The old, established events in historic racing never cease to amaze the participants and spectators who flock here to Road America in the sleepy resort town of Elkhart Lake in Southeast Wisconsin. No matter your taste, it was there at last weekend’s Hawk International Challenge with Brian Redman. Series from Masters Formula One to Can-Am and Trans-Am ground-pounders to FIA Sports racers to prewar roadsters to delicious Sheboygan bratwurst — add the large crowd and substantial car count and it was the place to be! Cars from all corners of America and many continents of the world made it a truly world-class competition.
Saturday provided some unwarranted action at the beginning of the qualifying race for the F5000 VRX Challenge presented by BRM Watches and Vintage Racecar magazine. As the green flag dropped, a probable missed shift midfield led to lock-ups and a three-car pileup that included Mark Harmer’s 1969 Surtees TS5, a Chevron and the 1975 Shadow DN6 of Craig Bennett. The racing went on into Sunday, with Canadian Jay Esterer (’74 Lola T332-Chevy) finishing the finale 1st ahead of Australian Paul Zazryn (’74 Lola T332-Chevy) taking 2nd and Californian Bruce Leeson (’69 McLaren M10-Chevy) finishing 3rd, all three hoisting the beautiful BRM-produced trophies in winners circle.
The Can-Am provided excitement, beyond a first corner accident that fortunately only required a local yellow on the undulating 4.0-mile Kettle Moraine circuit. Craig Bennett’s Shadow DN4 held a 22-second lead over Rick Knoop’s McLaren M8F, only to leave the racing surface at Canada Corner on the last lap of the nine-lap feature, letting Knoop drive by to score an easy victory. Completely surprised to be wearing the laurel wreath, Knoop’s feelings were mixed, “I like Craig and have a great deal of respect for the effort that goes into preparing a Can-Am car. Today when you drive these cars, you have to have the temperament of a Endurance driver. That paid off.”
The Friday night Concours in town gave way to the traditional thunder as the racecars made the journey from the track to the streets of Elkhart Lake before a gigantic crowd that lined the entire parade route and strolled among some of the most significant cars in history. Saturday’s Street Car Concours was equally amazing, because it took place on the very streets that were once part of the original racecourse, prior to Road America’s construction in 1954. It was easy for one to be filled with a sense of history and grandeur.
An overnight storm meant that Saturday morning arrivals were greeted by some torn-up tents, but the skies eventually turned clear and sunny, though hot and humid, for the rest of the weekend. The fans, however, were undeterred as the show provided them with great racing, beautiful cars and the picturesque backdrop that only established tracks like Road America can produce. The class winners are listed below.
Group 1 – Historic Can-Am
Rick Knoop, Laguna Beach, Calif., 1972 McLaren M8F
Group 2 – Vintage Production
Troy Ermish, Tracy, Calif., 1971 Datsun
Group 3 – Vintage Sports Racing / GT (<1965) A&B Prod. (<1964)
Brian Garcia, St. Charles, Ill., 1965 Cheetah
Group 4 – Classic Monoposto Formula Cars through 1972
Tonis Kasemets, Mundelein, Ill., 1969 Brabham
Group 5 – Historic Formula / Sports Racing, F 70, F5000, FIA Prototypes, post 1974 Can-Am
Steve Simpson, Buford, Ga., 1981 Frisbee
Group 6 – Big-Bore Production Cars / Sedans (through 1975)
Chris Hines, Scottsdale, Ariz., 65 Corvette
Group 7 – U-2 Trans-Am B-Sedan Challenge
Troy Ermish, Tracy, Calif., 1971 Datsun
Group 8 – Historic Production
Frank Beck, Scottsdale, Ariz., 1972 Porsche
Group 9 – Modern Formula One, Indy Cars, WSP/GTP/LMP
James French, Sheboygan, Wis., 1997 Jordan
Group 10 – Modern Production / GT
Colin Comer, Milwaukee, Wis., 1995 Mustang
Group 11 – Masters USA Historic Grand Prix
Duncan Dayton, Miami, Fla., 1978 Lotus
Group 12 – Pre-War
Rex Barrett, Reeslle, Ill., 1933 Indy Special
Group 13 – Small Block Chevy V8 Feature
Gregory Thorton, Essex, UK, 1973 Chevron
Group 14 – Formula 5000 USA Championship Race
Jay Esterer, Edmonton, CAN, 1974 McRae GM-1
Jay Esterer won the F-5000 event driving a McRae GM-1, not a Lola.
I was in the F5000 pinball accident, and here is how it happened. I have seen all the video footage, plus I was right there doing driver shit while it all went down.
…
Thornton in P2 (Chevron) lost power due to a mechanical fuel feed issue (later replicated in the pits and corrected before the Chevy race) and drove off to the left of the track and later onto the grass. The car in P4 apparently hit his brakes and successfully avoided hitting the Chevron. The Shadow in P6 braked heavily and locked up and was subsequently tagged from behind by the Surtees which also locked up. The shadow turned 90 degrees right.
Meanwhile, in P7 I got a great start along with Rick Parsons in P5 – we were at full stick in 4th and accelerating with open road in front of us and had both moved forward and motoring towards T1.
The shadow speared off at 90 degrees and hit my rear left wheel, hard, and flung me into the air and towards the right hand wall. My wing landed on the wall but the car missed it. After scraping the right hand wall the Matich went straight back across the track, but still being carried down the track mostly sideways facing the outside wall. The car was headed for concrete head on. I managed to get the car first facing the Chevron nose-to-nose then facing more or less back down the track from whence I had come as I hit the grass. I ploughed backwards down the grass sort of parallel to the track before stopping inches from the wall.
Meanwhile, the Shadow had punched the inside wall and Bill Hemming (Elfin) in P9 made a miraculous save and drove around it with about 2mm and a nanosecond to spare. Bill needed an underwear change.
Shit was trumps and there was a lot of evasive action going on further down the grid.
My car (Matich) was extensively damaged as was the Surtees and the Shadow.
We have over 100 man hours of repairs into the car so far, and we are close to being ready for Watkins Glen SVRA meeting on Friday-Sunday.