Howmet TX
Encyclopedia
The Howmet TX was an American sports prototype
racing car
designed in 1968 to test the competitive use of a gas turbine
engine in sports car racing
. Planned by racing driver Ray Heppenstall, the TX combined a chassis
built by McKee Engineering, turbine engines leased from Continental Aviation & Engineering, and financial backing and materials from the Howmet Corporation
.
Although not the first attempt at using a turbine powerplant in auto racing, the Howmet TX was the first and is still the only turbine to win a race, earning two Sports Car Club of America
(SCCA) race victories and two qualifying sprint victories during its only year of competition. The TX later set six Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
(FIA) land speed record
s for turbines after being retired from racing.
s as an alternative to the piston engine
had been gaining support in the automobile industry during the 1960s. Chrysler
had begun testing in the 1950s and began leasing their Turbine Car
to the public in 1963, while British manufacturer Rover
and racing team BRM combined to build a racing car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
in and . Both cars showed reliability but were unable to win over the public or to win at Le Mans respectively. By 1967, team owner and car developer Andy Granatelli
had created the STP-Paxton Turbocar
for the Indianapolis 500
. The car nearly won the race driven by Parnelli Jones
, but suffered a mechanical failure after leading over two-thirds of the event. A similar attempt with a Lotus 56
in 1968 also led to retirement after showing winning potential.
At the same time as Granatelli's turbine debut at Indy, racer Ray Heppenstall began to conceive a design for his own sports car to make use of a gas turbine, improving in some areas where the Rover-BRM
had failed several years before. Heppenstall felt that a more simplified design for the chassis could make a turbine-powered car more competitive. Heppenstall originally proposed the car to Allison Engine Company
and later to Williams Research
. He eventually turned to fellow racer Tom Fleming for aid. Fleming was at the time vice-president of Howmet Corporation
, which provided castings for turbines in the aerospace industry. Heppenstall and Fleming were able to convince Howmet that their backing of a competitive and unique sports car could promote public awareness of the company. Howmet agreed to fund the project, lending their name to the car.
Monaco sports car, but later decided it was not the best choice for a turbine and the car was sold off. Bob McKee, owner of McKee Engineering, was then contracted by Heppenstall to build two cars brand new. The first space frame
chassis was actually built from an older McKee car initially built for the Can Am series in 1966, but adapted to house the turbine engine. The second car #GTP2 was built from scratch, allowing it to be purposely designed around the use of a turbine engine, including a chassis 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) longer. The chassis were known as the Mk.9 to McKee, but only ever raced as turbines under the Howmet TX guise.
The Mk.9 was designed around the FIA's Group 6
regulations for sports prototypes, allowing for a completely custom mid-engine layout that was only limited in terms of engine sizes available to competitors. Closed cockpit bodywork with gullwing doors was designed by Bob McKee to shroud the mid-engine layout. Standard double wishbone suspension
with coil spring
s were used with disc brake
s on each wheel. A 32 gallons (121.1 l) fuel tank was placed between the cockpit and turbine, housing Jet A fuel.
was able to be reached.
A two-stage setup used an internal power turbine to drive the rear wheels through the use of reduction gearing
. Due to the wide variable output of the turbine and the high level of torque, a standard gearbox was not necessary, leaving the Howmet TX with only a single gearing speed. However, the gearing ratios were able to be quickly changed in the differential, allowing the car to be adapted to various circuits. Due to the use of a single-speed transmission, there was no gearing for reverse. Although Heppenstall initially wished to do without reverse, the FIA mandated its use and a small electric motor powered by the turbine was installed, allowing the car to move in reverse.
The turbine itself used two large exhaust pipes. However, a third pipe was situated off-center for use with a wastegate
. The wastegate was designed to eliminate the lag between the driver pressing the accelerator and the turbine increasing its revolutions. Once the turbine was at its maximum revolutions, the wastegate helped regulate the amount of fuel actually entering the turbine, thus increasing or decreasing the power output.
Although turbines cannot have their displacement
measured in the same way as a piston engine, the FIA used an equivalence formula to determine the Continental TS325-1's displacement of 2960 cc, although Heppenstall has since admitted that the engine was actually above the three litre limit. This allowed the Howmet to compete in the Prototype Under 3000 cc category of the Group 6 formula.
, the opening round of the 1968 International Championship for Makes
. Before even entering competition the TX earned attention, and was featured prominently on the cover of the race program. Although both cars were in attendance, only the newer (#GTP2) of the two was entered in the race; the other car (#GTP1) was kept as a spare. The driving team of Heppenstall, Dick Thompson
, and Ed Lowther qualified with a lap time seventh fastest overall. Several competitors made early refueling stops allowing the Howmet to improve to third place but on lap 34 the turbine wastegate failed to reopen, giving the driver too much power for the corner he was in. The car spun and hit a barrier, forcing the team to retire.
By the 12 Hours of Sebring
a few months later, the TX was able to improve its pace, this time qualifying third, only a second behind a Porsche 907
and a Ford GT40
. The turbine ran reliably at first but, as the race continued, debris damaged the turbine and caused it to shake loose from its mounts. The TX was eventually retired after six hours. Following Sebring, the International Championship returned to Europe, and the Howmet team followed. They entered the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch
. Wastegate problems once again caused the car to wreck, this time after only seven laps. Staying in Britain, the Howmet team entered a national sprint race at Oulton Park
for British driver Hugh Dibley. The failure of a starter motor during a pit stop
, however, once again denied the TX the possibility of finishing the hour-long event.
The TX returned to the United States to contest the SCCA National Championship rather than stay in Europe for the remainder of the International Championship. Closer to home, the problems with the experimental TX were able to be overcome as the car finished its first race, the Vandergraft Trophy in New Cumberland, West Virginia
. Heppenstall drove the car to a second place finish, setting a new lap record for the circuit. Following a retirement in Michigan, the TX next arrived at the Heart of Dixie event in Huntsville, Alabama
. A short sprint race was held on the day prior to the main race in order to determine the starting order of the field. The Howmet TX was able to earn victory in the sprint, allowing it to start on pole position
for the main event. From there the TX dominated the event and earned another win. These two victories marked the first-ever wins by a turbine-powered car in a racing event.
With the first victory earned by the Howmet TX, Heppenstall was once again joined by Dick Thompson for the Marlboro 300. Once again the car won the short qualifying race to earn pole position and went on to lead every lap of the main event, winning by an eleven-lap margin. Feeling that the TX was now capable of taking on European entries, both TXs were entered in the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen
, another round of the International Championship. Hugh Dibley and newcomer Bob Tullius were entered in the first car, while Heppenstall and Thompson shared the second. The cars qualified eighth and ninth fastest. Following early accidents by the factory Porsche
s the TX cars were running third and fourth overall. The Dibley and Tullius car suffered a transmission problem in the closing hour requiring the car to crawl around the circuit until the end of the race. The other entry remained on pace until the end, finishing on the podium overall and was the highest finisher in its class. The podium earned Howmet four points towards the International Championship.
After the Watkins Glen success, the two cars were prepared for an attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
, which had been postponed until September. French aluminium company Pechiney
sponsored the team's bid at the 24 hours. The same drivers were assigned to the cars, but their qualifying performance at the Circuit de la Sarthe
was hampered by the long straights. Twentieth fastest was the best performance from the two cars.
For the race itself, mechanical problems appeared early as Thompson's car suffered after only three laps. The fuel system was not providing enough Jet A to the turbine to allow it to produce its full power output, meaning the car had to limp down the circuit's long straights. While that car continued at a slowed pace, the other suffered a wheel bearing
failure two hours later, requiring a lengthy three hour repair. By the sixth hour of the event the car was disqualified by race officials, having covered an insufficient distance of only 60 laps. The remaining fuel-starved TX did not last much longer as Thompson crashed in the Indianapolis corner.
With the 1968 season over, Heppenstall planned for the following year, including the development of a new multi-gear transmission to replace the single speed unit. However, Howmet felt that the program was not providing adequate promotion for the company and decided to discontinue it.
On a road next to Talladega Superspeedway
in August 1970, Heppenstall drove the TX Mk.II to six records recognized by the FIA, with the timing recorded by the new International Motor Sports Association
(IMSA).
In 1971, Howmet ended their promotional use of the two TX cars. The two chassis were sold to Rey Heppenstall for one dollar
. However, because the two Continental turbines had been leased to Howmet, they had to be returned once the cars were no longer under Howmet's control. Heppenstall eventually sold the two chassis.
Chassis #GTP1 was bought by Jim Brucker and stored in his personal collection in California. On display, it featured a mock-up of the Continental turbine in the engine bay. The car was bought in 2006 by Bruce Linsmeyer of Avon Aero and has been restored with an original Continental turbine. Following restoration, #GTP1 won the Sebring Trophy at the 2007 Amelia Island
Concours d'Elegance
.
The second car, chassis #GTP2, was converted from its open-cockpit bodywork back into its original closed-cockpit design in a restoration carried out in by McKee Engineering at the behest of new owner Chuck Haines. The restoration of Chassis #GTP2 was completed in July 1996. Original Continental turbines could not be obtained, so a Allison
250C18 turbine was installed. Chuck Haines participated three times to Goodwood Festival of Speed
. In 2006, It was later sold to Xavier Micheron who adapted the wastegates system to the Allison turbine. #GTP2 has since participated in the Le Mans Classic
event in 2008 and 2010, as well as in the Classic Endurance Racing series in 2009 and 2010. It also came back to Goodwood Festival of Speed
in 2009.
During Haines' ownership of chassis #GTP2 he asked Bob McKee to build a third chassis, known as #GTP3. McKee completed the car to original specification in 2000 for Haines. Again, due to the lack of a Continental turbine, the Allison unit was used instead. The different powerplant required some redesign, as the exhaust was now vented out of the top of the engine cover instead of out the rear of the car. #GTP3 do not have the wastegates sysem. Haines still owns #GTP3 as of 2008 and has entered the car in historic motorsport
events, including the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
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
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
designed in 1968 to test the competitive use of a gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
engine in sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
. Planned by racing driver Ray Heppenstall, the TX combined a chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
built by McKee Engineering, turbine engines leased from Continental Aviation & Engineering, and financial backing and materials from the Howmet Corporation
Howmet Castings
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Howmet, a division of Alcoa is a world leader in the investment casting of superalloys, aluminum and titanium primarily for jet aircraft and industrial gas turbine engine components...
.
Although not the first attempt at using a turbine powerplant in auto racing, the Howmet TX was the first and is still the only turbine to win a race, earning two Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
(SCCA) race victories and two qualifying sprint victories during its only year of competition. The TX later set six Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
(FIA) land speed record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
s for turbines after being retired from racing.
Development
Interest in the use of gas turbineGas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
s as an alternative to the piston engine
Reciprocating engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types...
had been gaining support in the automobile industry during the 1960s. Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
had begun testing in the 1950s and began leasing their Turbine Car
Chrysler Turbine Car
Chrysler Turbine Cars were automobiles powered by gas turbine engines that the Chrysler Corporation assembled in a small plant in Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1963, for use in the only consumer test of gas turbine-powered cars...
to the public in 1963, while British manufacturer Rover
Rover (car)
The Rover Company is a former British car manufacturing company founded as Starley & Sutton Co. of Coventry in 1878. After developing the template for the modern bicycle with its Rover Safety Bicycle of 1885, the company moved into the automotive industry...
and racing team BRM combined to build a racing car for 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...
in and . Both cars showed reliability but were unable to win over the public or to win at Le Mans respectively. By 1967, team owner and car developer Andy Granatelli
Andy Granatelli
Anthony "Andy" Granatelli was the CEO of STP.Along with brothers Vince and Joe, Andy first worked as an auto mechanic and 'speed-shop' entrepreneur, modifying engines such as the 'flathead' Ford into racing-quality equipment...
had created the STP-Paxton Turbocar
STP-Paxton Turbocar
The STP-Paxton Turbocar was a racing car, designed by Ken Wallis as the STP entry in the Indianapolis 500.- History :Wallis, a distant relative of famed British engineer Barnes Wallis, had developed a workable plan for harnessing a gas turbine to a race car. He first presented the idea to Dan...
for the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
. The car nearly won the race driven by Parnelli Jones
Parnelli Jones
Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones , is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car...
, but suffered a mechanical failure after leading over two-thirds of the event. A similar attempt with a Lotus 56
Lotus 56
The Lotus 56 was a racing car, designed by Maurice Philippe as Team Lotus' 1968 entry in the Indianapolis 500, replacing the successful Lotus 38. The Lotus 56 was not based on the STP-Paxton Turbocar that almost won in 1967, but was an entirely new and more advanced design...
in 1968 also led to retirement after showing winning potential.
Rover-BRM
The Rover-BRM was a prototype gas turbine-powered racing car, jointly developed in the early 1960s by the British companies Rover and British Racing Motors .Rover had already been working with gas turbines for road vehicles since World War II...
had failed several years before. Heppenstall felt that a more simplified design for the chassis could make a turbine-powered car more competitive. Heppenstall originally proposed the car to Allison Engine Company
Allison Engine Company
The Allison Engine Company was a U.S. aircraft engine manufacturer. In 1929, shortly after the death of James Allison, the company was purchased by the Fisher brothers. Fisher sold the company to General Motors, who owned it for most of its history...
and later to Williams Research
Williams International
Williams International is a manufacturer of small gas turbine engines based in Walled Lake, Michigan, United States. It produces jet engines for cruise missiles and small jet-powered aircraft.- History :...
. He eventually turned to fellow racer Tom Fleming for aid. Fleming was at the time vice-president of Howmet Corporation
Howmet Castings
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Howmet, a division of Alcoa is a world leader in the investment casting of superalloys, aluminum and titanium primarily for jet aircraft and industrial gas turbine engine components...
, which provided castings for turbines in the aerospace industry. Heppenstall and Fleming were able to convince Howmet that their backing of a competitive and unique sports car could promote public awareness of the company. Howmet agreed to fund the project, lending their name to the car.
Chassis
Heppenstall began the project by purchasing a CooperCooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...
Monaco sports car, but later decided it was not the best choice for a turbine and the car was sold off. Bob McKee, owner of McKee Engineering, was then contracted by Heppenstall to build two cars brand new. The first space frame
Space frame
A space frame or space structure is a truss-like, lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports...
chassis was actually built from an older McKee car initially built for the Can Am series in 1966, but adapted to house the turbine engine. The second car #GTP2 was built from scratch, allowing it to be purposely designed around the use of a turbine engine, including a chassis 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) longer. The chassis were known as the Mk.9 to McKee, but only ever raced as turbines under the Howmet TX guise.
The Mk.9 was designed around the FIA's Group 6
Group 6 (racing)
Group 6 was the official designation applied by the FIA to two motor racing classifications, the Prototype-Sports Car category from 1966 to 1971 and the Two-Seater Racing Cars class from 1976 to 1982.-Group 6 Prototype-Sports Cars :...
regulations for sports prototypes, allowing for a completely custom mid-engine layout that was only limited in terms of engine sizes available to competitors. Closed cockpit bodywork with gullwing doors was designed by Bob McKee to shroud the mid-engine layout. Standard double wishbone suspension
Double wishbone suspension
In automobiles, a double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design using two wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control...
with coil spring
Coil spring
A Coil spring, also known as a helical spring, is a mechanical device, which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces...
s were used with disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s on each wheel. A 32 gallons (121.1 l) fuel tank was placed between the cockpit and turbine, housing Jet A fuel.
Turbine
The turbines to power the two Howmet TXs were leased from Continental Aviation & Engineering. The TS325-1 gas turbines were prototypes from an aborted bid for a military helicopter contract which Continental was not putting to use at the time. The loaned turbines weighed 170 pounds (77.1 kg) and were able to provide 350 bhp and 650 lbf·ft (881.3 N·m) of torque. A maximum of 57,000 rpmRevolutions 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...
was able to be reached.
Gear ratio
The gear ratio of a gear train is the ratio of the angular velocity of the input gear to the angular velocity of the output gear, also known as the speed ratio of the gear train. The gear ratio can be computed directly from the numbers of teeth of the various gears that engage to form the gear...
. Due to the wide variable output of the turbine and the high level of torque, a standard gearbox was not necessary, leaving the Howmet TX with only a single gearing speed. However, the gearing ratios were able to be quickly changed in the differential, allowing the car to be adapted to various circuits. Due to the use of a single-speed transmission, there was no gearing for reverse. Although Heppenstall initially wished to do without reverse, the FIA mandated its use and a small electric motor powered by the turbine was installed, allowing the car to move in reverse.
The turbine itself used two large exhaust pipes. However, a third pipe was situated off-center for use with a wastegate
Wastegate
A wastegate is a valve that diverts exhaust gases away from the turbine wheel in a turbocharged engine system. Diversion of exhaust gases regulates the turbine speed, which in turn regulates the rotating speed of the compressor. The primary function of the wastegate is to regulate the maximum boost...
. The wastegate was designed to eliminate the lag between the driver pressing the accelerator and the turbine increasing its revolutions. Once the turbine was at its maximum revolutions, the wastegate helped regulate the amount of fuel actually entering the turbine, thus increasing or decreasing the power output.
Although turbines cannot have their displacement
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
measured in the same way as a piston engine, the FIA used an equivalence formula to determine the Continental TS325-1's displacement of 2960 cc, although Heppenstall has since admitted that the engine was actually above the three litre limit. This allowed the Howmet to compete in the Prototype Under 3000 cc category of the Group 6 formula.
Racing history
Following completion of the two Howmet TXs, the cars were brought to the 24 Hours of Daytona24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
, the opening round of the 1968 International Championship for Makes
1968 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1968 World Sportscar Championship season was the 16th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship racing and featured the 1968 International Championship for Makes and the 1968 International Cup for GT Cars. The former was contested by Group 6 Sports Prototypes, Group 4 Sports Cars and Group 3...
. Before even entering competition the TX earned attention, and was featured prominently on the cover of the race program. Although both cars were in attendance, only the newer (#GTP2) of the two was entered in the race; the other car (#GTP1) was kept as a spare. The driving team of Heppenstall, Dick Thompson
Dick Thompson
Dr. Dick Thompson is a retired American racecar driver. A Washington, D.C. dentist by trade, he is known as "The Flying Dentist". He won numerous Sports Car Club of America championships and was inducted in the Corvette Hall of Fame. Thompson brought credibility to the Corvette as a world-class...
, and Ed Lowther qualified with a lap time seventh fastest overall. Several competitors made early refueling stops allowing the Howmet to improve to third place but on lap 34 the turbine wastegate failed to reopen, giving the driver too much power for the corner he was in. The car spun and hit a barrier, forcing the team to retire.
By the 12 Hours of Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
a few months later, the TX was able to improve its pace, this time qualifying third, only a second behind a Porsche 907
Porsche 907
The Porsche 907 was a sportscar racing prototype built by Porsche in 1967 and 1968.- 1967 :The 907 was introduced at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans...
and a Ford GT40
Ford GT40
The Ford GT40 was a high performance sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row, from 1966 to 1969...
. The turbine ran reliably at first but, as the race continued, debris damaged the turbine and caused it to shake loose from its mounts. The TX was eventually retired after six hours. Following Sebring, the International Championship returned to Europe, and the Howmet team followed. They entered the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
. Wastegate problems once again caused the car to wreck, this time after only seven laps. Staying in Britain, the Howmet team entered a national sprint race at Oulton Park
Oulton Park
Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...
for British driver Hugh Dibley. The failure of a starter motor during a pit stop
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
, however, once again denied the TX the possibility of finishing the hour-long event.
The TX returned to the United States to contest the SCCA National Championship rather than stay in Europe for the remainder of the International Championship. Closer to home, the problems with the experimental TX were able to be overcome as the car finished its first race, the Vandergraft Trophy in New Cumberland, West Virginia
New Cumberland, West Virginia
New Cumberland is a city in Hancock County, West Virginia, USA, along the Ohio River. It is the county seat and is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,099 as of the 2000 census.-History:...
. Heppenstall drove the car to a second place finish, setting a new lap record for the circuit. Following a retirement in Michigan, the TX next arrived at the Heart of Dixie event in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. A short sprint race was held on the day prior to the main race in order to determine the starting order of the field. The Howmet TX was able to earn victory in the sprint, allowing it to start on pole position
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
for the main event. From there the TX dominated the event and earned another win. These two victories marked the first-ever wins by a turbine-powered car in a racing event.
With the first victory earned by the Howmet TX, Heppenstall was once again joined by Dick Thompson for the Marlboro 300. Once again the car won the short qualifying race to earn pole position and went on to lead every lap of the main event, winning by an eleven-lap margin. Feeling that the TX was now capable of taking on European entries, both TXs were entered in the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen
6 Hours of Watkins Glen
The Six Hours of Watkins Glen is a sports car endurance race held annually at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York...
, another round of the International Championship. Hugh Dibley and newcomer Bob Tullius were entered in the first car, while Heppenstall and Thompson shared the second. The cars qualified eighth and ninth fastest. Following early accidents by the factory Porsche
Porsche
Porsche 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....
s the TX cars were running third and fourth overall. The Dibley and Tullius car suffered a transmission problem in the closing hour requiring the car to crawl around the circuit until the end of the race. The other entry remained on pace until the end, finishing on the podium overall and was the highest finisher in its class. The podium earned Howmet four points towards the International Championship.
After the Watkins Glen success, the two cars were prepared for an attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1968 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 36th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on September 28 and 29 1968. It was the tenth and final round of the World Sportscar Championship....
, which had been postponed until September. French aluminium company Pechiney
Pechiney
Pechiney SA was a major aluminium conglomerate based in France. The company was acquired in 2003 by the Alcan Corporation, headquartered in Canada...
sponsored the team's bid at the 24 hours. The same drivers were assigned to the cars, but their qualifying performance at the Circuit de la Sarthe
Circuit de la Sarthe
The Circuit des 24 Heures, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a semi-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year...
was hampered by the long straights. Twentieth fastest was the best performance from the two cars.
For the race itself, mechanical problems appeared early as Thompson's car suffered after only three laps. The fuel system was not providing enough Jet A to the turbine to allow it to produce its full power output, meaning the car had to limp down the circuit's long straights. While that car continued at a slowed pace, the other suffered a wheel bearing
Wheel bearing
The term wheel bearing may refer to any one of the following:*A Ball bearing*A Bearing *A Fluid bearing*A Jewel bearing*A Journal bearing*A Needle roller bearing*A plain bearing*Any Rolling-element bearing*A Self-aligning ball bearing...
failure two hours later, requiring a lengthy three hour repair. By the sixth hour of the event the car was disqualified by race officials, having covered an insufficient distance of only 60 laps. The remaining fuel-starved TX did not last much longer as Thompson crashed in the Indianapolis corner.
With the 1968 season over, Heppenstall planned for the following year, including the development of a new multi-gear transmission to replace the single speed unit. However, Howmet felt that the program was not providing adequate promotion for the company and decided to discontinue it.
Land speed records
Howmet decided in 1969 that although the racing program was too expensive to continue, the two cars it owned could still be put to promotional use. Heppenstall decided that he would attempt to repair the second TX chassis (#GTP2) to adapt new open-cockpit bodywork, earning it the name Howmet TX Mk.II. The new vehicle attempted to break world land speed records for turbine-powered cars. With the TX Mk.II weighing approximately 1000 kilograms (2,204.6 lb), the car was able to make attempts at two classes of records thanks to the addition or subtraction of ballast.On a road next to Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
in August 1970, Heppenstall drove the TX Mk.II to six records recognized by the FIA, with the timing recorded by the new International Motor Sports Association
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
(IMSA).
| FIA Speed Records | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | Type | Time seconds |
Speed | |
| km/h | mph | |||
| Class 2 (over 500 kg, under 1000 kg) |
Standing start, ¼ mi | 11.83 | 122.41 | 76.1 |
| Standing start, ½ km | 13.48 | 133.53 | 83 | |
| Standing start, 1 km | 21.18 | 167.97 | 104.4 | |
| Class 3 (over 1000 kg) |
Standing start, ¼ mi | 13.87 | 104.41 | 64.9 |
| Standing start, ½ km | 15.74 | 114.35 | 71.1 | |
| Standing start, 1 km | 23.92 | 150.5 | 93.5 | |
Later use
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. However, because the two Continental turbines had been leased to Howmet, they had to be returned once the cars were no longer under Howmet's control. Heppenstall eventually sold the two chassis.
Chassis #GTP1 was bought by Jim Brucker and stored in his personal collection in California. On display, it featured a mock-up of the Continental turbine in the engine bay. The car was bought in 2006 by Bruce Linsmeyer of Avon Aero and has been restored with an original Continental turbine. Following restoration, #GTP1 won the Sebring Trophy at the 2007 Amelia Island
Amelia Island
Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated off the coast in Nassau County,...
Concours d'Elegance
Concours d'Elegance
A Concours d'Elegance dates back to 17th Century French aristocracy, who paraded horse-drawn carriages in the parks of Paris during Summer weekends and holidays...
.
The second car, chassis #GTP2, was converted from its open-cockpit bodywork back into its original closed-cockpit design in a restoration carried out in by McKee Engineering at the behest of new owner Chuck Haines. The restoration of Chassis #GTP2 was completed in July 1996. Original Continental turbines could not be obtained, so a Allison
Allison Engine Company
The Allison Engine Company was a U.S. aircraft engine manufacturer. In 1929, shortly after the death of James Allison, the company was purchased by the Fisher brothers. Fisher sold the company to General Motors, who owned it for most of its history...
250C18 turbine was installed. Chuck Haines participated three times to Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
. In 2006, It was later sold to Xavier Micheron who adapted the wastegates system to the Allison turbine. #GTP2 has since participated in the Le Mans Classic
Le Mans Classic
The Le Mans Classic is a biennial vintage sports car event held on the grounds of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It began in 2002 and runs every two years in July on the full 13.65 km circuit also used for the annual modern day 24 Hours of Le Mans...
event in 2008 and 2010, as well as in the Classic Endurance Racing series in 2009 and 2010. It also came back to Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
in 2009.
During Haines' ownership of chassis #GTP2 he asked Bob McKee to build a third chassis, known as #GTP3. McKee completed the car to original specification in 2000 for Haines. Again, due to the lack of a Continental turbine, the Allison unit was used instead. The different powerplant required some redesign, as the exhaust was now vented out of the top of the engine cover instead of out the rear of the car. #GTP3 do not have the wastegates sysem. Haines still owns #GTP3 as of 2008 and has entered the car in historic motorsport
Historic motorsport
Historic motorsport relies on cars of a particular era. Events are purely regulated to only allow cars of a certain era to participate. Only safety precautions are modernized in these hobbyist races. A historical event can be of various types of motorsport disciplines...
events, including the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
External links
- YouTube - Howmet TX #GTP1 being started at the Amelia Island Concourse d'Elegance
- endurance-series.com - Howmet TX article