In the blink of an eye, 2022 has arrived—along with the first vintage race of the season. The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) kicked things off in sunny California with the So-Cal Speed Tour at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Under gusty conditions caused by the local Santa Ana winds, drivers navigated the 2.8-mile “roval” course, which uses part of the oval along with an aging infield section. At the height of the Speedway’s popularity, the same course was used by the Rolex Sports Car Series for Daytona Prototype and GT classes.
Unlike the traditional “qualify on Saturday, race on Sunday”, SVRA has found a more successful format—resulting in morning qualifying followed by an afternoon race on both Saturday and Sunday. Pam Shatraw, editor of SVRA’s Speed Tour magazine commented: “Getting to run two races per weekend is popular because it gives everyone a little more excitement, including the spectators.”
Reviewing a few highlights of the run groups will give you an idea of the weekend’s rumblings. Groups 6 and 12A combined to bring back memories of the SCCA B Production battles between American V8-powered muscle cars. Saturday’s feature race resulted in Bob Briggs finishing first behind the wheel of his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. The Ford Mustang of J.R. Smith took second, followed by the 1963 Corvette of John Anderson. It doesn’t get much more patriotic than that!
The ”Exclusive” race group was mostly made up of modern Ligier F3 and F4 cars driven by young drivers in the Formula Pro USA racing series. Alex Kirby earned first on Sunday with a blistering 1:37 best lap time. Group 10 for big-bore GT racers saw William Taylor on top of the box in both races, piloting his 1974 Porsche 911 RSR. And talk about a sound! Memories of 1970’s IMSA races came back like it was yesterday.
Groups 8 and 12B combined to form a medium-bore GT run group with vintage race veteran Phil Eglin winning both races in his 1972 Datsun 240Z over the very quick 1967 Alfa Romeo GTV of Chet Taylor. Third place on Saturday went to Porsche mechanic/racer Ray Stephens in his 1970 911, where Sunday’s third was captured by Porsche mechanic/racer Klaus Holthaus in a 914/6.
Groups 1, 3, and 4 were mostly small-bore GT racers, which always yield some good bumper-to-bumper action. It was no surprise Harris Koenig took first in both feature races driving his Renault Sports Racer. Saturday’s race saw long-time Porsche racers Bill Lyon (356 Speedster) and Pat Paternie (912) take second and third respectively.
Driving home from SVRA’s successful season opener, I couldn’t help but wonder: “Did I just witness the last sports car race at yet another one of Southern California’s disappearing race tracks?” Riverside Raceway, Ontario Motor Speedway; you already know what happens when real estate becomes too valuable.
Originally named California Speedway by its builder Roger Penske, it’s now rumored to be demolished by its current owner (NASCAR), with a “short track stadium” to be built in its place. If you watched the “Clash at the Coliseum”, then you know the future of racing in America depends on finding new ways to attract the next generation of race fans.
If you have never attended an SVRA event, it’s time to make plans. The country’s largest vintage racing organization really knows how to run an organized event, and with stops at iconic tracks like Sebring, Road Atlanta, Road America, and Watkins Glen, you’re guaranteed to have a memorable experience.
As Pam explained: “One of the goals our president, Tony Parella, initiated years ago was to ensure vintage racing stays connected to mainstream motorsports. With a constant effort to integrate newer classes of cars and schedule destinations people are excited to visit, we continue to experience growth and progress.” I couldn’t agree more, Pam.
Please see race-monitor.com/Results/Race/115146 for complete timing and scoring. All photos © Rex McAfee ([email protected])
