Tags: Cadillac CTS racecar / Crossle Formula Ford / Datsun 240Z / Don Yenko / Fiat 128 / Lola / Mike Matune / Mustang Cobra R / Racing Corvettes / SVRA / Trans-Am / VIR Gold Cup / Yenko Stinger

‘15 GOLD CUP: GOING FOR SVRA GOLD AT VIR!

- Jumat, 02 Oktober 2015 No Comments

Mike Matune stays dry long enough to bring us coverage of the wet and wild 

Gold Cup weekend at VIR.

With a nod towards poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the story of the 2015 Gold Cup weekend at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) could be wrapped up in the phrase, ”Water, water, everywhere …”. The point is illustrated by David Pintaric’s Corvette, above, with its grille full of VIR landscape and water teaming off every inch of the car as it drags a cloud of spray behind. A torrential downpour covered all three days of the race weekend. SVRA and Trans-Am competitors carried on through frequently arduous conditions to provide visuals only seen during wet weather racing.



David Nettleship splashes through Turn 6 in his Crossle 45F Formula Ford, right, throwing rooster tails off all four wheels. Normally in this corner racers ride the curb, sometimes all the way over to the “Gator Teeth” but the rain line required them to move further from the apex to avoid the standing water.

A rain tire can pump a considerable amount of water off the road surface; one source claiming that a Formula 1 rain tire displaces something like 60 liters (15 gallons) per second. Looking at the spray behind Chip Vance’s Lola T87/90 (Indy Lights) confirms this.

Rain can be the great equalizer on a racetrack, frequently resulting in the emergence of Giant Killers. The role is often taken by small, closed, FWD sedans like Shea Brown’s Fiat 128. Brown’s car started off as a “Chump Car” he found and decided was much too nice to spend its life in that venue. Since its conversion to a vintage racer, it has shown increasing speed as driver and car development have progressed.

Logan Dernoshek drove his Dad, Warren’s Yenko Stinger in its debut appearance. The car has actual Stinger DNA, although it was re-bodied when the rust worm proved to be too pervasive. Its preparation level mirrors that common when the cars were new with allowances for modern safety issues. The elder Dernoshek’s affinity for Stingers comes naturally as he served as one of Don Yenko’s race mechanics during the heyday of racing at Yenko Chevrolet.

Mike Unger describes his Datsun 240Z as an “Old Soldier” having been run in the 1980s in ITS, before he acquired it about 15 years ago and began its conversion to an SVRA Group 8 vintage racer. Along the way it made occasional forays into SCCA E/P. Watching Unger on track reminded me just what an impact these cars made on the racetrack and on the street, helping Datsun (Nissan) in particular, and Japanese manufactures in general, establish themselves “up market” from the econo-boxes for which they were initially known.

Production car racing is constantly evolving with series, sanctioning bodies, cars and manufacturers coming and going. But along that journey some stand out, like the Motorola Cup and the Cobra R. The Motorola Cup featured frequently televised events with close racing. The Cobra R was Ford’s contribution to the factory Special. Bill Foster deserves Kudos as he and his Cobra were frequently on course carving up VIR while making wonderful noises despite the continuous rain.

As mentioned, Trans-Am cars shared the bill with SVRA’s vintage racers. Today’s Trans-Am is a 12-race series for three classes of cars categorized by preparation levels. Both American and international manufacturers are represented. Kerry Hitt’s Cadillac CTS is an example of the fastest class. These cars feature 850 horsepower engines, tube frames with live rear axles and facsimile fiberglass bodywork.



Words & Photos: M.M. “Mike” Matune, Jr.



For more racing information, please visit: http://gotransam.com/

http://www.svra.com/    http://virnow.com/

Tags: Adam Carolla / Aston-Martin DB4 Zagato / Group 44 / GT40 / Jefferson 500 Historics / Kas Kastner / Lola / Mike Matune / Paul Newman / Porsche 911 / Racing Corvettes / Summit Point / Triumph / Vintage Racing / VRG / WINNING

JEFFERSON 500: VINTAGE RACERS INVADE SUMMIT POINT!

- Selasa, 26 Mei 2015 No Comments

The Vintage Racers Group (VRG) takes over Summit Point Raceway with their latest rendition of the Jefferson 500. Our Mike Matune was trackside.

Racers and spectators were treated to five days of driver schools, practice, qualifying and, of course, racing.  Here the Cunningham Cup cars, top, are caught coming under the bridge with Hobart Buppert’s Chevy-powered Lola and Michael Zappa’s Ford-powered Superformance GT40 racer at the head of the grid. Behind them comes a field chock full of all manner of noise, horsepower and speed. Herb Wetanson’s Aston Martin DB4, above, has been re-bodied with a shell paying homage to the great Zagato-bodied racers of the 1960s. The body is presented in raw, polished aluminum to show off its lines and workmanship required to create it.

It is hard to dispute the contribution Bob Tullius, Brian Fuerstenau and Lanky Foushee, collectively Group 44, made to the Triumph marque specifically and the sport in general. We were reminded of that by Jim Dolan’s 1972 GT6. For a couple of years in the early 1970s this car cut a wide swath through the D/Production SCCA wars, compiling a surprising record. After its Group 44 days it continued its competitive life with the SCCA and ventured into IMSA in the GTU category. It has since been the subject of a couple of restorations, but remains a track-ready racecar.

Sam Halkias’ TR6 pays tribute to actor/racer Paul Newman’s victories at the SCCA Runoffs in a similarly liveried car.  Newman’s exploits as a racer are told in the Matt Stone/Preston Lerner book Winning and in the new film, Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman. 

But there was more to see than just Triumphs at the Jefferson 500. Here, setting up for Turn 10, we have Charles Powell’s ‘72 Corvette. This was a family affair and they are proud of their efforts at fielding the car. It has been a racecar, primarily in the Midwest, since the mid-1980s. The Powells keep the car as close as possible to its period racing preparation level with allowances for safety concerns.

In talking with the owner of this ‘87 Porsche 911, the word “evolution” came to mind. The car has evolved and been “back-dated” to give it the flavor of a ‘73 RS. Over the years, the bolt-in rollbar gave way to a larger weld-in piece and finally a full cage.

If the Wright Brothers’ original airplane had the lift equivalent to the downforce the wing on the back of Dave Coleman’s Porsche provides, the first flight would have likely been a lot longer!  Racing is full of compromises and I’m sure a wing this size presents a drag penalty that counters its downforce.

After traversing Summit Point’s long front straight, cars must brake hard into Turns 1 & 2 which combine to change a car’s direction 180 degrees. Christopher Zappa is doing just that in his TVR Tuscan which features a race-prepared Ford Essex V6 powerplant. All of the Zappa team cars are prepared to a very high standard as illustrated by Christopher’s mount.

Nick Giampetro’s Mustang reminded me that we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Shelby’s GT350. Today valuable GT350s are popular entries in vintage events around the world. Later this Summer, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will honor the GT350 as its featured marque. 

Derek Sweger’s ‘71 Porsche 911 proves that street-driven racecars still exist. Heralding back to bygone days, it features a roll bar and a larger, but still streetable, engine. On the outside he has picked up styling cues from the RSR and included markings from the same era such as the Camel GT logo on the door.

Vince Vaccaro has campaigned his Alfa GTV for about four years. Built on the West Coast in 1980, it is the handiwork of a builder best known for street rods, which probably accounts for the high level of fit and finish as well as the graphics. The car’s performance matches its appearance as Vaccaro finished second in the IMSA RS/SCCA 2.5 Challenge race.

This year’s Jefferson 500 had the additional distinction of hosting the Kastner Cup for Triumph cars. Named for R. W. “Kas” Kastner, it drew a cross-section of the British marque. Kas has had a long and storied automotive career, but it is his efforts in Triumph’s U.S. Competition Department and his authorship of manuals on how to prepare racing Triumphs that endears him to Triumph aficionados. Each year one car is selected as the Kastner Cup winner based on its competition success over the weekend, the car’s presentation and the driver/team’s “attitude & interest in vintage racing”. This year’s winner was Mark Wheatley in his TR4; our congratulations go out to him.



Words & Photos: M.M. Mike Matune, Jr.



For more information, please visit: Summit Point Raceway - http://summitpoint-raceway.com/

VRG - http://www.vrgonline.org/index.html

Tags: Alfa / GTO / Lola / MG / Mike Matune / Opel GT / Sting Ray / Tom Cotter / Vintage Racing / VIR / Wild Hare Run

VIR: 13th ANNUAL WILD HARE RUN!

- Rabu, 15 April 2015 No Comments

Mike Matune, our man in the field, blogs about another great vintage racing event 

in Southern Virginia.

VRG and VDCA combined for an early season event at Virginia International Raceway. Despite early threats of intense weather, the event ran under clear skies. The organizers somehow managed to hold the rain off until evening and the racing was over, neat trick! Here the Group 3 field, top, moves out of “Oak Tree” and stretches all the way down the back straight. Noted author Tom Cotter (Holman Moody, The Cobra in the Barn and 50 Shades Of Rust) and friend of CGC editor, turned up at VIR with a Corvette. Normally associated with the Blue Oval and Shelby Cobras, Tom’s Sting Ray sports SAAC stickers front and rear. His Corvette has been a racecar for almost its entire life. Tom, above, signals his intentions to pit on Turn 17.

The 13th annual Wild Hare Run has the distinction of being an MG vintage racers’ “Focus Event” which translated in a large turnout. Bob Virikas’s MGA set the tone. While the safety gear, like his helmet & driving suit and the car’s roll bar, are modern, the car harkens back to another time with taped headlights, full windshield, painted wire wheels and octagon shaped number roundels trimmed in a checkered motif.

Staying with the MG theme, we move to the other end of the speed and noise spectrum with Jerry Richards’ MG B GT V8. Looking menacing with its Sebring bodywork stuffed with large wheels & tires, the car is powered by a Rover (ex GM) aluminum V-8 equipped with a brace of Webers. His was one of two V-8-powered MGs there and they proved worthy competitors in the “big car” racing sessions.

Cartoonist Henry Payne IV proves he is as quick in a race car as he is with a quip. The Payne family has been racing for generations and Henry continues that legacy. His mount is a Lola T596 Sports 2000. While powered by relatively stock 2000-cc Ford Pinto SOHC Fours, the cars enjoy more significantly sophisticated chassis, suspension and aerodynamics. As they are relatively closely matched on power, Sports 2000s put on a great show.

We have shown Dennis Moser’s GTO before, but its unique appearance and scintillating performance bears repeating.  One can’t avoid making the connection to Herb Adams’ “Grey Ghost” of Trans-Am fame. I recently became aware of a book that tells the story of a couple of Adams’ Trans-Am racers in novel form, Blood, Sweat & Gears by David G. Barnes It’s an entertaining read.

With Alfa’s return to the U.S. market, it is time to remember some of their past glory such as Tomas LaCosta’s ‘65 Giulia TI. Under its boxy, sedan exterior, the car holds many of the same powertrain parts as the sexier roadster and coupe siblings. It gives the lucky driver a true sports sedan, “Q-Ship” experience.

Racecars are complex beasts exhibiting strange behaviors and defying logical solutions. Glen Trimper races an Opel GT, hardly a common choice in any kind of racing. The car is still new and only time will tell if it will become his “Unfair Advantage” or just turn out unfair! 

You never know what you are going to find on a pit walk. Here’s Mark Brummond’s ‘56 Marketeer. The name is probably a play on the popular at the time, Disney “Mouseketeer” name. This is an all-electric car conceived as a fully functioning automobile with complete road equipment and designed to be titled and registered for street use. Its lack of practicality inevitably hastened its demise, but today it makes a great pit conveyance.

Todd Brown, at the bottom of the “Roller Coaster”, took another of the Sprint races.



Photos: M.M. “Mike” Matune, Jr.



Thanks to Amber Noya and to Connie Nyholm and her entire staff at VIR for their hospitality. For more information, please visit: http://www.vrgonline.org/   http://www.vintagedrive.com/

Tags: Audi Sport / Camaro / Corvette / Derek Bell / Lola / Mike Matune / Porsche 914-6 GT / SCCA / SVRA / Trans-Am / Vintage Racing / VIR Gold Cup

HEACOCK CLASSIC GOLD CUP: VIR!

- Sabtu, 04 Oktober 2014 No Comments

SVRA wraps up with 2014 vintage racing schedule with its premier event at Virginia International Raceway. Mike Matune brings us  highlights.

As Summer fades and the racing season begins to wind down, SVRA draws us to Southern Virginia and Virginia International Raceway (VIR) for the annual Heacock Gold Cup. Here Mike Fisher, top, sweeps under the vehicle bridge in his ex-Derek Bell Speedvision Cup Audi S4. 

Peter Dunn exits Turn 11 in his Morgan, above, chasing the other Group 3 runners down the back straight. This gives you a better feel for VIR with its meticulously manicured building and grounds. The 3.27-mile circuit never stops moving whether it’s up and down or side to side, mixing high and low speed sections. 

We had to feature Tom Briest’s Porsche 914/6 when  we heard that the Porsche 914 would be celebrated at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance this coming March. At long last, the oft-maligned Porsche will get its due.

It made us wonder, when will the other stepchildren in Porsche’s lineage, the 924/944/968, achieve similar recognition? Here is Kurt Fazekas’ 944 Turbo. It is one of seven lightweight Turbo 944s constructed to compete in the Escort/Playboy Series, where it was originally

driven by Kurt’s father, Dale.

SVRA President Tony Parella ran his Corvette in Group 6 at VIR. He split duties with Dave Nicholas who had “holed” a piston in his very quick MGA, Honey Bee at Watkins Glen and was without a mount. This is Tony in Turn 5.

Tom Shelton’s Lola T70 brings back memories of the USRRC/Can-Am days. My eye was drawn to the “Cox” sticker on the car. Cox was a hobby manufacturer who figured prominently in the slot car craze of the 1960s. They produced some great scale models of significant racecars of the time and sponsored Jim Hall’s Chaparrals.

There are many opinions about what constitutes the Golden Era of American racing and there are many candidates for the title. Among them is the SCCA’s Trans-Am series of 1966-1972, where manufacturers along with top builders and drivers ran flat out on circuits across the U.S. & Canada. Ivey Shannon’s converted street Camaro invokes memories of the early Trans-Am.

Sean Ryan’s ‘71 Camaro was originally built and campaigned by Frank Search in both the Trans-Am and SCCA sedan racing, it has been brought back to life by Ryan and his father who race under the banner of Unfair Advantage Racing. 

The current SCCA Trans-Am series shares the program with SVRA’s vintage racers at VIR.

Cars are divided into three classes. Jason Berkeley’s Corvette waits to be teched behind

Tommy Kendall’s Challenger. 

The top of the Trans-Am class are the TA cars, tube frame racecars powered by 850-plus horsepower carbureted V8s. While car specifications are limited in some ways, the use of one-off components and exotic materials are allowed. Here is the overall VIR Trans-Am winner Paul Fix in his Corvette.

The next rung on the Trans-Am ladder is the TA2 cars. These are also V8-powered tube frame cars, but with component design, manufacturers and costs controlled. Bodies and engines match, with power limited to the 500-horsepower range. This is Tommy Kendall’s Challenger. The car’s paint scheme is reminiscent of the Sam Posey-Ray Caldwell Autodynamics Challenger of the 1970 Trans-Am season.

This brings us the TA3 cars, divided into A (American Muscle) and I (International). These cars retain more of their production car roots and comply with SCCA GT2 or NASA American Iron rules. Horsepower and power-to-weight ratio are further controlled. Thomas Ellis’s Mustang illustrates cars common to this class.



Words & photos: M.M. “Mike” Matune, Jr.



For more information, please visit:

Virginia International Raceway (VIR): http://virnow.com/



Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA): http://www.svra.com/



Trans-Am racing: http://www.gotransam.com/



Heacock Classic Insurance: http://www.heacockclassic.com/