VINTAGE SPORTS CAR DRIVERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER March 2011

Transcription

1 VINTAGE SPORTS CAR DRIVERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER March 2011 VSCDA P.O. Box Grand Rapids, MI Phone Fax Website: Office Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST TABLE OF CONTENTS 2011 VSCDA Annual Meeting (Feb. 5) Updated Car Eligibility Policy 2011 Race Schedule Special Events GingerMan Spring Break Driver s School & Race Weekend Trans-Am 2.5 Challenge and B-Sedan Series Formula Vee Celebration VSCDA Member Fights Kids Cancer VSCDA Ad in Victory Lane 2011 VSCDA Annual Meeting & Party The 2011 VSCDA Annual Meeting & Party was held on February 5 at the Doubletree Hotel in Oakbrook, IL. And, as they say on Entertainment Tonight, a fabulous time was had by all. Our thanks to Kathy Newton for putting together the whole event, which has to be one of the best attended and fun meetings in recent years. Our thanks, too, to the great music by Matt Primack and The Band McLovin. The evening started with the Annual Meeting, which was chaired by Marv Primack, the 2011 president of VSCDA. Marv announced the results of the election of VSCDA s 2011 Board of Directors. With 191 ballots cast, the elected Board is: Marv Primack, President Mike Korneli, Vice-President John Houlton, Treasurer Barb Nevoral, Secretary Henry Adamson, Director Emeritus Steve Bonk

2 Doug Bruce Jim Donato Scott Fohrman George Hovseplan Bob Shedd Don Tuscany Marv called for a vote of the attendees on the proposed changes to the VSCDA By-Laws. The changes were approved. One of those changes is the addition of a vice-president position on the Board, which will be filled by Mike Korneli this year. Next on the agenda was the presentation of awards. Bob Shedd presented the Art Bly Distinguished Service Award to BOB HAHN. This is the second oldest VSCDA award and recognizes outstanding service to the club. It is named for Art Bly, who was a charter member of the club and a dedicated VSCDA volunteer. Art was a contemporary of Hal Ulrich with his race driving going back to the 1930 s. Art retired from professional driving in the 50s, becoming a car owner and VSCDA volunteer. Bob Shedd (Lt.) presents Art Bly Distinguished Service Award to Bob Hahn.

3 Tom Moore (pictured left) presented the Joe Marchetti Vintage Spirit Award to DENNY HOLLOWAY (pictured on right, standing in front of his 1949 MG TC). This award celebrates the spirit of vintage racing with safe and friendly wheel-to-wheel competition. It is named for Joe Marchetti, a long time member of VSCDA. Joe founded the Chicago Historics, which is now called the Kohler International Challenge and is one of the biggest and best vintage races in the U.S. Frank Newton presented the John Bowlander 2010 Driver of the Year Award to GARRETT VAN CAMP. Garrett races his 69 Lynx B Formula Vee with Group 4. He has been racing for over 45 years, including winning the SCCA National Championship in In presenting the award, Frank (pictured, on left), who regularly races with Garrett (pictured, on right) in Group 4, pointed out that the award was not only for Garrett's outstanding display of driving skill on the track but also his willingness to step in quickly to help drivers experiencing mechanical problems as well as to provide valuable coaching to newer drivers (and a few older ones as well!). And, Ford engineer that he is, he has crafted several tools to help drivers set up their cars properly. One good example of this is his famous Golden Toe bar for setting up the toe in/out on Formula Vees. He also came up with a simple camber gauge that makes setting camber on the Vees a snap. Garrett always brings his latest creation to our races for presentation to lucky drivers in a drawing at the Vee group s social hour. The John Bowlander Award for Outstanding Driver of the Year is VSCDA's oldest award. John was an excellent driver and our Chief Driving Instructor during the 1980s. He joined VSCDA just after it was organized and became a sought after mechanic and driving instructor. He raced a "scruffy" Porsche 911 that was very fast. John died of cancer in 1992 while still in his 30s.

4 VSCDA Updates its Car Eligibility Policy The Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association (VSCDA) has traditionally defined vintage as outof-date race cars prepared as raced in a period across a broad range of classes with a cut-off date of In recognition of the fact that vintage racing continues to evolve with new classes and newer cars many of which have become truly vintage VSCDA s Board of Directors voted in February to extend the club s car eligibility date to We intend to preserve the purpose of VSCDA to encourage the restoration, preservation and operation of vintage sports cars, says Marvin Primack, VSCDA Board President. But we also recognize that there are like-minded racers out there with younger cars that they want to preserve and race. Primack continued, Thus, we are adding a discrete class we call G70+, which extends our cutoff date to 1989 while maintaining VSCDA s philosophy of including vintage cars prepared safely and authentically to period spec and driven in the vintage spirit. The G70+ Class will include production-based and purpose-built race cars designed to race in series such as TransAm, IMSA, SCCA and CASC GT classes among others. VSCDA s initial class division is between Formula 70+ and Group 70+. Formula 70+ can be production sports, single seat open-wheeled and sports racing cars built to historic rules from between January 1, 1973, to December 31, F70+ is open but not limited to purpose-built racing cars that conform to the following classifications: Monoposto Racing Formula 70 Regulations (See Monoposto Racing Rules & Regulations Formula 70); Sports 2000 Groups B and C SRCC Regulations (See Sports 2000 Racing Car Club Technical Specifications, Groups B and C). Other purpose-built racing cars may be permitted upon application. Their built date must fall within the F70+ period as specified above. Group70+ is intended as a point in time class for production-based vehicles (GT and Sedan), whereby vehicles are prepared to a specific set of rules from 1973 or later (up to the last year of eligibility) as provided by the following organizing bodies: CASC, FIA, IMSA, NASCAR SVRA or SCCA. Vehicles must be prepared to one and ONLY ONE set of regulations (no mix and match from various regulations) and must comply in all respects to the chosen regulations, except where VSCDA preparation requirements take precedence. It is the responsibility of each competitor to research and accurately document the proper period specification for his/her vehicle and to present it as such. The VSCDA Eligibility Committee reserves the right to refuse an entry based not only on its mechanical specifications, but also on the perceived historic spirit of the car s presentation. There is no predetermined list of acceptable vehicles for Group 70+. Rather, each car will be reviewed and accepted or rejected for competition based on its acceptability to the VSCDA Eligibility Committee. VSCDA will accept cars that are prepared to period correct SVRA or FIA Historic Standards. In order to establish which set of eligibility standards were used in a car s preparation, each competitor must fill in a Vehicle Registration Form and submit it to the VSCDA Eligibility Committee for review and approval before the car is allowed to race with the club. Note that picking and mixing of rule components between VSCDA, SVRA or FIA is prohibited; we expect cars to be prepared to only one standard, as defined on the Eligibility Form. Replica cars will be considered if they represent a faithful reproduction of the original. Modern

5 performance upgrades will disqualify a replica from acceptance. All safety requirements, including fuel cells and legal roll bars, will be required. Tire requirements for the appropriate grouping and class will be enforced. Car acceptance may vary for the two Road America events for which VSCDA provides only sanctioning the Spring Vintage Weekend in May and the KIC in July. Please check directly with Road America for their eligibility requirements for these two races. For our other VSCDA events at GingerMan, Blackhawk, Grattan and ELVF, the updated policy as described above will apply. Our thanks to VARAC for providing us direction in updating our overall policy. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT VSCDA S UPDATED CAR ELIGIBILITY POLICY. SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO VSCDA@VSCDA.ORG, AND WE WILL ANSWER THEM IN THE APRIL NEWSLETTER. AND YOU CAN CONTACT OUR NEW CAR PREP STEWARD, DOUG BRUCE, DIRECTLY AT mailto:hdbruce@comcast.net. ********************************************************************************** 2011 Race Schedule Special Events Exciting aspects of the VSCDA Race Schedule this year are the special race and race series that will be featured. National Races Appearing at a VSCDA Event: *ELVF --Can-Am 45 th Anniversary Race --Trans Am 2.5 Challenge Reunion Race *Blackhawk --Victory Lane Vintage Formula Vee Festival Race (This is a national series that chooses a VSCDA race for its schedule each year.) *Monoposto Racing has made the KIC, Grattan, and ELVF official Monoposto series races in Within VSCDA Race Series: *Group 4 VVV Race series sponsored by TEAM at GingerMan, Blackhawk, Grattan and ELVF (See more information below) *Group 8 Trans Am B-Sedan Series at Blackhawk, Grattan and ELVF (See more information below)

6 2011 Spring Brake Driver s School and Race Weekend Gingerman Raceway, April 28 May 1, 2011 By Jeff Janus Spring Brake weekend is only a short time away. Are you and your car getting ready? Please be sure you have a current medical on file with the VSCDA office. Please be sure your car adheres to VSCDA s rules. If VSCDA acquiesces to another body s rules, then refer to them. For example, VSCDA uses Monoposto rules for most of the formula car classes. Also, be sure all safety equipment on the car is in good shape (not too old) and secure, and fire systems are filled. It would be a shame to invest the time and money to go to Spring Brake only to find inadequacies at the Tech barn and no way to remedy them quickly. Driver s School For detailed information on the schedule for the Driver s School, just click here. If you are already racing with VSCDA and have a friend who keeps talking about getting on the track with us, now would be the time to give him/her a call and encourage them to sign up for this year s Driver s School. The school starts on Thursday evening with the required classroom session. On-track school sessions take place on Friday, with lunch provided for students and instructors. Be sure to have some crew with you on Friday, as the day can get hectic. Also, bring lots of water with you, so you can stay hydrated. When the day s activities are complete, there will be a dinner and awards ceremony. Be sure to bring lots of water with you so you can stay hydrated. Race Weekend Saturday presents a full day of warm-ups, qualifying and racing, followed by a not to be missed dinner catered by the much acclaimed Q-It-Up group. Additional dinner tickets can be purchased at Registration. Saturday s touring session is open to all touring entrants and race cars, muffled or not. All touring drivers must have a driver s arm band. Sunday s events include warm-ups and races with muffled touring during the track s quiet time. Again, all touring drivers must present a proper arm band. On-track activities should wrap up by 3:00, so teams can hit the road at a reasonable time. If you have any questions about the GingerMan Weekend, feel free to Jeff Janus at jjcpj@aol.com. You also can contact any of Jeff s co-chairs: Rick Del Rosario and Ron Smit as well as the Driver s School Director Bob Shedd. The Trans-AM 2.5 Challenge and B-Sedan Series By Steve Bonk The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) created the Pro Trans-AM Series in The original Trans-AM series was divided into 2 classes: The Over 2.0 Liter (O-2), in which Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro

7 flexed their muscles, and the Under 2.0 Liter (U-2), in which Alfa and Porsche 911's duked it out. Both classes ran in a single run group. In this article, however, I will be discussing the much loved and raced, but under appreciated, small sedans. In the first year of the Trans-AM Series in 1966, the Alfas were the dominate Marque. The Under 2.0 (U- 2) was pretty much B-Sedan with one notable exception, the Porsche 911. For reasons that aren't clear, the 911 was classified by both the SCCA and the FIA as both a sports car and a sedan. The 911 dominated the series in 1967 and In 1970 the American car manufacturers made a big push into Trans-AM (O-2). The years 1969 and 1970 proved to be the best years of the O-2 series with great racing and large amounts of factory sponsorship. By now the U-2 cars were running by themselves for safety and other reasons. The year 1970 also saw the beginnings of great sedan racing in the U-2 series with battles between Alfas, BMWs. Ford Escorts, Mini Coopers, Volvos and Datsuns, among others. The stage was set for the SCCA 2.5 Challenge to start in Rule changes allowed larger motors up to 2500 cc, and new cars would come into the series during the year that would make for an exciting points race. The SCCA had put together a weight to cc formula based on engine type (Push rod, twin cam, Rotary) that made for some of the best-prepared cars and some of the closest racing ever seen. The big three players in 1971 were Alfa Romeo, BMW and Datsun. Alfa, having been in the series for four years already, had much experience to draw on. Herb Wetson of the Wetson Hamburger chain was the team sponsor; plus, there was some factory technical assistance from Alfa in Europe. BMW Privateer teams like Gregory and Hyde Park had to go it alone. New to the series was Pete Brock's BRE factory-backed Datsun race team. With only five weeks to build a car, they joined the series at the second race in New Hampshire. Alfa Romeo had many cars and quite a few good drivers. The most notable driver was the Australian Horst Kwech, team leader of Wetson racing. John Morton was the #1 driver, with Mike Downs backing him up at BRE. The 71 season went down to the last race at Laguna Seca. The victor would win the manufacturer s championship. The race is a fantastic one to watch. Go to my web site at to watch it. The race looks more like NASCAR, with all the rubbing and bumping going on. Unfortunately, Alfa was disqualified for having a oversized fuel cell that allowed them not to make a pit stop. John Morton of BRE and Datsun won the 1971 season. In 1972 the same main players were back at it again. This time BRE added a third car for Guest racers. Some of the drivers that got to race in it included Peter Gregg of Porsche fame, Bobby Allison, Hershel McGriff of NASCAR, Bob Sharp, and Sam Posey. Horst Kwech and the Wetson team plus many privateer Alfas are back to do battle. More Privateer Teams join in the action, bringing in Ford Pintos V.W Beetles, and a Triumph Vitesse. This time it is a runaway train for Datsun, winning 6 out of 10 races entered. The BRE Datsun team is so good that the new rules (Alfa gets less weight per cc) aren't enough to make it even close. Datsun's success basically kills the series. By 2011 forty years have gone by, and Datsuns Alfas BMWs are still doing battle on race tracks all over the U.S. in vintage racing. I have created a series here in the Midwest for Trans Am 2.5 and B- Sedan cars. While the SCCA 2.5 Challenge basically ended in 1972, B-sedan continued onward until 1979 with SCCA in the National and Regional classes. By 1979 many cars were allowed to race in B-sedan, such as Chevy Vega, Chrysler Colt, Ford Fiesta, Honda Civic, Subaru, Toyota, and VW Rabbit. So if you the want

8 to get out and race and you have access to an old VW Rabbit race car or Ford Fiesta, VSCDA has a group for you to race in and have fun with. This year the Trans Am B-Sedan race group, in conjunction with VSCDA, has three great races on its schedule: Black Hawk Farms in June, Grattan Raceway in August and the Grand Finale at Road America's ELVF. While all the races are great fun, the finale at Road America is quite special. Two- time Trans Am Champion John Morton will be the Grand Marshall and will be also on track in a BRE Datsun 510. This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed; we are expecting many original Trans Am cars from the day to participate. John will also be the guest speaker at the Saturday night ELVF dinner. Want more information? Go to and send me a picture and information on your car; I will post it on the site. The site also will host regular updates on the Trans Am B-sedan series. Want more information on VSCDA s races at Blackhawk, Grattan and ELVF? Go to VSCDA.org. Formula V s Celebrate 2010, Plan for 2011 By Kathy Newton According to a tradition established in 1999 by former Formula V racer Tom Kayser, the VVV group holds a winter gathering in January or February to break the monotony of the cold Midwestern weather, recap the previous season, and share exaggerated bench racing. Talk of new old cars and repair or refurbishment projects gets the juices flowing, and all are ready to rush home to their less then toasty garages and work ardently in anticipation of the first race of the season GingerMan on April 29 th. Only two months remain until the sound of motors rings in the air and the beer and José Cuervo flow freely in the VVV paddock. This year s gathering preceded the VSCDA Annual Meeting and Party on February 5. Seventeen drivers and their guests partook of libations generously provided by fellow V racer and race entrepreneur Rod Bolhous. The V Boys The VVV group runs a series within the confines of the VSCDA. Sponsored by TEAM Industrial

9 Services, the V drivers race four races of the VSCDA schedule for participation points. The 2010 season saw Garrett VanCamp, Doctor Brake Ford Motor Company Engineer and 1971 SCCA championship driver, earn the top points prize. After building and showing multiple vehicles and converting to Formula V, restorer and racer Mike Kitzmiller came in second. Frank Newton, a former half- mile motorcycle racer, downhill ski and bicycle racer, and automotive engineering consultant, came in third. The V Den Mothers Fourth - Tenth places were earned by Jerry Baker, Don Carone, Mitch Beiser, Guy Dennehy, Jeff Janus, Eric Coppock and Chuck Buysee, respectively. Awards were given to the winners and door prizes were presented to the attendees, thanks to our faithful sponsors Bob Lybarger, Fred Clark and SR Racing. As best this author remembers, 2011 will be the 12th year of the VVV Race Series and promises to be another memorable year, with the great support of TEAM.. The schedule includes Gingerman April 30 May 1, Blackhawk June 17 19, Grattan August 19 21, and ELVF September Points earned from the best three of these four races will be tallied, and the winners will be announced at the winter gathering in 2012.

10 VSCDA Member to Rally for Kids Cancer John Deikis, who has raced his works-style MG Midget with Group 2 since 1997, will be entering a coast-to-coast vintage rally this June in his 1953 MG TD. The Rallye to Reno will run along U.S. Rt. 50 from Ocean City, MD, to San Francisco with a stop at the 2011 MG International being held in the Reno- Lake Tahoe area. VSCDA member Manley Ford is assisting with the preparation of the car, which John says has had only oil changes since he finished restoring it 30 years ago. John is running the rally to benefit CURE Childhood Cancer, an organization that supports cutting-edge research, training and services directly for young patients and their families. He is asking VSCDA members to consider making a pledge directly to CURE in support of his rally effort. Corporate sponsors are invited to provide their logo for the car and would be acknowledged through media exposure. John Deikis races his MG Midget at Grattan CURE is a non-profit organization that has been repeatedly top-rated (Four Stars) by Charity Navigator, the nation s largest independent charity evaluator. Having undergone treatment himself for cancer of the larynx at the University of Michigan Cancer Center in 1998, John explains that it was the sight of the youngsters who shared the waiting room with him over the years that has stuck in his memory. When he learned how few cancer research dollars are devoted to the needs of dying kids, he knew he had found a worthy cause. Please consider supporting John, his MG, and CURE Childhood Cancer by making a tax-deductible charitable contribution through his secure First Giving portal: You can read about the MG Drive for the CURE by going to John s blog at

11 VSCDA S APRIL AD TRANS AM SERIES IN VICTORY LANE To take a look at our current CLASSIFIED ADS, click here. NOTE: If you would like to submit an article for the VSCDA newsletter, please it to Kathy Newton, the newsletter editor, at kbnewton@comcast.net. Feel free to send pictures to accompany the article.