C7.R Corvette caught fire: Roar before Daytona '17

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

 Since Friday, the cars that will compete in the Rolex 24 hours at Daytona in late January are practicing in the  "Roar before the 24 in Daytona" event at the track.  In the GTLM class, the Corvettes have been running strong. But  C7.R Corvette #4 burst into flames today (Sunday). Driver Marcel Fassler was running at speed in turn 2 when the fire started. He was able to get to the infield and escaped uninjured.  But I'm sure it was quite a scare!


 
 I'm glad he is OK.  If any team is capable of repairing a damaged car, the Corvette Racing team is. I hope they can not only fix it, but also get to understand what caused it.
No I'm not getting any ideas for my C7.R  model..... yet......  

Thanks,
Ismael

[robhart]

Wow! Looks like some pretty serious damage. Somebody needs to tell the guy in the batman shirt to stop standing around and get busy fixing the car.

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

Following this story. Marcel was taken to the infield medical care center. He was released and cleared to drive. Sister car #3 was grounded until a root cause was understood. It seems it was a fuel line that spilled over hot surfaces (headers most likely). The damage seems to be contained to the engine compartment. As bad as it looks, they say they can fix it in time for the race.

Thanks,
Ismael

[robhart]

After I saw your post I looked up the coverage of the Roar before the 24 on the internet and saw pictures of the Cadillac and Mazda DPs (or whatever they're called now). What engine does the Cadillac use? I cheered for the Mazdas all season last year only to watch them throw away race after race with bad pit stops, mechanical failures, and driver errors. I hope they have gotten their act together. I also saw that Ganassi has entered four Ford GTs in GTLM, but they are all having gearbox problems.

[Chris K. Hale]

The engine is the Cadillac LT-4 V-8 as used in the Escalade V-spec and CTS-V-spec, de-tuned from 640hp to 600hp and less the supercharger and using the mandated air restrictors. ECR Engines is building them. It is a 6.2 Liter 376 ci engine production block... The new issue or Racer has a special feature taking up the back half (?) of the mag. In my communication with my friend, Jordan Taylor, although harder to drive due to more grip and wider tires, it is easier to drive with air conditioning and the most cockpit visibility of any prototype he has driven and he says he is VERY impressed with it, having won Daytona in the past he thinks they have it locked up this year, as long as there are no complications... Chris

[tatocorvette]

Hello,

The old Daytona prototypes are now replaced with the new DPi class: Daytona Prototype International.
The cars share a chassis with the LMP2 prototypes that compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, built by one of four approved constructors—Dallara, Onroak Automotive, ORECA or Riley/Multimatic. LMP2 run identical engine/body setups in FIA, but for IMSA each manufacturer has some degree of freedom to style the cars. Cadillac is running Dallara chassis and 6.2L normally aspirated V8 engine. The Mazda is running a 2.0L turbocharged 4 cyl.
The Ford GT struggled last year at Daytona and eventually won LeMans. They were controversial last year on sandbagging allegations and its effect on BoP regulations. BoP (Balance of Performance) is a very hot topic in IMSA because of the constant changes.

Thanks,
Ismael

[robhart]

I hope we see a kit of the Caddie. It looks like a mean machine.