Daytona Prototypes: The Old and the New

[Layla's Keeper]

Well folks, as of 2008 the Grand American Road Racing Association is allowing major revisions to the aerodynamic and chassis packages of their existing competitors as well as introducing new manufacturers to the Daytona Prototype ranks.

So, I thought it'd be fun to talk about the outgoing chassis (Multimatic, Picchio, Doran) and the incoming (Lola, Rohr, Sabre, Dallara) as well as the revisions to the remaining stalwarts (Fabcar, Crawford, Riley, Chase).

Starting with the outgoing, we're looking at two of the least successful DP chassis in Multimatic and Picchio, and one of the most successful in Doran.

Multimatic made waves by taking the first ever class win for a Daytona Prototype, outlasting the competition at the 2003 Daytona 24 Hours, but it's Ford-only design, questionable aerodynamics, and child-frightening looks meant that the Multimatic was left high and dry when the 2004 season (and Riley and Crawford) started.

Oddly enough, though, where the Multimatic's story ends is where the Lola story begins. In 2007, Lola and GARRA powerhouse team Krohn Racing formed the Proto-Auto partnership and purchased the assets of the Multimatic operation (including the Multimatic DP production contract and chassis intellectual rights). This partnership has produced Lola's own Daytona Prototype, of which Krohn will campaign two Pontiac powered examples in 2008.

Then we have the Picchio. Up until recently, it's one true distinction was that it was the only foreign-built/designed DP. Aside from that, it was slow, unreliable, and an infrequent competitor. It showed early promise, advertising a factory Maserati engine program, but that never materialized. Another flash of wonder was the promise that the Picchio would become the works Alfa Romeo DP, which also never happened. Now, Picchio is relinquishing their constructor status to become part of the Cheever/Fabcar consortium as an aerodynamic consultant. I know this much, we'll miss the funky nosewing.

Finally, the inaugural GARRA Daytona Prototype constructor's champion, the 2004 Daytona 24hrs winner, the Doran JE4. Always my favorite DP, partially because Doran Racing is based out of Lebanon, Ohio, this car has been in constant competition since the class began. In 2007, Kevin Doran ran the car on a limited schedule with Memo Gidley as the driver. The car was always strong, even though it wasn't quite a race winner anymore. Going into the final round at Miller, the Doran received a host of under-the-skin improvements to fix fundamental geometry and weight distribution issues in preparation for the JE4's swan song.

You see, the 2008 Daytona 24 Hours will be the final event for the works Doran JE4, as Kevin Doran has arranged a partnership with longtime sports car competitors Dallara. In Homestead, the Dorans will go away and both Kevin Doran Racing and Wayne Taylor/Suntrust Racing will debut brand new Dallara chassis, which will essentially be the MkII JE4 wearing fresh Dallara-designed aerodynamic bodywork. It'll be sad to see the little guys from Ohio going away, but it's great to welcome Dallara to the sport.

We'll discuss the incoming cars; Lola, Dallara, Sabre, and Rohr in an upcoming post.

 

[JohnBM01]

Okay. It's been well-documented that I dislike Daytona Prototypes. I dislike Daytona Prototypes, but my favorite team (one who I greatly respect in the GARRA) is the Suntrust Mortgage team. I do think the newer cars seem to be better styled and more aerodynamic than past variants. I've grown accustomed to the Crawfords the most, and perhaps even the Fabcars too. There's even an rFactor mod focusing in on the Porsche Fabcars. I remembered earlier pictures of Picchio's next car, based on the beautiful Alfa Romeo 8C. But what Picchio has come up with is a rather lovely Daytona Prototype. Their prescence as well as the use of BMW and/or Maserati power gives Grand-Am more international appeal in terms of engine and chassis combinations.

Now, Layla's Keeper, you actively follow these machines. What do you think the future holds for these Daytona Prototypes? And would you agree with me if I said that Daytona Prototypes need to very closely resemble (in any sort of fashion) road-going cars? As a funny question, do you think one developer would come up with a Daytona Prototype STREET CAR?

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Well, John, Picchio DID lend an international flavor to the DP grid, but as I said they've relinquished their constructor status (had to, GARRA rules dictate that to keep constructor status you must field a car in at least one championship round in the previous season, no Picchios in '07 means no more Picchio's in '08).

The pictures I've shown were from the intial Picchio reveal. The Maserati engine package never happened, and the car mostly ran with BMW power (which is not a factory-backed program, the BMW M5 V8's are developed by American BMW tuner Dinan).

There will be no 2008 Picchio, nor will there be an aerodynamic or chassis update to the existing Picchio chassis. Instead, Picchio is now an aerodynamic consulting partner to the Cheever/Fabcar consortium.



Now, to answer your question, I don't think that an "active resemblance" to street cars is anymore necessary to Daytona Prototypes than it is to Le Mans Prototypes. How much street car is in a Zytek, Radical, Creation, Dome, or Lola? When has AER or Judd ever produced a road-going engine? The Acuras are reskinned Courages, the Porsches are V8 powered, and the Audis are Dallara tubs. However, LMP racing is widely popular and celebrated because it is close, exciting racing, especially as the rules have now stabilized.

The link to road cars in Daytona Prototype racing is through the engines. Rules dictate a production engine in DP's, and this is reflected by each company. Porsche has long relied on their 3.6L flat-six, and in order to be more competitive is introducing a 5.0L Cayenne V8 (Spirit of Daytona Racing has used this engine in a Fabcar since this year's Sunchaser 1000). The Pontiac engine is a sleeved and destroked LS2. The Lexus engine? A swollen LS430 lump. Ford's engine is the same 5.0L that's in the back of the GT, and I've already laid out the Dinan tuned M5 V8 that BMW entries use.

Granted, that the bulk of the selection are DOHC 5.0L V8's makes for very similar power curves up and down the grid, but that's not without its purpose. Oddly enough, there is no specific limitation in the rules disallowing anything larger or other layouts, since GARRA performs performance balancing to assist struggling packages (the Porsche flat six has run mostly unrestricted throughout its tenure as a DP engine). Generally speaking, I believe it's because of the compact and predictable nature of a 5.0L V8 that most manufacturers have arrived at that package.

What the future holds for Daytona Prototypes starts in 2008. I know this fully. In 2008, we have the first new constructors added to the list since 2003. Sabre and (disputedly) Rohr are 100% new constructors who've been developing and testing their cars since 2003. Lola and Dallara have come in by buying out existing constructors' licenses (Multimatic and Doran, respectively) and are odds on favorites to turn the tables on the Riley juggernaught. The remaining constructors (Chase, Riley, Crawford, and Fabcar) all have updates to their hardware including revised geometry and fresh bodywork to up the ante against the heavyweight Dallara and Lola efforts.

What's more, according to GARRA rules, these new cars will be in competition until 2012 (4 year guaranteed rules stability) AND existing chassis are still legal under the rules. Theoretically, a small local team could buy a cast-off '03-'07 generation car and enter a Rolex series race in their region and have a solid showing even against the newer cars.

This sort of rules continuity and stability is supposed to be part of what makes GARRA Daytona Prototype racing so appealing to competitors. Take one look at what's happened to Intersport. In the space of one season, they've gone from Lola-AER LMP2, to Creation-Judd LMP1, to Lola-AER LMP1, and now reportedly back to Lola-AER LMP2 for 2008 (except with the new Lola Coupe chassis). All of that just to try and figure out what package they should be running under the current rules, which are due to be upended in 2010 anyways.

Not everyone has Jon Field's money or willingness to tool around at the back of the grid. The GARRA concept works for those teams who'd like to be at the sharp end of a sportscar grid, aren't too concerned about that big race in France, and don't have especially deep pockets. Granted, it's Chip Ganassi, Bob Stallings, and Wayne Taylor at the very front, but little teams like Sigalsport, AIM, Michael Shank Racing, and Spirit of Daytona have all shown you don't have to have the deepest pockets to get the most out of the DP package.

 

[V1P3R]

Until they deuglyfy their cars they'll have one less fan watching...

 

[ND4SPD]

Until they deuglyfy their cars they'll have one less fan watching...

I watch races for the racing, not the way a car looks......

 

[V1P3R]

I watch for both...

 

[JohnBM01]

I best know Rohr for those multi-colored Porsche 911 GT1's from the style of racing I've wanted to see so badly and never got a chance to. "Sports Car GT" had a gold Porsche 911 GT1 with some multicolor accents. I can just say more power to all competing this season and in future seasons.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

VIP3R, I don't think you're giving the DP's a fair chance but that's just my feeling. On top of that, you'd be flat daft to say that a Lister or Lucchini is any prettier than a Multimatic or Picchio.

John, the Rohr you're thinking of and the new constructor are one and the same. They've had their DP on the drawing board since 2003, but like Sabre were dropped from the intial constructor list.

Their first concept was actually Honda powered and carried many NSX styling cues. While it's uncertain from the rendering what would change since the Honda V6 was never homologated, we can get a good idea of what Rohr would put on the grid in '08.

Sabre is more set for '08 than Rohr, as they've been officially announced (Rohr is still in the approval process). Again, only renders of a Pontiac-powered machine are available, but what's been proposed is reportedly going to be pretty potent.

Of all the new entrants, Lola is the furthest along. Their car is already on track and was officially introduced to the public at a Road Atlanta test session. However, only this official photo has been released of the car.

 

[JohnBM01]

That Rohr model looks to be a cross between the NSX (taillights), Mazda RX-7 (from the 1990s, canopy and sides), and not sure what the front reminds me of. The Sabre model kind of reminds me of a Multimatic. The side profile of the Lola looks very clean. Kind of reminds me of a GTP race car. Believe it or not, I kind of envisioned the Bentley EXP GT (2003 Le Mans outright winner) with this design. I think the Lola DP's are going to look great. Hopefully their great-looking DP model will translate to wins with the right crew in play.

I've been knocking Daytona Prototypes for the longest, but I'll admit. This has come along very well and have a much brighter future ahead. They buy them, they tune them, they race them, they win. As I've said before, I've grown respect for Suntrust Racing. I'll have these boys to win the DP title, if not just put up a heck of a fight all next season. It will really be interesting to see these newer cars hit the track and show what they are made of. Like Grand-Am or not, things are looking up for these Daytona Prototype racers and teams.

 

[V1P3R]

After seeing those concept pics no I don't want to change my statement. I think a 5 yr old could draw up better looking concepts. lol

 

[RACECAR]

Sabre is more set for '08 than Rohr, as they've been officially announced (Rohr is still in the approval process). Again, only renders of a Pontiac-powered machine are available, but what's been proposed is reportedly going to be pretty potent.

Hmmm, this body shape looks alot like the Riley MK IV with the exception of the Sides and Rear Wing.

Of all the new entrants, Lola is the furthest along. Their car is already on track and was officially introduced to the public at a Road Atlanta test session. However, only this official photo has been released of the car.

Wow. I'm already loving this new car. I pretty much figured Lola was gonna design a very nice DP as their prototypes always look great. Say LK, I read on the Grand-am site that the Riley DP teams did a test with their new Aero package. Are there any pictures of this test?

 

[Layla's Keeper]

RACECAR, John, everytime I look at the Sabre I think "Riley with a Crawford nose" myself.

As of yet, RACECAR, there are no pictures of the new Riley aero package. As well, the new Crawford aero package remains tightly under wraps and there really aren't any good photos of the new Dallara, either.

Riley, of course, is in the catbird's seat going into 2008. They have the most teams under contract, including an expansion of the Jim Matthews factory Riley team that's created a two-car partnership with 2007 champions Bob Stallings/Gainsco as well as 2007 runners-up Chip Ganassi.

The 2008 Riley is, according to most accounts, supposed to be a mild upgrade that massages the basic Riley package. The idea being to not make existing MkXI customers feel they have to upgrade right away to stay competitive. Very few teams are expected to run the new aero package at the 24, but expect to see it out at the January test.

Crawford, long regarded as the most attractive Daytona Prototype, is in serious trouble. Rob Dyson's chosen to focus on his Porsche LMP2 effort in the ALMS (rightfully so, since Dyson's proven he can beat the Acuras). Howard-Boss has scaled back their program, and Cheever is now the majority owner of Fabcar. This basically has left Alex Job Racing as the sole Crawford operation. To this point, Crawford hasn't even mentioned their updates, so things look grim in that camp.

On the other hand, Fabcar looks ready to shake the grid up in a big way. Cheever Racing, having bought up the Fabcar company and signed on Picchio as an aerodynamic consultant have fixed many of the aerodynamic and geometric woes of the oldest DP chassis. Although losing Brumos to Riley was a blow to the organization, at the Sunchaser 1000 they gained longtime GARRA team Spirit of Daytona, who's also homologated the new Porsche Cayenne 5.0L V8 to replace the struggling flat-six.

Here you can really see the difference between the original Fabcar and the Ian Waitt refresh of the Fabcar. The all new Picchio-Cheever-Fabcar promises to be even more radical a step forward.

 

[RACECAR]

Well, I always thought the Crawford was the best looking Daytona Prototype along with and the new Fabcar. Say, What do you think about the new Lola DP? Also, You mentioned that GARRA rules dictate that to keep constructor status you must field a car in at least one championship round in the previous season. Well, there was one Multimatic at the montreal race despite the loss of their constructors license to lola so what does that mean for that car?

Until they deuglyfy their cars they'll have one less fan watching...

Then, whats the point of posting in thread about the exact cars you don't like? Kinda defeats the purpose of joining the discussion if you don't even like them at all.

By The Way "pulls out pocket dictionary and types in bolded word"

No definition found for [B]deuglyfy[/B]

Also, new article on the lola DP test:
DP test

 

[Layla's Keeper]

RACECAR, I'll handle your questions separately. They're both pretty good ones.

Say, What do you think about the new Lola DP?

I think I need to see more of it to come up with a complete opinion, but from the side view that has been leaked I am completely fascinated with Lola's aerodynamic approach to the sidepods. They've more heavily sculptured the sidepods on their chassis than any other constructor, and I wish I had access to the CFD data that led them to do this as I have no idea what the aim is. Presumedly, it's to clean up the air exiting the front wheelwell before it's disturbed by the rear wheels, but that's just an armchair Postlethwaite at work.

Well, there was one Multimatic at the montreal race despite the loss of their constructors license to lola so what does that mean for that car?

Fortunately, it means nothing at all. Part of the GARRA rulebook aim is to maintain continuous legality for all approved chassis introduced under the Daytona Prototype legislation. Multimatic, which sold their license to the Krohn/Lola partnership, will no longer produce Multimatic chassis. However, Multimatic chassis will still be legal for use by GARRA competitors.

On a totally unrelated note, it appears that Rohr has changed the renders that I used from their site, so SURPRISE, new Rohr renders above!

 

[RACECAR]

I think I need to see more of it to come up with a complete opinion, but from the side view that has been leaked I am completely fascinated with Lola's aerodynamic approach to the sidepods. They've more heavily sculptured the sidepods on their chassis than any other constructor, and I wish I had access to the CFD data that led them to do this as I have no idea what the aim is. Presumedly, it's to clean up the air exiting the front wheelwell before it's disturbed by the rear wheels, but that's just an armchair Postlethwaite at work.

Does seem so. And it seems to have taken a small styling que from the multimatic on the front as well as the Green house cab which reminds me alot of the Doran JE-4.

Fortunately, it means nothing at all. Part of the GARRA rulebook aim is to maintain continuous legality for all approved chassis introduced under the Daytona Prototype legislation. Multimatic, which sold their license to the Krohn/Lola partnership, will no longer produce Multimatic chassis. However, Multimatic chassis will still be legal for use by GARRA competitors.

Okay, thats all I wanted to know was if that particular car could still race. I wish someone could take that car and do what Cheever racing did for the Fabcar as I would hate for it to go. It has been a winner and it would be good if it could be modified to do that again.

On a totally unrelated note, it appears that Rohr has changed the renders that I used from their site, so SURPRISE, new Rohr renders above!

Wow, much better then the first two. Apparently, they still are going for the Honda power.

 

[JohnBM01]

I guess I sometimes imagine certain designs in cars. Like when I see the Porsche Fabcars, I sometimes think of the 1998 Porsche 911 GT1. I think of the Saleen S7R with some other DPs. Get my drift? I like the wide and mean GT-style cars. I also sometimes imagine more exotic LMP bodies... with a canopy over them... which leads me to imagining these the way I do. I guess this has been my draw to these sort of designs for Daytona Prototypes. I'm more used to traditional sportscar racing like in the ALMS or in Grand-Am before 2003. I also am used to the old IMSA GTP cars of the 1980s and the early 1990s even though I wasn't a race fan then to really appreciate them better. It's been the reason I've never regarded these machines to be superior, beautiful, and capable. But that's me. I'm more used to international competition. I'm an American, but I always feel that you make your real money on a world stage.



--- My Personal Commentary About Grand-Am ---

Having said all of this, I think Daytona Prototypes are the best race cars built in America or at least catered to America. This is speaking as a sportscar racing guy. I don't think they were overly designed to be superior in every sense of the word. What these machines really are are machines that can sufficiently handle the demands of the NASCAR-like (in terms of intensity and competition) action in America and Canada. These machines were projected to be the future of Grand-Am announced back in 2002 and born in 2003. Daytona Prototypes didn't win their first outright race until the second round of the 2003 season (think: Stuttgart and K. Buckler). However, these machines provide door-to-door action while being real capable for what they are. I'm sure they are not as expensive to run and maintain since there are a lot of these cars that compete at a time for a race event. It's also why you see DPs and GTs race different races, or only just exclusive events for DP and GT competitors. I've knocked Grand-Am since introducing the Daytona Prototypes. Does it mean I hate the series? No. I do stick around to watch the race for as long as I can. I've grown great respect for Suntrust Racing. I loved watching the Pontiac GTO.R machines. The selling point of sportscar racing is diversity. You get that in this series with a variety of cars from a variety of different makers. Same goes for the different automakers that went through all the trouble developing these Daytona Prototypes to race the premier race cars for this series. If you want to be in the highest class of racing in Grand-Am? Get a Daytona Prototype. These are the best American sportscar racing today. This concepts has come a long way. You see more of these being raced in Grand-Am with a number of teams. Love the series or hate it, you have to admit this DP package is working quite well and gives the series its own distinction. The sky is going to be the limit as to how far this series can go with these cars and this kind of action.



Did I mention that I still dig the Lola DP? ^_^

 

[JohnBM01]

Layla's Keeper, I was reading your post from Post #12 about replacing the Flat Six Porsche engine for the homologated Porsche Cayenne's 5.0 liter V8. Think this will give the Porsche-powered DP competitors an edge over the competition?

 

[Motominded]

never liked it!

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Well, the problem is that so far the only team signed on to use the Cayenne V8 is Spirit of Daytona, who's replaced their long-serving Pontiac Crawford with a new Cheever/Fabcar.

SoD isn't a big team, and Cheever Racing intends to use the Pontiac instead of the Porsche, so that leaves only Brumos and Alex Job amongst Porsche competitors. Neither has mentioned a switch to the Cayenne V8, so I'd assume they'll keep with the flat six.

Where the V8 would do the most good, honestly, is in packaging. Every other engine in GARRA is a 5.0L V8, so naturally the cars are predominantly engineered around that geometry. The nominal center of gravity benefits aside, the Porsche teams have all required special gearboxes to deal with the difference in geometry. In 2006, Alex Job Racing was by far and away the FASTEST car at Daytona, but the one-off gearbox and oddball geometry of the Porsche F6 layout meant that the car was shedding rear halfshafts throughout the race.

Honestly, properly developed the Cayenne V8 could be a more reliable and more predictable alternative to the strained flat-six, but at the moment the program is still focused on the flat-six, so the Cayenne V8 probably won't have the combination of power and reliabilty needed this year.

 

[RACECAR]

The new Riley in action

In comparison to the old Riley, alongside our soon to be departed DP, the Doran JE-4.

The lola

Maybe its just me, but does this car scream "Multimatic" or what? Its like someone just Smoothed out the rough edges. As for the new riley, It seems like its gone to its roots a bit. Though there isn't alot of new things to see(not easy to tell when its black), The rear wheel wells remind me of the MK IIIB and MKIIIC. I can't wait to see what Dallara has. And I'm gonna miss the Doran. I guess its appropriate that its last race is here where it shined best.


Oh and LK, You might want to read this:

Featuring a brand name made legendary by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, Jr., Coyote Cars, LLC, a race car manufacturing company owned by fellow Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever, Jr., has unveiled its first offering in the form of a Grand-Am prototype chassis.

Cheever Group Revives Coyote Chassis Brand; Unveils New Daytona Prototype For Rolex 24

 

[RACECAR]

Now here is a very interesting shot:

Though not by much, this picture shows the improvements of the MK XX over the MK XI in a more clear view. You can see the improvement on the shape of the wheel wells and the small improvement to the Greenhouse cab. A minor update, but boy does it scream 1999 to me.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

The Riley MkXX is a fair improvement on the MkXI aesthetically. The sidepods are tidier, the tail detailing is cleaner, and the resculpted nose is refreshing over the blunt MkXI.

Now, here's an interesting one. Here's the new Coyote.

 

[RACECAR]

The Riley MkXX is a fair improvement on the MkXI aesthetically. The sidepods are tidier, the tail detailing is cleaner, and the resculpted nose is refreshing over the blunt MkXI.

Its very interesting just for the mere fact that the blunt nose was what often characterised the Rileys, even the Cadillac LMP from 2000.

Now, here's an interesting one. Here's the new Coyote.

Damn, you beat me to it.


Here's the Test in action:





Oh and LK, The Cayenne V8 is actually not prepared by Porsche, but by the Lazzaro brothers just as the BMW engine is prepared by Steve Dinan.

 

[JohnBM01]

Those Coyote DPs kind of remind me of the Doran. This design seems much cleaner than most DPs of the past. Still, reminds me a whole lot of the Doran Daytona Prototypes in its design. I know the cars are in testing trim, but I'd love to see more of these cars with full color to show off the lines. I think these machines are starting to be designed much cleaner than in the past. A big plus to this machine as opposed to some past DPs include how the canopy is made. The design is very clean and not bulky. This may be the first season in which I've commended the design of Daytona Prototypes rather than willingly knock them. And if I may, the lights and grill of those Coyotes kind of remind me of my all-time favorite race car- the Ferrari 333SP. I haven't seen "Momo" in yellow letters with the rest of the car covered in Ferrari Red (would Ferrari even take part in this?), but it seems to remind me of my beloved 333SP.

Good stuff. Even if you loathe Daytona Prototypes, you have to admit the designs are getting better. Far from perfect, but much further along.

 

[RACECAR]

Say guys, check out the new Grand-Am site

 

[JohnBM01]

What are the real significant changes to these DP's you like most, Layla's Keeper?

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Well, my personal favorite significant change that's happened to the DP's isn't really a visible modification to any one car, but is instead the single sweeping change made to the entire grid: Pirelli Tires Replacing Hoosier

The jump in lap speeds has already been phenomenal, and the drivers have all commented on how much better the Pirellis are at the end of a long stint compared to the Hoosiers.

Hoosier is one of my favorite tire companies, and the risk they took with GARRA on the Daytona Prototype concept was huge, but the move to Pirelli looks to be a move towards faster, closer, better racing for all involved.

Barring that, I'm waiting on the Homestead unveiling of the new Dallara because I'm a Doran fan above all the others, though the Riley MkXX is damnably impressive looking.

 

[RACECAR]

Say guys, Their is a Rolex Sports Car Series Thread If you haven't already seen it.

 

[RACECAR]

Say guys, Remember the Krohn Racing Lola from the test days?

Pontiac Lola

Well, For some reason it doesn't appear we will see it this weekend at the Rolex 24. This picture right here seems to hint it: Pontiac Riley