2024 Watkins Glen International - 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.

Race weekend nineteen of twenty-two on the 2024 SVRA schedule was held at Watkins Glen International. Drivers competed and scored points in two contests around the eleven-turn, 3.337-mile road course.

The event also included two Trans Am groups.

This looks like a McLaren M8F but is a NuArt Can Am. Richard Nauert is the founder and designer of the NuArt Can Am. The car remains true to the original Can Am series with a big-block engine but uses modern technology to ensure safety and longevity. The NuArt Can Am was scheduled to compete in the Unlimited Racing Championship, expected to debut in 2012. Unfortunately, it never got off the ground.

At the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans, Briggs Cunningham entered a re-bodied Series 61 Cadillac with a 5.4-liter V8 producing 160 horsepower. Cunningham and his teammate Phil Walters finished eleventh in a car the French called Le Monstre. Derek Drinkwater created a tribute to the original in England. The build used as many period-correct parts as possible. Drinkwater shipped the car to the US to compete in vintage events.

This beautiful 1960 MG A was driven by Mark O’Day. The MG A was a replacement for the company’s TF model. It was introduced in 1955 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and was in production until 1962. In May 1959, the 1489 cc four-cylinder engine was replaced with a 1588 cc motor producing 79.5 horsepower. The cars were also equipped with front disc brakes. In 1960, 15,478 roadsters and 1452 coupes were produced.

In the early sixties, southern California’s Alden LeGrand founded LeGrand Races Cars. LeGrand’s early focus was the construction of open-wheel cars, but he eventually began producing sports racers. The No. 7B, driven by David Zavetsky at Watkins Glen, is a LeGrand Mark 7A designed to Formula A specifications. This is the second 7A built by LeGrand and was raced by Jerry Entin, Rex Ramsey, Chuck Elliott, Mal Patterson, and Ken Owen.

Another LeGrand creation at Watkins Glen was the No. 5 Mark 11 driven by Joseph Riolo. The Mark 11 was a replacement for the Mark 7. The car debuted with Rex Ramsey behind the wheel at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Despite an accident on the opening lap, Ramsey finished sixteenth. A week later, he won the Gulf Canada Championship race at Trois-Rivieres. In addition to Ramsey, Jim Paul, Keith Saunders, Bill Swope and JB Walton drove the Mark 11.

The Eagle DGF (Dan Gurney Ford) is a much sought-after Formula Ford. Not so much for its performance, although it won the 1978 SCCA National Formula Ford Championship with David Loring, but because of its pedigree. The Eagle DGF is one of many models created by Dan Gurney’s All American Racers. A total of thirteen were constructed between 1977 and 1978. This car was entered by Wes Allen and competed in the 2CF class of Group 2.

A car on hand with Trans Am history was the No. 37 1970 Chevrolet Camaro driven by James Glass. The Camaro has competed in over 100 Sports Car Club of America races. The car’s logbook includes six Runoffs and two Trans Am starts. Between 1973 and 1998, the Camaro had three owners: Peter Archey, William MacFarlane, and Tony DiLorenzo. The most successful Runoffs outing was in 1975 when Archey finished fifth in A Sedan.

Bruce Hamilton dominated Group 2, which is for Formula B, Formula Ford, Club Ford, and Formula Vee, all weekend. Hamilton piloted the No. 76 Brabham BT36, topped the timesheets in practice and qualifying, and won both races overall. The Brabham was constructed to Formula 2 specifications. It has a tubular space frame chassis and is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder Ford FVA Cosworth, which produces 220-horsepower. Twelve BT36 models were built.

There were three Revolution A-1 500SCs at the SVRA event. Antonio La Rosa drove the No. 95 entry. The Revolution was designed by British engineer Phil Abbott, one of the co-founders of Radical Motorsport. Powering the 1,870-pound Revolution is a 3.7-liter Ford Cyclone V6 engine. A supercharger has been installed to increase horsepower from 427 to 500. Bolted to the motor is a six-speed sequential transmission.

Group 5a, 7, and 11 included a round of the Prototype Sprint Series (PSSA). PSSA is designed to host prototype cars in a sprint race format. Nearly 20 different chassis are eligible for competition. One of these models is the Sebeco NP01. The NP01 uses a Mazda 2.0-liter MZR engine that produces 210 horsepower. The chassis is a tube frame design fitted with fiberglass bodywork. Sebeco also produces the SPX model with a 2.5-liter Mazda MZR.

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