Red marquis: /* See Also */

2010-12-18T04:00:42Z

Red marquis: /* TWR in V8 Supercars */

2009-08-08T19:43:55Z

TWR in V8 Supercars

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:43, 8 August 2009
Line 22:		Line 22:
	==TWR in V8 Supercars==		==TWR in V8 Supercars==
	Tom Walkinshaw's company Walkinshaw Racing oversees the preparation of both the [[Toll HSV Dealer Team]] and the [[Holden Racing Team]] in the Australian [[V8 Supercar]] championship.		Tom Walkinshaw's company Walkinshaw Racing oversees the preparation of both the [[Toll HSV Dealer Team]] and the [[Holden Racing Team]] in the Australian [[V8 Supercar]] championship.

			==See Also==
			{{HSV}}

	[[Category:Auto racing teams]]		[[Category:Auto racing teams]]
	[[Category:British Touring Car Championship teams]]		[[Category:British Touring Car Championship teams]]
	[[Category:Sports car racing teams]]		[[Category:Sports car racing teams]]

Ddurban at 08:48, 21 July 2007

2007-07-21T08:48:34Z

New page

'''Tom Walkinshaw Racing''', also known simply as TWR, was a racing team founded in 1976 by touring car racer [[Tom Walkinshaw]].

TWR started by modifying [[BMW E9|BMW 3.0 CSLs]], but soon was contracted to head [[Mazda]]'s works program in the [[British Touring Car Championship]]. The TWR developed [[Mazda RX-7|RX-7]], with Win Percy in the driving seat, won the title in both 1980 and 1981. Walkinshaw himself also took a win in the [[Spa 24 Hours]].

After preparing the [[Paris-Dakar Rally|Dakar]] winning [[Range Rover]] for René Metge in 1982, TWR began an association with [[British Leyland]], preparing the [[Jaguar XJS]] and [[Rover SD1|Rover 3500 Vitesse]] for both the BTCC and [[European Touring Car Championship]].

Success in the latter series (as well as the French championship) with both cars lead to an invitation to develop a Jaguar prototype for [[Group C]] racing, for use in both the [[World Endurance Championship]] and the [[IMSA (racing)|IMSA]] [[IMSA GT Championship|GTP Championship]]. Jaguar cars won the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] and the [[24 Hours of Daytona]] in 1988 and 1990. The company also began a short but successful business venture with Jaguar, known as Jaguar Sports.

TWR also started producing road cars, designing and engineering the [[Jaguar XJ220]] and [[Jaguar XJR-15]] and building the [[Aston Martin DB7]], as well as establishing a partnership with [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]]' Australian division [[Holden]], creating its performance and tuning division, [[Holden Special Vehicles]].

In 1994, TWR returned to the BTCC, allied with [[Volvo Cars|Volvo]]. This partnership was responsible for the controversial [[Volvo 850|850 Estate]] racing car, which was only rendered uncompetitive when the FIA allowed the use of aerodynamic aids in 1995. TWR then built and ran the works 850 Saloon, six wins in 1995 and five wins in 1996, and [[Volvo S40|S40]], one wins in 1997 in the BTCC. In 1998, TWR Volvo won the British Touring Car Championship with Rickard Rydell driving the S40R. TWR also designed and built the road-going [[Volvo C70]]. TWR were involved in [[MG Rover]]'s attempt to build a replacement for the elderly [[Rover 45]]/[[MG ZS]]; they were re-engineering the [[Rover 75]]/[[MG ZT]] into a smaller car. The demise of Arrows and TWR and MG Rover's inability to pay its bills meant that ''RD/X60'', as this product was known, never reached production.

TWR also modified its old Jaguar Group C tubs (which had been used by Mazda in the final years of the World Endurance Championship) for their new owner, [[Joest Racing]], turning them into open top prototypes. The [[Porsche]]-powered cars won Le Mans in 1996 and 1997.

Tom Walkinshaw has recently returned to Holden's motorsports division, although purely in a managerial role rather than an ownership role, which was the case earlier.

==TWR in Formula 1==
Tom Walkinshaw Racing was involved in [[Formula 1]] from 1992 to 2002. At first, Walkinshaw became [[Benetton Formula|Benetton]]'s engineering director, and was instrumental in developing the car that took [[Michael Schumacher]] to his first World Championship title in 1994. A falling out with Benetton boss [[Flavio Briatore]] had Walkinshaw move to a position as team manager at [[Ligier]], which had been acquired by Briatore.

After a failed attempt at purchasing Ligier, Walkinshaw instead bought a majority stake in [[Arrows]], in 1996. The following year, Arrows surprised the world by signing World Champion [[Damon Hill]] and introducing [[Bridgestone]] tyres to F1. Although the team nearly won the [[1997 Hungarian Grand Prix]], Arrows continued to have trouble attracting sponsorship, and following the liquidation of Arrows, TWR being the major shareholder of the outfit, followed suit, closing its doors in 2002. TWR Australia was quickly acquired by Holden. The TWR technical centre at [[Leafield]] was sold and is now the headquarters of the [[Super Aguri F1]] team.

==TWR in V8 Supercars==
Tom Walkinshaw's company Walkinshaw Racing oversees the preparation of both the [[Toll HSV Dealer Team]] and the [[Holden Racing Team]] in the Australian [[V8 Supercar]] championship.

[[Category:Auto racing teams]]
[[Category:British Touring Car Championship teams]]
[[Category:Sports car racing teams]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:00, 18 December 2010
Line 25:		Line 25:
	==See Also==		==See Also==
	{{HSV}}		{{HSV}}

			==External Links==
			*[http://www.worldcarfans.com/110121329998/walkinshaw-64-dies-of-lung-cancer Tom Walkinshaw, 64, dies of lung cancer]

	[[Category:Auto racing teams]]		[[Category:Auto racing teams]]
	[[Category:British Touring Car Championship teams]]		[[Category:British Touring Car Championship teams]]
	[[Category:Sports car racing teams]]		[[Category:Sports car racing teams]]

Tom Walkinshaw Racing - Revision history

Red marquis: /* See Also */

Red marquis: /* TWR in V8 Supercars */

Ddurban at 08:48, 21 July 2007