Jump to content


Photo

Pacific Grand Prix


  • Please log in to reply
12 replies to this topic

#1 WBarnato

WBarnato
  • Member

  • 89 posts
  • Joined: April 11

Posted 12 December 2013 - 14:14

Hello all,

 

I have a bizarre interest in the least successful of F1 cars (Lotus 109, Tyrell 026) and was wondering (because I have little else to worry about) what happened to the old Pacific Grand Prix Team and in particular the former PR02 chassis and personnel?

 

If you have the answer to the question that literally 1 person is asking I would be most grateful.



Advertisement

#2 RA Historian

RA Historian
  • Member

  • 3,833 posts
  • Joined: October 06

Posted 12 December 2013 - 15:20

Keith Wiggens has been very active in Indy Car racing with his HVM Team and variations thereof.



#3 Tim Murray

Tim Murray
  • Moderator

  • 24,592 posts
  • Joined: May 02

Posted 12 December 2013 - 16:56

If you check out this earlier thread you'll find that one of the former Pacific personnel is a member of this forum:

 

Pacific Grand Prix (the team that is!)



#4 prpr

prpr
  • Member

  • 148 posts
  • Joined: December 10

Posted 12 December 2013 - 19:22

One of the cars went to the Mondello Park Racing Car Museum in Ireland.  I think Mondello (and later Lola) owner, Martin Birrane, had a share in Pacific.  I don't know if the chassis is still there.



#5 prpr

prpr
  • Member

  • 148 posts
  • Joined: December 10

Posted 12 December 2013 - 20:41

From museum webpage: http://www.mondello....&id=274&pcat=22



#6 ensign14

ensign14
  • Member

  • 61,758 posts
  • Joined: December 01

Posted 12 December 2013 - 21:21

A real cobweb...



#7 DogEarred

DogEarred
  • Member

  • 21,346 posts
  • Joined: June 10

Posted 13 December 2013 - 07:39

Just a slight aside. Keith Wiggins also benefitted form catching on to Belgian, Marlboro (& other) sponsored drivers. In those days Marlboro motor sport budget was comparatively higher for smaller countries such as Belgium, allowing sponsorship of Formula Ford drivers. They were loyal sponsors thus allowing progression into F3 & beyond, encouraging excellence.



#8 WBarnato

WBarnato
  • Member

  • 89 posts
  • Joined: April 11

Posted 13 December 2013 - 13:56

Well thank you everyone for your replies. I never expected a chassis to end up in Ireland.

 

The interesting point I've noticed on the PR02 is that the design went from a high nose with the PR01 to a low nose in the PR02 when most manufacturers went the other way. Also the nose on the PR02 resembles that of the aborted Lotus 112

 

http://www.forix.com...lotus-112-2.jpg

 

Was Chris Murphy involved with the design of this at all? Or was it just coincidence that he and David Watson came to the same conclusion?

 



#9 Myrvold

Myrvold
  • Member

  • 15,888 posts
  • Joined: December 10

Posted 16 December 2013 - 22:11

Remember that Pacific and Team Lotus joined forces for 1995.



#10 midgrid

midgrid
  • RC Forum Host

  • 10,132 posts
  • Joined: April 09

Posted 16 December 2013 - 22:53

The PR01 also switched to a low-nose configuration in the later stages of the 1994 season:

Belmondo.jpg



#11 WBarnato

WBarnato
  • Member

  • 89 posts
  • Joined: April 11

Posted 17 December 2013 - 12:32

After I had submitted my original post I noticed the PR01 went to a low nose, but thank you for the picture.

 

What I'm puzzled about with the PR02 was the area around the needle nose and how similar this was to the Lotus 112. I understand that an agreement had been made between the two and that geographically Pacific and Lotus were close, however, I was interested to see some apparent technical co-operation.

 

Aside from the current Lotus Racing/Lotus F1 team/Team Lotus/Caterham debacle could there be grounds to call the Pacific PR02 the last true Team Lotus car - or does that honour go to the Lotus 109?



#12 PeterElleray

PeterElleray
  • Member

  • 1,120 posts
  • Joined: January 04

Posted 23 December 2013 - 22:15

After I had submitted my original post I noticed the PR01 went to a low nose, but thank you for the picture.

 

What I'm puzzled about with the PR02 was the area around the needle nose and how similar this was to the Lotus 112. I understand that an agreement had been made between the two and that geographically Pacific and Lotus were close, however, I was interested to see some apparent technical co-operation.

 

Aside from the current Lotus Racing/Lotus F1 team/Team Lotus/Caterham debacle could there be grounds to call the Pacific PR02 the last true Team Lotus car - or does that honour go to the Lotus 109?

 

Paul

 

i know you will have answered this with the PM's we exchanged, but for the record here on the publc forum - no technical cooperation of any description, and NO grounds for calling the PR02 the last Team Lotus car !

 

Peter



#13 taylov

taylov
  • Member

  • 624 posts
  • Joined: February 05

Posted 11 January 2014 - 10:42

I recall seeing one of the Pacific F1 cars running in the EuroBOSS races at Donington about 12 years ago.  Checking my programme box, my memory wasn't playing tricks (for once).  The race was on 6th May 2002. The entry was made by Adelphi Racing for Geoff Farmer who had a 3.5l Ford HB engine in the car. The Pacific finished 8th in a 18 car field.

 

I have copies of the EuroBOSS results for 2000 to 2002 and it seems the car was a regular entry at events at Donington but rarely elsewhere. In the April 30 2000 race it was described as Pacific PR02.

 

Tony


Edited by taylov, 11 January 2014 - 10:59.