Spice Engineering
Encyclopedia
Gordon Spice
Gordon Spice, is an ex British racing driver who competed in both sports cars and Touring Car racing in the 1960s and 1970’s before starting Spice Engineering with fellow Ray Bellm in the 1980s....
with his brother Derek Spice in the early 1980s, later becoming a successful sports car
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....
constructor in 1986. They competed in the World Sportscar Championship
World 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,...
in Europe as well as the IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
in North America, at times partnering with major manufacturers such as General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
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...
as well as race engine manufacturer Comptech
Comptech
Comptech is a firm that designs, engineers and builds race engines.Comptech originated in mid '80's by preparing racing Acura Integra sedans with supercharged engines. Comptech then moved to the exotic Acura NSX powered IMSA prototype cars, winning three consecutive championships in 1990, 1991...
.
Team history
When founded by Gordon Spice and Derek Spice, Spice Engineering initially used TigaTiga Race Cars
Tiga Race Cars Ltd. was a British auto racing constructor and team. The company was founded in 1974 by two former Formula 1 drivers, Australian Tim Schenken and New Zealander Howden Ganley. The company's name was formed by the first two letters of Tim and Ganley...
sports cars in the World Sportscar Championship, running in the smaller C2 category. Debuting in the 1984
1984 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1984 World Endurance Championship season was the 32nd FIA World Sportscar Championship season. It was a series running under the Group C and Group B formulas, running cars in three classes known as C1, C2, and B...
season, the team managed to score five class wins in the championship, aiding Tiga in finishing third in the constructor's standings. For 1985
1985 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1985 World Sportscar Championship season was the 33rd season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1985 World Endurance Championship which was contested over a series of races for Group C1 and Group C2 Prototypes, Group B GT Cars and IMSA GTP cars...
, the engineering arm of Spice began to develop, as the team assisted in the development of the new Tiga GC85 chassis. Gordon Spice and Ray Bellm
Ray Bellm
Ray Bellm is an auto racing driver from Britain.He began his racing career in 1980, running in Historic racing series and winning the British Historic 2L GT class in 1983 and 1984 driving his Chevron B19 sports car. He made the move to modern sports car racing in 1984, driving for Gordon Spice...
managed to take another five class victories that year, including 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...
, and winning the teams championship.
Now constructing their own cars for 1986
1986 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1986 World Sports-Prototype Championship season was the 34th FIA World Sportscar Championship season. It was a series running under the Group C formula, running cars in two classes known as C1 and C2. An invitational GTP class was also run for IMSA-spec cars...
, Spice also expanded to the IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
, where they assisted in the running of Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac 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...
's Camel Lights competitor. Meanwhile, in the WSC, Spice would score another two victories, yet miss out on a repeat of the team's championship to Ecurie Ecosse
Ecurie Ecosse
Ecurie Ecosse was a motor racing team from Scotland. The team was founded in 1952 by Edinburgh businessman and racing driver David Murray and mechanic Wilkie Wilkinson, its most notable achievement was winning both the 1956 and 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team also raced in three Formula One races...
. Spice would return to form in 1987
1987 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1987 World Sportscar Championship season was the 35th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship racing. It featured the World Sports-Prototype Championship which was a series which ran from March 22, 1987 to September 27, 1987 and was composed of ten races. The series was open to cars running...
, with seven victories and retaking the championship. Spice would expand on this even more in 1988
1988 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1988 World Sports-Prototype Championship season was the 36th FIA World Sportscar Championship season. It was a series running under the Group C formula, running cars in two classes known as C1 and C2. An invitational GTP class was also run for IMSA-spec cars...
, when in an eleven race season, they failed to win their class only once, thus earning them a third championship title.
In 1989
1989 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1989 World Sportscar Championship season was the 37th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1989 FIA World Sports Prototype Championship, which was open to Group C1 Sports Prototypes, Group C2 Sports Prototypes and IMSA GTP cars...
, Spice would attempt to move into the larger C1 class, where major manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, 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....
, Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
, Nissan, Toyota, and Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
competed. Spice would finish a disappointing ninth in the teams championship, with a race result of fourth that season. Fortunes would improve in 1990
1990 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1990 World Sportscar Championship season was the 38th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship racing. It featured the 1990 FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship for Drivers and the 1990 FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship for Teams, both of which were contested over a series for cars...
when a large number of the major manufacturers exited the series, leaving Spice to be able to take fourth place in the championship, ahead of the various private 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....
outfits and the factory Toyota squad.
In 1991, Spice chose to concentrate on the IMSA GT Championship, opting not to run the World Sportscar Championship due to rule changes that made their current chassis illegal, and constructing new ones costly. However Euro Racing achieved a string of good results in the 1991 WSC
1991 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1991 FIA Sportscar World Championship season was the 39th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1991 FIA Sportscar World Championship, which was contested over an eight race series from 14 April to 28 October 28 1991...
with a Spice SE90C, including four fourth places, helping the team to fourth in the teams championship whilst drivers Cor Euser and Charles Zwolsman finished fifth and sixth in the drivers standings. In addition another Spice had the distinction of being the only C1 class car to be a classified finisher in the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans
1991 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 59th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 22 and 23 1991. It was also the fourth round of the Sportscar World Championship.-Pre-race:...
. The following year
1991 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1991 FIA Sportscar World Championship season was the 39th season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1991 FIA Sportscar World Championship, which was contested over an eight race series from 14 April to 28 October 28 1991...
saw Chamberlain Engineering successfully campaigning a Spice SE89C in the declining WSC - the team consistently scored points, including a third place at the 1992 500km of Silverstone
1992 500km of Silverstone
The 1992 500 km of Silverstone was the second race of the FIA Sportscar World Championship. It was run on May 10, 1992-Official results:Class winners in bold...
and finished fourth in the championship, whilst their lead driver Ferdinand de Lesseps finished seventh in the drivers championship. Chamberlain also dominated the FIA Cup, with de Lesseps winning all six rounds. Following the collapse of the GTP class in IMSA at the end of 1993, Spice would drop out of sportscar development.
Constructor history
Tiga Race Cars
Tiga Race Cars Ltd. was a British auto racing constructor and team. The company was founded in 1974 by two former Formula 1 drivers, Australian Tim Schenken and New Zealander Howden Ganley. The company's name was formed by the first two letters of Tim and Ganley...
GC85, Gordon Spice decided to begin to construct his own chassis not only for the C2 class in the World Sportscar Championship, but also for the Lights class in IMSA GT. He received engineering input from General Motors for the IMSA effort, using Pontiac engines in place of 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...
s. The first design by the team was the SE86, which the SE standing for Spice Engineering, and 86 for the year of its construction, 1986. This numbering scheme would be used by nearly all Spice chassis.
After having considerable success with their smaller chassis, Spice made the move to the larger C1 and GTP classes with the SE89. This would be replaced by the successful SE90 the following year, of which Spice built near 30 chassis of that design or similar over several years. Many privateers bought the SE90s, winning various championships. Spice would also end its relationship with General Motors, instead becoming the factory squad for 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...
, running Acura
Acura
Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006...
engines in SE90-based chassis.
By 1992, Spice began to develop newer designs to replace their older chassis, but the company would soon hit financial troubles before multiple cars could be built. Spice's final chassis was finished in 1993, at which time the World Sportscar Championship had been canceled and IMSA was bringing in a new set of rules for open-cockpit sportscars in 1994. However, even though Spice no longer built new cars, many teams took it upon themselves to adapt existing Spice designs to the new regulations. Many chassis had their roof removed to make them open-cockpit, and some of these heavily modified designs would still be competitively racing until 1999.
During Spice's stint as the factory Pontiac team, they also constructed several Pontiac Fiero
Pontiac Fiero
The Pontiac Fiero is a mid-engined sports car that was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1984 to 1988. The Fiero—meaning "proud" in Italian and "wild", "fierce", or "ferocious" in Spanish—was designed by George Milidrag and Hulki Aldikacti as a Pontiac sports car...
race cars for the IMSA GTO and GTU classes, having some mixed success. These would be the only Spices based on production cars instead of purpose-built sports cars.
Later projects and demise
Following the collapse of the major sportscar championships in the early 1990s, Spice planned to build its own road cars and race them in the newer GTGrand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
championships. The company also announced ambitious plans to create a 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...
team in their new headquarters in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. However, the plan never got off the ground, and Spice soon closed.
Successes
Both as a team and as a constructor, Spice had considerable success during their racing career through the 1980s and into the 1990s.Team championships and wins
- Note: IMSA did not award a teams championship during the period that Spice raced
- World Sportscar ChampionshipWorld Sportscar ChampionshipThe 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,...
- 1985, 1987, 1988 - 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 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...
(class wins) - 1985, 1987, 1988 - 24 Hours of Daytona24 Hours of DaytonaThe 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...
(class wins) - 1987
- World Sportscar Championship
Constructor championships and wins
- World Sportscar ChampionshipWorld Sportscar ChampionshipThe 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,...
- 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992 - IMSA GT ChampionshipIMSA GT ChampionshipIMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
- 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 - 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 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...
(class wins) - 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991 - 24 Hours of Daytona24 Hours of DaytonaThe 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...
(class wins) - 1987, 1991, 1992, 1994
External links
- World Sports Racing Prototypes - Spice chassis index