DECEMBER 2016 VOL. 13.1 WWW.VRGONLINE.ORG Visit the VRG website at www.vrgonline.org for changes and updates to the schedule. 2017 üMARCH 11, 2017 Winter Tech in Clifton, NJ APRIL 7-9, 2017 (Tentative)VDCA WILD HARE RUN, VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, ALTON, VA Event Chairman: Mike Jackson, Tel: 561-622-7554 Email: [email protected] MAY 17-21, 2017 “JEFFERSON 500” AT SUMMIT POINT, WEST VIRGINIA VRG Drivers School (May 17-18) with FREE Open Test Day (May 18) Co-Event Chairmen: Cal Trumbo & Jim Karamanis, Tel: 304-449-7050 Email: [email protected] JUNE 22-24, 2017 THE VINTAGE MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL AT THOMPSON SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK - THOMPSON, CT OLDEST ROAD COURSE IN U.S., CO-SANCTIONED WITH THE VSCCA Royale Formula Ford Feature Race Event Chairmen: Paul King, Chairman, and Mark Gunsalus, Co-Chairman, Tel: 508-847-4809 Email: [email protected] SEPT. 15-17, 2017 NEW JERSEY HISTORIC RACES, LIGHTNING CIRCUIT, NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK, MILLVILLE, NJ MG Vintage Racers Focus Event, Royale Formula Ford Feature Race. Event Chairman: Butch O’Connor, Tel: 973-295-3674 Email: [email protected] OCT. 6-8, 2017 VRG at The Glen, NY. Royale Formula Ford Feature Race. Event Chairman: Mike Lawton, Tel: 978-274-5935 Email: [email protected] OCT. 20-22, 2017 DOMINION RACEWAY, THORNBURG, VA, THE VINTAGE PUMPKIN RUN Royale Formula Ford Feature Race IMSA RS/Trans Am 2.5 Reunion Event Chairmen: Cal Trumbo and Jim Karamanis, Tel: 304-449-7050 Email: NOV. 24-26, 2017 (Tentative) ANNUAL TURKEY BOWL XXI, SUMMIT POINT, WEST VIRGINIA Event Chairman: Michael Oritt, Tel: 305-420-4929 Email: [email protected] 1 VINTAGE RACER GROUP NEWSLETTER THE VIEW IN THE REARVIEW 2016 in Review 2.3 It’s hard to believe that we’re wrapping up the 2016 VRG racing season with year-end edition. It seems like it’s only been a few weeks since I was packing up the camera gear for the first event back in April. As I reviewed the photos for this edition, I began to realize why I’ve been a little worn out lately. (I’m still working a full time job during the week) My photo editing database indicates that I pressed the shutter button a little over 65,000 times this year. Geez that means 65k images must have downloaded and backed up too. Additionally, each one of these photos would have reviewed and best ones edited, selected, and uploaded to the website. Wow, when did I find the time to that? Honestly, these figures did surprise me a bit, so I kept digging. A look at my mileage records indicated that I traveled over 6500 miles, attended 14 weekends of racing at 9 different tracks, from Watkins Glen to Darlington SC. I was starting to wonder where the energy came from and how I could get it that same energy back again. I only needed to tap into for a little bit more so I could finish this article, as well as Turkey Bowl article for Victory Lane Magazine. Well, it started kicking in and it the fact is, I really love the work I do for the VRG. Capturing and sharing my work with the VRG combines my three greatest interests, photography, racing and history. One of our VRG Formula Ford pilots, Scott Fairchild summed it up best last year while commenting to a Facebook post. It went something like this, “Bill Stoler is racer who chooses to participate in the sport from behind the lens.” I did race karts after high-school for a few years and, obviously, the desire to strap in and drive a race car never goes away. A desire to race isn’t simply enough to get me to put the camera down. If I’ve learned anything from roaming the paddock with my camera, it’s the fact that the “prep work pain/ track-time fun” is way too steep for me. My satisfaction comes from capturing the fun and excitement of this “thing” called “vintage racing.” What drives me is a hope that the fruits of my labor will help to draw more people to this wonderful experience. Heck, if I was racing, I might only be wearing out tires and burning up fuel! Back in 2009, it began by just contributing a few photos for the VRG newsletter. Then Walt and Lou Pietrowicz retired and that opened the door to more participation. Eventually, I started submitting stuff to Victory Lane Magazine and I’m more than thrilled when my photos make the pages of Vintage Motorsports magazine. But the thing that seems to be taking off is the Facebook phenomenon. I’m really surprised by the number of people that look forward to the event photos. Obviously, I use FB and my website to share the bulk of my work. Regardless of the media outlet, the ultimate goal is to promote the VRG, using photography to share the excitement and fun of vintage racing, both on and off the track. The year kicked off with that drive down through the heart of Virginia for the Wild Hare Run, the weekend that the VRG shares with the VDCA at Virginia International Raceway. It was only my second visit to VIR and this event has become one of favorites. I regret that I failed to make it down there before the Oak Tree fell, but I still think Paul Newman would still consider it worthy of his quote “If there’s a heaven on earth, it must be VIR.” This historic facility retains the charm of an old school track but with plenty of runoff room which allows the vintage cars to flex some muscle safely allows for some amazing photo opportunities! It’s not surprising that the VRG shares this weekend with the VDCA. From my observation, we come for the cars and the racing but at the heart of this thing it’s about all about people and good times. There was an abundance of both at the WHR. Did I mention fun? That Wild Hare race is the coolest thing I’ve witnessed at a track. I can’t tell you how it works, it makes my head hurt. But smart guys like Mike Jackson and Doug Meis figure out the starting grid and they make it happen! Another cool thing during this weekend is getting see to see my favorite F1 race car of all-time, the Black and Gold John Player Special Lotus 79 of Mario Andretti at the SASCO Racing. The open house hosted by Dave and Robyn Handy is a great opportunity to see the famed Lotus and other racing cars in various stages of restoration and/or maintenance. It was cold and blustery weekend this year, but with an abundance of sunshine. As a result of the winds on Saturday, I spent a bit more time in the garage area, but that proved to very beneficial as Bill Hollingsworth and I spent some time discussing the history of the VRG and how it began. We also discussed the changes in media and motorsport and lamented on the days of when Chris Economacki’s National Speed Sport News was the major weekly source for all things racing. As the editor of the VRG newsletter, Bill has been a mentor, friend and 2 VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1 • DECEMBER, 2016 THE VIEW IN THE REARVIEW 2016 in Review 2.3 (con’t.) another one of those unseasonably chilly weekends the #1 supporter of my work and I’m deeply indebted that had a hold on early spring in the Mid-Atlantic to him for his encouragement and support. Notable this year. The chilly temperatures and the showers racing moments for the weekend included seeing the didn’t dampen the enthusiasm and fun. There was VRG Royale Racing Formula Ford Challenge Series ample sunshine, but just enough shower activity to get underway with its first event of the year. The FF create some interesting shooting opportunities and weekend kicked off with a Friday night paddock party resulted in one of the most thrilling IMSA RS/SCCA and concluded on Sunday afternoon with the feature 2.5 Challenge Re-Union race I’ve ever witnessed. I event. It was the Scott Fairchild – Doug Meis show decided to shoot that race from the inside of turn one again, with Scott taking the win by a very slim margin doing a lot of slow speed panning. Bob Ball in his of only .16 seconds. Another fun race to watch was BMW 2002 was drifting all the way around turn one, the Formula Vee feature, with Mike Jackson taking the lap after lap. After the race I learned that he has been a win after doing battle with about five or six tightly skid pad instructor, so that explains that….but I heard matched Vees at the front. It was the first chance to more than one competitor after the race saying it was see a 1958 Echidna Special owned by Stephen Steers some of the most fun they’ve had in a race car. There of Texas. It’s my understanding that this a Chevy 1956 is so much that goes on at the Jeff 500, it’s hard to Chevy sedan chassis powered by a V8 with a Devin narrow it down for this piece. Of course it’s always fiberglass body. It was named by the wife of the car’s fun to see Peter Krause lead the track walk on Friday creator, who thought the car looked like an “Echidna,” evening for the HPH charity, but it’s a real blast to a spiny anteater native to Australia.