VIN: the BMW Motorsport / Gulf Racing / Steve O'Rourke McLaren F1 GTR chassis 24R
History of chassis 24R
Chassis 24R was one of four 1997-spec. F1 GTRs delivered to BMW Motorsport.
As supplier of the McLaren F1’s engine, BMW decided to begin racing with a trio of F1 GTRs in 1996. That year, their attention was focused firmly on the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In addition to another two-car attack at Le Mans, BMW’s 1997 programme included a two-car team for the FIA GT Championship (which superseded the BPR series organised from 1994 to 1996).
The two cars destined for Le Mans were chassis 24R and 26R. Together they underwent a considerable amount of special preparation for the event.
24R first ran publicly at Le Mans Pre-Qualifying in early May where Steve Soper, JJ Lehto and Nelson Piquet went fourth fastest overall and third quickest in the GT1 class.
The same three drivers then raced 24R at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June. However, after a triple stint by Soper, the car lost nine laps when a pipe from the water pump to the engine had to be changed. 24R subsequently charged back into the top ten, but at two thirds distance (while lying third overall), Lehto span into the wall at Arnage and 24R retired from the race.
During qualifying for the 1997 Le Mans 24 Hours, the Gulf Team Davidoff / GTC Motorsport F1 GTR owned by Thomas Bscher (chassis 22R) was badly damaged by an oil fire. While 22R was back at McLaren undergoing a rebuild, Bscher leased the now surplus-to-requirements 24R.
24R contested four FIA GT Championship events as a Gulf Team Davidoff entry. Bscher and John Nielsen picked up a seventh place finish at the Nurburgring but crashed out at Spa and Zeltweg.
A more serious accident then occurred in the build up to the Suzuka 1000km where Nielsen had a heavy 150mph practice crash. Having nudged a Viper, he smashed into the barriers at the flat-out right-hander before Spoon and 24R incurred serious damage.
24R was subsequently returned to McLaren where it underwent a ground-up rebuild.
The freshly prepared car was then sold to Steve O’Rourke who wanted to contest the 1998 British GT Championship and that year’s Le Mans.
O’Rourke was the manager of Pink Floyd and an enthusiastic amateur racer. Since 1979, he had variously campaigned a Ferrari 512 BB LM and a BMW M1 Procar built to Group 5 specification by Michael Cane Racing. Cane then built O’Rourke an Aston Martin-powered EMKA Group C car. EMKA was the name of O’Rourke’s production company.
After several years away from top flight competition, O’Rourke returned during the early 1990s with a Porsche 935 and then a 993 GT. His 993 was replaced by chassis 24R for the 1998 season. It appeared in a new red and white livery under an EMKA Racing entry.
That year, O’Rourke and his co-driver, Tim Sugden, took a brace of outright wins in the British GT series and frequently finished on the podium. However, 24R’s best result was a surprise fourth place finish at Le Mans where O’Rourke and Sugden were joined by Bill Auberlen.
GT1 cars were no longer eligible for Le Mans in 1999, so 24R appeared solely in that year’s British GT series. O’Rourke and Sudgen scored one victory and five podium finishes from eleven outings.
O’Rourke then moved on to a Porsche 996 GT3-R for the 2000 season. He retained 24R until his unexpected death from a stroke in 2003.
Since then, 24R has gone through the hands of a couple of private owners and been restored.
Notable History
BMW Motorsport
04/05/1997 IND Le Mans Pre-Qualifying (S. Soper / J.J. Lehto / N. Piquet) 4th oa, 3rd GT1 class (#42)
15/06/1997 IND Le Mans 24 Hours (S. Soper / J.J. Lehto / N. Piquet) DNF (#42)
Leased to Thomas Bscher - GTC Motorsport (Gulf Team Davidoff)
29/06/1997 FIA Nurburgring 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) 7th oa, 7th GT1 class (#2)
20/07/1997 FIA Spa 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) DNF (#2)
03/08/1997 FIA Zeltweg 4 Hours (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) DNF (#2)
24/08/1997 FIA Suzuka 1000km (J. Nielsen / T. Bscher) DNS (#2)
Sold to Steve O’Rourke (EMKA Racing)
05/04/1998 GBR Silverstone (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 2nd oa, 2nd GT1 class (#1)
03/05/1998 IND Le Mans Pre-Qualifying (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 30th oa, 18th GT1 class (#40)
04/05/1998 GBR Oulton Park (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 1st oa, 1st GT1 class (#1)
24/05/1998 GBR Croft (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 2nd oa, 2nd GT1 class (#1)
07/06/1998 IND Le Mans 24 Hours (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden / B. Auberlen) 4th oa, 4th GT1 class (#40)
14/06/1998 GBR Snetterton (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 3rd oa, 3rd GT1 class (#1)
12/07/1998 GBR Silverstone (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 4th oa, 4th GT1 class (#1)
02/08/1998 GBR Donington (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 2nd oa, 1st GT1 class (#1)
23/08/1998 GBR Silverstone (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 8th oa, 4th GT1 class (#1)
27/09/1998 GBR Spa (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 1st oa, 1st GT1 class (#1)
04/10/1998 GBR Silverstone (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 5th oa, 4th GT1 class (#1)
28/03/1999 GBR Silverstone (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 1st oa, 1st GT1 class (#1)
03/05/1999 GBR Oulton Park (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 4th oa, 4th GT1 class (#1)
31/05/1999 GBR Snetterton (T. Sugden) DNF (#1)
20/06/1999 GBR Brands Hatch (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 3rd oa, 3rd GT1 clas (#1)
11/07/1999 GBR Silverstone (T. Sugden / S. O'Rourke) DNF (#1)
07/08/1999 GBR Donington (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 4th oa, 4th GT1 class (#1)
08/08/1999 GBR Donington (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 3rd oa, 3rd GT1 class (#1)
22/08/1999 GBR Silverstone (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 3rd oa, 3rd GT1 class (#1)
05/09/1999 GBR Croft (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) 3rd oa, 3rd GT1 class (#1)
26/09/1999 GBR Spa (T. Sugden / S. O'Rourke) 4th oa, 4th GT1 class (#1)
10/10/1999 GBR Silverstone (S. O'Rourke / T. Sugden) DNF (#1)
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: BMW - https://www.bmw.com & McLaren - https://www.mclaren.com
