Cars - Dallara SP1 Judd V10 - Chassis 01
In the early 2000s, Chrysler entered the LMP1 stage and commissioned the Oreca team to field Dallara chassis after there was no further evolution of the Chrysler Viper in the GT class, which Oreca had fielded as a factory team. Oreca ordered a total of three cars from Dallara for the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans and equipped the Dallara chassis with a 6-liter V8 engine from Chrysler subsidiary Mopar. The Oreca team's Dallara SP1, with which Fredy Lienhard won the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona with his partners Mauro Baldi, Max Papis, and Didier Theys, had an unlucky run at Le Mans. A DNF due to fire damage was the reason given for Ara/Amorim/Kondou at the time. When Chrysler withdrew, the Oreca car was sold and equipped with a Judd V10 engine, which produced about 600 hp from its nearly 4-liter displacement and caused a stir in the USA under the Doran Racing team. The V10 engine from tuner John Judd, designated GV4, was originally created for Formula 1! John Judd had developed Yamaha V10 engines for Yamaha for years, supplying customers Arrows, Benetton, and Tyrrell. This engine's endurance-capable GV4 version with four liters of displacement evolved from it.
The technology
Chassis specialist Gian Paolo Dallara, who also built the chassis for the Audi LMP1 R8, created a solid, customer-friendly version. The car with its carbon fiber monocoque was designed by Dutch constructor Wiet Huidekoper, who, among other things, designed the Euro-Brun Formula 1 and was significantly responsible for Porsche's 911 GT1 Le Mans success before moving to Dallara in 2001. The front and rear axles consisted of double wishbones, which transmitted the force via push-rod systems to the dampers located on the chassis (front) and gearbox (rear axle). The Dallara, capable of speeds over 205 mph, was braked by Brembo carbon brake discs with a diameter of 380 mm at the front and 355 mm at the rear, which were naturally internally ventilated and operated by six-piston brake calipers. The weight of the Dallara was 920 kg, dictated by regulations. The fuel capacity was 90 liters. The 6-speed X-Trac gearbox provided the correct drive for both the Mopar-powered «Chrysler» and later the Dallara-Judd, but it was still sequentially shifted, while competitor Audi, for example, operated the R8 via paddle shifters from the year 2000 onwards. Aerodynamically, the Dallara was at a high level. A prominently protruding splitter, in conjunction with the louvers on the wheel arches, provided good downforce at the front. The front wheel arches were designed in a teardrop shape when viewed from above to divert air between the chassis and the side pods, which housed the radiators. At the rear, the bodywork tapers deeply around the engine and gearbox to ensure good airflow to the rear section and the rear wing. Overall, the technology beneath the bodywork is strongly reminiscent of Formula 1 technology from the 2000s. Technology at the state of the art for that time!
The career path
Chassis 01 of the Dallara SP1 was used as a works Chrysler car with the Oreca team at Le Mans and in the European Le Mans Series. Unfortunately, the SP1 did not finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2001. From the Oreca team, the Dallara SP1 made its way to Fredy Lienhard, who had it entered in the USA by Doran Racing. The first start with the Dallara, converted to a Judd engine, was at the end of 2001 in the 3-hour race at Daytona, but the Dallara retired with gearbox problems. However, the Dallara showed its competitiveness with the second-fastest race lap. For 2002, Fredy Lienhard put together a professional US campaign and brought in top-class reinforcements for the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona: former Formula 1 driver Mauro Baldi, sports car specialist Didier Theys, and US Champ Car star Max Papis. The fact that they weren't just there to make up the numbers was shown not only by the top driver lineup but also by the result of the Daytona pre-tests in early January. The „Lista Doran Dallara Judd“ was the fastest! Didier Theys then secured pole position for the 24 Hours of Daytona and they won the 24-hour race by six laps. Chassis 01 had a great success story in the USA, winning the first three races of the „Grand Am Road Racing Championship.“ After the 24 Hours of Daytona, the Dallara Judd SP1 01 went on to win the «Nextel 250 Miles Race» at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Mauro Baldi and Didier Theys, and the «Grand Am 400» at California Speedway with Fredy Alexander Lienhard Jr. and Didier Theys. The pairing took second place in the «200 Miles Race» in Phoenix. Retirements occurred in the 12 Hours of Sebring and at the race in Sears Point.
Family Matter: Chassis 05
The «Lista Doran Racing Team» had an additional chassis (05) in the first half of the year, which served as a spare. In the second half of the 2002 season, the car with chassis number 05 was used in some races. This car was equipped with a 5-liter experimental engine from Judd. A particularly beautiful victory came at the 6-hour race in Mont Tremblant, Canada, with chassis 05. The Dallara, driven by Didier Theys and father and son Lienhard, secured pole position and won the 6-hour race convincingly. A great success for the father-and-son combination. Incidentally, Didier Theys became the «Grand-Am Champion» in 2002 with the Dallara! Chassis 05 is currently in the possession of the family.Ansembourg and is successfully used in historic racing events. Thus, Antoine dAnsembourg 2022 in Spa at the „Masters Endurance Legends“ series with the Dallara took third place behind his father Christophe dAnsembourg on an Aston Martin Lola-Aston Martin DBR1. The Daytona-winning car, chassis 01, is in the hands of Fredy Lienhard and can be admired in Romanshorn at the „autobau“ museum, unless Fredy Lienhard lets the Dallarato bring it back to where it was built for: the racetrack, as for our track day in Grobnik/Rijeka. There was a nice revival in November 2022. Fredy Lienhard celebrated the Daytona victory with his teammate and, above all, friend Didier Theys, as well as the 2002 title win, which was now 20 years ago, and relived old memories on the track with the Lista Doran-Dallara-Judd. There's no better way to celebrate such a victory and anniversary.
