2024 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Sportscar Vintage Racing Association

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) is the largest and one of the oldest Vintage racing organizations in the United States. The association has evolved since it was founded in 1978 by Ford Heacock III. It was originally called the Southeast Vintage Racing Association with a membership of approximately 25 drivers and supporters. Today, the organization host events for over 2,500 licensed competitors.

Race weekends are held throughout North America. The SVRA visits Sebring International Raceway, Road Atlanta, Charlotte Motor Speedway, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Portland International Raceway, Utah Motorsports Campus, Circuit of the Americas, Road America, The Ridge Motorsports Park, Sonoma Raceway, Watkins Glen International, NOLA Motorsports Park, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Auto Club Speedway and Virginia International Raceway. But their best-subscribed event is at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

To accommodate the wide range of vehicles owned by members of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, there are twelve race groups.

Group 1 – is for small displacement production sports cars and sedans such as the Mini Cooper and MG Midget.
Group 2 – this group is for pre-1973 Formula cars conforming to the association’s classic formula car rules.
Group 3 - sports cars and sedans manufactured prior to 1972 compete in this class.
Group 4 – sports cars built before 1960, such as ‘specials’ and sports cars with a limited production run, participate in this group.
Group 5 – this category was created for small-bore World Sports Car Championship and prototypes that were raced between 1960 and 1972 but also includes Sports 2000 cars, Spec Racer Fords and World Sports Racers.
Group 6 – Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs and other selected big-bore production sports cars and sedans built up to and including 1972 are in Group 6.
Group 7 – this class accommodates a wide range of cars referred to as sports racers - World Championship of Makes sports cars on slicks, under 2 Liter sports cars as raced after 1972, Can Am cars as raced after 1967 and center-seat Can Am cars. Also, cars that competed in the Sports Car Club of America’s A and B Sports Racer classes are eligible.
Group 8 - Sports cars and sedans manufactured before 1979 are placed in this division.
Group 9 – this group is for the quickest open-wheel cars. It includes Indy Lights, Formula 1, Formula 5000, Formula Atlantic and Super Vees.
Group 10 – this is an exciting category that includes everything from NASCAR Cup and Busch Series stock cars to Trans-Am and production-based cars that raced from 1999 to 5 years from today’s date.
Group 11 – in this class are sports racer machinery that raced from 1981 to 5-years from today’s date. The cars are very quick and previously competed in GTP/Group C, American Le Mans Series, Professional Sports Car Racing, World Sports Car and Grand Am prototype classes.
Group 12 – this division accepts GT sports cars and sedans raced between 1973 and 5 years before today’s date. These are Production-based cars such as Motorola Cup or any other stock / prepared racing series.

The objective across these different race groups is to provide safe, fair, and fun competition for drivers, crews, and fans.

The fourteenth race weekend of the 2024 SVRA season was held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Drivers competed in two feature races around the thirteen-turn 2.258-mile road course.

The event also included two Trans Am groups, Formula Regional, Formula 4 and Formula Ligier JS F4.

On hand at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was this beautiful No. 12 Bobsy SR2/3 of Paul Gelpi. Bobsy sports racers were designed and built by Ohio's Jerry Mong from 1958 to 1975. Approximately 200 cars and kits were produced by Mong. The SR2 owned by Gelpi is chassis three of ten that were constructed. The Bobsy was initially powered by an 850-cc OSCA motor but is currently equipped with a 1500-cc Ford Cosworth cross-flow engine.

Paul Gelpi brought a second entry to the Mid-Ohio Speed Tour, a 1958 Jaguar XK150. This model was produced by Jaguar from 1957 to 1960, with a total of 9,382 constructed. The 1958 version used a 3442 cc inline six-cylinder with double overhead camshafts. The power output ranged from 190 to 250 horsepower depending on the induction system—double or triple SU carburetor options were available. Gelpi was the only entry in 12bMP1.

From 2008 to 2011, Andrea and David Robertson shared the No. 40 Ford GT-R Mk VII in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with professional drivers David McMurry, Boris Said, and Colin Braun. The team's best ALMS result during this period was seventh at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2009. However, they topped this feat with a class podium in the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. Andrea Robertson practiced at Mid-Ohio but did not race.

Jeff Rocco races this 1993 No.2 Pontiac Grand Prix previously campaigned by Rusty Wallace. Wallace drove Pontiacs with the Miller Genuine Draft livery during the 1993 season and collected ten victories. The 1989 NASCAR Cup champion would finish second to Dale Earnhardt in 1993. Rocco was the only entry in the Stock Car Three category at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He won the first feature but did not compete in the second.

A second Stock Car competing at the SVRA Speed Tour weekend was Michael Slutz's No. 14A. Slutz races a 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass in the Stock Car Two class. The Copenhagen Oldsmobile was driven by A.J. Foyt. During the 1998 NASCAR Cup season, Foyt took part in seven events. He retired from all races with the exception of Talladega Superspeedway, where he finished twelfth. As the only entry at Mid-Ohio, Slutz won his division.

Appearing in Groups 5a, 7, 9, and 11 was Todd Sloan's No. 60 2006 Riley Mk IX. The Riley was originally prepared by Michael Shank Racing and competed in the Daytona Prototype class of the Grand American series. The car debuted at the 2006 Rolex 24 at Daytona, where it finished second with drivers Oswaldo Negri, Mark Patterson, A.J. Allmendinger, and Justin Wilson. Patterson and Negri would win the season finale at Miller Motorsport Park.

Jonathan DeGaynor entered the No. 111 1959 Devin Evolution. Devin Enterprises was founded by Bill Devin. From 1955 to 1964, the company produced fiberglass car bodies sold as kits. Devin bodies came in various sizes to accommodate different automotive platforms. DeGaynor's Devin Evolution is powered by a V8 and competes in the 6GT category. He won the first feature but did not compete in the second race due to the wet conditions.

General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Corvair in 1961, and over 315,000 were produced the following year. The car's success lasted until 1965 when Ralph Nader released his book about the Corvair, ' Unsafe at Any Speed.' Sales plummeted, and only 6,000 were sold in 1969. In the 1960s, car dealer Don Yenko was known for improving the performance of Chevrolets. He developed the Yenko Stinger, a race-prepared version of the Corvair.

Lee Brahin, who also drives this Lola T89/90 in the Vintage Sports 2000 North American series, competed at the Mid-Ohio SVRA event. The British automobile race car manufacturer Lola Cars Limited was founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley. The company is currently owned by Till Bechtolsheimer. Ten T89/90 models were built. The monocoque chassis has a Ford NEA 2-liter and a modified Hewland Mk. 9 gearbox. The T89/90 weighs 1,056 pounds.

Many racing divisions competed at the Mid-Ohio Speed Tour event, one of which was the Ginetta Challenge 2024—North American Race Series. Ginetta was founded by the Walklett brothers in 1958, and the company is currently owned by Lawrence Tomlison. Drivers in the series race the Ginetta G56 GTA. This model is powered by a 270 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 Ford engine that produces 405 Newton meters of torque.

David Schardt drove the No. 94 Toyota Supra Turbo at the Speed Tour. In 1997, Schardt made his SCCA World Challenge debut at Mid-Ohio with a Supra. He finished seventh in his only event of the year. Next season, Schardt participated in seven races and finished ninth in the standings. In 1999, he competed in all races and collected third-place results at Mosport and PPIR. The following year, Schardt switched to a Porsche GT3 Cup.

This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro is owned and driven by R.J. Gottlieb. Gottlieb has used the Camaro to compete in various motorsport disciplines. It is reputed to be the world's fastest Camaro, with a top speed of 266 mph. The car has victories at La Carrera Classic and Silver State Classic and record speeds at Mojave Magnum, Bonneville, and more. Unfortunately, the team faced issues during the event and couldn't show the Camaro's full potential.

Colin Cohen drives the No. 38 Maserati MC GT4. Cohen competes in the GT category of the Trans Am series and took advantage of the additional track time offered by the Speed Tour weekend. The 3,109-pound Maserati is a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with a six-speed sequential transmission. Powering the car is a 4,691 cc aluminum V8 with double overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The engine produces 430 horsepower.

Copyright Notice:

All content (photographs and text) appearing on this website are the exclusive property of © www.zoompics.com and are protected under International copyright laws. The subject matter on this website may not be reproduced, copied, stored or manipulated.