Racecars Time Forgot: Dome RL

"DeltawingGothamDeserves" (Dablog) 02/07/2014 at 17:49 • Filed to: None

3

2

Another installment of Racecars Time Forgot. This time, I will force upon you the memory of the Dome RL Le Mans program.

We all remember Dome as the company that produced the extremely quirky, and odd, Dome Zero concept. Not as a successful Le Mans team. There is a reason for that, but we aren't there yet. Dome struggled to sell the idea of their car to the public, and they had financial worries.So what to do? Dome started the program after executives in the company realized a motorsports pedigree would boost the Zero's appeal. Oh Yes.

So development started on the RL series. The 1979 RL had an aluminum alloy chassis and monocouque. They fitted it with a 3.o liter Cosworth V8, with around 480BHP. The thing only weighed 700kg! Surely it would do well. A Cosworth engine! Japanese engineering! This could be a menace. It certainly looked the part. A wide stance, a long, aerodynamic shape. It looked like a god damn A-Wing. So, Dome packed up and headed to England.

The RL's first race was the Silverstone 6 hours. The car No. 9 car driven by Chris Craft and Gordon Spice qualified third on the grid. Wooo! Things were looking good for Dome! Unfortunately, they finished in 12th, 40 laps behind the leaders. So they might have had one or two kinks to sort out.

Brushing off Silverstone, Dome entered two cars at Le Mans, driven by Gordon Spice, Tony Trimmer, Chris Craft, and Bob Evans. (Not the Mac 'n Cheese Bob Evans) Both of Domes entries did not fare so well. That is a major understatement. Both of Dome's cars fell to the bottom of the list, finishing 52nd, and 53rd, after fuel feed problems forced them to retire. Keep in mind there were 55 entries that year.

Maybe by 1980, they would have everything sorted out, eh? Dome only entered one race that year. They returned to Le Mans with the RL-80, Chris Craft, and Bob Evans, in hopes of improving. And they sure did. Dome finished dead last. They were the last car to see the chekcered flag, in 25th place, 92 laps down from the winning Rondeau M379. But they finished! It's a step in the right direction! Things were looking up for Dome.

Spurred on by their relative success in 1980, Dome returned to Le Mans in 1981 with a new livery and new car, the RL-81. Chris Craft and Bobby Evans stayed with Dome to race again at Le Mans. Unfortunately this would be the last race for the RL program. After finishing 49th with only 154 laps completed, Dome dropped the project to pursue F3 and the new RC Le Mans program.

Why Should we remember this...wedge..that never won?

It'd be a damn shame if you didn't. This car, this program represents hope. Dome blindly launched itself into this program, in hopes of bringing the Zero to production.

And that never happened. Even after two years of almost absolute failure, they didnt give up on the program. Even after the factory team dissolved, they helped with the 1983, and 84 cars. (Which were really just the RL81 in a new skin) The attempt and ambition are what made this stand out to me. Dome's valiant, but awful, attempt at succeeding in endurance races should be remembered. Plus, how can you not love it. Its so damn quirky and odd.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (You Will need to translate it)

Mikey > DeltawingGothamDeserves 02/13/2014 at 22:45

0

"Around the same time, make a registration as an Incorporated officially, "Dome" has started working in earnest to build a headquarters in Kyoto Takarake pond." Well there's your problem!

Mikey > DeltawingGothamDeserves 02/13/2014 at 22:48

1

They actually have an English version of their site: http://www.dome.co.jp/e/index.html