Robby Unser and Andre Ahrle combined to take Ahrle’s 1965 Shelby Cobra Comp R to victory in the featured Indy Legends Charity Vintage Pro/Am race during the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association’s third annual Brickyard Invitational meeting at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
While Unser and Ahrle topped the A Production portion of the Charity Pro/Am, the race’s new B Production division was won by Paul Tracy and Gary Moore in Moore’s 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350, leading Tracy to quip it was his second Indy win, added to the 2002 Indy 500 that he believes he also won.
Among the other race groups, half a dozen produced double victors as the following drivers won on both Saturday and Sunday:
Group 1 – Bob Koons, 1961 Lotus 20
Groups 3, 4 – Steve Patti, 1963 Ginetta G4
Groups 5, 7 – Alex MacAllister, 1971 Chevron B19
Group 9 – Jacek Mucha, 2007 Panoz DP01-Ford
Group 10 – David Fershtand, 2005 Chevrolet Corvette CS
Pre-War – Paddins Dowling, 1934 ERA R2A
The remaining race groups yielded different winners each day:
Saturday Group 2 – Geoff Brabham, 1971 Brabham BT35
Sunday Group 2 – Ron Hornig, 1971 Brabham BT35
Saturday Group 6a – Curt Vogt, 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302
Sunday Group 6a – Scott Hackenson, 1967 Ford Mustang
Saturday Groups 6b, 12b – Peter Klutt, 1969 Chevrolet Corvette
Sunday Groups 6b, 12b – Jody O’Donnell, 1969 Chevrolet Corvette
Saturday Groups 8, 12a – Richard Nichols, 1971 Datsun 240Z
Sunday Groups 8, 12a – Kirk Blaha, 1970 Datsun 240Z
Saturday Group 11 – Travis Engen, 2005 Audi R8 LMP
Sunday Group 11 – Niek Hommerson, 2004 Maserati MC12 GT1
The Formula 5000 Drivers Association also opened its season at the Invitational, with top honors in Class A for pre-1972 cars going to Bruce Leeson (1969 McLaren M10B-Chevrolet) over George Frey (1969 McLaren M10A-Chevrolet) with Johnnie Crean taking 3rd in his 1969 Eagle Mk5-Chevrolet. In Class B for 1972-1976 machines, victory went to Rick Parsons (1976 Lola T332C-Chevrolet) ahead of Jim Stengel’s 1973 McRae GM1-Chevrolet and John Obialero’s 1973 Lola T332.
Saturday’s standalone Vintage/Classic contest went to Scott Kissinger, driving a 1971 Datsun 240Z, while judged trophy presentations were made to: Jeff Taylor as Best of Show for his 1964 Studebaker Daytona; Pat Kennedy, who won the Best Roadster Trophy for his 1948 Kennedy Tank Spl.; Charles Test, who took home the Best Pre-War trophy for his 1911 National; and Ron Hornig, awarded the Brabham Trophy for his 1971 Brabham BT35. For complete information please visit www.svra.com
