Judd (engine)
Encyclopedia
John Judd
John Judd is a Formula One engineer from England. He is the boss of Engine Developments Ltd., manufacturers of Judd engines. He is also known for his partnership with triple F1 World Champion Sir Jack Brabham....
and Jack Brabham
Jack Brabham
Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One champion in , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name....
in Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, England. Engine Developments was intended to build engines for Brabham's racing efforts, and became one of the first firms authorised by Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
to maintain and rebuild its DFV
Cosworth DFV
The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine...
engines, but has since expanded into various areas of motorsport.
Judd has provided engines for many major series, including Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
and other smaller formula series, sports car racing, and touring car racing. They have been associated with manufacturers such as Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
, MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
, and Honda
Honda
is 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...
, although they have mainly been a privateer engine supplier to customers.
Lower formulas
Following the departure of Jack Brabham from Engine Developments, Judd was hired by HondaHonda
is 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...
to develop an engine for the company's return to Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
in association with Ron Tauranac
Ron Tauranac
Ron Tauranac is the former Australian designer for Formula One driver Jack Brabham from 1962 until Brabham's retirement as a driver at the end of the 1970 season. Tauranac briefly owned and managed the Brabham team in 1971, but he sold the team to Bernie Ecclestone in late 1971...
's Ralt
Ralt
RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater racing cars, founded by ex-Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham to Bernie Ecclestone. Ron and his brother had built some specials in Australia in the 1950s under the RALT name...
team.
After the demise of Formula Two at the end of the 1984 season, Judd continued to develop new engines for Honda. The first was the Judd AV, a turbocharged V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
built for Honda's CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
campaign. It was first raced by Galles Racing
Galles Racing
Galles Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Rick Galles that competed in the CART series, Can-Am and Indy Racing League, winning the 1990 CART Championship and 1992 Indianapolis 500 with driver Al Unser, Jr..-Early years:...
at 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...
in 1987
1987 Indianapolis 500
The 71st Indianapolis 500 was held Sunday May 24, 1987 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During the month of May, an unusually high 25 crashes occurred during practice and qualifying. After dominating practice, qualifying, and most of the race, leader Mario Andretti slowed with mechanical...
badged as the Brabham
Geoff Brabham
Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result...
-Honda. Truesports
Truesports
Truesports was an automobile racing team founded by Jim Trueman based in Hilliard, Ohio. The team is best known for winning the 1986 Indianapolis 500 and back-to-back CART championships in 1986 and 1987....
racing took over primary team development a year later. Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
scored the only victory for that engine at the Pocono 500
Pocono 500 (Indycar)
The Pocono 500 was an American Open Wheel 500-mile race held at Pocono International Raceway from 1971-1989. It was sanctioned by USAC from 1971-1981, and by CART from 1982-1989. Following the 1989 event, the track was officially deemed too rough and unsuitable for Indycars, and was permanently...
in 1988. Judd continued to build upgrades to the AV into the early 1990s, even after Honda had stopped badging the engines. When Honda moved into the new Formula 3000 series, Judd again developed the company's engine. Based on the architecture of the AV, the new BV V8 was a naturally aspirated variant, and would eventually form the basis for the Judd CV Formula One engine.
KV
After the company's departure from Formula One, Judd returned to Formula 3000 in 1995 with the development of the 3 litre KV V8 engine. Judd built the engines that every Formula 3000 team used, although ZytekZytek
Zytek Group Ltd is an automotive and motorsport company founded in 1981 and based in Fradley and Repton, United Kingdom. Zytek Group has two main division: Zytek Automotive, which is based at Fradley, Staffordshire; and Zytek Engineering, which is based at Repton, Derbyshire.-Zytek Automotive:Zytek...
was tasked with maintaining the over 80 engines after they were built. Although Judd stopped production of the KV and the Formula 3000 series ended in 2004, Zytek later used the engines as a basis for the A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix
A1 Grand Prix was a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport"...
units in 2005.
Formula One
In 1988, in conjunction with March EngineeringMarch Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
, Judd made the move into the recently reintroduced normally aspirated variant of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, which would completely replace turbocharged cars in 1989. By using the existing BV V8 as the starting point for their new F1 engine, Judd saved cost while at the same time producing a customer engine that could compete on track and in the marketplace with the Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford 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...
-Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
V8s that were standard equipment for the (mostly smaller) teams competing to the new rules.
CV
The first Formula One engine developed by Judd, the CV, was built to the 3.5 litre engine formula for naturally aspirated engines. The engine shared many design features with the Judd BV engine, but was expanded to 3.5 litres. March Engineering originally signed to use the Judd CV, but WilliamsF1WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
was later forced to turn to Judd after they lost their supply of Honda engines. Ligier also eventually bought CVs for use in the 1988 season. Judd powered cars scored four podiums in their debut season, split between March and Williams.
For the 1989 season, the all-new narrow-angle Judd EV (with a more compact 76-degree vee angle, rather than the more conventional 90 degrees of the AV/BV/CV) was developed. Construction of the CV continued as a cheaper alternative for smaller teams. Team Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
and EuroBrun
EuroBrun
EuroBrun Racing was a Formula One constructor from Senago, Milan, Italy, with an Italo-Swiss ownership. They participated in 46 grands prix, entering a total of 76 cars....
were the only CV customers, with Lotus finishing sixth in the constructor's championship. EuroBrun was originally the only team to continue with the CV unit into 1990, but Life eventually bought CV units to replace their failed in-house design.
EV
The previous Judd CV was designed with a conventional 90-degree engine block. Following the 1988 season it was decided that a narrower vee-angle would be adopted to give a more compact engine; the original intent was a 75-degree vee, but limitations in Judd's CNC equipment (it could only work in whole-degree increments) meant that 76 degrees was used instead.March Engineering upgraded their 1988 CV unit to an EV in 1989, while Brabham was also supplied with the new engines. Brabham and March each scored one podium with the EV engine. Both teams continued with the EV in 1990, although March Engineering was renamed Leyton House Racing
Leyton House Racing
Leyton House Racing was a Formula One constructor that raced in the 1990 and 1991 seasons.It was, in essence, a rebranding of the March team which returned to F1 in 1987. Leyton House, a Japanese real estate company, had been the team's marquee sponsor since that year, and went on to buy the team...
. Leyton House took the engine's only podium of the season, a second place at the French Grand Prix
1990 French Grand Prix
The 1990 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 8, 1990. It was the seventh race of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the 68th French Grand Prix and the 14th and last to be held at Paul Ricard...
. For 1991, Team Lotus was the only team to use the older EV.
GV
In the normally aspirated 3.5 litre formula, ten and twelve cylinder engines had proved to be more powerful than V8s. This prompted Judd to replace the CV and EV V8s with an all new engine in 1991 for the BMS Scuderia Italia team. The new 72-degree angle V10 engineV10 engine
A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...
would carry the GV name. The engine was powerful, helping the team to a podium finish in the San Marino Grand Prix
1991 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1991 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Imola on 28 April 1991.- Background :Stefan Johansson was replaced at AGS by F1 debutant Fabrizio Barbazza...
.
Judd's agreement with Scuderia Italia ended following the 1991 season, leaving the GVs to be used by the Brabham team and newcomers Andrea Moda Formula
Andrea Moda Formula
Andrea Moda Formula was a Formula One team, created by Andrea Sassetti, a shoe manufacturer from Italy. In September 1991 he bought the Coloni F1 team after it had failed to pre-qualify a car for every single race that year....
in 1992. Neither team scored a point all season and Judd engines pulled out of Formula One.
Yamaha partnership
Following Judd's withdrawal from Formula One in 1992, John Judd turned to YamahaYamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
to continue production of his engines. Using the Judd GV V10 as a base, Yamaha developed an all new cylinder head and branded the motor as the OX10, for use by Tyrrell Racing
Tyrrell Racing
The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell which started racing in 1958 and started building its own cars in 1970. The team experienced its greatest success in the early 1970s, when it won three drivers' championships and one...
in 1993. Once again, Tyrrell were unable to score any points all season. An improved OX10B for 1994 boosted Tyrrell's performance, as the team scored a podium and finished sixth in the constructor's championship.
Rule changes in 1995 saw the OX10C (known by Judd as the HV) reduced to 3 litres, although the architecture of the engine was generally the same. Tyrrell's performance fell off again however, as the team scored five points and finished eighth in the championship. 1996 saw the same points total from Tyrrell, although the new Yamaha OX11 (Judd JV) engine was an all-new design. After 1996 Tyrrell switched to using Ford-branded engines and the last appearance of Yamaha and Judd-developed engines in Formula One was through usage by Arrows
Arrows
Arrows Grand Prix International was a British Formula One team active from to . For a period of time, it was also known as Footwork.-Origins :...
. Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
nearly won the 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix
1997 Hungarian Grand Prix
The 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Hungaroring on August 10, 1997.Damon Hill, as defending world champion, had experienced a miserable year in the uncompetitive Arrows-Yamaha, but the team experienced a spike in performance levels at Hungary, mainly due to their...
but suffered throttle cable problems and finished second, the only podium for the team all season.
GV10
In 1991, the World Sportscar ChampionshipWorld Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
introduced an engine formula nearly identical to Formula One. This was an attempt to decrease cost by allowing sportscar teams to purchase Formula One engines, while at the same time encouraging major sportscar manufacturers to enter Formula One. This allowed for Judd to offer their GV V10 to customers following modifications to meet the endurance requirements necessary in the World Sportscar Championship.
As financial troubles hit other teams, the Judd V10 became one of the few privately funded engines for the top C1 class. Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
was forced to turn to Judd to replace their outlawed rotary engines, although the GV10s would be rebadged as Mazda MV10s. Euro Racing, the other half of EuroBrun, also purchased GV10s for their Lola T92/10
Lola T92/10
The Lola T92/10 was a Group C sports car developed by Lola Cars as a customer chassis for the 1992 World Sportscar Championship season...
s. Mazda finished third in the team's championship while Euro Racing took fifth.
The World Sportscar Championship was cancelled in 1993, quickly ending Judd's first brief involvement in sports car racing.
GV4
After engine involvement with Yamaha in Formula One, Judd returned once again to sports car racing. Believing that a large naturally aspirated engine would be fitting for use as a customer supply in the Sports Racing World Cup, Judd resurrected the GV10 from a few years earlier. Expanded to 4 litre and upgraded with new technology, the new GV4 became a favorite choice for teams not running the dominant Ferrari 333 SPFerrari 333 SP
The Ferrari 333 SP was a sports prototype car built by Michelotto to World Sports Car regulations for Ferrari. Unveiled at the end of 1993, at the behest of amateur racer Giampiero Moretti , the 333 SP marked Ferrari's official return to sports car racing after a 20 year absence...
, eventually winning the championship with Racing for Holland
Racing for Holland
Racing for Holland is a Dutch motor racing team started by Jan Lammers in 1999. The team is initially specialised in endurance races such as 24 hours of Le Mans and FIA sportscars series. The team is now also participating in the A1 Grand Prix as the A1 Team The Netherlands.-History:Racing for...
in 2002 and 2003. In 2000 a Doran Ferrari 333 SP-Judd hybrid appeared, the performance of the Judd engine being deemed superior to that of the six-year-old Italian unit, which was no longer supported by Ferrari.
The GV4s also became powerful enough to contest for overall wins in 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...
, with Oreca
Oreca
Oreca is a French racing team, founded and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport including Formula Three where drivers including Alain Prost, Jacques Laffite and Jean Alesi have won the French Formula Three Championship for...
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...
s running the GV4 finishing fifth and sixth in as well as an overall victory for Doran Lista at the Rolex 24 at Daytona the same year. The engine's reliability record at Le Mans was still patchy and, while it could challenge for pole in Domes
Dome (constructor)
, literally "child's dream", is a Japanese-based racing car constructor, involved mainly in open wheel and sports car racing.-Background:In 1965 Minoru Hayashi built his first racing car, a rebodied Honda S600 coupe. Belonging to Tojiro Ukiya, it was called the "Karasu" , due to its shape...
and Dallaras, the engine revs had to be reduced to ensure it survived the race.
KV675
In 2001, the Automobile Club de l'OuestAutomobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest , sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race...
(ACO), organisers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, announced new regulations for 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. The smaller LMP675 category would allow naturally aspirated V8 engines up to 3.4 litres. Using the design of the Formula 3000 KV V8, Judd expanded the engine to the maximum 3.4 litres and reinforced it for endurance racing, creating the KV675.
In its debut year, the KV675 won the LMP675 championship in the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
for Dick Barbour Racing. However, factory supported efforts by MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
and then Zytek were the dominant efforts in LMP675, so the KV675 only won its class at the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans
2004 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 72nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13 2004.-Race:With the end of the Bentley project, there were no official factory teams at this years race, theoretically leaving it open to anyone...
. It also won the LMP2 class championship in the ALMS in 2005. Both victories were for Intersport Racing, installed at the back of their Lola B2K/40.
GV5
In 2002, Judd introduced a variant of the GV4 known as the GV5. The engine capacity increase to 5.0 litres was an attempt to reduce revs, increase torque, and increase reliability. The GV5 quickly proved its capabilities over the GV4, when it took second place in the teams championship in the Rolex Sports Car SeriesRolex 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...
in its debut year with Doran. Pescarolo Sport
Pescarolo Sport
Pescarolo Sport is a motorsport team based in Le Mans, France and founded in 2000 by French racing driver Henri Pescarolo. They race in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In October 2007, Henri Pescarolo purchased Jacques Nicolet's Saulnier Racing and created Pescarolo Automobiles,...
later went on to finish fourth at the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans with a GV5. The following year, Pescarolo finished in second place at Le Mans and won the teams championship in the Le Mans Endurance Series.
The GV5 received an upgrade in 2006, using lighter materials to decrease the weight of the unit by 20 kg. The GV5 S2 showed its performance by taking the Pescarolo to second place once again at Le Mans behind Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
's R10, as well as winning every event in the Le Mans Series season.
The engine was further upgraded in 2007, with an increase in displacement to 5.5 litre to produce even more torque while attaining the maximum power at lower rpms
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 improving fuel consumption. The Judd GV5.5 S2 is currently the most popular customer engine in use in LMP1 class prototypes, especially in Europe.
XV675
In an attempt to displace Ford and Cosworth as the only supplier of engines in the Champ Car World Series, Judd proposed a variant of the KV675 for use in the series through an agreement with MG, who would badge the engine. The deal did not come to fruition, but the development work performed based on the KV675 to adapt it to Champ Car was transferred to sports car racing. The improved engine, known as XV675, retained the 3.4 litre layout but included technology developed from the GV series of engines to increase revs and performance while reducing weight.The XV675 debuted in 2004 with mixed success. Ray Mallock Ltd.
Ray Mallock Ltd.
Ray Mallock Ltd., also known as RML Group, is a motorsports racing team and engineering company. In 2010, RML is engaged in the Le Mans Series as well as being the works Chevrolet team in the British Touring Car Championship and the World Touring Car Championship.-Early history:Ray Mallock began...
earned the XV675 one of its few successes, winning the LMP2 class at the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans
2005 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 73rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19 2005.This race marked the record 7th victory for Tom Kristensen, including his 6th straight.-Race:...
, but the team later switched to the Advanced Engine Research
Advanced Engine Research
Advanced Engine Research, Ltd. is an auto racing engine manufacturer based in Basildon, Essex, England...
turbocharged LMP2 engine which had become dominant in the class. It was used until 2008.
DB
On September 12, 2007, Engine Developments announced their plans for a replacement for the XV675, termed the DB. Although it again retained the 3.4 litre engine capacity, the unit was entirely new. Judd planned to work closely with a top LMP2 team in order to get better testing out of the DB in 2008 before the engine was released to any customers. The engine is now found at the back of the numerous Lola B08/80 LMP2 cars in the LMS championship where it fights for wins against the Zyteks and the rare Porsche RS SpyderPorsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder is a racing car designed by Porsche to compete in Le Mans Prototype Class 2 racing. The car takes its name from the legendary 550 Spyder of the 1950s...
s.
FU
In early 2008 Engine Developments developed an engine package for the 5.4 litre Ford GT in conjunction with Robertson Racing for the teams 2008 Lemans campaign. Termed "FU" for Forced Underduction the powerplant propelled Robertson to a podium finish 2 years consecutive and was viewed as a extreme success. Judd made its first limited venture into the mainstream by offering a version of the FU Judd 750 and 900 engine packages available to consumers through Robertson Racing.Touring car racing
In 1997, Engine Developments was chosen by Nissan MotorsNissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
to lead their engine development program on the Primera
Nissan Primera
The Nissan Primera is a medium sized family car produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan for the Japanese domestic and European markets.-Nissan Primera P10 :...
for the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
. Nissan went on to win the constructor's championship in 1998 and 1999, with Laurent Aïello
Laurent Aïello
Laurent Aïello is a race car driver.In 1990 he won the Monaco Grand Prix Formula Three support race. His two seasons in International Formula 3000 were not successful however, and though he won the French Formula Three Championship. 2005 was his final competitive season...
winning the driver's title in 1999.
As part of MG's involvement with Judd elsewhere, the two worked together on MG's return to the British Touring Car Championship in 2004. Judd developed the K2000 engine to for the MG ZS
MG ZS
The MG ZS is a sports family car. The ZS is essentially a badge engineered Rover 45 . The 45 in turn is a facelifted version of the Rover 400 which was launched in hatchback form in 1995 and saloon form in 1996. The Rover 400 had much in common with the Honda Civic of 1995-1999...
, with Anthony Reid
Anthony Reid
Anthony Reid is a British auto racing driver, born on 17 May 1957 in Glasgow, Scotland. Although Scottish he now lives in England.-Formula cars:...
finishing fourth in the driver's championship in their debut year. However, MG's financial troubles forced the company to drop out of the championship soon after, leaving the K2000 open to customers. Des Wheatley installed the engine in an MG Metro and won the British Rallycross
Rallycross
Rallycross is a form of sprint style automobile racing, held on a closed mixed-surface racing circuit, with modified production or specially built road cars, similar to the World Rally Cars, although usually with about stronger engines, due to e.g. their 45 mm turbo restrictor plates. It is...
Championship.
External links
- 134judd.com a private project to make the ultimative hillclimb machine (German)