63Corvette

For those of you who think that Vintage racing is "just a parade of old cars" and not "RACING"

mnmthoele

I was standing inside road course turn 1 during the Pro-Am race when a Camaro and Mustang took each other out. So you know that wasn't a parade. I would have to say that was the best racing event I have ever seen at IMS. The drivers may not be pushing the cars to the limits, but many of the drivers are probably reaching their own limits.

TWINRAY

SVRA at The Glen. The Friday - Sunday after Labor Day. Friday's street festival in town is a must. See you at the Seneca Bar!

Mike Terry

I live just 30 min from the 500 track and I did not go to it but you can bet I will be there next year. That is cool except they are driving the wrong way on the track maybe they have had to many before getting into there cars. That was cool. Thanks for posting.

Bluestripe67

That was really cool. It looked like he ran out of something on the straightaway trying to get over on the Porsche. Dennis

Vette Daddy

I was there all week and helped out with the Tommy Morrison Snake Skinner ZR-1's Got to meet garret and his wife during Tech.

What a fun week! hope to be driving my Corvette Challenge car there next year.

gbvette62

Thanks for posting that. It was a fantastic event, and I can't wait to go back again next year.

That wasn't supposed to happen, and was the biggest fear we had about, turning our Corvette over to one of the retired pro drivers. The pro drivers were told to take it easy on the cars, since most of them belonged to private owners, not professional or full time racers. The SVRA frowns upon car to car contact anyway. Besides, the cars in the Pro-Am were all from the 63-72 era, and are required to run period correct brakes, so they don't stop like a modern Indy car. There were no Brembos or Wilwoods out there.

The Camaro was being driven by Buddy Lazier. I'm not sure who was driving the Mustang, but I think it might have been John Martin, in Jeffrey Garrett's orange 67 Mustang. From pit road, all we saw was the dust and tire smoke, so I don't know what happened, or who might have been at fault. The Camaro got torn up pretty bad, and I really hate to see that happen. I'm glad it wasn't our car, but you still don't want to see it happen to anyone else either.

Lazier and Sean Ryan (the Camaro's owner), were pitted next to us. Here is what's left of the Camaro, coming down pit road, after the altercation.



The high light of our weekend, was the Pro-Am. We started 22 and finished 5th. Pete Halmser was our pro driver, and did a great job.

Jim, our driver, was saying all weekend that the car seemed down on power. It was running okay, but it wasn't pulling like we're use to, plus it just sounded a little flat. We never found the issue, but initially thought it was carb related. Afterwards, when Jim got it back to the shop, he traced the problem to a bad lifter.

It was very special to be at Indy, but The Glen's US Vintage Grand Prix, is still my favorite event of the year. I've been lucky enough to get to ride along, in the Friday night reenactment, the last 2 years. It's quit a thrill to hammer along public roads, in a 66 AP big block Corvette, with open exhaust and a cut down windshield (2012) and in a 68 302 powered open exhaust T/A Camaro (2013).

We usually end up at the Seneca Lodge, one night during the weekend.

63Corvette

You are correct, but the reason that John was in Jeff's Mustang is that I ran the bearings in my Corvette due to the sustained high rpm during the "Oval" portion of the event. John qualified 4th in the Pro/Am Celebrity race, but after I broke my engine, Tony got John a ride courtesy of the very generous offer from Jeff Garrett.
All of us are really sorry this happened, because it is a black eye for Vintage Racing everywhere. That said, there was a LOT of very aggressive driving at this event.

gbvette62

I'm sorry to hear about your engine trouble, but that explains a lot. I thought you were entered in the Pro-Am, and teamed up with John Martin. I was pretty sure that when I met you on Thursday, that he was in your garage, and I met him too.

I still haven't figured out how the starting order, for the Pro-Am was really determined. In Saturday's practice, Halmser had turned the third fastest lap in our Corvette, but when we showed up on the grid on Sunday, we were gridded 22nd. They told us that the starting order had been decided by a drawing, and that's why we were starting 22nd?

After watching the video, I realize that Jeffrey's Mustang was blue/green, not orange. We race with so many Mustangs, and while the 64-66's are usually either white or blue, the 67-72's all seem to be Easter egg colors. We were at Thompson Speedway a couple weeks ago, with the VRG, where we were racing with Curt Vogt's baby blue 70 Boss 302, Scotty Hackenson's yellow with black hood 67 notchback, and Tony Conover's similar orange and black 67. I guess I was thinking of Tony's orange one, when I posted earlier.

I have to agree with that, especially among some of the pro drivers. One of the pros in a Mustang, was locked up going into turn 1, on every lap. I'm pretty sure it was Eliseo Salazar, in Gary Moore's GT-350. When I first heard about the wreck in turn 1, I assumed it was Salazar, that got together with Lazier.

Only about 2 laps into Saturday's practice session for the pro's, Buddy Lazier split Halsmer in our car and one of the GT-350's, at start/finish. It concerned us, watching from pit road, and looked even worse afterwards, when we saw it on our in car video.

Pop Chevy

That doesn't look good for Buddy. Looks like he got hungry and went in waaay to deep. I was in group 9 and we had a few wrecks also. it's a shame to see a beautiful old F5000 car torn up because someone got carried away. I finished with my car in one piece and still running. Anybody here going to Pocono? That's my next one.

I'm curious who gets to pay for all that damage ???

gbvette62

We'll be at Pocono, with the 65 Corvette below (pictured on the Indy oval).

A friend of ours, Tony Carpanzano, races a 93 FA Reynard in Group 9, and I think he'll be at Pocono with us.

I'm afraid it's on Sean, and his father Pat Ryan, to eat the cost of putting the Camaro back together.

Pop Chevy

NIIICE car ! I used to race a 66 vette in BP back in the 70's (my avatar). It was never that pretty though. Incidentally, the last time I raced at Pocono was 1981 w a 76 Vette. Hope to see ya there. I'll be in the FA car with "Pops" on the side of it.
I figured the sanction might cough up for at least part of the damage since the Pro race was their idea ! Tony is a good guy, I bet he helps out.

Kubs

I dont think anyone here would say that, but I will "argue" that point if you have more video proof?

I love watching these vintage races!!

63Corvette

Hi Kubs...................THIS one's for you

parkerracing

You can't win the race in the first corner, but you CAN lose it.

Kubs

Awesome!!! Thanks!