The Best of the 1%: Vintage Sports Car Racing at CoTA

"Jim Zeigler" (jimzeigler) 05/14/2015 at 11:35 • Filed to: porsche, cota, vintage

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Most rich people suck at being rich. As a broke-ass liberal arts major living well beyond my means a few streets away from the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , my daily interactions with wealth consist of being cut off by Teslas and dodging the construction zones of the hideous Branch Davidian-sized compounds being built in my rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Further proof can be found in the simple fact that the premiere hobby of the upper class is golf . But my biggest complaint about the rich isn’t that they occupy a dwarf-star-dense position at one end of the political scale, nor that they create more demand for Range Rover Evoques. The problem is that most of them don’t know how to spend their damn money on cool stuff .

Fortunately, there are exceptions. The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which could also be called the “Coalition of Wealthy Badasses,” is the largest vintage racing club in America. The final event of the club’s season is typically held at legendary tracks like Watkins Glen, and in 2013 the SVRA bagged one of the most sought-after tracks in the nation: the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.

CoTA isn’t your typical club-rentable racetrack. Strict FIA rules have the owners understandably cautious about losing their F1 certification. CoTA has even gone as far as pulling events !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! the rental reservations, like they did with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in late 2012. Standards have relaxed a bit as of 2015, but the best chance that some of us will have to lap the F1 track is by convincing our children to include us on their Three 6 Mafia-themed LeMons team in twenty years.

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So how the hell did hundreds of leaky old race cars, some of which are literally more than a century old, manage to get track access less than a year after the inaugural F1 race? We’ll never know for sure, but it’s likely to have involved a half-dozen zeroes separated by commas. The SVRA has a several-thousand word section on their website entitled “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .” Curiously, the writeup says nothing about the most important requirement of entering the sport: “ be obscenely wealthy .”

It should be noted that many of the participants aren’t your standard Bourgeoisie track rats with $200,000 race cars. A look in their support trailers often shows that they actually own four $200,000 race cars. Case in point: during the Pre-War Class qualifying for the 2013 event, a ‘28 Bugatti 35A shared the track with two Talbot-Lagos, a Maserati 4CL, and (bizarrely) a Morgan three-wheeler. It’s enough to make even the least materialistic among us think about going back to school for a finance degree.

Though the sport slots somewhere between recreational currency bonfires and megayacht racing in terms of per-weekend cost, it’s thankfully only expensive to the participants. For about $65, you can get one of the most spectator-friendly experiences available to the modern racing enthusiast. That price gets you access to the races and both the paddocks & private garages, where you can see grizzled old men doing brake jobs on Trans-Am cars.

The drivers and operators are the pinnacle of chill: I saw a kid leaning halfway into the window of a Porsche 908 as the owner watched with a smile. They’re more than willing to discuss their cars and talk shop with the spectators, even while elbow-deep in a carbureted one-off piece of pre-war art. Even the Bugatti guy was surprisingly relaxed with a dozen people surrounding his car in the paddock. Think of it as 80% of Pebble Beach’s magnificence at 1/5th of the cost, and a thousand times more hands-on.

Oh, and with some seriously entertaining racing thrown in. These are not show queens trotted out for a static display. Some drivers treat the event more like a parade lap, but a fair majority are truly driving the hell out of their cars. Lap times aren’t as far off from modernity as you’d think; several drivers turned sub-2:20 times (faster than a C6 ZR1) in cars built in the Nixon era. The more crowded fields like Group 6 are hugely entertaining, with 911 RSR’s rubbing fenders with authentic 427 Cobras and Z28’s.

In the post-recession fallout, series like LeMons and Chump Car lowered the motorsports buy-in to a level attainable by the average enthusiast. This is what makes the sport grow, and we’re truly in an amateur racing renaissance era. With that said, vintage racing brings a level of obsession and occasion far beyond any mortal motorsport event. This is wealth done right . It’s the Louvre mixed with LeMans, and on par with any automotive spectacle I’ve ever witnessed.

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See more pictures of the event at my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and check out !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for other musings.

Bob LeDrew > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 11:45

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Love that red.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 11:48

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Great writeup!

njp1589 > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 11:56

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I see something familiar...

That one was at Road America. Didn’t get a chance to talk with the owner though.

Nasal Radiator > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 12:47

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Although Texas World is/was my favorite, I always look for ward to dragging my knee on the 1098R at COTA. Have a couple of 2 day weekends coming up in June and July

Velvet Elvis > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 12:49

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I’ve been attending HSR’s The Mitty event at Road Atlanta for several years, now and I’ve been impressed with how open and engaging the owners/drivers are. Hell, I even got to meet Andy Wallace one year as he was suiting up to take out an Audi R8.

R W > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 12:49

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yeah so how much do you make? actual numbers.

OneFastPuertoRican > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 12:54

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As if I need another reason to visit CoTA this year.

Mrs. OneFastPuertoRican will not be pleased...

Lostintx > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 13:08

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My best shot from last year

edw906 > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 13:08

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great article. vintage is the best value for the racing spectator by far (and possibly participants if you’re in the “cheaper” groups anyway). I have been going to events since the late 90s, most the Glen and Lime Rock. nothing like it. generally not crowded, incredible array of cars, great access to cars in the paddock, cool people. The scene has grown but has not been ruined. I think overseas would be even better but there’s plenty to go around in the US. I mean there is Rennsport Reunion for goodness sakes, how cool is that?

RedPir8Roberts > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 13:09

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The angle of the photo makes it look as though the car has the tallest and narrowest velocity stacks ever coming out of the front (of course it’s actually mid-engined and has some nice, normal sized intakes there). Wonderful machine. The rich folks who campaign these cars do deserve some cool points. There are also a handful of owners who aren’t wealthy, but who bought their cars when they weren’t worth much but continue to compete even though the car is now worth six or seven figures. One gentleman in particular campaigned a 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa until he passed away recently, I don’t believe he was mega-rich but would risk his priceless car dicing with lesser racecars. These cars, especially the Can Am and 1950s racers, have to really be heard at full cry to be appreciated. It’s terrible when they get wrecked, like the Shelby Daytona Coupe that crashed at the Monterey Historics a few years ago, but luckily the owners can mostly afford to fix them. Some are so rich they have pro drivers taking the cars around. I once saw a handsome young Italian driver all red-faced rushing out of the camper-support vehicle at an SVRA event, scrambling to zip up his firesuit and get into a 1950s Ferrari (one of four or five cars from the same team), he was late for the race which was already underway. I don’t think it was a coincidence that a beautiful young woman had also been in the camper with him. You hire a guy like that, you have to expect these sorts of things, La Dolce Vita.

BigGatorChris > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 13:19

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Fantastically well written.

djbsqk > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 13:28

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“The problem is that most of them don’t know how to spend their damn money on cool stuff . “

How do you think they got rich in the first place?

AlexioFlexio > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 13:32

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Though the sport slots somewhere between recreational currency bonfires and megayacht racing in terms of per-weekend cost, it’s thankfully only expensive to the participants.

what a great line... your whole article was really good actually. thank you.

harvey_mushman744 > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 14:01

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Have been going to SVRA at Watkins Glen for a few years now and can attest to everything said here. These guys love wheel to wheel racing no matter what they’re driving. A few years back, the track was very wet from predawn rain and it was still drizzling at race time, but most of the prewar guys were still out there pushing the limits. Also the only place you are going to see can-am cars compete with an ALMS spec Audi R8 and a Porsche RS Spyder in a 45 minute enduro complete with pit stop and ‘driver change’.

willmederski > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 14:04

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this is about 6 months late ain’t it?

that was a fantastic weekend though.

http://www.willmederski.com/svra

last weekends PCA club races brought some interesting machines too.

Jim Zeigler > willmederski 05/14/2015 at 14:28

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It is indeed! Finally realizing I should write things, though.

Grover900SS > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 14:35

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I had the incredible good fortune of becoming a volunteer mechanic on a very well funded vintage racing team that ran SVRA back in the late 90s and early 2000s. We had 7 cars, all Mustangs - three matching 1970 Boss 302 Parnelli Jones Trans-Am replicas, three Rousch IMSA GT cars - including one of the ‘85 MotorCraft cars, and a Tommy Kendall-driven Rousch Trans-Am. In the heyday we ran an event every 3 weeks or so. It was, hands down, the most incredible time of my life. Tommy Kendall drove our cars at Daytona, where we ran in a 4 hour enduro against Paul Newman in his maybe 10 year old “vintage” Group-C Porsche.

Most events have a “featured marquee.” My favorites were the Can-Am reunions. Chapparel, March, McLaren, Porsche, Lola, you name it, it was probably there. Just thinking about the sound those cars made coming down the hill into turn 5 at Road America still gives me chills.

Other fond memories include McLaren F1s, An early 90s Ferrari F1 car, a former Andretti Indycar, and any number of race-prepped vintage z28s, mustangs, vettes, and porsches than you can shake a stick at.

As the article states, the paddock is wide open and the events are very family friendly. We never refused a request from a kid to sit in any of the cars and very few of the other competitors would either. If you are even remotely intersted in vintage motorsports you owe it to yourself to go to one of these events.

I am forever grateful to the successful gentleman that gave me this opportunity, and I dare say that if you attend an event and find a team that operates out of a shop that is close to home, if you offer up your services you may be surprised at the answer. You may end up humping tires and being the “pumper” during brake bleeds for the first year, but holy hell is it worth it.

VW-GuyR32 > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 14:38

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Saw vintage racing at Road America in WI last year and will be going again this summer. Loads of fun.

mancombseepgood > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 14:39

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Another reason to enjoy the fact that my father lives 10 minutes from CoTA.

Fantastic.

Dream Theater of the Absurd > RedPir8Roberts 05/14/2015 at 14:56

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I love vintage racing, and I hate seeing a vintage machine getting hurt. Last year I was working T1 at the Motorsports Reunion (nee Monterey Historics) when a Can-Am car spun across track into the wall at driver’s left after taking the checkered flag. Made a BIG mess.

Thankfully, the only serious injuries to the driver were to his pride and his bank balance.

Stephen > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 15:08

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That Bugatti is something else. Controls outside of the cockpit, leather straps hold the two halves of the hood down, and even the firewall is a work of art

TheLateApx > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 16:19

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I’m a volunteer at LRP in north western CT and can attest to the general good nature of the vintage car members. A friend of mine [John] is the president of the VSCCA and just about every time he & I meet up, he’ll introduce me to another club member. All I have to say is “Gee, that’s a real honey of a car” as I point in the general direction of a real keeper. Next thing I know John will introduce me to the car’s owner, and like you said, I can chew their ear off about their car. I like to shoot [photos] and sometimes these owners will tidy up a bit when they see you shooting seriously. I’m in heaven when I’m at LRP.

Thanks for the read!

Equana > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 17:37

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Who is this “Nixon” ??

gear5 > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 18:35

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ohhhhhhhh wow

gear5 > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 18:37

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You better have ear plugs!

gear5 > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 18:39

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Steam?

willmederski > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 19:39

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props to that.

i’ll post something about last weekends PCA races but it really wasn’t much worth writing about.

you based in austin?

been trying to get some local jalops together. i know stef lives here too.

Wurrwulf > Grover900SS 05/14/2015 at 19:55

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If you don’t have authorship on Oppo, someone needs to get you set up. I’d love to hear some stories about your time with SVRA!

KremerK3 > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 19:59

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Awesome desktop. Thanks!

Morbo > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 22:51

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I race with SVRA and raced at COTA.
Yes there are very very very expensive cars driven by the 1% but the vast majority of SVRA members are not all that rich. If you can afford to race with SCCA, NASA or even chump/Lemons/wrl you can afford to race with SVRA.
It is easy to buy/build a Group One (small bore) race car for $10K. This will be a ticket to COTA, INDY or any of the other great events that SVRA puts on. And there is always room in Group 1.

http://www.svra.com/wp-content/upl…

PM me if you want more info. I will be racing at Indy in June.

mikecyc72usa > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 23:19

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Ummm, you’re pretty off on your belief of the average SVRA racer. I should know, I was crew chief for several cars at Indy and COTA SVRA events last year. MGB, MGA, MG Midget, Triumph Spitfire, BMW 2002, Ford Escort, (British one.) Porsche 914 were under my care directly or indirectly. These guys have a single or double car trailer, a Ford pickup or converted ambulance as a tow vehicle, and some camp at the tracks. You should check out the pieces I wrote after each event.

Yes, there are some amazing cars at these events, nut the vast majority are just guys who live their cars and do all the work themselves and sacrifice other things in life to afford racing.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Jim Zeigler 05/14/2015 at 23:31

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Well, you’re totally wrong about COTA canceling track days because of “Strict FIA rules” and the “F1 certification”.

Also, it’s not hard to get laps in at COTA. All you have to do is sign up for an event with BMWCCA, PCA, Chin Motorsports, Driver’s Edge, Edge Addicts, MVP Track Time, Autobahner, Challenge Club Racing, AMG Driving Academy, or any of the other organizations that have already done events at COTA in 2015.

You’re totally right that vintage racing is totally cool though. The guys that run SVRA are pretty nice too.

Jim Zeigler > mikecyc72usa 05/14/2015 at 23:36

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It’s entirely possible that you’re right. Perhaps it’s not best to make assumptions from the final event of the season that’s held far from the standard track schedule. From what I saw in the paddocks, the vast majority of drivers were exceptionally ballin’. I’ve been to Corinthian Vintage races that were not this way, and it’s probably unfair to depict them all as absurdly wealthy.

By the way, love your cycling articles. I was a bicycle mechanic through school (though, admittedly, a fairly terrible cyclist) and you depict a balanced portrait of the scene. I’m in Houston, but I hope to meet you in person at one of the Jalop events in Austin.

Jim Zeigler > Clown Shoe Pilot 05/14/2015 at 23:40

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My judgment is based on the amateur racing scene as of late 2012, when I was last a participant. Glad to hear it’s changed for the better. From what I’ve gathered from my friends that have participated in BMWCCA events, they’re still fairly picky about who they allow on track (an evaluation of your experience, etc), but again this may be an outdated perspective.

As a sidenote, Clownshoes are the greatest car ever made.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Jim Zeigler 05/15/2015 at 00:10

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the bmwcca event a month or so ago had a novice group. it’s not even the first time complete newbs have been out there, just the first time w/ bmwcca.

mikecyc72usa > Jim Zeigler 05/15/2015 at 00:52

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There is some obscene wealth at SVRA events. Those flash types steal the show. But most guys are more down to earth. I’ll likely be at COTA this year again. Stop by the garage. Hell you can help if you want to (the hour long enduro is the most fun to crew at).

Glad you like the cycling stuff. My next articles will be about another epic drive to Hilton Head next week with my dog Ellie and back. Out in the Miata, swap it for my Spitfire, and back in that car. I never hear of Jalopnik events, what’s the secret handshake?

f86sabre > Jim Zeigler 05/15/2015 at 08:51

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I spent the weekend with VDCA last August. I was the pace car driver at Road Atlanta through a set of odd circumstances. Yes, there is some big money in there, but there are just as many upper middle class professionals who race reasonably priced cars. Lots of old MGs and Formula Vs. overall a god rout of folks with tons of passion for old cars.

jasonbo > Jim Zeigler 05/15/2015 at 10:20

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I should go through my flickr and write about old races. Oh wait, I cant write. That Martini Porsche was awesome.