Filed under: 240z,510,Events,Racing
by Alvin G @ 5:10 pm on September 26, 2024
Z Car Garage is excited to participate in the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma Raceway October 4-6. 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 and supporting 7 cars in Group 7 (1972 – 1981 IMSA GT Cars), Group 8 (LeMans, IMSA & GT Cars 1955-2016) and Group 9 (Historic Trans Am 1966-1972) . Here is a preview:
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 and Trans Am livery (to be documented in a dedicated blog post) and Corky will be driving it at the Velocity Invitational, for the first time in 52 years. Yes that’s Corky Bell at our shop, re-united with his race car at 84 years young!
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 Legends of Endurance group at the Rolex.
#9 Noah’s Bluebird Coupe (Group 9)
#72 Tom Dockery (Group 9)
We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. Unfortunately the car was wrecked at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage rebuilt the 510, making a triumphant return to this year’s Velocity event.
#64 Kelvin Tse (Group 9)
Kelvin is a steady ZCG trackside support client, running the Ex-Ted Gruner 510.
Alex’s Skyline
Alex McDowell returns to Sonoma in this C10 Skyline built by our friend Jim Froula of Racecraft. Z Car Garage has prepared and supported Alex’s race efforts with the Hako and it has been an awesome experience. Two very memorable racing events were the The Mitty and RMMR
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! Thirteen cars among them have real Trans Am Under 2L and Two-Five Challenge history. This will be the largest gathering of real historic sedans since the 2010 Monterey Historics. Amongst the real Trans Am cars are the Alfas of Horst Kweck, Gaston Andrey, Jon Norman, Charlie Thieriot, Dave Burns; BMW 2002s of Carl Fredericks, Jeff Kline; Porsche 911 of Walt Maas; 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:
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 Charity Challenge at Sonoma September 13-15.
We love to see our parts installed and used on client’s cars. Race car driver and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou is running our Z Car Garage CV Axles in this 1968 Datsun 510 U2.5L Trans-Am race car!
Glenn was preparing to debut his freshly restored 510 for the 2022 Velocity Invitational event at Laguna Seca. A half shaft failure is not something he wanted to worry about while racing so he replaced them with ZCG CV Axles. Glenn installed the set himself with ease:
We also provided dyno tuning services to prepare him for the race weekend. The fresh Rebello L18 with Solex/Mikuni 44phh induction and BRE intake made great power.
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:
Privateer Spirit
We are happy to report that Glenn successfully raced at the Velocity Invitational event. It’s worth noting like privateers of the period, Glenn builds his race cars, maintains and manages racing efforts himself. Not an easy task so we applaud his passion and work ethic. Glenn builds some beautiful Datsuns and this historically-significant 510 is a shining example.
Photo by Alex Trang
Glenn championed a vintage race group dedicated to the Historic B&C Sedan class and organized a “Celebration of the Two Five Challenge” display at the 2022 Velocity Invitational event. Two of the most iconic cars were present: the ex-Morton #46 BRE Datsun 510 (with Pete Brock below) and ex Kwech #3 Wetson’s Alfa. Yes that is Glenn with the legendary John Morton! Let’s take a look at the history behind Glenn’s Trans-Am 510 before we get into the restoration:
The Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Datsun 510
Glenn has a passion for re-telling the stories of legendary privateer Datsun racers and his penultimate restoration project was this 1968 Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L Datsun 510, serial number PL510-023047. It is one of very few surviving cars that competed in the SCCA Trans-Am Two-Five Challenge, or more commonly known as the Under 2.5 Liter Series.
In 1972, Bob Finn acquired the car from a used car dealership in Santa Barbara, California. The car was sponsored by Bob Nolan Datsun and Chuck’s Shell Service in Santa Maria, California. Competition Street and Rally (CSR) Racing, a shop Finn ran out of Chuck’s Shell Service, prepared the car for competition. It is one of two cars in which an entire package of go-fast parts were purchased from Brock Racing Enterprises in El Segundo, California, as part of their “BRE kit car” program. Mac Tilton, then BRE Crew chief and engineer – later Tilton Engineering, developed the suspension and provided all machine work. Bob Finn and Ron Harris began racing #37 in late 1972.
Its first two races were the two final races of the 1972 SCCA Trans-Am Two-Five Challenge season at Laguna Seca and Riverside International Raceway, finishing 15th and 23rd. Unfortunately 1972 would see the end of the Trans Am Two-Five Challenge, but that would not stop Finn and Harris from continuing to race the car. They competed throughout the 1970’s in the SCCA B-Sedan class both regionally and nationally with numerous first place finishes, often beating out factory race teams. While Riverside International Raceway was its home race track, the car could also be seen racing at Willow Springs International Raceway, Laguna Seca Raceway, Sears Point, Portland International Paceway, Ontario Motor Speedway.
In that time, Finn and Harris competed against the likes of John Morton, Horst Kwech Harry Theodoracopoulos, Bobby Allison, Walt Mass, Dave Madison, Corky Bell, Norm Balzer, Pat Daily, and many other prominent racers. Bill and Jack Johnston acquired the car in 1979 and would go on to race the car for the next 33 years. Bill Johnston and Steve Dragus shared driving duties, while Jack was the crew chief. Dragus, who was best known for the building engines for Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, prepared the engines. Johnston and Dragus won three regional Cal Club Championships in the 1980’s, and would go on to win the last SCCA GT4 national race at Riverside Raceway before the track closed in 1989. (images and history courtesy of Glenn Chiou)
Restoration
The Ex-Finn/Harris Datsun 510 was not always in the orange livery shown above. When Glenn acquired the car several years ago it was red and he ran with this livery at many vintage racing events…until it was time to restore it back to its former glory…
Glenn is no stranger to vintage race car restoration. You may have seen Glenn’s FAR Performance 240Z in VIPS Restaurant livery as raced in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence. Glenn restored this car himself and it is now back to the Bay Area Datsun Dealers livery as raced by FAR Performance privateer Walt Maas. Glenn also restored the Different Drummer Racing Z raced by Greg Sorrentino. This IMSA GTU Datsun 260Z features our Z Car Garage CV Axles and dyno tuning:
The 510 was dissembled for paint and bodywork, using period photos to guide the livery hand-applied by the talented Real Ralph:
As usual, Glenn’s painstaking efforts and diligence result in a faithful restoration…where parts are not available he has gone to extraordinary lengths to re-create pieces or use period-correct/surviving parts with archival guidance…shown below: vintage SW oil cooler, BRE remote oil adapter, expansion tank and BRE intake manifold:
Glenn assembled the interior with Mil-spec switches & motorsports grade wiring:
The fresh Rebello L18 is about to be installed…all done by Glenn himself in his home garage:
I was lucky to visit Glenn to see the restoration in-progress and it was simply a feast for the eyes…plated chassis parts, cool bits of history everywhere…plus the BADD 240Z nearby 🙂
Datsuns Are Driven!
With the restoration complete, Glenn has been enjoying the Ex-Finn/Harris U2.5L 510 at vintage racing events throughout the year. Follow his racing adventures on Instagram with more photos in the gallery below:
Thanks for your support Glenn! Congratulations on the restoration and we love racing with you #racingislife. Learn more about our Z Car Garage CV Axles below:
Z Car Garage CV Axles
Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. These are 100% bolt-in replacing your half-shafts and does not use aluminum adapters commonly found in aftermarket units. We have over 200+ CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.
For more information please visit our detailed post our HERE. Below are just a few examples of race cars running out CV Axles:
Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula of Racecraft is running ZCG axles in several of his cars:
Set #246 – installed May 2018 on the “Harry Stewart #52” Datsun 510:
Set #247 – installed April 2018 on the 260z
Set #248 – installed on Adam Carolla’s “Greg Sorrentino #90” Datsun 510.
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,Events,Racing
by Alvin G @ 2:40 pm on November 9, 2023
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:
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:
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 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
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
