Mazda RX-792P
The Mazda RX- 792P was a racing car built by Mazda for the IMSA GTP Championship. His career was short-lived; only two cars were reported in the 1992 season, before the project was canceled. The name of the car is a combination of the contemporary sports car model RX -7, the racing season 1992 and the letter P for prototype.
Development
After many years of successful use of the RX - 7 in the IMSA GTO class and the MX - 6 in the IMSA GTU - class Mazda decided to take on a new challenge. Although Mazda had in the past supported the use of its rotary engines in the IMSA GTP class, they were going to compete on equal terms against the factory teams from Porsche, Nissan, Jaguar and Toyota. This coincided with the commitment Mazdas in the World Sportscar Championship in Europe and in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship ( JSPC ) together at home.
According to Mazda's victory in the 24 - hour race at Le Mans 1991, a rule change of the FIA forced the company to abandon their four - rotor Wankel engine in the World Sportscar Championship. However, the IMSA rules allowed to continue the use of Wankel engines what Mazda prompting to bring the R 26b engine in the U.S. and adjust it on the shorter race times and race tracks.
For chassis Mazda used the experience of Crawford Composites, which Fabcar assisted in the project. Because of the different racing style, the new car was similar to the little old 787B and its predecessors. The monocoque built from carbon fiber and the body, which was designed by Lee Dykstra, showed new, flowing lines and a large vent behind the front wheel arches.
A total of three RX- 792P were built by Crawford for Mazda, before the project was canceled.
Racing history
Mazda Motorsports made sure that the first RX- 792P was completed shortly before the start of the racing season 1992. The team consisted of the drivers Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer. It was decided to omit the 24 - hour race at Daytona, and so the car first appeared at the Grand Prix of Miami. A fire that was caused by the hot exhaust, the touched body parts, made sure that the car had to be withdrawn from the race before it had even begun. This problem continued in the 12 Hours of Sebring where the car again caught fire shortly before the race.
For the next round at Road Atlanta, the second RX- 792P chassis was finished. Both cars were reported, but an accident prevented the start of the second car. The only remaining RX- 792P was able to start, but finished the race in 25th place, 20 laps behind the winner. When the second car was repaired, both cars were able to start at Lime Rock Park, where they were finally able to show their potential. In qualifying, they stood in the middle, but finished the race on the 3rd and 4th place, only three laps behind the leading Toyota. On the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, the car finished 6th and the 9th Place.
There were problems back in New Orleans, where only one car could be placed as a Sixteenth. However, the team quickly recovered and achieved the best result of the season with 2nd place at Watkins Glen International, also when the car pulled in all five laps behind the winner. At a 7th place in Laguna Seca, unfortunately, was followed by a failure of both cars in Portland.
At Road America, a 4th and 5th place were attained, but then fell back in both cars at Phoenix International Raceway from. This trend continued into the last race of the season, in which neither of the two cars saw the black and white flag. This series of bad results gave Mazda only sixth place in the constructors ' championship, although Price Cobb was eighth in the drivers' championship.
Setting of the project
After the 1992 season which racing was subjected to large changes in the world. Both the World Sportscar Championship as well as the JSPC been removed, so that it was no longer possible use for the more expensive MXR -01. At the same time, the IMSA plans announced that the GTP class abolish the end of 1993 and instead pursue a new category of prototypes with an open cockpit. This meant that Mazda would remain only one season, the RX- 792P use in the U.S., before you would have to construct a completely new racing car.
But the efforts to RX- 792P were in full swing and the group took care of the chassis improvements. On the sliding Gewichts-/Hubraumskala the IMSA of the 4 - rotor Wankel engine from Mazda was 793 kg and many teams were bothered because, as they thought the Mazda engine would have unfair advantages in the power to weight ratio. Although the RX- 792P occasionally drove fast enough, actually gave the machine compared to its competitors far too much power and thus stamped from the perceived power to weight ratio to give a perception that had nothing to do with reality. And every advantage which could result from perhaps, was zunichtegemacht by the need to cool the cars and the appropriate grip for money again
With these thoughts in mind, Mazda thought about what you could do to close the achievement gap. Mazdaspeed provided the 4- rotor Wankel engine of the program and had developed an improved version in the attempt to over 700 bhp (515 kW). "It is not necessary to emphasize that we are excited and looking forward to the 1993 season." Said Dick St. Yves, the Mazda Motorsport Director from 1988 to 1993. Then, the design has been improved that the oil cooler migrated to the sides of the vehicle and the front -mounted radiator was enlarged. A program for weight reduction was also considered, since the car never reached its minimum weight of just 793 kg; usually he was about 34 kg it.
The RX- 792P program was according to Dick St. Yves dealt with an amazingly low budget: "They told me that the budget of 20 million U.S. $ Toyota and Nissan was around 25 million U.S. $; our budget was 5 million U.S. dollars. "This program started in May 1991 in an empty warehouse in Charlotte ( North Carolina) and up to February 1992 was the first car in these unfavorable conditions bolted together. The 4- rotor Wankel engine gave an incredible performance, about 200 bhp (147 kW ) more than its competitors. And although the regulations Mazda seemed to gain a weight advantage, he could bring to bear the never. If you look at the first year as a year of development, as is done in all one-year wonders, the second year would have had much to offer. St. Yves stressed that the budget was indeed approved in 1993 by Mazda USA in October 1992, but the Mazda Corporation announced a month later that you wanted to retire from racing: " The four - rotor Wankel engine was the only component of car that actually came from Japan. We were a few days later informed that they would stop the test engine program - what the 4- rotor Wankel engine was concerned - and that was the end of the RX - 792P - program " Thus, although the story ended with a budget, but without an engine.. In December 1992, the gates closed permanently.