Lola T600
 |
|||||||||
| Category | IMSA GTP & Group C | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Lola Cars | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Max Sardou Eric Broadley |
||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Aluminum monocoque | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, coil-over dampers | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones, coil-over dampers | ||||||||
| Engine |
Chevy 6,000 cc (366.1 cu in), mid-mounted, NA pushrod V8 Cosworth DFL, 3,298 cc (201.3 cu in), mid-mounted, NA DOHC V8 Porsche, mid-mounted, Turbo Flat 6 |
||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland 5 speed manual | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | Cooke-Woods Racing J.L.P. Racing Interscope Racing Conte Racing Bayside Racing |
||||||||
| Notable drivers |
Brian Redman John Paul, Jr. Danny Ongais Hurley Haywood John Morton Ted Field |
||||||||
| Debut | 1981 IMSA Camel GT Round #5, Laguna Seca | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 2 | ||||||||
The Lola T600 was a racing car introduced in 1981 by Lola Cars as a customer chassis. It was the first GT prototype race car to incorporate ground-effect tunnels for downforce. The revolutionary aerodynamic design of the T600 was widely imitated throughout the 1980s by International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and Group C prototype cars. The Lola T600 ran initially in the U.S.-based IMSA GT series and later in European Group C races.
At the end of the 1980 season, it seemed that the Porsche 935 Turbo would continue to dominate the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Championship. Fearing that fans would lose interest in a series dominated by a single marque, IMSA officials announced the new Grand Touring Prototype category. The GTP category was also consistent with the FIA's plan to introduce a prototype formula to the World Endurance Championship in 1982 (Group C), superseding production-based "silhouette" cars like the Porsche 935.
Brian Redman asked for Lola Cars to develop a GTP spec racer based on a T70 chassis, fitted with a new bodywork and a Chevy 6.0L V8 engine developing around 600 bhp. Lola's Eric Broadley however, wanted a new chassis and bodywork developed specifically for the new IMSA GTP regulations. He hired aerodynamicist Max Sardou to design a ground effects underbody for the car. Cooke-Woods Racing also helped develop the car.
Cooke-Woods Racing entered chassis #HU01 for the fifth race of 1981 season, at Laguna Seca, with Redman driving. The team achieved victory in its debut race, followed by wins at Lime Rock, Mid Ohio, Portland and Road Atlanta. The car proved extremely reliable, winning the IMSA title and knocking Porsche from the top of the championship standings for the first time since 1977. Lola Cars sold 12 additional T600s on the strength of this performance. Among the drivers fielding T600s were Chris Cord and John Paul Jr. (chassis #HU04 and #HU05), though neither achieved the success of Cooke-Woods effort.
...
Wikipedia