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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">GRAND AMERICAN ROAD RACING ASSOCIATION</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">06/12/2000</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Crawford Test At Virginia Raceway</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">A Solid Start</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><img border="1" src="Storage/ewaytartGRA.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2"> "We didn't really have much of our aero package on at all," said Max Crawford in an article at www.speedvision.com about the Crawford SSC’s current test at Virginia Raceway. The test continues today, and Speedvision have covered the early lappery in some depth. <BR> <BR> That comment from Max Crawford does help to explain the simplistic, clean lines of the SSC, which has now been driven by Didier Theys and Fredy Lienhard, as well as Andy Wallace and Elliott Forbes-Robinson. Kevin Doran is apparently very pleased with the early running of the new car, which supports his notion that sportscars need to be simple, strong and effective. Contrast his first experiences of the SSC this month with his reaction on getting acquainted with the Reynard nearly a year ago.<BR> The Judd is unstressed in the Crawford, and a variety of engines can be accommodated. Doran even suggests that a Ferrari V12 is a possible power plant, depending on Grand Am restrictor rules.<BR> <BR> The gearbox and rear end are replaceable, just like the Audi R8 – but Crawford and Andy Scriven had the idea first. With their slightly more limited resources, it’s taken them a little longer than Audi to get their car on the track. But they’ve managed to incorporate a cassette in the (Scriven-designed) Gemini gearbox, so they can replace the gears inside five minutes. Perhaps there is more than a tenuous connection to the back end of Doran’s little-missed 2KQ.<BR> <BR> Like the initial 2KQ, this is a high downforce design, but a low drag kit could be fitted if a customer wants to run in France. It also has the full roll hoop, and like 2KQ designer Paul Brown, Andy Scriven believes that aerodynamically there is little difference between full and F1-type hoops. Comparisons with the Reynard are otherwise few and far between (both carbon tubs though) – but it will be interesting to compare the results of these two chassis, coming as they do from such differently-resourced manufacturers.<BR> <BR> The only initial problem with the car at VIR was a brief gearbox malady, which was fixed in a trice. Otherwise, the car ran faultlessly – just what you’d expect from a car designed by practical engineers to the demands of one Kevin Doran. First race outing should be the Rolex 24. A lot of potential buyers are going to be following that outing with interest. <BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>