Quote:
Originally Posted by chunterer
Apologies for just quoting this part of your post LordDigital, but like KA I always thought that the 1987 model cars were 'atmo' at least in Europe, particularly the ETC entries, and that the Turbo car didn't come on stream until 1988....
I'm not as sure about the Japanese cars though as the factory and TOM's cars would be out racing before anyone elses!
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I'm a bit vague on this without wading back through a stack of 1987 Autosports, but the Turbo was definitely around in 1987, but not from the start (was the homologation of the Turbo delayed?).
RAS didn't debut until some way into the season, although their first couple of appearances ended as DNQs They appear to have started with the 'atmo' version until the turbo was ready.
They may have had one of each at Spa (the entry list in the programme doesn't distinguish), before downsizing to a single car entry for the TT- the entry list in the TT programme clearly describes this as a Supra Turbo of 4136cc (in other words 2954cc x 1.4 turbo equivalency factor).
A Bemani entered 3.0i is also on the list, but didn't appear. It did turn up for the Nogaro ETC round a week later though, and the Japanese TOM'S cars appeared at Fuji
As far as I can tell, based on the race results listed on Frank de Jong's site, the 1987 Supra entries were:
7 June, Zolder ETC:
#14 Micangeli/Calderari (RAS Sport, 3.0i)- DNQ
#15 Heyer/Joossen (RAS Sport, 3.0i)- DNQ
12 July, Nurburgring WTC:
#14 Micangeli/Calderari (RAS Sport, 3.0i)- DNQ
#15 Heyer/Joossen (RAS Sport, 3.0i)- DNQ
#25? Muller/Zeller (Bemani, 3.0i)- DNQ
(all three cars were on the entry list for Brno, but I don't
think any of them appeared)
http://www.racingsportscars.com/cove...987-08-16e.jpg
1-2 Aug, Spa WTC
#14 Joosen/Heyer/Jelinski (RAS Sport, Turbo)- DNF
#15 Olofsson/Thiebault/Bachelart (RAS Sport, 3.0i)- DNF
(Maurizio Micangeli & Enzo Calderari had jumped ship by then- Calderari appearing in various M3s for the rest of the European WTCC rounds)
6 Sept, Silverstone TT
#14 Heyer/Joossen (RAS Sport, Turbo)- DNF
(#25 for Muller & Zeller on the entry list, but a no-show)
13 Sept, Nogaro ETC
#14? Heyer/Joossen (RAS Sport, Turbo)- DNF
#25? Zeller/Muller (Bemani, 3.0i)- 6th
15 Nov, Fuji WTC
#36, Elgh/Baldi (TOM'S/Minolta, Turbo)- DNF
#37, Lees/Hoshino (TOM'S/Minolta, Turbo)- 9th
The Fuji WTC round
might have been the debut for the TOM'S cars( not sure if they did any JTCC rounds before that?), but a pair then went on to Macau, for Hoshino and Alan Jones- I think both were DNFs
IN 1988, Bemani's ETC entries were always 'atmo', but I had thought the Fina cars at Spa were Turbos, rather than the 'atmo' versions listed on both websites. I'd have to dig out the Autosport reports to be sure though...