Downing/Atlanta Composites, Inc.
5096 Peachtree road
Atlanta, Georgia 30341 USA
TEL: 770.457.1143
FAX: 770.458.6118
Downing/Atlanta Composites has over twenty years experience in
the production of strong, lightweight composite parts. After working for small race teams
since 1975, manager and co-owner Jerry "Rabbit" Lambert and his experienced crew
began productin all body parts for the Lee Dykstra-designed Fabcar Porsche 935 chassis
during the 1981 and 1982 seasons. This included the "buck" and molds as well as
the body pieces themselves. The following years brought increased involvement in the
racing industry with major projects including work on the very special Bob Akin Porsche
935 and the reproduction of body parts for Bob Tullius' Group 44 Jauguar as well as
building all the body work for the later design group 44 Jaguar GTP cars.
Eight-four and five were busy years with major projects, in addition to the Group 44 work,
including the first American built parts for the Porsche 962, this for the Porsche 962
"Owners Club" whose members included Al Hobert, Bob Akin, Jim Busbee, Bruce
Levin and Preston Henn. (Downing/Atlanta later was to build all 962 noses for Holber and
Porsche of North America.) That year also saw the production of body parts for the first
Fabcar Camel Lights Car, as well as for March Cars of America. This was accomplished while
also maintaining the March GTP cars of the Leon Brothers team.
Major projects in years 1986-88 included the reproduction of body
parts for the Ferrari 312 updating them with lightweight composites for the vintage racing
market, body work for the Camel show car, the Fabcfar GTP car, and the Argo Camel Lights
cars as well as the complete body work development project (buck, molds and parts) for Jim
Downing's first Kudzu chassis, the DG1.
In 1981 Downing/Atlanta Composites was
commissioned to design, mold and produce parts for Amos Johnson's new Team Highball MX-6
GTU car as well as for five other teams. The project was completed in only three months
and the car won its class in the second race in which it was entered. Later that year the
shop also completed molds and began making parts for the 1990 GTP cars for Sprice USA.
The Mazda factory GTO RX-7 team cars were the major focus during
the 1990 and 91 seasons. Mazda Team Manager Jim Downing and his experienced race team
members prepared the cars which produced IMSA championships for both Mazda and Driver Pete
Halsmer in '91.
Mid 1991 saw the begining of construction of the buck for new
body work for the restyled Kudzu, to be called the DG2. After final styling design, when
wind tunnel tested, was shown to have tremendous down force potential and was quite
successful on road racing circuits.
In 1993 we were awarded the contract for the design and construction of molds and body
parts for the Mendeville Auto Tech MX-6 race car. This car, built for the South African
national racing series and powered by the Mazda four-rotor engine, was very successful
with several wins.
Year 1994 was extremely busy for D/AC with a new premiere class for the International
Motor Sports Association (IMSA) bringing open cockpit two-seater World Sports Cars to
replace the former GTP racers. Dowing/Atlanta Composites was able to quickly modify and
existing threee-rotor Kudzu chassis which allowed Team Downing/Atlanta co-driver Wayne
Taylor to capture the inaugural WSC championship title
During this same period, we were also involved in the construction of the
Mandevill-designed Hawk WSC racer. The complete buck-to molds-to carbon fiber over
honeycomb parts process was all completed in-house.
This same process was repeated for Team Scandia as a Kudau WSC car. This was the first
Downing/Atlanta chassis to incorporate a Chevrolet v-8 engine.
In the field of aviation, we began producing a composite light fairing for the Bello
Jet and Long Range helicopter series having assisted its designer, AirChuck, Inc. in the
FAA certification process. Mode of Kevlar 49, it is a direct replacement for the original
equipment system but with a brighter pulse light and a 200 foot diameter landing light. To
date, approximately 300 units have been produced.
In 1995, Team Downing/Atlanta made its first trip to the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans Race
in France. Running the existing three-rotor Mazda Kudzu, the combined team of
Downing/Atlanta and Mazdaspeed of Japan finished a respectable third in class and ninth
overall its first time out. The team had a distinctly international flavor with crew
members from America, Japan, England and Belgium and Drivers from America (Downing), Japan
(Terada) and France (Freon).
After a taste of European road racing we were hungry for more and so began
redesign of the car and track testing for the 1996 running. After competing at the 24
Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, the most famous endurance races in America,
the car finished first in class at Le Mans.
Also in '96 we completed work on the buck, molds and body panels for an RX-7 race car.
Designed by Downing/Atlant's David Lynn, the project was commissioned by Mazda
Motorsports, the facing division of Mazda North America
Year 1996 also brought composite work of a different nature. With Atlanta Olympic Games
scheduled to start in July '96, Downing/Atlanta Composites was asked by the Metropolitan
Atlanta Rapid Transit Administration (MARTA) to design and fabricate an emergency rail car
evacuation bridge. It was envisioned as a way to transfer passengers from a disabled train
to a functioning one without the need to step down into the area of the higth voltage
third rail at grade level. The design criteia included rigidity, light weight and the
ability to be easily carried by one person. The project went from concept to design to
production of an initial twelve units within a threee month period. D/AC proved up to the
task with approval by all.
Late '96 brought a new design project for another new Kudzu chassis, this one to use
the exotic Mazda four rotor engine. Of course, for a larger power plant, a larger car is
required. So, again with Le Mans in mind, we started a new design, buck work, amolds and
parts including spares and paint work. The whole project needed to be completed and
shipped to France by the end of April '97 for race prequalifying. We were able to meet the
timetable as well as make changes before the June race where the car finished seventeenth
overall. This was quite respectable for a brand new car considering that 31 of the 48 cars
starting the race failed to finish.
In addition to work for Team Downing/Atlanta in '97, we have done advanced composite
work for Braselton, Georgia's Panoz Motorsports and their GT1 race cars. Dowing/Atlanta
Composites does all the hometown prototype work on the British designed and constructed
bodywork as wll as rapairs, paintwork and production of new aerodynamic parts.
In addition to productin strong, lightweight racing car parts of the highest quality
Downing/Atlanta Composites is also supplier of the yoke and collar portion of the HANS
head and neck support racing safety device. Constructed of Kevlar, carbon, and S-glass
fibers for light weight and high strength, HANS is worn on the upper body and connected to
the helmet with a tethering system to reduce head motions, neck loads and the potential
for injury and neck fatigue. The devide is currently undergoing testing by Daimler-Benz in
Germany for possible use by its in the FIA formula-1 series.
We have also assisted in the development of several major automotive projects such as
the Panoz roadster as well as cyclingt and sport boat applications. Dowing/Atlanta, Inc's
design department also open for outside projects and consulting and offers computer
assisted design as well as clay modeling services.
In short, we offer high quality, efficient work with quick turnaround on prototype
parts. We can work from your drawings (or even from your ideas!) iin andy composite
material and are open for any project large or small. Call Jerry Lamber at 770-457-1143 to
discuss your needs.
Composites
Downing/Atlanta
