Hi!
His 1977-1979 results in that car were a
little disappointing, I believe.
I mean he had all that F5000 experience.
Or was the MR8 the reason?
Schuppan & Elfin MR8
Started by
island
, Apr 10 2000 20:48
5 replies to this topic
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#2
Ray Bell
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Posted 10 April 2000 - 21:04
Tough question. Many regard the MR8 as just about the ultimate F5000 car (the MR9 barely arrived and the class disappeared). He had that crash at Sandown, which ended his AGP hopes, but had qualified equal second.
Most of it was probably little problems that added up to big failures. Like having to drive the Adelaide International race holding the body on because a clip had come undone or something. Still, he was dicing in the leading bunch.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
Most of it was probably little problems that added up to big failures. Like having to drive the Adelaide International race holding the body on because a clip had come undone or something. Still, he was dicing in the leading bunch.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
#3
island
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Posted 12 April 2000 - 07:13
Ray,
why was the MR8 so highly regarded? Did you
ever talk to one of its drivers? Larry Perkins? He-with no F5000 experience at all-
shone in the MR8 in the 1979 Rothmans Series.
He outraced Schuppan at Sandown (until his
spin) and Surfers Paradise when both MR8s
saw the chequererd flag.
why was the MR8 so highly regarded? Did you
ever talk to one of its drivers? Larry Perkins? He-with no F5000 experience at all-
shone in the MR8 in the 1979 Rothmans Series.
He outraced Schuppan at Sandown (until his
spin) and Surfers Paradise when both MR8s
saw the chequererd flag.
#4
Ray Bell
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Posted 12 April 2000 - 07:45
Two international stars drove them, too. James Hunt in the Rose City 10,000 (or its predecessor) and Didier Pironi in the 1980 AGP. Pironi was the first F5000 home in that race, four laps behind Jones in the Williams. He had been well down in practice with fuel feed trouble and a bad dose of understeer, but was reported to have commented favourably on the car, the first F5000 he'd ever driven.
The pace car at the time was the T430 with Alf Costanzo at the wheel, but at the start of the 1979 AGP it was very much a two-car race between Alfie and Larry in the MR8. Shame it ended after 150 yards!
What is interesting about Larry's participation in it all was that he had been such a staunch part of the push for F Atlantics (read the poem in the McRae/Matich thread to see how keen he was!) until offered the drive in the MR8. He had, by the way, been a semi-works Elfin driver previously. The Stillwell Formula Fords he drove in 69/70 were undoubtedly factory-backed in some way or other, while his 1972 Australian F2 title in Gary Campbell's Elfin 600D (or E or G or whatever it became) was definitely supported by Garrie Cooper.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
[This message has been edited by Ray Bell (edited 04-12-2000).]
The pace car at the time was the T430 with Alf Costanzo at the wheel, but at the start of the 1979 AGP it was very much a two-car race between Alfie and Larry in the MR8. Shame it ended after 150 yards!
What is interesting about Larry's participation in it all was that he had been such a staunch part of the push for F Atlantics (read the poem in the McRae/Matich thread to see how keen he was!) until offered the drive in the MR8. He had, by the way, been a semi-works Elfin driver previously. The Stillwell Formula Fords he drove in 69/70 were undoubtedly factory-backed in some way or other, while his 1972 Australian F2 title in Gary Campbell's Elfin 600D (or E or G or whatever it became) was definitely supported by Garrie Cooper.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
[This message has been edited by Ray Bell (edited 04-12-2000).]
#5
island
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Posted 13 April 2000 - 02:15
Ray,
we have discussed Alfie`s 1979 heroics in
the Costanzo thread.
But a year later Alan Jones laps him 5 times
and Pironi`s MR8 4 times in the 1980 AGP at
Calder! Well, it was a 1.6km circuit.
But 5 times... Or did the ground effect FW07
suit Calder? But there were long straights.
we have discussed Alfie`s 1979 heroics in
the Costanzo thread.
But a year later Alan Jones laps him 5 times
and Pironi`s MR8 4 times in the 1980 AGP at
Calder! Well, it was a 1.6km circuit.
But 5 times... Or did the ground effect FW07
suit Calder? But there were long straights.
#6
Ray Bell
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Posted 13 April 2000 - 03:50
Long straights? Calder is made up of two straights, some esses and a tight corner with an opening exit (or it was then) in just a mile. That doesn't leave room for long straights, does it?
Cooper's remark on first seeing the F1s was about how deep they went in under brakes. He had been expecting to keep them honest at least, but this fixed them. Qualifying times for the F1s were 36.1 and 36.3, Alfie was next on 37.9.
Once Pironi got past him there was no need for him to push. He wasn't going to win or be the first F5000 home, so his best prospects were to score maximum points for the Gold Star... Note that Pironi passed him, having come from two rows further back on the grid, and drove away.
Also, it was a stinking hot day, perhaps the cooling systems on the thoroughbreds were better suited, and perhaps they had tyres that lasted better.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
Cooper's remark on first seeing the F1s was about how deep they went in under brakes. He had been expecting to keep them honest at least, but this fixed them. Qualifying times for the F1s were 36.1 and 36.3, Alfie was next on 37.9.
Once Pironi got past him there was no need for him to push. He wasn't going to win or be the first F5000 home, so his best prospects were to score maximum points for the Gold Star... Note that Pironi passed him, having come from two rows further back on the grid, and drove away.
Also, it was a stinking hot day, perhaps the cooling systems on the thoroughbreds were better suited, and perhaps they had tyres that lasted better.
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Life and love are mixed with pain...
