MGVR Vol 33, No. 2 November 2013 Miller Ferry-Put-In-Bay MG VINTAGE RACERS’ NEWSLETTER CHRIS MEYERS, EDITOR 55 BELDEN ROAD BURLINGTON, CONNECTICUT 06013 (860)-490-5950 [email protected] I consider myself lucky to know someone as persistent as Greg Prehodka-it’s Greg’s prodding that brings me to offer a change in Newsletter format. Many of you have suggested electronic Newsletter distribution. Well...it ap- pears as if your humble editor will take you up on it as the largest demon associated with getting out the newsletter is in fact the “printing, stuffing, licking, stamping, hauling, and mailing”. Hitting the ‘send’ button ten, or eleven times is a walk in the park by comparison. As of this issue the majority of subscribers will receive the deluxe in color elec- tronic issue. If you wish to receive the hard copy issue please send me an email noting as much and I’ll send you a snail mail issue. 2013 has been a good year for MG vintage racers. Starting with the Mitty at Road MG Vintage Racers’ Newsletter Atlanta in late April with this year’s MG feature race, followed closely by our Fo- 1981-2013 cus Event at the Jefferson 500 where 74 MGVRs joined their VRG friends for tons of track time in mostly sunny, warm weather. See our event report in this issue. In Editor July many of us joined PVGP at Schenley Park for their MG-Triumph Heritage Chris Meyers Challenge. Schenley Park should be on every vintage racer’s bucket list. Next up [email protected] 55 Belden Road was the Collier Cup with SVRA at Watkins Glen. This year we had NO RAIN for Burlington, CT 06013 the Collier Cup race. Next year will be equally dry and warm-guaranteed! Last on the MG event list for this year was the VSCCA Fall Finale at Lime Rock Park. Secretary-Treasurer This year they ran an ALL MG Challenge race similar to the race they ran a few Larry Smith [email protected] years ago. If I missed any special MG races, please forgive me and send me a note Public Relations to include in the next newsletter. Greg Prehodka [email protected] Founder, MG Racers’ Newsletter Next year looks to pick up where last year left off. The first BIG MG race of 2014 looks to be the Triumph-MG Can-AM Challenge at VARAC’s Canadian Historic Advisor Mark Palmer [email protected] Grand Prix at Mosport June 13-15. The Friends of Triumph gang is working with Past editor VARAC to make this a must be there event for next year. Consider it a top notch tune up for our Focus Event! The BIG EVENT FOR 2014 is our Focus Event with Technical Editor SVRA at the Glenora Wine Cellars US Vintage Grand Prix, where we celebrate Stan Edwards, [email protected] the Collier Brothers Memorial Trophy’s 60th Year! We expect over 100 MGs in- cluding West Coast, and overseas entries. Did you make your reservations yet? MGVR Yahoo Coordinator Do you know of other special MG races for next year? Please contact me-I will Steve Konsin [email protected] make note of it on the All MG Race calendar. Regalia Dan Leonard I want to thank all who have supported MGVR activities in 2014. While the list is [email protected] extensive, please read text block to right for starters. Read the Focus Event article in this issue for a list of volunteers who contributed their time and resources to Online Editor make this year’s event a classic. And thanks to all who contribute to the newsletter Chris Kintner [email protected] and online forum-your efforts are appreciated. Keep up the good work! Cover Design Until next issue...enjoy MG vintage racing! Scott Brown/Vintage 31 Chris Meyers, Editor Subscriptions: See information pages at back of newsletter 2 Letters and Recollections John Fitch Remembered By Blair Engle, MGTD Racer #99 John Fitch was one of my idols, while growing up. I saw him race many time at such tracks as Lime Rock, Con., Thompson, Con. and Long Island, NY. The following are some of my memories of the man, and I thought some of the MGVR members might enjoy reading them. In the late ‘40s some of my college buddies and I hung out at Ev. Poorman’s, International Motors in North White Plains, N.Y. We would check out all the cars for sale, etc. I was a Hot Rodder with a modified 1937 Ford convertible, and didn’t think much of the Hillmans, Morris Minors, etc. There was a guy that often came by in some very interesting cars like an XK 140 Jag. His name was John Fitch. One evening I found Mr. Fitch working on a MGTC. I asked him if it was his, and he said, yes it was his. He explained that the was replacing the 1-1/4" SU carbs for a set of 1-½" SU’s. He said that he just had the head milled, and had just put in a new hot cam shaft. After he got it running and tuned, he headed out for a test drive. It was dark, and down the road we heard the very loud car coming, and sure enough, here comes John going like a bat out of hell! When he came back, he had a great big grin, and he said "Wow, that’s the fastest I have ever gone in an MG”. One after- noon I went up to Poorman’s, and there was Mr. Fitch working on a very cool, modified XK-120 Jaguar. He told me the Jag belonged to Briggs Cunningham, and he was going to race it at Thompson, Conn. He was modifying the radiator, and asked me to give him a hand. Not for my great mechanical ability, but as his, "hand me that wrench and hold this", helper. Some months later, one Saturday, Mr. Poorman asked me if I would take the company pickup down to Alfred Momo’s shop in New York City and pick up some things and take them up to Fitch’s home Greenwich. Conn. I picked up my girl friend Lorry and away we went. Momo’s place was cool, but we didn’t have time to check it out. When we got to Fitch’s house, John’s wife asked Lorry to join her while "the boys" unloaded the truck. When we finished "the girls" had tea and biscuits for us. John had some wonderful stories to tell us, and then he showed us his trophy room. WOW! As we drove home we were on cloud nine. Through the years, Lorry and I would look back and remember our very "Special Saturday" with John Fitch! Greg The only picture I have, is one I took at Thompson, Conn. in 1956. It is a 35mm slide of the drivers meet- ing. I sent it to Denise McGluggage, and she autographed it and identified several folks I didn't know. Briggs Cunningham, Healey 300, Bob Grossman, Walt Hansgen, Denise Jag. XK150, John Fitch, D Jag., Paul O'Shea 300 SL, Frank Blunk N.Y. Times, and Maston Gregory D-Jag. POR, Blair 3 Season Finale-Vintage Drivers Club of America By Bob Spruck-Motor Mouth/South The weather in Savannah, Georgia may be pretty oppressive for some during the summer months, but it is down- right near perfect in the winter. So much so that Vintage Driver’s Club of America’s Season Finale , held on the first weekend in December for the entire 10 years that the Club has been in existence, attracted a few dozen rac- ers all the way from the Northeast and Mid-west. Either these guys and gals just needed to get one more race in before their season ended or they needed a break from the cold up North. This event allowed them to do both. When the inveterate ride-mooch from Chicago, Burt Levy, was asked to look mean and lean for the camera, he declared “Mean? Mean? How can I look mean when I am so happy down here?” It could have been because of the beautiful 70 degree day or the fact that he was waiting to take his first stint in Gordon King’s Royale RP-4 sports racer in the hour and a half enduro. But, more about that later. More than 100 racers agreed with Burt and made the last race of 2012 season for VDCA (AND for the entire country) on December 7th - 9th at Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah, GA a rousing success. The only peo- ple who seemed to be underwhelmed were the tow truck drivers who were pretty bored most of the weekend – no accidents and only a few mechanical problems requiring a tow back to the paddock. Even the hot-shot BMW driv- ers of the Tarheel Chapter BMWCCA, who the vintage club shares the track with every year, kept it clean and on schedule. The vintage contingent got 2 ½ hours of track time, assuming no mechanical gremlins. That doesn’t even include the Happy Hour Bracket Challenge Classic race or the hour long Endurance race or the Sunday morning warm-up. Good thing the Sunoco 110 was relatively cheap - we used plenty of it. The hour long, all Groups, all Classes, included – in – the – registration - fee Endurance Race ran between 9:30 and 11:00 AM Sunday, finishing just before the quiet time. Some of us conserved our energy and the trouble-free hours left in our cars for the feature races Sunday afternoon, but those who chose to run the Enduro at least had more than two hours to straighten things up between the Long Race and their Big Race.