possible testing

[guido]

Last week a friend was in my shop and told me some "Indy" cars had been testing at Robeling Road Race track (Savannah) his discription sounded like the Infinity Dallaras, but the lap times seemed to fast. Quicker than Club Atlantics. They may have been Crapwagons as they were 3-4 secs faster than when the Pro-Atlantic Swifts DB-4s used to test there, late 80s. About the same times I remember Rob Dyson's 962 turning in 85.

[Turn7]

If his description included "square nose" or something along those lines to make you think he saw the Infinity Dallaras, I bet they were Pro Mazdas.

[guido]

If his description included "square nose" or something along those lines to make you think he saw the Infinity Dallaras, I bet they were Pro Mazdas.
Way to fast to be a Pro-Mazda, if his numbers were even close.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Some random stats I dug up:

ALMS pole at Lime Rock, 2004: 47.962
Pro Mazda pole at Lime Rock, 2004: 47.690
IMSA GTP pole at Lime Rock, 1985: 47.671

ALMS pole at Sears Point, 2004: 1:22.320
Pro Mazda pole at Sears Point, 2004: 1:28.920
IMSA GTP pole at Lime Rock, 1985: 1:25.212

ALMS pole at Road America, 2004: 1:51.893
Pro Mazda pole at Road America, 2004: 2:04.621
IMSA GTP pole at Road America, 1985: 1:59.881

I'd say that suggests they could very well be Pro Mazdas that were testing.

[rjohnson999]

You can't use the Lime Rock comparison. ALMS and IMSA GTP use the chicane at the top of the uphill. Pro Mazda doesn't.


Some random stats I dug up:

ALMS pole at Lime Rock, 2004: 47.962
Pro Mazda pole at Lime Rock, 2004: 47.690
IMSA GTP pole at Lime Rock, 1985: 47.671

ALMS pole at Sears Point, 2004: 1:22.320
Pro Mazda pole at Sears Point, 2004: 1:28.920
IMSA GTP pole at Lime Rock, 1985: 1:25.212

ALMS pole at Road America, 2004: 1:51.893
Pro Mazda pole at Road America, 2004: 2:04.621
IMSA GTP pole at Road America, 1985: 1:59.881

I'd say that suggests they could very well be Pro Mazdas that were testing.

[Sean O'Gorman]

I wasn't sure about which of the three used the configuration, so I included it anyway. Since I knew that the layout for Portland and Mid-Ohio were different in 1985, I excluded them from the comparison.

[guido]

You can't use the Lime Rock comparison. ALMS and IMSA GTP use the chicane at the top of the uphill. Pro Mazda doesn't.
I am basing some of my numbers on the fact that the Atlantics were faster at the Mil Mile than the MIPS cars and that the Atlantics have been slowed a little this year. I will get on the phone and see if I can get some more info. I am not sure what a Pro-Mazda does but these times were 9-10 sec. faster than SCCA Formula Mazda's.

[rjohnson999]

The current Pro Mazda car is not the same car as the SCCA FM. Horsepower is closer to a Toyota Atlantic where the SCCA version has about the same performance as the SCCA FC, predessor to the current Pro FF2000 cars.


I am basing some of my numbers on the fact that the Atlantics were faster at the Mil Mile than the MIPS cars and that the Atlantics have been slowed a little this year. I will get on the phone and see if I can get some more info. I am not sure what a Pro-Mazda does but these times were 9-10 sec. faster than SCCA Formula Mazda's.

[nissan gtp]

You can't use the Lime Rock comparison. ALMS and IMSA GTP use the chicane at the top of the uphill. Pro Mazda doesn't.

don't think IMSA used the chicane at Lime Rock in 85 (not sure and too lazy to look it up tonite :p )

the GTP cars should have gotten a lot faster after '85, the Nissans, Jags, and those damn Toyotas were very quick

[Madmaxfan2]

Something tells me there have been more crapwagons testing at road courses for a while now, or why the slowness in adoupting road racing.

[nissan gtp]

Some random stats I dug up:

ALMS pole at Lime Rock, 2004: 47.962
Pro Mazda pole at Lime Rock, 2004: 47.690
IMSA GTP pole at Lime Rock, 1985: 47.671

ALMS pole at Sears Point, 2004: 1:22.320
Pro Mazda pole at Sears Point, 2004: 1:28.920
IMSA GTP pole at Lime Rock, 1985: 1:25.212

ALMS pole at Road America, 2004: 1:51.893
Pro Mazda pole at Road America, 2004: 2:04.621
IMSA GTP pole at Road America, 1985: 1:59.881

I'd say that suggests they could very well be Pro Mazdas that were testing.

IMSA updates...(from "Racing with a Difference, History of IMSA")

1988
Lime Rock Jag XJR-9/Brundle 44.88 sec pole
Road America Nissan GTP-ZXT/Brabham 2.00.09 race lap :D
Sears Point Nissan GTP-ZXT/Brabahm 1.23.1 pole

1991
Lime Rock Chebby Intrepid/Kendall 44.6 pole
Road America XJR-16/Davy Jones 1:51.8 pole

1992
RA Toyota Eagle Mk III/Fangio 1:47.9 pole (1:48 race lap)

2004
RA Lola Champ Car/Kermit 1:43.04 pole

[Easy]

Formula Cars East, the East Coast Formula Mazda dealer and race team has their shop about a 3 Iron from the pits at Roebling Road. They test there often with their Pro Mazdas and an Atlantic or two.

There are also a couple of F3 cars floating around that region which test at Roebling.

[Easy]

I am basing some of my numbers on the fact that the Atlantics were faster at the Mil Mile than the MIPS cars and that the Atlantics have been slowed a little this year. I will get on the phone and see if I can get some more info. I am not sure what a Pro-Mazda does but these times were 9-10 sec. faster than SCCA Formula Mazda's.

IPS cars will be like Indy Lights, faster than Atlantics at some tracks, slower at others. The IPS car is a road racing chassis adapted for running ovals. They are a modified version of the Dallara Nissan as used in Europe.

A current PRO FM would probably be about 8 seconds faster than the club version.