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Fourth Annual Nissan Grand Prix of San AntonioInternational Motor Sports AssociationThe fourth annual San Antonio Nissan Grand Prix is set for Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1*2. This year's event includes three races involving five different classes of cars.For the first time the event will include a race on Saturday. The GTO/GTU competition is billed as a twilight race, set for Saturday evening. The larger Camel GTP and Camel Light GT cars will race through a course laid out in downtown San Antonio on Sunday. The LuK Clutch Challenge, a half-hour sprint open to international sedans, will precede the main event Sunday.Currently leading the I MSA GTP standings with four first-place finishes is Nissan's Geoff Brabham, winner of the 1988 San Antonio Nissan Grand Prix. Last year's winner. Price Cobb, driving his Jaguar XJR, is currently sitting fourth with one win at Lime Hock, Argentina’s Juan Manuel Fangio II. driving a Toyota Eagle, has two wins in the GTP circuit and could make a drastic move up from his 10th place spot in the standings.Tomas Lopez, of Mexico, leads the Camel Light drivers winning six of the 11 races run this season. Lopez drives a Buick Spice car.The odds-on favorite in the GTO class is Dorsey Schroeder, driving a Cougar XR7. In the GTU division. Lance Stewart, in a Mazda MX-6 is far in front of the also rans.Gene UHom. driving an Eagie Talon TSi, leads the LuK Clutch C hallenge standings. But look for Mexico’s Pope Pontbo, coming off a win in Portland, to gain ground in the standings in San Antonio.IMSA's Camel GT Race LineupThe Camel GT, IMSA's top series, features two classes of “prototype” automobile* Prototypes arc purpose-built cars design ed strictly for competition on the big track. The big Grand Touring Prototype (GTP; cars and smaller Camel Lights prototypes run together on the track, but compete for separate prize money, class victories and season-long driver and manufacturer championship points The format creates unique races within a race' that increases the amount of action for competitors and fans alikeIMSA Carnal OTPNissan GTP-ZKTCamel GTP cars are the top of the line stars in the Camel GT. Exotic rear-engine machines, GTP ears are capable of speeds approaching 200 miles-pes hour and house some of the world's top automotive technology. Nissan. Jaguar, Pontiac, Toyota. Chevrolet and Porsche all field top entries in the GTP class.A variety of engines — from btg-bore to American V-8s to small dispalcement turbos — are eligible in GTP. The rules IMSA Las created for this division use a proven sliding scale that relates engine size to and style to overall car weight. Simply put, a car with a small engine can run at a lighter weight than a more powerful car. i he lightest GTP cars check in at about 1,725 pounds while the heaviest are about 2,100 pounds. It is all designed to to keep a variety of cars and technology competitive on the track In 1089, Geoff Brabham, of Australia, won his secopd straight IMSA Camel GT driver championship in the Nissan GTP ZX-T Nissan also won the Camel GT manufacturers championship.IMSA Carnal Lights Buck Spce SES9The IMSA Camel Lights class is the second championship division in the Camel GT Designed tQ the same basic specifications as the bigger GTP cars. Camel Lights race for class honors in addition to overall race position. They conform to their own sliding scale that keeps the competition even among a wide variety of— - n.v even diuuug a wiae variety otmachinery. Turbocharging is not permitted, but a wide variety of production-style V-6, inline 4-cylinder and rotary power plants are the eneines nf /'hnirothe engines of choice.The Camel Lights class is home to many privateer drivers in advanced but little known chassis from “cottage industry manufacturers in England, Europe and the U.S. Argo, Spice, Tiga and Alba are all English or European built cars that prove to be quite quick when mated with Buick. Pontiac, Ferrari and Mazda engines Americans are not left out as the Georgia-made Kudzu and the Pontiac Firebird have been successful cars in Camel Lights.A Camel Lights has never taken an overall win in a Camel GT but they have been known to finish in the top five.In 1989 Scott Schubot, of West Palm Beach, Fla. drove a Buick Spice to the Camel Light driver championship and helped Buick win the manufacturers’ championship.IMSA GTO-GTU Racing LineupTwo classes of 'production-based'' race cars - GTO and GTU compete in IMSA's competitive GTO/GTU series. Production-based race cars are automobiles with direct design ties to everyday passenger cars. Like the Camel GT prototypes. GTO and GTU car's race together on the track, but compete for separate prize money, class victories and season-long driver and manufacturer champion ship points.IMSA OTOMiXfThe big.bore Grand Touring Over tGTO) class is for cars e ceeding 3.0 liters in engine displacement. On the surface. GToVai look like machines one might see on the neighborhood street, bi underneath they house technology similar to the ton Camel GT cars.Advanced race car design is encouraged, but any car eligible i I: ro must meet certain production requirements and be atailabl to the public.IMSA OTUNissan ISgmThe IMSA Grand Touring Under tGTU 1 3.0 liter class is the production-based equivalent of the Camel Light prototypes They run their own race within a race for cars smaller and not as powerful as GTO machines but are every bit as exciting. A \ ariet1 of conventional and rotary power plants are eligible, but tui bocharging is not allowed Like GTO, production requirements and availability to the public is required.International Sedan ClassIMSA LuK Clutch ChallengeThe Luk Clutch Challenge for international sedans ilS is IMSA : oldest series. Under one name or another. IS has been featuring tin world's top mid size sedans on the nation’s road courses for 2\The class is open to a specific list of eligible ears which includes the Nissan 240SX. the Mazda MX 6 GT. the Otdsmobile Calais Quad 4. the Acura Integra and many others. Engine, body panels and drive train must remain basically slock, but modifications to the chassis are permitted. LuK (.Mutch Challenge races are sprint events usually 30 minutes or ldo kilometers in lenmh
Newspaper Details
Del Rio News Herald
Del Rio, Texas, US
Sun, Aug 12, 1990
Page 30
Full Page
Clipped by
Blake W.
NA, 10 Aug 2023
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