As how many race car Designers also worked on the
Apollo Moon project?
Cannot help of thinking about Dario
Franchitti’s comments about Halloween’s a Shit time of the year due to His
friend Greg Moore dying that day in California. Or how Geo. Phillips of
Oilpressure fame noted how October saw Dan Wheldon perish in Las Vegas, Tony Renna
at Indianapolis and recently noted designer bob Riley.
Almost decided against scribblin’ anything
about this. Since as typical, I’m late to thee party…
Thus I still really don’t know much about the
man, other than the late bob Riley was a noted racecar designer. And at the
very least, associated with four famous racing cars!
Beginning with working upon the shelby American
Ford GT40 Mk IV, which won the 1967 24 Heurs du Mans with Dan Gurney and A.J.
foyt.
As
Foyt
would go onto hire Riley to design His stable of coyote IndyCar chassis. Most
notably the very Coyote that ‘Ol superTex’ drove to his fourth Indianapolis 500
win. But that’s not the Coyote chassis that inspired me to write something upon
No Fenders.
Nope, it was the final 1981 coyote, bob Riley’s
first ground effects Open wheel Racing chassis. And I simply love the bit about
how the racecar created so much downforce, they couldn’t find any springs
strong enough for it! And had to cut holes in the chassis to relieve pressure…
Another racecar Riley and son bill designed was
the Intrepid RM-1, also known as the Intrepid GTP or Chevrolet GTP of the early
19990’s, which featured rear wheel covers and a shovel nose. Being known for
its predigious amounts of downforce and amazing cornering speeds. But my mind
immediately goes to the other TK’, aka Tommy Kendall’s massive accident in this
carwhich raced between 1991-93.
Another Bob Riley design I wasn’t aware of was
the Ford GTP Mustang for IMSA competition, which was a front engine design. And
like the Intrepid won just a single race.
I was also not aware that it was another Riley
design that Kendall utilized to dominate SCCA Pro Racing’s Trans Am series in
the 1990’s. When Kendall and Roush Racing blitzed the field with those
dominating Ford Mustang “Body Quencher” TA Steeds!
Yet when I think of Bob Riley, who passed away
on October 24th at the age of 93. I immediately think of the domineering Riley
& Scott Mk III Prototypes that ruled the roost in the World Sports Car
)WSC) category of IMSA GT and the rival USRRC. Also racing at Le Mans and later
in the American Le Mans Series.
Riley & Scott was formed in 1990 by Bob
Riley and Mark Scott, beginning with Trans Am racecars before focusing upon a
World Sports Car design for the upcoming IMSA GT Championship.
Following their stillborn Mk II Sports Car design,
they were hired to improve Rob Dyson’s Spice Ferrari chassis. With the lessons
learned aiding in the design of the Mk III.
Dyson Racing debuted the Riley & Scott Mk
III at the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona, running two cars and winning a total of
five races that season.
Part of the Riley & Scott Mk III’s
popularity was its accepting multiple normally aspirated engines. Including the
likes of ford, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, BMW and the Judd V-10. As the Prototype
won its first Rolex 24 in 1996 with Doyle Racing and Oldsmobile. With Wayne
Taylor, Scott Sharp and Jim Pace at its keyboard…
The following year was when Dyson Racing used a
village ‘O drivers to score victory with its Mk III Ford chassis. As I can
still vaguely recall the No. 20 entry driving into victory lane with its seven
drivers piled aboard it!
As Rob Dyson, Elliot forbes-Robinson and John
“Not Bo” Schneider were joined by the team’s No. 16 entry of Butch Leitzinger,
Andy Wallace, James Weaver and John Paul Jr. after their entry retired on lap 227.
Momo Corse and its Ferrari 333 SP, the Riley
& Scott Mk III’s main competizione won the ’98 Rolex 24, before Dyson won
in 1999, again with its trusty Mk III Ford entry.
For 1998, the second iteration of the Mk III
was built, which followed with the Mk III C variant racing until 2005. Although
Riley and co. deferred work on the MK III while contracted to create the
Cadillac North Star factory effort. As the Riley & Scott Mk III would amass
nearly 50 victories overall in 130-plus starts!
Riley & Scott was acquired by Reynard Cars
in 1999. Yet Reynard’s expansion was too quick and they filed for Bankruptcy in
2001. Which not only saw the dissolution of Reynard Cars, but also Riley &
Scott.
Undaunted by this turn of events, Bob Riley and
son Bill continued their success upon forming Riley Technologies in 2001. With
subsequent Riley Prototype chassis now designed for the Daytona Prototype (DPi)
era winning a further seven Rolex 24 races.
The company also “dabbled” in Saloons’, having
designed the Speedsource Mazda RX8 that won the 2008 GT Class at the Rolex 24. Along
with that year’s BMW M6 and ALMS GT2 category Corvette vs. those dominating
Prat & Miller Vettes’.
While I last kept track of Riley’s exploits in
earnest when running the Werks’ Dodge Viper program between 2012-14. Which
culminated with the team winning the Team’s and Drivers championships in the
American Le mans Series in 2014. (ALMS) Before Chrysler pulled the plug upon
the SRT Viper racing program.
As the list goes on and on. For which you’d have to say that Bob Riley definitely left His mark upon motorsports…
