SOVREN Spokane Festival of Speed Spokane County Raceway, Washington

Transcription

1 SOVREN Spokane Festival of Speed Spokane County Raceway, Washington June 2-4, August 2017 Victory Lane

2 #74 Don Benson, 1974 Porsche RS; #28 Karen Salvaggio, 1965 Factory Five Daytona R-Mdl; #55 Jeff Gerken, 1973 BMW 3.5 CSL; #98 Anthony Nadalin, 2016 Factory Five Racing 818R. Victory Lane August

3 #23 Tom Cantrell, 1969 Ford Mustang; #2 Ralph Stotschek, 1982 Corvette. story by Dave Gaddis The Society of Vintage Racing Enthusiasts gathered at Spokane County Raceway for the Spokane Festival of Speed and, compared to 2016, Mother Nature provided a much cooler setting, as noted by several corner workers. Saturday s sunshine and warmth was well below the 2016 temperatures, and Sunday was a cloudy and windy day with a cool breeze out on the 2.25-mile track. Author and SOVREN President Martin Rudow was quite happy to see the entry list of cars grow the final week before the event, after initial concerns the turnout would be less than last year. By Saturday over 70 cars showed up for the event, and 3 solid days of racing and testing followed. Racers came to the event from California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Alberta and British Columbia. The event included the annual trek to downtown Spokane by the race cars on Friday evening and a Saturday night BBQ near the track. George Follmer was the guest of honor for the race and had autograph sessions #9 Bill Simer, 1962 Lotus 23; #52 Greg Heacock, 1960 Lotus Mk 19. Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday lunch break allowed die hard racing fans to spend time to reminisce with George. George talked with several fans, drivers, and corner workers about the cars and places in his 40 years of 26 August 2017 Victory Lane racing. It s likely he is used to hearing some of the same questions by now, but he was nonetheless very gracious with everyone there. As for the series he competed in, he called Trans Am the most competitive and most fun. He commented that the 1970 Shadow Mark I Can Am was his least liked car to drive, while the original Leguna Seca racetrack will always be one of his favorite courses. George told all of us that he competed against so many great drivers that it was difficult to rank them, but Parnelli Jones came to mind right away when he was asked. He also said competing against David Pearson in the IROC Porsche cars was unforgettable, as Pearson always found some additional speed and skill when pushed. Talking about driving the mighty Porsche turbo cars from the 1970 s, George said you had to plan well in advance when you needed power and think far ahead down the track, due to turbo lag. Several interesting cars, new or returning to vintage racing, were tested at the 2017 Spokane Festival of Speed. One unusual car brought to the track by Ted Herb of Bellevue WA. was a 1952 Allard K2 roadster. The car had been run previously in 1990 at Monterey and Sonoma vintage racing events, but had been in a collection since then and not raced. Just out of a two year restoration by Brett Leahy Racing Service and sporting a lovely British racing green scheme, the car tested Friday powered by a 331 cubic inch Cadillac V8 and a Carter carburetor Ted explained that in the 50s the cars were imported without and engine and the Cadillac engine was often the engine of choice, with a matched Carter carburetor to that specific engine. Among his challenges this weekend in testing was to get the engine to run smoothly with a newly rebuilt carburetor. The Allard was a graceful and sensuous sight on the track as it ran with more modern, iconic cars in the large bore class. Next stop for the Allard will be the Monterey Historics in August, where it has been accepted to be tested in the famous corkscrew with other cars in its class. Another new car being tested for the weekend was a recreation of a famous Corvette race car from The original red and white #12 Owens- Corning sponsored L88 Corvette is considered the winningest Corvette ever and it won 12 of 22 SCCA and FIA events from 1969 through The original car sold for over a million dollars in 2013 #84 Dennis Daugs, Porsche; #22 Dan Durr, 1968 BMW and is currently in the Hendrick Motorsports collection. Tony Garmey of Horizon Racing said the recreation took close to two years and involved lots of work unseen to bring forward the most authentic historic recreation possible. Tony tested the car Friday and drove it Saturday in the big bore group to sort it out for the new owner. The Corvette was off to Indianapolis next to thunder around the historic track there in July. The beautiful Corvette attracted lots of attention from the public visiting the paddock area. Corvettes are quite popular at vintage racing events, and an ex-greenwood racing customer car was brought to the Spokane track by Brad Briscoe of Renton Wa. The car was built for a Greenwood customer in the 1970s, and has been beautifully restored to its historic racing livery and interior configuration. The car ran at Watkins Glen in 1976 and has the regulation size 355 cubic inch V8 for power. The car was tested on Friday and it appeared to be a very capable car and driver combination on Spokane Raceway. Brad s wife Debbie enjoyed her 1972 Alfa GTV throughout the weekend running with Group 2.

4 The Porsche of Spokane Historic Grand Prix official pace car was a new gray 718 Cayman. Porsche enthusiasts had a car corral Saturday and the local Porsche Club of America chapter members got some track time on Friday between breaks in the vintage car testing runs. Eleven vintage race cars made by Porsche were entered in the event. New Porsche street cars were on display in downtown Spokane, which was the destination for the annual race car pilgrimage, this year ending up at River Park Square. Race cars, classic Porsches from the local club chapter along with the dealer new cars were parked along the street outside the shopping mall. The race car run to downtown from the track was escorted by Spokane s finest in the form of motorcycle police, allowing the trip to town to go without a hitch. The 911 racecars in the fast moving line filled the streets with their unmistakable flat six wail as they charged from the track to the parking area. I was fortunate enough to be given a ride by Bill Simer of Spokane who brought out his race car for the event. The car had been last driven several years ago at the Spokane historic races by the late racing driver Tony Adamowicz, who campaigned Porsches, Ferraris, and other legendary cars over several decades of racing until his retirement in Bill loaned Tony the car to test at Spokane, and Tony autographed the car after enjoying the chance to drive it for several hours. Simer s white 911 is very similar to the car Tony drove in the 1968 Trans Am series. Bill Simer emblazoned Tony s name on the roof of the car in a tribute to the deceased driver, who was a very good ambassador to fans of racing history in America. The race cars and Porsches downtown allowed public access to the sport that was unique, allowing people that were not attending the race to see and hear and even sit in the cars entered in the Spokane Festival of Speed. Many of the drivers and car owners were excellent representatives of SOVREN and the event in general, allowing access to the cars and many family photos behind the driver s seat. Walt Carrel allowed #393 Arash Nadershahi, 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider; #04 Ted Herb, Merlyn Mk 6A. interested admirers, mainly children, to get behind the wheel of his 1970 Zeitler formula V car for pictures. A band played outside the main mall entrance, and several charities had tables set up to further connect the event with good works in the community. One of the main charity tables was the Parkinson s disease charity associated with the event. Karen Salvaggio s lovely blue Shelby Daytona tribute was parked near the bandstand and was admired and photographed by visitors while Karen discussed the car and its landmark design with the interested who stopped and took photos. The racing schedule of warm up and qualifying on Saturday morning followed by racing on Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday took place on a dry track and each group was well represented. GROUP 1 ran in most of the races with 11 entries and featured some tight competition between the open wheel cars. Three MGB race cars were running in the group and Carlo Flores and Will Hart were typically running the fastest times. GROUPS 2 AND 7A were mixed, and the pre-1972 mid-bore cars and later under 3.0 liter cars put on a #24 Randy Dunphy, 1965 Ford Falcon. good show. It was a large class and showcased four BMW 2002s, three Porsche 911s, and some singular entries of interest such as a Triumph Deven, a Ginetta G4, and a Merlyn Mk6A. The #26 Datsun 240Z of John Murray followed by Steve Gilmore s and Jeff Newman s Ginetta G4 were often the top three finishers after 7 laps of the race periods. GROUPS 3 AND 7B ran together both days and spectators enjoyed the mix of IMSA and big bore cars. Jeff Gethen s 1973 BMW CSL and Tom Cantrell s 1969 Mustang were a pair of orange blurs on much of the track, and Karen Salvaggio s blue Factory Five Daytona Coupe tribute was a treat to watch and was very competitive. Cantrell, Gethen, and the red 1982 Corvette of Ralph Stotschek were the top three in class overall in the two days of racing heats. GROUPS 4, 5 AND 6 ran between 16 and 18 cars in the race heats with some good tight groups of open wheel cars in entertaining racing and an unusual presence in the pack- a McLaren-Elva Mark 1. This car was entered by Eric Haga and its history included 4 USRRC races and the first Can Am race in St #118 Walt Carrel, 1970 Zeitler; #3 Dan Tilden, 1968 Zink C4. Jovite in In addition, George Doran was invited to run his Mazda rotary series racer and led the open wheel race class around the track in all the sessions he ran the car in. On Sunday afternoon the temperature was dropping and darker clouds were approaching the track from the west. By mid-afternoon the race day was finished and the sunshine was gone. The Spokane Festival of Speed had come to an end for another year. The SOVREN racing community lost a noted club member Sunday at the Spokane Festival of Speed. Chuck Lyford died after a track incident in a late morning session with his racing group. Chuck had captivated club members the night before at the event BBQ with a talk on his experiences at the Rally of the Incas in South America last year. Vintage race driver and builder, pilot, boat racer, husband and father, Chuck will be missed by all his friends in SOVREN and the vintage racing community at large. Victory Lane August

5 Our passion is classic competition cars 1972 Porsche S/T (# ) Genuine factory S/T (delivered w/ M491 option) and one of only 24 built Daytona 24 Hr. 9th OA! Stunning condition, continuous history, exceptional documentation Lola T70 Mk3B factory continuation (HU76/160) 2nd of six built by Lola Ltd. Two owners from new. Completely overhauled and fresh. Race-ready with good spares and 2016 FIA HTP. $595, Spice SE88C (003) World Championship and Le Mans 24hr winning C2 factory Spice. On the button with Cosworth 3.9 DFL. Needs nothing and is ready for Gp C racing. $495, Porsche 911 RS 3.0 Ex-Max Moritz with extensive race history. Fully restored, matching numbers and well documented Shelby Cobra 289 (CSX 2112) Front running Cobra with continuous ownership from new, freshly prepared with current FIA HTP and spares. Eligible for every event! 1974 Chevron B26 (74-07) John Lepp factory B26 with continuous, well documented history. Race-ready with fresh XTEC Hart 420R engine. Spares & current HTP. $225,000 #17 Michael Smith, 1967 Ford Mustang; #77 Kelly Ann Hampton, 1970 Dodge T/A Challenger. ENTRANTS LIST GROUP 1 A. Buchan/1962 Triumph TR4 W. Carrel/1970 Zeitler FV K. Flores/1959 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite S. Hare/1969 Fiat 124 Coupe G. Heacock/1960 Lotus Mk 19 C. Larsen/1969 Zink C-4 J. Long/1967 Datsun 1600 Roadster P. Mahony/1967 Autodynamics D4 G. McKinley/1979 Fiat X19 S. Poole/1972 MGB Roadster R. Scollard/1963 Triumph Spitfire K. Shaha/1967 Toyota Sprinter G. Stuart/1967 Volvo P1800 T. Sullivan/1962 Alfa Romeo Spyder D. Tilden/1968 Zink C4 FV E. Yoshioka/1968 Autodynamics D4A #80 Joe Gordon, 1963 Elva Courier Mk 3. GROUP 2 D. Briscoe/1972 Alfa Romeo GTV D. Durr/1968 BMW 2002 R. Erickson/1969 Porsche 911 S. Gilmore/1967 Porsche 911 J. Gordon/1963 Elva Courier Mk 3 T. Herb/Merlyn Mk 6A L. Klamecki/1969 BMW 2002 J. Levitt/1968 Datsun Fairlady J. Loveall/1960 Porsche 356 L. Lyford/1969 BMW 2002 C. Mitchel/1969 Triumph TR6 J. Murray/1968 BMW 2002 A. Nadershahi/1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider J. Newman/1965 Ginetta G4 B. Scott/1966 Triumph GT6 B. Simer/1962 Lotus 23 J. Tesch/1970 Datsun 240Z G. Tisdale/1972 Porsche 914/6 GROUP 3 D. Benson/1974 Porsche RS T. Cantrell/1969 Ford Mustang R. Dunphy/1965 Ford Falcon L. Eberle/1964 Jaguar E Type D. Gough/1964 Corvette L. Hampton/1973 Dodge Challenger K. Hampton/1970 Dodge T/A Challenger D. Mackenzie/1965 Ford Mustang A. Nadalin/2016 Factory Five Racing 818R G. Roark/1969 Camaro #64 Ron Erickson, 1969 Porsche 911. K. Salvaggio/1965 Factory Five Racing Daytona R-Mdl Cpe M. Smith/1967 Ford Mustang R. Stotschek/1982 Corvette GROUP 4 J. Allen/1972 Royale RP-16 D. Grieger/1971 Lotus 69 FF S. Guy/1972 Royale RP3-A K. Hola/1972 Lola T 204 J. Lanning/1971 Formula Ford J. Liebsack/1984 Ralt RT-4 C. Lyford/1970 Caldwell D9b T. Roberts/1981 Crossle 45F J. Rogers/1970 Lola T200 FF C. Schaap/1970 Titan Mk VI D. Stern/1981 Van Diemen RF81 D. Todd/1969 Titan Mk V D. Trimble/1970 Titan Mk VI GROUP 5 C. Lyford/1964 Elva Mk 7s R. Watson/1987 Swift DB2 GROUP 6 T. Cantrell/1969 Ford Can Am A. Kamerer/1975 Crossle 51F Formula 2000 J. Rankin/1977 Saracen PRH22 E. Haga/1992 Lola T300 GROUP 7 T. Forsyth/Caterham Seven J. Street/1996 Mazda Spec Miata K. Estes/1984 Porsche 911 J. Gerken/1973 BMW 3.5 CSL M. Mullen/1971 Datsun 240Z GROUP 9 E. Haga/1992 Lola T August 2017 Victory Lane