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WE LOVE RACING! On November 10-12 we attended the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting clients in Group 6 (1968 – 1978 IMSA GT Cars), Group 9 (ALMS) and Group 10 (Mini vs Mustang Enduro). This vintage racing 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.
Rob Fuller piloted the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z
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 Group 9 (ALMS). Listen to this car on the Z Car Garage dyno below!
Z Car Garage prepared and provided trackside race support for our client Kelvin Tse and his IMSA Porsche 911, running with the Z cars in Group 6.
Rob Fuller and Greg Hoff raced a Mini Cooper against Mustangs in the Group 10: 1960’s Mini Vs Mustang Enduro, this was an action-packed group!
Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced 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.
Group 6’s IMSA cars were dominated by big-power Porsche 911 RSRs with a few BMS CSLs and four S30 Datsuns. Rob Fuller ran the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z joining Dave Stone’s 260Z, Gary Cook’s CP 240Z and Glenn Chiou’s’ 240Z:
This was Z Car Garage’s third time running the Velocity Invitational event. Enjoy Rob Fuller’s race report with video below…
ROB: “The IMSA GTU Z made a switch this season from Avon to Goodyear tires, and it’s really been quite amazing. You have to remember that all of the suspension on this 240Z is what Joel ran in 1981, and it still rocks. Group 6 was fun and I was in the mix with legends…spent the last 20 years attending the Historics watching Bruce Canepa in his Porsche 935, Ken Epsman in his DeKon Monza, the Greenwood Corvette…just unreal to be actually racing with them!”
Enjoy these shots of the #49 car in action by photographers Kris Poulin, Chris Constantine and Charles Frerking:
We have in-car video from Rob in the Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z and Group 6 racing action below, volume up and enjoy!
Sunday Race:
Catch some Turn 2 action HERE and watch more of Rob’s racing adventures on his YouTube Channel.
ROB: “ZCG provided trackside support for 4 cars. Kelvin in IMSA 911 and myself in G6, Kenny in G9 ALMS with a bunch of 996/997 Porsche Cup cars, Ford GT’s and really cool metal. They all had a blast. We changed up a few things on the IMSA 911 and solve some issues that came up at Rennsport so he was able to have a good time at Velocity.”
Kenny with his 997 GT3 Cup car and first time on track since 2018. Z Car Garage prepped the car with fluids and dyno tuning, and wow what a car:
ZCG is always willing to lend a hand to fellow racers, like Dave Stone:
ROB: “We also ran a Mini with Greg Hoff in the Enduro. The Mini kicked our ass all weekend and we had to do an engine swap (thanks to Nick for the assist!)…we had electrical woes. British Steel really challenged us and thanks to the ZCG crew we were able to catch the last Enduro race and take the checkered flag.”
Enjoy this video highlighting the Sonoma Raceway paddock with race group walk-throughs, engine sounds and more:
There was no shortage of rare and exotic cars from well-known and upcoming supercar marques. Guntherwerks had their 911 Speedster and McLaren showed off an incredible display of F1s mixed with newer models:
Formerly known as the Sonoma Speed Festival (2019), the Velocity Invitational re-imagined the vintage race experience with a Goodwood-inspired vibe that we enjoyed at the 2022 Velocity Invitational. 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:
ROB: “First time running at Sonoma for us with VI, since we missed the inaugural event in 2019. Jeff O’Neill ‘s event is first class and reminds us of what the Rolex MMR used to be. So much excitement in the air…when you drive in people would be everywhere. Thanks to Jeff, Ryan Turri and Ardelle Lind for accommodating our needs.”
“They have done an incredible job making the guests and fans welcome. Organizers created a memorable experience, down to the driver’s meeting and we really enjoyed the paddock design, signage, F1 energy. All three days there were lines to get into the event! More driver amenities like the lounge, food and drink…ZCG’s first shop helper Jeff Garcia and his company was in charge of coffee/drink services at the event, small world!”
The hot pit area where all run groups stage before heading out to the track is an amazing place to be. Typically, access is only granted to pit crews and media. At the Velocity Invitational however, organizers staged a “false grid” where any spectator could walk amongst the race cars.
If you want to see action from the event in its entirety, check out Goodwood’s live streaming coverage of Day one and Day Two. Huge thanks to Meghan Fuller for capturing photos/videos for ZCG. More photos in the gallery below!
Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including Josh, Meghan, Nick and Cooper. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!
Thank you Velocity Invitational for an incredible event. We look forward to running with you again. Join us for the 2024 race season starting March 1 with SVRA at Thunderhill. See the ull race schedule below and LONG LIVE THE Z!
Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning of vintage cars and this includes non-Nissan/Datsun classics. From establishing a baseline on street cars to preparing race cars for high-profile events we love helping each client achieve the best performance possible. Geoff W’s 1972 BMW 2002 came to Z Car Garage for a dyno tuning session with fantastic results.
Geoff is a friend of the shop with a great story behind his love for all things engineering and automotive. Let’s hear how he got into cars and acquired the BMW 2002…
“My father owned Formula Fords growing up and has owned a Lotus Elan since 1977; we spent a lot of time in the garage together in my formative years. I was exposed at a young age to AutoX and vintage racing I distinctly remember falling in love with Lotus Sevens and B-sedan cars. When I was of driving age, I purchased a 1985 Mk1 Toyota Mr2 (Chassis code AW11) and began to do a lot of track days and AutoX. This eventually led to another 4age powered car: The Toyota Corolla GTS (Chassis code AE86). I was going to college in southern California at the time and was involved with Club4ag.com which started holding drift day events. This was before professional organizations such as Formula D came about.”
“As a poor college kid, I started working drift events and track days in exchange for track time. I eventually became an instructor and won one of the earliest US drifting competitions in my largely-stock, daily-driver Corolla. After school, I bought a Caterham 7 Super Sprint, and while it was fun, it was never quite the original Lotus Seven I pined for. I eventually sold all of my “fun cars” to fund a house purchase in San Jose. After a few years, I finally acquired my Lotus Seven in 2013 as a tired vintage race car from Texas. I built a road-going motor and installed a synchromesh transmission for the car and finally got it running a year later.”
“I’ve been enjoying driving and developing it in the years since. Alvin from Z Car Garage and I met a few years after this car was finished and we became fast friends. Some of my best memories with this car have been spent driving in the mountains surrounding San Jose with Alvin. I’ve done a few vintage car rallies and been on track with it, but I eventually would like to do some vintage racing.” (See Geoff’s Lotus 7 in this excellent Petrolicious feature HERE)
“In 2018, I sought out a B-sedan road car to take on vintage car rallies and have something fun to drive in inclement weather. Alfa GTV’s, Datsun 510’s were out of my price range and I couldn’t find any Mk1 Ford Escorts/Cortinas for sale. I began looking at BMW 2002’s; I especially liked them in bright/interesting colors popular in the early 70’s.”
The 2002 baselined at 99hp/114tq and after tuning put down 129hp/127tq at the wheels! Let’s hear from Rob…
ROB: “Being around so many B-Sedan race cars I wanted to see what all the hype was surrounding the BMW 2002. I started talking with Geoff about trading one of my S30 Z cars for his BMW. He kindly lent it to me, and I drove it to the Monterey Historics to root on our friend Jim Huff in his Neu Klasse BMW. First impressions were that it was anemic and the dyno confirmed this. Full-throttle was compromised so it needed throttle-linkage adjustment plus timing and jetting. It really came alive making great power…“
Enjoy the video below to see Geoff’s BMW on the dyno, test driving with Rob and enjoying a few road rallies:
Rob and Geoff recall how they felt about the 2002 post dyno tuning and test driving:
ROB: “With +30hp/13tq this BMW was born again, and man did I like the German 510. Love the visibility, greenhouse, seats, thud of the door closing. Despite being a die-hard Datsun 510 guy I really dug the 2002. Enjoyed it so much that I thought maybe this was going to be my first German car. I drove it, Meghan drove it, and just as I was getting excited, (un)fortunately Geoff finally drove it…our improvements to the car convinced him to keep the 2002.”
GEOFF: “I hadn’t even considered having it tuned, but Rob suggested giving it a try. When I drove the car after Z Car Garage worked their magic, I was absolutely floored. It is a completely different car now, gaining 30 horsepower and this was not the “stock” 2002 I had assumed it to be. I’m absolutely kicking myself I didn’t have it tuned by Rob earlier. Needless to say, I am no longer interested in selling it. I feel like I’m experiencing a whole new car I cannot thank Z Car Garage enough!”
We introduced Geoff to the magic of the Datsun S30 Z car after joining him on local mountain drives and rallies. He gets it…
GEOFF: “Being around the shop, I have an even stronger strong appreciation for both 510’s and Z cars. I was recently given the opportunity to drive Mrs. Butters and was completely blown away by the Z Car Garage Big Brakes. I have never felt brakes like that on a vintage car; they’re more impressive than most modern cars! The sound of that L-series on triple Mikuni’s is absolutely intoxicating. While I’ve always preferred smaller/lighter 4 cylinder cars, a S30 tuned like Mrs. Butters is definitely on my short-list of next cars to own. It also helps to have a reputable shop so familiar with these cars in the area!”
ALVIN: “It really is a small word. Geoff and I both work at the same company and didn’t meet until we saw our beloved vintage cars featured in Petrolicious. Since then we’ve enjoyed Bay Area backroads and beyond. Good times from running rallies with Driving While Awesome, to attending race events and weekend blasts. Geoff is truly someone I’d wish I had known earlier in life. Here’s to more memories and drives.”
Just a few events we have enjoyed with Geoff over the years, with more photos in the gallery below:
ROB: “Happy to help Geoff sort out his BMW. He’s such a great car enthusiast and friend to the shop, myself and Alvin. Wonderful 2002. B-Sedans are not just Datsun 510s, they are in the form of BMWs, Alfas and other marques!”
Z Car Garage specializes in dyno tuning vintage/classic street and race cars. Here is just a sample of the variety: (above) Team TRUST Porsche 962 from Canepa, Toyota Celica GTO, DeKon Monza, Shelby Mustang and more. Contact Rob at the shop to schedule your dyno session!
On November 3-5, Classic Sport Racing Group (CSRG) is hosting the 56th Season Finale and Awards Dinner at Thunderhill Raceway Park. Z Car Garage will be racing Datsun 510s with the B-Sedan group and testing a Mini in preparation for the upcoming Velocity Invitational event. The John Morton Cup will be Group 3, see race schedule below:
Joining the ZCG crew are the Rothmans (Gabe and Jeff) and Todd R:
You can also view our report from last year’s CSRG Finale here: HERE. We are excited for the last CSRG vintage racing race of the year, see you at Thunderhill!
WE LOVE RACING! Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is hosting the 20th Charity Challenge at Sonoma Raceway, this weekend September 8-10. Z Car Garage is participating and supporting several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group (John Morton Cup). This vintage racing event is totally FREE to spectators so please join us! Bring the family, enjoy cool cars and charity rides around the track.
Z Car Garage is happy to announce our 2023 Nissan Z will be on Pace Car duty at the Charity Challenge. Again, admission is FREE for this event and you will have access to all spectator areas on track, race cars and drivers. Parking is in Lot 2 overlooking the paddock. You can see our report from the 2022 Charity Challenge HERE
It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno:
Todd enjoyed his Z Car Garage trackside support experience with us at the Laps For Laguna event!
Kelvin and his brother Kenny are regular ZCG trackside support clients…
Gabe’s B-Sedan and his Dad’s B-Sedan:
ZCG owner Rob Fuller, Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car
Photo by Jim Rose
Rob will also be racing the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z at Sonoma Raceway.
We look forward to seeing you at the races. Check out the race schedule below and a full report coming to zcarblog.com. Do It In A Datsun!
Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Here is list of events we will be attending in 2023, including CSRG and SVRA . Please join us!
March 3rd to the 5th SVRA Thunderhill
March 24 to 26th CRSG Sonoma
April 27th to 30th SVRA Sonoma
May 4th to 7th SVRA Laguna Seca
June 23rd to 25th CSRG Laguna Seca
August 12-13 Monterey Pre-Reunion
August 16-19 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Sept 8th to 10th CSRG Sonoma
October 13-15 CSRG Laps For Laguna
Nov 3rd to 5th CSRG Thunder hill
Nov 10th to 12th Velocity Invitational
