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Line 43: Design work on the chassis was split between Italian specialist racing car manufacturers [[Abarth]] and [[Dallara]],<ref name="Auto Italia" /> the latter of which built the [[aluminium]] [[monocoque]] and the [[kevlar]] and [[carbon fiber\|carbon fibre]] bodywork in their factory. The LC2 featured a large intake for the [[radiator]]s in the center of the nose of the car just as the LC1 had,<ref name="Slot">{{cite web \| url = http://www.slotracinglemans.com/newforum/cars.php?action=car&carid=80&modid=145 \| title = Cars & Models Lancia LC2 \| publisher = 1/24 Slot Racing Le Mans \| accessdate = 2008-03-28}}</ref> unlike the contemporary [[Porsche 956]]s which drew all their air from behind and to the sides of the cockpit. This air was also directed through the side bodywork to feed the [[intercooler]]s for the turbochargers.<ref name="Slot" /> Inlets for the rear brake cooling ducts were also integrated onto the side bodywork of the car, immediately behind the doors. At the rear, a [[pontoon fenders\|pontoon]]-style design was adapted to the fenders with the large wing bridging across the pontoons. The rear [[diffuser (automotive)\|diffusers]] exited between the pontoons and underneath the wing.<ref name="Ultimatecarpages" /><ref name="Gurney Flap" /> The LC2s were modified over their lifetime, with a multitude of modifications being made each season to the cars' aerodynamics, including adapting brake duct inlets beneath the headlights. The Ferrari V8 was modified in 1984, bringing the [[engine displacement\|displacement]] back up to 3.0-litres in an attempt to increase reliability and [[horsepower]] while improved [[engine control unit\|engine electronics]] from [[Magneti Marelli]] allowed the larger engine to use the same amount of fuel as the previous version.<ref name="Auto Italia" /> In total, seven LC2s were built under the direction of Lancia, while a further two were built for Gianni Mussato without official backing after the program had ended.<ref>{{cite web \| url = http://wsrp.ic.cz/chassis/chassis_lancia.html \| title = Lancia Chassis Numbers \| publisher = World Sports Racing Prototypes \| date = 1 October 2005 \| accessdate = 2008-02-27 \| deadurl = yes \| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071020174737/http://wsrp.ic.cz/chassis/chassis_lancia.html \| archivedate = 20 October 2007 \| df = }}</ref> After the program had ended, Abarth acquired an LC2 and fitted it with the 3.5-litre [[Alfa Romeo Tipo 1035]] [[V10 engine]] from the [[Alfa Romeo 164 Procar]], and developed it under the project name SE047. The SE047 was an early development of the [[Alfa Romeo SE 048SP]] project in 1988. The SE047's engine was ultimately not utilized in the later stages of the SE 048SP development.<ref name="alfa 155">{{cite book \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bpxID9TWDS8C&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=Alfa+Romeo+Group+C&source=bl&ots=Dn2cFmwnEO&sig=zsgWVMk2lyC5HFQqEHWcDnw_hps&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lzofU8W0IcLd7Qb40YCYDw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=Alfa%20Romeo%20Group%20C&f=false \|title=Alfa Romeo 155/156/147 Competition Touring Cars: The Development and Racing History \|publisher=Veloce Publishing Ltd \|date=1 December 2012 \|accessdate=11 March 2014 \|first=Peter \|last=Collins \|pages=17–18 \|ISBN=9781845843427}}</ref> Line 50: ===1983=== The LC2s made their debut at the beginning of the [[1983 World Sportscar Championship season\|1983 season]], being run under the [[Martini Racing]] name and painted in the [[Martini & Rossi]] colours, as well as initially using Italian [[Pirelli]] [[radial tyre]]s.<ref name="Auto Italia" /> The first race of the season was also Lancia's home event, the [[1000 km Monza\|1000 km of Monza]]. The LC2 proved more powerful than the 956s, taking the [[pole position]] by nearly a second over [[Joest Racing]]'s 956. However tyre problems took the leading Lancia out of the lead of the race, and the second team car finished twelve laps behind the winning 956.<ref name="WEC 1983">{{cite web \| url = http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1983.html \| title = FIA World Endurance Championship 1983 \| publisher = World Sports Racing Prototypes \| date = 5 October 2005 \| accessdate = 2007-12-05 \| deadurl = yes \| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071030222552/http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1983.html \| archivedate = 30 October 2007 \| df = }}</ref> [[Image:1983 Lancia LC2.JPG\|thumb\|right\|200px\|The LC2 in its 1983 form]] Tyre problems and engine reliability hampered the LC2s all season; the Pirelli tyres were eventually replaced with British [[Dunlop Tyres\|Dunlop]] [[Tire#Construction types\|crossply tyre]]s, although the car's suspension had been optimised for the Italian product. Neither car managed to finish a race again until the fifth round, the [[1000 km Spa\|1000 km of Spa]]. There the two Martini Racing LC2s as well as the privateer Mirabella LC2 all finished, but only after suffering various difficulties that dropped them from contention earlier in the race.<ref name="WEC 1983" /> The LC2s finally ran reliably at the [[European Endurance Championship]] round at [[Brands Hatch]], where [[Michele Alboreto]] and [[Riccardo Patrese]] finished fourth.<ref name="EEC 1983">{{cite web\|url=http://wsrp.ic.cz/mesport1983.html \|title=European Endurance Championship 1983 \|publisher=World Sports Racing Prototypes \|date=2 October 2005 \|accessdate=2007-12-05 \|deadurl=yes \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922100954/http://www.wsrp.ic.cz/mesport1983.html \|archivedate=22 September 2008 \|df= }}</ref> Lancia chose not to participate in the World Sportscar event in Japan, instead running the European Endurance event at [[Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari\|Imola]]. The choice paid off as [[Teo Fabi]] and [[Hans Heyer]] earned the LC2 its first victory, although the factory [[Porsche]] team had not participated in this event.<ref name="EEC 1983" /> Lancia finished off the season with back-to-back second-place finishes at [[Mugello Circuit\|Mugello]] and [[Kyalami]].<ref name="WEC 1983" /> Even with their difficulties Lancia took second place in the World Constructors Championship, although they earned only 32 points to Porsche's 100.<ref>{{cite web \| url = http://wspr-racing.com/wspr/results/wscc/tablemsmakes.html#1983- \| title = 1983 World Endurance Championship \| publisher = World Sports Prototype Racing \| accessdate = 2007-12-05}}</ref> Line 56: ===1984=== [[File:Lancia LC284.jpg\|thumb\|right\|200px\|A 1984 LC2 with revised bodywork]] The revised LC2s appeared once again at the [[1984 1000 km of Monza\|1000 km of Monza]] to start the [[1984 World Sportscar Championship season\|1984 season]], with suspension redesigned to work with the Dunlop tyres.<ref name="Auto Italia" /> Lancia opened the season with a podium finish,<ref name="WEC 1984">{{cite web \| url = http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1984.html \| title = FIA World Endurance Championship 1984 \| publisher = World Sports Racing Prototypes \| date = 2 October 2005 \| accessdate = 2007-10-02 \| deadurl = yes \| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20061230194431/http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1984.html \| archivedate = 30 December 2006 \| df = }}</ref> followed by another pole position on the fast [[Silverstone Circuit]] for the [[1984 1000 km of Silverstone\|1000 km of Silverstone]] led to a fourth-place finish.<ref name="WEC 1984" /> For the [[1984 24 Hours of Le Mans\|24 Hours of Le Mans]], both cars qualified on the front row in the absence of the [[Rothmans]] [[Porsche]] team, with [[Bob Wollek]]'s pole time of 3:17.11 being some 11 seconds faster than the fastest Porsche 956's from [[Joest Racing]] who occupied the second row. Wollek and Nannini led at mid-race after battles with the [[Kremer Racing\|Kremer]] Porsche of [[Vern Schuppan]] (the defending race winner) and [[Alan Jones (racing driver)\|Alan Jones]], only for problems with the gearboxes on both cars to lose the team their lead.<ref name="Auto Italia" /> Wollek and Nannini at least proved the potential reliability of the LC2 by completing the full race distance and finishing in eighth position, with Nannini setting the races fastest lap of 3:28.90.<ref name="WEC 1984" /> The team also ran a private entry LC2 in the race for drivers [[Pierluigi Martini]], [[Xavier Lapeyre]] and [[Beppe Gabbiani]]. This car crashed heavily in qualifying, with most observers believing it would require a new chassis to be repaired. As changing a chassis was prohibited by the [[Automobile Club de l'Ouest]], the car was repaired in time to qualify and race, though rumours persisted that Lancia had broken the rules and used a new chassis to replace the original. The team took a brief hiatus after Brands Hatch, returning for Imola once again but they were unable to repeat their previous performance, both cars crashing out. Lancia once again skipped [[Fuji Speedway\|Fuji]] in [[Japan]], returning for the [[South Africa]]n round at Kyalami where Patrese and Nannini led home a 1-2 finish.<ref name="WEC 1984" /> Although the LC2 earned its second win, none of the leading Porsche teams attended the event in protest of the countries [[Apartheid]] laws. Unable to challenge further for the Constructors or Drivers Championships, the team did not attend the [[1984 1000 km of Sandown Park\|final round]] of the year at [[Sandown Raceway\|Sandown Park]] in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]. Although the cars were fast, over the year ''[[Autocourse]]'' concluded that the team had had so many different problems that poor preparation must be the cause.<ref name="Autocourse" /> ===1985=== [[1985 World Sportscar Championship season\|1985]] was a year in which Martini Racing needed to show the potential winning capabilities of the LC2 in order for Lancia to continue to fund a project that had seen limited success thus far. The cars were further revised and were running on [[Michelin]] radial tyres.<ref name="Auto Italia" /> The season opened with an LC2 taking pole position at Mugello by 1.7 seconds ahead of the factory Porsche. Although the pole position car's engine did not last, the other team car finished fourth.<ref name="WEC 1985">{{cite web \| url = http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1985.html \| title = FIA World Endurance Championship 1985 \| publisher = World Sports Racing Prototypes \| date = 2 October 2007 \| accessdate = 2007-12-05 \| deadurl = yes \| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080626005857/http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1985.html \| archivedate = 26 June 2008 \| df = }}</ref> For the 1000 km of Monza, the LC2s were nearly four seconds ahead of the closest Porsche in qualifying,<ref name="WEC 1985" /> and led the race early on. However, while Patrese and Nannini were in third place and on the same lap as the leaders, a tree fell across the track and caused the race to be stopped early.<ref name="Auto Italia" /> On pole once again at Silverstone, one of the LC2s was in the lead of the race until a [[bearing (mechanical)\|wheel bearing]] failure in the closing laps forced Nannini to pit, forfeiting the lead.<ref name="WEC 1985" /> Although the LC2s did not take pole at [[1985 24 Hours of Le Mans\|Le Mans]], they lead the race early. Reliability issues again forced the team to drop out of the lead. They eventually finished the race in sixth and seventh places.<ref name="WEC 1985" /> A fuel pump failure also dropped the team out of contention at the [[Hockenheimring]].<ref name="Auto Italia" /> [[Image:Lancia LC2 Rear.jpg\|thumb\|right\|200px\|A LC2 in the final form used by the factory team in 1985 and 1986.]] The team was competitive throughout the race at Spa, with the LC2 of Wollek, Patrese, and [[Mauro Baldi]] leading the factory Porsche towards the end of the event. The Lancia were leading when the race organisers chose to end the race out of respect for driver [[Stefan Bellof]] who had been killed in an accident earlier in the event.<ref name="Auto Italia" /> Even with the shortened race, Lancia were able to celebrate their first victory over the factory Rothmans Porsche team. The following event, the [[1000 km Brands Hatch\|1000 km of Brands Hatch]], saw the LC2s leading en route to a potential win, only to hit one another and finish third and fourth.<ref name="Auto Italia" /> Once again unable to challenge Porsche in the championships, Lancia chose not to participate in the final two rounds. However they still earned second in the Teams Championship, just ahead of the privateer [[Joest Racing]] Porsche. ===1986=== Seeing some remaining potential in the LC2, Lancia allowed the project to continue into [[1986 World Sportscar Championship season\|1986]], but only as a one-car effort. The year opened with a sprint event at Monza, with the speed of the LC2 allowing it to take second place, less than a minute behind the winning Rothmans Porsche.<ref name="WSPC 1986">{{cite web \| url = http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1986.html \| title = FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship 1986 \| publisher = World Sports Racing Prototypes \| date = 2 October 2005 \| accessdate = 2007-12-05 \| deadurl = yes \| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080426155452/http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1986.html \| archivedate = 26 April 2008 \| df = }}</ref> The first endurance event at Silverstone however saw a return of the LC2's reliability problems, as the fuel pump failed and the car was unable to finish.<ref name="WSPC 1986" /> Feeling the cars were still not reliable enough nor fuel efficient enough to compete with the evolved [[Porsche 962]]C, Lancia determined that the project was no longer worth supporting, and Martini Racing pulled out of the championship. Lancia turned their full attention instead to their efforts in the [[World Rally Championship]]. ===Privateers=== Privateer teams initially attempted to carry on with older LC2 chassis. Gianni Mussato unsuccessfully entered two races in 1986 before leaving the championship, returning for one-off appearances in 1987 and 1988.<ref name="Auto Italia" /><ref name="WSPC 1986" /> The Mussato car moved to Dollop Racing later in 1988, where it was again unsuccessful and failed to finish any of the races that season.<ref>{{cite web \| url = http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1988.html \| title = FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship 1988 \| publisher = World Sports Racing Prototypes \| date = 2 October 2005 \| accessdate = 2008-02-23 \| deadurl = yes \| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080426155510/http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1988.html \| archivedate = 26 April 2008 \| df = }}</ref> Mussato returned in 1989 with a newly built LC2, but once again the car struggled to finish any races during the season.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1989.html \|title=FIA World Sports-Prototype Championship 1989 \|publisher=World Sports Racing Prototypes \|date=2 October 2005 \|accessdate=2008-02-23 \|deadurl=yes \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027181924/http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1989.html \|archivedate=27 October 2007 \|df= }}</ref> His team made a final attempt in 1990, running just the [[1990 24 Hours of Le Mans\|24 Hours of Le Mans]], but the outcome was the same.<ref>{{cite web \| url = http://wsrp.ic.cz/nonchamp1990.html \| title = Non Championship Races 1990 \| publisher = World Sports Racing Prototypes \| date = 2 October 2005 \| accessdate = 2008-02-23}}</ref> Even into 1991, the Veneto Equipe team turned to the LC2 to contend the World Sportscar Championship. As with all previous privateer efforts the car was unable to compete, failing to even qualify for some of the races, let alone finish them.<ref>{{cite web \| url = http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1991.html \| title = FIA Sportscar World Championship 1991 \| publisher = World Sports Racing Prototypes \| date = 2 October 2005 \| accessdate = 2008-02-23}}</ref> One Lancia did run in Tampa Florida in 1988 with not very good results, but it was neat seeing it in action. Line 78: ==External links== {{commons category\|Lancia LC2}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071020174737/http://wsrp.ic.cz/chassis/chassis_lancia.html World Sports Racing Prototypes] - Lancia Chassis Numbers * [http://www.gurneyflap.com/lancialc2.html Gurney Flap] - 1985 Lancia LC2 interior and exterior photos and history.