New pictures of 96 and 97 GTR

[ArchangelGTR]

From another forum (Credit to Lehman)

[hurstg01]

WOW!!! where were these taken? looks like a GREAT place to go and have a looksee

Cheers for the pictures!....

[BMW.WilliamsF1Team]

Wow, thanks for the pics! That's an awesome collection, is it a private one? An Audi R8, Porsche 956, longtail and short tail GTRs, wow! The livery of the longtail appears to be 21R. Would that mean the blue paint scheme was redone to this? Do you know when and where this picture is?

Edit: It looks like 26R, too.

[ArchangelGTR]

Apparently this is a private collection. Pics were taken recently in the United States.

[Peloton25]

This is the place.

http://www.highcroftracing.com/company.htm

Chris found the link and was going to go see the cars/take photos for us, but then was told that the owner didn't want any visitors.

The photos you found are great, but would be even better if we could be certain which cars those were.

From the tiny photo on their website I thought that the Gulf GTR would be #12R, but now that appears to be incorrect. This should be #15R then I guess. We saw a gallery of photos of this exact GTR back in 2003 next to a light blue TVR Cerbera (possibly Beckham's?) in the UK, but that was the last time it has been spotted.

For the FINA car, my initial suspicion was #23R which was for sale in Germany when I heard about these (since there was no photo), but that car wears the race #9 and has driver's Kox and Ravaglia on the doors with white mirrors. The one that BMW takes around is also different, wearing #42 on its flanks. Both GTR #21R & #26R wore race #8 so it's really anyone's guess between the two of them.

>8^)
ER

[ArchangelGTR]

I've asked him for more photos and any other information he could provide. Hopefully he'll post more.

[Peloton25]

Cool - here's a little info on the owner of Highcroft.

DUNCAN DAYTON

For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
Cell: 317-201-0729
E-mail: [email protected]

Born: April 28, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Residence: Danbury, Conn.
Marital Status: Single
Children: None
Notes: Owns Highcroft Racing, a top American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and vintage racing team. Campaigning the former Dyson Racing No. 16 Lola in the ALMS’ top class in 2006.

Dayton began his racing career in the vintage ranks. He still regularly competes in vintage events in several different cars that he owns, including an orange 1972 Chevron B23 and a yellow 1967 Lola T-70 Mk IIIB. He has too many victories to count in the latter car in vintage events. Both of them are in group seven in the HSR classifications.

Owns the first Lola Formula 1 car produced, a Lola Mk 4 that John Surtees drove in the 1962 F1 season, winning the 1000 Gunnies race at Mallory Park. He let Danny Sullivan drive it at Goodwood several years ago, and he won there. Also owns the car that Mario Andretti drove to the Formula 1 World Championship in 1978. He also has multiple all-out overall lap records in Jacques Villeneuve’s Players Reynard 95i.

Dayton is the head of Tamarack Investments, where is a respected real estate developer and architect. Former head of the board of trustees of Connecticut College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree and was on the hockey team. Received master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design. Also currently the chairman of the board of Okabena Company. Other interests include anything athletic, including skiing, golf, tennis, hiking and camping.

Career Highlights:
* At the end of the 2005 season Dayton had five ALMS career victories to date, all with Intersport Racing. Those five victories include victories in the P675 class at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in both 2002 and 2003 and at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2002
* He’s led his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he has three starts through ’05 (2002, 2003 and 2004).
* Seven-time Rolex 24 starter; best finish was fifth in 1999.
* He has countless victories in vintage racing, including four at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix (1997, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006).
* Former top driver and team owner in the U.S. Formula 2000 national championship series.

http://www.restartcommunications.com/dayton.htm

Not certain if he's the owner of the cars or if they are simply stored there for clients. He does seem like the type of guy that would own them. Also, by the looks of that facility it seems like he could afford them too.

>8^)
ER

[hurstg01]

Originally Posted by Peloton25

From the tiny photo on their website I thought that the Gulf GTR would be #12R, but now that appears to be incorrect. This should be #15R then I guess.

I have this as chassis #012R, as i can see Bellm, Llehto and Weaver as the drivers on the tops of the door sides, and they only went in #012R as #015R was for Owen-Jones, Raphanel and Brabham

Originally Posted by Peloton25

For the FINA car, my initial suspicion was #23R which was for sale in Germany when I heard about these (since there was no photo), but that car wears the race #9 and has driver's Kox and Ravaglia on the doors with white mirrors. The one that BMW takes around is also different, wearing #42 on its flanks. Both GTR #21R & #26R wore race #8 so it's really anyone's guess between the two of them.
>8^)
ER

My guess is #026R, but i didnt know both #026R AND #021R both wore #8

[Peloton25]

Originally Posted by hurstg01

I have this as chassis #012R, as i can see Bellm, Llehto and Weaver as the drivers on the tops of the door sides, and they only went in #012R as #015R was for Owen-Jones, Raphanel and Brabham

#12R has been spotted many times both here in the USA and in the UK and it wears a slightly different livery. You could be right about this being #12R though. I am trying to figure out what the dates were when it was seen at the Goodwood FOS. If its last trip up the hill was earlier than 2003 then this could be #12R after being re-livered. I'd rather it was #15R though because there hasn't been a sighting of what could be confirmed as that car since it stopped racing.

>8^)
ER

[Le Man]

Many thanks Archangel,... Ace pics,... great find.

Some how, the pics are not loading for me totally. but the bits I can view, tells me that the two GTR's are!!

12R and 26R (Or they could be other chassis clones?)

12R As it raced at Suzuka 96 1000kms.

26R As it last raced in 97, Sebring FIA GT's

(but then again, I could be wrong?)

When I can view them better, I'll add more info.


12R...........................26R................. ........

[BMW.WilliamsF1Team]

I e-mailed their PR lady, Linda Mansfield, about an hour and a half ago. Still waiting for a response and I'll post up here once I get one. I was surprised he has a Speed 8, too. I heard only 1 was sold privately in Japan.

[mini magic]

Yes, as Erik said, i was trying to get into there to see the cars. The guy who i spoke to was real nice but said the owner didn't want any members of the public going there. I can understand that, its a private facility and not a showroom as it may appear to be in the pics. Its a shame i couldn't go but as the saying goes, you win some, you lose some.

[ArchangelGTR]

Just received information:
The McLarens are not owned by the owner of the facility.
The owner of the McLarens have had them for 2 years.

I was not given information on the identity of the owner of the McLarens, nor did I ask. I don't want to push my luck with him nor his luck returning to the facility.

Hope this information helps.


BTW: The Speed 8 was just sold for $2.3M.

[BMW.WilliamsF1Team]

Linda Mansfield said she forwarded by e-mail to someone at Highcroft who would know the chassis numbers. Archangel, do you know what chassis number the Speed 8 might be?

[lowsonoma1999]

So I'm assuming these cars are in CT then. Linda Mansfield has a central Indiana cell phone number. The 201 is originally a Sprint PCS #, since mine is the same. I saw that and got all excited that I might be close to these. I know a lot of people in the racing community, and being that it is possibly a ALMS team, I could possibly get in. I used to work for Stefan Johansson, who currently races ALMS. I don't have his number anymore, but another old coworker from when I worked for him still talks to him every once in awhile.