The 2026 Velocity Invitational was held at Sonoma Raceway May 29-31. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting clients in Group 8 (ALMS) and Group 5 (B-Sedan). The event was just as fun for spectators with a friendly, immersive vibe. Enjoy our report from the weekend with photos and in-car video of the action.

  

Z Car Garage Racers

Photo by Chris Constantine

This year we missed racing in Group 7 IMSA, however the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z was proudly displayed in the paddock for the weekend.

 

You can see photos and in-car video from Rob in the Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z from the last VI race below. Volume up and enjoy!

  

The IMSA group this year was fun to watch and we enjoyed seeing the Leary 280Z car driven by Gabe Tesch’s son, Jake.

Photo by Elton Hom

Historic B & C Sedan

Photo by Alex Trang

Historic B&C Sedan partnered with Velocity Invitational to gather a collection of 30+ real historic B and C sedan cars in a dedicated run group! Several cars among them had real Trans Am Under 2L and Two-Five Challenge history like the Datsun 510s of Corky Bell and Bob Finn.

The Corky Bell Trans Am 510 (Group 5)

 

Famed engineer and race car driver Corky Bell ran this Datsun 510 in the early 70’s Trans Am series. Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time in 53 years at the last Velocity. We will dedicate a separate blog post to the restoration and Corky’s story. Here are a few photos of the car during the revival:

   

Rob Fuller piloted the Bell Trans Am 510 at the Velocity Invitational. His race report is below:

ROB:  This year we were going to see the return of the Joel Anderson IMSA 240Z and unfortunately it didn’t work out. Then our Mini Cooper that was supposed to be in the Mini Vs. Muscle race had some engine issues…so let’s talk about the fun stuff… Historic B&C Sedan!

 

After many years of dedication, Dave Stone and Glenn Chiou finally got an entire group of Historic B&C Sedans assembled for a run group at Velocity Invitational. This is really amazing because it has been discussed forever and every one of the cars inside the field has historic pedigree with stories. With about 33 cars total it was fun racing and we had a really good time. 510s were very strong in the field…Noah was there in his 68 car, Kenny in the 64 Ex-Ted Gruner car, Tom Dockery in the 72 Ex-Balzer/Koobation car and Rob Fuller and Corky Bell number 40 Datsun 510. 

 

Chet Taylor raced his Alpha GTV which was piloted for almost 50 years by Jon Norman (Bay Area Alpha legend) and he was in the mix. It was just a blast with great racing and got to spend time with fans and tell them about the cars and their stories. That’s one of my favorite parts. Everybody was competitive, there were no car issues. It was an absolute wonderful weekend filled with peanut butter pretzels, snacks,  good times and hugs. Also honorable mention to Greg Hoff in Larry Oka’s historic Michael Bell car that ran out of the Pacific Northwest in the late 70s. 

 

The Corky Bell car finished 2nd in the Qualifying Race and third in the Feature Race.

 

Enjoy this video of Rob Fuller racing in Group 5 at the Velocity Invitational with in-car action:

 

You can also see the full-length, in-car footage on Saturday and Sunday and watch more of Rob’s racing adventures on his YouTube Channel.

 

#68 Noah’s Datsun 510

 

#72 Tom Dockery

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. One of his racing goals for 2026 is to attend both the Velocity Invitational and Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

 
TOM: Velocity Invitational 2026 was another outstanding event for the B Sedan community. A large B-Sedan group, 30 plus cars with a broad representation of manufacturers. This was my first event after extensive work on the car performed by the Z Car Garage team. A special thanks to Rob, Josh and Cooper. The car worked well and I was able to stay in the top third of the run group. There is always room for improvement in my driving but I was very happy with my performance and more importantly the performance of the run group. The group put on a good show with racing throughout the field. Looking forward to August and the Rolex.

 

We have in-car video from Tom Dockery in the Ex-Norm Balzer B-Sedan Datsun 510, volume up and enjoy!

 

#64 Kenny Tse

Kenny is a steady ZCG trackside support client, running the Ex-Ted Gruner 510.

 

#37 Glenn Chiou

 

The Historic B and C Sedan founder and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his his Ex-Bob Finn U2.5L Trans-Am Datsun 510 This car features our Z Car Garage CV Axles. We also provided dyno tuning services for the fresh Rebello L18 with Solex/Mikuni 44phh induction and BRE intake:

 

More on-track photos by Elton Hom can be seen HERE

Friday Night Meet with Sung Kang and Larry Chen

 

Lifelong car guys Sung Kang and Larry Chen brought the spirit of Daikoku PA to Sonoma Raceway for a one-of-a-kind Friday night meet.  Z Car Garage displayed #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z. Rob recalls the evening:

ROB: Friday night…Larry Chen and Sung Kang go to Sonoma Raceway. They had a separate event where they sold tickets to allow fans to bring cars to the meet, see a drift car demo and trailer of the new movie, Drifter. Larry and Sung did a Q&A-style hang with fans and as the sun set Velocity had us bring down the IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z to the hot pit and display it with some really cool curated cars.

 

After the Q&A/trailer and everything in turn seven, they would choose which cars that would go down and be in the car show, was really cool. Lots of families and people I’ve never seen before. The IMSA 240Z was staged between some cars from the race like the Celica GTU car and a Mazda 767B.

Photos by Elton Hom

At the very end of the hot pit was Larry Chen signing books and meeting people. That line didn’t stop until they kicked us out at 9:30 at night. It was absolutely incredible. People were excited and respectful. People talked to me about some of the YouTube channel episodes that I’ve been in with Larry, their own Z car projects and being at the VI for the first time. Just absolutely wonderful. Very very cool to bridge that world to our world and so it was just a mix of young and old and families. Spent time with Johnny Lieberman. Highlight for me was seeing Joey Bautista’s early (Prince) Skyline it was epic. Really good time had by all and just a great job for Velocity bringing folks together.

 

Z Car Garage Trackside Race Support Services

ZCG provided trackside support for 4 cars in the B-Sedan field at the Velocity Invitational. Interested in our services? Find out more HERE.

Porsche 997 GT3 Cup (Group 8)

This very special Porsche is the 2006 FIA European GT3 Championship winning car that was driven by Sean Edwards. It is a 997 GT3 Cup S Prototype and our client Kenny Tse raced it in the ALMS (group 8).

 Photos by Elton Hom

Paddock Gems

Photo by Elton Hom

There was no shortage of rare and exotic cars from well-known supercar marques. Historic icons were everywhere. More photos in the gallery below!

 

Our client Lora with her Series 1 Datsun 240Z

A Fan-Friendly Race Event

 

One of the best experiences for spectators is the paddock and organizers made access to drivers and their machines seamless. Fans could get up close and personal with race cars without the typical ropes or 45-foot RVs in the way. Enjoy our video coverage of the paddock focused on the Historic B&C Sedan groups:

ROB: Since the inaugural Velocity Invitational, Z Car Garage has been a big fan of what they were trying to accomplish:  mixing something that we (love vintage racing) with car culture that appeals to people of all ages. Kudos to Jeff O’Neil and his team for pulling off another exciting event.

If you want to see action from the event in its entirety, check out live streaming coverage HERE. Huge thanks to Meghan Fuller for capturing photos/videos for ZCG. More photos in the gallery below from photographers Alex Trang, Chris Constantine and Elton Hom.

ZCG Race Crew

  

Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including Josh, Meghan, and Cooper. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!

 

Join us for the 2026 Vintage Racing Season!

 

Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Please check the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for upcoming race events. Do not miss the next event: CSRG’s Corkscrew Classic June 12-14.

 

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Z Car Garage presents five cars for sale from our client Randy Jaffe’s collection. The Datsuns consist of three Series 1 240Z cars and one 1979 280ZX Race Car. Also for sale is a 1966 Mustang R-style Fastback Race Car. Below is a preview of the collection with links to each car’s individual listing containing build details, photo galleries, driving videos and more.

Serious inquiries only, please contact Rob: 408-452-0350 or rob@zcargarage.com

 

3.2L-Powered 1971 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Rocketbunny

 

 

 

 

 

Randy Jaffe’s 1971 Datsun 240Z Series 1 S30 started as a project car with paint/bodywork performed by Bryson Richards of Classic Livery. The Z was shipped to us from Georgia for finishing his vision of a wild show/go race car. Inspiration for the Tangerine paint color and Jagermeister livery came from Randy’s obsession with Porsche, and the Max Moritz Racing Porsche 934.

Providing room for the 275/315-width tires and custom Panasport C8 wheels is an authentic Pandem Rocketbunny aero kit. Randy channeled his passion for racing into this build and the chassis is virtually identical to his #46 BRE Datsun 240z, using zinc-plated DP Racing suspension parts. The engine is a dyno-tuned 3.2L L-series running 13:5:1 compression, triple-Mikuni ph44s, a Fujitsubo header and glorious BRE-style exhaust. Running gear includes a close-ratio 5-speed ZX transmission, R180 OS Giken LSD, our ZCG CV Axles and ZCG Big-Brake Kit (race version). Continuing the race car theme is a stripped, body-color interior with Sparco race seats, steering wheel and custom Alcantara custom dash. BRE/vintage details throughout.

Car is is pristine condition with zero chips, scratches or defects. Approx. 400 miles on build. 1st Place Winner Best Datsun 240Z at the Japanese Classic Car Show.

Full build details with photos, video and more can be found here: 3.2L-Powered 1971 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Rocketbunny

 

3L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Safari Tribute

 

 

 

 

 

Randy’s 1970 Safari Z is a tribute to the original #11 car piloted to victory by Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schuller in the 1971 East African Safari Rally. Nissan campaigned three of these S30s in the rally, finishing 1, 2 and 7th place while handily beating Porsche’s and other marques along the way. This is an early 4/70 production (VIN 03227) Series 1 car and Randy shipped it from Georgia to our shop to prepare it for the “60 Years in 30 Seconds” commercial as part of “The New Nissan” ad campaign starring actress Brie Larson.

The drivetrain includes a new, dyno-tuned 3.0 Rebello street motor using a 10.5:1 head for pump gas, triple-Mikuni ph44 induction (as the original #11 Safari Z ran) complete with Harada intake, velocity stacks, linkages and Z Car Garage Heat Shield covering the Fujitsubo exhaust header. All backed by a new, 1982 280ZX 5 speed transmission and OS Giken 4.11 LSD.

The interior features period touches like navigator’s equipment including 70’s route map, microphone headsets, rally timers and reproduction vintage race seats. Small details remain faithful to the original car inculding functional Works-style side jacking points, rear bumper steps and twin-exit exhaust system. Car was featured by Nissan at SEMA and by Larry Chen in his YouTube video series.

Full build details with photos, video and more can be found here: 3L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Safari Tribute

 

2.8L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Bonneville Salt Flat Race Car

  

 

 

 

This 1970 Datsun 240z set the F/GT class record (1976) of 166.037 mph at Bonneville with Nissan USA field engineer Bob Stockman behind the wheel. The car was stored in Nissan warehouses for decades until our client Randy acquired it from Nissan in 2020. The Bonneville Z-car is chassis HLS30-05834, built in June 1970. Never sold to the public, with only ~2300 miles.

The exterior features the “G-nose”, a factory-made, 5-piece kit for the JDM-only Fairlady ZG (HS30-H) and created for Group 4 racing, The stripped interior houses a simple roll bar with integrated headrest. The steering wheel is a rare, “Ura Mach” unit. This leather/aluminum steering wheel was an available option to all S30s from Nissan sports/race, with the stock wheel being wood composite made by Izumi. Though available as optional parts, these seats and steering wheel were removed from a 432R and installed on the F/GT car as delivered from Japan by Nissan!

In 2021 we performed a sympathetic restoration of the Bonneville Salt Flats Z. The original record setting motor prepared by Tom O’Connor and his team at Nissan was not available, so we installed a high-compression L28 built by BRE team member John Caldwell. It features triple-ph44 Mikuni’s with Harada intake, velocity stacks and Z Car Garage Heat Shield. The exhaust system includes a ceramic-coated header and side/rear exit all painted white. The dyno-tuned engine is backed by a low mileage 280zx close-ratio 5-speed with a JWT aluminum flywheel ad HD clutch.  Power is sent through an R180 with 4.11 gearset complete with new bearings and hardware. Original Firestone Bonneville tires, and 15 inch steel wheels that were used during the record setting events are included in sale.

Car was featured by Larry Chen in his YouTube video series, and won the Amelia Award in the 1961-’89 race car class at the 2025 Amelia Island Concours.

Full build details with photos, video and more can be found here: 2.8L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Bonneville Salt Flat Race Car

 

Ex-Jim Fitzgerald 1979 Datsun 280ZX Race Car

 

 

 

 

 

This 1979 Datsun 280ZX was raced from 1980 through 1983 by Jim “Fitzy” Fitzgerald, Paul Newman’s close friend and teammate. Fitzy remains the winningest driver in SCCA history and campaigned this 280ZX in C Production as well as IMSA GTU.The car has belonged to Adam Carolla (2009 to 2017), then our client Alex McDowell who raced it the Monterey Motorsports Reunion and many Laguna Seca vintage events from 2018 to 2021.

Z Car Garage refreshed and prepared the ZX for racing in 2018. The drivetrain includes a dry-sump 3.2L Rebello race engine (approx 5 hrs) with triple-Mikuni ph44 carbs on a Nissan Competition intake manifold, Nissan Competition exhaust header with straight pipes into exhaust megaphones, 3.9 OS Giken LSD, ZCG CV Axles and 5 Speed Nissan Comp 2 Transmission. Suspension consists of Koni race shocks, period disc brakes and 16×10 Panasport C8 wheels.

The interior features a full roll cage, fire suppression system and Sparco race seat. This is a very significant historical race car with easy entrance to Vintage Events. Race ready. Additional Body Molds included with sale.

More details with photos, video and more can be found here: Ex-Jim Fitzgerald 1979 Datsun 280ZX Race Car

 

1966 Ford Mustang Fastback R-Style Race Car

 

 

 

 

This 1966 Ford Mustang fastback was built as a B Production race car in 1991 by Historic Race Engineering of Costa Mesa, California and has competed in VARA, SVRA, VDCA, and HSR events since. It is a period-correct homage to the Shelby GT350R, featuring Shelby-style bodywork along with an upgraded suspension and brakes, larger wheels and tires, and safety equipment.

The small-block Ford V8 is backed by a Toploader four-speed manual transmission was purchased from Cobra Automotive. The car was reportedly built to FIA specifications and is currently configured for SVRA Group 6, VDCA Group 6, and HSR Group 3 competition. This GT350R replica is now offered by the current owner with service records, a letter from Carroll Shelby, a logbook, timing sheets, old racing photos, spare parts, a car cover, and a clean GA title.

More details with photos, video and more can be found here: 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback R-Style Race Car

 

All cars from the Randy Jaffe’s Collection are listed below:

• 3.2L-Powered 1971 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Rocketbunny
• 3L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Safari Tribute
• 2.8L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Bonneville Salt Flat Race Car
• Ex-Jim Fitzgerald 1979 Datsun 280ZX Race Car
• 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback R-Style Race Car

 

Join us on Sunday, June 14 for the Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) gathering at the Blackhawk Museum! See flyer below for more details:

 

We had a blast at this ZONC event with a fantastic turnout. See our report from the 2023 event HERE, and Z you at Blackhawk!

 

 

 

 

 

On June 12-14, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) will host the Corkscrew Classic vintage race at Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage will participate and support several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 3. It will be a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Remember to bring your family and friends as admission is FREE for spectators!

Hoosier Tire 2.5 Challenge

 

CSRG will be featuring the Hoosier 2.5 Challenge TA/BS. This is an action-packed race group with B-Sedans battling for points in the series!

 

Watch these Datsuns Race!

Want a glimpse of what it’s like to see Datsuns racing at Laguna Seca? Check out our 2025 race report with video and photos: HERE, and view a sample of cars expected to race June 12 at the Corkscrew Classic:

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou in his FAR Performance 240Z. This Z has a very rich racing history, driven in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence in VIPS Restaurant livery.

Join us for the 2026 Vintage Racing Season!

 

Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Please check the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for upcoming race events. Do not miss the next event: The Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca August 12-15th.

 

Z Car Garage is excited to participate in the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway May 29-31. This is a must attend historic racing event for Nissan/Datsun fans with IMSA GTU Z cars, exotics and more to enjoy. Tickets are still available, to purchase simply click HERE, and read below for a preview.

  

Z Car Garage Racers

Z Car Garage is excited to be racing and supporting 6 cars in the 1972-1980 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT and 1966-1979 Historic SCCA B & C Sedan groups. We are stoked for the return of the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z, driven by Rob Fuller:

  

The Corky Bell U2.5L Trans Am 510

 

Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time in 52 years at the 2024 Velocity Invitational. This year, Rob Fuller will pilot the Corky Bell 510! Full feature coming to zcarblog.com

 

#68 Noah’s Datsun 510

 

#72 Tom Dockery

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. Z Car Garage restored this 510, making a triumphant return to this year’s Velocity event.

 

#64 Kenny Tse

Kenny is a steady ZCG trackside support client, running the Ex-Ted Gruner 510.

  

Friday Night Meet with Sung Kang and Larry Chen

 

Lifelong car guys Sung Kang  and Larry Chen are bringing the spirit of Daikoku PA to Sonoma Raceway for a one-of-a-kind Friday night meet. Bring your ride, or just revel in the atmosphere. Z Car Garage will also have #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z and Corky Bell U2.5L Trans Am Datsun 510 on display!

 

SUNG KANG
Star of DRIFTER, Fast & Furious, and Lifelong Car Guy

Sung will be on-hand at Velocity Invitational Friday during the day (and well into the evening) to meet fans, and show off Lola, his AE86 Trueno drift car, his co-star in DRIFTER.

Sung will be presenting the Northern California debut preview of his upcoming feature film, DRIFTER, at Velocity Invitational, and will be doing a special Q&A with fans following the preview.

Formula Drift champion and Hollywood stunt driver Dai Yoshihara will be on hand as well to meet fans and do demo drift laps in Lola.

LARRY CHEN
Automotive Photographer, Hagerty Personality

With more than two decades of experience documenting car culture around the world, Larry’s work captures the people, passion, and stories behind the machines.

Larry is the host of Capturing Car Culture on the Hagerty YouTube channel, where he explores the global car scene through in-depth features and behind-the-scenes access. He is also a contributor to Turnpike, where he shares long-form editorial pieces focused on automotive lifestyle and culture.

Larry is known for his longstanding role as an official photographer of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and Formula DRIFT series.

As a veteran photographer of Velocity Invitational, Larry will be on-hand to both capture the 2026 event, as well as meet fans, and host the Friday Night Meet with Sung Kang.

Friday Night Meet Details

Load in starts at 5pm!

Sonoma Raceway – 29355 Arnold Dr, Sonoma, CA 95476

Get your tickets HERE

Historic B & C Sedan

Photo by Kris Poulin

Historic B&C Sedan has partnered with Velocity Invitational to gather a collection of 30+ real historic B and C sedan cars this upcoming weekend! Several cars among them have real Trans Am Under 2L and Two-Five Challenge history like the Datsun 510s of Corky Bell and Bob Finn.

 

The Historic B and C Sedan race is one of the most exciting run groups so don’t miss out! Race car driver and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou will be racing his Ex-Bob Finn U2.5L Trans-Am Datsun 510! This car features our Z Car Garage CV Axles

 

We also provided dyno tuning services for the fresh Rebello L18 with Solex/Mikuni 44phh induction and BRE intake:

 

Listen to this 510 make sweet L-Series music on our dyno in the video below. There is also race/paddock action with Glenn behind the wheel:

 

See you at the Velocity Invitational!

 

View the Race schedule (TBD)

 

Join us for the 2026 Vintage Racing Season!

 

Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Please check the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for upcoming race events. Do not miss the next event: CSRG’s Corkscrew Classic June 12-14.