|
|
|
 |
continues: MagnaFlow Vintage 2.5 Challenge
|
|
|
With the membership free and open to anyone, VSRG was organized to provide a quality vintage racing experience for drivers of small-bore sedans, typically those that originally competed in SCCA's Trans-Am 2.5 and B-Sedan categories. Instead of one or two drivers showing up with a low-buck car, there is now a whole race group organized around the idea of replicating the 2.0-liter-and-under Trans-Am races, producing some of the fiercest small-bore production car racing ever seen in this country. Trans-Am was created by the SCCA in 1966, and continues to be the series representing the organization's professional racing efforts today. There were only two classes originally, Over 2.0 Liter (0-2) and Under 2.0 Liter (U-2), the resulting vast difference between cars equalized by a weight-per-displacement formula that varied depending on engine configuration. More sophisticated engines had to carry more weight per cc.
Alfa Romeo's aluminum-bodied GTAs were dominant the first year, then played also-ran to the Porsche 911 for two seasons, which was eligible by virtue of its seat-shaped rear parcel shelf. In 1969 and 1970, the Trans-Am became an opportunity for domestic factories to market their pony cars, and the U-2 class, on the track at the same time, quickly became the slower sideshow. While Mark Donohue and Parnelli Jones drew attention to the Mustang-Camaro wars, the 911 was no longer allowed. In 1970, U-2 was run separately from the big cars for safety reasons, but continued to consist mostly of Alfa Romeos reliably beating up on BMW 2002s. Only one victory went to the German marque. When a Datsun 510 was entered in the Trans-Am for the first time at Kent, Wash., it was the first hint of what would become a season-long dogfight the next year, one of American road racing's best stories.
|
.
|
In 1971, U-2 became the 2.5 Challenge to make more cars eligible, a move that mattered little, as the front runners were still under 2000cc. Pete Brock, having just won a national championship for Datsun with the 240Z, organized a program with Datsun's "other" car, the 510 sedan. A five-week development thrash got the BRE team to the second race of the season at Bryar, N.H. and John Morton showed the Alfas what the back of a Datsun looked like, until a mechanical failure caused him to DNF. He won the next two races, however, beginning a points chase that would end, literally, after the wire.
The last race, scheduled for Kent, was cancelled due to lack of spectator interest. The Datsun team was trailing in the points and needed another event to make up the difference, so Datsun guaranteed the purchase of enough tickets to cover the 2.5 Challenge purse if Laguna Seca's management would add a 2.5 event to a scheduled Can-Am race. The competition was ferocious, with an entire season's results on the line. John Morton was able to lap faster than the lead Alfa driver, Horst Kwech, when not dicing directly with him, but the Austrian set Morton back by tapping his rear bumper and causing him to spin at the top of the Corkscrew. After spending 9 sec. In the pits to refuel, Morton trailed by 14 sec., a margin he trimmed to just six by the end. If Kwech had pitted, Morton would have taken the checker, but the GTA kept going, running out of fuel on the cool-down lap.
There was a sense in the BRE pits that something wasn't right, but it took 24 hours for race officials to officially announce the Alfa's disqualification. With fuel capacity limited to 15 gallons, kwech's tank was measured at just more than 18. With Morton taking the win, Datsun and Alfa Romeo
|
|
|
While more than 70 cars were listed as eligible for B-Sedan in the 1972 SCCA rulebook, the following, much shorter list, holds he cars that actually competed. They nonetheless would make a very diverse grid.
Alfa Romeo 1600/1750/2000 GTV
BMW 2002 & 2000tii
Austin Mini Cooper 997, 998, S 1071, S 1275
Datsun PL510 - 1600 & 1800
Datsun 610 - 1800
Ford (English) Escort Super and 1300GT
Ford Capri 1600, 2000
Ford Pinto 1600, 2000
Toyota Corolla 1600
Triumph 2.0 Vitesse
VW 1600 (1970)
Volvo P-544
Volvo 142S and 142E
|
|
|
|
