Report and photos by Tim Kemmis
The Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association’ Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival (ELVF) and Historic Race Circuits of Elkhart Lake’s (HRC) 60th Anniversary teamed together to bring great events, great cars, and great people to Elkhart Lake and Road America for the weekend of September 10-12, 2010.
2010 marked the 60th anniversary of the original road races at Elkhart Lake (that eventually led to the construction of Road America), the 55th anniversary of the founding of the ELVF featured marque, Elva Cars, as well as the 25th anniversary of the ELVF race weekend.
To celebrate the occasion, VSCDA and HRC sponsored events to satisfy every sports car enthusiast, including a feature race for Elva cars, special races besides the usual VSCDA race groups and enduro that recalled the original Elkhart Lake road races called the Kimberly Cup (Groups 1,2,3, and 8), Sheldon Cup (Groups 2, 3 and 8), and Elkhart Lake Cup (Groups 3, 6,8, and 9). Sunday’s race for Group 1 was highlighted by an exciting “Le Mans Start” (modified for today’s safety considerations).
HRC sponsored Saturday’s Kettle Call Rally which featured over 40 superb vintage and modern sports cars enjoying the Kettle Moraine’s scenic and challenging drivers’ roads. They also sponsored the Saturday afternoon Concours d’Provenance for cars with a race car pedigree on the lawn at the Osthoff resort overlooking the shores of Elkhart Lake. This was coupled with displays of classic VSCDA vintage racers.
The annual road race re-enactment over the original Elkhart Lake roads was also enhanced for 2010, starting on the usually closed part of the course in front of the Osthoff at the conclusion of the concours. Flagmen in period dress waved the cars off at both the start and finish lines
Every vintage race weekend brings out exceptional cars, but here are a few of the standouts at the Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival 2010:
• Several cars that were veteran of the original 1950-52 Elkhart Lake Road Races, from MGs to Allards to Jaguars, among them:
— The Cunningham C2R which John Fitch won the 1951 Elkhart Lake feature race
— The C-Type Jaguar that propelled a young Phil Hill to victory in the 1952 Sheldon Cup
— The alloy XK 120 Jaguar driven in the original road races by famed designer Brooks Stevens
— The ex-Jim Kimberly Healey Silverstone
• The Ferrari 166 MM/53 of Jim Fuchs co-driven with his daughter Charlene. Although a later 166 MM model than the one Jim Kimberly drove to win the first ever feature race at Elkhart Lake in 1950, it’s high-rpm wail treated fans to what the little Ferrari must have sounded like when it captured sports car enthusiasts imaginations 60 years ago
• A contingent of veteran Bugattis from the U.K. brought to the event by Charles Dean, Ivan Dutton, Timothy Dutton, David Hands, and Geoff Dorey. At full chat, these Bugattis, with driver exposed out in the open, sail past most of the under 2-liter post-war cars on the long Road America straights, apply their narrow mechanical brakes for the turn, and then streak off down the next straight. Breath taking.
• All those great Elvas
John Fitch was guest of honor for Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival 2010. Fitch won the feature races at Elkhart Lake in both 1951 (Cunningham C2R) and 1952 (Cunningham C4R), and went on to drive for the prestigious Cunningham, Mercedes-Benz, and Corvette racing teams, among others, with wins overall or in class at Sebring, the Carrera Panamericana, Mille Miglia, Dunrod Tourist Trophy, and many other races. Welcoming, gracious, and ever ready to sign autographs or reminisce about the past, Fitch epitomized the best that sports car drivers can be.
The HRC banquet on Friday night and the VSCDA banquet on Saturday night brought great people together. At the HRC banquet, a display of some original 1950-52 race cars, and displays of race mementos, photos, and memorabilia set the stage for a 3-part dinner program. Conrad Barrows, who attended those initial road races, and Rex McAfee, son of legendary West Coast racer Jack McAfee, took the audience through photographic tours of all three years’ road racing from 1950 through 1952, including some unforgettable home movie footage. Closing out the banquet were John Fitch and his friend Don Klein. Fitch opened with the remark, “Everyone asks me if I’m happy to be here. At age 93, I’m happy to be anywhere!” Fit and articulate, Fitch seems on his way to rivaling Methuselah. Along with Klein, he recounted highlights of driving for the Cunningham team and starting the Corvette racing program.
For the VSCDA banquet on the following night, Chicago-born Burdette Martin, former Elva distributor in the U.S., but better known as former chief steward of the Can-Am and Trans-Am series, President of the ACCUS, Vice-President of the FIA, and member of the World Motorsports Council, was the first guest speaker. Burdie recounted how much Road America influenced his life and career. Then Fitch and Klein reminisced about John’s experiences as a pilot in WWII and his exploits behind the wheel for the Cunningham, Mercedes-Benz, and Corvette teams, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival 2010 – Concours d’Provenance
1st Place Competitor in the 1950-52 Elkhart Lake Road Races
Cunningham C2R (ex-Fitch)
Tom Mittler family
1st Place Production-based race cars
Ferrari 166 MM/53
Jim Fuchs
1st Place Purpose-built race cars
Cooper T56 Formula Junior
Dick Eisenmann
Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival 2010 – Race Results
Elva Feature Race Results – Elvas from Race Groups 2, 3, 8
1. Gregory Campbell – Elva-Porsche Mk 7S
2. Bob Youngdahl – Elva-Porsche Mk 7S
3. Thor Thorson – Elva Mk 6
Kimberly Cup Results – Race Groups 1, 2, 3, 8
1. Charles Dean – Bugatti Type 51
2. Matthew Mulack – Austin Mini Cooper
3. Duck Waddle – Bobsy SR2-3
Sheldon Cup Results – Race Groups 2, 3, 8
1. Robert Boller – Lotus 23B
2. Lee Giannone – Porsche 911
3. George Balbach – Porsche Roadster
Elkhart Lake Cup Results – Race Groups 3, 6, 8, 9
1. Robert Blain – ’04 Chevrolet Corvette
2. George Stauffer – ’01 Audi 128 LM
3. Lee Milazzo – ’98 Ford Mustang Trans-Am
Enduro Results – Race Groups 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
1. Robert Blain – Chevron B31-36
2. Robert Boller – Ralt RT1
3. Josh Boller – Lotus 23B
Group 1 Results (Le Mans start)
1. Charles Dean – Bugatti Type 51
2. Timothy Dutton – Bugatti Type 33B
3. Matthew Primack – Lester MG
Group 2 Results
1. Thomas Frankowski –’60 Chevrolet Corvette
2. Thor Thorson – Elva Mk 6
3. George Balbach – Porsche Roadster
Group 3 Results
1. Robert Boyce – ’65 Cheetah
2. Robert Boller – Lotus 23B
3. Gregory Campbell – Elva-Porsche Mk. 7S
Group 4, 5, 7 Results
1. Jeff Miller – Lola-Kohler
2. Robert Blain – Chevron B31-36
3. Justin Segel – Chevron B-21
Group 4, 5, 7 Open Wheel Special Race Results
1. Justin Segel – Chevron B-21
2. Richard Duffey – ’85 Swift
3. John Kramer – ’85 Swift
Group 6 Results
1. Alan Rupp – ’69 Ford Mustang
2. Colin Comer – ’66 Shelby GT350
3. Fritz Seidel – ’67 Porsche 911S
Group 8 Results
1. Fritz Seidel – ’69 Porsche 911S
2. Lisa Hansen – ’69 Porsche 911S
3. Joe Ziltener – Datsun 240Z
Group 9 Results
1. Lee Milazzo – ’96 Ford Mustang Trans-Am
2. Colin Comer – ’98 Ford Mustang
3. Robert Boller – Jaguar XJR-5
Group 10 Results
1. Garrett VanCamp – ’69 Lynx B
2. H. David Jones – ’69 Zink C4
3. John Hertsgaard – ’59 FJR Special
Formula V Special Race (including Formula Juniors)
1. George Bruggenthies – Lotus 20
2. Michael Kitzmiller – ’69 Lynx B
3. H. David Jones – ’69 Zink C4
What remains is a gallery of great cars and events from the 2010 ELVF and HRC 60th Anniversary events, including the Kettle Car Rally, Concours d’Provenance, Elkhart Lake road race re-enactment and the vintage car races at Road America.
[Source: Tim Kemmis]
