Hey, I was there as well! I used to go to all the IMSA races at Watkins Glen and Lime Rock Park. GTP and Camel Lights were a great era of sportscar racing that came a bit too late compared to Group C in Europe. Perhaps the reinvention of the Wold Sportscar Championship for 2012 will bring big grids and great designs.
It is great seeing the Lola Nissans, AAR Toyotas, Spice Chevy, Mazda RX7-92P ... thank you for bringing back the memories!
This Mazda team let me and a friend hang out in the garage during practice at the 1991 Mid Ohio race. They were just regular guys racing million dollar machines. This car screamed like a banshee! But the best sound came from the Chevy Spice Denon car.
The RX-792P... a beautiful failure. A disappointment from the Le Mans-winning 787B from 1991. Had all kinds of turbo fires. I can't rag on it too much because I think the RX-792P is absolutely beautiful. By the way, it sounds beautiful as well. Same goes for a lot of the other GTP cars in this video. Even with these Daytona Prototypes today, these GTPs were some of the greatest sportscar racing machines ever made. Period.
I think the 92P's failure was its use of the rotary engine... Its good for the longer, more sweeping European courses, but you need torque on the tighter US courses, and rotaries are lacking in low-end torque. It showed some promise, but I do believe the lack of torque was what kept it out of victory lane. Rotaries are best for GT cars, not Prototypes.
But it has the most beautiful exhaust note I've ever heard, and its the second-best-looking GTP ever designed(beaten by the Corvette GTP).
Good perspective in this reply. It's a fantastic car that suffered a number of shortcomings. I sometimes still imagine if Mazda wanted to make a car to win Le Mans again. It's still a great video to see what this car was like for those who didn't get into racing soon enough (like me) to witness these cars in action.
Well, Mazda's using the MZR-R engine in the American Le Mans Series LMP2 class, and its showing some promise(and should do better now that its in the hands of an experienced team), and if the right team brought it to Le Mans, it could take an LMP2 victory.
No prob. Here's hoping they get their Le Mans invite for winning Petit. They weren't running the '09-spec rear wing, so the ACO might not give it to them.
Which car are you referring to, specifically? The Mazda is not turbocharged, but that's not a requirement to get those bursts of flame from the exhaust. Happens with most racing engines - you see it in NASCAR and F1 a lot, as well.
nice one
9freelandk 2 months ago
Hey, I was there as well! I used to go to all the IMSA races at Watkins Glen and Lime Rock Park. GTP and Camel Lights were a great era of sportscar racing that came a bit too late compared to Group C in Europe. Perhaps the reinvention of the Wold Sportscar Championship for 2012 will bring big grids and great designs.
It is great seeing the Lola Nissans, AAR Toyotas, Spice Chevy, Mazda RX7-92P ... thank you for bringing back the memories!
g00sampson 8 months ago
TOYOTA
tyronnezx 9 months ago
Back when prototype was truly epic.
Daytonaman675 9 months ago
now those are race cars
fanofdiesel 2 years ago 2
Those where the days
black930t 2 years ago 2
This Mazda team let me and a friend hang out in the garage during practice at the 1991 Mid Ohio race. They were just regular guys racing million dollar machines. This car screamed like a banshee! But the best sound came from the Chevy Spice Denon car.
memyselfandirene1 2 years ago
great video. brings back some memories for me. if that footage was taken in the first 1/2 of the race i was standing right near you.
falcondrvr200 3 years ago 2
The RX-792P... a beautiful failure. A disappointment from the Le Mans-winning 787B from 1991. Had all kinds of turbo fires. I can't rag on it too much because I think the RX-792P is absolutely beautiful. By the way, it sounds beautiful as well. Same goes for a lot of the other GTP cars in this video. Even with these Daytona Prototypes today, these GTPs were some of the greatest sportscar racing machines ever made. Period.
JohnMarineTube 3 years ago 4
I think the 92P's failure was its use of the rotary engine... Its good for the longer, more sweeping European courses, but you need torque on the tighter US courses, and rotaries are lacking in low-end torque. It showed some promise, but I do believe the lack of torque was what kept it out of victory lane. Rotaries are best for GT cars, not Prototypes.
But it has the most beautiful exhaust note I've ever heard, and its the second-best-looking GTP ever designed(beaten by the Corvette GTP).
DBoy02 3 years ago 2
Good perspective in this reply. It's a fantastic car that suffered a number of shortcomings. I sometimes still imagine if Mazda wanted to make a car to win Le Mans again. It's still a great video to see what this car was like for those who didn't get into racing soon enough (like me) to witness these cars in action.
JohnMarineTube 3 years ago
Well, Mazda's using the MZR-R engine in the American Le Mans Series LMP2 class, and its showing some promise(and should do better now that its in the hands of an experienced team), and if the right team brought it to Le Mans, it could take an LMP2 victory.
DBoy02 3 years ago
it did, courtesy of Dyson Racing
fanofdiesel 2 years ago
I said if the right team brought it over to LE MANS they could take an LMP2 victory. Not PETIT Le Mans.
DBoy02 2 years ago
sorry, I just misread the comment.
fanofdiesel 2 years ago
No prob. Here's hoping they get their Le Mans invite for winning Petit. They weren't running the '09-spec rear wing, so the ACO might not give it to them.
DBoy02 2 years ago
Turbo fires?
XR4turbo 2 years ago
Unburned fuel through the wastegate
HiHo44 2 years ago
This car isn't turbocharged.
XR4turbo 2 years ago
Which car are you referring to, specifically? The Mazda is not turbocharged, but that's not a requirement to get those bursts of flame from the exhaust. Happens with most racing engines - you see it in NASCAR and F1 a lot, as well.
DBoy02 2 years ago
I was referring to the post by Johnmarinetube where he said the RX792 had turbo fires. And I realize that, just unburned fuel escaping then igniting.
XR4turbo 2 years ago
very cool!
mobayrastagirl 3 years ago 6
Much great thanks!
thalsem1 3 years ago 5
My pleasure!
HiHo44 3 years ago