A replica Porsche 917 at PRI 2017
The Gulf Racing Fuels booth at the 2017 PRI (Performance
Racing Industry) show at Indianapolis featured a very nice replica of a Gulf
Racing Porsche 917 produced by RCR (Race Car Replicas) of Fraser Michigan.
RCR produces a series of eleven race car replica kits which
besides the 917 include modern versions of the Ford GT40 (in either Mark I or
Mark II versions), Ferrari P4, Lola T70 (in either coupe or spyder versions), Jaguar D-type, Jaguar
XJ-13, Porsche 962, Aston Martin DB3S, 1958 Ferrari 246 F1 car, and a F5000-series
inspired car.
RCR advertises that
customers get “accurate vintage bodies with modern technology and engineering
backed by racing pedigree, for the vintage look of the original, but modern
underpinnings that make them a joy to build and drive.”
According to RCR, they have in-house Haas Automation CNC (Computer
Numerical Control) machining centers that run three shifts a day to manufacturer
the CAD (Computer Aided Design)-designed billet aluminum chassis and suspension
bits, and that the company has access to laser cutters, waterjet cutters, CNC tube
bending equipment, as well as an in-house CNC lathe.
The RCR 917 has a gel-coated fiberglass body but unlike the
small-tube frame design of the original RCR uses an aluminum gas tungsten arc-welded
monocoque center with tube-frame design front and rear, which mimic the look of
the original when the nose and tail are removed. The driveline choice is left to
the owner, but RCR suggests a Chevrolet LS engine or a Porsche flat six engine.
RCR claims that the RCR 917 is even “streetable,” with a DOT-legal windshield,
headlights and taillights. The suggested price of the RCR 917 chassis and body
kit is $43,995.
Gulf Racing Fuels representatives told the author that the company
was at PRI 2017 looking to secure specified fuel sponsorships of race series in
the United States, to expand its retail dealer network and close fuel supply
deals with club tracks.
Photos by the author
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