
ROAD COURSE RACERS
TRACK PRESS RELEASE
Nine groups of vintage race cars
competed on Saturday and Sunday with two races being decided
each day with the exception of Groups A, F, and I a pool
of whom combined for a one-hour endure to close racing on the
course on Saturday. Clay Koevary won the enduro in the 2000 Porsche
GT3R that was originally campaigned as the Aspen Knolls
car by Mike Colucci Racing in 2000.
The SCCA GT & IMSA RS cars
in Group A saw Mike Thurlow putting a thorough whooping on the
rest of the grid by sweeping both Sunday races in his 1976 Chevrolet
Camaro that Michael Beard originally drove at SCCA events. In
the one Saturday race, he finished second on the podium to Jeffrey
Abramson in the No. 56 Peerless Racing Camaro.
1967-1980 Formula Ford had great
back-and-forth racing in Group B. Nicholas Colyvas drove his
1969 Merlyn MKII to victories on Saturday Race 2 and Sunday Race
1. Martin Lauber, who raced during the original period, kicked
things off with a win in Saturday Race 1. Chris Porritt got in
on the action with a Sunday Race 2 victory in his 1971 Lola T202.
Lauber also raced with the 1965-1978
Formula B & 1965-1977 Formula C cars in Group C, scoring
a win in Saturday Race 1 and second-place finishes in the following
two races driving a 1969 Brabham BT29 that originally raced in
Formula B. Jim Catchot earned back-to-back wins with his 1968
Chevron B10 on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Travis
Engen made his trip from the Eastern seaboard worthwhile by punctuating
with a win in his 1970 Chevron B178. Engen doubled down with
a win in Group H on Sunday driving a 1976 Ralt RT1.
Former Wal-Mart chairman Rob
Walton had a strong outing in the Sports Cars Under 2.0 Liter
class in Group D with three consecutive victories in his 1960
Maserati Tipo 60 on Saturday afternoon and both Sunday races
while also competing with the 1966-1972 Trans-Am 2.5-liter cars
in Group G with a race-provenant 1967 Porsche 911 S. Walton finished
second in Saturday Race 1 just behind Alec Hugos 1962 Porsche
356B.
Fans familiar with NASCAR racing
enjoyed the machines in the Group E 1974-2007 Stock Cars grid
that some of their oval heroes once raced. Frank Marcum had the
most success with two morning wins and two second-place finishes
in the afternoon in the No. 11 2001 Ford Taurus that Brett Bodine
once raced with Hooters sponsorship. The afternoon races were
won by Mac McGarry on Saturday in a 1989 Chevy Lumina formerly
driven by Ken Schrader and Tom Cantrell on Sunday in the No.
12 2005 Dodge Charger that Ryan Newman drove on road courses
in 2005 and 2006.
The screaming Can-Am cars in
Group F were popular with fans on the track and in the paddock.
Ilja Burkoff drove a 1970 TRC Ti 22 MkII that competed here in
the 1970-1972 seasons, and he won twice in as many attempts in
both morning races. With Burkoff sitting out the last race, Scott
Drnek nabbed the top podium step with his 1974 Sting GW1 with
a best lap time of 1:32.0.
Though more than 30 cars were
competing in Group G 1966-1972 Trans-Am 2.5-Liter, it was all
Troy Ermish, all the time. Ermish swept all four races in his
1971 Datsun 510. Like Ermish, Danny Baker went unbeaten in Group
H 1967-1979 Formula Atlantic; 1970-1984 Sports Cars 2-Liter.
He parked his 1974 Chevron B23 with three wins, however, paving
the way for Engen in the last race.
Wade Carter bookended the diverse
Group I (1973-1987 FIA; 1990-2007 Daytona Prototype/IMSA GTO;
GTP/LMP/WSC) with wins in his 1997 Riley Scott Mk3. It was no
wonder with a best lap time of 01.25:9 in the final race. Motorcycle
and car racer and car dealer Taz Harvey nabbed a win on Sunday
morning in his 1987 Buick Spice SE87L.

I won't lie, although I appreciate
all forms of motorsports, road racing is no where close to my
strong suit. The following photos are shots are presented in
somewhat of a random order to recognize some of the nostalgia
group cars that shared the weekend with us drag racers.































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