Barber Pro Series
| Company type | Racing championship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Predecessor | Barber Saab Pro Series |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Skip Barber Racing School |
| Defunct | 2003 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | North America |
| Products | Open-wheel racing series |
| Parent | Skip Barber Racing School |
Template:Infobox motorsport championship
The Barber Dodge Pro Series was a North American open-wheel racing championship operated by the Skip Barber Racing School from 1986 until 2003.[1][2] It stood as one of the earliest professional spec racing series for open-wheel vehicles on the continent. The competition mainly took place on road and street circuits across North America, although select events were held on oval tracks.
This professional series is frequently mistaken for Skip Barber’s longstanding amateur racing program, which has always featured different cars with considerably lower power. The amateur competition currently consists of regional and national levels.
As a spec series, all vehicles were uniformly prepared by Skip Barber Racing. From its inception in 1986 through 1994, it was called the Barber Saab Pro Series, featuring a tube-frame Mondiale chassis—essentially a Formula Ford 2000 design—powered by a turbocharged 16-valve engine supplied by Saab. During the initial two seasons (1986 and 1987), the cars ran on street-legal racing tires, switching to Goodyear Racing Eagle slicks starting in 1988.
History
The concept originated as early as 1979 to involve Saab in competitive motorsport within the United States. Len Lonnegren, Saab Cars USA’s public relations director, learned that Skip Barber intended to launch a professional open-wheel spec series aligned with IMSA events, including GTP and Camel Lights races. Initially, Barber planned to equip cars with small displacement naturally aspirated 1,600 cc Dodge engines but was persuaded to adopt turbocharged Saab powerplants instead. Saab contributed engines, spare parts, and engineering support from "Turbo Anders," an engineer who frequently traveled from Sweden during the program’s development. These engines were essentially stock Saab 1,985 cc 16-valve twin-cam turbos rated at 225 hp but modified for racing by increasing boost pressure, removing emission controls, adjusting fuel injection settings, fitting a race exhaust system, and incorporating dry-sump lubrication.[3] The chassis were supplied by Mondiale Car Company based in Northern Ireland. The inaugural race took place at Meadowlands Sports Complex and was won by Brian Till. By 1991, Saab USA reduced its involvement primarily to providing engines as marketing strategies shifted.
In 1995, the series transitioned from Saab powerplants to a production-based Dodge V6 engine—a 3.2 L aluminum 24-valve unit producing initially 240 hp—and was renamed the "Barber Dodge Pro Series." Despite the engine change, the original tube-frame Mondiale chassis remained in use. Over time, engine output increased to approximately 265 hp. Organizational control moved from IMSA to SCCA Pro Racing. Geoff Boss secured victory in the first race powered by Dodge engines.[4] In 1997, it was announced that Reynard Motorsports would develop a new chassis for the series; consequently, the Mondiale chassis was retired after twelve years of competition in 1998.[5]
Following acquisition of IMSA by Andy Evans and Roberto Muller—forming Professional Sports Car Racing—the series came under PSCR management. In 2002, after CART assumed control of the championship, the Skip Barber Challenge was introduced as a three-event series using identical cars to those in the pro series; this championship was managed by Skip Barber Racing School. Matt Franc claimed victory in both seasons of this challenge. After CART declared bankruptcy in early 2004, the Barber Dodge Pro Series was placed on hiatus.[6] The assets were transferred to Open Wheel Racing Series, LLC., which opted not to operate the series in 2004.[7] Consequently, Skip Barber Racing School concentrated on its National Championship program.[8]
Statistics
| Races | Chassis | Engine | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 211 | Mondiale (143) | Saab (107) | United States (201) |
| Reynard (68) | Dodge (104) | Canada (9) | |
| Mexico (1) |
Mondiale
The Mondiale Car Company was commissioned to manufacture vehicles for both the Skip Barber Racing School and the Barber Saab Pro Series.[9][10] The Pro Series vehicle utilized a chassis derived from the Formula Ford 2000 platform, an area in which Mondiale had prior expertise. Its frame was constructed using a spaceframe design. The engine powering the car originated from production models of the Saab 900 and Saab 9000.
Reynard
For the 1998 Barber Dodge Pro Series, Reynard introduced the Reynard 98E model. This vehicle incorporated a carbon fiber monocoque chassis. Its power unit was sourced from the second generation Dodge Intrepid. Components such as suspension, braking systems, and radiators were supplied by Chrysler. The aerodynamic body was crafted utilizing computer-aided drafting (CAD) techniques. The design team consisted of Andrew Thorby and Adrian Reynard. Initial testing took place at Mallory Park and Snetterton, with driver Rob Wilson conducting evaluations. In the United States, test sessions were led by Robbie Buhl.
Series champions
Several distinguished competitors have participated in this series, including names such as Juan Pablo Montoya, Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Other notable drivers include Danica Patrick, Jeremy Dale, Townsend Bell, Michael Valiante, David Martínez, Memo Rojas, Rocky Moran, Jr., Al Unser III, Andy Swett, Jerry Nadeau, and Ernesto Viso.
References
- ↑ Racing for America: Barber Dodge
- ↑ The Auto Channel: 2004 Barber Dodge Pro Series
- ↑ Showcasing Talent, Motor May 1988
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