Filed under: 510,Events,Racing
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on February 19, 2024
The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is excited to welcome Vintage Spec Miata (1990-1997) to all of their events! This is a fun, affordable way to get into vintage racing. If you have any questions regarding prep and presentation, reach out to Rob Fuller: rob@zcargarage.com. Please see below for more information and rules.
Why Vintage Spec Miata (VSM)?
Why VSM? It’s a great way to get into vintage racing at an affordable price point. The nice folks at the CSRG have a strict no-contact policy as part of their racing philosophy: this ensures the safest environment for you to race competitively while sharing the track with traditional cars.
Lastly, CSRG events are known for their camaraderie and undeniably cool eye-candy. If you want to mix it up with classic race cars of the 60s and 70s in your Spec Miata, this is the ticket.
Did we mention it is Fun! See what vintage racing with CSRG is all about in one of our race reports HERE!
Fellow Spec-Miata racer Ross L in front of Randy Pobst’s first National Championship-winning Miata (1992). Below, Rob Fuller’s Spec-Miata at the shop:
CSRG Rules for VSM
The first race event is March 15!
Register your Vintage Spec Miata for CSRG’s first event, the 2024 David Love Races at Sonoma Raceway March 15-17. Registration details HERE. It will be a blast on Sonoma’s NEWLY PAVED surface with plenty of vintage cars and good times. See you there!
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.
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!
Filed under: 240z,510,Events,Racing
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on September 20, 2023
Z Car Garage is excited to participate in the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway November 10-12. 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) and Group 10 (Mini vs Mustang Enduro). Here is a preview:
Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou displayed 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.
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 3rd to the 5th SVRA Thunderhill
March 24 to 26th CRSG Sonoma
April
April 27th to 30th SVRA Sonoma
May
May 4th to 7th SVRA Laguna Seca
June
June 23rd to 25th CSRG Laguna Seca
August
August 12-13 Monterey Pre-Reunion
August 16-19 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
WE LOVE RACING! On March 24-26, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the David Love Vintage races at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in the B-Sedan Group. It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our report with in-car footage and photos
Z Car Garage Supports Five Datsun 510s
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.
Video of two Datsun 510 B-Sedans (Rob and Tom), Enjoy the sweet L-series music!
ZCG clients running at the David Love Vintage races included:
#8 Gabe Rothman
Gabe has been an avid track day weekend warrior for five years and we will highlight our preparation of his B-Sedan 510 soon. Let’s hear his race report from Sonoma:
“This year’s David Love Memorial, as always was a first-class event attended by the usual fun and friendly rabble of vintage racing enthusiasts. The weather was perfect, with clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures, but cool track temps which made for ideal racing conditions.”
“While I had a few ups and downs over the weekend, I had far more ups highlighted by setting a new personal best of 1:53.9 en route to a 4th place finish in the Saturday feature race. This time represented a 2-second improvement from my previous best. It just goes to show that the best mod is the driver mod — track time rules all! I can’t take all the credit though. As always, I received phenomenal trackside support from Rob Fuller and Z Car Garage, who were there to help me fine-tune the car and provide valuable insights and advice. Rob, in particular, is an invaluable resource. His insights are always tailored to suit the driver and have helped me rapidly move to the front of the B-Sedan field despite this being just my second season in the car.”
Watch Gabe putting in work with his Personal Record session, volume up and enjoy!
#72 Tom Dockery
Tom Dockery drove his Ex-Norm Balzer 510. This car made its debut in May 2019 and we are excited to share its full story and profile Tom’s journey into racing soon.
Tom made a triumphant return to last year’s 2022 CSRG Season Finale after the car was down for repairs. He’s getting back into the rhythm of things and we are happy to see him behind the wheel again. Let’s hear his race report…
“The weekend didn’t start as planned, as work issues forced a late arrival to the Friday practice day. I managed to get on rack for the last practice of the day, but the combination of track conditions and my absence from Sonoma Raceway produced really slow and sloppy laps. Saturday, morning practice was an improvement and I was able to find a better Sonoma rhythm. Qualifying race in the afternoon was interesting mostly because the Mini’s were thrown into our group. There were a few of the Mini guys running similar lap times with me so the were certainly in the mix at the start. Sunday I put on new tires and I continued to find more speed and faster lap times. I look forward to picking up where I left off at the end of April when the SVRA event comes to the Sonoma.”
Here is in-car video from Tom’s 510 with a cool rear-facing camera angle, enjoy!
#7a Kelvin Tse
Kelvin’s 510 features our Z Car Garage CV Axles and dyno tuning. He and his brother Kenny both had a total blast with us at the David Love event.
#64 Kenny Tse
Photo by Josel Cobangbang
Kenny drove the Ex-Ted Gruner B-Sedan 510. He had pretty serious goals this year and he was picking up the pace really well.
#7 Rob Fuller
Photo by Josel Cobangbang
Rob Fuller piloted the Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute 510. Here is his report from the race weekend with in-car video:
“Once a year we get to attend the David Love. There was a good mix of 19 cars in Group 3 Sedans (2002s, Alfas, 510s and Minis). ZCG supported 5-cars total: myself, Tom, Gabe and Tse brothers Kelvin and Kenny. Cars in the field: Parker and his dad Bruce were fast in their Alfas. Parker’s car was acting up so I opted to start from the back rest of the weekend. We’ve been making changes to the suspension setup in BADD 510 and its working well…very slippery on Friday from recent rains, better over weekend.”
“Honorable mention goes to Kenny who picked up the pace towards his goals, Kelvin and Tom getting back into the swing of things. Gabe joined the ZCG team last year and his car had alot of issues we’ve been sorting them out with each event. It’s been a blast watching him excel…he makes great decisions, listens and he’s fast. He was up in the front of the field and we are super excited to see how he does at the SVRA events. Gabe’s car has a 2L in it so it’s a pretty heavy car but man he is wheeling it. Really proud of him and all the guys. We had a great spot and the vibe in this ZCG pit is filled with friends, family and fun. great time. Kudos to the CSRG people they put on such a great event. Excited to be a part of their organization.”
Enjoy this in-car video from Rob’s 510 as he starts from the very back of the race group:
You can see more of Rob’s race videos from the CSRG event (and other race) on his YouTube Channel. Give the guy a thumbs up and subscribe while you are there!
“CSRG has been gracious in letting ZCG provide pace cars for the race events… since it was raining and we did ‘t get our RZ34 in time we thought it appropriate to have Mrs. Butters do the duty…pretty cool to have Butters out there with pace car lights leading the track. Even the Pace Car driver really enjoyed her.
Photo by Josel Cobangbang (L) and Geoff Pitts (R)
A weekend of great racing and good times
It was so wonderful to share this experience with our friends and CSRG family. We look forward to another B-sedan event and special shoutout to ZCG crew including Nick F and Cooper. Running all of the cars above would not be possible without them.
Rob also test drove a few cars for clients to give feedback. Big thanks to Meghan for taking photos and video around the paddock. Here is a paddock highlight reel of what it’s like at a vintage race…you should join us next time!
There were cool cars everywhere in the paddock:
ZONC corral
Our friends from The Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) hosted a car corral on Saturday to support the David Love Vintage Races at Sonoma Raceway! Turnout was great and this CSRG event is free and family friendly, giving everyone the opportunity visit the pits and drivers up close. Super cool to see our client Linda Williams’ 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate with fellow Nissan/Datsun owners!
More photos in the gallery below! See you at Sonoma April 27 and Laguna Seca May 4 for SVRA’s double-header vintage racing events!
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 3rd to the 5th SVRA Thunderhill
March 24 to 26th CRSG Sonoma
April
April 27th to 30th SVRA Sonoma
May
May 4th to 7th SVRA Laguna Seca
June
June 23rd to 25th CSRG Laguna Seca
August
August 12-13 Monterey Pre-Reunion
August 16-19 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Dear Zcarblog readers, it’s been a busy year and we are catching up on blog posts. Please enjoy our belated race reports from October and November.
WE LOVE RACING! Z Car Garage attended two events with Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG): the Charity Challenge at Sonoma Raceway 10/2 and the CSRG Finale at Thunderhill Raceway 11/4. We raced and supported several client’s Datsun 510s running in the B-Sedan Group (John Morton Cup). Everyone had a blast, enjoy our race report with in-car video and photos below.
CSRG Charity Challenge
Z Car Garage Supports Six Datsun 510s!
The 19th Annual CSRG Charity Challenge was held on October 1-2 and we had one of our largest ZCG client groups with 6 B-Sedan 510 race cars. It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Z Car Garage trackside services include full race support and car-preparation to make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno:
#88 Todd Rueppel
Todd had his first Z Car Garage trackside support experience with us at the Laps For Laguna event!
#7 Kelvin Tse
Kelvin and his brother Kenny are regular ZCG trackside support clients…
#71 Ed M
Ed M is also a regular ZCG trackside support client, we also prepare his Porsche 911 for vintage events!
Gabe’s B-Sedan. Full report on our race preparation of this 510 soon!
Kelvin’s Ex-Ted Gruner TransAm 510, driven by his brother Kenny:
#7 Rob Fuller
ZCG owner Rob Fuller in the Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car
Enjoy this video of the B-Sedan Datsuns in action at the Charity Challenge with photos and race recap from Rob below:
Rob recaps the Charity Challenge B-Sedan races:
“Everyone had a great time at the Charity Challenge. Gabe unfortunately had an engine failure, but before that he was putting down some good times. The Tse brothers Kelvin and Kenny did really well and Ed was rocking and rolling. In the B-Sedan class I had really good racing with Parker McKean in his Alfa Romeo. The group wasn’t as large as it usually is, but still fun!”
“Another mechanical was in the afternoon race where Parker got a really good start but I noticed my 510 was down on power. Coming out of Turn 10 I noticed my temperature gauge was higher than I’d ever seen it. Pulled in and unfortunately I had a failed head gasket. So, double mechanicals (IMSA Z, below) for me. Very rare but still had a great time racing with the group.”
Photo by Josel Cobangbang
Photo by Kevin Gray
The 2023 Nissan Z as Pace Car!
Z Car Garage has been fortunate to spend some time with the 2023 Nissan Z prior to its public reveal. We asked Nissan if they would lend us the New Z for a good cause at the Charity Challenge and they happily obliged with a Performance model in Two-Tone Ikazuchi Yellow TriCoat / Super Black:
Photo by Josel Cobangbang
Rob was happy to wheel the New Z around the track:
“One of the coolest things about this years’s Charity Challenge was that Nissan lent us the new Z for a pace car and charity rides. We loved seeing Nissan’s new sports car before its release leading the field of vintage cars in every run group. Even the pace car driver was super stoked. In its 19th year the Charity Challenge has raised millions for children’s charities and they allowed me to be a driver on Sat/Sun to give 4-5 rides which included a warm-up lap, race lap and cool-down lap.”
Photo by Bryan Delohery
“I really enjoyed driving the new Nissan Z at speed, granted it certainly wasn’t at 10/10ths but I was to able entertain riders that donated for charity. It did really well and it is powerful, and I gotta tell you all weekend long there was crowd around that new Z car. I really appreciate Nissan believing in us..bringing both the new and old sports cars together and thank them for their support. Can’t wait to have our own 2023 Z at Z Car Garage.”
Enjoy this video with in-car action from the New Z with Rob Fuller giving charity rides around Sonoma Raceway:
“My IMSA car has pretty good history at Sears Point (now Sonoma Raceway); it came from the Bondurant School and actually held a record there. This was my first time behind the wheel of the Z at this track and unfortunately we had transmission issues. On Sunday’s race I was 3rd in Group 8 against an IMSA Z and 911. Both drivers were fast. We had made some changes to our Z between Sat/Sunday so I was excited for the big feature race. On lap 3 I had sheared the roll pin in 3rd gear so it would no longer go in to 3rd. Exited at the carousel, to avoid contact with other racers. We look forward to developing the IMSA car further.”
The Charity Challenge was fun with the usual group of folks, Tank, Meghan, lots of snacks and good times. We are excited for next year’s event!
The CSRG Finale
On November 4-6, Classic Sport Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the finale of The John Morton Cup. The 3-race series, named after legendary Datsun racer John Morton features the Historic B&C Sedan class battling at Thunderhill Raceway.
Every year CSRG ends with the finale event at Thunderhill and it’s frequently missed due weather/rain conditions. We always try to make it out for the club. It’s a fun-filled weekend that is super laid-back with a great dinner party at the end.
The Return of #72 Tom Dockery
We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. Unfortunately the car was wrecked at Sonoma Raceway back in March from oil on the track. Z Car Garage rebuilt the 510, making a triumphant return to last year’s Velocity Invitational event with Rob Fuller as driver. For the CSRG Finale however, it would be Tom’s first time back at the helm of his very own B-Sedan 510:
“I came into the race weekend with a lot of apprehension. Rob had shown the Vintage world what the car can do in the right hands and now it was my turn to put up or shut up, at least that was part of what was playing in my head. Also playing the background was my fear of damaging the car. So many people had given so much time, priority and resources, I had a lot of angst around preserving its current condition.”
“But what really played out once behind the wheel was the loss of Race mentally/conditioning. Physically I was all there and even though there was some proper racing line adjustment needed, the biggest issue was getting comfortable with the car’s REAL limits. It was a head game for sure. I spent Friday and Saturday working with Rob to better understand this and by Sunday, I could start to see a difference. On Sunday I was able to trim 4-5 seconds off my lap times from the previous days. I am still a little off and like getting fit again on my bike, I have to continue to get fit behind the wheel. It took me almost 3 three years to get to the front half of the racing pack, now I have to accelerate that level of conditioning in 2023.”
“As always, the ZCG team support at the event went well beyond just the car. Had a blast throughout the 3-day event.”
Thanks Tom, we were proud to see you back on the track! Enjoy this video with in-car action from Tom’s Ex-Balzer/Koobation Datsun 510:
Gabe’s Datsun 510
Gabe R. has been an avid track day weekend warrior for five years and we will highlight our preparation of his B-Sedan 510 soon. Let’s hear his race report from the CSRG Finale:
“I was beyond excited to get some legitimate wheel to wheel action after acquiring a Datsun 510 last September. Unfortunately, mine is a chapter in the long and storied history of the “race ready” race car. In my first event at last year’s Charity Challenge I found the car to be extremely driver friendly, and was even able to put down a few pretty quick laps. That pretty much sums up the good parts. On the not so good side, in my second session of the weekend, the gearshift lever broke off in my hand going into turn seven. In my third session, a spark plug wire popped off the distributor and ended my session prematurely. And immediately before my last session of the weekend my starter motor died, causing me to miss it entirely.”
“Fortunately for me, the vintage racing community is a wonderful group of friendly, helpful people. Over the course of the weekend, I was lent a hand by the likes of Larry Oka, Jim Froula, and the Z-Car Garage crew. My second weekend out was at this year’s David Love Memorial, and my fortunes did not improve. Not realizing how quickly Hoosiers wear out, combined with my car’s unfortunately welded diff, I spent the majority of my time on track over the weekend just trying to prevent the car from snap oversteering into a wall. Even worse, I blew a head gasket in the first session on Saturday, At that point, I sent the car down to Z Car Garage to have Rob’s team transform it into a proper competitive car. Engine rebuild, limited-slip differential, suspension overhaul, new clutch, new transmission, as well as a slew of other upgrades and improvements have transformed the car into a beast.”
“Finally equipped with a seaworthy vessel, I spent the last two CSRG events — the Charity Challenge, and the season Finale, being supported by the Z Car Garage guys, culminating in a fantastic weekend at the season finale. With the support of Rob and his crew I ran the 4th fastest time of the weekend – behind only Troy Ermish, Rob Fuller, and Jim Froula, and finished 3rd in the Sunday feature race despite starting in 7th due to a spin in the Saturday feature race. Most of all, I had an absolute blast hanging with Rob and his entourage. Rob’s infectious positive attitude makes it impossible to have anything but a good time.”
Enjoy this video of Gabe putting in work at Thunderhill and achieving a personal record!
“From their impeccable car preparation standards, to their attention to every detail, to helping their drivers get prepared to head out on track, as well as Rob‘s exceptionally helpful driving tips Z-Car Garage consistently exceeds my expectations in every way. I absolutely cannot wait to get back out on track with Z-Car Garage in 2023!”
Privateer Spirit
Special shoutout to our friend and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Trans-Am ’68 510. 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 this 510 soon as it features our Z Car Garage CV Axles and dyno tuning.
Rob in the BADD 510
For the CSRG finale the ZCG crew included Rob, Tom Dockery and Gabe R:
“Both Gabe and I had mechanical failures in last event’s Chartiy Challenge. My engine lasted two seasons at full-tilt boogie and it had a compromised head gasket so my friends at Rebello Racing were able to refresh it in between events so the BADD car was ready to rock. Gabe’s engine had a pretty horrific failure and Rebello was also able ot get him back on the track too. Special thanks to the team at Rebello Racing including Dave, Mark and Brian for giving us the best hp/tq that we could ask for and keeping us on the track. I was driving the Miata in vintage Spec- Miata group and BADD car in Group 9 John Morton group B-sedan.”
“Tom and Gabe were doing great. Gabe is really picking up the pace. We did some downloads and he is getting fast, finishing on podium in the feature race. Tom was just getting reacquainted with the car and he was really stoked to be able to do well at the end of the season. Unfortunately Josh and Troy Ermish were not in the run group so there were not many people to run with. I started in the back it was a challenge and also fun to go through traffic. Another highlight was being in group 8 with my Miata amongst the big-boy v8 cars it was an awesome vintage race in the rain.”
Enjoy this in-car video of Rob in the BADD 510 at Thunderhill:
A different perspective: Steve Walker also posted this cool in-car video of Rob and the from his BMW 2002:
CSRG hosted a Saturday night night banquet and it did not disappoint. They had folks dress up in costumes since it was close to halloween. Ross Lindell dressed up as Rob Fuller and it was quite funny. Side note: Rob actually did SCCA drivers school in the Randy Pobst Miata that Ross brought to race. The evening included awards, and great conversations recalling the highs and lows of another year of vintage racing gone by. Can’t wait for next year!
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 3rd to the 5th SVRA Thunderhill
March 24 to 26th CRSG Sonoma
April
April 27th to 30th SVRA Sonoma
May
May 4th to 7th SVRA Laguna Seca
June
June 23rd to 25th CSRG Laguna Seca
August
August 12-13 Monterey Pre-Reunion
August 16-19 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
September
Sept 8th to 10th CSRG Sonoma
Novemeber
Nov 3rd to 5th CSRG Thunder hill
Nov 10th to 12th Velocity Invitational
More photos in the gallery below and special thanks to contributing photographers Meghan Fuller, Josel Cobangbang, Bryan Delohery, Blaine Olguin, Ann Devor, and Linda Williams. We can’t forget to thank the ZCG crew for keeping us safe for both events: Joshua Corwin, Meghan Fuller, Nick Filip, The Corwins we couldn’t have done it without you!
