Speedcar Series
Encyclopedia
The Speedcar Series Championship was a stock car racing series that was active from January 2008 to June 2009 across two championship seasons. Races were held across several countries, spanning the Middle East and Asia. It featured up to 24 drivers competing in identical V8 620 hp stock cars, deliberately lacking electronic driver aids. Its headquarters were situated at the Dubai Autodrome
.
Former F1
drivers Jacques Villeneuve
, Jean Alesi
, Heinz-Harald Frentzen
, Christian Danner
, Johnny Herbert
, Stefan Johansson
, Narain Karthikeyan
, Ukyo Katayama
, J.J. Lehto, Gianni Morbidelli
, Alex Yoong
and Vitantonio Liuzzi
competed in the Speedcar Series. Herbert and Morbidelli were the two series champions. MotoGP rider Marco Melandri
also competed in several races.
As a result of cutbacks associated with the Financial crisis of 2007–2010, the series' backer, Union Properties, withdrew its support. A rescue deal planned by new series boss Claudio Berro fell through, and the championship was cancelled in June 2009.
The BVI based company was placed into liquidation on 14 June 2010 and its assets put up for sale.http://www.go-dove.com/event-14587
Race day 1:
Race day 2:
Both races consisted of a standing start and a distance of 90 miles (144.8 km) or 45 minutes in duration.
No refuelling was allowed during either race.
Dubai Autodrome
The Dubai Autodrome is an F.I.A. sanctioned 5.39 km motorsports circuit located in Dubailand, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.Opened in October 2004 with the final round of the 2004 Formula Renault V6 Eurocup season, Dubai Autodrome was the first part of the Dubai Motor City development that was...
.
Former F1
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...
drivers Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle...
, Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origin. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the tifosi...
, Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Heinz-Harald Frentzen is a German racing driver most famous for his career in Formula One. At various times driving for Williams, Jordan, Sauber, Prost, and Arrows, he achieved three race wins before his retirement from F1 in 2003.-Early career:He was born in the West German city of...
, Christian Danner
Christian Danner
Christian Danner is a former race car driver from Germany.The son of well-known car safety expert Max Danner, Christian started motor-racing in the Renault 5 cup...
, Johnny Herbert
Johnny Herbert
John Paul Herbert is a British racing driver from England. He competed in Formula One, winning three races, and also in sports cars winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991 driving a Mazda 787B...
, Stefan Johansson
Stefan Johansson
Stefan Nils Edwin Johansson is a former Formula One driver from who drove for among others both Ferrari and McLaren during his Grand Prix career. Since leaving Formula One he has raced in a number of categories, including CART, various kinds of Sports car racing, and Grand Prix Masters...
, Narain Karthikeyan
Narain Karthikeyan
Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan , is the first Formula One motor racing driver from India. He has previously competed in A1GP, and the Le Mans Series. He made his Formula One debut in with the Jordan team, and was a WilliamsF1 test driver in and...
, Ukyo Katayama
Ukyo Katayama
is a Japanese racing driver, most notable for competing six years in Formula One. Despite struggling with under-funded teams throughout his career, Katayama's performances impressed on several occasions, and was popular in the F1 paddock for his unshakeably sunny disposition and self-deprecating...
, J.J. Lehto, Gianni Morbidelli
Gianni Morbidelli
Gianni Morbidelli is a racing driver from Italy. He is the son of Giancarlo Morbidelli, the founder of Morbidelli motorcycle company which had success in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Morbidelli participated in 70 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on March 11, 1990. He achieved one podium, and...
, Alex Yoong
Alex Yoong
Alexander Charles Yoong Loong , is a Malaysian race car driver of European and Asian parentage. His mother, Joanna Bean, is from England. His father, Hanifah Yoong Yin Fah , a Malaysian Chinese, is a former racer and manager of the Shah Alam circuit between 1988 and 1998...
and Vitantonio Liuzzi
Vitantonio Liuzzi
Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi is an Italian race driver who is currently racing in Formula One for the HRT F1 Team. He has homes in Lugano, Switzerland and Pescara, Italy.-Karting:...
competed in the Speedcar Series. Herbert and Morbidelli were the two series champions. MotoGP rider Marco Melandri
Marco Melandri
Marco Melandri is a motorcycle road racer currently racing for the Yamaha World Superbike Team. Melandri is also a former 250cc World Champion in 2002...
also competed in several races.
As a result of cutbacks associated with the Financial crisis of 2007–2010, the series' backer, Union Properties, withdrew its support. A rescue deal planned by new series boss Claudio Berro fell through, and the championship was cancelled in June 2009.
The BVI based company was placed into liquidation on 14 June 2010 and its assets put up for sale.http://www.go-dove.com/event-14587
Race format
Speedcar events were held over two consecutive days.Race day 1:
- Official practice session
- Qualifying
- Race 1
Race day 2:
- Warm up
- Race 2
Both races consisted of a standing start and a distance of 90 miles (144.8 km) or 45 minutes in duration.
No refuelling was allowed during either race.
Champions
| Season | Champion | Team Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 Speedcar Series season The 2008 Speedcar Series season was the inaugural Speedcar Series championship. It consisted of four points-scoring race meetings, with a further non-championship round beforehand. The Drivers' Championship was won by Johnny Herbert.-Driver line-up:... |
Johnny Herbert Johnny Herbert John Paul Herbert is a British racing driver from England. He competed in Formula One, winning three races, and also in sports cars winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991 driving a Mazda 787B... |
Speedcar Team |
| 2008–09 2008–09 Speedcar Series season The 2008–09 Speedcar Series season was the second Speedcar Series championship. The championship consisted of five meetings, starting on December 5, 2008 at the Dubai Autodrome in the United Arab Emirates and finishing at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 25, 2009... |
 Gianni MorbidelliGianni Morbidelli Gianni Morbidelli is a racing driver from Italy. He is the son of Giancarlo Morbidelli, the founder of Morbidelli motorcycle company which had success in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Morbidelli participated in 70 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on March 11, 1990. He achieved one podium, and... |
 Palm Beach |
Vehicle Specifications
- Engine Displacement: 6 litre (366 in³) Pushrod V8V8 engineA 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....
. - Transmission: 4 Speed ManualManual transmissionA manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
. - Weight: 2866 lb (1,300 kg) without driver and fuel.
- Power Output: 620 hp.
- Torque: 680 N·m (501.5 ft·lbf).
- Fuel: Unleaded gasolineGasolineGasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
. - Fuel Capacity: 10 US gal (38 l).
- Fuel Delivery: MoTeC Carburetion.
- Compression Ratio: 12:1.
- Wheelbase: 105 in (2667 mm).
- Carburetor size: 750-830 cubic feet per minute (354-392 liters per second) 4 barrel.
- Aspiration: Naturally aspiratedNaturally-aspirated engineA naturally aspirated engine is one common type of reciprocating piston internal combustion engine that depends solely on atmospheric pressure to counter the partial vacuum in the induction tract to draw in combustion air...
. - Steering: PowerPower steeringPower steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
, recirculating ballRecirculating ballRecirculating ball, also known as recirculating ball and nut or worm and sector, is a steering mechanism commonly found in older automobiles, and some trucks...
. - Tires: Slick tireSlick tireA slick tyre is a type of tyre that has no tread pattern, used mostly in auto racing. The first production "slick tyre" was developed by a company called M&H Tires in the early 1950s for use in drag racing...
s and rain tires provided by MichelinMichelinMichelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
. - Length: 5283 mm.
- Width: 72.5 inches.
- Height: 51 inches.
- Safety equipment: HANS deviceHANS deviceThe HANS device is a safety item compulsory in many car racing sports...
, Seat beltSeat beltA seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
6-point supplied by MOMOMOMO (company)MOMO Srl is a design company headquartered in Milan, Italy that makes accessories and parts for automobiles.- Company history :MOMO was founded by gentleman racer Giampiero Moretti in the 1960s. MOMO are the initials for Moretti-Monza. Monza is a region in the Province of Milan.In 1969 MOMO opened...
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