Rafanelli Riley & Scott

[BSchneiderFan]

Just wondering why Gabriele Rafanelli switched from BMW to Judd power in the 1998/99 off-season. Obviously he lost his place as the BMW works sportscar team, and the Riley & Scott chassis was substantially reworked by Rafanelli engineers, but why dump the BMW V8? Was the Judd V10 so much better?

[Edmonton]

The BMW was a stock block WSC car motor. The Judd simply had more power. I think that BMW was underpowerd against the oposition in WSC.

[BSchneiderFan]

Ah, makes sense. And I suppose that, with Schnitzer taking over the Le Mans project, Rafanelli had nothing to gain by keeping his ties to BMW. Shame his prototype project was dropped - the Ferrari 550 was never as competitive.

[JAG]

The BMW V8 was always spererate to there LMP900 program.

In the FIA SCC you had to run atmo engines and so BMW chose there V8 for the series.

The ludicrous engine and chassis regs that were very different from ACO spec is one of the major reasons why the FIA SCC failed. At the end, the FIA SCC regs were close to ACO regs, but it was too little too late.

[SFonseca]

Now, Where are the ex-Rafanelli cars?

[The Badger]

I read someplace in the last few days that the BMW R&S team was actually run by Bigazzi with Rafanelli working with them ?

[SFonseca]

Team Bigazzi left ETCC and they are working in Italian Production Championship.

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally posted by JAG
The BMW V8 was always spererate to there LMP900 program.

In the FIA SCC you had to run atmo engines and so BMW chose there V8 for the series.

But the BMW V12 which powered the McLaren F1 and later the LMR was an atmo engine. Ironically for a company which pioneered turbocharging, BMW hasn't used a turbo in competition for years.

[Edmonton]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
But the BMW V12 which powered the McLaren F1 and later the LMR was an atmo engine. Ironically for a company which pioneered turbocharging, BMW hasn't used a turbo in competition for years.

At that time the FIA series allowed race motors but atmo engines could only go up to 5.1litres while turbos could go to 4litres.

[Tim Northcutt]

A side note:

It was my understanding that the guy who designed the Rafanelli revisions of the R&S was named Trombetti....


I think he is the same designer that did the Promec chassis that competed in the FIA-SCC last summer...

[MulsanneMike]

Regarding the switch from BMW to Judd power. I recall at the time that the BMW 4 liter unit was a regular grenade and the one and only win for it was in the rain drenched 1998 Laguna Seca WSC round.

[KA]

Rafanelli certainly had their fair share of DNFs with the BMW engine in the the ISRS/FIASCC- they also skipped the Donington round altogether- I've got a very vague memory of hearing that this was to allow for development work on the engine

One of the cars appeared the following season with RWS & Gunther Blieninger, who also had reliability problems- in fact I think they subsequently ditched the BMW and went the Judd route with the car as well?

[KA]

Originally posted by Edmonton
At that time the FIA series allowed race motors but atmo engines could only go up to 5.1litres while turbos could go to 4litres.

Correct- the limit for atmo engines was increased to 6 litres later- remember John Nielsen's DBA Panoz? Was this change before or after the BMW LMP made it's sole FIA appearance, in the form of Thomas Bscher's ex-works car which had a one-off outing at the Nurburgring in 1999 or so? I thought Bscher's car had to run under some kind of special dispensation on that occasion, but not sure whether it was on engine or chassis (ie single roll-hoop) grounds, or both

[BSchneiderFan]

Bscher's car had a double roll-hoop anyway, didn't it? I think the 1998 BMW V12 LM was built with a double hoop.

[Edmonton]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
Bscher's car had a double roll-hoop anyway, didn't it? I think the 1998 BMW V12 LM was built with a double hoop.

The 98 car had a double roll hoop.

[Edmonton]

Didn't this RileyandScott race in the ALMS in 2000?

[KA]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
Bscher's car had a double roll-hoop anyway, didn't it? I think the 1998 BMW V12 LM was built with a double hoop.

Yes of course it had- my memory's not what it should be today.....
Weren't there some differences in chassis regs between FIASCC and ACO other than the rollhoop?

[Edmonton]

Probally,FIASCC was using the worldsportcar formula for their series.

[JAG]

Under car aero was different.

Semi-auto boxes were banned.

Also different restrictors.

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally posted by Edmonton
Didn't this RileyandScott race in the ALMS in 2000?

Not in Rafanelli's hands, certainly. He'd switched to a Lola by 2000.

[The Badger]

Yep , at Sebring it did with Pole Team . Pole Team is now called RWS = Rudi Walch Sport . The team now runs in the FIA GT championship . Last years car was the "Yukos" sponsored car . But I think that the R&S might have been owned by Gunter Bleinlinger . Hope this helps .