The Mazda GTP is an
IMSA GTP
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States, and occasionally in Canada.
History
The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop, and Bill F ...
race 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 organi ...
that was built by
Pierre Honegger in 1981. Based on a
Mazda RX-7
The Mazda RX-7 is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, rotary engine-powered sports car that was manufactured and marketed by Mazda from 1978 until 2002 across three generations, all of which made use of a compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engine.
...
, the car initially competed in the GTX category as the Mazda RX-7 GTP, before it was rebuilt for the IMSA GTP category in 1983. Throughout its career, the car used a
Mazda 13B
The Mazda Wankel engines are a family of Wankel rotary combustion car engines produced by Mazda.
Wankel engines were invented in the early 1950s by Felix Wankel, a German engineer. Over the years, displacement has been increased and turbochar ...
Wankel rotary engine
The Wankel engine (, ) is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. It was invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, and designed by German engineer Hanns-Dieter Paschke. T ...
, similar to that used in the production RX-7s. Although the rotary-engined
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 n ...
s generally had a reputation of being very reliable, the Mazda GTP frequently failed to finish races, and was never able to better the eighth place achieved at the
1983 24 Hours of Daytona. In 1986, one car was purchased by
Erie Scientific Racing, and rebuilt to become the
Badger BB. This car was no more successful or reliable than its predecessor, and was last used in 1989, by which point it was owned by
Jack Engelhardt
Jack may refer to:
Places
* Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA
People and fictional characters
* Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
. The other car, meanwhile, was rebuilt by Honegger into the
Denali Speedcar, which was used with moderate success in 1986 and 1987.
Racing history
1981
In 1981,
Pierre Honegger rebuilt a production
Mazda RX-7
The Mazda RX-7 is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, rotary engine-powered sports car that was manufactured and marketed by Mazda from 1978 until 2002 across three generations, all of which made use of a compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engine.
...
for use in the GTX category of the
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States, and occasionally in Canada.
History
The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop, and Bill F ...
. The new car was named the Mazda RX-7 GTP, and featured new, wide-body bodywork, whilst using a more powerful version of the
Mazda 13B
The Mazda Wankel engines are a family of Wankel rotary combustion car engines produced by Mazda.
Wankel engines were invented in the early 1950s by Felix Wankel, a German engineer. Over the years, displacement has been increased and turbochar ...
Wankel rotary engine
The Wankel engine (, ) is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. It was invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, and designed by German engineer Hanns-Dieter Paschke. T ...
used in the road car. Two cars were built, and both were entered in that year's
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
. Honegger partnered
Pierre Dieudonné
Pierre Dieudonné (born 24 March 1947 in Brussels) is a Belgian auto racing driver and motoring journalist.
Career
He spent a large part of his career competing in touring car racing. He twice finished third in the European Touring Car Championshi ...
and
Ernesto Soto in one car, whilst
Jean-Paul Libert,
Hervé Regout
Hervé Regout (born 4 November 1952) is a Belgian racing driver.
He competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans nine times between 1980 and 1994 and also competed in the 1979 British Formula One Championship
The 1979 British Formula One Championship (f ...
and
Jean Xhenceval were entered in the other car; however, neither trio managed to qualify for the race. Honegger and Soto then entered the
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. The event is the second round ...
, but withdrew the car prior to the start of the event. Instead, he drove with Dieudonné and Libert in a conventional Mazda RX-7, and finished 61st (20th in the GTU category), having run out of fuel after 60 laps.
1983
Having not used the RX-7 GTP again in either 1981 or 1982, Honegger rebuilt the car for the
IMSA GTP
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States, and occasionally in Canada.
History
The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop, and Bill F ...
category in 1981, and rechristened it as the Mazda GTP. The Mazda GTP made its debut at the
1983 24 Hours of Daytona, where the trio of Honegger,
Walt Bohren and
David Palmer finished a respectable eighth, and fifth in their class. Bohren then drove the car at the
Grand Prix of Miami, but retired after four laps, and was classified 31st. Honegger and Bohren were no more successful at the 12 Hours of Sebring, where the car's engine blew after 61 laps, and restricted them to 66th overall. The Mazda GTP wasn't used again for another five rounds, before Bohren retired again at the
Lime Rock Grand Prix
The Lime Rock Grand Prix (2010 name: Memorial Day Classic) is a sports car race held at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States on the Memorial Day weekend. It had been a part of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, SCCA Nation ...
; this time, he had lasted 75 laps, and was classified 32nd overall, and seventh in class. After this, it would be another eight rounds before the Mazda GTP was entered again; this was the
Grand Prix of Pocono, where Honegger and Bohren retired once more. However, the duo had completed 143 laps; this was enough for them to be classified 15th overall, and fourth in class. Honegger partnered
David Loring
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
at the
Daytona Finale The Daytona Finale was a sports car race held at the infield road course of the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was held from 1972 until 1986, and again in 1996, by the IMSA GT Championship. The race was revived ...
, but another retirement followed; this time after 64 laps, restricting them to 45th overall.
1984
Honegger opted to drive alongside Loring and
David Weitzenhof at the
1984 24 Hours of Daytona, but they crashed out after 187 laps, and were classified 54th overall, and 21st in the GTP category. The Mazda GTP then remained unused until the
Lime Rock Grand Prix
The Lime Rock Grand Prix (2010 name: Memorial Day Classic) is a sports car race held at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States on the Memorial Day weekend. It had been a part of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, SCCA Nation ...
seven rounds later, where Honegger was able to finish the race, albeit five laps down on the winner, and in ninth place. At the
6 Hours of Watkins Glen
The Six Hours of Watkins Glen (currently sponsored as the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen) is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race dates from 1948, and has been a part of the ...
, Loring drove alongside
Frank Jellinek, and was able to finish in tenth overall, and eighth in class. The upturn in reliability continued at the
Road America 500
The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America (formerly the Road America 500) is a sports car racing, sports car race held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The event began in 1950, and in 1951 was added to the SCCA National S ...
, where Jellinek, Loring and Honegger finished 13th overall, and eleventh in class. The final race of the season for the Mazda GTP came at the
Grand Prix at Pocono, where Honegger and Loring finished 15th overall, and tenth in the GTP category.
1985
Although Honegger attempted to run himself and Loring in the eighth and ninth round of the IMSA GT Championship in 1985, it would not be until the tenth round, which was the
Watkins Glen Grand Prix
The Six Hours of Watkins Glen (currently sponsored as the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen) is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race dates from 1948, and has been a part of the ...
, before the Mazda GTP ran again.
Loring was the sole driver, but retired after 27 laps, and could do no better than 18th. After another break of four races, Loring and Honegger entered the Grand Prix at Pocono, and were able to take tenth overall, and second in the GTP Lights category. Loring could not repeat this success in the next round, which was the
New York 500
The Crown Royal 200 at the Glen was a Rolex Sports Car Series race held at Watkins Glen International. The race was first run in 1984 by the IMSA GT Championship. The "New York 500" initially was a second Watkins Glen round running for a shorter ...
; he retired after 45 laps, and was classified in 36th overall. The final Mazda GTP entry of the 1985 season came at the
Columbus 500, where Loring retired once more; this time, he managed 84 laps, and was classified 14th. This was also the Mazda GTP's last ever race, as two entries in 1986 led to nothing.
Later career
Although the Mazda GTP would never race again, one chassis was purchased by
Erie Scientific Racing, and rebuilt to become the
Badger BB. This car made its debut in the hands of Jellinek and
John Grooms at the
1986 Road America 500, where they finished 18th overall, and eighth in the GTP Lights category. This car's best ever finish would come at the
1987 24 Hours of Daytona, where Grooms, Jellinek,
Tom Bagley
Tom Bagley (born December 3, 1939, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), is a former driver in the USAC, CART Championship Car, IMSA, Formula Atlantic, and Trans-Am Series. He raced Indycars in the 1978-1980 and 1983 seasons, with 42 combined career start ...
and
Augie Pabst
August Uihlein Pabst Jr. is an American sports car driver from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In ten years of racing, he won two national championships - the 1959 USAC and 1960 SSCA road racing championships. Pabst made one NASCAR start at Riverside Intern ...
took 14th overall, and third in class. Honegger, however, retained the other chassis, and rebuilt it into the
Denali Speedcar. This car debuted at the
1986 Lime Rock Grand Prix, where Loring finished ninth overall, and won the GTP Lights category. Loring would also secure the Speedcar's best ever finish at the
1987 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, where he finished fifth overall, and third in class.
References
{{Mazda sportscar racers
IMSA GTP cars
GTP
Sports prototypes