Nissan Mobil 500 Races - VHS videos and official results/entry lists

[conrod]

Many thanks Conrad, I will make sure im at that meeting. Good to see a nice original example. Did Bigazzi run Steve Soper? if so is your car the ex Soper car? what is the history on your car and how did it end up in your hands if you dont mind me asking?

Yes Bigazzi ran Soper and Pirro in 92 for the DTM, but mine is the Pirro car. The Soper car is in Luxembourg, and currently for sale if you fancy one?

http://www.artandrevs.com/bmw-m3-dtm/en/pr-79-1

My car was Paul Morris' Diet Coke car for 1993 (the "sister" car if you like to the one above) and I bought it a couple of years ago in an unfinished state from a guy in NZ. It was last year that I discovered its actual 1992 DTM history, when the original logbook resurfaced in Europe, and I managed to buy it off the guy (ex Bigazzi mechanic)

Here is a more detailed description describing my short history with the car

http://www.m3motorsport.co.nz/projects/1992-bigazzi-dtm

Conrad

[Homer]

Yes Bigazzi ran Soper and Pirro in 92 for the DTM, but mine is the Pirro car. The Soper car is in Luxembourg, and currently for sale if you fancy one?

http://www.artandrevs.com/bmw-m3-dtm/en/pr-79-1

My car was Paul Morris' Diet Coke car for 1993 (the "sister" car if you like to the one above) and I bought it a couple of years ago in an unfinished state from a guy in NZ. It was last year that I discovered its actual 1992 DTM history, when the original logbook resurfaced in Europe, and I managed to buy it off the guy (ex Bigazzi mechanic)

Here is a more detailed description describing my short history with the car

http://www.m3motorsport.co.nz/projects/1992-bigazzi-dtm

Conrad

Thanks for that, will have a look when i get home. I think i saw that car for sale on a website not so long ago. However I do have my own M3 DTM car...unfortunately mine is diecast and 1/24 scale so not quite as enjoyable as the real thing. I find it amazing how these cars made their mark mostly in Europe yet they have a lot of history here in NZ too and some have made their way back here.

[conrod]

Thanks for that, will have a look when i get home. I think i saw that car for sale on a website not so long ago. However I do have my own M3 DTM car...unfortunately mine is diecast and 1/24 scale so not quite as enjoyable as the real thing. I find it amazing how these cars made their mark mostly in Europe yet they have a lot of history here in NZ too and some have made their way back here.

It never fails to amaze me HOW MANY historically significant race cars we have hiding here in little ol' NZ!

The Germans from BMW who came over for the NZFMR at Hampton Downs in January were quite amazed- "you have a Cologne Capri, and a Zakspeed Escort here, and...." "you will not see this many real cars at a historic meeting in Germany....." And that was just with reference to the European cars.

We must be such a bunch of petrolheads!

Conrad

[Steve Holmes]

You're right there Conrad, quite amazing! Re the M3s, the originals had a 2.3 litre motor, then the Evolutions had a 2.5. Was the 2.5 version built specifically for the DTM?

[Homer]

Just had a read of the website and also watched the vid link, it really is credit to yourself and the team when you see the finished product. fantastic job, and to have it humming round the track and putting it through its paces is really great. I imagine you would like to have a crack with this car round the Nordschleife! Also just to clarify, the cars from this era that ran in the DTM were entirely different to those that ran in the ITC?..Mercs, Alfa etc...

[conrod]

Hi Steve,
there was 500 2.5 road cars built in 1990> to homologate the 2.5 engine (and a few other parts) This car was called a "Sport Evolution" or "Evo Sport" It was much the same scenario as the RS500, to homologate the trick parts for Gp.A. So to answer your question, the 2.5 engine was homologated for Gp.A, but as Gp.A was nearly dead in 1990 most of the 2.5 race M3's were to DTM spec.(including, strangely enough the B&H cars that raced in Australia, under supposed "Gp.A" rules!) The DTM allowed much more freedom, such as slide throttle/8 injectors, bigger valves,cams, different exhaust manifolds, raised inner wheelarches etc. etc. The Holinger 6 speed H6S box was also homolgated in Nov. 1991. This was a much better box than the 6 speed Getrag they had been using. The last (1992) spec. of the 2.5 DTM engine produced 355hp @9200rpm.


Conrad

[conrod]

Just had a read of the website and also watched the vid link, it really is credit to yourself and the team when you see the finished product. fantastic job, and to have it humming round the track and putting it through its paces is really great. I imagine you would like to have a crack with this car round the Nordschleife! Also just to clarify, the cars from this era that ran in the DTM were entirely different to those that ran in the ITC?..Mercs, Alfa etc...

Thank you, I have to admit to being a little "cautious" in that vid, as it was the first time I had raced the car! Funny you mention the Nordschliefe, I was discussing this with a few friends last week who were running in this class, and we are planning a trip there with our cars in 2-3 years. It is on my "bucket list" and I am going to really try hard to make it happen

ITC was the name given to the DTM in I think 1994 or 1995, when the series visited other countries. The rules had changed and the cars had evolved a lot by this stage, and were much quicker than the old M3's/190E's/Quattros. 2.5L purpose built race engines engines producing 450+hp at 12000 rpm+ and more technology (and some say cost) than F1! The cost is what killed ITC off eventually.........

[markec]

http://www.bimmerfile.com/2012/04/25/after-20-years-bmw-motorsport-returns-to-dtm-at-the-hockenheimring/
BMW returns to DTM racing after 20 year absence

[RSZWEI]

Hi Steve,
there was 500 2.5 road cars built in 1990> to homologate the 2.5 engine (and a few other parts) This car was called a "Sport Evolution" or "Evo Sport" It was much the same scenario as the RS500, to homologate the trick parts for Gp.A. So to answer your question, the 2.5 engine was homologated for Gp.A, but as Gp.A was nearly dead in 1990 most of the 2.5 race M3's were to DTM spec.(including, strangely enough the B&H cars that raced in Australia, under supposed "Gp.A" rules!) The DTM allowed much more freedom, such as slide throttle/8 injectors, bigger valves,cams, different exhaust manifolds, raised inner wheelarches etc. etc. The Holinger 6 speed H6S box was also homolgated in Nov. 1991. This was a much better box than the 6 speed Getrag they had been using. The last (1992) spec. of the 2.5 DTM engine produced 355hp @9200rpm.


Conrad

Hey Conrad,

I think a total of 600 SE's were built (even though they only needed to build 500).


Also, I recall Tony Longhurst saying one year that his M3's under OZ rules didnt run ABS, but the German cars did and that he thought it gave the German M3 an advantage of 1 second per lap around Wellington.

[conrod]

Yes you are right, it ws 600 SE's! (I must have been thinking of the RS500) The German cars had ABS in 1991 and 1992, but Australia wouldn't allow it, and most agree it was an advantage, especially in the wet. Hoping to get it fitted to my car in the near future, quite keen to see how well it works.

Conrad

Hey Conrad,

I think a total of 600 SE's were built (even though they only needed to build 500).


Also, I recall Tony Longhurst saying one year that his M3's under OZ rules didnt run ABS, but the German cars did and that he thought it gave the German M3 an advantage of 1 second per lap around Wellington.

[Homer]

Can anyone confirm what year the Atlantics ran at the NM500? - the year that Davey Jones lost his wheel coming into the hairpin?

[conrod]

Can anyone confirm what year the Atlantics ran at the NM500? - the year that Davey Jones lost his wheel coming into the hairpin?

I have that video somewhere, it was somewhere around 1990-1992. Will make a note next time I am watching it. Someone ended up with a broken rear screen and big dent in their roof from it!

Conrad

[Rod Grimwood]

Subaru was never the same after that hit right outside the BNZ. Only short time before people were walking up there.

Got it also on tapes (think got whole meeting just about with adds taken out.) will find and get them done

[Grant Ellwood]

I have that video somewhere, it was somewhere around 1990-1992. Will make a note next time I am watching it. Someone ended up with a broken rear screen and big dent in their roof from it!

Conrad

Think it might have been 1994, I was running Richard Lester's Ralt and Davey Jones crashed just after lapping me. I bumped into him (not literally) at my local track in Virginia a couple of years ago and reminded him of the wheel incident, he remembered it well and had a good laugh about it. Pretty sure he started off the back of the grid after missing qualifying, said he was still pretty jet-lagged after arriving late from USA.

[seaqnmac27]

was 1986 Nssan Mobil Wellington 500 Mike Thackwell competed that year as well

[video=youtube;3tMJ8U-2ZMU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tMJ8U-2ZMU[/video]

[Homer]

Hi Seaqnmac27

It must have been later than 1986 as the car in question was a Graeme Lawerence run Swift DB4 and they started production in 1988. Jos Verstappen ran one of his cars in 1993 and even then the car was 4 years old. I belive this must have been circa 1990-92??? I was there the year they ran the 2L cars with Justin Bell/Rob Gravett in the Peugeot and the Alfa Romeo NZ team which I think was 94 and the didnt have Atlantics as a support class that year.

[seaqnmac27]

Davy Jones competed in New Zealand twice 1984 and 1987 both times winning the New Zealand GP so yes I was wrong, but only by months. January 87 was when this footage was taken. The race included the 2 Team Australia cars of Mike Thackwell and David Brabham.

[Homer]

Hi seaqnmac, thanks for the info. I was Only 3 at the time and my info was going off research I have done in the past. Did anyone drive the 2nd team Lawrence car that meeting? Can you also recall who else was racing in Atlantics at that meeting and was 87 the only year they appeared at Wellington? I only ask as getting info like this is hard to find and also for my own records as researching Atlantic racing in NZ is a hobby of mine. Its a shame I was too young to remember most of the meetings!