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This year it was held on a Saturday and Sunday April 29-30; in the past it was a three-day event but post-Covid and due to economic conditions in Europe, a two-day bash seems more sensible.

Over the years the categories have changed and evolved; the races at Donington this time were:

• Jaguar Classic challenge for pre- 66 cars.
• Historic Touring Cars, 1960s-1980s.
• Ferrari Club Classics Series.
• Pall Mall Cup for pre- 66 GT and Touring Cars, pre- 63 GTs and pre- 60 Sports Cars.
• Gerry Marshall Trophy for pre- 83 Group 1 Touring Cars.
• Woodcote trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-56 and pre 61 Sports Cars.
• Dunlop Allstars pre- 66 Sports and GTs plus Classic Alfa Challenge.
• Mad Jack race for pre-WWII Sports Cars.
• Jack Sears Trophy for 1958-1966 Touring Cars

So there’s something for everyone; some of the usual categories were “mixed-up” so it was great to see different classes racing together in races of different lengths. The Pall Mall race was three hours long… what more could an Elan driver ask for? I loved it.

Aside from the on-track action there was also quite a gathering of car clubs, which were well-worth a visit in the infield; there will always be something unexpected hidden away. I’ve not seen a Ferrari 288 GTO for years and there were two side by side!

Much was made of this being the 30th anniversary of Donington Park’s sole Formula One race and there were demonstrations of several historic (that term means different things to different folks!) F1 cars during the lunch break on both days and it was great to hear and see these.

It is worth mentioning that Donington Park first came into use way back in the early 1930s and there were Grand Prix races (forerunner of F1) in the immediate pre-WWII years, with visits by both the Auto-Union and Mercedes “Silver Arrows” teams. The circuit has changed since those days: the cars no longer have to go under a narrow bridge and a long section down the very tight Melbourne hairpin, which has not been in use since the circuit was reopened by Tom Wheatcroft in the 1970s.

Under the stewardship of Dr Jonathan Palmer’s Motor Sport Vision company the circuit infrastructure has been massively upgraded and spectator facilities are now excellent. After a period of uncertainty before the MSV stepped in, it actually looked like we might lose Donington altogether, thank goodness that didn’t happen.

Full race results are available here, courtesy of TSL Timing: https://www.tsl-timing.com/event/231751

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The Spa Classic, run yearly by the meticulous guys at Peter Auto, celebrates the racing history of this great circuit, forever intertwined with the glory days of endurance racing. From 50s and 60s icons, such as the Aston Martin DB3S, Austin-Healey 3000, Jaguar E-Type, and Shelby Daytona, through the innovative, raw and fascinating days of the late ’60s and ’70s prototypes, to the halcyon days of the Group C sportscars, culminating in the more modern Endurance racing legends. Over three heavily packed days, the sports cars of yesteryear were let loose from morning until nightfall to tackle the seven-kilometer-long strip of tarmac, sharply rising and falling through the forested landscape, machines which thrived under the challenges presented by the notoriously demanding track, driven furiously in period, and no less heroically or emphatically in the modern-day celebrations of times past.

Peter Auto, under the stewardship of Patrick Peter, continues to dominate the historic racing landscape on the continent. Organizers of Le Mans Classic, Dix Mille Tours and Tour Auto, amongst others, we see here an organization dedicated to not just participating in putting on historic racing events, but ensuring the progression, through innovation, and a canny knack for attracting huge grids and a pedigree of machinery which is second to none. It’s quite remarkable to attend an event, where a Bentley Speed 8 will sit in the pits, alongside a Porsche 911 GT1 Evo and a Peugeot 905 Evo 1 Bis, whilst temporary paddocks are set up to house countless Shelby Cobras, Porsche 935s, BMW 3.0 CSLs and Lister Jaguars. What is more remarkable, is that the ticket prices for the spectator defy the usual inflation. A three-day ticket for the event costing a mere 41 Euros, a staggering achievement, one which certainly seemed appreciated by the large number of multinational fans around the circuit for all three days of the event.

New to the Peter Auto series, was the debut run out for the Formula Legends 3.5l. With the Cosworth DFV era well represented by the Masters Historic series, the next generation of Formula One cars to be revived in a historic capacity, are the naturally aspirated 3.5 liter engined models, which competed between 1987 and 1994. Bringing a more dynamic, and sensory thrill to the spectator, these high revving engines would excel at a circuit such as Spa. The first presentation of this plateau saw limited entries, but still, spirited performances from Nick Padmore in the Arrows A11 and Christian Perrier in the Rial ARC2 gave a tantalising glimpse of the potential of this category. In the first year of Formula Legends 3.5, the cars will run again at the Dix Mille tours de Castellet, with hopefully an uptick in entrants, and the resurrection of these sublime single seaters for many years to come.

…and so to the racing. Spa, as is well documented, and cemented in the mind of anyone with more than a passing interest in motorsport, contemporary or historic, is a legendary track, not made famous by a single remarkable corner, but a culmination of the numerous challenges presented by the circuit. Whether the tight pinch point at La Source, the testing Eau Rouge through Raidillon section, the battle with the kerbs at Les Combes or the high speed balancing act through Blanchimont, the challenge is real and unrelenting, with the unpredictable Ardennes weather ever ready to throw a spanner in the works at any given moment.

Indeed, what was predominantly a dry and favorable weekend, still produced a couple of heavy downpours, adding to the excitement towards the end of the Group C race, as Philip Kadoorie negotiated the treacherous conditions on a set of worn slicks to take the victory in his Porsche 962C. The Porsche 2 liter Cup started under torrential rain, proving challenging for the first portion of the race. Seb Perez and George Gamble, undeterred by the inclement conditions, continued their scintillating qualifying form to romp home to first place.

I fear there are no adequate descriptors for the experience that one has watching fields of this quality at a circuit as revered at Spa. Peter Auto must be congratulated on the manner in which they continue to deliver historic racing events across Europe with such pedigree and panache. Next up for Peter Auto is the Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or at Dijon Prenois in a couple of weeks, before anticipation of Le Mans Classic in the 100th year of the event at La Sarthe.

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There were four race groups this year consisting of Group “A” (Fast Cars, pre 1980), Group “B” (Faster Cars, pre 1980), Group “C” (Vintage cars from 1980-1998) and an Open Wheel/Sports Car group.

The BCHMR featured lots of exciting racing in the Group “A”, Group “B” and Group “C” divisions for closed wheel vintage production & improved production cars. Group “A” had four races with Richmond B.C.’s Paul Haym in his 1969 BMW 2002 taking home the first win, Lake Tapps Washington’s Stephen Newby in his 1959 Austin Healy Sprite taking home wins in races two and three and Byron Meston from Maple Ridge B.C. in his 1969 Datsun 510 taking home the other class win.

There were also four races for Group “B” with Don Benson from Chilliwack B.C. in his 1974 Porsche RS taking the race one win followed closely by Brett Payne from Cultus Lake B.C. in a 1972 Porsche RSR, In race two and three Brett Payne took home the wins followed by Don Benson. Pat Hall from Nelson B.C. took home the final Group “B” win followed by Brett Payne. The Group “3” race one winner was Brad Zimmerman of Maple Ridge B.C. in his beautiful 1995 Nissan 240SX, the final three races in group “3” were all won by White Rock B.C.’s Georges Kreuzkamp in his reliable 1990 Acura Integra. The final race of the weekend for the combined group “A”,”B” and “C” cars was won by Brett Payne, followed by Georges Kreuzkamp and Pat Hall.

The Open Wheel/Sports Racer group also had five races over the weekend with Erle Archer from West Kelowna B.C. in his 1967 Lotus S3 taking a clean sweep with all five wins. A couple of the highlights of the open wheel group was the first outing of Langley B.C.’s Doug Seal and his beautiful 1967 Lotus type 41 and Leigh Manyk from Kelowna B.C. in his 1963 Lotus 23B sports racer.

Once again this year several SOVREN racers from Washington State make the trek up to Canada to battle for double SOVREN points and enjoy some great Canadian hospitality as well as make some new friends. This year the SOVREN Canada Cup was presented to Frank DiMiceli from Renton Washington who came north with his 1990 Mazda Miata and was recognized for his unbridled enthusiasm for vintage racing. The VRCBC was grateful for their participation and they all had nothing but great things to say about the event (a few of them even told the mayor of Mission how much they loved coming up to Mission year after year)and were planning on coming back in the future & bringing more SOVREN members with them.

The other trophies for the weekend were the Pete Lovely Memorial Award for the best prepared car of the weekend & this year’s recipient was Rich Newman from Tacoma Washington in his 1960 Austin Healey Sebring Sprite. The SCCBC award for spirited driving was presented this year to Stephen Newby and his 1959 Austin Healey Sprite. The Battered Cup which nobody wants to win was awarded this year to Maple Ridge’s B.C.’s Peter Strachan in his 1972 Datsun 510 who won on a tie breaker (most oil on the track). The final award for the weekend was the Chairman’s award that this year was presented by event chairperson Gayle Baird to Byron Meston in his #510 1969 Datsun 510. (Gayle as usual did double duty during the weekend racing both her 1991 Honda Civic and 1964 Formula Vee).
At the end of the weekend everyone went home happy and excited about returning next year for the 35nd running of this great event. The VRCBC would like to thank all the participants, volunteers, course marshals & emergency crew for making this year’s event another great success. VRCBC would like also to thank the B.C. Historic Motor Races title sponsor “Titanium Ford” and associate sponsors Speed-Fanatics, Province of B.C., IWE Rear Ends Only, the Sports Car Club of B.C. & all the other program sponsors for their continued support.

For information on the 2024B.C. Historic Motor Races visit vrcbc.ca or bchmr.ca

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“Sit up class and pay attention-Bentley look to the front! Rolls stop talking to Royce and tell that new Italian pupil Ferrari to stop doodling sketches of prancing horses on his exercise book. Alfa don’t keep pulling Delahaye’s hair she doesn’t want your attentions, I know you think you’re a bit of a Romeo but you’re here to learn.” This is the parallel universe that is Goodwood Circuit down in West Sussex, UK where nostalgia and eccentricity collide head on, and the school bell has rung to start the 80th Members Meeting. Crazy as it sounds this exclusive weekend that annually celebrates motorsport’s history and heritage has a British boarding school ethos at its core, and there is plenty of eccentricity to be found in a British boarding school!

Only Goodwood Road Racing Club members and Fellows, of which there are around 18,000, can attend and invite guests making the Meeting less crowded than public events. All members, race drivers and visiting celebrities are assigned to one of four Houses and are encouraged to take part in competitions around the circuit ranging from axe throwing and laser clay shooting, to off-roading in classic Land Rovers to earn ‘House points’ with the racers needing to finish in the highest position possible to gain their points. Crazy? Possibly. Eccentric? Defiantly. Popular? Undisputedly. Thousands attend annually to be entertained by fantastic racing and unique on-track demos … the House games just add to the fun.

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Welcome to the eclectic world of The Vintage Sports-Car Club and its unique competition the Pomeroy Trophy, or the ‘Pom’ as it is known. It is an annual event held in February and is open to all types of cars and motorcycles.

Originally conceived by Laurence Pomeroy, writer of the famous Grand Prix Car books, the Pom was first held in 1952 and this year’s event was the 67th running. Pomeroy’s original idea was to find the most efficient vehicle through a series of tests – slalom, acceleration, braking and top speed over a measured distance. Finally, each car competes in a 40-minute, high speed trial on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. A complicated formula is applied to each car’s performance and the result is the winner of the Pomeroy Trophy for the year. This year’s event, held Feb. 25, 2023, was won by the Subaru Imprezza driven by John Felstead.

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The Motorsport Assembly brought together genuine World Rally Championship cars, brilliant homages, plus homologation specials and race-inspired road cars with a capacity attendance. It is the second time the monthly coffee mornings have sold out in 2023, following Japanese January at the start of the year.

Motorsport UK, whose headquarters is based in the Command Works, opened its doors and displayed the BAR 006 from the Prodrive heritage collection as well as the Streetcar MINI that promotes grassroots motorsport up and down the country.

Auction partner Collecting Cars returned once more with its evocative Audi Sport-liveried Toyota GR Yaris and Motor Spirit began its Scramblers link-up with an unmissable display. A rugged, lifted Land Rover was joined by young karter Alfie Allen to show the breadth of the newly renamed company’s offering.

The prime display spot alongside the Wriggly Monkey Brewery was handed over to Tommi Mäkinen’s final WRC car, the Prodrive Subaru Impreza he drove to third at the 2003 Wales Rally GB.

All sorts of motorsport-themed cars lined the damp Bicester Heritage avenues, from Rover 200 BRM to modern supercars and genuine club race and rally cars.

Scramblers will be looking back for the next Assembly on Sunday April 30, with bicycling manufacturers-turned-car makers on display for Vintage Velos along with any car-carrying bikes – new or old.

A social ride route will also be running around the site, Trek Bicester is hosting a ride-out to the event from its shop, and a cyclo-jumble will be in Hangar 113.

For more information visit scramblers.bicesterheritage.co.uk

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Founded by Jan Kalmar, an automotive enthusiast and keen adventurer, KALMAR Beyond Adventure was established to allow like-minded explorers the opportunity to discover extraordinary destinations and experiences from around the globe, all from behind a steering wheel. This year’s Arctic Season was no different, with long, exhilarating driving days, unimaginably exciting navigating opportunities including night driving, and many different track styles to discover and explore. KALMAR Beyond Adventure participants always arrive as guests and leave as friends, with connections made stronger by the experiences shared and the exclusivity of the small group events.

Lining the start-line for the duration of this year’s event was a selection of the KALMAR Automotive RS models, in 993-series Porsche 911 format. Built for adventure and capable of delivering supreme on- and off-road performance, each car was carefully prepared by the experts at KALMAR Automotive – a modern coachbuilder that focuses on creating low-volume, high-quality, tailormade cars by combining classic design with modern technologies.

Even with the relatively mild temperatures of January and February 2023, the specially prepared air-cooled classic 911s were further equipped with the KALMAR-tested World Rally Championship Michelin tires, delivering a whole new dimension to the ultimate ice driving experience. The bespoke tires are designed to withstand constraints generated by the world’s top rally cars on snowy ground, while at the same time delivering a very high level of traction, corner control and braking performance.

The perfect tool for the snow and ice driving experience, the purpose-built KALMAR RS, short for Rally Special, has the equivalent ground clearance to a modern Porsche Cayenne thanks to its specialist suspension – perfect for the snow and ice. Fitted with bespoke adjustable shock absorbers, subframe drops and specially engineered spring plates and top mounts, it can traverse through snow and bring balance to the rear-biased platform on ice. With the tuned 3.6-liter engine adapted by KALMAR’s team of specialists, and a manual gearbox with much needed limited slip differential, the inside of the cabin is a joy for drivers to experience and hear thanks to its lightweight mentality, including the removal of noise deadening and the inclusion of Recaro sports seats.

Jan Kalmar, founder of KALMAR Beyond Adventure, said: “After months of planning, I’m thrilled that this year’s ice driving event has been such a success. Rovaniemi provided us the perfect location with plenty of differing driving experiences available for some amazing adventures. After a long day (including many night experiences!) of being behind the wheel, the lodge accommodation was also just the perfect place come back to, offering a cosy base to relax and unwind. The drivers learned a lot and we re-affirmed to ourselves not only what Beyond Adventure can do, but how incredible our KALMAR RS’ are. They didn’t miss a beat.”

Now that the snow and ice fun has finished, the Beyond Adventure team looks to its African travels, where the KALMAR Automotive safari-ready RS and RS-Rs are currently en route to explore Rwanda and Uganda.

For more information about upcoming Beyond Adventure events visit www.jankalmar.com

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After an absence of three years, due to the Covid pandemic, Race Retro returned to the Stoneleigh Exhibition Centre, in Warwickshire, England, from February 24–26, 2023. Traditionally the start of the racing season in the UK, it is a great meeting place for those of us “in the trade” to get together, socialize and catch up on what is new.

Held in the National Agricultural Showground the event has become more sophisticated over the years- no longer are we in unheated cattle sheds, it’s now in modern warm(!) exhibition halls with excellent furnishing and lighting. Speaking personally, I don’t miss the “aromas” of the old place at all!

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Now in its sixteenth year, the 24 Hours of LeMons boasts nearly two dozen events throughout the U.S. This budget-friendly American race is held at various paved road courses across the country so there’s sure to be an event near you. All you need is to have a driver’s license, plus the budget conscious will appreciate the $500 max vehicle spending limit, aside from any safety requirements and entrant fees. So, if you have been bitten by the racing bug then this could be your chance at track stardom. In fact, in September 2014, some 216 LeMons teams achieved that distinction when they took the starting lap at Thunderhill Raceway near Willows, CA. Those hoopties and their teams officially set the Guinness World Record for ‘Most Participants in a Car Race’.

Aside from the entertaining costumes and competitive camaraderie among teams, this wheel-to-wheel racing is serious business. Awards are given out to the victorious jalopies in several categories to include an overall lap winner, Index of Effluency, and eBay Motors Halloween meets Gasoline trophy.

The event is open to spectators and if you love this sort of humorous rattletrap racing, the LeMons group offers other events throughout the year including a LeMons Rally and the Concours d’LeMons.

Winners of the 24 Hours of LeMons at Sonoma Raceway (aka the Yokohama Arse-Freeze-Apalooza)

Winner on Laps – Blackhole Racing #222 (1998 BMW 3series)

Winner on Index of Effluency -Team Valiant Effort #42 (1963 Plymouth Valiant)

Winner, Class B (The Bad) – Roadrace Jones #16 (1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R)

Winner, Class C (The Ugly) – Pizza Planet Truck Racing #193 (1991 Mazda B2000)

Organizers Choice – My Fairlady Mopar #147 (1984 Nissan 300Z)

Most Heroic Fix – We Supra Bad #34 (1989 Toyota Supra)

Judges’ Choice – Nopar #440 (1989 Dodge/Mitsubishi Colt)

I Got Screwed – Prince and the Revolutions Per Minute #84 (1990 Toyota Celica)

eBay Motors Halloween Meets Gasoline Trophy – Pit Crew Revenge Racing Buttercup #3 (1975 Lincoln Continental)

Yokohama Road Mangler Cup – Prince and the Revolutions Per Minute #84 (1990 Toyota Celica)

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With four race classes across the weekend, the event was a true showcase of iconic motorsport machinery. Featuring Formula One cars from the ’70s and ’90s, in addition to ’80s and ’00s sports cars.

In the Formula One ’70s category, Mike Cantillon was victorious on Saturday in the Tyrrell 010-2, before Oliver Webb bettered his second-place finish on Sunday, claiming the top step in the Hesketh 308B.

Winner, Webb, said: “The 2022 Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival has been so fun. There are a lot of factory drivers here racing, which has made the on-track battles much more competitive.

“If you are a motorsport fan, to be able to talk to and get up close to some of the world’s finest drivers in and around the paddock, is truly exceptional. There has always been a big collection of historic racing cars and modern supercars here in the Middle East, so to put something on that has a unique ’70s feels in the region is so exceptional.”

In the ’80s sports car category, it was Marco Werner – winner of the Triple Crown in endurance racing – who took the chequered flag in the Gebhardt C88 in both races over the weekend. For the ’00s and prototype class, three-time Le Mans Winner, André Lotterer, claimed the win on Saturday, with a Porsche RS Spyder while Emmanuel Collard took victory in the Pescarolo LMP1 01 on the final day of the action-packed event.

Lotterer, said: “To have events like these, to honor the past with these amazing cars, is a real privilege. Everything about this event has been meticulously planned. The location, the timing is perfect and has grown to become an important event in the classic motorsport calendar.”

Motorsport legends past and present in attendance across the three-day event also included Alain Prost, Mark Webber, Stefan Johansson, Timo Bernhard and Thierry Boutsen.

European Le Mans series driver Sophia Flörsch, who drove in the Formula One ’90s demonstration runs during the three-day event, said: “It means quite a lot to be here. The winter break has already started for most drivers and to be here at the end of November at the Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival, and to drive these cars, is amazing. I got goosebumps when I started the car and heard the engines roar. I hope to be here for many more years in the future.”

Away from the track, the paddock was a hub of entertainment with DJs and live musicians performing throughout. The Apex Garden provided exhilarating trackside viewing for members of the public, family entertainment and an open-air cinema showing all the live action and highlights from the weekend, in addition to offering panoramic views of one of the circuits most challenging sectors.

The event’s curated classic car display brought together some of the most stunning and rare cars of the past few decades from the Lamborghini Diablo and Countach, to a Ferrari Testarossa and Ferrai 250 Lusso and SP2 Monza. Jaguar Classic displayed two of most iconic racing roadsters – its continuation C-Type and D-type models.

Pierre-Brice Mena, Managing Director of GP Extreme, said: “The second iteration of Gulf Historic Dubai GP Revival was an enormous success. This wonderful celebration of motorsport in the Middle East has already made its mark and is beginning to cement itself as a ‘much-attend’ event for the future.

“This year’s event was demonstrably bigger than 2021, offering more racing, over more days and much more car content in the paddock for those coming to Dubai Autodrome. This was reflected through our attendance over the weekend, which was double that of our inaugural year.

“I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to our immensely supportive partners, drivers and of course those teams who came; without them this fantastic event wouldn’t be possible. I’d also like to thank the thousands of guests who visited us over the three days; we look forward to welcoming you back to the Middle East in 2023.”

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KALMAR Beyond Adventure was founded to take like-minded explorers, Porsche fans and private individuals to the edges of the world rarely seen by car, on bespoke and challenging adventures. In this edition, the eight teams, and cars, all arrived in Lima on October 11 and ended, 11,000 kilometers, 39 days later in Ushuaia, the most southern tip of South America.

A challenging adventure unlike other tours and events, this edition featured the crossing of deserts, climbing some of the world’s highest roads, navigating the largest salt pan on earth and journeying down parts of the Pan-American Highway. From Machu Picchu to Lake Titicaca, the Atacama Desert to the Uyuni Salt Flat, the participants experienced a wealth of natural beauty from the comfort of their specifically designed Porsches.

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Velocity Invitational combines vintage racing with good food and wine for the spectators. I’ll stick to describing the vintage cars and racing. I am out and about the track with little or no time to be enjoying good food and wine. That said I did hear from spectators that the food and wine experience was first class and enjoyable.

Another Monterey Laguna Seca experience is weather. We started off Friday morning with intense “Monterey Sunshine”, otherwise known as fog to the rest of the world. The fog burnt off by late Friday afternoon followed by a photographer’s dream of a heavy overcast Saturday. Sunday had intermittent overcast. All in all the weather added opportunities to capture unique images of the cars on track.

Zak Brown of McLaren brought a group of cars from the McLaren collection: a 1996 McLaren F1GT12R that raced at Le Mans; a 2013 MP4/28A F1 car; Ayrton Senna’s 1990 F1 World Championship car MP4/5B-07; and the Alain Prost 1985 World Championship F1 MP4/2B-3. Then, the highlight of the weekend? The 2013 McLaren MP4/28A being driven at speed by Mario Andretti. Mario did not dawdle, he pushed it around the track quite rapidly. The other McLaren drivers were Indy Car’s Pato O’Ward and Formula 1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen.

As for the vintage cars, they were organized into 10 groups.

Group One ran from a 1928 Bugatti T-37A to a 1946 Delage D6. Paddins Dowling in his 1934 ERA R2A was the class of the field. Paddins leaning out of the car looking past the front into the turns. In the Corkscrew, as he went by, he was visible moving the steering wheel then, as he dropped down the Corkscrew, the dashboard was visible. With the drivers so exposed, spectators were treated to a small taste of what it takes to get one of these cars around Laguna quickly.

Group Two had cars from the 1949 Jaguar Parkinson Special to the 1955 Jaguar D-Type. The D-Type, perhaps the most beautiful competition car ever built, was quick and had a wonderful sound. Friday morning it would come out of the fog suddenly exposed with only one headlight burning…it is British after all. To capture images of the D-Type combined with one or two Jaguar XK-120s in the fog was a real thrill.

Group Three had cars ranging from the Lotus Elevens (That’s Eleven not 11) to the 1960 Maserati “Birdcage” Tipo 61. Hard to pick a favorite in this group, but Greg Meyer’s 1959 Sadler Mk.4 was a keeper. Just at the apex of Turn Two, Greg’s Sadler would lift the inside front tire off the pavement then drop it back down. Down the following straight, as Greg would shift from third to fourth, the inside front tire would again lift off the pavement a good eight inches. Fun to watch. The two Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa’s driven by Chase Johnson and Anthony Wang added to the symphony of sound from this group.

Group Four had among many, a Ferrari 250 GTO, a Ferrari 250 GT SWB, a Ferrari 250 GT TDF, at least four Alfa Romeo GTZ, two Porsche Abarth Carreras, and a gaggle of really quick 356 Porsches. This was another group that created a symphony of sounds combined with good racing. Saturday watching Jeff O’Neill in the GTO come through the pack chasing down Rob Walton’s 250 GT SWB was worth the price of admission.

Group Five was a cross section of “Big Inches” and German engineering with a smattering of Japanese and British engineering. Porsche 911s of various specifications, Datsun 240Z and 260Z cars, BMW 3.5 CSLs, Corvettes and one Ford Capri RS 3100. Good racing with tight finishes.

Group Six was a crowd favorite. Cobras, Corvettes, Lotus 23B, Lotus 26R, Ford GT40, Bizzarini 5300GT Strada, Sunbeam Tiger and Chevron B16 made up this group. The “Park Gang” led by Lynn Park, added to the festivities by running their three 289 Cobra’s nose to tail for may of the laps, giving photographers a rare opportunity to capture three Cobras nose to tail in one image. It has been awhile since I have seen a Ford GT40 driven this quickly on a track. Thanks to Rob Kauffman and his 1965 Ford GT40.

Group Seven was Vintage Trans-Am. Nose to tail racing with changes every lap, often every turn, for the lead and back down the group. Bruce Canepa in his ex-Penske 1970 AMC Javelin, Ken Epsman in his ex-Penske 1972 AMC Javelin and Jim Hague’s 1970 Mustang Boss 302 put on a pass and re-pass exhibit both Saturday and Sunday. Fast loud racing.

Group Eight was the Under 2.5 Trans-Am Challenge race. BMW 2002s, Datsun 510s, Alfa Romeo GTA and GTVs, VW “Beetle”, Dodge Colt, Porsche 911s, and a Ford Cortina. Good racing but the high light for me was meeting Pete Brock. I was at Turn Two talking with a gentleman and spotted a man that looked familiar but I was unable to place him. Just to help me out his wife finally said, “You know this is Pete Brock.” One of the reasons to come to the Velocity Invitational is the opportunity to meet legends of our sport like Pete Brock.

Group Nine and into the “Big Noise” of the event. Porsches, Corvettes and even a Cadillac CTS-V. Standing outside Turn 11, next to the wall, as those two Corvette C5Rs went by was an auditory experience. Not only the volume, but the vibration. These two C5R Corvettes were fast and loud bringing the crowd to their feet every time they dropped through the Corkscrew.

Group Ten, the now famous Mini vs Mustang race, finished each day off with racing into the setting sun. Shelby GT350, Mustang Fastback, Ford Falcon, and Mustang against a gaggle of Austin Mini Cooper S, Morris Minis,  and even a Mini Marcos GT Mk.2. Fun racing as the sun got lower and lower and the shadows got longer and longer. What a way to end a day.

Check out the following gallery of images and the separate gallery for subscribers. If I missed anyone, and I am sure I have, it’s because of publishing deadlines and not animosity. Send me a request for images. Even better leave comments on the gallery and article. Please remember I am a photographer and not a reincarnation of Ernest Hemingway or Denis Jenkinson.

DennisGray711@me.com

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September 30th through October 2nd found CSRG hosting their 19th Charity Challenge on the 12-turn, 2.52-mile Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California (We older guys refer to the track as Sears Point). This 19th Charity Challenge featured a strong field of over 200 cars divided into 9 groups. Formula cars, prototype and production sports cars, and IMSA cars were all featured. Of the nine run groups of particular interest were Group 3 which was focused on the MG Reunion for MG-powered cars up to 1980 and Group 9 which was for the John Morton Cup for Under 2 Liter and 2.5 Challenge Trans-Am cars.

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Weather – always a concern on an island in a Great Lake – was cooperative this year with temperatures in the 70s & 80s.

In the prestigious “Put-in-Bay Cup Race,” Sam Halkias of Westerville, OH again took the checkered flag, repeating his victory from 2021. Finishing second in the Cup Race was Greg Limber of Elyria, OH in his deceptively fast Volkswagen Beetle. Greg overcame a mid-pack starting position to finish ahead of third-place Lee Poseidon of Cleveland in his Jaguar XKE.  Not far behind Lee, the red Mustangs of Mike Sedlack of Brighton, MI (’68 302 notch-back) and Cory Barack of Saint Clairsville, OH (’66 2+2) thundered and slid around nose-to-tail for most of the race and put on a heck of show.

Featured marques for 2022 included MG and Triumph sports cars, attracting a field so well-subscribed that group three was split into separate groups, but there was still room on the grid for an “MG/Triumph Feature Race.”  In that one the TR6 of Sam Halkias (Port Clinton, OH) took the win with the MG TDs of Kurt Byrnes (Pittsburgh, PA) and Steve Konsin (Roswell, GA) taking 2^nd and 3^rd.

The Put-in-Bay Sports Car Races commemorate and celebrate the original road races sanctioned on the island from 1952-1959 by the Cleveland Sport Car Club. The modern-day event began in 2012 and is renowned for its convivial atmosphere, sportsmanship and camaraderie among all who participate.  This year’s event was proudly presented by The NOCO Company, a Cleveland, OH based manufacturer serving global markets with a broad range of automotive battery maintenance and charging products.

Complete race results for the 2022 Put-in-Bay Sports Car Races can be found at www.pibroadrace.com.

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