More than 112 vintage racers and 760 collector cars filled Oregon’s Portland International Raceway over the Labor Day weekend with weather more befitting the English countryside. The 39th Annual SOVREN Columbia Classic and All British Field Meeting saluting Austin-Healey offered scattered sunshine Saturday, but the rest of the weekend was often awash.
The Historic Small & Bigger Bore classes were the largest group, with up to 32 entrants. The 1964 Lotus Seven of Marc Nichols claimed a 1st and 2nd in the first two races, John Rankin’s 1965 Beach MK IVB won the second race, and Stephen Newby in his 1965 MG Midget won the third race ahead of Rankin.
John Woodward swept three Vintage Group 1 races with his 1962 Morgan 4/4 (above). Erik Dolson’s 1969 Corvette ZL1 won two races in the Historic Group 3 Even Bigger Bore and Large Bore group, while Jack Healy’s 1969 BMW 2002 claimed the third race.
The Formula Cars & Exhibition Group 4 had just one full field due to the rain, with James Blackwell’s Buick-powered 1984 Argo JM16 winning by three seconds over John Hill and his 1975 Chevron B29. The Washington-based, father-son Blackwell team has been racing English Argos since 1981. The former Jeff Kline JM16, a Miami Grand Prix winner, is only one of eight built.
Formula Fords were out in force with as many as 20 starters. Tom Kreger’s 1971 Titan Mk6 took the top podium spot in the first two races, with Tracy Dye’s Crossle 35F taking 2nd twice – once by just three-tenths of a second. John Greeven claimed round three with his 1978 Crossle 32F, just 2.5 seconds ahead of the 1982 Van Diemen RF81 piloted by Don Stern.
Closed Wheel Cars combined for a final race won by Mark Godsoe in his 1968 BMW 2002 over the 1959 Elva Courier of Steven Clark. The Open Wheel combined race was claimed by Stern’s Van Diemen, followed by Dye in his Crossle and John Ballantyne in a ’68 Titan Mk 4.
