Race Cars and Motorsports

William,

Great news! Work with the SCCA and the SCCA CRB and I bet you can get the TR8 recognzed in the GT 2 class. It belongs there.

If two of us are competing with the same Rover 3.5 V8 it will make it much easier for the SCCA tech people and for you and me.

I wish we had use of the 3.9 or 4.0 Rover blocks ( the original factory MGB GT V8 used the 3.9 Rover block, I think), but presently the GCR requires the 3.5 Rover block for both the MGB GT V8 and for thr RV 8 in the GT 2 class. If you get thr TR8 accepted/eligible for GT 2, we should petition (the following year) for the 4.0 block and 4.0 displacement, for it would be so much more economically feasible to be competitive in class.

The real restriction in class for the Rover (3.5 presently) is the 38 mm SIR - Single Inlet Restriction. Study the 2009 GCR for the GT2 inlet restriction spec.

Good luck with the SCCA CRB and the SE Director. What/who is the SE(?) director ? The staff in Topeka is always helpful and the SCCA is a membership club that I have always found very reasonable and responsive, especially if you treat the club office staff with the respect they deserve. Try to remember that they have impossible jobs and work loads and that they do their best to work with rabid, enthusiastic members who many times are at- the-least sometimes unreasonable.

Keep up good correspondence with the SCCA Topeka home office...and,

Keep them on the track.

Phillip G

Phillp;

I'm in Florida and i went through my region....Butch Kummer a GT-1 Board member turned my e-mail over to the Competition Board, I just sent the request for acceptance and build specification...I used to own a Huffaker copy TR8 back in the 80's. I guess you are out west my friend. If you look on Woodys Wedge Shops page he has some neat stuff there for V8's...If you need me for anything give me a ring...

William
willabowen@aol.com

Phillip;

One question???? What wheels and sizes have you built your chassis around????

Quote:

I wish we had use of the 3.9 or 4.0 Rover blocks ( the original factory MGB GT V8 used the 3.9 Rover block, I think), but presently the GCR requires the 3.5 Rover block for both the MGB GT V8 and for thr RV 8 in the GT 2 class. If you get thr TR8 accepted/eligible for GT 2, we should petition (the following year) for the 4.0 block and 4.0 displacement, for it would be so much more economically feasible to be competitive in class.

The real restriction in class for the Rover (3.5 presently) is the 38 mm SIR - Single Inlet Restriction. Study the 2009 GCR for the GT2 inlet restriction spec.

The original "factory" MGB GT V8 and the Triumph TR8 both used 3.5L Rover engines with the very same 3.50" bore and 2.80" stroke as the original Buick/Olds 215. The factory MG "RV8" used a larger (3.9L) version of the engine. All these cars came with two-bolt-main versions of the Rover engine block.

Personally, I think SCCA should standardize their engine spec with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association's ("SVRA") Group 8 Class A engine restrictions for MGB GT V8. In SVRA, MGB GT V8's are limited to 3.50 bore by 2.80 stroke (plus an allowance for 0.040-over pistons, I think), but they can get there by putting thicker-walled sleeves into a later model Rover block if they want to. Why not let people build a more robust engine when it doesn't give them an unfair advantage in terms of power? Check out the How-It-Was-Done articles in our photo gallery for information about how Les Gonda's and Keith Burnett's cars were built - they both used four-bolt-main blocks.

In my opinion, SCCA should also explicitly exempt the 3.5L engined MG's and Triumphs from the (goofy) 38mm SIR requirement in the interest of helping these cars be competitive. Frankly, I think it should be technically possible for Les Gonda to race his MGB GT V8 in SCCA GT2 without substantial modification - fitting a 38mm SIR on Les Gonda's car would take a bunch of work... and even with his four Weber DCOE carbs, I doubt he has appreciably more power than other SCCA GT2 racers. (I don't know how much power Les Gonda has, but I'm guessing his car probably wouldn't be especially competitive anyhow due to its heavier weight and smaller tires.) Other racers would surely welcome him, and fans would love to see his car in the hunt.

William,

Good news.

I bet you can convince the SCCA Competition Racing Board to add and include the TR8 into the list of of cars eligible for the GT2 class. It should already be on the list, along with the Sunbeam Tiger and the BGT V8 and the RV8 and the host of other small block V8's.

Supply all the information requested by the SCCA and I think you will be successful.

Keep them on the track.

Phillip G

Hi, Out here in SoCal. Maybe I should ask for GT-2? My "Huff" GT-1 wouldn't be remotely competitive in that class today. Best contact in SW. region? Thanks, roverman.

New coil-over suspension on the SCCA GT2 RV 8

Here are telling "BEFORE" photos of the SCCA GT2 RV8 project in early Fall 2009

RV8 GT2 project:

So much done - so much to do !

We still think we will be ready for our first SCCA National Race in late April 2010 !

Here are some new photos of the cooling/shrouding improvements.

Keep them on the track.

Phillip G

Way cool!

I can't wait to see this car in person.

SCCA race fans,

Here is a photo of the evolving interior of the RV8 GT2 racer

Keep them on the track.

Phillip G

Phillip,

You ARE bringing this car to the V8 Meet in Indy!

Progress

RACERS,

Turns out that the fender flare photos above did not accommodate the racing slicks available from Goodyear in 2010 most applicable to a SCCA GT2 class entry RV8.

So, unfortunately - back to the bodyshop and the fibreglass wiz to enlarge all four fenders. Our molds will need to be replaced.
Project completed and clearances are now acceptable - with almost a month lost at the body/fibreglass workshop.
The GT2 RV8 now sits 10 inches wider than the original/stock RV8 front and rear bumpers and still appears "almost" stock.

The RV8 SCCA GT2 racer is now complete. We plan to test the new MG SCCA racer at MAM (MidAmerica Motorsports) just South of Omaha on Friday, May 7. Join us if you can.

keep them on the track.

Phillip G

That's like starting over, and you started with a good looking body kit ( Preform/Spridgetech) in the beginning,lot of work ahead!

Dave Craddock

Dave,

Started over too many times.

Room for the RV8 front and rear bumpers and for the oversized wheels and tires have forced several restarts on the body panel work. And we will have to restart again to find room for even larger wheels and tires, for the GT2 rules allow almost unlimited size wheels and tires.

Panels from Spridgetec and panels from molds from a crumpled RV8 fender and BGT fibreglass fenders and B steel fenders and a set of beautiful flares from Mor Speed Performance Products by Tim Nagey - all have contributed to the present body work.

Even fibreglass molds of the front and rear original RV8 bumpers had to be lengthened (another restart) to fit the widened fenders.

The actual fibreglass body panels have been created by Mark Canaday in his shop in Topeka, all by the hands of a master and artist.

The following photos don't really capture the actual look of the now completed project - as if a project car is ever completed.

It is not a racer until it has the first race date in the logbook - and we are very close.

keep them on the track,

Phillip G