I have been looking through the Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing rule book (the 1981 SCCA GCR) , and there is no listing for the RX7 in GT1 or 2. Anyone out there have any records or other proof the RX7 competed in SCCA GT1 or 2 in or prior to 1981? They have the RX2 and 3's listed, but no RX7's.

 

I will see if I can help.

The first RX7's were launched in 1979 with a 12a motor. The first efforts were in IMSA with about 3 teams;

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/pictures-1979-akai-rx-7-imsa-gtu-740733/

The cars were run by factory teams with the following brief history copied from wikipedia,

Racing versions of the first-generation RX-7 were entered at the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race. The first outing for the car, equipped with a 13B engine, failed by less than one second to qualify in 1979. The next year, a 12A-engine car not only qualified, it placed 21st overall. That same car did not finish in 1981, along with two more 13B cars. Those two cars were back for 1982, with one 14th place finish and another DNF. The RX-7 Le Mans effort was replaced by the 717C prototype for 1983. In 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 hours of Le Mans. The car was a 4-rotor prototype class car, the 787B. The FIA outlawed rotary engines shortly after this win. To this day the rotary powered Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer to have ever won the prestigious 24 hour Le Mans race outright.[citation needed]

Mazda began racing RX-7s in the IMSA GTU series in 1979. That first year, RX-7s placed first and second at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and claimed the GTU series championship. The car continued winning, claiming the GTU championship seven years in a row. The RX-7 took the GTO championship ten years in a row from 1982. The RX-7 has won more IMSA races than any other car model.In the USA SCCA competition RX7s were raced with great success by Don Kearney in the NE Division and John Finger in the SE Division. Pettit Racing won the GT2 Road Racing Championship in 1998. The car was a 93 Mazda RX7 street car with only bolt-on accessories. At season end Pettit had 140 points - 63 points more than the 2nd place team. This same car finished the Daytona Rolex 24-hour race 4 times.

The RX-7 also fared well at the Spa 24 Hours race. Three Savanna/RX-7s were entered in 1981 by Tom Walkinshaw Racing. After hours of battling with several BMW 530i and Ford Capri, the RX-7 driven by Pierre Dieudonné and Tom Walkinshaw won the event. Mazda had turned the tables on BMW, who had beaten Mazda's Familia Rotary to the podium eleven years earlier at the same event. TWR's prepared RX-7s also won the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 and 1981, driven by Win Percy.


I also found this photo of Don Kearney SCCA GT2 at Summit Point in 1980 in his RX7. He won races with the car that year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/r_marcu...7603510560656/

I hope this helps you.

Eric

 

"Pettit Racing won the GT2 Road Racing Championship in 1998. The car was a 93 Mazda RX7 street car with only bolt-on accessories. At season end Pettit had 140 points - 63 points more than the 2nd place team. This same car finished the Daytona Rolex 24-hour race 4 times."

This is the car that I own. And is pictured in my avitar......still winning races!.

Here is a video of the car running with the big dogs back in the 90's.......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Lr83Yu8ps


Do you have any other history on the car?

Walker, excuse the hijack.....

 

SCCA RX7's first raced in C Production. At some some in the late 70's or early 80's the A, B, C Production and A, B, and C Sedan Classes were merged into the GT1, 2 etc. classes.
That's probably why you can't find a earlier example of it, 'cause it didn't exist!

that help?

Steve

 

I remeber this car from when Brad Young drove it back around 2000. It was up here in Canada and ran in the Canadian Challenge Cup and Speed WC Races. If I recall correctly, there was a bit of an issue with the car at that time..........

Eric Nummelin

 

Unless Brad was renting from Pettit, you might thinking of a different car. I bought this from Mark Butters in Florida who bought if from Cam at Pettit in March of 2000. Mark used it for local endurance and sprint races in Florida region SCCA. I purchased it in late 2004.

Niles

 

Brad had a program with Pettit and if I recall correctly, there was some questions as to the program cost.

It is the same car and very very fast FD. You have a great car and it should be a bullet at Thunderhill.

Eric

 

Yes it all helps! And you are very correct about the merging of classes, my 1978 DProduction 924 Porsche became a GT3 car somewhere around 1985 or so. Will have to call the RMVR and ask if what the policy is on this.

 

The RX-7 was in C-Production back before the GT classes existed. They competed against the Datsun 280-Z and Nissan 280-ZX.

In 1983 SCCA created the GT classes, and moved all the A,B,C and D Production cars, and all the A & B Sedan cars into GT 1, 2, 3, and 4

I still have a John Finger tee shirt with a picture of his SCCA C-Production RX-7 (it has started getting a little tight around my waist now.)