A Daytona Prototype is a type of
sports prototype
A sports prototype, sometimes referred to as simply a prototype, is a type of race car that is used in the highest-level categories of sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars, unlike street-legal and production-based racing cars, are ...
racing car
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organis ...
developed specifically for the
Grand American Road Racing Association's
Rolex Sports Car Series
The Rolex Sports Car Series was the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It was a North American-based sports car series founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed ...
as their top class of car, which replaced their main prototype racing class, specifically
Le Mans Prototypes (LMPs). The cars later competed in the merged series of the
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from 2014-2016, before being phased out and replaced by the
Daytona Prototype International class in 2017. They are named after the main series event, the
Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Development
For the 2003
Rolex Sports Car Series
The Rolex Sports Car Series was the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It was a North American-based sports car series founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed ...
season, the
Grand American Road Racing Association (GARRA) announced that they would stop support of their two premier open cockpit classes, known as SRP-I and SRP-II. These cars, mostly modified from
Le Mans Prototypes, were technologically advanced and could reach high speeds, specifically on the
Mulsanne Straight
The Mulsanne Straight (''Ligne Droite des Hunaudières'' in French) is the name used in English for a formerly long straight of the Circuit de la Sarthe around which the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race takes place. Since 1990, the straight is inte ...
at the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
. However, these same speeds were found to be extremely dangerous at GARRA's premier track, the
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NASC ...
. The concrete walls of the oval section of the road course that the series runs were dangerous enough on their own, but were also on the parts of the track where cars reached their highest speed. Therefore, GARRA decided that they would need to slow down their competitors in order to make their racing series safer.
At the same time, due to the technological advancement of Le Mans Prototypes, GARRA decided that they would also lower the overall cost of their prototypes. To do this, they would use closed cockpit chassis made of tube frames, instead of high cost
carbon fiber
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
composites. They would also standardize the amount of technology that could go into a car, as well as not allowing teams to develop their cars over a season, instead being forced to stay with the same basic car. This would stop teams from having to spend money on aerodynamic tweaks and technological experimentation, as well as private track testing. To further restrict cost, the series would regulate who could provide chassis and who could provide engines, thus preventing teams from trying a unique chassis or engine that may end up being a failure. Engines specifically would have to be based on a road-legal production unit from a major manufacturer. At the same time, major manufacturers would not be allowed to run Daytona Prototype teams, in order to help keep competition level and costs down.
Combining the low cost elements with the speed and safety elements, the designs for Daytona Prototypes were laid down, with constructors having freedom to develop a car however they wished so long as it fit within the smaller dimensions of a Daytona Prototype over a Le Mans Prototype. These smaller dimensions, especially in length, helped to create a more blunt front end to the car that would slow the cars down, regardless of how much a constructor put into sculpting the design.
Chassis
In order to help regulate the field and to help keep it level, GARRA only allows a certain number of chassis to be used. At the same time, each approved chassis is allowed to participate for a period of five years before GARRA reselects their approved chassis. Each chassis fits within GARRA's regulations in regards to dimension, but each approved chassis is uniquely different in design.
DP Gen1 (2003)
From 2003 to 2007 seven manufacturers had their chassis approved by GARRA:
* Chase CCE
*
Crawford DP03
*
Doran JE4
The Doran JE4 is a first-generation Daytona Prototype race car chassis made by Doran Racing, that debuted in the 2003 Grand-American Rolex Sports Car Series. The car was powered by a number of engine manufacturers, including Chevrolet, Ford, Lex ...
* Fabcar FDSC/03
*
Multimatic MDP1 (sometimes badged as the Multimatic Ford Focus)
*
Picchio DP2
*
Riley Mk.XI
DP Gen2 (2008)
For 2008, new chassis designs were allowed to be submitted, with several companies purchasing the rights from existing entries.
Lola Racing Cars
Lola Cars International Ltd. was a British race car engineering company in operation from 1958 to 2012. The company was founded by Eric Broadley in Bromley, England (then in Kent, now part of Greater London), before moving to new premises in ...
, in association with
Krohn Racing, purchased
Multimatic's entry for the construction of a new prototype under the name Proto-Auto.
Dallara
Dallara is an Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Gian Paolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' Melegari (Parma), Italy he created "D ...
later purchased Doran's entry as well, with assistance from
SunTrust Racingbr>
Cheever Racing purchased Fabcar's license and developed under the
Coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological ni ...
name, with assistance from former manufacturer Picchio.
The new chassis available from 2008 onward were:
*
Crawford DP08
* Coyote CC/08
*
Dallara
Dallara is an Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Gian Paolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' Melegari (Parma), Italy he created "D ...
DP-01
*
Proto-Auto Lola B08/70
*
Riley Riley may refer to:
Names
* Riley (given name)
* Riley (surname)
Places
* Riley Park–Little Mountain, a neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
* Riley Creek (Ontario), a tributary of the Black River in Central Ontario, Canada
* Ri ...
MkXX
* Sabre RD1
GARRA allows for modifications to the bodywork of each Daytona Prototype only in certain areas, most specifically to the rear wing and
Gurney flap as well as front dive planes.
DP Gen3 (2012)
Various changes have been made to the Daytona Prototypes for the 2012 season:
* The greenhouse (cockpit) area became nearly identical for all newly constructed cars, but featuring a one-inch zone throughout the greenhouse surface to allow for individual styling cues, including windshield implementation and window outlines.
* New minimum body cross-section provisions gave the new DPs a more upright front fascia and nose, rather than the more sloped layout of previous generations cars. This allowed manufacturers to add more design character to their cars, making them closer to their production cars while still offering the dramatic message embodied by a prototype
* Flexibility has also been introduced into the rules for side bodywork, including production-derived sidepods and open vents behind the front wheels that enable styling elements from street cars to be functional on the race cars.
These changes notwithstanding, the basic chassis structure below the greenhouse remains the same, including suspension details, engine installation, bellhousing, gearbox, electronics, fueling and safety systems.
Gen2 cars could be updated to Gen3 specifications.
The Gen3 cars are:
*
Riley Riley may refer to:
Names
* Riley (given name)
* Riley (surname)
Places
* Riley Park–Little Mountain, a neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
* Riley Creek (Ontario), a tributary of the Black River in Central Ontario, Canada
* Ri ...
MkXXVI
*
Corvette DP
The Corvette Daytona Prototype is a prototype racing car that began competing in the Rolex series in North America in 2012. It marked Chevrolet's return to Daytona racing as a full constructor, not just as an engine manufacturer. Previously Gene ...
(Corvette bodykit applied either to Riley, Coyote or Dallara chassis)
File:Brumos Fabcar Porsche.jpg, Fabcar FDSC/03 Porsche
File:Alex Job Crawford.jpg, Crawford DP03 Porsche
File:Cheever Racing Coyote Pontiac.JPG, Coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological ni ...
Pontiac
File:Doran Dallara Ford.JPG, Dallara
Dallara is an Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Gian Paolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' Melegari (Parma), Italy he created "D ...
DP01 Ford
File:Doran JE4.jpg, Doran JE4 Ford
File:Krohn Lola Pontiac.JPG, Lola B08/70 Pontiac
File:AIM Riley Ford.JPG, Riley Riley may refer to:
Names
* Riley (given name)
* Riley (surname)
Places
* Riley Park–Little Mountain, a neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
* Riley Creek (Ontario), a tributary of the Black River in Central Ontario, Canada
* Ri ...
MkXX Ford
Engine
As well as the chassis, the engines used are also standardized and regulated. Unlike chassis, engines must come from a major production car manufacturer, using the block from an engine used on a production car. However, these engines can have their displacements modified in order to equalize the field. For 2007, all engines will also be required to use standardized
ECUs in order to better regulate engine performance.
The following engines are currently approved by GARRA:
*
BMW 5.0 L V8
*
BMW 4.5L V8
*
Ford 5.0 L V8
*
Ford 3.5 L Twin Turbo V6
*
Infiniti
is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
4.35 L V8
*
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...
5.0 L V8 (can also be branded as Toyota)
*
Porsche 3.99 L Flat-6
*
Porsche 5.0 L V8 (approved in late 2007)
*
Pontiac 5.0 L V8 (can also be branded as Chevrolet or Cadillac)
*
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
3.9 L V6
*
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
3.5 L V6
Each engine also has specific restrictions on what can be modified beyond stock parts, as well as restrictions on intake and exhaust dimensions,
RPM, and various technical details.
During the 2007 season, a second Porsche engine was approved by Grand Am. The 5.0L V8 unit is not actually constructed by Porsche, but is based on the V8 engine used in the
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a series of mid-size luxury crossover sport utility vehicles manufactured by the German automaker Porsche since 2002 (Type 9PA or E1), with North American sales beginning in 2003. It is the first V8-engined vehicle built ...
, built by Lozano Bros. Porting.
File:BMW Dinan E39 M5 S62 engine in 2008 team SigalSport Daytona Prototype.jpg, A Dinan-prepared BMW V8.
File:Pontiac Prototype engine.jpg, A Pontiac V8.
File:Ford Prototype engine.jpg, A Roush Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Politics
*Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana
*J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of:
** J. Edward Roush Lake, a res ...
/Yates Yates may refer to:
Places United States
*Fort Yates, North Dakota
*Yates Spring, a spring in Georgia, United States
*Yates City, Illinois
* Yates Township, Illinois
*Yates Center, Kansas
* Yates, Michigan
* Yates Township, Michigan
* Yates, Misso ...
-prepared Ford V8.
Specifications
(as of 2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship rules for DP-based prototypes)
* Engine displacement: 5.5 L Maximum for Normally aspirated, 3.5 for forced induction, 2.5 liters for diesel engines
* Transmission: 2014 and later: 6 speed
sequential manual transmission
A sequential manual transmission, also known as a sequential gearbox, or a sequential transmission, is a type of non-synchronous manual transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than traditiona ...
- 2013 and earlier: Above 4.5 L (275 in³) - 5 forward gears (maximum)
4.5 L (275 in³) displacement and below - 6 forward gears (maximum)
manual or
sequential manual transmission
A sequential manual transmission, also known as a sequential gearbox, or a sequential transmission, is a type of non-synchronous manual transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than traditiona ...
paddle shift allowed
* Weight: 4.0 L (244 in³) displacement and above-2,275 lb (1,032 kg)
Below 4.0 L (244 in³)-2,225 lb (1,010 kg)
* Power Output: 2014 and later 550-600
hp - 2013 and earlier: 500
hp (370
kW)
* Fuel: 100
octane unleaded gasoline
* Fuel capacity: 24 U.S. gallons (91 liters)
* Fuel delivery:
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All com ...
* Aspiration:
Naturally aspirated or
Turbo charged
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
engine
* Steering:
Power,
rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a circular gear (the '' pinion'') engaging a linear gear (the ''rack''). Together, they convert rotational motion into linear motion. Rotating the pinion causes the rack to be driven ...
History
Debuting in the 2003 season, specifically at the
Rolex 24 at Daytona, six Daytona Prototypes initially ran: A Fabcar-Toyota, a Picchio-BMW, a Doran-Chevrolet, two Fabcar-Porsches, and a Multimatic-Ford. A second Multimatic-Ford was planned to race, but it never appeared. In qualifying, a Chevrolet Corvette and a Ford Mustang, both from the GTS class, set the fastest two lap times, while the leading Daytona Prototype was the Multimatic-Ford. Grand-Am however reserved "the first three rows of the grid for the Daytona Prototypes, regardless of their qualifying times," to ensure the Daytona Prototypes started at the front of the field. The Daytona Prototypes also failed to even take the overall pole position from heavily restricted SRP prototypes. In the race itself, only two DPs managed to finish, far behind a much lower
Grand Touring class car. However, after the teething problems were worked out, the cars began to take overall victories as the season progressed.
For 2004, the SRP cars were finally banned, and the number of DPs grew, with 17 appearing at the season opener at Daytona where they managed to take the overall win. By 2006, thanks to the low cost of the design, the number of DPs at some races grew to above thirty entrants, allowing for full fields and close racing.
In 2012, Grand-Am released the next generation Daytona Prototypes. Some of these include the new
Corvette Daytona Prototype which also marks Chevrolet's return to the DP class and other manufacturers already in the series changed to multiple chassis designs from the chassis producers.
GARRA planned to continue using the Daytona Prototype in the foreseeable future, with new chassis designs being allowed into the series in 2008.
When the Rolex Sports Car Series merged with the American Le Mans Series, Daytona Prototypes were being raced alongside the LMP2 prototypes from the ALMS as the main prototype class.
Between 2006 and 2012, DP cars were permitted to compete in
Japan's
Super GT
Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a sports car racing, grand touring car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as either the JGTC or the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the series was renamed to Super ...
in the secondary GT300 class with outstanding results, one entrant, the ''
Mooncraft Shiden'' lost out to an
RE Amemiya RX-7 (although tied for points) in the drivers' title and again to a
MR-S, but took the team title in 2007.
Daytona Prototype International
From 2017 forward, a new generation of Daytona Prototypes, branded Daytona Prototype International (DPi), has been replacing the original tube-framed Daytona Prototypes. These new prototypes will be based on the four
ACO
ACO, AcO, or Aco may refer to:
Organizations
* Accountable care organization, healthcare organization characterized by a specific payment and care delivery model
* Aco Records, a British 1920s record label
* ACO, C.A., a Venezuelan holding compan ...
homologated
LMP2 chassis made by
Dallara
Dallara is an Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Gian Paolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' Melegari (Parma), Italy he created "D ...
,
Onroak (Ligier),
Oreca, and
Riley Riley may refer to:
Names
* Riley (given name)
* Riley (surname)
Places
* Riley Park–Little Mountain, a neighborhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
* Riley Creek (Ontario), a tributary of the Black River in Central Ontario, Canada
* Ri ...
-
Multimatic, with brand specific bodywork and homologated engines. Manufacturers are asked to partner with a privateer team, and each car will sport manufacturer bodywork, corresponding to their brand-identity. These rules are made to both control costs and attract manufacturers to the series.
These cars compete in the Prototype class, along with ACO-FIA spec LMP2 cars, which feature chassis from the same four manufacturers and a spec Gibson V8 engine. Originally, the hope was for DPi cars to be Le Mans eligible in the LMP2 class, but disagreements between the ACO and IMSA did not allow this to come to fruition.
The new cars are:
*
Cadillac DPi-V.R
The Cadillac DPi-V.R is a sports prototype racing car which started competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America in 2017. It is the manufacturer variation of Dallara P217 base, and replaces the Corvette DP. It marked C ...
(based on
Dallara P217 chassis)
*
Nissan Onroak DPi The Ligier Nissan DPi, also known as the Onroak Nissan DPi is a Daytona Prototype car built by Onroak Automotive, Ligier Automotive. The car is based on the Ligier JS P217, which was built to meet the 2017 FIA and Automobile Club de l'Ouest, ACO reg ...
(based on
Ligier JS P217 chassis)
*
Mazda RT24-P (based on
Riley-Multimatic MkXXX
The Riley-Multimatic MkXXX, also known as the Riley-Multimatic Mk.30, or simply the Riley Mk.30, is a Le Mans Prototype 2 built to the 2017 FIA/ACO regulations. This car can be raced globally in the European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Serie ...
chassis)
*
Acura ARX-05 (based on
Oreca 07
The Oreca 07 is a Le Mans Prototype built by French manufacturer Oreca to meet the 2017 FIA and ACO LMP2 regulations. It made its official race debut in the opening round of the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the 24 Hours of Da ...
chassis), starting in 2018.
Notes
References
*
External links
Grand American Road Racing Association website*
{{Class of Auto racing
Sports prototypes
Sports car racing
Grand-Am
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Racing car classes