Theodore TY02, 1982 TY02 | Conceptcarz.com - Pictures, Pricing, Information, Wallpaper, History

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Millionaire Theodore 'Teddy' Yip of Hong Kong founded the Theodore Racing with the intent on competing in Formula One competition. Yip was an amateur racer during the early 1970s. He met Sid Taylor and soon became the sponsor of South Australian driver Vern Schuppan in Formula 5000 and Formula 1 Competition. In Formula One Competition, Schuppan drove mostly for Ensign, a British constructor.

In 1976, Theodore Racing was established and run by Sid Taylor. Their entrant was an Ensign driven by Patrick Tambay in Formula 1 competition. The 1977 season was not very prosperous for the team so Yip commissioned Ron Tauranac to construct an F1 racer for the team. Tauranac was of Brabham fame and later went on to establish the Ralt marque.

The Tauranc car with Eddie Cheever at the helm was unsuccessful in competition. Cheever failed to qualify for the Brizian and Argentian Grand Prix. In the hands of Keke Rosbeg, the Tauranc car won the International Trophy at Silverstone. The car was used for only part of the season.

In US competition, Yip provided financial support to Dan Gurney's Eagle team. In 1979, he provided funding for Ensign driven by Derek Daly, Patrick Gaillard, and Marc Surer. Near the close of 1979 he provided funding for David Kennedy in a Wolf WR6. He even helped Desire Wilson in becoming the first woman to win a Formula 1 national race.

In the early 1980's, Yip withdrew most of his financial support to racing to concentrate on Formula 1. Theodore Racing Ltd. recruited designer Tony Southgate and manager Jo Ramirez. Their first car was dubbed the TY01 and driven by Tambay during the early part of the 1981 season. Tambay went to race for Ligier mid-season. Marc Surer was recruited as a replacement to drive the TY01.

The second car came in 1982. The Theodore TY02 was designed by Tony Southgate and driven by Tommy Byrne, Derek Daly, Jan Lammers, and Lees Geoff. The engines used were Ford Cosworth units matted to a Hewland FGA 400 gearbox. Goodyear tires and disc brakes could be found at all four corners. The chassis was aluminum monocoque.

Small teams were having a difficult time competing in the ever increasing world of Formula 1 racing. Yip merged the Theodore company with the Ensign and used the Ensign N183, which had been designed by Nigel Bennett, as a Theodore. The team lasted for only a short time, shutting down its involved in F1 competition at the end of the season.

A Theodore TY02 with a Chevrolet powerplant raced in the CanAm series In 1984 driven by Bill Tempero of the US. He managed a 17th place finish after completing only twelve laps at Mosport. At the second race of the CanAm series, held at the Dallas Grand Prix Circuit, it finished 21 laps and was in 15th place. At Road America the car finished in 10th place. It was raced at round 6 and 7 of the CanAm series, Trois-Rivieres and Mosport respectively.

During the Theodore Racing team career, they participated in 51 Grand Prix's and entered a total of 64 cars. The fruits of their labor were two championship points.

Formula 5000

Formula 5000, also referred to as F5000, was a racing series that lasted from 1968 through 1982. In the United States, the series raced in the SCCA Formula A races. F5000 was conceived as a low-cost, open-wheeled racing series that had a maximum of 5.0 liter engine displacement size. Marquees from the Can-Am series, such as McLaren, Eagle, Lotus, Lola, March, and Chevron all competed in F5000. Nameplates such as Mario Andretti, Brian Redman, David Hobbs, and Jody Scheckter could often be found behind the wheels of F5000 racers.
The large V8 engine cars provided much enjoyment for the fans. The fast cars, loud engines, and exhilarating performance was truly a spectacle. Just like many other formula series, the sport quickly became dominated by a single team and the cost to stay competitive increased dramatically. By 1975, the series had become unpopular. Most marquees converted their cars and began competing in the Can-Am championship, which was resurrected for 1977. The introduction of the IMSA Group C was the ultimate demise of the F5000 series, which featured faster cars with better performance.
In 1967, Gus Hutchison won the first F5000 championship with his Lotus 41. Lou Sell and Tony Adamowicz won the championship in the following years respectably, both driving Eagles. A pair of McLaren M10B's won the championship in 1970 and 1971. Graham McRae emerged victorious in his McRae GM1 racer during the 1972 season. From 1973 through 1976, Lola dominated the series with their T330 and T332 variants.
The sport was popular in other countries such as Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.

Photos grouped by event
Watkins Glen Historic Sportscar Racing	Zippo U.S. Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen

1982 Theodore TY02
Year	1982
Make	Theodore
Model	TY02
Engine Location	Rear
Drive Type	Rear Wheel
Body / Chassis	Aluminum monocoque chassis and Fiberglass body
Body Designer	Tony Southgate
Combined MPG	0.00

Engine
Engine Builder	Cosworth
Engine Configuration	V
Cylinders	8
Engine	Ford/Cosworth
Aspiration/Induction	Normal
Displacement	5.00 L \| 305.1 cu in. \| 5000.6 cc.
Horsepower	450.00 BHP (331.2 KW)
HP / Liter	90.0 BHP / Liter
Fuel Type	Gasoline - Petrol

Standard Transmission
Gears	5
Transmission	Manual
	Hewland FGA 400

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1982 Theodore TY02