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Le Mans Test: Porsche Throws Down Record Breaking Lap

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by BartonWorkman, May 31, 2015.

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  1. Str8shooter

    Str8shooter Formula 3

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    #51 Str8shooter, Jun 2, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    This one?
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  2. merstheman

    merstheman F1 Rookie

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    #52 merstheman, Jun 2, 2015
    Faster than the 917/30?

    I thought Donohue held the record...
     
  3. ForzaV12

    ForzaV12 Formula 3

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    #53 ForzaV12, Jun 2, 2015
    Yes-with the "qualifying" engine.
    Those Corvettes were far ahead of their time in many ways.

    Yes. Remember Donahue set the closed course record(overall lap average) at Talledega in the slightly modded 917/30(in CAM2 livery). I don't believe the 917/30 ever ran at Daytona.
    The Greenwood car was fastest on the straight/banking at Daytona-not for an entire lap.
     
  4. texasmr2

    texasmr2 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #54 texasmr2, Jun 2, 2015
    220mph in a old school 'Vette, race prepped or not, must have been a hair raising experience.
     
  5. ARTNNYC

    ARTNNYC F1 Rookie
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    #55 ARTNNYC, Jun 2, 2015
    I am all for innovation which is why I enjoy WEC LMP1 cars much more than F1 these days. However, I am going to go out on a limb here and say this Nissan LMP1 car will be a failure. Sometimes innovation is nothing more than experimentation and it does not always work out.
    It seems to me this car has too much digitized theoretical design and not enough practical research about what works and what does not. Especially when competing with a group of other cars which is what the problem with the Delta Wing is. It works great in theory and isolation but not in competition with other traditional cars.
     
  6. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #56 rdefabri, Jun 2, 2015
    I'm in agreement - while I am rooting for them, I think it's probably going to be off the pace. We'll see.
     
  7. ForzaV12

    ForzaV12 Formula 3

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    #57 ForzaV12, Jun 2, 2015
    Actually the Greenwood Corvettes were true back door Skunkworks from GM with input from Duntov, aero experts and GM styling. They were the first with true pontoon fender, fenders that created downforce, rake for downforce, adjustable wing, exit pathways for air pressure and even an undertray diffuser(banned)-Porsche and BMW copied much from the Corvette team. Rules required the stock suspension and frame. Greenwood built a triangulated cage that encapsulated the stock frame. A single leaf in the rear transverse spring met the letter of the rules, even though the revolutionary Greenwood coil over, five link suspension did all the work.
    With special Can Am big blocks(rumored over 800hp in some cases), they were fearsome machines and usually the fastest on track. They did win races and a championship, but small team pit work and bad luck prevented many more wins. No room for error against the factory BMW and Porsche teams.

    I have an alloy big block 69 Corvette that has been timed at 186 with a basically stock body-scary stuff! The Greenwood cars were sweet to drive.
     
  8. Str8shooter

    Str8shooter Formula 3

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    #58 Str8shooter, Jun 2, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  9. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran

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    #59 BartonWorkman, Jun 2, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2015
    The WM Peugeots were built for speed, very low slung, narrow (by Group C standards) and
    Roger Dorchy touched 251MPH before being called in to park the car after setting the
    (then) standard.

    That was before the chicanes as Marc remembers and when there were only two tiers of
    barrier.

    Too bad we didn't get to see more of those WM Peugeot cars, they would have been a blast
    to see on the banking at Daytona.

    It would be surprising to see anyone go out and better that speed this year, but given the
    power of the hybrid Porsches and Audis, they could just do it.

    BHW
     
  10. Turbopanzer

    Turbopanzer F1 World Champ

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    #60 Turbopanzer, Jun 2, 2015
    I am willing to bet that Porsche does it and breaks it without difficulty. I think this is the year they remind everyone that they still own LeMans.
     
  11. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #61 rdefabri, Jun 3, 2015
    Looks like 2 different cars there. #76 driven by Greenwood and Darniche is the car that hit 220mph down Mulsanne.

    Some great stories about how that all came to be, and how Jacques Laffite was originally pegged as co-driver.
     
  12. ForzaV12

    ForzaV12 Formula 3

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    #62 ForzaV12, Jun 4, 2015
    Neither it was in #75 Sebring livery-236 and change on the bank. He also set the closed course speed record in 76 at Daytona at a few MPH under 200. Donohue was faster at Talladega at 221. Bill Elliott ran 213 in the T-Bird. Unofficial record by Rusty Wallace in an unrestricted stock car at 223. All at Talladega. Good stuff.
     
  13. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran

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    #63 BartonWorkman, Jun 5, 2015
    Remember well the Greenwood Corvettes especially from the days John Greenwood was the
    promoter of the 12 Hours of Sebring (1976-1978).

    Those Monster Vettes were truly remarkable, huge ground-shaking behemoths compared
    to the compact Porsches and BMWs of the day. They were usually fast as noted, but proved
    fragile and rarely, if ever, finished the endurance events.

    In 1976, we were situated on the outside of the Chicane with a clear view up to the Hairpin.
    On the first lap, Greenwood in the Vette and Peter Gregg in the BMW 3.0 CSL had a big collision
    exiting the Hairpin. Fiberglass went flying in every direction and they both limped back to the
    pits for repairs.

    The Corvette continued on although covered with 200MPH tape, the Gregg/Haywood BMW
    pitted with far more serious damage to it's radiator which was situated just ahead of the
    left rear tire area and dropped down the order.

    The Greenwood Vette eventually ran off at Turn One (when it was original and flat out) and
    the BMW returned to finish seventh overall with Gregg and Haywood setting virtual qualifying
    laps the remainder of the race with the BMW screaming all the way around the 5.2 mile
    track.

    Greenwood is now headquartered near Orlando and last I heard from his brother, Burt, last
    year he was having some health issues.

    BHW
     
  14. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ

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    #64 Nembo1777, Jun 6, 2015
    Thanks for the memories:)

    You were lucky though, at some point in the sixties at Maison blanche a Cobra collided with another car at night and went into the grass where some spectators stood with fatal results but no one, us included, would have known any better back then, just look at crowds in rallying.

    MS
     
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