Daytona Prototype
Encyclopedia
A Daytona Prototype is a type of sports prototype
racing car developed specifically for the Grand American Road Racing Association
's Rolex Sports Car Series
as their top class of car, replacing contemporary open cockpit sports cars, specifically Sports Racing Prototypes
(SRPs). They are named after the main Rolex Sports Car Series event, the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
For the 2003 Rolex Sports Car Series
season, the Grand American Road Racing Association
(GARRA) announced that they would stop support of their two premiere open cockpit classes, known as SRP-I and SRP-II. These cars, mostly modified from Le Mans Prototype
s, were technologically advanced and could reach high speeds, specifically on the Mulsannes Straight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
. However, these same speeds were found to be dangerous at GARRA's premiere track, Daytona International Speedway
. The concrete walls of the oval section of the road course that the series runs were dangerous enough on their own, but were also on the parts of the track where cars reached their highest speed. Therefore GARRA decided that they would need to slow down their competitors in order to make Daytona safer.
At the same time, due to the technological advancement of Le Mans prototypes, GARRA decided that they would also lower the overall cost of their prototypes. To do this, they would use closed cockpit chassis made of tube frames, instead of high cost carbon fiber
composites. They would also standardize the amount of technology that could go into a car, as well as not allowing teams to develop their cars over a season, instead being forced to stay with the same basic car. This would stop teams from having to spend money on aerodynamic tweaks and technological experimentation, as well as private track testing. To further restrict cost, the series would regulate who could provide chassis and who could provide engines, thus preventing teams from trying a unique chassis or engine that may end up being a failure. Engines specifically would have to be based on a road-legal production unit from a major manufacturer. At the same time, major manufacturers would not be allowed to run Daytona Prototype teams, in order to help keep competition level and costs down.
Combining the low cost elements with the speed and safety elements, the designs for Daytona Prototypes were laid down, with constructors having freedom to develop a car however they wished so long as it fit within the smaller dimensions of a Daytona Prototype over a Le Mans Prototype. These smaller dimensions, especially in length, helped to create a more blunt front end to the car that would slow the cars down, regardless of how much a constructor put into sculpting the design.
In order to help regulate the field and to help keep it level, GARRA only allows a certain number of chassis to be used. At the same time, each approved chassis is allowed to participate for a period of five years before GARRA reselects their approved chassis. Each chassis fits within GARRA's regulations in regards to dimension, but each approved chassis is uniquely different in design.
From 2003 to 2007 seven manufacturers had their chassis approved by GARRA:
For 2008, new chassis designs were allowed to be submitted, with several companies purchasing the rights from existing entries. Lola Racing Cars, in association with Krohn Racing
, purchased Multimatic
's entry for the construction of a new prototype under the name Proto-Auto. Dallara
later purchased Doran's entry as well, with assistance from SunTrust Racing
.http://www.the-paddock.net/content/view/242086/49/. Cheever Racing
purchased Fabcar's license and developed under the Coyote
name, with assistance from former manufacturer Picchio.
The new chassis are available from 2008 onward:
GARRA allows for modifications to the bodywork of each Daytona Prototype only in certain areas, most specifically to the rear wing and Gurney flap
as well as front dive planes.
As well as the chassis, the engines used are also standardized and regulated. Unlike chassis, engines must come from a major production car manufacturer, using the block from an engine used on a production car. However, these engines can have their displacements modified in order to equalize the field. For 2007, all engines will also be required to use standardized ECU
s in order to better regulate engine performance.
The following engines are currently approved by GARRA:
Each engine also has specific restrictions on what can be modified beyond stock parts, as well as restrictions on intake and exhaust dimensions, RPM
, and various technical details.
During the 2007 season, a second Porsche engine was approved by Grand Am. The 5.0L V8 unit is not actually constructed by Porsche, but is based on the V8 engine used in the Porsche Cayenne
, built by Lozano Bros. Porting.
For 2004, the SRP classes were finally cancelled, and the number of DPs grew, with 17 appearing at the season opener at Daytona where they managed to take the overall win. By 2006, thanks to the low cost of the design, the number of DPs at some races grew to above thirty entrants, allowing for full fields and close racing.
GARRA plans to continue using the Daytona Prototype in the forseable future, with new chassis designs being allowed into the series in 2008.
Since 2006, DP cars were permitted to compete in Japan
's Super GT
in the secondary GT300 class with outstanding results, one entrant, the Mooncraft Shiden
lost out to an RE Amemiya
RX-7
(although tied for points) in the drivers' title and again to a MR-S, but took the team title in 2007.
Sports prototype
A sports prototype, also referred to as simply a prototype, is a form of racing car that is used as a top category in sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars differ from street-legal and production-based racing cars that also compete in sports car racing.Prototype racing cars have...
racing car developed specifically for the Grand American Road Racing Association
Grand American Road Racing Association
GRAND-AM Road Racing or GRAND-AM is an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America...
's Rolex Sports Car Series
Rolex Sports Car Series
The Rolex Sports Car Series is the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It is a North American-based sports car series that was founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed United States Road Racing Championship...
as their top class of car, replacing contemporary open cockpit sports cars, specifically Sports Racing Prototypes
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
(SRPs). They are named after the main Rolex Sports Car Series event, the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Development
Rolex Sports Car Series
The Rolex Sports Car Series is the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It is a North American-based sports car series that was founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed United States Road Racing Championship...
season, the Grand American Road Racing Association
Grand American Road Racing Association
GRAND-AM Road Racing or GRAND-AM is an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America...
(GARRA) announced that they would stop support of their two premiere open cockpit classes, known as SRP-I and SRP-II. These cars, mostly modified from Le Mans Prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
s, were technologically advanced and could reach high speeds, specifically on the Mulsannes Straight at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
. However, these same speeds were found to be dangerous at GARRA's premiere track, Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
. The concrete walls of the oval section of the road course that the series runs were dangerous enough on their own, but were also on the parts of the track where cars reached their highest speed. Therefore GARRA decided that they would need to slow down their competitors in order to make Daytona safer.
At the same time, due to the technological advancement of Le Mans prototypes, GARRA decided that they would also lower the overall cost of their prototypes. To do this, they would use closed cockpit chassis made of tube frames, instead of high cost carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
composites. They would also standardize the amount of technology that could go into a car, as well as not allowing teams to develop their cars over a season, instead being forced to stay with the same basic car. This would stop teams from having to spend money on aerodynamic tweaks and technological experimentation, as well as private track testing. To further restrict cost, the series would regulate who could provide chassis and who could provide engines, thus preventing teams from trying a unique chassis or engine that may end up being a failure. Engines specifically would have to be based on a road-legal production unit from a major manufacturer. At the same time, major manufacturers would not be allowed to run Daytona Prototype teams, in order to help keep competition level and costs down.
Combining the low cost elements with the speed and safety elements, the designs for Daytona Prototypes were laid down, with constructors having freedom to develop a car however they wished so long as it fit within the smaller dimensions of a Daytona Prototype over a Le Mans Prototype. These smaller dimensions, especially in length, helped to create a more blunt front end to the car that would slow the cars down, regardless of how much a constructor put into sculpting the design.
Chassis
From 2003 to 2007 seven manufacturers had their chassis approved by GARRA:
- Chase CCE
- Crawford DP03
- Doran JE4
- Fabcar FDSC/03
- MultimaticMultimaticMultimatic Inc is a privately held Canadian corporation supplying components, systems and services to the global automotive industry.The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada, and has operating divisions in North America and Europe with partners in Asia, South...
MDP1 (sometimes badged as the Multimatic Ford Focus) - Picchio DP2
- RileyRiley TechnologiesRiley Technologies LLC is an auto racing constructor and team which specializes in the design and manufacture of complete race cars, as well as prototype development for racing and manufacturing applications.-Grand Am:...
MkXI
For 2008, new chassis designs were allowed to be submitted, with several companies purchasing the rights from existing entries. Lola Racing Cars, in association with Krohn Racing
Krohn Racing
Krohn Racing is a professional sports car racing team based out of Braselton, Georgia at the Road Atlanta complex. The team competes in the American Le Mans Series GT2 class as a partner with Risi Competizione and races full-time in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype...
, purchased Multimatic
Multimatic
Multimatic Inc is a privately held Canadian corporation supplying components, systems and services to the global automotive industry.The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada, and has operating divisions in North America and Europe with partners in Asia, South...
's entry for the construction of a new prototype under the name Proto-Auto. Dallara
Dallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
later purchased Doran's entry as well, with assistance from SunTrust Racing
SunTrust Racing
SunTrust Racing is a professional sports car racing team competing in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype class. The team campaigns the No...
.http://www.the-paddock.net/content/view/242086/49/. Cheever Racing
Cheever Racing
Cheever Racing was an auto racing team founded in 1996 by Eddie Cheever as Team Cheever in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. They fielded a car for Cheever for much of its existence, but occasionally ran two cars, almost always for the Indianapolis 500...
purchased Fabcar's license and developed under the Coyote
Coyote (chassis)
The Coyote was a brand of racing chassis designed and built for the use of A.J. Foyt's race team in USAC Championship Car racing including the Indianapolis 500. It was used from 1966 to 1983 with Foyt himself making 141 starts in the car winning 25 times. George Snider had the second most starts...
name, with assistance from former manufacturer Picchio.
The new chassis are available from 2008 onward:
- Crawford DP08
- Coyote CC/08
- DallaraDallaraDallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
DP-01 - Proto-Auto Lola B08/70Proto-Auto Lola B08/70The Proto-Auto Lola B08/70 is a Daytona Prototype sports car built in 2008 by Lola Cars and commercialized by Proto-Auto LLC.It was débuted by Krohn Racing at the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami, the second round of the 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series season, after Krohn Racing has used the previous...
- RileyRiley TechnologiesRiley Technologies LLC is an auto racing constructor and team which specializes in the design and manufacture of complete race cars, as well as prototype development for racing and manufacturing applications.-Grand Am:...
MkXX - Sabre RD1
GARRA allows for modifications to the bodywork of each Daytona Prototype only in certain areas, most specifically to the rear wing and Gurney flap
Gurney flap
The Gurney Flap is a small flat tab projecting from the trailing edge of a wing. Typically it is set at a right angle to the pressure side surface of the airfoil,and projects 1% to 2% of the wing chord....
as well as front dive planes.
Engine
Engine Control Unit
An engine control unit is a type of electronic control unit that determines the amount of fuel, ignition timing and other parameters an internal combustion engine needs to keep running...
s in order to better regulate engine performance.
The following engines are currently approved by GARRA:
- BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
5.0 L V8BMW N62The N62 is a V8 from BMW, built in Munich, Germany. It has an Alusil aluminum engine block and aluminum DOHC cylinder heads.It uses SFI fuel injection, has 4 valves per cylinder with BMW's double-VANOS and Valvetronic technologies and features fracture-split forged powdered metal connecting... - FordFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
5.0 L V8Ford Yamaha V8 engineThe Ford SHO V8 engine [super high output] was designed and built by Ford Motor Company in conjunction with Yamaha Motor Corporation for use in the 1996 Ford Taurus SHO. It was based on the successful Ford Duratec engine rather than its predecessor, the compact Ford SHO V6 engine developed by... - InfinitiInfinitiis the luxury division of automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989 in North America. Marketing operations have since grown to include the Middle East, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, China, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Infiniti began sales in additional...
4.35 L V8Nissan VK engineThe VK engine is a V8 piston engine from Nissan. It is an aluminum DOHC 4-valve design.The VK56 engine was originally based on Nissan's VQ V6 rather than the VH V8 used in previous Q45/Cima models. Changes include: a variable polymer intake manifold, newly designed heads, and a larger drive by... - LexusLexusis the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
5.0 L V8Toyota UR engineThe Toyota UR engine family is a 32-valve quad-camshaft V8 piston engine series which was first introduced in 2006 as the UZ series it replaced began phasing out. Production started with the 1UR-FSE engine with D4-S direct injection for the 2007 Lexus LS. The series launched with a die-cast...
(can also be branded as Toyota) - PorschePorschePorsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
3.99 L Flat-6 - PorschePorsche CayenneThe Porsche Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle...
5.0 L V8 (approved in late 2007) - PontiacPontiacPontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
5.0 L V8GM LS engineThe GM LS engine family is an engine design intended as the only V-8 engine used in General Motors' line of rear-wheel-drive cars and trucks. The LS series was a "clean sheet" design with little in common with the classic Chevrolet small block V8...
(can also be branded as Chevrolet or Cadillac) - HondaHondais a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
3.9 L V6
Each engine also has specific restrictions on what can be modified beyond stock parts, as well as restrictions on intake and exhaust dimensions, RPM
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
, and various technical details.
During the 2007 season, a second Porsche engine was approved by Grand Am. The 5.0L V8 unit is not actually constructed by Porsche, but is based on the V8 engine used in the Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle...
, built by Lozano Bros. Porting.
Specifications
- Engine displacement: 5.0 L (302 in³) Maximum
- Transmission: 4.5 L (275 in³) displacement and above - 5 forward gears (maximum)
4.5 L (275 in³) displacement and below - 6 forward gears (maximum) manualManual transmissionA manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
or sequential manual transmissionSequential manual transmissionA sequential manual transmission is a type of manual transmission used on motorcycles and high-performance cars for auto racing, where gears are selected in order, and direct access to specific gears is not possible.... - Weight: 4.0 L (244 in³) displacement and above-2,275 lb (1,032 kg)
Below 4.0 L (244 in³)-2,225 lb (1,010 kg) - Power Output: 500 hpHorsepowerHorsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(370kWWattThe watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
) - Fuel: 100 octaneOctaneOctane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH36CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain...
unleaded gasolineGasolineGasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain... - Fuel capacity: 24 U.S. gallons (91 liters)
- Fuel delivery: Fuel injectionFuel injectionFuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
- Aspiration: Naturally aspirated
- Steering: PowerPower steeringPower steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
, rack and pinionRack and pinionA rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called "the pinion" engages teeth on a linear "gear" bar called "the rack"; rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move, thereby...
History
Debuting in the 2003 season, specifically at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, six Daytona Prototypes initially ran: A Fabcar-Toyota, a Picchio-BMW, a Doran-Chevrolet, two Fabcar-Porsches, and a Multimatic-Ford. In qualifying, a Chevrolet Corvette and a Ford Mustang, both from the GTS class, took the top two spots on the grid, while the leading Daytona Protype was the Multimatic-Ford. Grand-Am however reversed "the first three rows of the grid for the Daytona Prototypes, regardless of their qualifying times," to ensure the Daytona Prototypes started at the front of the field. The Daytona Prototypes also failed to even take the overall pole position from heavily restricted SRP prototypes. In the race itself, only two DPs managed to finish, far behind a much lower Grand Touring class car. However, after the teething problems were worked out, the cars began to take overall victories as the season progressed.For 2004, the SRP classes were finally cancelled, and the number of DPs grew, with 17 appearing at the season opener at Daytona where they managed to take the overall win. By 2006, thanks to the low cost of the design, the number of DPs at some races grew to above thirty entrants, allowing for full fields and close racing.
GARRA plans to continue using the Daytona Prototype in the forseable future, with new chassis designs being allowed into the series in 2008.
Since 2006, DP cars were permitted to compete in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's Super GT
Super GT
The Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC , is a grand touring car race series promoted by the GT-Association...
in the secondary GT300 class with outstanding results, one entrant, the Mooncraft Shiden
Mooncraft Shiden
The Mooncraft Shiden is a Japanese Super GT GT300 class prototype racer. The Shiden is a joint venture with a body designed by the Japanese automotive design company Mooncraft and produced by the American racing car manufacturer Riley Technologies.The car is currently used by Honda-based team Car...
lost out to an RE Amemiya
RE Amemiya
is an automotive tuning company from Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan founded by Isami Amemiya. Amemiya has made a name for himself tuning rotary engines since 1974 and has become a pioneer in tuning rotary-powered Mazdas...
RX-7
Mazda RX-7
Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...
(although tied for points) in the drivers' title and again to a MR-S, but took the team title in 2007.