Motorsport mainly hinges on the competitive nature of the drivers. The drivers flick a mental switch and go into a mode where the adrenaline courses through their bodies and the fear of coming out second best presides over their minds. There are a few situations where a professional employs the kind of razor sharp focus that race car drivers possess. As much as race results depend on the driver, the onus is also up to the team to ensure as much effort goes into research and development so that the driver’s job is as easy as possible. And how they do that is not only make the car harmonious to drive, but fast. A lot faster. So fast you leave the competition scratching their heads with gaping mouths. In 1970, Chaparral did just that.

Founded in 1962 by Formula One drivers that shared the same name, James “Hap” Sharp and James Hall creatively decided to name their company after a brisk roadrunning cuckoo: the Chaparral bird. Considering their background and where some of their cars ended up, I’d say that the name is appropriate. Through the expertise of Dick Troutman and Tom Barnes, who were race car builders, Chaparral built their first car. By then they didn’t move the game forward yet. The first model was front engined, tube framed and powered by a small block Chevy 318ci. Still, on it’s maiden outing at Laguna Seca with Jim Hall behind the wheel, it finished in second place right behind the formidable Maserati Birdcage.

After acquiring the naming rights, they went straight into developing the sequel. This time the car is mid-engined and has a fibreglass monocoque. The second model was named the Chaparral 2. This platform developed into variants that were built for their respective disciplines. Debuting in 1963, the Chaparral 2 became highly competitive by 1966 and 1967 in the Can-Am series. By then Chaparral were going through a sweet purple patch of success. Remember when I said a racing team should build a car that leaves the competition scratching their heads? That’s exactly what the 2 did at the 1965 12 Hours of Sebring.

Building on the success of Sebring, in 1966, they went on to conquer wearying 1000km Nurburgring with the newly developed 2D variant. What made the 2D fascinating was that it was the first closed deck race car Chaparral built. That break in tradition means that the 2D is probably the best looking car of the lot. Eventually their adjustable wing innovation was banned by the FIA and it was time to refocus and find an alternative way to innovate.

In 1970, Chaparral changed the game of motorsports and developed the venerable 2J. The reason for this piece. Straight out of the future, the “sucker car” has a body that’s constructed from fibreglass resin resulting in a kerb weight of not more than 816 Kg. That is quite a surprising weight figure considering the fact that the 2J features 2 engines. One to power the rear wheels and the other to power the two fans. The main propellant is an aluminium Chevy ZL1 producing 650 horsepower (485 kW) at a stratospheric 7000 RPM. If this car isn’t already badass enough, the fans used are actually from a tank. The fans are powered by a Rockwell JLO two-stroke snowmobile engine that produces a frightening 45 horsepower (33 kW). The downside of the fans is that the drone drowns out the V8 noise and you end up with the acoustics of a weed whacker. The gearbox is a three-speed semi-automatic. The idea is to ensure that the car is as planted to the tarmac as possible and a manual gearbox might be too overwhelming when the driver is pressing on.

The form of the 2J is unlike anything that has ever competed in motorsport. The rear section is squared-off and the lower skirts feature Lexan panels to seal off the lower sections of the car to ensure that the negative pressure of the vacuum is working optimally. To ensure that the polycarbonate Lexan panels wouldn’t scrape the ground or the vacuum wasn’t interrupted, the panels had a series of pulleys, cables and arms that worked in unison with the suspension. This means that whenever the car rolls through the corners, the Lexan panels remain aligned to the surface and the vacuum effect is still maintained. The fans are so powerful, the car actually hunkers down by 5 centimeters. The 2J could generate downforce on any part of the circuit and could pull up to 1.5 Gs through the corners.

As if the concept wasn’t scary enough, the car literally fed dirt and debris to the competition behind. This annoyed other racers, they complained. In response to the protests, Jim Hall suggested that they pass him in order to not be covered in dust. The 2J in every way is a loveable exercise to demonstrate what’s possible. The driver is also witty, sharp-tongued and likeable. Unfortunately for the 2J, it was actually plagued by reliability issues. The fans constantly pulled in dirt and that caused the auxiliary engine to overheat. If the fans aren’t working, you might as well park the car and find an open seat in the stands to spectate the race. If it wasn’t the fan, the brakes would fail. It’s a real shame that the 2J couldn’t win any races, because on qualifying day, that car was an absolute monster. It would shatter the Laguna Seca lap record much to the annoyance of McLaren. Despite the fact that it didn’t come together, the concepts Chaparral came up with meandered their way to Formula One. That in my book is enough to let you know how talented and legendary the 2J is. Safe to say I am a fan of this car. Pun definitely intended.