View Full Version : Mansell, Prost, Fittipaldi to race again
In Grand Prix Masters series (http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=103184)
Nigel Mansell signed up for the new Grand Prix Masters single-seater series for its first three seasons. The 1992 world champion will race in the inaugural event at Kyalami, South Africa, on Nov. 13 against three other former champions—Emerson Fittipaldi, Alan Jones and Alain Prost—and other former F1 stars. The Masters series will use spec single-seaters purpose-built in the U.K. by Delta Motorsport, based on the 1999 Reynard Champ Car chassis. The engine will be a 3.5-liter McLaren V8, based on the Cosworth XB Indy car engine, developing about 600 hp at 10,400 rpm and linked to a six-speed gearbox with paddle shifters.
The Kyalami race will be followed by about seven more events early in 2006, though the calendar has not been finalized. Sixteen of the 200-mph cars will form the inaugural grid, but the promoters say they will have up to 20 as the season progresses.
In Grand Prix Masters series (http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=103184)
I hope Derrick Walker and Cosworth are turning a nickle on this, since they control the intellectual property rights to the Reynard champ car chassis and the XB respectively.
It sure seems that there are Champ Car fingerprints all over this, but maybe it's just about spare equipment. A 3.5 liter Cosworth XB? Is this an IRL engine in a Reynard? Or is it something older?
cameraman
09-19-05, 08:03 PM
Nigel Mansell won the CART championship in 1993 driving an XB Lola.
The XB was a CART engine, even if somebody did use it in the IRL.
And how much are they going to have to modify that Reynard to allow it to accommodate Mansell's current girth?
nissan gtp
09-19-05, 08:06 PM
Is this gonna be on TV in the US ?
hope so, sounds very :cool:
Nigel Mansell won the CART championship in 1993 driving an XB Lola.
The XB was a CART engine, even if somebody did use it in the IRL.
And how much are they going to have to modify that Reynard to allow it to accommodate Mansell's current girth?
Yeah, but.... Was the '93 a 3.5 liter engine? That comes at about the time I was starting to develop a serious interest, but I thought it had been 2.65L even long before that.
coolhand
09-19-05, 08:41 PM
how will they add paddle shifers to it? on a car and engine that were designed without them.
Al Czervik
09-19-05, 08:45 PM
how will they add paddle shifers to it? on a car and engine that were designed without them.
Maybe with a different transmission? ;)
coolhand
09-19-05, 08:47 PM
Maybe with a different transmission? ;)
thats pretty much a resdesign of a structural member of the car.
.
cameraman
09-19-05, 09:05 PM
The XB Series Two was last run in mass in 1995; with but a few teams running the engine in 1996. It is a 2.65 liter V-8 burning methanol and producing in excess of 750 horsepower at 12,000 RPM and 45" of boost. Although they were run to 13,200 RPM in their day, we limit them to 12,000 RPM to reduce stress on the rotating assembly, reduce damaging vibration and generally increase service life.
racer2c
09-19-05, 09:18 PM
Some more info on the chassis builders...
Link (http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns15372.html)
If one were so inclined they could scarf up www.grandprixmasters.com it has expired.
Another google search brought back that they were working with British sports car club in establishing rules etc...seems like the whole thing is still very fluid.
cameraman
09-19-05, 10:19 PM
Part of that article does not make sense. Read this bit off of www.lolachampcar.com
The XB is remarkably affordable to run in vintage racing when run to 12,000 RPM, 45" of boost and set to 6% rich. To date, my engine builder has been changing cam chains at ten hours and performing a refresh at twenty. Ring seal does not deteriorate appreciably in twenty hours so refresh periods are dictated by service to the valve train. Springs are replaced at every refresh with valves every other. Nicholson Mclaren purchased a large number of XBs from Cosworth along with all of the spares and rights to continue making parts. They have used the engine for several projects thus ensuring a continuing supply of refresh spares. I have also had luck sourcing the more expensive parts (valves, liners, etc.) from original vendors.
Are they actually going to run the Cosworth XB's that Nicholson Mclaren bought?
They are 2.65 liter turbos if they are...
http://www.lolachampcar.com/images/XB%20Engine%20Pictures/xb%20lite.JPG
extramundane
09-19-05, 10:52 PM
This sounds like the same engine that Binnie Motorsports has been running in its Lola LMP2 this year...
Yeah, but.... Was the '93 a 3.5 liter engine? That comes at about the time I was starting to develop a serious interest, but I thought it had been 2.65L even long before that.
The XB was a 2.65t. It could be bored and stroked to 3.5l, though. Remember, the first proof of concept Cosworth 3.5NA was based on the XF. Cosworth did get an extra litre of displacement out of the DFV, as well, to produce the DFL (3955cc and 540Bhp) Group C endurance version in 1981.
On the other hand, "XB" could just be a typo or a misunderstanding of "HB" -- the previous Cosworth V8 F1 engine used by Benneton, McLaren, and others from 1989 thru about 1993 (3500cc and 600+ Bhp).
Methanolandbrats
09-20-05, 11:06 AM
Old guys crashing open wheel cars is an even worse idea than old guys crashing Jaguar Sedans..........anybody remember that "series"? :D
Winston Wolfe
09-20-05, 11:33 AM
Or how about when "medium" and "older" guys were driving BMW M1 crash test vehicles back in the early 80's.
Old guys driving open wheel cars or prepped race versions of street cars... anyway you look at it, someone is gonna get pissed when their car aint as well prepped, or as fast as the other "former star", and they are gonna bash fenders, or wheels, and it could get ugly...
Should be fun as hell to watch, tho' :thumbup:
Skater_36
09-20-05, 02:42 PM
Old guys crashing open wheel cars is an even worse idea than old guys crashing Jaguar Sedans..........anybody remember that "series"? :D
The "Fast Masters" A mix of open wheel, NASCAR and even drag racers in Jaguar XJ220's racing at IRP. What a crash fest!
The "Fast Masters" A mix of open wheel, NASCAR and even drag racers in Jaguar XJ220's racing at IRP. What a crash fest!
I was close enough to IRP to actually go to a couple of those. What a waste of good cars. Fast Masters was a nice concept but IRP's 5/8th mile oval was the wrong track for the cars for those Jaguars.
It wasn't quite IRP's oval. Remember that little L they put in there? I think it might still be there.
Fast Masters was a crashfest of epic proportions. I can't even begin to imagine how much that show cost to put on.
Michaelhatesfans
09-20-05, 04:26 PM
The "Fast Masters" A mix of open wheel, NASCAR and even drag racers in Jaguar XJ220's racing at IRP. What a crash fest!
I remember On Track dubbing it the "Crash Masters."
Skater_36
09-20-05, 04:55 PM
I was close enough to IRP to actually go to a couple of those. What a waste of good cars. Fast Masters was a nice concept but IRP's 5/8th mile oval was the wrong track for the cars for those Jaguars.
Total mismatch of cars and track. Was John Force in one of those races?
Skater_36
09-20-05, 05:00 PM
I remember On Track dubbing it the "Crash Masters."
I think they called it both "Crash Masters" and "Past Masters". I remember watching it and not believing how many expensive cars were getting smashed up. Did Jaguar foot the bill for the cars and repairs?
Total mismatch of cars and track. Was John Force in one of those races?
I know there was a drag racer in the field, but since I haven't really followed the drags since HS I really couldn't tell you who it was. I would have remembered if it was Danny Ongais. ;) With hindsight, Force would have been the logical choice, though.
coolhand
09-20-05, 06:31 PM
the HB cossie was the engine in the Mclarens in 1993.
thats probably the engine they are usinghence the Meclaren Cossie name.
Lizzerd
09-20-05, 11:17 PM
It wasn't quite IRP's oval. Remember that little L they put in there? I think it might still be there.
Fast Masters was a crashfest of epic proportions. I can't even begin to imagine how much that show cost to put on.
It is still there. The first race was on the entire oval though, and was indeed a crashfest. The "little L" was a sharp left before oval turn one to a sharp right back to a sharp left back onto the oval between one and two. I'm sorry I missed the first race but was at at least two of the other "Fast Masters" races (yeppers, I like short trackin'). I think there were four races total at IMS.
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