Brun Motorsport
Brun Motorsport was a Swiss motor racing team, which was founded in 1983 by Walter Brun. It took a private Porsche team permanently part in sports car racing in various international championships. The greatest success is the title in the World Sportscar Championship in 1986. Later it became an independent designer. Brun was also briefly a part of the Formula 1 teams EuroBrun Racing, which existed from 1988 to 1990. In 1992, the team was disbanded.
History as a racing team
The beginnings and first flights of
After Walter Brun was started a few years for the team GS- tuning and its partner Sauber Motorsport in the World Sportscar Championship and the German Racing Championship, he took over the ailing company GS- Tuning, and named it for the 1983 season in Brun Motorsport order. Brun took over first the BMW M1 and a Sauber SHS C6 GS - Tuning, the latter modified and became known as Sehcar C6. The new team also retained Hans -Joachim Stuck and Harald Grohs as a driver, while Walter Brun also sat behind the wheel.
After initial problems with the Sehcar Brun was one of the first privateers a Porsche 956, which in both the World Sportscar Championship and the German Racing Championship was used. With the new vehicle Brun was immediately competitive and Walter Brun drove in a race of Inter Series at the Autodrome Most a first win for his team. This first success was followed by a fourth place finish at the 1000 -kilometer race at Spa- Francorchamps.
1984 Sehcar project was not continued. Instead, the team a second Porsche 956, which was mainly driven by Massimo Sigala and Oscar Larrauri bought. With Jägermeister and Warsteiner, the team also received new sponsors. Brun, who now played with two Porsche 956 in his first full season in the World Sportscar Championship and in the German Racing Championship was able to increase his performance during the season continuously. At a fourth place in the season opener, the 1000-kilometer race at Monza was followed by a fourth and seventh place in the 24- hour race at Le Mans and a third and a fourth place at the 1000 -kilometer race at Spa- Francorchamps. Finally Brun Motorsport achieved the 1000-kilometer race at Imola his second race win in the team's history. Shortly thereafter, a victory in a round of the German Racing Championship was won at the Nürburgring, a little later a victory in a race in the Inter series followed the same route. Brun secured at the end of the season, his first championship when the team standings in the German Racing Championship was won, while Stefan Bellof, who both Brun and for Joest Racing ran, won the drivers' title.
Triumph and Tragedy
For the 1985 season Brun added to his fleet of two Porsche 956 with a new Porsche 962C. The team began to dominate the combined this year discharged Interserie and German motor racing championship and scored five race wins. Hans -Joachim Stuck was runner-up behind Joests Jochen Mass. In the World Sportscar Championship, the team was still without a win. Although Brun scored a third place at Mugello and a second place at the Hockenheimring, but it had many difficulties to achieve the goal. Thus, in the team standings was only the sixth championship course. In the 1000 -kilometer race at Spa- Francorchamps, the team suffered a major setback when Stefan Bellof was killed.
Based on the sporting successes began in 1985 Walter Brun to further expand its team for the 1986 season. Two other Porsche 962C were purchased, one only came into use at selected races in the North American IMSA GT Championship. There Brun Motorsport succeeded in five race participations best result a second place behind champion Al Holbert in Watkins Glen. Back in Europe turned the team back to the World Sportscar Championship. After Brun was denied the finish in the 24- hour race at Le Mans last year, the team this time succeeded in second place. The first season win was in Jerez, another followed in Spa -Francorchamps. Although only one of the victories counted for the championship and Brun Motorsport was able to score points in only four runs, handed it to beat the Jaguar and Porsche factory teams and the team title in the World Sportscar Championship to decide for themselves. Brun closed his successful season with a win in the Inter series from Austria on the ring.
The year 1987 started successfully, as Brun Motorsport opened the season with a second place at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Nevertheless Brun lost its role as the dominant team in the World Sportscar Championship at the emerging Jaguar factory team. Also in the Supercup, succession series of German Racing Championship, Brun had difficulties. Thus the team for the first time since its existence had suffered a winless season, although occasionally also get strong performances. Constant top rankings in the World Sportscar Championship, however, were not sufficient Brun to defend his title. Nevertheless Brun was able to hold on second place as the best Porsche team.
Failed Formula 1 project and decline
Due to its great success, and in the hope that his driver Oscar Larrauri to provide a cockpit in Formula 1, Brun closed in 1988, along with Euro Racing to EuroBrun. Although Walter Brun ensured the financing of the company, Euro Racing scored the greater part of the decisions of the Formula 1 teams. The team was, however, a chance, and there Brun could now focus less on his sports car team, the successes remained there increasingly. Even with the support of new sponsor Repsol team was able to win only a single victory in a race in the Inter series. Brun slipped in the World Sportscar Championship in fourth place behind Jaguar, Sauber-Mercedes and Joest.
When Walter Brun in 1989 reduced its commitment to EuroBrun, he tried to restructure its sports car team. After the 24 - hour race at Daytona, which ended the team in third place, Brun withdrew from the IMSA GT Championship and went instead to the Japanese Sports Prototype Championship one, in which the team on his debut race in third place reached. In the World Sportscar Championship Brun Motorsport reach only two podium finishes, but came thanks to constant gain of points on the third championship course. Both Jaguar and the newcomers Nissan, Toyota and Aston Martin was beaten.
As Walter Brun for EuroBrun still spent a lot of money and the German Supercup was disbanded, he reduced his team for season 1990. Exposure to Japan, he was also on again and the team is now focused almost exclusively on the World Sportscar Championship. Despite high stakes remained Points a rarity, a fifth-place finish at Spa -Francorchamps was the best result of the season. In the team standings Brun dropped to seventh place.
After the 1990 season, the unsuccessful Formula 1 team EuroBrun was dissolved. At the same time, a new rule was introduced in the World Sportscar Championship, after the Porsche 962C of Brun from 1992 would no longer be permitted. However, Porsche developed a successor to the Porsche 962C. Instead of buying a vehicle from another manufacturer, Brun decided to use the gained from Formula 1 experience to develop its own vehicle. With the so-called Brun C91, the team wanted now the sports car world championship contest. In the season 1991 Brun sat initially still a his two Porsche 962C. The team was able to improve compared to the previous year and get it - favored by the new points system, scored on the now the first ten teams - back regularly points standings. After half of the season a Porsche 962C was the self-construction, the Brun C91 replaced. However, this vehicle was a disaster and survived at all the races just a few rounds. Brun Motorsport finished the season finally starting on the ninth place in the team standings.
Brun assured initially that the Brun C91 would be better prepared for the 1992 season. But the financial strain after the unsuccessful Formula 1 project and the cost of the development of the Brun C91 were too high. As in recent years failed to good results, no wealthy sponsors could be won more. Even before the start of the 1992 season Brun Motorsport eventually broke up. Walter Brun drove a few more years on race and supported RWS Motorsport and Konrad Motorsport.
History as a constructor
Walter Brun developed during the entire time of Brun Motorsport vehicles, although only one was wearing his name. Establishing time his team Sauber SHS C6, the team the previous GS- tuning had used was maintained. Brun believed the vehicle would have potential in the C2 class and modified the chassis to get it to switch to a Cosworth V8 engine. Problems with the cart caused Brun but replacing the engine with a turbo-charged BMW engine that had previously been used by clean. Nevertheless, the vehicle proved to be a little competitive, so Brun instead a Porsche 956 bought.
Later, after many years of experience and success with the Porsche 956 and later with the Porsche 962C, Brun was forced to catch up with the factory teams Jaguar and Mercedes -Benz. In order to improve the Porsche 962C, Brun began in 1987 with the development work on its own chassis. To repair the weaknesses of the Porsche 962C, these vehicles received a new monocoque of Brun, on the part of the Porsche 962C were mounted. A total of eight of these vehicles were built, of which a few were sold to other teams and the rest Bruns added fleet of Porsche 962C.
Bruns biggest project was the development of the Brun C91 in 1991 in preparation for the rule changes for the 1992 season. The vehicle had a new design with some elements of the Peugeot 905, the Mercedes -Benz C291 and the Jaguar XJR -14 as a large double rear wing and a low body, which was dominated by a large cockpit. Due to the new regulations, which forbade turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engines of Porsche, Brun had to resort to an ordinary naturally aspirated engine. Brun turned to Judd, the same engine manufacturer, the Brun already supplied during the Formula 1 project, from which the team has now received the new Judd EV V8 engine. However, the vehicle had continuously high mechanical problems since its debut mid-season in 1991. Brun was never able to come to terms with the vehicle until the inadequate financing forced him to dissolve.