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critt99
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The unofficial story of Lina the "LemonSoda" Callaway Racer
I want to thank Ernst and Boris for the stories...I hope you enjoy....
Props to Edi L. of Switzerland for the photo from Kurt Hubers collection...
Development: German ADAC GT Cup 1993
With a relatively quite and unnoticed birth, Ernst Woehr, Karl-Heinz Knapp and the crew at Callaway Competition began their racing adventures with an unassuming black Callaway C4 Corvette in the German ADAC GT Cup series in May 1993. The ADAC GT Cup was a German National Championship for production GT cars. Eligible in the Division II series were cars such as the Corvette, Honda, Audi, Ford, Porsche and BMW. This Corvette was known as the “Lemon Soda” car (a.k.a. “Lina” because Ernst believed the Corvettes were females and gave them traditional German female names), representing the sponsor at the time. Powering the Corvette was a Callaway Advanced Technologies race prepared SuperNatural engine. Highlighted by a furry-faced American named Boris Said III, native German pilot Herbert Schuerg and Wolfgang Klotz.
Ernst met Boris at Daytona 1993, Boris recounts his meeting by these two guys yelling over a rope for him to come over. Telling him they are building a GT Corvette in Europe. Ernst also met with Kim Baker and received advice on chassis, roll cage and suspension for the car. Ernst was seeking as much information to make the car competitive out of the box. The only thing he could not learn was how to modify the aerodynamics.
Boris tells the story of receiving a call from Reeves at 0530 in the morning in CA. Reeves explained that he is selling motors to Ernst in Germany and his driver broke his fingers. He needed a driver. Reeves ask if Boris can go to Germany, Boris replies, how soon, Reeves says tomorrow. Boris thought he was crazy, but he wanted to see Europe and have some fun. Boris calls the airline and calls Reeves back in two hours with a ticket for the nest day. Boris remembers his first encounter with Ernst. He gets off the plane and meets Ernst at the racetrack. He is surprised to see a Toyota Land Cruiser and an open car trailer with a Black Corvette on it. He thought this must be a joke. Here were these megabuck teams with huge transporters and neatly clothed mechanics crawling over the factory cars. Boris and the Lemon Soda car run out of gas on the last lap. There was no doubt that the car was fast.
The Lemon Soda Corvette showed the well-financed factory giants that a small band of rebels and a mass-produced Chevrolet Corvette could be a force by finishing 9th in their first outing. While these results may appear modest at best, the level of financing shown by the factory teams was echelons above the operating budget for Callaway Competition.
Next race for Boris, Ahlhorn, he was very fast but a mistake (What?) led to a 30 second penalty. The buzz in the paddock was about this “Crazy American” and his meager budgeted Corvette was for real. The European competitors admitted to underestimating the Corvette. Interesting to note: Boris said that the fit and finish of the Lemon Soda car was so good, he had never driven a race car that was prepared to such a high level of detail. He stated that the factory cars were not even close. Because of the sudden popularity of the Corvette, its driver and the success, they decide to continue racing.
Finishing as high as eighth in the 1993 ADAC GT Cup season was a steep learning curve for the organization. Team Callaway decided to retreat to Leingarten before the 1994 racing season and build a brand new machine with the lessons learned from the ADAC GT Cup. This new machine will be known as the Callaway Supernatural GT2 LM and is going to debut in the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans.
ADAC GT Cup 1993
Avus: 9th - Herbert Schuerg
Zolder: DNF –Boris Said III
Nurburgring 1: 8th –Herbert Schuerg
Ahlhorn: DSQ –Boris Said III
Nurburgring 3: 10th -Wolfgang Klotz
Salzburgring: 5th –Boris Said III
Zandvoort: 4th –Boris Said III
Final Standings for the ADAC GT Cup 1993
8th Boris Said III /Callaway Corvette
20th Herbert Schuerg /Callaway Corvette
25th Wolfgang Klotz /Callaway Corvette
I want to thank Ernst and Boris for the stories...I hope you enjoy....
Props to Edi L. of Switzerland for the photo from Kurt Hubers collection...
Development: German ADAC GT Cup 1993
With a relatively quite and unnoticed birth, Ernst Woehr, Karl-Heinz Knapp and the crew at Callaway Competition began their racing adventures with an unassuming black Callaway C4 Corvette in the German ADAC GT Cup series in May 1993. The ADAC GT Cup was a German National Championship for production GT cars. Eligible in the Division II series were cars such as the Corvette, Honda, Audi, Ford, Porsche and BMW. This Corvette was known as the “Lemon Soda” car (a.k.a. “Lina” because Ernst believed the Corvettes were females and gave them traditional German female names), representing the sponsor at the time. Powering the Corvette was a Callaway Advanced Technologies race prepared SuperNatural engine. Highlighted by a furry-faced American named Boris Said III, native German pilot Herbert Schuerg and Wolfgang Klotz.
Ernst met Boris at Daytona 1993, Boris recounts his meeting by these two guys yelling over a rope for him to come over. Telling him they are building a GT Corvette in Europe. Ernst also met with Kim Baker and received advice on chassis, roll cage and suspension for the car. Ernst was seeking as much information to make the car competitive out of the box. The only thing he could not learn was how to modify the aerodynamics.
Boris tells the story of receiving a call from Reeves at 0530 in the morning in CA. Reeves explained that he is selling motors to Ernst in Germany and his driver broke his fingers. He needed a driver. Reeves ask if Boris can go to Germany, Boris replies, how soon, Reeves says tomorrow. Boris thought he was crazy, but he wanted to see Europe and have some fun. Boris calls the airline and calls Reeves back in two hours with a ticket for the nest day. Boris remembers his first encounter with Ernst. He gets off the plane and meets Ernst at the racetrack. He is surprised to see a Toyota Land Cruiser and an open car trailer with a Black Corvette on it. He thought this must be a joke. Here were these megabuck teams with huge transporters and neatly clothed mechanics crawling over the factory cars. Boris and the Lemon Soda car run out of gas on the last lap. There was no doubt that the car was fast.
The Lemon Soda Corvette showed the well-financed factory giants that a small band of rebels and a mass-produced Chevrolet Corvette could be a force by finishing 9th in their first outing. While these results may appear modest at best, the level of financing shown by the factory teams was echelons above the operating budget for Callaway Competition.
Next race for Boris, Ahlhorn, he was very fast but a mistake (What?) led to a 30 second penalty. The buzz in the paddock was about this “Crazy American” and his meager budgeted Corvette was for real. The European competitors admitted to underestimating the Corvette. Interesting to note: Boris said that the fit and finish of the Lemon Soda car was so good, he had never driven a race car that was prepared to such a high level of detail. He stated that the factory cars were not even close. Because of the sudden popularity of the Corvette, its driver and the success, they decide to continue racing.
Finishing as high as eighth in the 1993 ADAC GT Cup season was a steep learning curve for the organization. Team Callaway decided to retreat to Leingarten before the 1994 racing season and build a brand new machine with the lessons learned from the ADAC GT Cup. This new machine will be known as the Callaway Supernatural GT2 LM and is going to debut in the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans.
ADAC GT Cup 1993
Avus: 9th - Herbert Schuerg
Zolder: DNF –Boris Said III
Nurburgring 1: 8th –Herbert Schuerg
Ahlhorn: DSQ –Boris Said III
Nurburgring 3: 10th -Wolfgang Klotz
Salzburgring: 5th –Boris Said III
Zandvoort: 4th –Boris Said III
Final Standings for the ADAC GT Cup 1993
8th Boris Said III /Callaway Corvette
20th Herbert Schuerg /Callaway Corvette
25th Wolfgang Klotz /Callaway Corvette
