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PILBEAM MP93 JUDD
June
7, 2007 - The Pilbeam MP93
is a further evolution of the MP84 sports car build by Mike Pilbeam
in 1999. The MP84 was raced in the 2001-2003 FIA Sports Car
Championship. In 2003 the car was equipped with the JPX-IES 120
degree V6 Nissan motor, good for 530 bhp. In 2005 the car was
adapted to the new ACO rules and sold to Pierre Bruneau and
Marc Rostan who received their MP93, with a carbon honeycomb
chassis, shortly before the Le Mans 24 hours, where the car was retired
after 32 laps. At the five rounds of the 2005 LMES it finished twice:
Spa as 16th (third LMP2) and Silverstone 26th (sixth LMP2), collecting 9
points, good for rank seven in LMP2. In 2006 the car was equipped with a
Judd motor with a much higher torque than the JPX. Since the car,
being not a hybrid like most other LMP2 cars, met already last year the
2007 ACO rules, no fundamental changes were necessary.
RESULTS 2006/2007 -
The Pilbeam caused a stir at the 2006
Istanbul 1000-kms by finishing fifth overall and second in its class
(good for a Le Mans entry). At the Donington 1000-kms the car was again
secondin its class (tenth overall). It was brought home as 27th at the
Le Mans 24 hours. In 2007 the car failed to perform at Monza and
Valentia. At the Le Mans Test Day Marc Rostan realised the 25th time on
55 cars.
LMP2
engine: Judd XV675 3,397cc; 75 degree V8;
530 bhp
at 10,500 rpm (torque 475 Nm)
engine weight: 118 kg
turbochargers: naturally aspirated
Valvetrain: 4 valves per cylinder DOHC
gearbox:
6 speed sequential
fuel capacity:
90 litres
weight: 775 kg
tyres: Michelin |
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RADICAL
SR9 AER/JUDD
Mid 2005 Mark Short
of Rollcentre Racing decided to race no longer his Dallara SP1 in LMP1 at
the next season,
but the brand new Radical SR9 in LMP2. Peter Elleray
(the man behind the Le Mans Bentleys!) and Radical co-owner Mike Hide started the production of the cost effective new
car by March 2005. “The monocoque is of an aluminium-carbon composite
construction,” explains Peter Elleray. “We believe that we can build an
LMP2 car within the 750kg minimum weight, utilising this type of cost
effective construction. The SR9 is obviously a completely different type
of engineering challenge to designing an overall Le Mans winner, but it
is one that is hugely rewarding and I'm very much enjoying working with
the team.” The power unit on the SR9 is initially Radical’s own Powertec RPD
Macro-block V8, as used (as the RPA) in the SR8, but enlarged to 3 litres.
With a restrictor break for a smaller engine than the 3.4 litre limit,
power is a highly competitive 525bhp @ 11,350 rpm. Short immediately
ordered two copies and his team worked close together with the Radical
factory.
Despite the fact showed a high potential from the first outing
at Paul Ricard on March 2006, the motor was the weakest point, making it
unreliable. So by the end of the season Mark Short sold his Radical SR9 cars
to Embassy Racing, coming from FIA-GT. There they equipped the SR9
with the more reliable 3.4-litre Judd engine, The works car, raced by
Bruichladdich Radical, uses in 2007 the flat 2-litre turbo charged AER.RESULTS 2006 - The
new car was raced for the first time at the Istanbul 1000-kms where its
potential becomes obvious: with one hour to go the car is ...fourth overall.
With 10 minutes to go Tim Greaves had the third place on a plate when
suddenly the electrics gave out. Moreover the SR9 realised the
fastest lap of the event. At the Spa 1000-kms 1000-kms Martin Short,
Tim Greaves and Gregor Fisken failed to bring the car home.
With only ten hours of effective racing on its account the Radical SR9 went
to the 2006 Le Mans 24 hours where, in hands of Joaõ Barbosa, Stuart
Moseley and Martin Short, they qualified as 23rd. Despite
two hours lost to replace the clutch, the car was brought home as 20th in
its maiden 24 hour race. Eventually the SR9 will realise only one top-10
place in nine outings for two machines (the factory's and Rollcentre's),
what's too few to speak from any menace of the victorious Lolas B(à/40.
RESULTS
2007 - Again we find two Radicals SR9 in competition: the factory's and
the one Rollcentre sold to Embassy Racing. At the Monza 1000-kms the works
car can qualify as 13th (fourth of its class), whilst Embassy Racing comes
two spots lower. None of them will reach the finish. A better song at the
Valencia 1000-kms, at least for the works car. They qualify as eleventh
overall and second in LMP1, whilst Embassy's SR9 is nowhere with an 18th
time (sixth in its class). For the #45 with its Russion sponsor it's again a
disastrous race. The #21 however will finish as third on the LMP2 podium,
preceded by two Lolas B40/50 (ninth overall, the Radical's best performance
since its first outing). The Embassy SR9 is (of course) not selected for Le
Mans. The works car goes to the Le Mans Test Day, where Stuart Moseley
realises sixth best time in its class (22nd overall). Up to now the SR9 was
far from superior, as initially was so strongly believed. [JPVR]
LMP2
AER engine (#21): 1,995cc
flat 4 cyl AER P07D; 530 bhp at 7,500 rpm (torque 620 Nm)
Judd engine
(#45):
Judd XV675 3,397cc 75° V8; 530 bhp
at 10,500 rpm (475 Nm)
engine
weight: 113 kg AER, N/A for Judd engine
turbochargers: turbo on #21,
naturally aspirated for #45
Valvetrain: 4 valves per cylinder DOHC
gearbox:
Ricardo paddle operated 6 speed
sequential
fuel capacity:
90 litres
weight:
775 kg
tyres: Michelin for #25 & #27; Kumho for #31; Dunlop for #40 |
