2002 Ascari KZR-1

Ascari Cars was a British car manufacturer founded in England in 1994 by Klaas Zwart, who previously chaired and owned Petroline.

The company was named in honour of Alberto Ascari, the World Driving Champion of 1952 and 1953.

Ascari Cars produced both road and race cars. Their first production vehicle was the Ascari Ecosse in 1998, a mid-rear-engine, BMW V8-powered sports car producing about 400 horsepower. Their next road car, the Ascari KZ1, was a production version of the A410 race car and debuted in 2003. Two years later, the Ascari KZ1-R was released. The company's final street car was the 2006 Ascari A10, which was an upgraded KZ1.

The company's first motorsport entry was in 1995 with the Ascari FGT, a model based on the road-going FGT concept and equipped with Chevrolet and Ford V8 engines.

In 2000, the company built a sports car to Le Mans Prototype specifications, which was called the Ascari A410. The car was based on the Lola T92/10 but with an open cockpit and constructed to LMP900 regulations. It also featured a 4-litre Judd GV4 V10 engine. The car competed in European and International sports car events. After many DNFs, the duo of Ben Collins and Werner Lupberger were victorious at Donington in 2001. For the 2002 season, the A410 received updates and was renamed the Ascari KZR-1.

The Ascari KZR-1 chassis is a Carbon / Kevlar composite monocoque with a twin roll-over hoop. The car s front and rear suspension is a double-wishbone design with an inboard spring / shock absorber unit bolted to the monocoque. The engine serves as a stressed member. The vehicle s wheelbase is 2,807 mm, the front track width is 1,164 mm and the rear track width is 1,116 mm. The bodywork is constructed of Carbon / Kevlar composite panels. The Ascari rides on Goodyear tires which are mounted on 18-inch OZ wheels. As per Le Mans Series regulations, the car weighs 900 kilograms.

ASCARI KZR-1	LMP 900
Chassis	Ascari designed carbon/Kevlar composite monocoque. Central driving position with twin rear roll-over hoop.
Suspension	Double-wishbone with inboard spring/shock absorber units. Dynamics shock absorbers.
Bodywork	Carbon/Kelver composite panels.
Steering	Rack and Pinion
Wheelbase	2,807mm
Track	Front - 1,164mm - Rear - 1.116mm
Wheels	OZ 18-inch Wheels
Tires	Goodyear
Brakes	Carbonne Industrie rotors with AP six pot calipers
Fuel Tank	Premier Safety fuel cell with mandatory 90-liter capacity
Weight	900 kg (1,984.2 lb)

The KZR-1 is powered by a normally aspirated, rear-mounted 4-litre Judd V10. The Judd GV4 has a displacement of 3,997 cc (243.9 cu in) with four valves per cylinder. A Pectel Engine Management System is employed. The power plant breathes through two 33.4 mm restrictors and produces 620 horsepower. Unrestricted, the motor would produce 730 horsepower. Bolted to the flywheel is an AP Racing clutch. Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a Hewland/Ascari six-speed longitudinal gearbox with sequential shifting.

ASCARI KZR-1-JUDD	LMP 900
Engine Displacement	Judd GV4, 3,997 cc (243.9 cu in) V10 engine
Horsepower	Two 33.4 mm restrictors produces 620 horsepower and 730 horsepower when unrestricted
Location	Longitudinally mounted, mid-engined
Induction	naturally-aspirated
Engine Management	Pectel Engine Management System
Valve Configuration	Four valves per cylinder
Engine Weight	145 kilograms
Drivetrain	Hewland / Ascari six-speed longitudinal gearbox with sequential shift and AP Racing clutch

The KZR-1 made its North American racing debut at the 2002 Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Two cars were entered the No. 23 was driven by Ben Collins, Klaas Zwart and Christian Vann with Werner Lupberger, T.J. Bell and Harri Toivonen sharing the No. 49 car.

The team s full-time drivers for the 2002 Ascari KZR-1 program were Collins, Lupberger and Bell. Former open-wheel racer, Collins spent most of his career driving Formula 3. In 1999, he moved to the US to compete in the Indy Lights series, where he finished thirteenth. Collins transitioned to sports car racing in 2001 with Ascari. The South African Lupberger was in his second season with Ascari. His career began in Formula Ford and progressed to F3000. Bell s competition background was limited to USF2000 and Formula Atlantic.

The team s Race Director was Ian Dawson. Dawson was a veteran of Formula 1, Le Mans and endurance racing.

The No. 23 NDS Healthcare Ascari KZR-1 participated in the Daytona test as No. 19. This is chassis No. 002, which was equipped with a 4.0- litre BMW. Ben Collins, Klaas Zwart and T.J. Bell shared the car and were eleventh quickest after the three-day event. At the Rolex 24, Collins and Zwart shared chassis No. 002 with Christian Vann. They started eleventh overall and in the Sports Racing Prototype 1 category. The car lasted only 116 laps and retired after six hours due to an electrical issue. They were classified with a seventieth-place overall finish and sixteenth in class.

The second No. 49 NDS Healthcare-sponsored Ascari KZR-1 also attended the Daytona test; this is chassis No. 001. Unlike chassis No. 002, this Ascari was fitted with a Judd GV4 engine. Sharing the driving duties were Werner Lupberger, T.J. Bell and Klaas Zwart. They ended the test with the fifth fastest time. Harri Toivonen joined Lupberger and Bell for the 24-hour contest. This entry lined up beside the pole- winning Doran Lista Dallara SP1. Unfortunately, the second car also experienced engine failure on lap 429. The trio finished thirty-eighth overall and ninth in class.

The team's next outing was the 12 Hours of Sebring. Kristian Kolby replaced Toivonen and joined regulars Lupberger and Bell in the No. 19 NDS Healthcare Ascari KZR-1. They qualified fourteenth overall and in the LMP900 class. The trio finished twenty-ninth and tenth in their category. Justin Wilson replaced Zwart in the second car. Collins, Vann and Wilson were gridded eleventh in the No. 21 car. They fared much better than their teammates, finishing sixth overall.

After Sebring, the team returned to Europe in preparation for the Le Mans Test and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Collins, Lupberger and Bell shared the No. 001 chassis at the test and were fifteenth fastest. The driver line-up remained the same for the 24-Hour contest. However, the team used the No. 002 chassis. The No. 21 was gridded fourteenth for the race and eleventh in the LMP900 category. They were 7.920 seconds slower than the pole-winning Audi Sport North America Audi R8. Unfortunately, the trio completed just seventeen laps and were the third retirement of the race.

No.	Date	Venue	Driver	Car	Start	Finish
23	2/3/2002	24-Hour Daytona	Collins / Zwart / Vann	Ascari KZR-1	11	70
49	2/3/2002	24-Hour Daytona	Lupberger / Bell / Toivonen	Ascari KZR-1	2	38
19	3/16/2002	12-Hour Sebring	Lupberger / Bell / Kolby	Ascari KZR-1	14	29
21	3/16/2002	12-Hour Sebring	Collins / Vann / Wilson	Ascari KZR-1	11	6
21	6/16/2002	24-Hour Le Mans	Lupberger / Bell / Collins	Ascari KZR-1	14	DNF

In 2003, Team Ascari stayed in Europe. Their first race was round three of the FIA Sportscar Championship at the 44th Gran Premio Lotteria di Monza. Collins and Lupberger were joined by open-wheel competitor Charles Hall. They placed second in the SR1 category and were one of only three teams to finish on the lead lap.

The car s next outing, which would be its last, was round five of the championship at Donington Park in England. They failed to finish the 2.5-hour contest, as the result of a drive-shaft issue.

Although the racing programme had concluded, the company continued manufacturing road vehicles. Nonetheless, due to declining sales and rising production costs, Ascari Cars filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

No.	Date	Venue	Driver	Car	Start	Finish
21	6/29/2003	Monza	Lupberger / Zwart / Hall	Ascari KZR-1	7	2
21	8/10/2003	Donington	Zwart / Lupberger	Ascari KZR-1	6	DNF

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