The Harrier LR10 is a sports prototype race car designed and built by Harrier Cars. Intended to be the company's successor to the Harrier LR9C platform of grand tourer-style race cars, the LR10 was accepted as an entrant to the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans but was withdrawn during testing. The car attempted three races in its history but never successfully completed a full race distance.
| Category | Le Mans Prototype | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Harrier Cars Ltd | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Harrier Cars Ltd | ||||||||
| Production | 1999 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Harrier LR9C | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Steel tube frame | ||||||||
| Suspension | Double wishbone push-rod activated coil springs over shock absorbers, anti-roll bar | ||||||||
| Engine | Porsche 3,800 cc (231.89 cu in) L6 twin turbocharged, rear mid-mounted | ||||||||
| Transmission | Hewland 6-speed sequential manual | ||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable drivers |
| ||||||||
| Debut | Circuit de la Sarthe 2000 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
History
editAfter a naming rights dispute between Ford, longtime designer Lester Ray, and company owner Richard Austin, the preceding Harrier LR9C was retired from competition at the conclusion of the 1998 British GT Championship.[1] After Austin and lead designer Phil Bourne left the company to independently develop the GT1 class Sintura S99, Harrier proceeded to develop the new LR10 as a Le Mans Prototype race car. Designed with wind tunnel assistance from MIRA in Warwickshire,[2] the resulting open-top race car was powered by a twin turbocharged 3.8L Porsche flat six engine. After an initial shakedown at Goodwood Circuit with driver Thomas Erdos,[2] the LR10 was entered into the 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans with driver Gérard MacQuillan listed as the entrant.[3] Despite appearing on track at Le Sarthe during official pre-race testing with MacQuillan and Gary Ayles as drivers,[4] the car was eventually withdrawn and did not race.[2]
After withdrawing from Le Mans following April testing, the LR10 appeared on the entry list for the seventh round of the 2000 SportsRacing World Cup at Donnington Park in late August. Entered by Harrier Cars themselves with drivers Ben Collins, Michael Vergers, and Richard Jones, the car qualified twelfth overall and retired on the first lap with alternator issues.[5] A final race attempt was made at the penultimate round at Magny-Cours, where the car received a grid slot without setting a qualifying time but failed to start due to an engine fire.[6] After these entries, the car never appeared in active competition again.
Notably, despite entering competition in 2000 as an open-top sports prototype, a single closed-top GT1 specification chassis of the LR10 was built.[7] Fitted with the sponsorship and class-designation stickers mandated by the regulations of the 1999 British GT Championship, the un-raced GT1 variant seemingly failed to materialize as a direct competitor to the breakaway effort of the newly independent Sintura.
References
edit- ^ "Sintura S99 GT1 - NIVELANDO A ENGENHARIA". 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ^ a b c "Bonhams Cars : 1999 Harrier LR10 Le Mans Prototype Chassis no. 003". cars.bonhams.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ^ "Le Mans Test 2000 - Photo Gallery - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ^ "RSC Photo Gallery - Le Mans Test 2000 - Harrier LR10 no.19 - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ^ "SportsRacing World Cup Donington 2000 - Photo Gallery - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ^ "Harrier - Photo Gallery (page 2) - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ^ "dailysportscar.com". archive.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
