History of Racing Games
I'll be a bit blunt here When you think Datsun and Nissan, you think more of the family sedan than sports cars, more rust than shopping.
Would it surprise you to know that Nissans and Datsuns hold a manufacturers record of over 80 SCCA racing titles that they not only competed in Le Mans, but they won they won Daytona 4 not just once, but four years row that Nissan sports cars, sedans and prototypes runners over 200 IMSA victories.
Or Datsuns won the world toughest rally, the Safari Rally, at least 7 times outright, with more podiums that their cars and trucks have over 20 titles out of the road under their steel belts .
Then hold, because this part of the story will Nissans blow your doors off.
The first recorded race wins by a Datsun I can find are in 1936 in Japan A Datsun Midget took the checkered flag in the competition of Japanese motor vehicles at Tamagawa Speedway The Midget was powered by the engine to 747cc Datsun cars were probably raced Japan throughout the 30s and up to the second World war.
After the war, car production didn t start again until 1947 Nothing very sporty was built until 1952, when the Datsun unveiled the DC-3 roadster This car was more robust than fast, but it was run at the club in Japan.
Nissan Cedrics Macau and Australia in the early 60 races sanctioned internationally They entered the East African Safari and taken by force see separate section.
Nissan has done well in the Japanese racing with their Prince R380, R381 and R382 Group 7 grand Prix cars The history of development of the R380 is interesting Actually, it started as a defeat for the Prince Motor Company in the Grand Prix Japan 1964, the same race that saw the victory of the Nissan sedan Touring.
Dr. Sakuri Prince took his Skyline GT out of the race for 64 GP, to be defeated by a private Porsche subsequently entered after the race, Dr. Sakuri set up the Prince Motoring Club and began the development of the R380 The original car used as a Lola chassis platform, with 2 6 liter 6 cylinder Prince, its powertrain.
The car was ready to race the 66 Japanese GP on May 3 of this year, he creamed the competition, 1st, 2nd and 4th places, with a Toyota V8 landing in third place it was last year these cars were ran like Nissan Princes took over the company in August this year.
Nissan let Dr. Sakurai continue developing the R380 s, which turned out to be a wise decision the Grand Prix 1967, the second generation R380's are 2,3,4 and 6 spots, with Porsche Carreras filling in the blanks.
In 1968, a closed coupé R380 set a world class record E with an average speed of 251 kph over 200 miles third generation R380 s and the new V12 R381's were supposed to run in the Jap 68 GP, but there was a small scratch the 6-cylinder 380's were ready, but the V12 for the R381 was not that what a good rider you let another engine of course Dr. Sakurai flew to California and bought a few Chevy V8 famous engine builder Dean Moon three 6-cylinder s R380 and three R381 V8 430ci Chevy s 68 ran and won a Chevrolet V8 Nissan has supplied first, with another taking 6th, and Nissan 380's taking 3,4 and 5 seats last car suffered clutch serious damage early in the race and still managed to beat the competition.
The V12 Nissan, essentially a fusion of two inline 6's was ready for 1969 when Motoharu Kurosawa took the checkered flag in the R382 Environmental concerns killed the program this year, but no not really, Nissan has just brought the Z cars at GP and won three years from 1971 entitled Z cars wouldn t be the only ot make Thier brand, Skyline Gt-r s would make a litte noise of their own in the coming years.
Datsuns started winning in the States in the early 60's department of unofficial US competition Datsun began as a few guys from all over the car preparation office of their time, they had the blessing of Nissan USA president Yutaka Katayama Mr. K, with the strict rule that all racing projects must be on their own time.
Jean Nissan USA plant was one of the first to take an American Datsun before the checkered flag, with a win at the Palm Springs Airport 1963 Plant and Benny Ackermann modified a SPL212 roadster with a 1300 cc engine for the race, took to the track, and ran by themselves without the benefit of a pit crew They continued to do so for several years, with a succession of different cars.
From left to right Lee Wylie, Dick Roberts and Tom O Connor department of competition of Nissan.
In 1964, things really started to heat up Paul Jaremko, a racing driver and Datsun dealer from Spokane, won fourteen consecutive races in a roadster SPL310 A future concessionaire Datsun Bob Sharp, started taking championships on the East Coast of that year.
Sharp, who eventually became a Datsun dealer in Wilton, Connecticut, won a regional event at Lime Rock, took a national race in Thompson, Connecticut, and qualified for the ARRC race at Road Atlanta see separate story Bob Sharp .
1966 saw Datsuns real input in American race SPL310 A roadster won the race production billion at the Los Angeles County Fair and roared past all modified cars H more performance in the Vineland area, New Jersey, Bob Sharp ran the SCCA national Championships in 1500 and 1600 also began Datsun roadsters financial support runners, distributing $ 11,000 to a small group of riders.
In 1967 Datsuns financial support for race teams doubled to 22 large, but with more riders get a slice Bob Sharp won the SCCA F Production championship this year, giving Nissan, it is first a number of registration requirements SCCA championships.
1967 was also the year that Mr. K and Nissan Exec Lee Wylie recruited Dick Roberts, a Porsche racer and mechanical engineer of Colorado, at the head of their department official competition Roberts had spent 1966 towing his Datsun racecar 70,000 miles to participate in 34 different events.
Dick Roberts and 5 other employees, became the department of Roberts competition decided that department of Datsuns competition would make it easy for the average guy to race his Datsun He wanted owners to be able to walk into a Datsun dealership, or make a call telephone, and all the parts they need on the shelf, or as soon as possible and it was not only on parts; someone might call the service from the competition and get the best rates for Roberts philosophy technical advice, and that of Nissan USA, was that although it was great if the factory team won, it was just as well if the privateer racer won in a Datsun leaves you little guys have the parts and knowledge, and you will Datsuns winning everywhere, not just the big marquee events of the plant at its peak, the department took over 100 phone calls a day, many of them treated by Dick Roberts himself.
Other than supporting the cause of the roadster, one of his first projects was the new 510 sedan with its new series of engine overhead cam L They imported SSS heads and other parts of Japan, and used their combined race and engineering experience to find innovative changes very early developed parts would be put to use with great success later in the first cars Z.
In 1968, a former Carroll employee Shelby, Pete Brock, B BRE Brock Racing Enterprises, began racing Datsuns red Brocks 2000 white and blue Roadster with motor John Morton, also a former employee Shelby, took the Production Championship C at Road Atlanta that year two BRE Datsun BSR straightened the flag in 1970, this time with the new 240Z.
Back in Japan the Fairlady 432Z wins for the first time to the 1970 Suzuka 1000km race He was soon replaced by the 240zg long runner nose.
1970 was also the year of another new arrival on the scene of the race, IMSA The International Motor Sports Association was one step from the race at the club that the SCCA has provided the founder of IMSA John Bishop, wanted something a little run more professionally than SCCA and he wanted to help support successful teams with cash prizes.
SCCA racing up to that point had been made especially for the glory of SCCA prices were generally under $ 300 IMSA wanted to attract major sponsors and a lot of money that came with them.
IMSA began with four single class; GT cars for more than 2 5 liters, GTU for cars under 2 5, as the original Z car and highly modified 510 s, RS stock race for a sedan like the 510, 610 and 710, and GTAA 2 class 4 liters Z won Camel GTU Championships 1974.75 and 76 George Alderman is RS class 71 in 510, and still have 74 in a 710 Before IMSA even started class RS for sedans, they have the insight that Red Farmer series won in his 510.
Bob Sharps original Z car, more than a dozen years later, his son Scott Sharp, now an IRL driver, race swould 2 SCCA titles of its own.
Z cars actually started racing in major US races before the 510 Bob Sharp Racing and BRE both started campaigning 240z s in 1970, with John Morton taking C Production in 70 and 71, and taking Bob Sharp 72 and 73 this was the beginning of what would be a ten-year championship dynasty for the Z car in SCCA production C.
510 s stepped up to the Trans Am 2 standard 5 with BRE after the start of the season in 1971 John Morton won 6 of the 9 races he has participated this year in the car BRE 46 and took the title for Datsun manufacturers.
Japanese 240Z s won the Grand Prix GT Singapore, Selangor GP and the Japanese Grand Prix, the first of three straight victories for the Z in this race.
August 1971 saw the introduction of the 510 as the official pace car of the fast lane of the Ontario motor At the press conference to unveil the car, a couple of reporters asked the driver of the pace car if the humble 510 would be able to stay ahead of the race car driver responded, jokingly, that although he probably could not win, he thought he could retain for a few laps.
Morton and the BRE 510 were back in 72 to take 6 of 10 races entered Nissan had moved its focus to the 510 because the 240Z was selling so many 240Z s were racing but BRE and Bob Sharp to some extent have been invited pushing the sedan instead.
For a good example of how Datsuns dominated the racing scene in the 70s, just look at the race 72 ARRC at Road Atlanta.
B Sedan Trans Am style car 1 Bob Sharp 510 2 510 3 510 Walt Maas Jim Fitzgerald 4 Carl Fredericks BMW 5 Lothar Stahlberg 510.
C Austin sedan C 1-3 mark on the 4th Jim Hensel Datsun 1200.
C Production Bob Sharp 240z 1st 2nd Bob Tullius Triumph 3 Jim Fitzgerald 240z Al Holbert Porsche 4 5 6 Jim Gammon 240Z 240Z Ron Mcfarlin.
production roadsters D 1 Robert McQueen roadster Datsun 2000 2nd B Triumph Fuersteneu 3rd Dan Parkinson Datsun roadster 4 Kirk Allegro Datsun Roadster Datsun roadster Tom Costello 5th 6th roadster Datsun Don Herman.
Brock called left in 1973, after his demands for a long factory teams will Datsuns without fixed term contract answers become Bob Sharp Racing on the East Coast, and electric motor on the west coast electromotive, creating and former Don Devendorf Brock used John Knepp, would go to win many races for Nissan.
In 1974, another first for a Datsun Nissan motorheads The US has set up a stock B210, with a few extras, and released to the speed trials at Bonneville Salt Flats After ten weeks after hours of preparation, Team efforts were rewarded with a new world-class record of 121,871 miles per hour in a B210.
Walt Maas and 260z win the title of the production SCCA C, and then won the title IMSA GTU in a 240z A legendary British Z, Big Sam, driven by Win Percy and built by Samuri Motor Co won the BARC Championship Modsports 1974.
1975 ARRC at Road Atlanta is another stellar show for Datsun B210 swept C sedan, taking the first 5 places, led by Don Devendorf of electromotive B Class Sedan was nearly as good with a first 710, 610 seconds and Datsuns sew points 4 to 8 s 280Z took the first four places Prod C with Bob Sharp leading the pack.
Hans Schuller Safari Rally co-driver Edgar Herrmann, entered the 240Z at LeMans.
Z cars were introduced for the first time in two prestigious events this year at Le Mans with Hans Schuller of Safari fame and his teammates Andre Haller and F Benoit Maechler finishing 26th after severe differencial AZ problems was concluded at Spa with team Delbar, Rubens and Miroux.
In 1976 Datsun once and for all erase all doubt that they were the choice of champion race teams Datsuns won a total of 455 races and rallies, seven titles and three national championships Datsun Z car manufacturers won 79 percent of all national races C Production, Elliot Forbes Robinson taking the title Brad Frisselle in a 280z electromotive designed won the championship 76 IMSA GTU 510 s, 610 s and 710 s won 80 percent of all sedan B B breeds -210 s have 60 percent of sedan racing C even along the production in 1600 and 2000 roadsters after kicking in D and G production Datsun won numerous rally championships, in cars and trucks Jim Connor won Baja 1000 in his car mini truck AZ a new class speed record at Bonneville F GT with 166 037 mph run Datsun even presented to the NHRA, with Paula Murphy illuminating the wheels on his Datsun fortemen t changed.
Logan Blackburn last won the title SCCA C Production in 1977, 6 years after buying his 240z, 280z now BRE Dale Fazekas won the SCCA new class of exhibition actions 280z Don Devendorf of electromotive kills few giants that take the 1977 RS international class sedan with nine wins in 1 liter 4 B210.
Frank Leary takes the first place on the podium for the title of 1978 C prod in his Datsun 280Z Fremont.
Paul Newman introduces the new 280ZX to the winners circle in 1979, taking its Budweiser-sponsored Canon-Pioneer Bob Sharp in producing C Racing Car Championship Newman refused to take money for driving, receiving beer Budweiser in leiu a paycheck Don Devendorf and 280ZX electromotive IMSA GTU win the title with nine wins in 13 races.
Atop the Datsuns involvement in motor racing in the United States, there were more than 800 independent racing and rally teams driving in the States, and thousands more weekend warriors who do the same local legendary pilot level as Walt Maas Bob Sharp, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Paul Newman, John Morton and Frank killed Leary Porsches, Alfa's, BMW's and Corvettes in the pilot of their Z as Sam Posey, Rob McFarlin, Hershel McGriff Dave Frellsen Casey Mollett Don Devendorf, and George splash Kord triumphed in Datsuns in the IMSA and SCCA Frank ball and Ron Thompson made 510 s off for the victory score Baja 500 with Jim Conner making flying even higher Minitrucks the 1970 was undoubtedly the decade Datsun.
This book is dedicated mainly to the history of Datsun and Nissan during the period of the existence of the brand name Datsun Nissans history of the race now continues almost 20 years after the Datsun name was abandoned in 1983 This does not mean that Datsuns stopped winning the contrary, Datsuns kept winning, and still win Jeff Winter made production SCCA G title in 2001 in a 510 which was now almost 30 years.
A Datsun story really inspiring involves Tom Wyatt III, otherwise known as Turbo Tom Turbo Tom built a L20B Turbo fairly quickly powered Datsun 510 and entered the Walter Mitty at Road Atlanta one year The engine developed 275 horsepower at 21 Boost books for drag racing, with 250 on the selected track at T04 it RotoMaster Turbo and 4150 Holley carb set up.
As history, SCCA officials began her class with similar style cars but had to continue to go to class as he blew the doors of each group increasingly powerful cars at the end of the day he was racing with Corvettes and cobras he beat a Porsche 930 on a tour of nine seconds, and a race prepped 427 Cobra 3 seconds staff of the race did not know what to do, they gave him a trophy custom rather than embarrass one of the most prestigious classes.
1980 will probably see the one and only Nissans involvement with NASCAR, winning the NASCAR Dash Series.
1982 saw Don Devendorf and electromotive first championship winning race IMSA GTO Datsun 1983 saw Datsuns take the following classes in SCCA Valvoline Finals GT3 Mike Rickman 200SX GT4 Dave Carkoff PL510 TCAP Izzy SS Sanchez 280ZX A Larry Hendricks 280ZX SS C Jim Roberts 200SX.
Morris Clement Larry Hendricks and Jim Roberts GT2 SS A and SS C respectively in the 84 runoff.
Another Sharps races, Scott Sharp, a GT2 in 1986 in its original 240z fathers Rebuilt Max Jones and Tom Kendall Nissan 300ZX Nissan s race to win the title of the manufacturer IMSA Firehawk 1986 also saw the arrival of a new league on stage race; Nasport see separate section below.
Bob Studdard won the class of the EP in 1987 in a roadster 2000, which was now at least 17 years Morris Clement finished clinched his second title GT 2 in its 280ZX On a sad note, long time Nissan racer Fitzgerald dies in a terrible accident Road Atlanta car Newman-Sharp GTP.
1200 Datsun B210 s and s have titles in GT4 and GT5 in 88, 90, 91, 92 and at least 15 years after the car went out of production.
Nissan to roll in the GTP IMSA series, the standing P for Prototype, these cars are similar to the style of Le Mans cars Geoff Brabham led Nissan to championship IMSA GTP, and with a record nine Nissan consecutive wins is the winner of the 1989 manufacturers GTP Title; championships they win again in 1990 and 1991, making it 4 consecutive Manufacturers Nissan also victorious at the 12 Hours of Sebring for the third consecutive year.
And then there Daytona Nissan takes the checkered flag to win the 1992 24 Hours of Daytona, not just class, but overall victory Steve Millen won the title IMSA GTO in its 300ZX and Bob Leitzingers Leitzinger Racing with his son Butch takes the wheel manufacturer IMSA GTU title Nissan 240SX in Butch will win the Drivers title and the title Manufactuers again in 1993.
The Nissan team repeats Daytona 24 hours, taking the overall victory for the second consecutive year, while IMSA GTS 300ZX manufacturer claims the crown for Nissan They also venture back to Le Mans with great success, winning their class and placing 5th overall.
1995 sees Nissan win their third consecutive year the 12 Hours of Sebring in the 300ZX.
Nasport as IMSA, was set up to give the runners something a little more professional than the SCCA Nasport were some different rules, like making time cars running similar lap together, and with only one or two classes to keep things simple performance-based as opposed to movement and body style based classes were almost the same as SCCA GT3 and GT4 so that competitors can run in both leagues without having to build different cars the racing season was only 6 to 8 long races, all pro caliber, all the first race tracks.
Ranking Nasport for Datsuns with the Nissan too weird.
1988 2nd Jeff Scoville 200SX, 3rd J Koobation tie PL510 and N Balzer 200SX.
1990 1st Collin Jackson PL510 built by specialized engineering.
1993 3rd GT4 John Olsen PL510 Frank Honsowetz second GT3 has a 240SX.
1996 1 GT4 Derek Israël PL510, PL510 2nd John Olsen.
1997 2nd GT4 John Teaby PL510, PL510 3 Marco Sandoval.
1998 2nd GT4 John Teaby PL510, PL510 3rd John Spencer.
1999 1 GT4 John Teaby PL510, 2nd J Olsen 200SX, 3 M Sandoval PL510.
2000 1st GT4 John Olsen 200SX, 200SX David Jackson 2nd, 3rd Scott Culbertson 200SX.
John Morton John Morton 1970 2000 240Z 240Z 1971 240Z 1972 Bob Sharp Bob Sharp 240Z 1973 Walt Maas 260Z 1974 280Z 1975 Bob Sharp Elliot Forbes-Robinson 280Z 280Z 1977 1976 Logan Blackburn Frank Leary 280Z 280Z 1979 1978 Paul Newman.
Jack Scoville 2000 Roadster 1969 Roadster 2000 Jim Fitzgerald Bob McQueen 1970 2000 1971 Bob McQueen Roadster 2000 Roadster 1972 Roadster 2000 Tom Brennan 1978 Joe Hauser 1600 roadster 1981.
-Porsche, Morgan, Triumph Roadster 1987 Roadster Bobby Studdard.
Colonel Joe Hauser 1600 roadster 1974 Colonel Joe Hauser 1600 roadster 1976 roadster Colonel Joe Hauser 1600 1982 2001 Jeff Winter PL510.
Bob Sharp Bob Sharp 1971 510 510 1972 1973 Frellsen Dave Dave Dave Frellsen 510 710 1974 1975 E Frellsen Forbes-Robinson 710 610 1976 510 1978 Dave Frellsen Bill Coykendall 200 sx 1979 Dave Frellsen 510 1980.
Devendorf Don Don Don Devendorf 1200 1973 1974 1975 B210 B210 Devendorf Damon Pleasant B210 1976 B210 1977 Dick Davenport Dick Dick Davenport Davenport B210 1978 B210 1979.
DJ Fazekas Datsun Z car 1977 DJ Z car Fazekas 1978 Luis Sanchez Z car 1982 Larry Hendricks 280Z 1983 280Z Larry Hendricks 1984 Pepe Pepe Pombo Pombo 300ZX 1985 300ZX 1987 300ZX 1992 Scott Grissom Scott Grisson 300ZX 1993 300ZX David Daughtery 1994.
Mark Youngquist Sentra 1992 David Daughtery NX2000 1993 David Daughtery 240SX 240SX 1995 1994 David Daughtery David Daughtery 240SX 1996.
Jim Fitzgerald 300ZXTurbo 1984 Paul Newman Paul Newman 300ZXTurbo 300ZXTurbo 1985 1986 1987 Scott Sharp 300ZXTurbo Scott Sharp 300ZXTurbo 1988.
Morris Clement Scott Sharp in 1984 280ZX 280Z 280ZX 1987 1986 Morris Clement.
Dave Frellsen hl510 1980 Robert Dyson 200SX 200SX 1983 1981 Mike Rickman.
Dave Carkhuff PL510 1983 Richard Grant B210 1990 B210 1991 Hubert De Prez Juan Montalvo B210 1992 Hubert De Prez Sentra 1993.
David Schaller 1200 1988 1200 1990 Jeffrey Clinton Jeffrey Werth 210 B310 1991 B310 1992 210 Jeffrey Jeffrey Werth Werth 210 B310 1994.
John Morton John Morton 1971 BRE BRE 510 510 1972.
Race 1 history, race, history, roadster Hauser 1600, Colonel Hauser 1600.
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