[h=2]Tin Tops take Lime Rock Park Historic Festival[/h] Tuesday, 27 June 2017








Tin Tops return to the Lime Rock Park Historic Festival, drawing a grid of pre-1970 sporting sedans for a second year of spirited competition. Volvo, Datsun, Lotus Cortina, Ford Cortina, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Morris Mini and MG will be among the marques taking to the track in pursuit of Historic Festival Chairman Murray Smith's "Tin Top Trophy."
The field will be especially tough this year with the entry of racing veteran "speedy" David Porter, who Smith predicts will be a "real threat in the tin top race." Porter will challenge the pack in his recently-acquired 1965 Lotus Cortina Mk1, which he debuted at Summit Point in May. "I have always driven open-top, purpose-built race cars since I started competing in 1981, and began to fancy a shot at a production-based racer with a roof," explains Porter. "Lotus Cortinas are iconic, having clinched victory with many famous drivers, including Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart."
Lime Rock Park is a favorite course for Porter, who has captured top three placements in past Historic Festival outings in his Lotus 69 Formula Ford and March 79B. In addition, he has garnered 10 racing championships since 1981, including a UK national Formula Ford Championship in 1987 and back-to-back Historic Indy Lights Championships in 2011 and 2012. Porter also won the Classic 12 Hour at Sebring in 2016.
Porter's Cortina was a road car until 2011, when London classic car dealer Howard Wise converted it to a FIA Appendix K. It was a consistent frontrunner in the hands of Steve Soper and John Young at both the Goodwood Revival and the Members' Meeting. The car has a highly-tuned Lotus Twin Cam engine producing 183 hp and 140 lbs of torque, and it revs to 8500.

Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 35 presented by the Prestige Family of Fine Cars brings three days of historic racing on September 1, 2 and 4; registration is open here. The September 3 Sunday in the Park Concours d'Elegance and Gathering of the Marques punctuates the annual Labor Day weekend event. Click here for further information.

 

[h=2]Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 35 Racing: Fast, Feverish and Fun[/h] Thursday, 13 July 2017


RACER Staff

Three days. Nine groups. Worldwide drivers. Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 35 promises spirited historic racing at its most exciting and intense combined with a healthy dose of fun and friendly competition.
As in previous years, the race groups at Lime Rock Park's 35th iteration of its Historic Festival have a somewhat quirky touch emanating from Festival Chairman Murray Smith. "It is apparent that all grids will be full, notably with two grids of perhaps 40 Formula Juniors and a full grid of unusual and spectacular cars in the revolutionary 'Tin Top' grid," he says.
SCCA period-correct, production-based cars take to the track in the "Kent's Domain: Not Quite Street Legal" group, exemplifying "then and now." Kent Bain, noted automobile restorer and accomplished vintage racer, explains that his long-time friends and not-so-fierce competitors, "stay within the rules but get every advantage we can out of those overworked and overstressed, price point-engineered production car components. We love it; it is creative and makes the most with the least, and is good racing!
"Triumph guys Bill Warner (founder of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance), Dave Gussack and I have shared the podium time and again with others of the same ilk. Gussack and I both drive 1300CC Triumph Spitfires and Bill fires up an ex-group 44 TR-6. The Lime Rock circuit is and the great equalizer; its design neutralizes advantages between the big and the little – between power and handling/braking."
Warner remarks that, "racing with Kent and Dave are my best memories after 40 years in a race car. The fact that they double up on me means they are racing with 2.6 liters, isn't that correct?"
Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 35 presented by the Prestige Family of Fine Cars brings three days of historic racing on September 1, 2 and 4; registration is open here. The September 3 Sunday in the Park Concours d'Elegance and Gathering of the Marques punctuates the annual Labor Day weekend event. Click here for further information.