Vic Elford will serve as Grand Marshal for the June 11–13, 2010, Legends of Motorsports, a Bobby Rahal Signature Event, at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York.
“I couldn’t think of a better racing legend to join us at Watkins Glen than Vic Elford,” series Co-Founder and 1986 Indy 500 Winner Bobby Rahal said. “With Porsche as our featured marque for the weekend, Vic is a perfect fit. He achieved great success with Porsche in his racing career and is the only driver to race every version of the 917. We’re honored to have him join us at The Glen.”
“Quick Vic,” as he is known in racing circles, is a Porsche legend with a prolific racing resume. He has succeeded in every category of racing, including rally, sports cars, Formula 1, Can-Am, Trans-Am and even NASCAR.
After winning the 1967 European Rally Championship, Elford turned to sports cars. He promptly earned Porsche its first overall win at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona driving a Porsche 907, only a week after winning the Rallye Monte Carlo in a Porsche 911. Elford made his F1 debut that same year, finishing fourth in the rain at the French Grand Prix. Elford is a 12 Hours of Sebring winner and two-time class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, though his most famous Le Mans race remains that of 1972, when Elford stopped his car in the middle of the race to rescue a driver from a burning car. For his heroism, he was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de Merite by French President Georges Pompidou.
“I was more than happy to accept Bobby’s invitation to be the Grand Marshal at Watkins Glen,” Elford said. “The Glen is a jewel of a road course, one of the best in the country, and I’ve always enjoyed racing there. With Porsche as the featured marque, I’m hoping I’ll get to see some of my former race cars while I’m there and I’m looking forward to meeting the drivers and talking with the fans. This will be a fantastic event and I’m proud to be a part of Legends of Motorsports’ inaugural season.”
Elford has won at Watkins Glen before, driving a Chevrolet Camaro in Round Nine of the 1970 SCCA Trans-Am race.
Watkins Glen is the second of four events on the inaugural Legends of Motorsports schedule. In addition to three days of on-track racing action, the weekend will feature various food, fashion and automotive lifestyle attractions, plus several social events in the greater Finger Lakes area. Tickets are available at www.legendsofmotorsports.com or www.theglen.com.
See Legend of Motorsports at Barber Motorsports Park – Results and Photo Gallery.
[Source: Legends of Motorsport; photo credit: Louis Galanos]
