic Dobson were driving a brand new Kudzu DG2 Buick. Charles Morgan, Jim Pace and Ken Knott still drove the Essex Racing Kudzu DG1 Buick they drove the previous year. Another Kudzu DG1 Mazda was entered by Erie Scientific with Howard Katz, John Grooms, Frank Jellinek and Jim Downing, who did not drive his own car for the very first time! Bieri Racing entered two cars, which were Alba AR5s, Ford powered. Uli Bieri, Vito Scavone, Jean Pierre Zingg and Heinz Wirth in one car, John Graham, Johnny Unser and Andrew Hepworth in the other one. Carlos Bobeda still relied on a Spice SE89P Buick, with himself sharing the drive with Ken Parschauer and Paul Debban. An older Tiga GT287 Buick was entered, with Mel Butt, Ron Zitza, Tommy Johnson and Rob Robertson driving. The GTO class was now called GTS, thanks to Exxon Superflo sponsorship. The regulations were basically the same as the former GTO, which the American Challenge cars had taken the name. It would be a Ford-Nissan-Oldsmobile competition. Roush Racing would try to keep a crown they had gained for seven years in a row. Two cars were entered, with Mark Martin, Robby Gordon, Calvin Fish and Bob Stevens in one car, and Dorsey Schroeder, Wally Dallenbach, Max Jones and again Mark Martin at the wheel of the second car. The cars were the same ones as those run in the previous year, and they were reliable. Nissan was to enter 300ZX Tcs for the first time. It was much more as a matter of testing the cars, but they could really do well. Two cars were entered, but one car was scheduled to be withdrawn after a few hours. Johnny O'connell, Jeremy Dale and John Morton would drive both cars, and then concentrate on the remaining one. Rocketsports was perhaps the most aggressive team to enter this class. Two cars were entered, with one displaying a brand new 6,5L fuel injected engine, and the other one a more quiet 6,0L carburetted one. Darin Brassfield, Irv Hoerr, Paul Gentilozzi and Jack Baldwin would drive both cars, too.

Rocketsports entered a very special car, which was powered by a very powerful 6,5L engine. Irv Hoerr, Darin Brassfield, Paul Gentilozzi and Jack Baldwin drove it to a dnf. They drove the other car to a second place finish behind the winning Ford Mustang.

Copyright Steve Dilts

Another Oldsmobile Cutlass was entered, driven by Dale Kreider, Bill Adams, John Duke and Jon Gooding. The remainder of the class consisted of Chevrolet Camaros, which were by no means so fast. Bill McDill, Tom Juckette and John Schneider shared one of the most efficient cars. Luis Sereix, Daniel Urrutia and Jorge Polanco were probably the fastest of the Chevrolet troops, they would start from the thirty first place. The GTU class would provide some interest, with Mazda and Nissan still fighting tooth and nail for the win. It seemed that Nissan had taken a slight advantage over its counterpart, on the speed level. Bob Leitzinger's team of Nissan 240SXs was strong. Bob Leitzinger, Chuck Kurtz, Butch Leitzinger and David Loring were at the wheel of car #96, while Don Knowles and Dan Robson would share the driving with David Loring and Chuck Kurtz on the second car. Kryderacing had brought another Nissan 240SX for Frank del Vecchio, Joe Danaher, Mark Kent, Bill Sargis and Reed Kryder. They would face two Mazda RX7s, entered by Dick Greer, for Al Bacon, Mike Mees and Peter Uria, and Brad Hoyt, who shared his car with Andy Pilgrim and John Petrick. The bulk of the Mazda contingent was made of MX6 models. Eduardo Dibos, from Peru, had a fast car for himself, Juan Dibos, Raul Orlandini and Mario Alberti. Luis Botero, from Columbia, had entered another car for Rob Wilson, Lucio Bernal, Felipe Solano and Miguel Morejon. Henry Camferdam had also an MX6, which he drove with Phil Krueger and Gary Drummond. Bob Shader had a very colorful car, and he was partnered by Phil and Steve Mahre, from skiing fame. A single, yet interesting new entry was the Oldsmobile Achieva which was a semi official car entered by Amos Johnson. He would drive the car with Scott Hoerr, Dennis Shaw, Chuck Hemmingson and Paul Hacker. Kal Showket had brought along a Dodge Daytona, which could do well, with John Fergus, Jean Paul Libert, Bobby Akin and Neil Hanneman. Four Porsche 911s would try to oppose their legendary reliability to those racers. Three of them displayed a slant nose, giving them a 935 style look. Alex Job had one of them. He was co-driven by Alex Padilla, John Sheldon and Jack Refenning. Jay Kjoller's car was driven by Steve Volk and Robin Boone while Maria Shalala had another entry for Sam Shalala, Tim McAdam, Charles Monk, Andre Toennis and Dan Pastorini. Jack Lewis' car was more traditional, and he was partnered by Bill Ferran and Taylor Robertson. The practice sessions were dominated, as expected, by the Eagle Toyota MKIII driven by Juan Fangio who put up a 1m35s860, which was outstanding. Eight cars broke the previous year's mark, and the problem arising now was the fact that the cars were becoming blindingly fast, and the main question was how to slow them, because it was becoming too dangerous. The answer would come very soon, with the arrival of the WSCs.

The race was all Nissan. Juan Fangio had jumped in the lead from the drop of the green flag, but Masahiro Hasemi easily settled in first position, Juan Fangio would follow, then Hans Stuck, Mauro Martini and Geoff Brabham. Wayne Taylor would be the first to suffer from a mechanical problem when his clutch failed him. After one hour and fifteen minutes, Andy Wallace, who had taken over the Eagle Toyota from Juan Fangio, an electrical failure would put him far back in the standings when he lost thirty three minutes. The NISMO Nissan R91CP was leading and had set a fantastic pace. Gary Brabham then tangled with the guardrail, only to be followed by brother David in the NPTI Nissan R90CP! The Jaguar could be repaired quickly but the Nissan was out. Trading the lead were the two Nissans, with Geoff Brabham and Masahiro Hasemi running at too fast a pace to make it to the finish. While it seemed that they were experiencing problems, the NISMO team would have it under control. Geoff Brabham had his engine seized after a little more than eight hours. Then it was Kenny Acheson who lost a wheel on course. After the leaders misfortunes, the GTP reins were taken by the Joest Porsche 962 driven by John Winter, Massimo Sigala, Oscar Larrauri and Bernd Schneider. But it would last until 1AM when the engine gave up. The race seemed to run smoothly when a frightening accident happened to Pascal Fabre, who drove the Cougar C28 Porsche. He crashed his car along the pit straight, going into a series of spinning rolls and ending up in the grass. He was left unhurt. While Hans Stuck was running strong, and closing in on the leaders, he had to pit to have his door repaired. The Jaguar XJR12 driven by Davy Jones could emerge among the top three, but it was to be struck by gearbox problems. The 0123 Porsche 962 driven by Hurley Haywood seemed to be the best placed car for the GTP win but a brake caliper failed, and the Jaguar could recover the second place. But the Nissan R91CP driven by Masahiro Hasemi, Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Toshio Suzuki was left unchallenged.

Davy Jones, Scott Pruett, David Brabham and Scott Goodyear took a second place overall, but they earned the GTP points victory.

Copyright Mike Smith

As expected, the Lights class was won by the Spice SE91P Acura driven by Parker Johnstone, Dan Marvin and Jimmy Vasser. As for the overall, they dominated their class and put  out a twenty seven lap lead over their closest opponent. The Kudzu DG1 Buick which finished in second place was simply outpaced. The GTS class was quite different, the Ford Mustang driven by Dorsey Schroder, Robby Gordon and Wally Dallenbach also had the race packed up before dawn, with a one hundred lap lead over their closest competitor! A broken piston idled the car for two hours and they only had to wait for the chequered. The Oldsmobile Cutlass driven by Paul Gentilozzi and his teammates could make it to second in class. As it turned out, the GTU winning car defeated the GTS winning car, beating the Roush car in the standings. The little team that could made it two in a row, and team owner Dick Greer, Al Bacon, Mike Mees and Peter Uria had a very trouble free race, approaching perfection. The Nissan 240SXs had a bunch of problems, which could be fixed by the team, but they were too far away from the leading car to win their class.
The next race was scheduled at Miami. A street circuit, with another new attraction to be unveiled, in the name of the Jaguar XJR14. A Group C car when it began its racing career, it had been updated to GTP specs. Powered by a V8 3,5L engine, it raised some uproars from the GTP ranks, who saw another way to raise coasts amongst them. It was legal, however. Davy Jones drove it. Three Chevrolet GTPs were entered, by two different teams. Tom Milner had purchased two cars, which were to be driven by Wayne Taylor and François Migault. Those cars (nées Intrepid) had showed a great potential in 1991, and the team was very optimistic for such a race. Tom Kendall drove the other one. The EDS car was the Jim Miller entered machine. NPTI entered two cars, for his usual drivers, Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson. The cars were NPT91As, which had been slightly modified by the team. A new entry in the GTP ranks was the Spice SE91P Chevrolet entered by David Tennyson, who had jumped into the GTP ranks after getting used to the Lights class. Spice Engineering entered a Spice SE90P Chevrolet for Charles Zwolsman and Cor Euser, powered by a 6,0L engine.

The start of the Miami race, with Davy Jones leading the field with his new Jaguar XJR14.

Copyright unknown

AAR had two Eagle Toyota MKIIIs with Juan Fangio and PJ Jones driving. The cars were running great by now. Three Porsches were entered, with Joest Racing fielding two cars for Bernd Schneider and Oscar Larrauri, and Gianpiero Moretti-Massimo Sigala driving the Momo car. John Paul Jr and Albert Naon Jr were at the wheel of the Gunnar Racing Porsche 966, which was the only open roof car.
Four Lights cars only were entered, and Comptech could rely on Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin would face the two new Scandia Motorsport Kudzu DG2 Buick driven by Andy Evans, who ran solo, and Charles Morgan and Firmin Velez. Bobby Brown drove an old Tiga GT287 powered by a 3,0L Buick. That left a seventeen car field, which was a scant one. The practice sessions were dominated by Davy Jones, whose car was perfectly suited to the track. He was nearly one second ahead of Geoff Brabham, while Tom Kendall and Juan Fangio were just behind him. It looked like it would be a Jaguar domination, with Davy Jones leading the race from the beginning. Geoff Brabham was just behind him, but he was unable to overtake him. However, the Jaguar XJR14 proved to be a very difficult car to drive, and Davy Jones would spin twice. The second time being the definitive one. On lap ninety five, the car was stalled on the track, and Davy Jones could not restart. Geoff Brabham claimed his first victory in one year, and Wayne Taylor finished second in his Chevrolet GTP, just ahead of the second Nissan NPT91A driven by Chip Robinson and Bob Earl. The Lights class was very clear, with Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin easily winning ahead of Charles Morgan and Firmin Velez, nine laps down. The two other cars had retired from the race.
The next race was to take place at Sebring.(to be continued)

1992 : Toyota, part 2

The next race was the Contac 12 Hours of Sebring. A forty eight car field was to be displayed, which was your typical IMSA one. AAR had brought two Eagle Toyota MKIII, and the team was now aiming at the overall win. Juan Fangio was teaming with Andy Wallace while PJ Jones was partnered by Rocky Moran. NPTI had three cars, with Geoff Brabham, Derek Daly and Gary Brabham in car #83, Chip Robinson, Bob Earl and Arie Luyendijk in car #84, and Gary Brabham in car #1. It had become a typical habit for NPTI to enter three cars with the intention to drop the worst placed car after one hour. A lonely Jaguar XJR12D was entered with Davy Jones and David Brabham driving. Two Porsche 962Cs were entered, which were Joest cars. John Winter, Frank Jelinski and Bernd Schneider had one car and Gianpiero Moretti, Massimo Sigala, Oscar Larrauri drove the Momo car. The Porsche 966 was here too, and displayed the legendary Brumos livery as well as the famous number 59. Even Hurley Haywood would drive it. Bobby Carradine would co-drive the open cockpit car. Tom Milner had entered two cars, which were quite different. A Chevrolet RM1 GTP for Perry McCarthy and a Spice SE90P for David Tennyson, Wayne Taylor, François Migault and Hugh Fuller. That rounded up the eleven GTP entry list. It could have been more interesting, had Mazda Motorsports decided to run his new RX792P car. Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer practiced with their new prototype, but they were plagued with exhaust problems. So the car would not run.

The legendary Brumos colors were to appear on the Gunnar Racing Porsche 966 driven by Hurley Haywood and Bobby Carradine.

Copyright Michael Crews

Seven Lights cars were also entered. Comptech Racing entered two cars for Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin, and another one for Costas Los and Ruggero Melgrati. They would have to face two Kudzus, with Andy Evans' Scandia Racing entering two cars : a new DG2, Buick powered, for Andy Evans, Firmin Velez and Jay Cochran and a DG1 for Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins. Jim Downing had a Mazda powered DG1, which he drove with Howard Katz and Tim McAdam. Bieri Racing fielded an Alba AR2 Ford, with Heinz Wirth at the wheel. MAB Racing entered a Tiga GT287 Buick for Mel Butt, Ron Zitza, Tommy Johnson and Robert Robertson. The GTS class was more exciting, with sixteen cars showing up at the start. A great battle seemed to be lurching, but Roush Racing was not around, for the first time in eight years. It would be a Nissan-Oldsmobile duel. Rocketsport had a pair of Cutlasses, as for Daytona. Paul Gentilozzi, Irv Hoerr and Jack Baldwin drove the 6,5L car, while Darin Brassfield, George Robinson, Paul Gentilozzi and Irv Hoerr would share the 6,0L car. Dale Kreider entered his own car, and he was partnered by Jon Gooding and Nort Northam. CCR had a pair of Nissan 300ZXs, with Jeremy Dale, Steve Millen and John Morton at the wheel of the first car. The latter co-drove Johnny O'connell in the second car. A bunch of new cars would show up for the first time at an IMSA race, adding some excitement. Waxoyl fielded a new Chevrolet Beretta for GT star Gene Felton, who was back from retirement, and rising star Jerry Nadeau. The car was powered by a 6,5L powerplant. A pair of Chevrolet Luminas were to be seen for the first time in IMSA. John Annis fielded one of them for himself, Louis Beall, Dick Downs, Larry Schumacher and Bob Deeks. Tim Banks had another car, driven by Jim Pace and Barry Waddell. A Pontiac Grand Prix, entered by Gary Smith, was also another new entry, with Gene Whipp and Albert Ruiz co-driving with the car owner. The remainder of the field was held by Chevrolet Camaros, which were seven. J & B Motorsport had been the best car at Daytona, with Luis Sereix and Daniel Urrutia, the same duo still ran, with Jorge Polanco and John Josey co-driving. Richard McDill and Bill McDill shared long-time enduro entries since the seventies, they were still running strong. Western Chemical had one car for Kent Painter, Robert Borders and Ed De Long. OMR also was a long-time entry in GTO, and Oma Kimbrough, Mark Montgomery, Robert McElnehy co-drove team owner Hoyt Overbagh. The two other cars were entered by Art Cross and Mazkar Racing. No Corvette, neither Mustang  were to be seen. The GTU class again would show off a Nissan-Mazda battle. The first make appeared to have the edge for the first time over its counterpart. Leitzinger Racing fielded two cars, with a very strong line-up. Bob Leitzinger ran with son Butch and Chuck Kurtz on car #95, David Loring was co-driven by John Paul Jr! It was his very first attempt at this class. Kryderacing was entering a car for Duke McLaughlin, Frank Del Vecchio and Joe Danaher. David Duda had an older 300ZX car for himself and Mike Speakman. One single Mazda RX7 was entered, which was the Daytona winning car. Dick Greer, Al Bacon, Mike Mees and Peter Uria were as hopeful as ever. The Mazda fleet now consisted of MX6s. However, no semi-works cars were to be seen. Eduardo Dibos appeared to be the most threatening driver. His Alberti Racing car was well prepared. Juan Dibos and Raul Orlandini were his co-drivers. Henry Camferdam fielded one car, as well as Bob Schader and Botero Racing. Full Time Racing still relied on a Dodge Daytona, with John Fergus, Don Walker and Neil Hanneman driving. The other cars were all Porsche. Four cars with strong engines, if not fast. Alex Job teamed up with Jack Refenning and Butch Hamlet. Rainer Brezinka has been a Sebring regular since the seventies, and he had Rudy Bartling and Amad Khodkar co-driving him. Pro-Technik and Jack Lewis also counted on the reliability of their car. That closed the entry list. The practice sessions would show the two Toyota Eagle MKIIIs set up the fastest lap times, but they did it at the wrong time, so the first row was once again all Nissan. The start of the race would see PJ Jones, in the #98 Toyota jump into the lead from his sixth place. He would lead for three laps, then pitted with a huge puff of smoke and retire with a blown head gasket. Then the two Nissan NPT91s would take back one of their favorite role : leader of the race. Juan Fangio would follow at a respectable distance, then John Winter, Gianpiero Moretti and Davy Jones, running at his own pace. Perry McCarthy had retired on lap five, with a broken engine. The Jaguar, which did not run so strong, suddenly lost a wheel on course, and would be ten laps down. Up ahead, Geoff Brabham, Chip Robinson and Juan Fangio were trading the lead when the Toyota was forced off course by a slower GTU car. Andy Wallace, who was driving, had to pit for minor repairs. He lost one lap. It looked like it would be all Nissan, but Bob Earl spun twice  on the same lap. A seized engine was the cause for his retirement. Geoff Brabham and his co-drivers seemed to have victory handed on a silver plateau, but the headlights happened to be faulty, and they had to stop to have the problem fixed. Five laps were lost, and the Toyota was in the lead. Geoff Brabham then tried to charge back to regain his position, but it was too harsh a task. The following cars were stricken by some various mechanicals, so they ended up very far. Juan Fangio and Andy Wallace won the race, with Geoff Brabham, Gary Brabham and Arie Luyendijk taking a second place. Gianpiero Moretti, Massimo Sigala and Oscar Larrauri took a third place, but they were fifteen laps down, just ahead of the TWR Jaguar. The Lights class was surprisingly won by Jim Downing's Kudzu DG1 Mazda, which emerged from a tough battle between Parker Johnstone's Spice SE91P Acura and Charles Morgan's Kudzu DG1 Buick. Both cars would have a very hard end of race. The Spice lost its engine while the Scandia Racing car suffered from suspension problems. Jim Downing won in the Erie Scientific car, not his own, with Tim McAdam and Howard Katz. The GTS class was a first time victory for the Rocketsports Oldsmobile Cutlass. Irv Hoerr, Darin Brassfield, Jack Baldwin and Paul Gentilozzi survived an attrition race and their car was the healthiest one at the chequered. The best Nissan 300ZX Tc was second, but seventeen laps down, with Steve Millen, Jeremy Dale and Johnny O'connell. The GTU victory went, as expected, to the Leitzinger team which utterly dominated the race. David Loring, Butch Leitzinger and John Paul Jr were four laps ahead of the sister car, which they drove too, along with Bob Leitzinger, Dan Robson and Chuck Kurtz, who got sick and had to be replaced. The best Mazda RX7, which happened to be the Daytona winning car, was twenty three laps down.
The next race was to take place at Road Atlanta, on one of the fastest track of the season. One thing was sure : the field was seventeen car strong! It was now obvious that you could not rely on much more cars. Jaguar had brought one car, a XJR14 for Davy Jones. Nissan had two cars for Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson. AAR fielded two cars for Juan Fangio and PJ Jones. Two Chevrolet GTPs were entered by two different teams. Tom Milner had two cars driven by François Migault and Hugh Fuller, and Jeff Purner in another car. Tom Kendall drove the EDS backed car. This was a works car. Two Porsche 962Cs were entered, too. Oscar Larrauri drove the Torno car while Gianpiero Moretti would drive his own car. David Tennyson was back with his Spice SE90P Chevrolet and he would be co-driven by Wayne Taylor. The excitement, at least, would come from a brand new car, which was to debut here. The new Mazda RX792P was driven by Price Cobb. This sleek car would catch everyone's attention by his quite electric engine noise which was smooth and really unusual. Powered by a quadrirotor engine, it was a new challenge for the Japanese make. Only five Lights cars made it to Road Atlanta. A sole Spice SE91P Acura was entered with Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin at the wheel. Scandia Motorsports fielded two cars for Tommy Riggins-Charles Morgan and Andy Evans-Firmin Velez. They were the Comptech's car main opposition. Bob Schader had a Spice Buick which he drove with Lon Bender. The David Rocha-Mark Rodrigues Spice SE90P Buick was an older car. The practice session was highlighted by the fact that the Jaguar XJR14 driven by Davy Jones looked unbeatable.

Davy Jones new Jaguar XJR14 appeared quite unbeatable from the beginning. He won easily at Road Atlanta.

Copyright Dwight Deal(courtesy Racingsportscars)

He swerved it from one corner to another with mastery. Is opponents appeared to be outclassed by a fantastic racer. The race was all Jaguar with Davy Jones never challenged. Neither Nissan NPT91As finished, with Chip Robinson crashing his car heavily. The Toyota Eagle MKIIIs were not luckier, with both cars suffering from minor setbacks. The surprise of the race would arise from the two Chevrolet GTPs, driven by Tom Kendall who finished second, and François Migault and Hugh Fuller who secured a third place overall, just ahead of Oscar Larrauri's Porsche 962. Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin again took the Lights laurels, beating the Scandia Kudzu DG2 Buick driven by Firmin Velez and Andy Evans.
The next round was due to take place at Lime Rock. The scenical little track would host a eighteen car field, a figure which was to become commonplace. AAR entered two cars, but not NPTI. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones would have to face Geoff Brabham and Chip Robinson who drove the same car. TWR also had one car, which was the Jaguar XJR14, beautifully driven by Davy Jones. Mazda Motorsports fielded two cars, and Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer would drive them. Joest Racing entered two cars, with Oscar Larrauri driving solo, while Gianpiero Moretti was co-driven by Massimo Sigala. Two Chevrolet GTPs were entered for Tom Kendall and Wayne Taylor, while David Tennyson would try to make his Spice SE91P Chevrolet competitive. The Lights class was no different, with Comptech fielding one car for Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin. Every opponent's car was Buick powered! The Scandia Team had two Kudzus, one DG2 for Firmin Velez and Andy Evans and one DG1 for Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins. Jim Downing and Tim McAdam shared the wheel of the Downing/Atlanta Kudzu DG2 which was not Mazda powered, which was a premiere! Tom Hessert teamed up with Bob Schader on the Mobinet backed Spice SE90P and François Migault and Claude Brana shared the wheel of another Spice 91P. Mark Rodrigues and David Rocha would co-drive the oldest car, which was an updated Spice SE88P. As expected, Davy Jones would stick his Jaguar on the pole, with a new track record. He was followed by the two Eagle Toyotas. The race would provide its share of excitement. At the start, Juan Fangio jumped in the lead, with Davy Jones right behind him. Wayne Taylor spun in the very first turn of the very first lap : he was back on the track dead last. Davy Jones was to overtake Juan Fangio as soon as both of them met backmarkers, then he was to get rid of his pursuers. Behind them, Geoff Brabham was able to overtake PJ Jones for the third place. Davy Jones would dominate the race until lap nineteen, when his suspension failed, sending him into the barriers. He was out of the race, and alive despite a hard blow. A full course yellow would be set, allowing some drivers to refuel. At the restart, Geoff Brabham was in the lead, but Juan Fangio was soon to easily overtake him and push ahead of him. Wayne Taylor, in the meantime, had retired from the race with steering problems. Then PJ Jones' Toyota was beginning to puff smoke, losing a great deal of time in the pits for repair. The Lights class was fierce, with Firmin Velez and Parker Johnstone dicing for the lead. At mid-race, Juan Fangio was still leading, with Geoff Brabham-Chip Robinson in second place. Tommy Kendall was in third place, followed by David Tennyson and Oscar Larrauri in the Porsche 962C. Unfortunately for the Chevrolet ranks, Tom Kendall would lose the benefits of a good race when he pitted with valve springs problems, and retired. In fact, it would be the drivers who would be happy with that fact. Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer overtook David Tennyson and Oscar Larrauri in what was a very good result for them. Chip Robinson would spin, later, while passing David Rocha, but with no damage. The race would be won, somewhat easily, by Juan Fangio one lap ahead of the Nissan NPT91A. Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer took third and fourth place. The Lights class ended up in a bad way for Andy Evans, who had to retire with steering problems. Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin emerged as the class winners. Jim Downing and Tim McAdam grabbed the second place in the end of the race.
Mid Ohio would host the next race. Eighteen cars were entered, with one new entry. NPTI had only ine car for Geoff Brabham. It was an evolution of the NPT91, now called NPT91B. The team now concentrated on this sole car. TWR had also one car, driven by Davy Jones, but it was so threatening. The group C evolution turned into an IMSA GTP was so fast that it could doom the series, according to its opponents. AAR had two cars, with Juan Fangio and PJ Jones driving. Mazda Motorsports also fielded two cars, with Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer at the wheel.

Price Cobb's attractive Mazda RX792P was an eye-catcher throughout the season. He finished 6th at Mid Ohio.

Copyright Mark Windecker

Two Porsche 962Cs with Oscar Larrauri in the Joest car and Gianpiero Moretti in the Momo car along with Massimo Sigala. One Chevrolet GTP was entered with Tom Kendall driving. David Tennyson entered his Spice SE91P Chevrolet powered by a V8 6,5L. Eight Lights cars were entered, with Comptech fielding two cars, which were Spices. A SE91P driven by Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin, and a SE90P for Ruggero Melgrati and Costas Los. Both cars were powered by Acura engines, of course. Andy Evans Scandia Motorsports entered two cars, Buick powered. A DG2 for Firmin Velez and himself, and a DG1 for Tommy Riggins and Charles Morgan. Jim Downing's colorful Kudzu DG2 Buick was also entered, with Tim McAdam co-driving. Tom Hessert and Bob Schader had their usual Spice SE90P Buick while Mark Rodrigues and David Rocha drove the Huffaker car. Bobby Brown fielded his Tiga GT287 Buick with Craig Carter partnering him. Once again, it would be a Buick vs Acura duel. The practice session was a new confirmation for what it seemed to be in store for the GTP owners : the Jaguar XJR14 shattered the previous track record. Juan Fangio and Geoff Brabham were just behind but one question remained : could they fight? Race day would bring another fact, which could alter the strategies : the rain was falling steadily. At the start, Davy Jones could pull ahead of the pack, with Juan Fangio just behind, while PJ Jones missed a gear and lost many places. Geoff Brabham followed, trailing Oscar Larrauri and Price Cobb. Davy Jones would easily have a race of his own, while Oscar Larrauri would pass Geoff Brabham. Tommy Kendall, who started from row seven, was beginning to climb back in the standings. In Lights, Parker Johnstone, as per usual, was in the lead, but Firmin Velez looked in great shape, and overtook him on lap twenty. Ruggero Melgrati would do the same very fast. Tommy Kendall was soon behind Gianpiero Moretti, whom he passed, then he would do the same with Pete Halsmer and PJ Jones. He passed the Toyota but spun subsequently! Then PJ Jones appeared to experience windshield problems, and he had to pit to have it cleaned. On lap thirty one, Davy Jones had a wide lead over Juan Fangio, then Oscar Larrauri, Geoff Brabham and David Tennyson. Oscar Larrauri then spun but did not lose his position. The first series of pit stops began, and Juan Fangio was the first to pit for fuel and fresh tires. Davy Jones would not lose his position when he took his turn. Geoff Brabham recovered the third place and Tom Kendall would pass David Tennyson. One interesting fact was that he did not switch for fresh tires during his pit stop. Gianpiero Moretti retired after an accident.
By lap forty seven, the standings gave : Davy Jones, Juan Fangio, Geoff Brabham, Oscar Larrauri, Tommy Kendall and David Tennyson. Price Cobb was to challenge him and grab the fifth place. Tom Kendall, still running strong, was aiming at passing Geoff Brabham, but he would spin and lose some ground. He would have to settle for fourth. The positions would remain the same until the chequered, with Juan Fangio the only driver to finish in the same lap as the leader. Geoff Brabham was third, and Tom Kendall fourth. What a race! The Lights class turned into a dream race for Scandia Motorsports, who could have a one-two race. Andy Evans could make it to the finish while Tommy Riggins and Charles Morgan finally passed Ruggero Melgrati and Costas Los who finished third in class. A well deserved win for the team. Next round was to take place in New Orleans.(to be continued)

1992 : Toyota, part 3

The next race was scheduled at New Orleans street circuit. With eighteen cars entered, the field was almost the same which could be seen at every track. The prognosis was : one Jaguar XJR14 driven by Davy Jones facing two Toyota Eagle MKIIIs. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones were running stronger. NPTI, on the other hand, had only one car left for Geoff Brabham : they were having hard times. On such a track, the Chevrolet GTPs were perfectly suited, and they could have won in 1991. Tom Kendall was perfectly aware of that fact. Jeff Purner and Hugh Fuller were certainly not so fast, but who knew? Joest would be the sole Porsche representative, with Oscar Larrauri and John Winter, Gianpiero Moretti was partnered by John Paul Jr. Mazda Motorsports had two cars for Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer. David Tennyson was the last GTP entrant with his familiar Spice SE91P Chevrolet. Six cars were run in Lights class, which also displayed a déjà vu air. Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin shared the wheel of one Spice SE91P Acura. The two of them would have to face two Kudzus. A DG2 for Firmin Velez and Andy Evans, and a DG1 for Tommy Riggins and Charles Morgan. Huffaker fielded a Buick powered car for Mark Rodrigues and David Rocha. The last car to be entered was another Spice SE90P Buick for Carlos Bobeda and Paul Debban. Juan Fangio captured the pole position in his Toyota, edging Davy Jones by one half second. Surprisingly, Davy Jones never managed to get ahead of his opponent, and he finally had to settle for fourth in the race. The race main exciting happened when Price Cobb would hit Pete Halsmer, bringing the full yellow. Geoff Brabham was pretty happy with his second place, forty seconds behind Juan Fangio. The Lights class again escaped the Comptech, with Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins taking the win in the old car. At Watkins Glen, where the 2,5 mile track was used, a slightly different field of cars was entered led by the enigmatic BRM P351. Powered by a V12 3,5L engine, the car was a true mystery to everyone, and even driver Wayne Taylor would discover it. The car was not to meet IMSA's regulations and the team had to modify the air intake in order to be eligible. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones were now clearly the favorites on such a fast track. Davy Jones was to be a fierce opponent, however. Two Nissan NPT91s were entered, with Geoff Brabham running the latest evolution of the car. Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer ran their Mazda RX792Ps, which had to be updared constantly. No change was to be noticed as to the drivers who shared the Joest cars. The teams were basically the same. David Tennyson kept fielding his Spice SE91P Chevrolet. Six Lights cars again were entered. They were led by the Comptech Spice SE91P Acura driven by Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin. Scandia Motorsports fielded the same Kudzus as per usual. Firmin Velez and Andy Evans would drive the latest car while Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins still relied on the DG1 version. Jim Downing was back, after skipping the previous event. He was still partnered by Tim McAdam. Mark Rodrigues and David Rocha drove the Huffaker car and Bob Schader had Tom Hessert as co-driver. The practice session highlighted the fact that the Jaguar was a very car, once again. With a lap well under the 60s, he posted a 245,888km/h average lap. Unfortunately, he was not so dominant during the race. Juan Fangio finally cruised to an easy victory while Davy Jones was to be slowed down by some unplanned pitstop. He finally ended up third, five laps down the winner. Second and scoring his first podium result was Price Cobb who gave Mazda its best result ever. The Lights class was somewhat different, with Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin dominating the race, but they experienced a late race problem, which caused them to finish the race in the pits! They won over Firmin Velez and Andy Evans by one lap, however. The next race was a swerve to the west coast, at Laguna Seca.
It was the track which saw Toyota dominate the previous year. The AAR team entered both cars for Juan Fangio and PJ Jones. TWR, which was aware of the fact that the opposition was more fierce than expected, entered two Jaguar XJR14s, with Davy Jones and Arie Luyendijk trying to break Toyota's streak of wins. Mazda Motorsports also fielded two cars for Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer. Tom Kendall was the sole Chevrolet GTP defender. Tom Milner had opted not to enter his cars. NPTI could rely on two cars : Geoff Brabham had the latest version. His car was now dubbed NPT91C, it sported the latest aerodynamical mods. Chip Robinson was at the wheel of the NPT91A car. One Porsche 962C was entered, and it was the Oscar Larrauri-John Winter entry. Two Spice SE91Ps were entered. David Tennyson had his usual Denon backed car, and John Hotschkis had hired John Paul Jr to drive his Pontiac powered car. The Lights class was no different from the classical fixture, but Comptech entered two cars. Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin drove their usual car while Ruggero Melgrati would team up with Wayne Taylor for the very first time.

Ruggero Melgrati ran in a Spice SE91P Acura, and he had some very fine results, winning at Laguna Seca, with Wayne Taylor, and Phoenix with Parker Johnstone.

Copyright Mark Windecker

Their main opponents were still the two Scandia Motorsports cars. No change was to be noticed as for the drivers. Firmin Velez and Andy Evans would drive the latest car, while Tommy Riggins and Charles Morgan still drove the DG1 car. Bob Schader and Tom Hessert had a Spice SE90P Buick, and Paul Debban was co-driven by Steve Fossett in an old Spice SE88P Buick powered by a 3,0L engine. Jim Downing and Tim McAdam closed the entry list with Kudzu DG2 Buick. The week end was set under a sunny Californian weather. The practice session would clearly lay the background with Toyota placing both cars in the front row. PJ Jones edged his teammate for the first time.
Davy Jones was third. The race was already set. Juan Fangio jumped in the lead and was never to be challenged. His teammate PJ Jones clearly hanging to his second place. Davy Jones was only able to cling to the third place, and he easily did it, as Arie Luyendijk was to pit for an unscheduled pitstop : he managed to finish fourth, two laps down. David Tennyson had his best race ever, as he ended up ahead of Chip Robinson! The Lights class was a Spice Acura affair, with Ruggero Melgrati and Wayne Taylor winning the race, just ahead of their fellow teammates. The two Scandia cars finished third and fourth.
The next round was due to take place in Portland, Oregon. The very fast track was to favor the turbocharged cars. AAR was aware of that fact, and the two cars entered by the team were given as the favorites. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones would have to face one sole Jaguar XJR14, driven by Davy Jones. NPTI had two cars, with Chip Robinson own updated to a B version. Gianpiero Moretti was the one of two Porsche proponents, with John Paul Jr and Frank Biela as co-drivers. Oscar Larrauri again would drive the Joest car. Mazda Motorsports was eager to do its best against this tough competition, with Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer driving. In association with the Scandia Team, Al Unser Jr would run Tom Milner's Chevrolet GTP. It was the sole car, apart from David Tennyson's Spice, which was powered by a Chevrolet engine. The remainder of the field was made of Lights cars. Comptech was fielding two cars, in order to gather more points for the manufacturers' title. The Scandia team had chosen to run each car solo, so Charles Morgan and Firmin Velez would do the job alone. The latter would use a DG2 car for the first time. Two Spice SE90Ps were entered, with Tom Hessert also running solo, and Carlos Bobeda and Paul Debban running the boss' car. Steve Cameron and David Rocha drove the Huffaker car while Jim Downing, still partnered by Tim McAdam, seemed to get into trouble keeping up with the best. As per usual, Juan Fangio again stuck himself in the pole, while PJ Jones was trailing him. Davy Jones was on row two with Al Unser Jr alongside him. The race would turn into a Toyota domination, with Juan Fangio leading the race from the onset, PJ Jones was just behind him. Davy Jones was third, but unable to overtake the japanese cars. Al Unser Jr was a surprising fourth, and it looked like he could make it to the finish until his engine let go after thirty four laps. Davy Jones would try his best to catch up the Toyotas, but he was to be failed by his clutch. So the race belonged to AAR, and Juan Fangio would be pipped the race by his teammate, who went on to win the race. Third was Chip Robinson, who was three laps down. The Lights was another one-two for the Comptech team. Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin managed to finish ahead of Ruggero Melgrati and Wayne Taylor. A surprising third was Carlos Bobeda and Paul Debban in a Spice SE88P Buick. Firmin Velez would be stalled in the first lap, with gearbox problems.
The next race was scheduled at Road America, but this beautiful track was not to attract more than sixteen cars. A fine weather was to host the race, which would turn into a Toyota-Jaguar battle. Juan Fangio and PJ Jones were still looking for a new victory, but Davy Jones was eager to be back in winning form. The events would unfortunately prevent him from running, as he destroyed his car prior to the race. Geoff Brabham was the sole NPTI defender and the two Mazda RX792Ps had been thoroughly improved. Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer could rely on cars that would no longer ignite! Tom Kendall was back again in the works Chevrolet GTP. The two Joest Porsche 962Cs were still filling the fields, with John Paul Jr co-driving Gianpiero Moretti and Oscar Larrauri being partnered by John Winter. Three Kudzu DG2 Buicks were entered, by the usual teams. Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins now using the same car as Firmin Velez and Andy Evans. Jim Downing and Tim McAdam, in the Bel-Ray car, would try to break the Acura dominance. Tom Hessert and Bob Schader had the sole Spice entered, while the Comptech team fielded a pair of Spice SE91P Acuras, with Parker Johnstone-Dan Marvin and Ruggero Melgrati-Wayne Taylor. They would have a tough week-end. While Juan Fangio shattered the previous mark by three seconds, he was less than one second shy of Bobby Rahal's Indy Car track record! The Jaguar XJR14 would be sent into the barrier during the warm-up session, and Davy Jones was out before the race! Since they lost their main opponent, the two Eagle Toyotas would run easy, never to be threatened by anybody. Tom Kendall, who seemed to be able to go at it, was out after five laps with a broken suspension. The remainder of the race was dull, with Geoff Brabham running and finishing a distant third, well ahead of Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer. The Lights was bizarre, as the two Comptech Spice Acuras led the race, but they both retired with engine problems.

Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins earned their first Lights victory at Road America in a Kudzu DG2 Buick.

Copyright Mark Windecker

Charles Morgan and Tommy Riggins then took over and won the race, just ahead of Jim Downing and Tim McAdam. Parker Johnstone, however, had already clinched the Championship for the second year in a row.
The next race was a new venue, as it was staged at Phoenix International Raceway. A small track, with a banking-infield combination.
A host of new cars would enter this race. They would face the two Eagle Toyotas, driven by Juan Fangio and PJ Jones. Geoff Brabham's car had been updated to its latest specs, and now it was a NPT91D version. This late version was equipped with a 2,5Liter engine with a single turbo and traction control. A 6speed gearbox and the side big air scoops were the notable aerodynamical changes. He would not be backed by Chip Robinson. The same could be said from Price Cobb who would run the sole Mazda RX792P. Davy Jones also was alone with his Jaguar XJR14, and he was struggling for a new victory which escaped him. No new Porsche 962C was expected, as Joest was the only German entrant. Gianpiero Moretti had John Paul Jr as co-driver and Oscar Larrauri would do his best at the wheel of his Joest car.

Oscar Larrauri's talent was not enough to make up for his ageing car. He retired on lap 25 with an engine failure.

Copyright Paul Ajari

From Europe came a URD 04/3, which was BMW 3,5L powered, driven by Mario Hytten. With 450hp, you could not expect any feat from that car. Tom Milner was back again, with his two Chevrolet GTPs, driven by François Migault and Jeff Purner. The second would be withdrawn, and the two drivers would team up in a single car. The Lights class was still competitive, and a new contender was to be registered, in the name of a Kudzu DG2 Buick entered by Huffaker. Dominic Dobson and David Rocha would drive this car. Comptech still entered two cars, and they were facing some hardships, with some engine failures to be registered. Dan Marvin would drive solo, while Parker Johnstone would be co-driven by Ruggero Melgrati. Scandia Motorsports was relying on its two consistent teams, with Charles Morgan-Tommy Riggins and Firmin Velez-Andy Evans. Bob Schader and Tom Hessert fielded a Spice SE90P Buick while Jim Downing and Tim McAdam were to close the entry list. Growing strong, PJ Jones managed to stick his Eagle Toyota in the pole, edging Juan Fangio once again. Davy Jones was on the second row, with Geoff Brabham alongside. The fastest lap was clocked at 49s669, which meant that the spectators would enjoy the race thoroughly. The race saw PJ Jones stay ahead of Juan Fangio in the early stages of the race, then he would have to pit with engine troubles, and let his teammate grab the lead and win. Davy Jones never managed to threaten the Toyota and he had to settle for a new second place. Geoff Brabham was third, two laps down. Parker Johnstone and Ruggero Melgrati had a very clean race, and they won over Dominic Dobson and David Rocha in their Kudzu DG2 Buick. Dan Marvin retired on lap eighteen.

Geoff Brabham in his Nissan NPT91C, running at Laguna Seca. He had a very difficult season, and he was happy to end up third in the point standings.

Copyright Paul Ajari

The very last race was to take in Del Mar, for the season finale. Juan Fangio was already crowned, and Davy Jones was willing to end up this season in a beautiful way. The chances for a great race were high. NPTI could only hope for ending up second in the points standings, passing Jaguar, who had a surprisingly bad season end. So, Juan Fangio and PJ Jones would face again Davy Jones and Geoff Brabham for the win. Three Chevrolet GTPs were also entered, with Tom Kendall running his works car, and Tom Milner entering two cars for François Migault-Jeff Purner and John Paul Jr, who had become some kind of rent-a-pilot. Mazda Motorsports would enter, for the last time, the two Mazda RX792Ps, with Pete Halsmer and Price Cobb. The sad news was that the entire project would be dropped definitively, due to financial reasons. David Tennyson entered his Spice SE91P Chevrolet, and he could be proud of his achievements as a true private entrant facing the works teams. The Lights class was a remake of every 1992 race, with the season long battle between the Comptech team, with Parker Johnstone-Dan Marvin and Ruggero Melgrati-Wayne Taylor. The latter being involved in the Chevrolet GTP project from the beginning was apparently searching for greener pasture. Firmin Velez-Andy Evans and Charles Morgan-Tommy Riggins now were fighting on the same level as the Acura powered cars. Jim Downing-Tim McAdam had a difficult season, always one level slower than the top contenders. Dominic Dobson and David Rocha, whose Kudzu was promising in the first place, seemed to mark time. The GTE-Mobilnet Spice SE90P Buick was driven by Tom Hessert and Jim Pace, while Carlos Bobeda's car was an older chassis. Carlos Bobeda was co-driven by Paul Debban. Juan Fangio would stick his car on the pole, with Davy Jones on the outside of the front row. The race was very promising. For the second time in the season, Juan Fangio had a dnf, as he retired on lap seventeen. The victory went to PJ Jones, who successfully resisted to Davy Jones. As it turned out, Davy Jones' Jaguar XJR14 faltered, but he was still classified in third place at the end. Geoff Brabham managed to finish second. The Lights race was again very exciting, with Comptech and Scandia cars battling for the lead throughout the race. Firmin Velez and Andy Evans won the race over Parker Johnstone and Dan Marvin. Parker Johnstone won his second Championship in a row. The manufacturers crown went to Acura with 228pts over Buick with 222pts. It was pretty close!
As the season was through, the time had come to draw some conclusions for the elapsed season. It was a very disappointing one for Jaguar, who probably had the best weapon to win this championship. However, it seemed that the car was not properly developed. Very fast, and very well driven by Davy Jones, some mistakes were also made by the team, who lost the Championship by season end. AAR then almost won every race, with Juan Fangio and PJ Jones, who was awarded the Most Improved Driver title. The cars were incredibly fast and reliable. Juan Fangio took his first IMSA GTP Championship, easily beating Davy Jones in the end. But the races had become too much works oriented, and fields never over twenty cars. As Mark Raffauf would put it : "We need to tone things down, cars have become too fast." For the season to come, the GTP cars rules would change a lot, and older cars should be given weight advantages for 1993. Expensive turbo engines would be handicapped. No more Mazda RX792P and NPTI would offer his cars for sale. The end of the GTP era was silently lurking around. In fact, 1993 would the GTPs' last season. Many changes would happen during the upcoming season.

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