It just seems natural for Corvette owners to love road racing. Some would say it’s baked into our brand’s DNA. Given Zora Arkus-Duntov’s background, there was no way Chevrolet’s Corvette wouldn’t be raced.
Arkus himself was a veteran of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Allards and Porsches. His legacy continues at Le Mans, where since 2000, the Corvette Racing team has won eight class victories with three different cars in 19 participations.
Fast forward to today, and I can only imagine how much a racer like Arkus would have enjoyed the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). Seeing his beloved creation racing head to head with other performance cars of the same era would’ve put a smile on his face, I’m sure.
SVRA events end the age-old question of who would’ve beaten who, in real-time, right before your eyes.
Love Of Racing Started It All
If you’ve never attended an SVRA event before, let’s get you up to speed. While we’re at it, we’ll also give you several reasons why you’ll love it. First off, SVRA is the largest and one of the oldest Vintage Racing organizations in the United States.
Ford Heacock III, a serious life-long, automotive enthusiast, founded it in 1978. He had a love of racing that clearly ran in the family.
His grandfather (Ford Sr.) was the first chairman of the Sebring 12 Hours of Endurance and is a member of the Sebring International Raceway Hall of Fame.
Atlanta’s very own Road Atlanta road course held the first SVRA event in the Fall of 1980 as a support race to the Can-Am weekend. That first event had about 20 cars participate, which in hindsight, was a good thing.
Not only were all the drivers new, the entire support staff and track crew were also new on the job.
Today, four decades later, the organization currently has more than 2000 licensed members. In the beginning, SVRA was a regional series, largely concentrated in the southeastern United States.
Today the association events are held at many of America’s top road courses.
Some of these racing venues have included the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, Auto Club Speedway, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Sonoma Raceway, Portland International Raceway, and Virginia International Raceway.
Through the years, the love of racing has been at the heart of every Sportscar Vintage Racing Association event. It’s the same fun grassroots style of racing that drew faithful followers to NASCAR in the early days.
A Race Experience Like No Other
The best way to describe an SVRA race event is that it feels like a neighborhood block party with vintage cars. It has a strong communal spirit which makes it an automotive race experience like no other.
Yes, there is some strong, competitive racing but never at the expense of camaraderie. They have a pure love of these rolling works of automotive art.
The parking lots are really the start of the experience. These vintage events always bring out an interesting array of automotive eye candy. It’s not uncommon to see hoods popped and passersby peering under them while they talk to the owner.
These races really bring out the Corvette faithful. They often have a special corral set aside for parking your fiberglass creation.
If you attend the Road Atlanta event, local Vette clubs like Corvette Cruisers of Atlanta are well represented. Of course, like so many Vette clubs, these fun-loving members are eager to welcome you in.
“Some People Collect Art, We Race It”
The races themselves are only part of the attraction. The garage areas are open to fans, and give you access to a wide array of classic performance cars. It’s not often you get a chance for an up-close look at a treasure-trove of historical go-fast vehicles.
Drivers are often willing to take time to talk with fans who share an appreciation of high-performance vintage automobiles. It’s a rare chance to chat with the men and women who dedicate their time and resources to preserving the rich history of auto racing.
As the drivers are fond of saying, “Some people collect art, we race it.”
The drivers/owners are amateurs who, by and large, are behind the wheel to have fun. They don’t have corporate sponsorships or race for a purse.
Winning is nice, of course, but not at the expense of sportsmanship. Driving in a vintage event is really about allowing classic vehicles to do what they were built to do, which is to go fast!
SVRA events give you the chance to watch the classic sports cars of your youth compete head to head.
Safe, Fair & Fun Racing
The centerpiece of the event, for both driver and fan alike, is undoubtedly the head to head racing. Here is where SVRA has thoroughly raised the experience to an unprecedented new level.
When it comes to the competition on the track, their mantra is “Safe, Fair & Fun.” To keep it fair over such a diverse range of cars, they focused on four key areas—tires, weight, displacement, and brakes.
Many racers would say if you can get these right, it’s a powerful equalizer. To take it a step further, they have twelve distinct categories to tighten the performance field and raise the excitement.
While every category is exciting to watch, of course, we can’t wait for Group 6 racing. Group 6 consists mainly of large displacement sports cars and sedans that represent the “Golden Age” of club racing in the USA.
Here is a list of potential entrants: AC Cobra (427cid FE), AC Cobra (289 FIA), 1967-69 Chevrolet Camaro (350, 396, 427ci), 1970-72 Chevrolet Camaro (350, 396, 427, 454ci), 1965-67 Chevrolet Corvette – C2 – (427cid),
1968-72 Chevrolet Corvette – C3 – (427/454ci), 1969 Yenko Camaro (427cid), Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (6.2L V8), DeTomaso Panteraand Mangusta (351cid), 1967-68 Mustang (390FE), 1968 Mustang (428CJ),
1969-70 Mustang (351C or W, 390FE, 428CJ, 429Boss), 1971-72 Mustang (351C, 429CJ), Ford Boss 429 1965-71, Jaguar XKE (4.2L), Wide Angle or Twin plug head 1965-71, Jaguar XKE SIII V12 (5.4L), Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (289), and Shelby GT-500 (428cid).
With that list of potential entrants, the Corvette faithful have their eyes glued to the track the entire race. The racing is tight, and bragging rights change on every turn.
In Every Way, A Better Racing Experience
Looking at all that a Sportscar Vintage Racing Association event has to offer, it is clearly a better racing experience. Not only do you get a chance to talk to the passionate drivers of these vintage cars, but you watch them compete as well. The camaraderie in the paddock and the Corvette corals adds to the enjoyment of the day.
If all of that wasn’t enough, SVRA often brings in racing celebrities to race or be a grand marshal. Boris Said, Ron Fellows, Mike Skinner, and Johnny O’Connell are just a few of the notable names. How would you like to be walking in the garage area and bump into one of them?
Yes, I believe Zora Arkus-Duntov would be a big fan of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association. In fact, I’m not sure you could keep him from climbing behind the wheel of a C2 and hitting the road course.
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