G&W Motorsports Announces Development Results

ALTON, Va. (October 4, 2002) -- As the 2002 season comes to a close, G&W Motorsports is wrapping up a developmental year with the Picchio SRPII "Roadster". The year has been very successful, providing a template for the introduction of the new Daytona Prototype from Picchio and providing a rolling test bed for the new Coupe. The #70 entry sponsored by Momentum Motorcars and USI Insurance and Financial Services sits second in the points hunt, being readied for the Daytona Finale in November.

"This has been an altogether difficult, yet rewarding season." said G&W Motorsports owner Cole Scrogham. "We have certainly been faced with some daunting competition with an unproven product, but the results speak for themselves. We have taken an untried and unproven car and turned it into a solid performer, building a relationship with a manufacturer that is the best kept secret in the business."

The best news for the team and its associates is that the Roadster has been used to test many components for the new P2 (Picchio's Daytona Prototype), often putting the current car at a competitive disadvantage. "The upgrade to the Hewland NLT from the NMT that the car was delivered with adds considerably to the weight of the SRPII car," remarked G&W Managing Director Price Cobb, "But we wanted to find out how the new gearbox performed, get our technicians familiar with the maintenance schedule and repairs, and generally find out what we could about reliability for next year."

Items that have been successfully tested on the Roadster for use in  the P2 Daytona Prototype include: Hewland NLT transmission, Ohlins shocks, shock valving and spring combinations, swaybar configurations both in sizing and accessibility, brake and clutch master cylinder sizing and type, brake calipers, pedal assembly, shift linkage, A-arms, rocker arms and uprights, chassis wiring harness, engine and transmission cooling designs, fuel system including filling mechanism for left and right fueling, clutch mechanism and sizing. 

All of these systems have been tested in preparation for use on the P2. Many have been through several evolutions as real world conditions have exceeded or complicated design parameters. For example, a complete redesign of the front ball joint assembly will be in place on the P2, a design change that would not have been possible had testing not been done.  Not only have these components been evaluated in real world conditions, but the team has also been able to work hand in hand with Picchio to make the P2 more user-friendly and easier to repair and maintain.

Contact: Cole Scrogham 434-822-8180

Additional information about the Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototypes, including photos, renderings and rules, is available online at www.grand-am.com.