Motorsport Quiz

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by E.B

The Sandown link to which I referred was that in 1962 at Sandown Jack had seen potential in the engine used in Chuck Daigh’s Scarab Buick, driven AFAIK at Sandown Tasman Cup by the ex F1 driver Lance Reventlow.

The engine was based on a production / stock block, at least unusual in Indy racing at the time. It also was a 'linerless' engine with an alloy block without wanting to get too technical.

There were actually two engines with detail differences, the Oldsmobile F85 and Buick 215. The Oldsmobile was to Jack more competition suitable as it had 6 stud head mounts against 5 of the Buick. I always thought it was the Oldsmobile block rather than tthe Buick. I need to do some reading to clarify.

But in terms of the question What Block, I am saying Oldsmobile as opposed to Buick.

I know the engine was the RB 620.... as mentioned I always though that to be Oldsmobile F85 based. The RB prefix standing for Repco Brabham, the name of the new Repco Division set up to build the race engines. Repco was a road car parts manufacturer principally (originally called REplacement Parts COmpany before it became Repco)

Many of the Repco engines were built for Australian Sports cars like Matich, Elfin, Renmax in capacities right up to 5 litre.

Pretty much sums up everything about the question.

The entry at the Indy 500 was significant because it was the first appearance of a stock block engined car at Indy since 1945.


For more context - Jack checking out the Buick engine in the Scarab at the 1962 Sandown International Cup:



And spot on - it was the F85 Oldsmobile that was used as the basis for the RB620.




First appearance was in the Tasman Series in 1966, in the BT19.



The misconception that it was a Buick 215 block came from press reports accompanied by the tagline 'The F1 Championship Engine based on a Buick, built in a tin shed in Australia and held together with Araldite’!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

The misconception that it was a Buick 215 block came from press reports accompanied by the tagline 'The F1 Championship Engine based on a Buick, built in a tin shed in Australia and held together with Araldite’!

It is interesting that as far as I am aware the Repco Brabhams were build in a new purpose built factory.

In fact Repco still exist today and is where I buy my car parts. They supply both trade and retail and I can walk in there and off the shelf buy pretty much anything for my Audi off the shelf. The trade swear by them.

Looking at their timeline of the sixties from their website https://www.repco.com.au/en/about-us

1960's
Boom times for Repco with 14 factories in 1960 increasing to 38 factories by 1970

Not sure too many tin sheds were involved.

Now they have over 400 stores and 4000 employees.

[rbs]

The Brabham is the 3rd car in the poster.

Just looked at the only non offenhauser engine was a Buick in the Mickey Thompson special of Dan Gurney.

[S griffin]

Yes it's definitely a Brabham. Interesting facts about the Indy engines guys!

[S griffin]

Brabhams were always well prepared and the link from Repco helped. Of course nothing lasts forever, but at least the factory has been turned into something else motoring wise and it’s a good business.

Interesting as always to look back at the 60s, very interesting time for Grand Prix racing

[rbs]

Next Question,

Name the the 3 drivers with the worst entry/start rate in F1. These 3 drivers all made several entries into GP's but failed to start any of them? There are no did not arrive's or withdrawn entries here. How many events did they fail at?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by rbs

Next Question,

Name the the 3 drivers with the worst entry/start rate in F1. These 3 drivers all made several entries into GP's but failed to start any of them? There are no did not arrive's or withdrawn entries here. How many events did they fail at?

I think:

14: Claudio Langes - 14 times failed to Pre-Qualify
13: Pedro Chaves - 13 times failed to Pre-Qualify
10: Volker Weidler - 9 times failed to Pre-Qualify, 1 time excluded

And next on the list would be:
8: Perry McCarthy - 6 times failed to Pre-Qualify, 1 time excluded, 1 time refused entry (plus 1 withdrawn, 1 did not participate (no engine) and 1 did not arrive)

[rbs]

That did not last long, thought it would have been trickier than 10 minutes!

[S griffin]

Some questions have been easier than others, but some have been really tough!

[crmalcolm]

OK - this one might be easy (I think):

Lauda did this in 1984, Hulme achieved this in 1967.
What have they done that has not been repeated since?

[BTCC frog]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

OK - this one might be easy (I think):

Lauda did this in 1984, Hulme achieved this in 1967.
What have they done that has not been repeated since?

Won the championship with no pole positions.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

Won the championship with no pole positions.

Yes - that's right.

[BTCC frog]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Yes - that's right.

Thanks, my question:

Who is the only driver to have driven for all four of the following teams in F1?:

Ferrari
McLaren
Williams
Lotus

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

Thanks, my question:

Who is the only driver to have driven for all four of the following teams in F1?:

Ferrari
McLaren
Williams
Lotus

Nigel Mansell

[E.B]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

Won the championship with no pole positions.

With a twist of words you could arguably add Keke Rosberg to that list.... Rosberg actually scored his only pole position of the year at the British GP in 1982, but like Hulme and Lauda won his title without starting from pole position. He stalled on the warm up lap and actually started the race rear of grid.

[steve_r]

OK - here we go.

What do the Nippon Autopolis circuit in Japan and Flushing Meadows in New York City have in common?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by steve_r

What do the Nippon Autopolis circuit in Japan and Flushing Meadows in New York City have in common?

Both appeared on the F1 Calendar but never hosted a race?

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Both appeared on the F1 Calendar but never hosted a race?

Nearly. I was looking at a slightly more specific fact.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by steve_r

I was looking at a slightly more specific fact.

Apart from being designed to be used counter-clockwise, never got the official F1 homologation may be?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Nearly. I was looking at a slightly more specific fact.

Both had their contracts annulled due to financial breaches?

[S griffin]

They both appeared on the calendar, but never happened?

There's quite a few more in that respect:

Ontario Motor Speedway, Ravenhall, Moscow, Fuengirola, Nepliget Park, Sentul, Zhuhai, New Jersey and Hanoi

[steve_r]

Yes, at the risk of giving it away, it is all to do with what replaced them both.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Yes, at the risk of giving it away, it is all to do with what replaced them both.

The first time Flushing Meadows was removed, it was replaced by a European GP at Brands.
Autopolis was replaced by a European GP at Donington.

[steve_r]

Yes - that is it.

[crmalcolm]

Next question - this is based on more recent developments in the sport.

Marcus Ericsson holds the record, followed by Lance Stroll and Timo Glock.
Although Charles Pic could claim to have the honour.

What record?