Dear Zcarblog readers, it’s been a busy year and we are catching up on blog posts. Please enjoy our belated race report from November 2023.

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.

Z Car Garage Racers

 

#49 IMSA Joel Anderson GTU Z

Rob Fuller piloted the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z

 

Porsche 997 GT3 Cup

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!

#78 IMSA Porsche 911

 

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.

Mini Vs Mustang Enduro

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.

 

Racing With Group 6 IMSA

Photo by Chris Constantine

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:

 

#49 IMSA Joel Anderson GTU Z

 

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!”

 

ROB: “My personal best lap time was 1:46 and I think that is the highest finishing Datsun 240z ever in that group. Shoutout to Glenn Chiou in the BADD Z he kicked some ass, Gary Cook brought out an old CP car and Dave Stone was in his GTU 260Z.”

Enjoy these shots of the #49 car in action by photographers Kris Poulin, Chris Constantine and Charles Frerking:

   

Video!

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.

 

Z Car Garage Trackside Race Support Services

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:

 

Mini Vs Mustang Enduro

 

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.”

 

Paddock Action

Enjoy this video highlighting the Sonoma Raceway paddock with race group walk-throughs, engine sounds and more:

Exotic cars

 

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:

 

Privateer Spirit

Our friend and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his FAR Performance 240Z. It’s worth noting that not unlike privateers of the period, Glenn builds his race cars, maintains and manages racing efforts himself. Not an easy task so we applaud his work ethic. Glenn builds some beautiful Datsuns and we will highlight his B-Sedan 510 soon!

 

A Fan-Friendly Race Event

 

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!

ZCG Race Crew

 

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!

   

Racing into 2024!

 

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!

 

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Tyler has been in Rob’s life since he started working as a head engineer at Stoptech. He is behind Research and Development of our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, and we couldn’t have done it without his drive and passion. Our collaboration with Tyler always results in excellence, so when he mentioned bringing his Porsche 914 up from SoCal we happily obliged to work on it.

 

TYLER: “Rob Fuller/ZCG and I have known each other for a while now through my Engineering work at StopTech. We developed the Z Car Garage Big-Brakes for small wheels together. During the development of the BBK, Rob Fuller the man himself would constantly call me and leave hilarious singing voicemails, mostly him belting out hair-metal versus then saying “CALL ME BACK!”. We really hit it off during this time and grew to have a deep respect for one another.”

 

“I think we were able to really nail the final product after lots of tweaking and testing. ZCG was stoked with the BBK and I was stoked to work with such an amazing shop and crew. This project has always been a highlight for me. So when Rob asked me about my 914 and heard about my troubles with it he instantly offered to help out. This was definitely an offer I couldn’t refuse, so I brought my 914 to the shop.”

 

History

 

Before we go into the work ZCG performed let’s hear from Tyler about his 914…

TYLER:  “My first car was a 1973 914 2.0 my Dad, brothers, and I bought for $1200 ~25 years ago. We fixed it up and started to race it together, we still have it and plan to get back to racing it one day soon. Ever since then I wanted another 914 for myself. I just like the fact that 914s are mid engined, air cooled, and has a horizontally opposed engine, all of the coolest Racing Porsches are in this configuration. Also the 914 is three more than a 911, so there you go. When I saw the 914 on a Tucson AZ Craigslist post in 2015 I knew I had to snag it. The car was an old PCA/POC race car that raced in the 70s and 80s in AZ. I knew the car was a diamond in the rough even though it wasn’t running and had many problems to address.”

 

“I ended up buying it from someone in Tucson AZ for $3000 and towed it back home. Ever since then I have been fixing it up and getting it running well enough to enjoy classic rallies and some track days. I have been sort of converting it back into more of a streetable car but still keeping it raw and sort of rough that still gives you a feeling of a race car. My favorite thing to do is go for a drive down PCH with my wife and my dog squeezed in between us and stop at the beach for a walk and swim or rip the snot out of it on the track.”

Chassis and engine details on the 914 below:

Brakes

 

Custom designed StopTech big brake system. Front 2pc 282 x 28 rotors with STR42 calipers and rear 2pc 290 x 22 rotors STR42. Pads are StopTech SR33 front and SR33 rear with custom SS lines. Brakes are lighter weight than stock and with more thermal capacity!

 

Suspension

Race Bushings, Koni shocks,,22mm front sway bar, 150lb springs, 911 hubs, 5 lug conversion, 7×15″ Fuchs front wheels, 8×15″ Fuchs rear wheels, Toyo Proxes Ra1 225×50

Chassis and Safety

Roll Bar, 5 point belts, Frame reinforcements, door jam and chassis stiffening bars, dront fenders are rolled rear are fully flared, battery relocated to the front.

Engine & Transmission

 

2.0 Liter european pistons and sleeves 8.6 to 1 compression, Engine balanced and heads machined, Dual IDF44 Webbers, Mild race cam, High capacity oil pump with deep pickup, Dual rear mounted oil coolers, 4 into 1 exhaust with Supertrap muffler. 5 speed with shortened 3rd,4th, and 5th gears, Short shifter, OS Giken LSD. “Only 914 in the US to have an OS Giken LSD installed that I know of!”

The Z Car Garage Touch

 

ROB: “Tyler had his car dyno-tuned previously but it wasn’t running well. We like to make cars better, so we performed suspension work, adjusted the valves, sorted out his carb linkage, ignition system and made it awesome. Upon arrival it had a really bad front windshield install, so we replaced it and the stainless trim. New valve cover gaskets, cap and rotor, re-did the throttle-linkage return springs, serviced the air filter. Basically went through the Porsche like we do with our Z-car clients so he could enjoy driving it again.”

 

Dyno Tuning

With carb work, timing and linkage adjustments the 914 made 110hp/115tq at the wheels, gains of 18hp/15tq from baseline. Tyler was really happy with the results:

 

TYLER: “Rob gave my car some serious balls…I don’t have the official numbers of the final dyno run but the car feels like it’s been hitting the gym HARD. Engine runs super smooth, sounds like a completely different beast, starts without issue, is really responsive, runs a lot cooler, and has an overall boost in power! It has increased the enjoyment factor 100%.”

Enjoy this video of the dyno run and Tyler driving home from the shop down to SoCal:

After checking the suspension we mounted fresh Toyo RA1 tires followed by a full alignment in-house. Tyler was ready for the road trip home.

 

If it ain’t the Z-car, please let it be the P-Car!

 

Tyler shared a few photos from his roadtrip down to SoCal, catch his adventures on Instagram. Thank you Tyler for letting us work on your 914 and continued support for our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes. Stoptech or Don’t Stop At All!

TYLER: “ZCG is one of the top shops I ever had the pleasure of working with. As a customer, the experience was equally great. The team is really driven, they have expertise to really handle tricky stuff and strive for perfection with everything they do. I knew my 914 was in the best of hands even though ZCG specializes in Z-cars, their talent easily translated into P-cars.”

Shake and Brake! More photos in the gallery below

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Z Car Garage is excited to participate in the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway Starting tomorrow 11/10!. 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 on click HERE, and read below for a preview.

 

Z Car Garage Racers

Z Car Garage is excited to be racing in Group 6 (1968 – 1978 IMSA GT Cars), Group 9 (ALMS) and Group 10 (Mini vs Mustang Enduro). Here is a preview:

#49 IMSA Joel Anderson GTU Z

Rob Fuller will be driving the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z:

 

Porsche 997 GT3 Cup

 

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 Kenny Tse will be racing it in Group 9 (ALMS). Listen to this car on the Z Car Garage dyno below!

 

 

#78 IMSA Porsche 911

Z Car Garage is preparing and providing trackside race support for our client Kelvin Tse and his IMSA Porsche 911, running with the Z cars in Group 6:

 

Mini Vs Mustang Enduro

 

Rob Fuller will be racing a Mini Cooper against Mustangs in the Group 10: 1960’s Mini Vs Mustang Enduro

…this is an action-packed group don’t miss out!

 

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou will be racing 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.

 

Race schedule:

 

This is a wonderful event for the whole family, check out our report from last year’s 2022 Velocity Invitational. Z you at Sonoma Raceway November 10-12!

Join us for the 2023 Vintage Racing Season!

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

March  3^rd to the 5^th    SVRA  Thunderhill

March 24 to 26^th          CRSG   Sonoma

April

April 27^th to 30^th           SVRA   Sonoma

May

May 4^th   to 7^th               SVRA   Laguna Seca

June

June  23rd to 25^th           CSRG   Laguna Seca

August

August 12-13                    Monterey Pre-Reunion
August 16-19                    Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

September

Sept 8^th  to 10^th              CSRG   Sonoma

Sept 28- Oct. 1st.            Rennsport Reunion Laguna Seca

October

October 13-15                  CSRG Laps For Laguna

November

Nov  3^rd to 5^th                 CSRG   Thunder hill

Nov 10^th to 12^th              Velocity Invitational

 

“If it’s not the Z car, let it be the P car!”  It’s no secret that Z Car Garage is a big fan of Porsche and we are excited to attend Rennsport Reunion 7, taking place September 28th-October 1st, 2023 at Laguna Seca.

 

2023 marks the 75th anniversary of Porsche and we can’t wait to join the world’s largest gathering of Porsche fans as they celebrate their love for cars, music, culture and community in Monterey, California. Z Car Garage will be providing race support for our client Kelvin Tse’s IMSA Porsche 911, racing in Group 3: The Eifel Trophy.

 

Please stop by the paddock say hello, we will be there all weekend at the RENNSPORT REUNION 7!

 

Z Car Garage is excited to participate in the Velocity Invitational at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca October 14-16. This is a must attend historic racing event for any Nissan/Datsun fan with IMSA GTU Z cars, B-Sedan Datsun 510s and special guest appearances from John Morton and Pete Brock. Tickets are still available, to purchase simply on click on the flyer link below:

 

Z Car Garage Racers

Z Car Garage will be racing and providing support for several client cars. We are excited to be running in Group 5 (1972 – 1977 IMSA GT Cars) and Group 8 (1966 – 1979 Under 2-liter Trans-Am, SCCA B-Sedan, C-Sedan cars). Here is a preview:

#49 IMSA Joel Anderson GTU Z

Rob Fuller will be driving the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z:

 

Group 8 Trans Am B-Sedan Datsun 510s!

 

Historic B and C Sedan cars will get their own run group at the Velocity Invitational! Z Car Garage will be supporting the following Datsun 510s in this super exciting race:

The Corky Bell Trans Am 510

 

Famed engineer and race car driver Corky Bell ran this Datsun 510 in the early 70’s Trans Am series. Z Car Garage will restore it back to its former glory and Trans Am livery (to be documented in a dedicated blog post) and Corky will be driving it at the Velocity Invitational. Yes that’s Corky Bell at our shop, re-united with his race car at 82 years young!

 

Gordon McCall’s Datsun 510

 

Gordon McCall joins Z Car Garage for the first time at the Velocity Invitational with his vintage Datsun 510. He is the co-founder of The Quail- A Motorsports Gathering and “McCall’s Motorworks Revival” at the Monterey Jet Center, the “Kick-Off” party (which we attended) for the iconic August automotive week in Monterey, California. This 1972 Datsun 510 was first ordered from the Nissan Motor Corporation by Garrison Datsun of Florida and subsequently converted into a race car, and it was sponsored by the dealer and raced in SCCA competition through 1977. After 20 years it was returned to its original livery.

 

#72 Tom Dockery

Tom Dockery is driving the Ex-Norm Balzer 510. This car is making a triumphant return to racing after an incident at Sonoma Raceway. Stoked to see Tom back on the track!

  

Kelvin’s Ex-Ted Gruner TransAm 510

Kelvin Tse is a repeat ZCG trackside support client and he will be running the Ex-Ted Gruner Trans Am 510.

 

Glenn’s Ex-Finn/Harris Datsun 510

Glenn Chiou is running his Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510. He restored this 510 himself and ZCG will be dyno tuning it this week. Glenn builds some beautiful Datsun race cars and we will highlight this 510 soon.

 

Living Legends at the Velocity Invitational

 

Z Car Garage is really proud to announce special guests (and our heroes) John Morton and Pete Brock will be at the Velocity Invitational on Friday and Saturday. This is a rare opportunity to get an autograph and chat with these iconic gentlemen.

 

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Trans Am (under 2.5) racing series, Z Car Garage coordinated with Nissan Corporate to have the original BRE Datsun 510 displayed with the Horst Kwech Alfa Romeo at the Velocity Invitational. See the actual race cars in person, only at the Velocity event!

  

Z you there!

Photo by Larry Chen

To all automotive enthusiasts, Nissan/Datsun fans this an event you don’t want to miss. We encourage you to caravan to the Velocity Invitational and show your support for Datsun racing history. Together we can ensure that the Historic B and C sedan groups thrive and see more racing groups accepting Z cars and 510s. This is also a wonderful event for the whole family, check out our report from last year’s Velocity Invitational.

 

Enjoy this video we made showcasing the sights and sounds of the Velocity Invitational. Rob Fuller gets interviewed by the Goodwood Livestream just before the evening race, and I included the lineup from my favorite vintage race group (other than IMSA), the Trans Am cars!

 

Mark those calendars for October 14-16 and purchase tickets HERE. A full event schedule can be viewed HERE.

Thank you Velocity Invitational for an incredible event. We look forward to running with you again! LONG LIVE THE Z!