Radical Motorsport
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Radical Motorsport is a constructor of racing cars from England. Radical builds superbike-powered sports-prototypes for a variety of classes, including the LMP2 class in the Le Mans Endurance Series.
The company was founded in January 1997 by amateur drivers and engineers Mick Hyde and Phil Abbott, based on a 1100cc prototype, powered by a Kawasaki engine built for the 750 Motor Club club races in the Sports 2000 category and raced by Hyde in 1996. In the first race of the 1997 season, the company had built ten units of the 1100 Clubsport.
In 1999, Radical switched to the BRSCC racing package and created a one-make trophy for the 1100 Clubsport. The same year, it presented the Prosport chassis, available with Kawasaki or Suzuki engines from 1000 to 1500cc, tuned by Radical. The Prosport distinguished itself from the Clubsport by featuring an adjustable rear wing. In 2000, Radical started exporting the Prosport to the United States to race in the SCCA D-Sport class.
In 2002, Radical created the SR3, a car with a length of 4050 mm (13 ft 3 in) and a weight of 510 kg (1080 lb), homologated for international racing in the FIA C3 class. The car uses a Suzuki Powertec engine with 1.3 and 1.5 L versions and a maximum of 252 hp (187 kW). A six-speed sequential gearbox was developed specifically for this car. The sales success of this car prompted Radical to create a championship for Radical cars, allowing Prosport and SR3 owners to compete together, although the car is also used in club races across the UK, USA and Germany.
A turbocharged SR3 was introduced in 2003, establishing a record for production cars (Radicals can be homologated for road use in the UK by owners) the Nürburgring with a time of 7m19s.
It followed by a smaller SR4 the following year, using Kawasaki and Suzuki engines from 1.2 to 1.5 L, made for club racing and with cruder aerodynamics, narrower tracks and smaller tyres. It measures 3730 mm (12 ft 3 in) and 450 kg (992 lb).
In 2005, Radical introduced the SR8 chassis and Powertec RPA engine. With a chassis based on that of the SR3, the SR8 is powered by a new 2.6 L V8 engine, developed by Radical by joining two 1300 cc Suzuki Hayabusa engines, capable of 363 hp (270 kW). It broke the Nürburgring record established by the SR3 with a time of 6m55s. The SR8 races in various Radical championships around the world.
In the second quarter of 2005, the company announced its plans to race in the LMP2 class of the Le Mans Endurance Series with a brand new prototype, to be called SR9. A 3.0 L evolution of the RPA was planned for the car, but development delays meant Radical chose instead the proven AER Turbo based on the MG Lola EX257 powerplant. The SR9 will make its debut in the 1000km Spa, run by Rollcentre Racing. Radical has also announced the organisation of a four-round Radical World Cup and a variety of one-make competitions in Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Australia and the United States. A works car sponsored by Bruichladdich whisky appeared; Martin Short's Rollcentre Racing also campaigned a car fitted with a Judd V8. Peter Elleray whose previous successes include the Le Mans-winning Bentley EXP-8 led the design of the SR9.
There are plans to convert an existing SR9 into an LMP1, and Radical are also rumoured to be interested in the closed-top LMP1 rules for 2010 and beyond.
[edit] Road cars
- 1100 Clubsport
- Prosport
- SR3, uses a motorcycle engine from the 1300cc Suzuki Hayabusa, also fitted with a turbo
- SR4
- SR8 uses a V8 made of two Hayabusa engines. It claims to hold the Nordschleife fastest lap times record for road legal cars at the old Nürburgring with 6:55. It is UK-registered though, and does not comply to German TÜV rules.
[edit] Race cars
A Radical SR9 was entered in the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans by Rollcentre Racing in the LMP2 class. Powered with a Judd XV675 3.4L V8 engine, it finished 20th.
