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The story of Dan Unkefer and the Mazda Harrier RX83-C
by Cindy Godwin
As published in Victory Lane magazine, August and September 2000 issues.
Hipercon Mazda Harrier
RX 83-C
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Picture yourself (at any age), immersed in something we have all known - an intense longing, that is - filled with a dream that is so real you can see, feel, hear, smell it, virtually live it. He had described one of his dreams to me: a sexy, sleek and shiny automobile body, filled with his favorite motor, and offering the comfort of the best seat in the house. It was then, four years ago, that I began to see Dan Unkefer as the "Dreamweaver" he has become.
The path has been filled with fun, hard work, fun, frustration, fun, disappointment, huge successes, and most of all....FUN. You see, Dan's dream also included his philosophy of "You've Gotta have Fun."
I believe Dan has always been a 'car person.' I've known him for seven years, and in that time, he has owned at least 17 cars. In late 1996, after enjoying a black convertible Mondial Ferrari through a hot North Carolina summer, he received an offer through an automobile trade magazine that involved trading his Ferrari for a yet-unseen race car with a history. Uh-oh. I knew we were in trouble when he and one of his best friends, Holland Hale, took off for a look. Knowing the type and class of car, they knew that if one couldn't fit the tight quarters inside, there was no reason to think any further about the trade.
That the Harrier was a brilliant red with the look of a spaceship, and housed a Mazda rotary engine covered two of his three dream requirements more than adequately. However, Dan's first impression of this GTP-C Junior or C2 must have been that the car was designed for a midget.
As he squeezed himself down into the cockpit, for that is the only thing it can be called, he knew instinctively that comfort would be out of the question. His dream of the best seat in the house would give way to a custom form resting on the floor of the car. He created this first rationalization to convince himself that he could own and drive this car , knowing that the specs were/are clear and impressive.
They were looking at an FIA GTP C-Junior (IMSA GTP Lights forerunner), a one-of-a-kind race car. Designed and built by Ray Lester for Mazda-UK, the Harrier had raced at Monza, Brands Hatch, and LeMans; and had a C-Junior class win at Spa Francorchamps, Belgium. In its early days, operating out of its original shop, the Harrier experienced mostly failed attempts at finishing races, against drivers like Vic Elford and others whose cars were faster. But the fact remained that the Harrier was the first entrant in this new class, and all the other faster cars were fashioned after it. This did not keep the Mazda factory from withdrawing its support following the failure and replacement of many engines.
Only a few Harrier GTP C Juniors were ever made, and now Harrier makes Sports' cars. Dan and Holland also discovered that its impressive history left a set of 1982 problems that Dan envisioned improving with 1997 technology. The fact that it is now the year 2000 should tell you that the original designers might not have had much concern for this future. They were focused on the '83 race season - in a car that was the first of its kind - the first, the original C Junior-class car. Car buddy Peter Krause assured Dan he could get the car running and support him in vintage racing. Given this support, Dan made the trade...against the advice of some, with the encouragement of any who could be close to it without owning it. For the first year of Dan's ownership, the improvements, made by Peter, included replacing parts worn out through subsequent years of racing SCCA and vintage races in the States, and freshening up the obvious.
Dan's friends had all been pulling for him, and waiting for the day he would make his first track run. They all knew of the enormous amount of money being spent for very limited positive results. One friend in particular, David Dunn, had casually (perhaps not so) mentioned that he would 'love to work on the car.' But Dan's loyalty to Peter kept any other options on the back burner. Dan felt it was a great credit to Peter that the car was running, and with the standard assurances that this heating problem could be overcome, we finally made plans to enter an SVRA event at Road Atlanta.
The day before he was supposed to leave for the event, Dan got a call from Peter telling him to come pick up the car, not to plan to bring it back, and that he should not expect technical (or other) support at the event. He meant it. Here we were, with an exotic, on-of-a-kind GTP car and no experts to help us to the next step. A valued trust had been broken, and if Peter had suffered at all throughout this ordeal, Dan was not aware of it. Many months later, Peter would say that in the end it had been a business decision.
Our disbelief registered off the scale, but we had a much more important agenda to tend to. We had a race to run! At Road Atlanta, we were invited by some true friends to share a paddock area, where minimal support would be available. Dan felt ready, appropriately nervous, and more excited than ever. I prayed that everything would go smoothly, because I didn't know how we could resolve anything more than the simplest problem. Qualifying went well, and we knew our only preparation for the race was to allow the engine oil to warm up before going on track. Our race was called and the standard 5 minute warning was in progress. The timer showed "1 minute" well before 4 had elapsed; then he jumped the gun, moving cars from the grid several minutes early - and before the motor oil was warmed. In the first 500 feet past the hot pits, we watched as the C2 slipped onto the track. Dan had his name announced over the loudspeaker, but not for the reason he would have liked. The car expelled all 12 quarts of oil onto the track, on-line from turns 1 through 5. We would find out later that the oil filter O-ring had failed under the pressure of cold oil being pushed through the engine, and our next year of repair and re-engineering was about to begin. Dan was the picture of cool, but inside, he must have been dismantled, and looking ahead to 'where do we go from here?' His second engine was toast after 20 minutes of test and 30 seconds of racing.
The C2's temporary home was our parking lot. Then we found out how sincere Dan's friend David had been with his offer. David, a software designer, and his friend Neal Harrison, a boat craftsman and racer, brought their own package of knowledge, experience, and exciting creativity to the table while remaining very open to suggestion from experts. They sought advice, analyzed dynamics, and discovered a few critical weaknesses. The motor was seen by one expert after another.
David and Neal determined that the cooling could be accomplished by re-positioning the radiator and increasing the size of the oil coolers, while the motor support would require having the roll cage extended. With Neal's expertise as a fabricator and fibersmith, more efficient hydro- and aerodynamic designs were accomplished with "subtle modifications to the side scoop configurations." On its way to reaching its potential, the C2 seemed ready for another test, this time in fall '98 at Roebling Road in Savannah, Ga. As success seemed so much closer, and Dan's confidence in his team and the car grew, he began to consider the idea of races, enduros, and co-drivers. He invited Holland to join the group for the test at Roebling, and off they went. They drove cautiously and without incident for most of the day, until the engine packed up with Holland in the driver's seat. The engine just failed, and Dan is convinced that it would have happened at that time, no matter who was driving. But they clearly visualized their goal of curing the overheating problem, and it would only be a matter of a lot more $$$ before the Mazda Harrier would be race-ready.
When he was 7 years old, Dan's older brother Duane took him to his first race as a spectator, jammed into the back of big brother's girlfriend's MGA for the ride from New Jersey to Limerock in Connecticut. He would tell us now that he has been hooked ever since, and I believe him. Besides working on several race crews, including brother Duane's, he stayed close to racing as he traveled the country for SCCA and Trans Am events. Even though 'hooked', he didn't start actually driving on track for another 10 years. This dream he had for years would only become reality if he set a goal to drive. Dan learned the value of setting goals to realize his dreams and then working hard to make sure he reaches them.
When he moved to Durham over 15 years ago, he immediately found avenues to broaden his 'car circle.' His oldest and best local friends are his car buddies. They introduced Dan to opportunities to drive a lot of different cars, at a lot of different tracks around the States, and build his dream along the way. He would begin by attending driving schools, earn his place as a driving instructor, gain several racing licenses, and drive a parade of very memorable race cars offered by his friends Mark Gilbert and Chip Stabler, to work his way up to his own ultimate race vehicle, the Harrier. So as his biggest source of personal support, and the closest observer of his transactions, I watched quietly as he traded my own personal favorite car, that Ferrari I mentioned earlier, for the car of his (current) dreams: the Mazda Harrier.
The 2000 racing season began for Dan and the Harrier at Daytona, entering the 90 minute Enduro preceding the 24-hour race. Dan says it 'hit him then,' that there are different sets of rules in the vintage racing world, that make a good, careful driver question whether or not some venues are actually fun(?). Dan, and his friend David, now co-driver in this enduro, experienced a lot of scary moments, a lack of overall experience within their field, and a set of rules easily broken without consequence. But this was only one venue that didn't meet a driver's expectations. The event to follow at Savannah's Roebling Road once again, gave us another 1st in class for the 2000 season. The Harrier had made its point.
It is a long, long way from the United Kingdom, where the Mazda Harrier was born, to Durham, NC, where it has known its greatest success. How can I explain what a terrific, extraordinary experience being associated with this car and its success has been? I have watched Dan push the envelope of performance near the limits in all his cars, and the Harrier is clearly the most capable vehicle Dan has ever driven. Not only is the C2 Dan's fastest, best-handling, most outrageous car; it is his biggest dream to date. It has been a source of satisfaction, fun, and pride for us both in the last 3 years. It has been the source of friendships and comradery that will be sustained for years to come. Having said those things, it's only fair to recall some sacrifice associated with resurrecting the Harrier.
The C2 required constant vigilance to observe its inherent flaws and corrections, and an expensive maintenance plan, even though David and Neal gave freely of their time and talent along the way. Buying new motors every 20 minutes of running time was way beyond Dan's original plan. And if the cost of parts and outside labor alone were not enough, the steady emotional challenge of reaching our goals was a concern. I know there were many times when I wondered how Dan could manage to pay for the next event, even if it meant giving up something we really wanted, or somewhere we really wanted go, just for now. Sacrifice? yes, regrets? no, because I see Dan's satisfaction and the possibilities that we have created with this adventure.
I think we're on the home stretch. Dan and Neal are working to reach a time when the maintenance requirements will be loading the car onto the trailer, unloading it at the track, re-fueling occasionally, and enjoying the race. We have all enjoyed the disbelief of other drivers as we 'filled up' with 87 Octane fuel. Yes - believe it! Now that everything is looking so promising and successful, with Dan's encouragement, I have been working on bringing in some sponsorship that will provide the basics: tires, fuel, travel, and FUN. I don't want to give it up, but Dan explains to me that, 'the car you drive now won't ever be your last car.' He must be talking about someone else, because I'm convinced that with sponsorship, the car is nearly affordable to......someone.
The Dream | The Nightmare | Starting Over | Bright New Day | Driven!
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