New LMP

MorganFan · 12 Aug 2004, 22:52 (Ref:1064453)

Not seen this posted elsewhere, so....

This weeks Autosport is reporting a new LMP project underway in the UK, headed by "Wiet Huidekoper", allegedly an LMP1 in the offing, and currently hiring staff prior to commencing work in Newbury, Berkshire.

According to Autosport, this is for a "smaller manufacturer" or "wealthy individual". Spyker or Lister maybe?

Anyone else know anything about this, or like to hazard some intelligent guesses as to what it is/who it's for?

Jeffrey-Lee · 12 Aug 2004, 23:03 (Ref:1064457)

Seeing the head designer is a Dutchman it might well be for Spyker indeed. Huidekoper was leading the Opel design team in DTM last year and has a lot of experience in developing a range of other racecars.

SALEEN S7R · 12 Aug 2004, 23:12 (Ref:1064467)

What about TVR? They have recently been aquired by a wealthy businessman and he has said recently that the TVR marque will indeed continue racing. Why not with a P1 car as well as a GT contender?

JAG · 13 Aug 2004, 00:05 (Ref:1064500)

Isn't that guy who bought an F1 Ferrari on '5th Gear', and also races a 360 GTC, interested in racing an LMP?

So, by the middle of next year we could potentially have new Lola, Courage, and 'Wiet Huidekoper' LMP1's!

Plus Zytek, Audi, Porsche and Mazda LMP1's in 2006, hopefully!

KevinS · 13 Aug 2004, 00:24 (Ref:1064517)

I think Wiet Huidekoper also designed the Marcos Mantara LM600 Evo somewhere in 1998/1999. I think he was working for Eurotech back then. (Company that hold Marcos shares)

I had an internship with Cor Euser's Marcos Racing International in the winter of 1999/2000 and helped rebuild that car for the 2000 season. It won both British and Spanish GT championships that year. Great car, but unfortunately it didn't pass homologation for FIA GT and it was too wide (2070mm) for LM24h.

MulsanneMike · 13 Aug 2004, 01:43 (Ref:1064556)

Wiet was also responsible for the Lola T92/10...

paul-collins · 13 Aug 2004, 02:24 (Ref:1064566)

Oooh... I've only been recently acquainted with that car, but loved the nose on the Ascari.

Bob Riebe · 13 Aug 2004, 04:49 (Ref:1064608)

Who or what is Zytec?

vandijk · 13 Aug 2004, 06:33 (Ref:1064660)

Quote:

Originally posted by JAG
Isn't that guy who bought an F1 Ferrari on '5th Gear', and also races a 360 GTC, interested in racing an LMP?

JAG -- I'm not sure but wasn't that John Bosch? His family owns a couple Ferrari F1’s and he also raced in the 360’s I believe…

Last weekend Bosch, Lammers, Ickx and Arnoux drove the winning Ferrari cars from 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 (all owned by the family).

vandijk · 13 Aug 2004, 06:37 (Ref:1064665)

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Riebe
Who or what is Zytec?

(...)

Bob it is Zytek (with a 'k'). Take a look here: http://www.zytekgroup.co.uk/news/zyteknew.php to learn more about them.

Graham Goodwin · 13 Aug 2004, 06:47 (Ref:1064674)

Quote:

Originally posted by vandijk
JAG -- I'm not sure but wasn't that John Bosch? His family owns a couple Ferrari F1’s and he also raced in the 360’s I believe…

Nope it was Frank Mountain

gwyllion · 13 Aug 2004, 11:31 (Ref:1064881)

Quote:

Originally posted by JAG

So, by the middle of next year we could potentially have new Lola, Courage, and 'Wiet Huidekoper' LMP1's!

Plus Zytek, Audi, Porsche and Mazda LMP1's in 2006, hopefully!

Mazda LMP2

**FIRE** · 13 Aug 2004, 11:31 (Ref:1064882)

Any new LMP is welcome.

Because Huidekoper is Dutch you would think Spyker is involved, but don't forget he is already working many years in the international racing industry. So there's a big chance he works for non-Dutch people (Mazda?).

JAG · 13 Aug 2004, 11:49 (Ref:1064895)

Quote:

Originally posted by gwyllion
Mazda LMP2

On the CBS ALMS coverage they said Mazda would build an LMP2, then an LMP1!

Bob Riebe · 13 Aug 2004, 19:15 (Ref:1065315)

Quote:

Originally posted by vandijk
(...)

Bob it is Zytek (with a 'k'). Take a look here: http://www.zytekgroup.co.uk/news/zyteknew.php to learn more about them.

Who started it and when.
Ilmor was started by former employee of Cosworth, when did these boys start.

JAG · 13 Aug 2004, 19:19 (Ref:1065322)

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Riebe
Who started it and when.
Ilmor was started by former employee of Cosworth, when did these boys start.

http://www.zytekgroup.co.uk/about/zytekhis.htm

Paddy_NL · 13 Aug 2004, 19:32 (Ref:1065333)

Quote:

Originally posted by MorganFan
Wiet Huidekoper

So what's in a name, Wiet is Dutch for dope

MorganFan · 14 Aug 2004, 19:59 (Ref:1066427)

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Riebe
Who started it and when.
Ilmor was started by former employee of Cosworth, when did these boys start.

Zytek is quite a big industrial outfit with many fingers in many pies, so the Zytek 04 represents only a subsidiary operation. I believe amongst other things they supply engines to several single-seater racing forumulas.

As for their LMP, it has quite a tortured history. It was I understand originally a Reynard design, maybe their last before going bankrupt. A Danish team bought the rights to it and homologated it as the DBA-Zytek (DBA = Den Blas Avis, a media/publishing group I think whose owner backed the project), with Zytek supplying the engine. This raced at Le Mans 2003, with John Nielsen at the wheel, who I think basically also ran the project.

That team folded due to financial constraints, and Zytek seem to have "acquired" the rights, and have now re-worked/re-homologated the car as the Zytek-04. It seems a competitive design, one could say the best of the "non-audis" at the moment. The current Zytek run programme is intended to act as a shopwindow to allow them to sell more of these cars, althought I don't think any have yet been sold. Creation run one of these cars, I believe this may be the car that was raced at Le Mans in 2003, it certainly races as a DBA-Zytek not a Zytek 04.

Also, a question re Zytek for the more knowledgable forums members than I - didn't Zytek also supply the engines for the Panoz LMP07 car (the one that was supposed to replace the LMP01)?

MorganFan · 14 Aug 2004, 20:01 (Ref:1066428)

Quote:

Originally posted by Paddy_NL
So what's in a name, Wiet is Dutch for dope

I guess wiet does sound a bit like "weed"

**FIRE** · 14 Aug 2004, 21:04 (Ref:1066469)

The Zytek 04S (Reynard 02S/DBA4 03S) story

Quote:

Originally posted by MorganFan
I guess wiet does sound a bit like "weed"

**FIRE** · 14 Aug 2004, 21:07 (Ref:1066472)

Quote:

Originally posted by MorganFan
According to Autosport, this is for a "smaller manufacturer" or "wealthy individual". Spyker or Lister maybe?

Klaas Zwart back to sports car racing?

MorganFan · 15 Aug 2004, 06:55 (Ref:1066787)

Quote:

Originally posted by FIRE
Klaas Zwart back to sports car racing?

I thought he had a big falling out with the ACO? It would be nice to see an Ascari back at LM though, I thought the old car had a lot of potential that was never realised.

I believe Klaus Zwaart is currently racing in the Euroboss series, running either a ex Benetton or Ferrari F1 car, so that might rule him out.

Kicking-back · 15 Aug 2004, 08:09 (Ref:1066829)

He's running old Benettons rebranded as Ascaris.

Nordic · 15 Aug 2004, 08:49 (Ref:1066852)

And running his race resort in Spain
Race resort

Which reminds me, I must check last nights lottery numbers.

Was Huidekoper involved with the Euro racing lola in the early 90's?

During the Motors LMES coverage, Hindy said the new Lola LMP was quite advanced, any connection?

**FIRE** · 15 Aug 2004, 12:02 (Ref:1066991)

Quote:

Originally posted by Nordic
Was Huidekoper involved with the Euro racing lola in the early 90's?

According to this website Huidekoper developed the Lola T92. And yes, Euro Racing (owned by Dutchman Charles Zwolsman) raced with this car. Drivers like Cor Euser and Heinz-Harald Frentzen raced for Euro Racing.

I did some searching with Google and found this and this advertises.

Quote:

have been appointed for a long term Le Mans sports car programme a result vacancies now exist for the following positions in our design office.