The Early Years: 1984 |
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Yours truly in 1970. | |
| 1984 Sports Renault Pro Schedule June 24: Detroit “F1” street course (Invitational event, 16 car field), Winner:Dave Weitzenhof August: Road Atlanta, Winner: Ben Burrell August: Charlotte, Winner: Tom Dalrymple October 14: Road Atlanta, Winner: Willy Lewis Total 1984 Purse:$50,500 Top 1984 Money Winner: Tom Dalrymple - $6,200  BULLETIN #3 SPORTS RENAULT NEWS CAPSULE: To date we have processed 217 orders for SCCA Sports Renault racing cars. Daily inquiries have leveled out at about a dozen. We had over 90 inquiries for dealer information, and 34 submitted formal proposals. We have employed Dave Weitzenhof as program test driver, and the first phase of testing has been completed with excellent results. We have also hired a Sports Renault Program Administrator, Patc Henry, who is currently working on the various contractual arrangements including setting up the distributor network. The rules are into the final approval stages. Negotiations are ongoing with major series sponsors. The formal introduction of the Sports Renault racing car is being choreographed. 1) Testing: The opening round of track testing took place at Roebling Road near Savannah, Georgia, February 9-10. Roebling Road was chosen for a number of reasons, not the least of which is characteristically good winter weather. In that regard, we were blessed with clear skies for two balmy days with temperatures creeping up into the 70’s. Roebling is also a well known chassis set-up track being made up of a series of long, fast sweepers with quick transitions that really load the suspension. The project test driver is Dave Weitzenhof who is in the employ of the SCCA with the blessing of Renault Jeep/Sport. If you’re the kind of person who would have difficulty naming one Formula Ford driver, you may not have heard of Dave Weitzenhof who is the first of only two drivers ever to win both the President’s Cup and the Road Racing Drivers Club Mark Donohue Trophy. Dave earned the President’s Cup for his memorable rain performance in winning the 1972 Formula Vee national championship at Road Atlanta. Weitzenhof is probably best known as being the only driver to have won three Formula Ford national championships (1977, 1979, and 1981). In the real world, Dave is a suspension engineer with Firestone and has a PhD in Engineering Mechanics from Case Institute. The testing rolled along without a single hitch. Based upon Weitzenhof’s concise observations, his lap times, and tire temperatures and pressures, changes were made one at at a time in sway bars and bar settings, springs, shocks and shock settings, tire pressures, ride height brake bias, camber and toe-in. Beginning with a very soft baseline set-up, Dave gradually dialed in the little race car through a series of 26 five to eight lap bursts around the 2 mile, 7 turn circuit. Early Friday afternoon, after a particularly quick set of laps, Weitzenhof declared, “The car is handling now in such a way that just about anybody could drive it with some degree of confidence. The car is giving me the feel and predictability that I had with the outboard suspension Z16.” That’s the Citation Zink that Dave won the Run-Offs with in 1981. With the sway bars, springs, and shocks now selected, we then tested at extremes of adjustment to determine if the car would still be driveable throughout the full range of possible settings. It was. Weitzenhof declared, “This set-up gives us a good, workable range of adjustment. We’ve got us a nice little race car here.” From the performance standpoint, the test car ran comfortably in the HP-GT5 lap record range with good, torquey throttle response. After 350 miles of testing, we were still using the same brake pads and tires, street radials originally cut to 3/32nds and still showing tread all around. Mechanically the car performed flawlessly throughout the test. Nonetheless, back at their new Michigan facility, Renault Jeep/Sport engineers completely disassembled the car and carefully examined every part. No problem areas were found. By the time you read this, final tire testing will be underway and the results of those tests will be disseminated shortly. Also coming up on the pre-delivery schedule is a demonstration race now set tentatively for the weekend of the Spring Sprints at Charlotte Motor Speedway, April 13-15. The actual 12 lap race is scheduled for Sunday afternoon around 3:50 PM. The purpose of this exercise is to obtain feedback from drivers in traffic, under race conditions. Drivers for the cars have already been chosen based upon a reputation of not only being quick but also of being good test drivers. When plans for this demonstration are finalized, we will include them in another Bulletin so you can make your own plans to attend. If no major problems crop up at Charlotte, current plans call for deliveries of the first cars to commence about two weeks after the demonstration race. 2) The SCCA Sports Renault Administrator is Patricia K. Henry who goes by “Patc”, pronounced "Patsy". Mrs. Henry is a 20 year SCCA member who comes to Englewood from Omaha, Nebraska, where she served the Nebraska Region in a variety of capacities including Regional Executive. Patc holds a National race stewards license in the Midwest Division. She became interested in the Sports Renault program at the Run-Offs last fall when the prototype was introduced and immediately filed a resume with the SCCA national office. Having been owner and manager of an auto parts store, general manager and bookkeeper for an oil and gasoline distributor, and commodities manager for a brokerage house, Mrs. Henry brings to the position of Sports Renault Administrator an excellent business background to complement her years of service to the club. Patc is currently handling all inquiries and car orders, has done a thorough analysis of the feedback from members regarding the rules, is working closely with the Directors and Competition Board to formulate the rules, is working with those parties who have submitted proposals to become Sports Renault distributors, is working with a committee of the Board of Directors who will make the final distributor selections, is working with our attorneys to draft the various working contracts we need to put this program in place, and is developing the systems and strategies to handle the myriad logistical problems facing us as we essentially start up a new car company. 3) Rules: Based on the feedback responses we received, two distinct schools of thought are identifiable regarding engine and drive train components. The dominant group (with respect to numbers) would prefer some positive means to insure that racers do not fiddle with their engines. The other, somewhat smaller group which was made up predominantly of active Formula Ford and Sports 2000 competitors, wanted blueprinting and no restrictions on maintenance. All, however, wanted strict enforcement of the rules, whatever form they might take. At this point, we had to face several great realities: a) Given the opportunity, some drivers will cheat
and some will not. Now we recognize that your average low bucks racer/fiddler can save money by doing his own basic maintenance work. We also recognize that the well heeled competitor will farm his maintenance work out and will happily pay something extra for an “edge”. Now the price of being competitive has gone up across the board. We have looked long and hard at this program and what it means in terms of the price of being competitive. We feel that, over the long haul, an unusually restrictive set of rules and strong enforcement has the best chance of controlling the cost of racing. What seems to run a little more today in terms of maintenance costs, 5 years from now will cost much less than if we have slipped into the demon-tweak-of-the-week syndrome which has so driven up the cost of racing in a couple of Sports Renault's “low-cost racing” predecessors... Formulas Ford and Vee for example. We also feel that if you’ve absolutely got to fiddle with your car, you can go run any one of our 22 other classes, including showroom stock, and fiddle to your wallet’s content. The latest thinking regarding sealed components revolves around the sealing of everything in the engine and drive train. Competitors may break seals to effect repairs in an emergency. A rather simple procedure to document broken seals is being designed to allow SCCA to police emergency work without compromising the rules or causing major hassle to the competitor. The next Sports Renault Bulletin should be out in
2 to 3 weeks and will include a set of Sports Renault rules. We will also outline several
scenarios based upon questions you’ve asked, to demonstrate how the rules will deal
with a variety of logistical and technical situations.
BULLETIN #4 1) Customer Service Representatives: The Sports Renault “dealers” have been chosen. For contractual purposes, these folks will be referred to as “customer service representatives” or “CSR’s”. Eleven territories have been established with customer reps being selected from among some 40 applicants. These companies will service Sports Renault competitors at all National and professional races and at many regional events within their assigned area of responsibility and will also provide parts and technical support. The territories are as follows: NORTHEAST DIVISION SOUTHEAST DIVISION - NORTH SOUTHEAST DIVISION - FLORIDA SOUTHWEST DIVISION CENTRAL DIVISION - EAST CENTRAL DIVISION - WEST MIDWEST DIVISION - EAST MIDWEST DIVISION - WEST NORTHERN PACIFIC DIVISION - SOUTH NORTHERN PACIFIC DIVISION - NORTHWEST SOUTHERN PACIFIC DIVISION Contracts among customer representatives, Renault Jeep/Sport, and SCCA are currently being drafted. All Sports Renault reps will provide car assembly, vehicle maintenance and repair service, a complete parts inventory, an engine exchange program, technical support, and track service at most events. Other services that we have heard some of the reps discussing include car financing, rentals, “running” cars for customers, and a line of racing accessories such as trailers. Consult your local rep for details. Renault Jeep/Sport is planning a line of Sports Renault clothing that the customer reps will handle. 2) The Charlotte Test Race: The SCCA Sports Renault will make its competition debut at the Spring Sprints at Charlotte Motor Speedway, April 13-15. RJ/S is hoping to have eight cars compete in the 12 lap race scheduled for 3:50 PM, Sunday, April 15th. Drivers for the race were chosen on the basis of their competitive record, their proven testing capabilities, and their knowledge of Charlotte Motor Speedway (no learning curve). The group is as follows (in alphabetical order): JIM BROOKSHIRE. FV National Champion in 1976. Designer and builder of the Agitator Formula Vee. BEN BURRELL. 4 time CSPRRC medalist in Showroom Stock. Considerable radial tire testing experience. ROLLIN BUTLER. Royale U.S.A. factory driver, engineer, and Formula Ford engine builder. FV National Champion in 1973. JEFF CARLIN. Low bucks, talented FFord driver noted for chassis set-up. Has gotten tremendous results from supposedly uncompetitive cars. JOE COGBILL, III. E Production National Champion, 1982 and 1983. Front running SSGT driver. JOHN FINGER. CSPRRC medalist the last 2 years in CP/GT2 in a Mazda RX7. Former front running Super Vee driver and legendary hill climb champion. DAVE WEITZENHOF. Sports Renault project test driver. The only 3 time Formula Ford National Champion. 1972 Formula Vee National Champion. RRDC Mark Donohue Trophy and President’s Cup. The eighth car will be for use by SCCA and will be driven in the race by a staff member. On Friday, licensed members of the SCCA Board of Directors (who, with a few exceptions, have not laid eyes on the car since the CSPRRC) will get to drive their new baby, number 8, while Weitzenhof and company continue the test program. The main purpose of this exercise is a pre-delivery final shakedown. So far, we’ve performed an intensive test program with spectacular results. If no major problems crop up at Charlotte (and none are expected), deliveries will commence shortly thereafter. 3) Prices. The $9,995 basic price tag for the semi-kit (less sales tax, shipping, and battery) stands and will remain fixed for at least 3 years. Below is a listing of suggested retail prices for major vehicle components. This is a first pass at pricing and may not be the final listing. However, it’s very much in the ball park, and any last minute changes in this listing before it is finalized in the next few weeks should not be significant. We felt you needed this pricing information to plan your racing budget. SUGGESTED Front Body Section (Gelcoat)
$795.00 4) Deliveries. Purchasers will receive detailed information on car delivery later, including payment procedure. Basically, there are two delivery options open to purchasers, and you will each be polled as to your preference: delivery by the Renault Jeep/Sport car transporter or customer pick-up at RJ/S in Livonia, Michigan. In 1984, RJ/S deliveries will be made only to your area customer service representative. After 1984, customers will have the option of direct home delivery; but this year, you’ll have to pick up your kit from your customer rep or from RJ/S. The RJ/S vehicle transporter has a lift gate and a hoist to facilitate unloading and minimize the chances of damaging your car. When your kit is in the final stages of pre-delivery, you will be asked specific details on your delivery preference including whether you want you customer rep to assemble and race prep your car. 5) The Detroit Grand Prix. Plans are coming together for a special Sports Renault match race to be held in conjunction with the Detroit Grand Prix. If the current schedule holds up, the match race will be a warm-up for the Formula I race on Sunday. Details in May. 6) Tire Testing. Tire testing was conducted at Roebling Road March 1st and 2nd; excellent candidate high performance radials are in the running to become the “spec” tire, and a final choice will have been made by the Charlotte race. If the same wear characteristics are achieved during a normal racing season as were observed during the tire testing sessions, a couple of sets of 3/32nds shaved radials should easily get you through a 10 to 12 race schedule, barring flat spotting or other damage. So you can kiss those huge tire bills goodbye. Incidentally, the race car continued to perform flawlessly during the tire testing, indicating a potentially high degree of reliability from the Sports Renault. As the engine continued to loosen up, test driver Weitzenhof indicated, “It’s getting so torquey up in 3rd gear that I’m having to feather the throttle some. The accelerator pedal is no longer an on-off button.” 7) Purchasers. The divisional distribution of the first 185 purchasers looks like this: Southeast (40), Midwest (36), Central (35), Northeast (21), Southern Pacific (21), Southwest (21), Northern Pacific (11). 8) The Rules. The rules, as they are printed in this bulletin, have been passed through the Competition Board and are awaiting action by the Board of Directors. It is possible that BoD action will not take place until the weekend of April 13-15 when the Board will meet in special session at Charlotte. Board members with competition licenses will get to drive the car at speed, and all will view the demonstration race. As you read through the rules, realize that all major components of the car will be sold through Renault Jeep/Sport and our customer service reps. In other words, major parts (such as an engine) bought through an AMC/Renault car dealer are not Official SCCA Sports Renault parts and are not legal. Sealed engines and transaxles are part of these rules. Here are the results from the 123 respondents to the questionnaire: 43 voted for sealed engines while 80 voted for no seals. However, of the 80 who voted for no seals, 41 wanted to be able to blueprint their engines while the other 39 did not want seals because they wanted to perform routine or emergency maintenance without having to swap engines. So what you have is the following breakdown: 43 Seal the engine I no maintenance Now that’s a pretty even split. Here’s the way we looked at it. Blueprinting is totally out of the question, if the philosophy of long term, low-cost racing is to be retained. The argument for increased reliability from blueprinting does not hold up for a stock engine, which runs out of breath at 6500. These 1.7 liter Renault engines are manufactured to unusually close tolerances, and dyno tests of power plants pulled off the assembly line at random have measured horsepowers within a very narrow range. For product liability reasons (“implied guarantee” and all that), Renault cannot allow us to publish the results of these dyno tests. But we can tell you that we’ve seen the results, and one problem we will not have is noticeable power differences in new engines. To address the problem of controlling costs in cases where emergency engine maintenance is deemed necessary, we have devised a unique procedure based upon sealed components. The process is described in the addition to the 1984 Sports Racer and Formula Specifications book under Section 3.14, paragraphs 3 and 18. For example: suppose you have blown a head gasket. You are allowed to break the seal between the head and the block and replace the head gasket. However, before you can have the head resealed you must fill out a “Report of Broken/Damaged Seal” detailing exactly what work was done while the seal was broken. In effect, this amounts to an affidavit from you stating that you performed legal repairs on your engine. A number of benefits accrue from this procedure: SCCA knows when an engine has been opened and what work has allegedly been performed. If that car is immediately faster, the work becomes suspect. At this point, another procedure unique to Sports Renault may be invoked which involves the “official” claiming of a competitor’s engine and replacement with an “SCCA” engine. You can follow this procedure by studying the GCR additions: 6.1O.e and 7.15. If the engine is legal, we pay; and you have a new motor. If the engine is illegal, you pay; and then we throw the book at you. Note that second offenders with regards mechanical cheating are out of Sports Renault permanently. Self policing (the filing of mechanical protests) is covered in GCR addition 8.8. As we have emphasized time and again, Sports Renault is not a class for the tinkerer. All of these rules and procedures are predicated upon two basic conditions: the Authorized SCCA Sports Renault Customer Service Representative may reseal units in the field if procedures are followed, and all major maintenance and overhauling will be performed at an SCCA authorized engine shop(s). Rather than taking a chance of leaving the barn
door open, we have built a barn with no doors, only a window that we can look in and see
what’s going on in the barn. BULLETIN #5 1) The Charlotte Test Race. Eight SCCA Sports Renaults made their competition debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway as part of the Central Carolinas Region’s Spring Sprints, April 13-15. For all of the color and pageantry, check Bryan Webb’s in depth article in the June issue of SPORTS CAR... “Up To Speed at Charlotte: Sports Renault”. In the meantime, here’s a synopsis. As you know, this was the pre-delivery shakedown race. The cars were all production line kit vehicles (chassis numbers 3 through 10), assembled by Renault Jeep/Sport and rolled out at Charlotte with zero miles. The results were spectacular, both from the design/construction aspect and from the impressions of the test drivers. Only two problems cropped up, both of the easy-fix variety. The throttle return mechanism is getting a refitting, and a rubber plug used to block off a heater hose outlet (this is a stock engine, remember) is being replaced by something more substantial. Everyone can stop worrying about being the first dummy to crash a Sports Renault. I took that honor Saturday morning. Here’s my “excuse”: halfway through a stuck throttle (see above), I ran out of talent. The good news is that chassis no. 6 survived a 45 mph whack off the turn 3 guardrail in fine fettle. Basically, I tore a square foot chunk out of the nose piece without doing any damage to the front mounted radiator. The left front wheel took the initial impact folding up the lower A-arm assembly but apparently not damaging the upper suspension rocker or steering mechanism. The left rear wheel took a glancing blow and bent a trailing arm. That was it. The car could have been repaired in 3 hours, but Roy Lunn wisely trailered it up and sent me to the showers. Oh well, somebody had to do it. Among the variety of positive observations by the test drivers, one sentiment was unanimous: the SCCA Sports Renault will improve your driving. The car is a lot of fun, and you can toss it around to your heart’s content. But if you really want to go fast, you’ve got to be smooth. John Finger applied the “smooth” Sports Renault technique to driving his GT2 RX-7 and picked up over a second. Incidentally, John won the Charlotte GT1-GT2-GT3 race overall, going away. Ben Burrell was so impressed with the car that he found someone who wanted to cancel his order and bought his place in line. For most of practice and all of qualifying, the Sports Renaults were grouped with GP/HP/GT5 and were clearly the quickest cars on the track despite being on radial tires. For size and speed compatibility, this seems like a good place to run the cars in 1984. There also did not seem to be any problems the couple of times the cars practiced with the FV/F440 group. The race Sunday afternoon was a wild 12 lap affair. Six cars started, separated by less than a second after qualifying. The pole-sitter was Jim Brookshire (orange #5) followed in order by Ben Burrell (gray #8), Rollin Butler (yellow #3), John Finger (blue #7), Dave Weitzenhof (red #4) and Jeff Carlin (tan #10). Joe Cogbill (brown #9) was a non-starter, having had to leave early to attend the birth of his new son, Brett Joseph. On the start, pole-sitter Brookshire took a clear advantage in turn 1 by forcing Burrell wide, and the game was on. Finger and Carlin had squeezed past Butler with Finger immediately moving in on Burrell‘s shaky second place. Finger’s outside pass attempt in the horseshoe was a tad wide of the mark bouncing John across the dragon’s teeth at the turn 3 exit. While applying corrective action, Finger inadvertently hit his kill switch, and his momentary power loss balked Burrell and scattered the pack long enough for Brookshire to carry a commanding 2 second lead back around the oval to start/finish. Butler and Weitzenhof had tiptoed neatly through the traffic jam and were giving chase. When Weitzenhof slipped past Butler in turn 2 on the second lap, he had only to concentrate on the fleeing Brookshire, as the others immediately fell into a heated squabble for 3rd place. Two laps later, by dint of furious effort, Weitzenhof had reeled in Brookshire and took the lead going into the infield. Problem was, after passing Jim, Dave couldn’t shake him. So the race up front settled into a two car chase led by Weitzenhof. Meanwhile, Finger managed to extricate himself from the madding crowd but was stuck in 3rd place with no help, some 4 seconds behind the drafting lead duo. Behind him, Carlin, Butler and Burrell were trading places every other turn until lap 7 when they tried to squeeze through turn 1 three abreast. The laws of physics prevailed; and, after a mutual coming together, the least fortunate Butler inherited last place. Burrell managed to run down Carlin for 4th at the checker. With the draft not being particularly strong
behind a Sports Renault, Brookshire needed to be close on the last lap but slipped a
little in turn 4 in the infield and found himself a good two car lengths back as the lead
pair hit the banking for the mile long run to the checker. The cagey Weitzenhof ran
right up next to the wall down the back straight in an attempt to break up the draft, but
Brookshire was on his tail as they entered NASCAR 3. Weitzenhof swooped down low on
the track, giving Brookshire the high outside pass they both knew couldn’t be
accomplished in the remaining distance. Brookshire held his ground, then daringly
dove for the apron as they approached the finish line in NASCAR 4. Not being able to
hold it in the marbles, Brookshire spun at 120 mph and backed across the finish line
behind the delighted Weitzenhof. 2) SCCA Sports Renault Rules Finalized. One of the most interested groups of spectators at Charlotte were the Board of Directors who were getting their first look at the competition version of the new SCCA race car. Friday was “BOD Day” at Charlotte Motor Speedway. There are a number of competition license holders on our Board, and each got a turn or two behind the wheel. The celebrity test drivers included R. David Jones, Jon Norman, Bob Swenson, George Morrison, Ed Nicholas, Phil Henderson, Paul Pfanner, Costa Dunias, David Ammen, and our friend Chuck Hyatt who seemed to be having a grand time. For those who haven’t heard, Chuck passed away the following Friday while vacationing in Florida. With this hands-on experience under their collective belt, the Board of Directors went over the proposed SCCA Sports Renault Rules Saturday with a fine toothed comb. The proposed rules held up very well under this close scrutiny. The rules as passed by the Board on April 14, 1984, are printed at the rear of this bulletin. Saturday night, we celebrated with a fine dinner hosted by SCCA President Nick Craw. Attendees included the Board of Directors, Roy Lunn and his staff from Renault Jeep/Sport, CMS President Humpy Wheeler, the Charlotte test drivers, a few SCCA staff, a number of Sports Renault Customer Representatives, and special guests. Customer Service Representatives who have now seen the Sports Renault up close include key people from Zotz Racing, Wilkinson Racing, Averett Motorsports, Sports Racing Services, Town & Country Renault Racing, PBS Engineering, and J & J Auto Racing Service. 3) A Note About Sports Renault Scrutineering. Perusing the rules, particularly with regard to the inspection engine seals and to the exchanging of drive train components during a protest, you’ll note procedures that are not currently routine but that are absolutely essential to the successful policing of Sports Renault. Since we are introducing new elements to the scrutineering equation, we had to deal with two major concerns: uniform inspections and oversight performance across the country and the obvious extra work load we were piling on the scrutineers. The simplest solution seems to be that we issue Scrutineer licenses to our Customer Service Representatives. The CSR’s will be attending all of the national and professional races and many of the regional events. The event scrutineers will make all of the normal safety inspection checks and issue the tech stickers while the CSR (referred to in the rules as the Official Sports Renault Scrutineer) checks the drive train seals and follows up on any irregularities. In this way, the event scrutineers will avoid getting tied up in any procedural snarls during safety inspection, one of their busiest periods on a race weekend. Racing regions with sufficient tech personnel to handle this extra work load can phase scrutineers into the Sports Renault loop, using the services of the CSR for training, consultation, and back-up. 4) Production and Delivery Schedules. Due to the unprecedented number of pre-production orders for the SCCA Sports Renault, more than any other car in the history of racing, Renault Jeep/Sport has stepped up kit production from two per day to three per day in an attempt to fill all of the current orders by late August. Deliveries will commence in mid to late May. It is our intention to notify purchasers a month in advance of delivery that your car is in production. Delivery costs have still not been nailed down but should be determined in the next two weeks. We are also working on the revised delivery schedule. We’ll relay these important details as soon as we get the word from Renault Jeep/Sport. As a result of the stepped up production/delivery schedule, perhaps another 50 to 60 units will be available for purchase prior to the Run-Offs. We’re still getting about 5 orders a week. Tell your friends. 5) Sports Renault Racing in 1984. The Board of Directors has established Sports Renault as a regional class for 1984; however, they have also stipulated that Sports Renault cars be allowed to compete singularly and/or as a class at National races in 1984. Racing regions have been instructed that they must provide a place on the schedule at national races for Sports Renault, either as a group unto itself (not very likely early this year) or intermixed with one of the other racing groups, preferably small Production/GT or small Formula. Sports Renault drivers competing at national racing events must meet the licensing requirements for a national race (GCR, 3.3.2.a). No points standings will be maintained for the class in 1984, and it is not required that regions provide trophies for Sports Renault this year, although the latter is highly recommended. Several professional Sports Renault races are on tap for 1984 with a regular series of professional events scheduled for 1985. The first firm pro date is the Detroit Grand Prix, June 24th, with a $20,000 purse. Others under consideration include races on the oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway in early October and in conjunction with the Fort Lauderdale Can-Am after the Run-Offs. There will be a 1984 SCCA Sports Renault Driving Champion crowned on Sunday, October 14th, at Road Atlanta. Every Sports Renault owner eligible for regional competition will be invited to participate in one gala weekend shoot-out culminating in an 18 lap championship race Sunday afternoon. 6) The Detroit Grand Prix. This event was originally intended to be another demonstration race pitting five particularly gifted club racers against five professional drivers, all in cars provided by Renault Jeep/Sport; i.e., the Charlotte fleet. To a degree, that format has been retained. As of this writing, nine of the ten invited drivers have accepted. The remaining slot will be filled by an SCCA professional driver. Those committed to the race at this time include: David Hobbs. 1983 Trans-Am Champion
and international racing veteran. In 1984, Hobbs continues to lead the DeAtley
Motorsports effort in a new Budweiser Corvette. Now that’s a pretty stellar cast. But still the thought of just 10 cars racing around the 2.5 mile street course at average lap speeds of well under 60 mph lacked an element of pageantry. After discussing the situation with George Couzens, SCCA Vice President of Professional Racing and Event Chairman for Detroit, we were able to secure an extra 20 paddock spaces in the Formula One garage area in Cobo Hall. As a result, we can now handle a 30 car field. Roy Lunn agreed to produce 6 more cars for the Charlotte test drivers (Jim Brookshire, Jeff Carlin, Rollin Bulter, Joe Cogbill, Ben Burrell, and John Finger), and we are opening the remaining dozen or slots to Sports Renault car owners with a National license. If you think you will have a race ready Sports Renault, properly prepared and neatly painted, in time for Detroit and wish to enter, fill out the enclosed entry form and return it with the $150 entry . Your entry will be filed according to when it is received. Closing date for receipt of entries is Wednesday, June 13th. If you have already entered by Monday, June 10th, and know at that time that there is no way you will be able to make the race, we would greatly appreciate your calling Patc Henry and withdrawing. On Thursday, June 14th, we will begin telephoning those entered in the chronological order we received your entry until we have enough firm commitments to fill the field. The rest will be notified by telephone or express mail no later than Monday, June 18th, that the entry has been filled, and your entry fee will be returned. It is permissible to rent your race car to another qualified driver for this event. We are part of the supporting cast with the SCCA Trans-Am and the IMSA RS. However, we are the only support show scheduled for Sunday. We are the warm-up for the Grand Prix. Not bad for a little old SCCA “spec car”. Also not bad is the $20,000 purse being posted by Renault Jeep/Sport which will be distributed down through 15 places. Remember that this race is Renault Jeep/Sport’s big hometown show. If you drag in a scuzzy looking car with a putrid paint job, you’re not going to race even if you towed from Lima, Peru. We also know that this whole deal must really seem hectic. Well, it is. Four days ago, we had no plans to invite car owners or the Charlotte test drivers. Now a dozen or so of you will get a shot at the big time in what might well be your first outing in a brand new race car. And remember: If you miss Detroit, don’t panic. This is just the first of many interesting racing opportunities that will be open to you as a Sports Renault owner over the next decade. 7) Tires and Other Matters. We are only
days away from an agreement with a tire company. We are also negotiating with a
major second sponsor for the series. Announcements will be forthcoming as contracts
are signed. BULLETIN #6 1) The Detroit Grand Prix. Renault/Jeep Sport staged an impressive show for various Renault and AMC corporate executives as the SCCA Sports Renault was officially unveiled the weekend of the Detroit Grand Prix. The entire R/JS staff from President Roy Lunn right down through the line mechanics put in literally weeks of 18 hour days in preparation for the event. Thursday morning, June 21st, twenty SCCA Sports Renaults lined up brightly outside the R/JS Livonia facility in order by car and chassis number (3 through 22). Roy Lunn followed by Derek Warwick and Patrick Tambay would lead the police escorted procession down various metro Detroit freeways to Cobo Hall where the cars would be paddocked in the Formula One garage. Lunn was kidding about the prospect of leading a pair of world class drivers for 20 or so minutes as he slipped into number 3 and promptly disappeared under the steering wheel. The car was already set up for the race and its 6'2" driver Joe Cogbill, so the somewhat shorter Lunn could not reach the pedals. After some rapid adjustments, the parade downtown commenced and went off without a hitch despite major league rubber-necking from astonished motorists along the route. The driver line-up was juggled almost immediately as Trans-Am Porsche pilot Paul Miller replaced Willy Ribbs who had to bow out because of a sponsorship conflict. Miller was joined by fellow Trans-Am drivers Darin Brassfield, Bob Lobenberg and Greg Pickett. Invited club racers Jeff Andretti, Jim Brookshire, Ben Burrell, Rollin Butler, Joe Cogbill, Dave Finch, John Finger, George Fizell, Don Knowles, Willy Lewis, Terry McKenna, Dave Weitzenhof, and Dennis Wilson wandered in at various times Thursday and Friday, most accompanied by friends and family. The half hour practice session Friday afternoon was quiet except for McKenna who was running consistently in the mid 1:27's, half a second ahead of Knowles, Fizell, Lobenberg, Brassfield, and Pickett. After Friday’s familiarization run and a few nighttime jaunts in the rent-a-wreck, most of the drivers had decided that passing in the narrow concrete confines of the 2.5 mile Detroit Grand Prix Circuit with low powered race cars was going to be testy. Consequently, they approached the Saturday afternoon qualifying session with a verve based on the belief that being gridded much further back than the third row was “Endsville”. Much to Roy Lunn’s dismay, these great drivers then discovered first hand the counterproductive nature of pitching and tossing the Sports Renault about, performing as it were the first unofficial barrier tests. On the first lap of qualifying, Lobenberg spun and limped in with a bashed rear. McKenna then pitted for the removal of a cracked rear section, followed by Andretti, also with a pranged rear end. While Andretti switched to a back-up car, Finch spun heavily into the turn 1 outer barrier. Knowles slightly sideswiped the concrete and continued. Fizell tangled with Lewis and looped it soundly into the wall while Lewis continued, losing more bodywork later with a tire wall encounter. Finally, Brookshire roundly smacked the barrier coming through the pit straight chicane. Saturday night was a time for repair and reflection. Fizell and Brookshire would go to back up machines as their damage had gotten a bit into the frames. Andretti’s and Lobenberg’s cars were repaired, but Andretti withdrew as did Finch who had damaged engine mounts. Even so, all of the stout little cars were or would be easily repairable. McKenna, having already established himself as the man to beat, had used the lack of rear bodywork (less downforce drag, less weight, and better breathing) to great advantage, taking the pole position by an astounding second and a half from Pickett who was, in turn, a half second up on Weitzenhof. Within a second of Weitzenhof were Brassfield, Brookshire, Butler, Lewis, Knowles, Finger, Cogbill, Fizell, and Miller. Burrell was still feeling his way along, and Wilson was simply down on power. Lobenberg would start last. Just before race time Sunday, Pickett had to scratch... the unfortunate last minute victim of a sponsor squabble. At 10 AM, after a quick adjustment to cover the departed Pickett, cars were gridded on the pit straight. Some 30,000 early-arriving Fl fans were already in attendance. At the wave of the green, the tidy pack spread quickly across the wide pit straight, looking for the quick way to turn 1. With McKenna’s attention focused on Weitzenhof pulling slightly ahead on his right, Knowles was able to slip from the 4th row left to the pit wall and run unobstructed up inside McKenna as they entered turn 1. Caught in the squeeze, Terry yielded to Dave and Don who battled around to turn 5 where Knowles snared the lead. At the end of lap 1, Knowles headed a tight formation of Weitzenhof, McKenna, Brassfield, Lewis, Cogbill, and Butler. Lobenberg was already up to 8th. On lap 3, Knowles tried to get away only to spin at turn 11, leaving Weitzenhof, McKenna, Brassfield, and Lewis training along some 3 seconds ahead of Lobenberg, Butler, the erring Knowles, Finger and Burrell. The unfortunate Cogbill had dropped a plug wire and was progressing steadily rearward. Brookshire was off his game, and Wilson was stroking a soft engine. McKenna made his move on lap 5, passing Weitzenhof in turn 3 and pulling out quickly to a one second lead before looping it at turn 16. Meanwhile with a lap record 1:26.19, Lobenberg jumped the gap to Lewis where they rubbed fiberglass for a couple of turns before Bullet Bob bobbled back into the clutches of Knowles. Lobenberg then spun again on lap 9 at which point Burrell took up position in Knowles’ mirrors, having finally escaped the fueding Butler, Finger, Fizell, and McKenna. Having witnessed much snatching of defeat from the jaws of victory, the lead trio of Weitzenhof, Brassfield, and Lewis drove a controlled race down the stretch. On lap 11 of the 12 lap feature, Weitzenhof opened the tap slightly, pulling out a one second lead from Brassfield. Although Darin really smoked the last lap (1:26.26, 2nd fastest of the day), Weitzenhof was able to hold on for the $3600 first place check. Brassfield took 2nd some 10 car lengths ahead of Lewis. Knowles nipped Burrell for 4th, followed by Finger, McKenna, Lobenberg, Fizell, Butler, Wilson, Brookshire, and the 3 cylindered Cogbill. Miller retired on lap 7 with a broken nose. In final analysis, it was Weitzenhof and Brassfield driving under complete control who dominated the race. Knowles, McKenna, and Lobenberg (winners of a total of 9 national championships) may have been faster in spurts, but this race was 12 laps long. Jim Brookshire summed it up best: “This little car will make you a better driver. If you don’t improve, don’t expect to win.” 2) New Area 8 CSR. Due to an unfortunate
back injury, Lindsay White has been unable to assume the Customer Service
Representative’s position for the western half of the Midwest Division (Area 8).
John Barker of the Denver based race shop Performance Development applied for the
territory, was accepted, and is now on line: 3) Technical Updates. The rest of 1984 is definitely going to be a learning experience for everyone involved in the SCCA Sports Renault program. We talk daily with customers who have already taken delivery of either a kit or one of the Charlotte/Detroit race cars. There have been a few problems. There inevitably will be a few more. So far, the problems have been minor and easily fixable. Some fine tuning development work is still on-going and may result in a few inexpensive improvements over the next several months probably in the form of options or design updates. Meanwhile, in a shocking case of pure impulse buying, one of our staff PR flaks Roger Sockman purchased the #6 Charlotte/Detroit race car... the very same car that King trashed in April. However, we were delighted at Roger’s temporary lapse, as this gives us an in-house Sports Renault to use as a ready reference when fielding technical inquiries from customers. Below is information that we have developed over the last several weeks that will hopefully be of value to car owners. BATTERIES CLUTCH, GEARBOX, and SHIFT LINKAGE For the linkage to properly engage the gears during shifting, the spherical rod end that locates the shift lever itself must be oriented in a plane parallel to the floor pan. If the rod end is tilted forward (rotated counter-clockwise), you will not be able to properly engage 2nd and 4th gears. If the rod end is tilted backward (rotated clockwise), 1st and 3rd gears will not properly engage. Be sure the lock-nut is secure. Another source of shifting difficulty may be traced to improper clutch adjustment. If the clutch is not completely disengaging during a shift, then it is likely that the gear is not properly engaging. Insure that there is adequate throw at the slave cylinder to allow the clutch to completely disengage (16 to 17 mm travel at the end of the clutch fork). If you own one of the factory assembled Charlotte/Detroit race cars, we recommend using a high temperature fluid such as AP 550. Silicone products may be used in new systems that have not already been using a glycol based fluid. Since removing the driver's seat is something of a chore, you might consider drilling a couple of strategic holes in the seat to allow you to spray lubricant (such as WD-40) on the shift linkage. TIRES AND TIRE PRESSURES The series spec tire is the Goodyear Eagle GT (175/70HR13 front and 205/60HR13 rear). Your SCCA Sports Renault comes with one Vilven-shaved set of these tires. You may order replacement tires directly from Bob Vilven. ALTERNATOR BRAKE BIAS AND FLUID DZUS FASTENER CAR NUMBERS PAINT ON THE FACTORY ASSEMBLED CARS FLOOR DRAIN HOLES 4) 1984 Sports Renault Professional
Races. Three professional Sports Renault races have been lined up for the remainder
of 1984: Road Atlanta (Aug 18-19); Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oct 5-6); and the 1984 Sports
Renault Driving Championship at Road Atlanta (Oct 13-14). See Bulletin #7 for details.
Entry forms and Supps are enclosed. To: SCCA Sports Renault Purchasers and Customer Service Representatives Subject: Three 1984 Professional Sports Renault races on tap/1985 Professional Race Questionnaire/Deliveries/CSR Handling Fees Date: 30 July 1984 1) 1984 Pro Races. You all know about the Sports Renault Run-Offs in October. Two more Professional Sports Renault races have fallen out of the sky for 1984. Entry forms, schedules, and preliminary supplementary regulations for each of these 1984 pro events are enclosed. Goodyear Sports Renault Challenge If you have any intention whatsoever of entering
this first real SCCA Sports Renault professional race, please return your completed entry
immediately. So far, from the responses of those who returned the pro racing questionnaire
mailed last week, we have eleven “definites” for this race and twelve
“maybes”. The purse is dependent upon the number of cars entered: But the race winner will receive $2,000 no matter what the field. The schedule allows the Sports Renaults a considerable amount of track time with an hour and a half of practice and qualifying and two races. The 10 lap qualifying race Saturday afternoon has a $1,000 purse attached and will determine the grid positions for the 18 lap feature race at 1:00 PM Sunday. Note that an SCCA National or Professional license or an FIA license is required for this event. SCCA Sports Renault Miller Time 100 This will be a tremendous opportunity to race before a large crowd, probably as many as 75,000 for our race Saturday, not to mention racing for a really nice $12,000 purse. With the Sports Renault Driving Championship the following weekend at Road Atlanta, you might want to consider taking vacation and hitting both events. Road Atlanta will be open all the following week for pre-Run-Offs practice. You’ll need an SCCA National or Professional license or an FIA ticket to compete in the Miller Time 100. At Charlotte, we will be the only non-NASCAR show of the weekend and will consequently be receiving a lot of attention. The course, comprising most of NASCAR oval, is described in the enclosed Supps and will require a lot of strategy. Letting someone sit up front is not necessarily the hot tip, as the leader of each lap receives $25. (And remember that scoring is located in NASCAR Turn #4, not at the start/finish line.) Considering our role as a support group, we do receive a decent amount of track time with an hour and a half of open practice late Friday afternoon and a 45 minute qualifying session Saturday morning. Another odd possibility that could arise is that our race could be moved around on the schedule depending on the weather. NASCAR does not run in the rain; we do. Although we will have a number of key SCCA officials, overall race control resides with NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Expect the unusual, including a white flag to indicate the beginning of the last lap and the use of a pace car in case of a major shunt. We will be paddocked in a fenced area with security right behind the NASCAR winner’s circle. Our paddock area, though not paved, is grassed. Security notwithstanding, I would keep my equipment under watchful eye or lock and key. These stock car crowds have been known to get a little rowdy. If you’ve not had the good fortune to witness a Grand National race up close, you’ll never have a better opportunity at a better facility. 1984 Goodyear SCCA Sports Renault Driving
Championship This is what you’ve all been waiting for... the Sports Renault RunOffs. Details of the schedule, the purse, and the qualifying procedure are contained in the enclosed Supplementary Regulations. Note that because most of the CSPRRC entrants will be arriving during your event, that the Sports Renault field will paddocked in dirt, fenced area by the main entrance just west of the Road Atlanta Museum and Office Building. Since this area is used for parking during the CSPRRC week, we’ll have to clear out Sunday evening. 2) Planning for the 1985 Sports Renault Professional Racing Season. Enclosed you will find a questionnaire asking you to evaluate three plans for our pro racing series next year. We will settle on one of these scenarios in the next couple of weeks and will start setting dates. Your valuable input as competitors is solicited. Please complete and return your questionnaire ASAP. SERIES CONFIGURATION PLANS Plan 2: The Two Division Concept Plan 3: The Three Division Concept Five races would be held in each of the three divisions. Drivers could compete in the entire 15 race series; but points would be counted for only 5 races, four of which had to be in the driver 5 home division. The West Coast Division would include the tracks in California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. The Great Plains Division would include all of the current Midwest and Southwest Division tracks plus Brainerd, Road America, Blackhawk, and IRP. The East Coast Division would take in the Southeast, Northeast, and eastern Central Division tracks. Three divisional champions would be crowned. As in Plan 2, the top 20 drivers from each division would be invited to Road Atlanta the weekend before the CSPRRC to determine the SCCA Sports Renault Professional Driving Champion. Again those drivers who also qualified for the CSPRRC would stay over for the club championship. 3) Production and Deliveries. As of this writing, some 68 kits have been delivered or picked up at Livonia; and kit production is rolling along at the rate of 3 to 4 a day. All 20 of the Detroit/Charlotte cars have also been sold, except for one which will remain at R/JS as a test mule. At this rate of production, all current orders should be filled by the end of September in plenty of time for the two big October pro dates: the Miller Time 100 at Charlotte and the 1984 Driving Championship at Road Atlanta. R/JS would like to remind CSR's and customers who pick up kits at Livonia that the shipping crates are open top, having been originally designed for transport in an enclosed trailer. Weather damage and pilferage could occur if a flat bed or an open car trailer is used to transport kits. 4) Handling Fees. Your SCCA Sports Renault Customer Service Representative does not operate like an ordinary car dealer, even a race car dealer. He makes absolutely no commission on the sale of a new car. And yet, he handles all of the paperwork arid shipping arrangements. On your original purchase agreement, you will note “Other Fees”. Under this item will be a $140 crate charge for the box your kit comes in plus your CSR will probably charge you a handling fee. Since your CSR is an independent businessman, the handling fee may vary slightly amongst them. In most cases, the handling fee will cover the 2 to 3 hours your CSR spent shuffling the papers and funds to complete the sale and delivery of your car. The CSR will probably charge you at his normal hourly shop rate for this work. If there are circumstances in your particular transaction that cause your CSR extra work, you will probably be charged for that also. So remember, when you call your CSR and “chat” with him for 2 hours about what color you might want to paint your car, he may put the clock on you. Also note that handling fees, in most cases, will
be part of future transactions when customers are buying cars directly through the
CSR. It’s a cost item that should be discussed with your CSR up front. BULLETIN #8 Licensing requirements for drivers competing in the SCCA Pro Sports Renault races at Road Atlanta (August 18-19) and at Charlotte Motor Speedway (October 6) have been expanded to include SCCA Regional License holders. Also, it has come to our attention when we tried to make motel reservations in the Charlotte area, that motels are filling up fast with NASCAR fans. You might have to arrange your accommodations through a travel agent. Concord, Kannapolis, and Charlotte are the closest major towns and are apparently pretty filled up already. Ask about Albemarle, Salisbury, Mooresville, Lexington, Davidson, Monroe, Belmont, and Gastonia in North Carolina or Rock Hill, South Carolina. You’ll be looking at a 30 to 45 minute drive from any of these latter towns. Charlotte Motor Speedway is located on U.S. 29 between Concord and Charlotte. Be aware that NASCAR draws huge crowds in that neck of the woods, so be sure to allow yourself some extra time to get in and out of the race track area. Also, R/JS now has a supply of car numbers in
stock. Order through your CSR. Specify black or white. Miscellany from 1984 |
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| Rev. 4/24/98 | ||
| Feedback | ||
| I welcome your comments or ideas on this
information. Feel free to drop me a line via “Comments for the
Bro’s”. Barry |
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