Kremer K8 Spyder
Encyclopedia
The Kremer K8 Spyder, along with its predecessor, the CK7, were open-cockpit prototypes
built by Kremer Racing
for use in multiple sportscar series, such as the IMSA GT Championship
, Interserie
, and International Sports Racing Series. The cars shared many components from the retired Porsche 962
and would eventually go on to win the 24 Hours of Daytona
and several championships.
due to heavy costs brought on by the new engine formula which had gone into effect in 1991. The racing company therefore turned to the smaller Interserie
championship, which continued to allow Kremer's 962CK6s to compete alongside a wide variety of machinery. However, teams in the Interserie at the time were opting more and more for open-cockpit Formula One
or CART
-based machines with bodywork attached to them for more downforce. This left the closed-cockpit prototypes like the 962CK6 at a disadvantage due to their heavier weight. Kremer Racing, as well as other teams in the series, chose to therefore turn their coupes into open-cockpit cars in an attempt to lower weight and increase speed.
Kremer initially took one of their existing 962CK6s and began extensive modifications to the bodywork. The roof and windshield of the cockpit was removed, while the doors were replaced with new bodywork to surround the open cockpit. This bolstering of the side bodywork moved the driver to a more central position, similar to an open-wheel formula car. Because of the elimination of the doors, the large intakes on either side of the cockpit were also reshaped, with a large cut made to allow air to flow in from the side of the car.
The engine cover was retained in order to give the driver rollover protection as well as to maintain some of the 962CK6's original aerodynamics. Underneath the bodywork, most of the mechanicals of the 962 were retained, including the Type-935 3.2 litre Flat-6 engine. These cars became known as the CK7 Spyder, with at least two built specifically for Interserie use.
and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
. Once again, the 962CK6s were used as a base, although some styling elements were changed between the CK7 and the new K8 Spyder in order to conform to the rules used in these events.
The K8s would be required to maintain their two-seater layout as had been used on the 962CK6s. This meant that the large bodywork replacing the doors was replaced with a much lower design which incorporated a windshield. The rules also necessitated the addition of a rollbar to the top of the engine cover, to better protect a driver's head in the event of a rollover. Also, to meet engine requirements, Kremer chose to use a smaller variant of the Type-935 Flat-6, running only a 3.0 litre displacement. The large snorkels for feeding the turbochargers were also replaced with a more discreet inlet. At least three K8 Spyders were built by Kremer during their use.
, winning one heat and finishing second overall before going on to win the Brands Hatch
event overall. The CK7 would go on to take victories at Zolder Circuit
and Autodrom Most
, leading to Kremer Racing winning the team's championship and Manuel Reuter
winning the driver's championship.
For 1993, a second CK7 would be completed, replacing the older 962CK6. The team would immediately show their dominance in the series, finishing in first and second place at Jarama
. Both cars would have top three finishes for the rest of the season until the final round when a lone CK7 would suffer problems and finish in seventh. With four wins on the season, Giovanni Lavaggi
was able to win the driver's championship, but Kremer would ultimately finish second to S.C.I. in the team's championship.
In 1994, Kremer concentrated solely on the development of the new K8 Spyder for its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
. Backed by Gulf Oil
sponsorship, the K8 Spyder would be the only open-cockpit car competing in the LMP1/C90 class. The design proved its speed by qualifying second on the grid alongside a Courage
-Porsche
. Driver's Derek Bell
, Robin Donovan, and Jürgen Lässig would run towards the top of the field for most of the race, but eventually they finished the race in sixth, nearly thirty laps behind the winning Dauer 962.
After Le Mans, Kremer Racing chose to prove the endurance capabilities of the K8 again by entering the car into the IMSA GT Championship
debut event of the 1995 season, the 24 Hours of Daytona
. Although the car did not qualify well, the driving team of Giovanni Lavaggi
, Jürgen Lässig
, Marco Werner
, and Christophe Bouchut
were eventually able to take the race victory by five laps over the nearest competitor. The team followed to the next event, the 12 Hours of Sebring
, but the K8 suffered mechanical problems and finished a distant 30th place.
The team therefore returned to Europe, where the second K8 was now completed and waiting competition. Both cars were entered in Le Mans once again. Now in a field full of open-cockpit prototypes, the K8s faced stiffer competition from the likes of Courage and the new custom-built Ferrari 333 SP
. One K8 would muster only a fifth place qualifying spot, which the team was eventually able to turn into a sixth place finish. The second car lacked pace for most of the race and eventually withdrew with electrical problems. After Le Mans, Kremer chose to finish the year in Interserie once again, using a CK7 in two of the final three rounds, earning themselves a sole victory.
For 1996, Kremer began to concentrate more on the new BPR Global GT Series
, running Porsche 911 GT2
s. However, two K8 were once again brought out for Le Mans following slight evolutions to their bodywork. The age of the cars led to them slipping further down in qualifying, managing to only make 13th. During the race, both cars failed to finish: One due to an accident and the other suffering an engine failure. The team would perform even worse in 1997, when one of two cars failed to qualify for the race. The lone entry dropped out of the event in the first half with an engine failure.
However, the K8 saw regular competition once again during 1997. The team would enter into the 1000km Monza
victory for John Nielsen
and Thomas Bscher
. After Le Mans, the team would enter the new International Sports Racing Series. Two K8s would compete in the final round of the series' debut season, earning third and seventh places. For the next year, the two evolved cars would be entered in the full season. The season opener would see the best result for the K8 with a second place, with the team eventually finishing in eighth place in the team's championship. A lone K8 would also again be entered at Le Mans, where the evolved car was able to improve on its previous performances by finishing in 12th, yet second in the LMP1 class.
1999 would be the final year of competition for the K8 Spyders, as Kremer Racing purchased a new Lola B98/10
for use in the ISRS. However, before their Lola was completed, the team used a K8 in the first two rounds of the season and finishing ninth in one of the events. A second K8 was sold to the privateer Dutch team BPR Competition who had success early in the season, but eventually withdrew from the series.
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...
built by Kremer Racing
Kremer Racing
Kremer Racing is a motorsports team based in Cologne, Germany, founded by racing driver Erwin Kremer and his brother Manfred. They have competed internationally with Porsches for nearly all of their existence, and were even one of the factory-backed squads for many years...
for use in multiple sportscar series, such 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:...
, Interserie
Interserie
Interserie is the name of a European-based motorsport series started in 1970 that allows for a wide variety of racing cars from various eras and series to compete with less limited rules than in other series....
, and International Sports Racing Series. The cars shared many components from the retired Porsche 962
Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had...
and would eventually go on to win the 24 Hours of Daytona
24 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...
and several championships.
CK7
During 1992, Kremer Racing had abandoned 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,...
due to heavy costs brought on by the new engine formula which had gone into effect in 1991. The racing company therefore turned to the smaller Interserie
Interserie
Interserie is the name of a European-based motorsport series started in 1970 that allows for a wide variety of racing cars from various eras and series to compete with less limited rules than in other series....
championship, which continued to allow Kremer's 962CK6s to compete alongside a wide variety of machinery. However, teams in the Interserie at the time were opting more and more for open-cockpit 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...
or 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...
-based machines with bodywork attached to them for more downforce. This left the closed-cockpit prototypes like the 962CK6 at a disadvantage due to their heavier weight. Kremer Racing, as well as other teams in the series, chose to therefore turn their coupes into open-cockpit cars in an attempt to lower weight and increase speed.
Kremer initially took one of their existing 962CK6s and began extensive modifications to the bodywork. The roof and windshield of the cockpit was removed, while the doors were replaced with new bodywork to surround the open cockpit. This bolstering of the side bodywork moved the driver to a more central position, similar to an open-wheel formula car. Because of the elimination of the doors, the large intakes on either side of the cockpit were also reshaped, with a large cut made to allow air to flow in from the side of the car.
The engine cover was retained in order to give the driver rollover protection as well as to maintain some of the 962CK6's original aerodynamics. Underneath the bodywork, most of the mechanicals of the 962 were retained, including the Type-935 3.2 litre Flat-6 engine. These cars became known as the CK7 Spyder, with at least two built specifically for Interserie use.
K8
Following on the success of the CK7s in Interserie use, Kremer saw the opportunity to adapt their design to the new open-cockpit formulas that were being allowed in the IMSA GT ChampionshipIMSA 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:...
and 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...
. Once again, the 962CK6s were used as a base, although some styling elements were changed between the CK7 and the new K8 Spyder in order to conform to the rules used in these events.
The K8s would be required to maintain their two-seater layout as had been used on the 962CK6s. This meant that the large bodywork replacing the doors was replaced with a much lower design which incorporated a windshield. The rules also necessitated the addition of a rollbar to the top of the engine cover, to better protect a driver's head in the event of a rollover. Also, to meet engine requirements, Kremer chose to use a smaller variant of the Type-935 Flat-6, running only a 3.0 litre displacement. The large snorkels for feeding the turbochargers were also replaced with a more discreet inlet. At least three K8 Spyders were built by Kremer during their use.
Racing history
The initial CK7 made its debut during the 1992 Interserie season. Running alongside an unmodified 962CK6, the CK7 was able to perform well in its first event at the NürburgringNürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
, winning one heat and finishing second overall before going on to win the 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...
event overall. The CK7 would go on to take victories at Zolder Circuit
Zolder
The Circuit Zolder, also known as Circuit Terlaemen, is an undulating motorsport race track in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.Built in 1963, Zolder hosted the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix on 10 separate occasions in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the 1980 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix. The F1 circus...
and Autodrom Most
Autodrom Most
Autodrom Most is a motorsport race track near Most in the northwest of the Czech Republic.- External links :*...
, leading to Kremer Racing winning the team's championship and Manuel Reuter
Manuel Reuter
Manuel Reuter is a German former race car driver.He has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice:*in 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans for Sauber-Mercedes*in 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans for Joest Racing...
winning the driver's championship.
For 1993, a second CK7 would be completed, replacing the older 962CK6. The team would immediately show their dominance in the series, finishing in first and second place at Jarama
Circuito Permanente Del Jarama
The Circuito del Jarama , formerly known as Circuito Permanente del Jarama is a race course in Madrid, Spain which has hosted nine Formula One Spanish Grand Prix....
. Both cars would have top three finishes for the rest of the season until the final round when a lone CK7 would suffer problems and finish in seventh. With four wins on the season, Giovanni Lavaggi
Giovanni Lavaggi
Giovanni Lavaggi is a racing driver from Italy.A nobleman by background, Lavaggi raised the money to buy ten Formula One Grand Prix drives, for Pacific and Minardi, debuting on July 30, 1995. In 1995 he was the only driver not to finish any of the F1 races that they started...
was able to win the driver's championship, but Kremer would ultimately finish second to S.C.I. in the team's championship.
In 1994, Kremer concentrated solely on the development of the new K8 Spyder for its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1997 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 65th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 14 and 15 1997.-Pre-race:The Dunlop chicane was modified slightly in order to slow speeds again but also accommodate larger gravel traps as runoff area for the protection of motorcycle riders using the Bugatti...
. Backed by Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
sponsorship, the K8 Spyder would be the only open-cockpit car competing in the LMP1/C90 class. The design proved its speed by qualifying second on the grid alongside a Courage
Courage Compétition
Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the company...
-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....
. Driver's Derek Bell
Derek Bell (auto racer)
Derek Reginald Bell MBE is a former racing driver from England who was extremely successful in sportscar racing, winning five times at Le Mans. He also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno teams...
, Robin Donovan, and Jürgen Lässig would run towards the top of the field for most of the race, but eventually they finished the race in sixth, nearly thirty laps behind the winning Dauer 962.
After Le Mans, Kremer Racing chose to prove the endurance capabilities of the K8 again by entering the car into 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:...
debut event of the 1995 season, the 24 Hours of Daytona
24 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...
. Although the car did not qualify well, the driving team of Giovanni Lavaggi
Giovanni Lavaggi
Giovanni Lavaggi is a racing driver from Italy.A nobleman by background, Lavaggi raised the money to buy ten Formula One Grand Prix drives, for Pacific and Minardi, debuting on July 30, 1995. In 1995 he was the only driver not to finish any of the F1 races that they started...
, Jürgen Lässig
Jürgen Lässig
Jürgen Lässig is a German former racing driver.Lässig began competing in endurance sports car racing, often World Sportscar Championship races in the early 1980s for Obermaier Racing and drove in several 24 Hours of Le Mans races. He and the Kremer Racing team were the winners of the 1995 24 Hours...
, Marco Werner
Marco Werner
Marco Werner is a professional racer from Germany.In his early career, Werner was Formula Opel vice-champion in 1990 and German F3 vice-champion in 1991 ....
, and Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut is a French race driver. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1993. He currently drives in the FIA GT1 World Championship...
were eventually able to take the race victory by five laps over the nearest competitor. The team followed to the next event, 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...
, but the K8 suffered mechanical problems and finished a distant 30th place.
The team therefore returned to Europe, where the second K8 was now completed and waiting competition. Both cars were entered in Le Mans once again. Now in a field full of open-cockpit prototypes, the K8s faced stiffer competition from the likes of Courage and the new custom-built Ferrari 333 SP
Ferrari 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...
. One K8 would muster only a fifth place qualifying spot, which the team was eventually able to turn into a sixth place finish. The second car lacked pace for most of the race and eventually withdrew with electrical problems. After Le Mans, Kremer chose to finish the year in Interserie once again, using a CK7 in two of the final three rounds, earning themselves a sole victory.
For 1996, Kremer began to concentrate more on the new BPR Global GT Series
BPR Global GT Series
The BPR Global GT Series was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997...
, running Porsche 911 GT2
Porsche 911 GT2
The Porsche 911 GT2 is a sports car built by the German manufacturer Porsche since 1994. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engine, but features numerous upgrades, including engine upgrades, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration...
s. However, two K8 were once again brought out for Le Mans following slight evolutions to their bodywork. The age of the cars led to them slipping further down in qualifying, managing to only make 13th. During the race, both cars failed to finish: One due to an accident and the other suffering an engine failure. The team would perform even worse in 1997, when one of two cars failed to qualify for the race. The lone entry dropped out of the event in the first half with an engine failure.
However, the K8 saw regular competition once again during 1997. The team would enter into the 1000km Monza
1000km Monza
The 1000 Kilometres of Monza is an endurance race mainly for sports cars held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.The "Coppa Inter-Europa" was first held in 1949, on the circuit. The race expanded to 1000 kilometres in 1954, and moved to the 10-kilometre circuit in 1956. The event was...
victory for John Nielsen
John Nielsen
John Nielsen won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990. Previously, he won the Macau Grand Prix in 1984. He was also a 3-time champion of the European Formula Super Vee Championship from 1979 to 1981....
and Thomas Bscher
Thomas Bscher
-External Links:*...
. After Le Mans, the team would enter the new International Sports Racing Series. Two K8s would compete in the final round of the series' debut season, earning third and seventh places. For the next year, the two evolved cars would be entered in the full season. The season opener would see the best result for the K8 with a second place, with the team eventually finishing in eighth place in the team's championship. A lone K8 would also again be entered at Le Mans, where the evolved car was able to improve on its previous performances by finishing in 12th, yet second in the LMP1 class.
1999 would be the final year of competition for the K8 Spyders, as Kremer Racing purchased a new Lola B98/10
Lola B98/10
The Lola B98/10 was a Le Mans Prototype built by Lola Cars International for use in the International Sports Racing Series, American Le Mans Series, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. It would be the first international sports car built by Lola since they briefly left the sport in 1992 following the Lola...
for use in the ISRS. However, before their Lola was completed, the team used a K8 in the first two rounds of the season and finishing ninth in one of the events. A second K8 was sold to the privateer Dutch team BPR Competition who had success early in the season, but eventually withdrew from the series.
External links
- The Autobahn - Porsche Kremer CK7 Spyder Overview
- The Autobahn - Porsche Kremer K8 Spyder WSC Overview