Historic Racers at Sebring several articles

50 years of Trans Am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95gnUDEDuT8

 

SVRA celebrates Trans Am legends

Thursday, 10 March 2016


Mark Dill (words & images)
Following their appearance on the Saturday night “Legends Panel” (left to right) – Bob Tullius, Amy Ruman, Willy T. Ribbs, Jack Baldwin and Tom Yeager.

One of highlights of the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association homage to the 50th anniversary of the Trans Am series March 3-6 at Sebring was a banquet featuring a panel of driving legends Saturday night. The event was for SVRA members and special guests including John Claggett, president of today's Trans Am series.
The legends speaking after the dinner were weekend grand marshal Bob Tullius, Tom Yeager, George Follmer, Lyn St. James, Willy T. Ribbs, Jack Baldwin and 2015 series champion Amy Ruman. Tullius, Yeager and Follmer competed in the early era of Trans Am during the 1960s and '70's. St. James and Ribbs raced in the 1980s while Jack Baldwin rose to prominence in the 1990s. Combined, the group represented four championships and 57 race wins.
Author and motorsports historian Rich Taylor moderated the discussions. Tullius (RIGHT, autographing a picture of his Group 44 1966 Dodge Dart) was introduced first and as grand marshal was the only driver interviewed individually. As with all the drivers, Tullius dropped numerous gems of insight aficionados of auto racing savored more than the chicken dinner they had just consumed.
On two issues Tullius strived to set the record straight, and both involved legendary names – A.J. Foyt and Jochen Rindt. During the first Trans Am race A.J. Foyt jumped into the lead in a Ford Mustang. The car developed mechanical problems and did not finish.
"Somehow people have gotten the idea that I inherited that lead," Tullius asserted. "I'm here to tell you I passed Foyt on the track before he faded. I want you folks to understand that."
The comment got a rise out of the crowd and some cheers as if the audience had just witnessed the pass that took place 50 years prior. Everyone that night was a Bob Tullius fan.
Another point bench racers still discuss is that it was Jochen Rindt in an Alfa who was first across the finish line at Sebring in 1966, not Tullius in his Group 44 Dodge Dart. Rindt was in the smaller under 2-liter class while Tullius drove a bigger bore V8.
"I wasn't racing against him, he was in another class, so I just let him go," Tullius asserted. "If I knew it would create this much conversation I would have pressed a little harder and got by him."
Again, the audience applauded. They were amused further when Tullius explained that Group 44 only had three employees at the time, so they relied on another Chrysler-supported group – Scott Harvey's Team Starfish – to provide pit service. The agreement was that Tullius would not pass Harvey's Barracuda during the race. Tullius, though, decided that Harvey was going too slowly and he could challenge Foyt if he passed his "teammate," so he did. When he came in for pit service Harvey's team stood around nonchalantly. They finally put some fuel in the car, but no tires. It took five minutes.
After Tullius the other drivers assembled on a panel at the front of the room. All of them provided insights to Trans Am history.
George Follmer discussed an aspect of the sport no longer seen in a major series: tire wars. He was a teammate with Parnelli Jones in the Bud Moore-prepared Boss 302 Mustangs in 1969. Follmer was convinced they had the best car, but not the best tires. They were on Firestones. The tires went off after just a handful of laps and the Goodyear-shod machines moved forward, especially that year's champion, Mark Donohue, in the Roger Penske Camaro.
Lyn St. James, a driver of another era, urged the Historic Trans Am car owners in the audience to include in their mix the cars of the 1980s. That group preserves the racers of the 1966 through 1972 seasons.
"The cars of the 1980s are cool too," she asserted. "I learned a lot from that time. I had success in endurance racing but in Trans Am you had to get up to speed immediately. The entire weekend was compressed and if you did not sort it out quickly, you were lost. I still have my 'fast five' jacket from qualifying. I'm proud of that."
The ever-quotable Willy T. Ribbs got the biggest laughs of the evening. Pulling no punches he made it clear that he and former teammate David Hobbs were never on the best of terms – especially after rookie Ribbs won five races to Hobbs' four in 1983.
"Let's just say we didn't eat fish and chips together," Ribbs quipped.
Ribbs also told an amusing story about a tactic he used to intimidate competitors as everyone struggled with tire wear management. He talked about how he wore an open-face helmet and then drove up close to another driver while deliberately smiling as widely as he could.
"I figured with my black face they'd see those white teeth," he chuckled. "I wanted them to know how happy I was with how my car was handling and that I was coming to get 'em!"
Ribbs effectively introduced the next driver, 1992 champion Jack Baldwin, by talking about how they "teamed up" on fellow competitor Scott Pruett. While he left out the details, he simply said, "For me and Jack the slogan was, 'Do it to Pruett!'"
Baldwin, whose career will forever be associated with the Mattel Hot Wheels Camaro, discussed how the sponsorship came about. It was a lightning bolt in the middle of the night.
"I just woke up one night and it came to me," Baldwin explained. "I could visualize racing a Hot Wheels car. I didn't know anybody at Mattel, but I pulled together a presentation and didn't quit until I found the right person."
The sponsorship was one of tremendous mutual benefit. Baldwin enjoyed a world-class sponsor and Mattel suddenly found that they were churning out one of the hottest selling products in company history.
"Kids loved it," Baldwin said. "And you know what, I never left an autograph session until I had met with every single one of them."
Fittingly, the closer of the evening was current Trans Am champ Amy Ruman. She grew up in a racing family oriented around Trans Am with father Bob a steady competitor through most the 1990s. Ruman's heart is in Trans Am and she always thought of the series as her career destiny.
"For me, it has always been about Trans Am," Ruman (near left, with St. James) shared. "I watched my dad and the other great drivers of the 1990s and it was really all I thought about. I am so grateful to have a racing family. My mom drove autocross and my sister has raced. Our success has truly been the result of having the support of a great family and team."
With 13 race wins she has equaled the career total of Follmer and was second only to Ribbs with 19 among those on the panel that evening. With one of the top teams in the series it seems inevitable she will add to her victory total this year.
While Ruman was busy on the track the other drivers speaking that evening were visible throughout the weekend with additional panel discussions, autograph sessions, book signings and interviews. Complementing this story is the video at the top of this page summarizing the careers of the drivers that was used to introduce the panel discussion at the Saturday night banquet.

 

Terry Bookheimer, 1967 Mercury Cougar, Historic Trans Am. This car was once driven by Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones.

SVRA at Sebring: Race summaries & gallery

Tuesday, 08 March 2016


Mark Dill / Images by Mark Dill & Randy Harbaugh

The vintage racers of the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) hosted the Trans Am series, Historic Trans Am and International GT (America's GT Cup) at Sebring March 3-6 to produce diverse racing with over 300 entries. The colorful display delivered an array of varied car designs and engine noises rarely found in one setting today.

The theme of the weekend was the 50th anniversary of the Trans Am series and some of the biggest names in the sport's history were visible throughout the weekend with panel discussions, autograph sessions, book signings and interviews. Among the racing icons on hand were event grand marshal Bob Tullius, George Follmer, Willy T. Ribbs, Jack Baldwin, Lyn St. James, Ron Fellows and Tom Yeager.
The current-era Trans Am series introduced a new format with the addition of the TA4 and TA5 class designations along with the familiar TA, TA2 and TA3. The growth of the series has necessitated two feature races with TA2 running one event while the others joined together in a separate contest. Gar Robinson edged Adam Andretti in the TA2 race while 79-year-old Kenny Bupp was the surprise winner in the premier class, TA.
Bupp was prepared to meet opportunity when early leaders faltered through accidents and mechanical failure. Lee Saunders won the TA3 class while Steve Kent Jr. and Mark Boden brought home the first-place hardware for TA4 and TA5 respectively. The Trans Am series conducted their races on Saturday and were headed home before Sunday morning.
Bruce Hamilton figured heavily among the highlights from the SVRA races on both Saturday and Sunday. The veteran vintage racer won all four contests he entered. Clair Schwendemann swept both day's Group 6 events in his 1968 Corvette. Justin Ehrlich won the two International GT races. It was that series' first outing as part of SVRA weekends with their Stuttgart and Maranello Cup prizes. Theo Bean, last year's SVRA Group 11 national champion, won overall in Sunday's Group 10 and 11 races. The 23-year-old driving sensation piloted his father's 1990 Chevrolet Intrepid prototype.
Click on the thumbnails below for larger images.




Paul Reisman, 2009 Porsche GT3 (71), Juan Gonzales, 2009 Porsche GT3 (80), Rob Cohen, Ferrari 430 (90). (Randy Harbaugh photo)

 

[h=2]SVRA: Historic Trans Am at Sebring[/h] Monday, 07 March 2016


Mark Dill (words & images)

So, where did all those great Trans Am Series pony car racers go? You know, the ones of that magic era from 1966 through '72. We're talking the yellow school bus-painted, Bud Moore-prepared Mustang Boss 302s of Parnelli Jones and George Follmer, the Sunoco blue Roger Penske Camaros Mark Donohue piloted or Dan Gurney's and Swede Savage's All American Racers pitch blue Plymouth Barracudas. Or how about Penske's red, white and blue AMC Javelins and the blindingly lime green Dodge Challenger of Sam Posey?
Thankfully the answer to the above question is that they did not go to a museum – at least not full time. No, thanks to a loose-knit organization of fanatics with means known as Historic Trans Am, all the above extraordinary machines and many others of their kin are run in anger on some of America's top road racing circuits today. There was no better evidence of this than this past weekend's SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA)-sanctioned event at Sebring.
With the theme of the weekend – the 50th Anniversary of Trans Am – the cars of the Historic Trans Am association are right at home at the 64-year-old iconic track that is Sebring International Raceway. The people behind Historic Trans Am are the ultimate enthusiasts for the first generation machines of the sport, generally accepted as ending with the demise of factory support after 1972.
"When the American factories like Ford, Chrysler, GM and American Motors retreated after 1972," says Bill Ockerlund (LEFT), owner of several such machines like the ex-Roger Penske AMC Javelin Mark Donohue drove to the 1971 championship. "It fundamentally changed the series and a group of us want to preserve as much of the magic of the early days as we can."
Ockerlund had two of Donohue's championship-winning cars in the Sebring paddock, the 1969 Penske Camaro as well as the '71 Penske Javelin. He also brought Parnelli Jones' 1970 championship-winning Ford Mustang as well as the AAR Plymouth Barracuda Gurney and Savage drove in 1970. For Ockerlund and his colleagues at Historic Trans Am, it's all about authenticity.
This quest for authenticity has been the unifying tenant of everyone involved with Historic Trans Am from the get-go when a few owners got the idea to huddle some 23 years ago. Tom McIntyre, the owner of Mark Donohue's 1968 Roger Penske Sunoco Camaro championship machine, (RIGHT, leading Terry Bookheimer’s 1967 Mercury Cougar. Randy Harbaugh photo) has been a driving force since the beginning.
"We were just a handful of friends in California," McIntyre says. "One had an ex-George Follmer Boss 302, another had the University of Pittsburgh Camaro. We ended up putting a show on at Sonoma. The response of fans was so enthusiastic we looked at each other and decided our idea had some real potential."
That potential has blossomed into what might be described as a traveling road show with six stops in 2016. In addition to Sebring the group will perform at Sonoma, Laguna Seca, Lime Rock and Watkins Glen. Always supporting a larger event, the Historic Trans Am will be part of the SVRA weekends at Sonoma and Watkins Glen while their two appearances at Laguna will be associated with the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The Lime Rock round is part of that track's annual historic festival.
LEFT: Mark Donohue during a 1971 Trans Am pit stop for his Roger Penske AMC Javelin. (Photo courtesy of HTA)
While a broad swath of Americans harbor a cult-like affection for old-school muscle cars, the authenticity McIntyre, Ockerlund and the core leadership stress is what differentiates their road show and makes it special. Among the early advisors to the group was Steve Earle, widely recognized as the founder of what is now known as the Monterey Motorsports Reunion and a visionary in vintage racing. Earle encouraged the group to race at the original Sonoma event in 1993 and counseled on how to verify the lineage of the extraordinary cars.
"We strive for real documentation to avoid reproduction," says McIntyre. "We can't have people claiming a car is something it isn't, either by mistake or otherwise."
One of the interesting aspects of Historic Trans Am is the governance of not just the certification of authenticity and the associated tech inspection but also every aspect of the activity. McIntyre and Ockerlund both describe the ultimate democracy in their operations – there are no officers and no rulebooks. Everything is done by consensus and a trust in the wisdom, experience and honor of everyone involved.
As the group expanded (there are now 72 cars on its website) various people were recognized for their expertise in different marques. The vetting process was informal but a healthy culture of camaraderie bred trust. Leaders emerge based on a respect for their knowledge and a belief in their fairness. Enthusiasm counts too, and that is where McIntyre finds the energy to step forward to help organize agreements with people like Tony Parella, the CEO of the SVRA.
"Ken Epsman is another group leader, he and I do a lot of coordination," McIntyre stresses. "In many ways our entire group is a social club. We do everything together. We plan; we share meals and travel together. We help each other with our cars. Our families know each other. It's that kind atmosphere."

 

"Ken Epsman is another group leader, he and I do a lot of coordination," McIntyre stresses. "In many ways our entire group is a social club. We do everything together. We plan; we share meals and travel together. We help each
other with our cars. Our families know each other. It's that kind atmosphere."
By supporting events such as the one at Sebring with the SVRA, Historic Trans Am teams can rely on the event infrastructure in place such as timing and scoring, corner workers, safety crews and other officials. The group does its own tech inspection and conducts drivers' meetings to plan race conduct. No surprise, the organization has a zero tolerance for trading paint. Some of the cars, such as those that won championships, are valued at more than $1.5 million.
While drivers are encouraged to go fast and pass, everything must be done with the utmost care. Starts are frequently managed and drivers may be asked to hold their position for the first few turns. Painfully and albeit rare, the group has been forced to discipline one or two overly enthusiastic drivers by sending them home.
As for tech inspection, the authenticity issue is paramount. Cars must be absolutely authentic and backed up by documentation. The obvious point is that none of the cars are reproductions. The nuance comes into play with respect to specific cars. For example, the cars of Ockerlund and McIntyre mentioned here were all factory entries. Many others were independents. Some cars were purchased right off a dealership's showroom floor with limited modifications beyond safety equipment.
"An independent driver could go buy a Z/28 Camaro together with over-the-counter parts and race against Parnelli Jones," says Ockerlund, who won the group's Sunday race and finished second Saturday driving his Javelin. "There are many great stories of independents who went home from dealerships and turned their new cars into Trans Am racers.
All of that means the old factory cars still have an edge because they had million dollar budgets for modifications such as special engines, suspension parts, differentials and brakes. The experts at Historic Trans Am want each car to be exactly as it was, so no upgrades are allowed. If a car was "tricked up" back in the day, that's the way it stays. The owners of the original independent entries have bona fide classic Trans Am cars, they just lack the technology developed by a group like AAR who brought what they learned racing in Formula 1 or the Indianapolis 500 to the equation.
Pragmatic changes are allowed for engine maintenance. There is more standardization of repairs to keep the cars running and people have learned more about rebuilding engines over the decades. To some extent this closes the horsepower gap, but everything visible to the naked eye is restored to the exact components and dimensions as documented and reviewed by the resident experts. If something is out of step the owner is required to conform.
The spirit of Historic Trans Am is really the epitome of purest vintage racing. Owners and drivers push the car to go fast and onlookers can take joy in seeing and hearing the cars sincerely stretch their legs much as they did in their glory days. A measure of the competitive spirit is permitted as well, but with rigid constraints. It still requires skill, drivers can still have a big moment – or worse – but like flag football no touching is permitted.
Appropriately, there are no trophies, medals or any kind of incentive for winning races. The one award they do have is the Roy Woods Memorial Trophy which was presented to the group by two-time Trans Am champion George Follmer. Woods, who lost a battle to leukemia in 2004, was the owner of the American Racing Associates team that campaigned the AMC Javelin Follmer drove to become champion of the series in 1972.
The current recipient of the Woods Trophy is Ken Adams, who drives an independent 1969 Mustang. The trophy is awarded to the Historic Trans Am racer best exemplifying the spirit and dedication of the group in preserving the special original era of the series. Fans see this spirit in spades as the group takes special care in arranging their cars on the pre-grid so people can walk between them, capture photos and ask questions of the owners and drivers.
Later this year, McIntyre's '68 Donohue Camaro (BELOW) will be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum as part of a massive display celebrating Penske's 50 years in racing. If you see it there it will be docile and behind a rope. At Historic Trans Am events you can touch it and then hear it wail like a banshee as it goes like hell.

 

SVRA: Bob Tullius embraces the past at Sebring

Saturday, 05 March 2016


Mark Dill (words & images)

This weekend's grand marshal at the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) Sebring stop is auto racing legend and self-admitted recluse Bob Tullius. It's hard to imagine a more appropriate choice considering it was Tullius, at the wheel of a Dodge Dart, who won the very first Trans Am race right here at Sebring International Raceway 50 years ago in 1966.


That winning effort was actually a collaboration between Tullius' fledgling Group 44 team of only three employees and the Team Starfish organization that was preparing Plymouth Barracudas for competition. As the Barracudas roared around road courses others within Chrysler looked on enviously. The Dodge contingent of the Chrysler corporate family had their racing ambitions as well and prevailed upon Team Starfish leader and driver Scott Harvey to recruit the right driver. Bob Tullius got the call. With the factory supplying parts and advice little Group 44 went to work.
"I always loved American V8s, so it was easy to decide," Tullius says. "We got some factory assistance and financial support. Scott was helpful to me, but don't think he gave us any special favors, he was determined to beat us."
Despite making history at the wheel of a Dart, Tullius is best known for his success with British Leyland cars, most notably the Jaguar brand. In a career spanning three decades Tullius and his Group 44 team amassed an amazing record of more than 300 victories including three Trans-Am championships, 21 Trans-Am race wins, 14 SCCA national titles, 11 IMSA victories and picked off a GTP class win for Jaguar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1985. Tullius founded Group 44 in 1964 with associates Brian Fuerstenau and Dick Gilmartin racing British Leyland cars. Eventually this led to a long association with Jaguar and sponsor Quaker State Motor Oil.
The long list of Group 44 victories is one measure of its success. Another is simply longevity. The team was a major player on the global sports car landscape for 26 years. Throughout most of that time Tullius nurtured relationships with Jaguar and Quaker State Motor Oil (ABOVE, SVRA photo). The secret to his success with these vital business relationships was some groundbreaking marketing practices during those times.
"One of the aspects of our SVRA weekends is to welcome legends back to the track and tell their stories to new generations or just remind mature fans of what they accomplished," says Tony Parella, CEO of the SVRA. "Race fans today know about Roger Penske's teams and how he runs them as a business. There's a whole younger generation who for the most part aren't aware that Bob Tullius created that business model for his Group 44 race team before Roger established Team Penske."
Tullius freely admits that while he has a strong aptitude for mechanics and racecraft his greatest strength was as a marketer. He formalized the hiring of marketing and public relations professionals as an integral part of Group 44.
"We did what Penske did and continues to do years before he got started," Tullius says. "I was in business and we understood what could be done with motorsports as a marketing application."
Although Tullius has not been active in the sport since 1990 he has kept a watchful eye. He has observed the marketing success of NASCAR and is a bit amused as he reflects on how people could not understand what he was trying to accomplish when he applied principles of marketing and public relations in the 1960s and '70s.
"We started the practice of reaching out to the press, auto dealerships and sponsor affiliates," Tullius notes. "My staff was the first real marketing professionals in motorsports. We had a PR team and would go into markets in advance of races with promotional materials for stores, TV, radio and newspapers. It was 24-7 legwork."
What was most obvious to perplexed onlookers was how Group 44 packaged itself in the colors of Quaker State – white with green trim. It was branding the team and its major partners together in a pristine manner that exuded professionalism – and they did it before the word "brand" was part of race team vocabulary. It was "Group 44 perfect" in the days prior to "Penske perfect," if you will. For Tullius it was all about never forgetting that the team was a business and it was crucial to represent sponsors and manufacturers in a way that made them proud – especially in front of their customers.
"Jaguar understood," Tullius says. "Quaker State too. Everywhere we went my PR guy carried a camera. He captured everything. He subscribed to all the newspapers around the tracks. We prepared reports to our sponsors and they saw the value we created."
Some have said Tullius was loyal to Jaguar as if he was somehow making sacrifices or missing other opportunities out of some sense gratitude. Nothing could be further from the truth, he asserts.
"I was in business," he says. "The bottom line was money. Loyalty came as long as I felt appreciated. I never considered leaving them as long as they treated me fairly and demonstrated that they valued what I was doing for them. That was very satisfying."
RIGHT: Tullius with SVRA racer Allen Goode, who owns and races a 1967 Triumph TR4, a replica of one of Bob's early Group 44 cars.
Like everything in life good things come to a conclusion and people like Tullius write new chapters and climb new mountains. His burning passion for auto racing eventually cooled a bit and a burgeoning enthusiasm for aviation that had sparked in 1969 filled the void. He was fascinated with vintage World War II aircraft. His pride and joy was a P-51 Mustang he acquired in 1990, a full 20 years after earning his pilot's license in 1970. At 85 he has slowed down a bit and the P-51 has been donated to London's Royal Air Force Museum. Still, he hangs on to a Beech King Air 350 and three World War II "trainers." They are in a hangar in Sebring where Tullius lives – for now.
"I'm not sure what I'll do next," he says. "Honestly, I am a recluse and I like it that way. When Tony Parella asked me about being the grand marshal this weekend I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. This just might be my swan song for this kind thing, but I do think it was a really nice thing for the SVRA to do."
Despite Tullius' pride over his contributions to motorsports marketing, the race driver comes through when he is asked about his favorite race. Was it one you drove? Was it a team victory? A true racecar driver, his greatest memories are of two races he won.
One was his triumph in the D Production event of the 1964 American Road Race of Champions – the precursor to the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. He drove a Triumph TR-4 to victory in that one. The other big win was the Marlboro 12-Hour contest at Maryland's now defunct Marlboro Park Speedway. Appropriate to this weekend's occasion, that was his second Trans Am win, nearly 50 years ago and again with the Dodge Dart that started it all.
***********************************************
The last time I saw Bob Tullius was at the Lake Mirror Classic in Lakeland Florida a few years ago.
There were replicas of all the group 44 cars he had raced and also the famous Daytona/Sebring Jaguar. It was a sunny great day. I got his autograph and regretted that I had left my camera and racing Jacket at home that day. -Senor Honda

 

SVRA: Jack Baldwin right at home at Sebring

Sunday, 06 March 2016


Mark Dill (words & images)

Jack Baldwin is an incurable racer. At 67, his race-driving career spans nearly five decades and in 2016 he optimistically faces yet another transition just as he has throughout his time in racing. Baldwin, best known as the wheelman behind the colorful and eye-catching Hot Wheels Camaro he drove to the 1992 Trans Am championship is the latest hugely talented, successful pro racer to bring his skills to the America's GT Challenge with the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA).

This weekend at Sebring is a perfect example of the big-name driving talent a fan can find at an SVRA event. Roaming the pits and paddock are such major racing stars as George Follmer, Lyn St. James, Willy T. Ribbs and Bob Tullius. While these true legends are in ceremonial roles such as Tullius, who is serving as the weekend grand marshal, St. James and Ribbs have been in the thick of SVRA competition before with the Indy Legends Charity Pro-Am at the Brickyard. St. James is even more involved, as it is not unusual to see her in several SVRA events during a season.
As for Baldwin, he brought his 2011 Porsche Cayman S (RIGHT) to Sebring this weekend largely based on the enticement of competing in the Stuttgart Cup class of the America's GT Cup. That organization announced a strategic agreement with the SVRA late last year to build a seven-race season. They join the vintage racers at those seven races within the SVRA's longer 16 event weekends. Baldwin is also considering racing in the SVRA Group 12 events in the future.
"I'm not entirely sure what all racing I will do this year," says Baldwin. "I am expecting to do a lot with the Stuttgart Cup and if we can work through some rulebook issues I'll probably jump in with the vintage racers as well."
Most recently, Baldwin raced his GTSport Racing Gen 2 Cayman S in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class (LEFT, LAT photo), where he enjoyed great success despite a lack of factory support. In four seasons beginning with 2012 he racked up eight victories, 30 podium positions and 16 pole positions. On-track success aside, Baldwin is probably proudest of his accomplishments in developing his Porsche.
"I saw the potential of the Gen 2 Cayman S platform from the beginning," Baldwin asserts. "When we got started developing it at GTSport Racing, it became quite clear Porsche just did not see the product as a racecar. After a lot of hard work we started winning races and I know we influenced their approach to engineering and marketing. We became recognized as the most expert developers of the Cayman S as a racecar in the world."
Still, Baldwin agrees that his time with the Hot Wheels Camaro in Trans Am is what he is best known for. Not only was he series champ in 1992 but also he was Trans Am Rookie of the Year in 1990.
"Those years in Trans Am defined my career," Baldwin says. "The Hot Wheels Trans Am Camaro is arguably one of the most recognized Trans Am cars of all time. The car had huge broad base appeal in and out of motorsports and was known worldwide."
In three seasons he picked off five overall wins but the marketing power of Hot Wheels and their partners created a kind of cult following for the driver some in the media began calling, "the Dale Earnhardt of Trans Am." That's heady praise but the fact of the matter is that when Hot Wheels created replicas of his racer and then worked a deal to include the tiny cars in McDonald's Happy Meals, tens of thousands of kids wanted to meet the driver. Baldwin recalls going to a Hot Wheels convention and being blown away by the level of interest.
"I had no idea, really," Baldwin says. "I signed autographs for days. Parents were waiting with their kids 200 deep."
It's not that Baldwin didn't have a stout resume before he arrived in Trans Am. In 1984 he won the GTU class at both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring driving the Malibu Grand Prix Mazda Rx-7. Later, he won the 12-hour classic again, in 1997 driving the Hot Wheels Oldsmobile Aurora in the GTS-1 class. Getting the opportunity that took him to his 1984 Daytona and Sebring wins was a long, hard road.
"It took me 15 years to get a break," Baldwin confirms. "I sold rock and roll merchandise for a while. I marketed the first black and silver Arrowsmith tee shirt. All of it was about getting what I needed until I got a really good opportunity in racing."

Baldwin's racing career began with SCCA regional contests in the early 1970s. He demonstrated talent through regional championships and in 1972 captured the U.S. Formula Ford title. Perseverance paid off, leading him to big stages like Daytona and Sebring. His Trans Am success earned him a shot at the All-Star game of motorsports at the time: the International Race of Champions in 1993 and 1994. There he went toe-to-toe with the likes of Dale Earnhardt and Al Unser Jr. – sometimes getting the best of them, like when he edged the Intimidator for second place at Talladega in 1993.
********************************************
The first time I saw Tampa Native Jack Baldwin, I was a SCCA corner worker at an abandoned airport course near Sebastian on the East Coast of Florida. During one of the breaks, Jack was in a field, using a hacksaw to cut his front coil springs on a ratty looking red Cortina.......while it was still on the car..... He had completed one spring and when he started the other coil, the hacksaw broke.....

The second time I saw Jack was in a photograph on a plaque, thanking his father (also Jack Baldwin and owner of Jack Baldwins Safe-Way Driving School in Tampa) thanks for sponsoring him to race a Formula Ford. Racing the Formula Ford got Jack
an invitation to race in Europe... Jack was told that he had to race the FF exactly as it was assigned to him. The European drivers had mechanics and tuners, and for Jack to do well was something of a miracle. I presumed that someone wanted the Europeans to win in Formula Ford, and that Americans were not supposed to win. -Senor Honda
************************************************** ****

This weekend at Sebring is like old home week for the former Trans Am champion as the series celebrates its 50th birthday at the track where it first appeared. The current series is sharing the venue with SVRA as well as the Historic Trans Am series with their documented cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s once wheeled by the likes of Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney. One of Baldwin's contemporaries from his Trans Am days, Ron Fellows, also entered in SVRA competition this weekend in the Dave Roberts yellow Roger Penske/Mark Donohue tribute car, a 1969 Camaro Z/28.
Unfortunately, Ron spun an engine bearing in Friday qualifying and had to load up on the team trailer (RIGHT). Fellows is one of the all-time winningest Trans Am drivers with 20 victories as is another of Baldwin's old buddies, Willy T. Ribbs, whose career total of 19 wins commands respect.
"It's great to be at a race track with Jack again," Ribbs says. "Let me tell you, he is not only one of the most determined racers I've known, he is also one of the best road racers you'll find anywhere."
Wherever Jack Baldwin decides to race throughout the year, it seems pretty clear he is not slowing down.
"I'm a guy who always wanted to be a race driver," Baldwin says. "I have followed my dream.
Even this late in his career, Jack Baldwin is reveling in his success. On Saturday morning he won the Porsche Cayman class for the Stuttgart Cup. There is no doubt the welcome mat is out at Sebring for Baldwin – and he should feel right at home.

 

[h=2]SVRA: Ron Fellows brings star power to Sebring[/h] Friday, 04 March 2016


Mark Dill (words & images)

Dave Roberts, executive chairman of the Carlisle Company, created a vibrant paddock buzz when, in 2014, he offered Indy car ace Juan Montoya a ride in his Group 10 Corvette at the SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) Sebring race. Montoya gladly accepted and was having a blast until the differential let go in the heat of competition. Roberts has done it again this year when he reached out to Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame auto racer Ron Fellows to offer him a ride in his yellow Z/28 1969 Camaro (BELOW).


"I think it took him all of six seconds to say, 'How can I pass up that offer!," Roberts says. "Ron's a good friend. We've talked about going vintage racing for some time and with the big Trans Am 50th anniversary celebration going on I thought it was perfect timing."
The SVRA is saluting Trans Am's 50th birthday year at Sebring. Among those gathering are legendary drivers of the sport's past as well as the Historic Trans Am owners with their documented, authentic cars from the classic era of 1966 through 1972. Today's Trans Am series is sharing the stage as well along with hundreds of SVRA racers. Fellows and other legends on hand include event grand marshal Bob Tullius, George Follmer, Willy T. Ribbs, Jack Baldwin, Lyn St. James and Tom Yeager.
Certainly Fellows fits right in this weekend's Trans Am theme as one of the series' top all-time winners with 20 victories. If that isn't impressive enough, his last win came at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, formerly known as Mosport, in 2014 after a 10-year absence.
"Jim Derhaag offered me that opportunity and it was a lot of fun," says Fellows. "The first thing I noticed was how much more powerful the cars are. They are at about 850 horsepower and when I left Trans Am they were in the 600hp range. Derhaag Motorsports does a great job and we were able to win the pole and the race."
While Fellows' Trans Am accomplishments alone were enough to state his case as a top-tier driver his versatility and success across a number of disciplines is clearly hall-of-fame stuff. Despite an overall win in the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona and two class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans he may be best known for his exploits at the wheel of NASCAR machines in that sanctioning body's top three series: Sprint Cup, Nationwide (now Xfinity) and Trucks.
He came into NASCAR dubbed by the media as a "ringer" because teams looked for road course specialists such as Fellows and another road racer, Boris Said, for their mastery of those courses. The strategy paid off as Fellows picked up four Nationwide wins and two runner-up efforts in Cup competition. He also scored two wins in the trucks. All but one of these successes was at Watkins Glen (RIGHT, 2003, (LAT photo). The other, a Nationwide triumph, was at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2008.
"Watkins Glen suits me because it's like Mosport where I have a lot of miles," Fellows says. "It has long, high speed corners which I am very comfortable with."
For Fellows the foray into NASCAR was an opportunity to illustrate how his driving skills could make a difference. He found the cars a unique challenge because they were not originally designed with road racing in mind. He competed in the various NASCAR series between 1995 and 2013.
"I think its fair to say the NASCAR cars are not as sophisticated as sports cars," Fellows says. "They were a handful with their 10-inch wide tires, low down-force and lots of power. Still, it's a lot of fun banging doors."
Fellows saw the NASCAR regulars develop their road racing skills over the years of his participation. Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are among those on his list who grew into strong road racers.
"From 2003 to 2008 I think the number of skilled road racers in the field grew from around a half dozen to two dozen," Fellows observes. "These drivers are ultra-competitive professionals and develop their versatility. Dale Junior came to race Corvettes. A lot of them spent hours on simulators. They do what it takes."
Apart from the records and race victories at the core of Fellows' career is his relationship with Chevrolet, a treasured association that endures today. He was hired by Chevy Racing in 1995 and was successful in Trans Am with Buz McCall's AER team using Camaros. Despite amassing eight wins in two seasons, Fellows was out of a ride at the end of 1996.

 

[h=2]SVRA: Ron Fellows brings star power to Sebring part 2[/h] Friday, 04 March 2016


Mark Dill (words & images)

It was during this time that McCall shared an observation with Fellows about his family values. Ron, his wife Lynda and their children – Lindsay, Sam and Patrick – always traveled to the races together. They lived authentic family values and others noticed not just what they were doing but the good nature and affection they showed one another.
"What Buz did was make me aware of my professional persona," Fellows says. "I became more conscious that people noticed how we were living our lives. We were simply doing what we believed was the right thing for our family, but then I realized that it was a positive reflection on us. It was something Chevrolet respected."
In other words, Ron Fellows was a great brand fit. By 1997 Herb Fishel, who was then executive director of GM racing and now a member of the Corvette Hall of Fame, tapped Fellows for a very important assignment: to become a member of the Gary Pratt and Jim Miller team (Pratt & Miller) to develop the Corvette C5 racecar. The group brought a car to the grid in 1999 and the following year they picked off their first ALMS win at Texas.


From there they were on a tear. In only their third season in 2001 they scored the overall win in the 24 Hours of Daytona (ABOVE, LAT photo). That same year they won four other ALMS races as well as the GTS class at Le Mans. Over the course of the next six ALMS seasons he amassed a stellar record of three successive driver championships and 19 additional race wins for a career total of 25. Three of those wins came here at Sebring in the iconic 12 Hour contest. He brought home a second Le Mans GTS class win in 2002 as well.


During this period he was part of Pratt & Miller's development work of the next generation Corvette racecar, the C6. Illustrative of Chevy's appreciation for Fellows' contributions to their success, the company introduced the Limited Edition Ron Fellows GT1 Champion Corvette Z06 production model. It was the first signed special edition in the marques' history.


Along with those successes with Corvette he also raced for another GM team, Cadillac, in World Challenge GT. Driving CTS-V racers he scored a victory in three successive seasons, 2004-'06. Through all the on-track competition Ron's personable nature shined and fans voted him ALMS most popular driver in four successive seasons, from 2004 through '07.
In 2007 he began a career transition that gradually de-emphasized driving to become an ambassador for the Corvette brand. Still, he competed at Le Mans, Sebring and Mosport in Corvettes as well as World Challenge GT for Cadillac and select NASCAR races.
In October 2008 he founded, along with John Morris and Brad Rambo, the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Motor Resort near Las Vegas. No surprise, his school is part of the package Corvette customers can purchase with the car. Corvette, along with Hawk Performance and Michelin are sponsors. In motorsports, a world where relationships with companies can be fleeting, Fellows and Corvette are still involved after 21 years – a tribute to not just the man's ability but his character as well.
Today the school uses the current generation Corvette C7 on two different track configurations, both over two miles long. Three progressive levels of classes are offered although licensed race drivers can start at level two. Rick Malone, a long-time and highly respected driving colleague of Fellows, is the chief instructor. He heads a staff of 26 drivers that includes Indy car race winner Richie Hearn and former NASCAR trucks driver Justin Johnson.


Fellows' business interests expanded in 2011 when he became a part of an investment group called Canadian Motorsports Ventures, Limited, to purchase Ontario, Canada's Mosport road course. A year later the team was able to secure title sponsorship, changing the facility's name to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
Despite these business interests Fellows couldn't quite get the fire to compete in a racecar out of his system. He continued selective races in NASCAR and was especially successful in Nationwide, scoring one of his career wins in 2008 and earning three top-fives in 2012. Then there was the surprise 2014 Trans Am win as well.


During this time Dave Roberts reached out too, offering Ron a ride in one of Nick Short's CRP Racing Corvettes of the World Challenge GT. Roberts' Cragar Wheel and Hawk Performance brands are team sponsors. The deal was for three races during the 2010 season. Fellows won two of them.
Roberts returned this year with another temptation for 58-year-old Ron to pull his helmet on again for the SVRA Group 6 races this weekend at one of the most historic road courses in the world. Dave's 1969 Camaro Z/28 is modeled after the Roger Penske entry Mark Donohue drove to win that year's Trans Am championship. This is the same car Roberts co-drove with Indy Lights champion and Indianapolis 500 veteran Alex Lloyd in the 2014 SVRA Brickyard Invitational Indy Legends Pro-Am race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Roberts, a regular driver with SVRA, is competing in Sebring events this weekend with a 2006 Pontiac GTO.
Unfortunately, not unlike Montoya's SVRA adventure with Dave two years ago, mechanical gremlins have gotten in the way of the car guys getting together for a little fun. Fellows' first SVRA weekend has been cut short when an engine bearing let go in the brutish vintage Camaro. While the damage is something short of catastrophic, the repairs are too extensive to fix for this weekend. Dave is looking ahead two weeks to have the car ready for the SVRA's first visit to Amelia Island off the coast of Northern Florida.
"It's just a shame, we were really getting down to some serious fun," Fellows asserts. "Dave and I have discussed this for some time and it was always something I wanted to do. I did get three practice sessions in, and the car is a handful, but just a blast to drive."
Now that he has gotten a taste of SVRA racing Fellows want another shot. As a dedicated father with some serious business interests, it's just a matter of finding the time.
"My youngest son Patrick has dreams of an NHL hockey career so his games are one of events I schedule around. Honestly it's just a matter of fitting into a schedule where family comes first."
Roberts also is a major racer at heart both as an owner and a guy who gets up on the wheel. Among his long list of credentials is being a part of the driving team that won the Baja 1000 Sportsman UTV class in 2010. He owns several vintage cars including Pancho Carter's 1987 Indy 500 Budweiser Lightning racer. He has among his numerous experiences a drive up the renowned hill climb at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed. He has attended vintage races with Ron before, but this weekend was the first time he has been able to get the champion driver behind the wheel. Fellows sees American vintage racing ascending in prominence.
"Look at everything that is happening in the marketplace," Fellows observes. "There are a variety of examples from retro styling to nostalgic rock and roll. Historic racing is clearly growing. My generation has the money and the interest. For those of us who deeply care about motorsports this is an important opportunity to get our kids involved."

 

[h=2]SVRA to help ring in 50th Trans Am anniversary[/h] Thursday, 03 March 2016


Mark Dill

ABOVE: Ron Fellows is making his SVRA debut racing this Dave Roberts-owned Group 6 1969 Z28 Camaro this weekend at Sebring. (Photo courtesy of Dave Roberts)


The SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) is throwing a big Happy Birthday bash at Sebring International Raceway this weekend and the guests of honor are Trans Am stars and cars, past and present. As they did five times last year the SVRA is welcoming the current Trans Am series to share the track this weekend.

The paddock will be packed with a panoply of racecars from four different series. There are an SVRA Sebring event record-setting 300 entries on hand. In addition to the current Trans Am series there will be 200 SVRA vintage racers, 30 authenticated Historic Trans Am cars and 28 entries for the Stuttgart and Maranello Cups of the America's GT Cup series. The Historic Trans Am is a group of car owners with documented cars of the classic 1966-'72 era including machines driven by greats such as Parnelli Jones, Mark Donohue and Dan Gurney. America's GT Cup will run all of their races this season during six of the 16 SVRA race weekends this year.
"This track is steeped with American and international road racing heritage," says Tony Parella, the energetic SVRA president and CEO. "When it comes to road racing history on this continent, it just doesn't get any better than Sebring and this is especially true because Trans Am's very first race took place here back in 1966. We are back again to celebrate their 50th anniversary."
Appropriately enough, the man who won that first race, Bob Tullius, is serving as the event grand marshal. Tullius, well known for his accomplishments with British Leyland cars and especially Jaguar, drove a Dodge Dart in that first Trans Am contest.
"Scott Harvey, the rally executive for Chrysler at that time, approached me about running the Dodge Dart," says Tullius, a member of both the Sebring and the SCCA Halls of Fame. "It was a Team Starfish effort with some factory assistance. I always loved American V8s, so it was easy to decide. I appreciate Tony asking me to be here – it's a nice thing for the SVRA to do."
Tullius is joined by a host of other Trans Am legends including George Follmer, Willy T. Ribbs, Lyn St. James (pictured, RIGHT, in her Roush Racing Mustang during the 1988 season. Photo courtesy of Lyn St. James), Jack Baldwin, Ron Fellows and Tom Yeager. Fellows and Ribbs are among the most prolific race winners in Trans Am race history with 20 and 19 victories respectively. Follmer won his first of two Trans Am championships in 1972 (the other was 1976) and Baldwin took the crown 20 years later in 1992.
"Trans Am defined my career," says Baldwin, who competed in the IROC series in 1993 and '94 largely on the strength of five Trans Am victories at the wheel of the eye-catching Hot Wheels Camaro. "I will forever be associated with the Hot Wheels car, and that's fine with me."
Like the other legends, Baldwin and Fellows will be greeting fans and join a moderated panel discussion for a special Saturday evening banquet at the track, but they also will compete on the iconic airport circuit as well. Baldwin is at the wheel of his GTSport Racing Gen 2 Porsche Cayman S racer he drove in Pirelli Word Challenge the last four seasons. During that time he garnered eight victories, 30 podium finishes and 16 Pole Positions. He will compete in both the Suttgart Cup event as well as the SVRA Group 12 contest.
Fellows will race in the SVRA Group 6 races driving the Dave Roberts 1969 Z28 Camaro. The car is modeled after the Team Penske racer that won the 1969 Trans-Am championship with Mark Donohue driving. Roberts is Executive Chairman of the Carlisle Company, a holding company that has among its brands Hawk Performance, an associate sponsor of both the SVRA and IndyCar's Team Penske. Roberts, a regular driver with SVRA and a former Baja 1,000 class winner also plans to compete in Group 10 with a 2006 Pontiac GTO.