SVRA Fan Mail (page 5)
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Mr. Parella:
Just got back to Surrey, B.C. from 3 days of terrific car watching and pure enviousness. WOW!
I found out about this event as a fluke from checking the results of the Indy 500, and clicking on a link to SVRA.
Seeing Watson roadsters up close in action was all the excuse I needed to get my ass in action. The bonus turned out to be the Can-Am cars I saw 40 years ago at Mosport and St.Jovite/Mt Tremblant.
You put on a hell of a show. Thanks!
George Hitsman
Surrey, B.C.
Tony,
I just wanted to congratulate you on the Brickyard Vintage Grand Prix. This was my first SVRA event, was a bit unsure of what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am glad to have attended. I know organizing an event of that magnitude is quite an endeavor, from the fans perspective it was awesome, the access to the cars, the friendly vibe in the paddock, and the chance to see the smiles everywhere as people got to experience cars from before their time was so great. Thanks for having the vision to make that event a reality, I hope SVRA and IMS both felt it a success enough to bring it back in the future.
Sincerely,
Ryan Lindsay
To whom it may concern,
I wanted to take the time to thank whoever was responsible for bringing the Vintage Race to IMS. I cannot express in words how much fun I had while at the track. In my day(s) at the track I couldn’t believe the machines that were in front of my eyes! F1, IndyCar (a turbine car), LeMan Audi R8, Corvettes, Jaguars, Mini Coopers, Lotus, Ferraris, a 1939 Maserati 4 CL, a Brabham owned and driver by Mr. Brabham himself, the cars were endless. There were cars from every make and model and vintage that I only read about in a magazine or on the internet. The wonderful people who brought these machines were actually using them for what they were designed for: racing. These weren’t garage queens, but real cars meant to be raced….and ogled by crazy car fans. Not only that, but the owners shared them with the public. I can’t count the number of people who allowed me to talk to them, see their wonderful machines, tell me their stories (sometimes their trailers) and share their experiences. Open, friendly and just as crazy happy to be there as I was. (Okay maybe more since they were on track). Drivers I spoke to also were debating whether IMS or COTA was a better race to attend. I don’t know if you made any money on the race, but please know that if there is any way this tradition can be continued; please find a way to do it. Everyone who I spoke to, friends who I attended the race with and new friends I made at the track commented that they couldn’t believe the atmosphere and the quality of the racing. Racers were racing their vehicles for pride and love for the sport, not large contracts and sponsors. Not only that, they were approachable. There was a permanent smile on my face from the moment I saw the cars, heard their wonderful noises and watched their owners in their craft. The smile is still on my face today as I spread the word to my friends, family and on-line car community friends. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. What a way to spend a birthday!
Regards,
Tony Summers
P.S. Know where I can pick up a used race car? LOL
Tony – Congrats on pulling off quite a weekend at Indy! Well done. There were a lot of doubters about you and your staff pulling it off but you proved them wrong. Congrats. See you at Mid-Ohio.
Erick Zanner
Hey Tony, just a quick note to say thanks so much for inviting me. I had the time of my life and you did an incredible job. I can really envisage this turning into something akin to Goodwood in the next few years. It was the most fun I’ve ever had at Indy, and I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of fun there over the years. I’m also hoping I might be able to attend a few more SVRA races in one of Dave’s cars in the future. We had a great time and he’s such a nice guy and I love the whole vintage racing scene — I’ve gotten the bug! For me, I was thrilled to be back in a car (I also drove his ’02 Corvette). So thanks again for making this all happen.
Alex
Hi Tony, I wanted to thank you and your entire staff for all the hard work this past weekend. We had a great time! I drove into the facility and was overwhelmed being there. I am with the F 500 group and to a person all said the same thing. My crew and I look forward to the event next year. See you at Watkins Glen.
Chris Pedersen
I attended all 3 days as a spectator and had a great time. Was able to get pictures of the various cars and autographs from celebs. Everyone was so approachable. Being able to wander around the paddock without special credentials was much different then the Indy 500 weeks. I just happened to be standing in pit lane just prior to the Legends race when a golf cart pulled up and I met a very nice lady who was being introduced as “Tony’s mom” which I guess was you. She was so thrilled to see the drivers especially Lynne St James.
Anyway I hope this is an annual event because I’ll be glad to attend again.
Lee A. Fischer MD
Indianapolis, IN
Dear Mr. Parella,
As longtime fans of the Indianapolis 500 and motorsports in general, we were very excited to learn that there would be an SVRA event at IMS. The weekend met every expectation and more. My wife said it was the most fun she had ever at a race event. It was a great pleasure to be able to see the cars up close, to talk with the participants, and to experience the sensations of watching and listening to them at speed. We hope this will continue and grow for many years to come.
Several years ago we enjoyed an SVRA event at Road America. I could see us going back there and possibly other venues for the fun of an SVRA weekend.
Sincerely,
Gregg Herke
Carmel, IN
My wife and I attended your event this weekend and I have to say it was fantastic. We both grew up a few blocks from IMS and have attended all the different kinds of events but I think this weekend was the most fun we have ever had at the speedway. The participants were great to talk to as we walked around all of the cars. The racing was also great. We hope this is the first of many SVRA events to occur at IMS in the coming years.
Thanks
Jim & Cathy Dininger
Hi Tony,
Just a brief note to say thank you so much for putting on such a terrific show at the weekend. I was a thrill to be part of it and I will always remember my first drive at Indy. I also enjoyed the taste of that milk!
I was disappointed not to have seen you over the weekend, but I know how busy you were.
Congratulations to you and the SVRA.
All the best,
Paddins
What a great experience Sunday at the Brickyard! You folks really ran a class act from top to bottom! So neat to wander Gasoline Alley, interact with owners, drivers, mechanics, and to visit in the various garages!
Also, your performers for the America the Beautiful, God Bless America, and especially the National Anthem were fabulous! Can we get them for the Indy 500 next year?
This was a racing event sort of like old days at Indy. The way racing events should be!
Very, very well done. I’m spreading the word that this is a must-see event at Indy.
Sincerely,
Richard P. Bailey, DC
As a fan, I thought the SVRA event at Indy today was fantastic.
I drove two hours from Ohio to see it, and was extremely pleased — especially the terrific fan-friendly attitude of all the teams and drivers I encountered.
I hope the attendance will justify doing this at Indy again next year.
On June 6th I and my grandson Hunter(4) attended the SVRA event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
I have never been so warmly greeted by a group of people in my life. I am not one to try to get autographs, beg for memorabilia or even try to talk to celebrities, and I do not encourage this behavior in my grandchildren, but I was stunned to have people from your association try to involve my grandson and I in their fun.
First was an invitation into a garage so we could look closer. I was not aware that spectators were encouraged to interact with the teams. Hunter and I accepted the invite and were told that the garages were open to visitors, and that they were giving away Hero Cards. I thought that idea was great, but I told Hunter that we could not go in until we were invited in. He understood. we continued on and then went into the Gasoline Alley area. As we were walking across the street a man and his wife came up behind us and said “I’ll bet if you go over to that car over there the driver will let you sit in his car.” Well that just about floored me. we followed the couple over to what looked like a modified dirt track car ( I know little about the classes and the cars in them). The man asked Hunter if he wanted to sit in the car and of course Hunter was ready to go. He picked Hunter up, slid him thru the window and gently placed him in the seat. As he was doing so, I thought I had better ask “Sir, are you the owner?” He assured me he was. After that experience almost every garage invited us in and several owners picked up my grandson and placed him in the love of their life. I have never had such a positive experience in my life. These people whom I expect have spent tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on their “baby” or in quite a few cases “babies” think nothing of making a little boys eyes shine with the wonder of sitting in a real race car. It made me wish I was a little boy too.(or maybe I still am.)
Please pass on to your membership my heartfelt thanks for making a little boys day be even better than it was, and making our experience the greatest that it possibly could be.
Terry A Green
Indianapolis, Indiana
Hey Tony,
I’m packing up all the instructions, maps, etc for Indy. I’m thinking this new event was a lot of extra work. Then it popped into my head that the amount of work you and your staff are putting into Indy must be monumental. I want to say Thank you. To you for the great idea and all the work to make it happen. And to all the SVRA people who work so hard to keep the whole thing going smoothly. I think you, and they should know how much we appreciate the work that everyone is doing to pull off this event. We are SO looking forward to Indy. How many people get to drive that track? Our guys are so excited. They’re like little kids. Thanks again and again to you and all SVRA.Later dude,
Mary and all my Ecurie kids
Every picture tells a story! Thank you Tony and Jon (and Kyle at Bell) for this marvellous Winners Helmet – Roger is absolutely delighted, as you can see! It could not have come at a better time for him as he struggles through his chemotherapy, however all being well, he will be wearing it (with pride) for the first time at Goodwood in England this September. He is absolutely thrilled and it brings back wonderful memories of our time at COTA last year.
We plan on returning to the States next year, for Sonoma and The Brickyard to start with! So you will be seeing entry forms from us again!
We thank you both for all your support and the hard work that goes into organizing SVRA.
Warm Regards,
Margaret and Roger
Tony
Sebring was great, looking forward to RA and Indy!
Chip Halverson
Tony-
Your guys all did an amazing job down at Sebring. Another great event.
Thanks,
Mitch Eitel
Tony,
Sebring was well run and a very good race weekend event. Keep up the great work.
Thanks,
SKIP BRYAN
Tony
Many thanks for hosting such a top flight event at Sebring this weekend. I enjoyed running both cars and everything was conducted in a safe and fun way.Best wishes for a great season and look forward to seeing you in Road America. Wish I could make Miami but still doing some consulting I need to tend to.
Jim Lenehan
Tony-
I wanted to take a minute to share my appreciation to you and the SVRA team for focusing on the vintage/historic racing series and taking it to new heights! It’s great to see your hard work and dedication to not only improve the series but to make it a must attend. Through the years that I’ve been involved I’ve never witnessed anyone really dedicate themselves to making a historic/vintage racing series work. It’s incredible watching you light the world on fire so to speak. My message is really quite simple… thank you!
Now I just need to find more time to enjoy some of the race cars I have in my stable. Rest assured I want to be out there every weekend you have a race!!! Again, thanks for making the vintage/historic racing world a better place, I commend each and every person on your team for a job well done.
May 2014 treat you and your team with raging success!
Cheers,
Lance
Hi Tony,
Merry Christmas and all the best to you and your family in every way for the New Year.
I want to thank you for all your efforts this past year and for the direction you have taken SVRA.
Going to COTA was the icing on the cake so to speak. It was very special for everyone that participated. Going to Indy will be as special I am sure.
I wish you all the success that you deserve in the future with SVRA, having someone that is so involved and transparent as you are will only ensure that success.
Also, I have to say that the entire staff did a fantastic job this year and I would give extra kudos to Ray Snowden for how he handled everything this past year.
Best Regards,
Bobby Brown
Dear Mr. Parella,
I wanted to thank you for your enthusiasm, and courage, in putting on the Vintage National Championship at the Circuit of the Americas. I was fortunate enough to drive at the event, and it was amazing. Just to be there, to get to drive on a new, state-of-the-art, Formula One circuit was an incredible thrill. Thank you!
Living on the West Coast, I’ve not done a lot of racing with SVRA, although I have crewed for my dad, Bob Hebert, at multiple SVRA events over the years. The experience I had with everyone at SVRA at COTA was fabulous, bar none. Everyone was happy, polite, helpful, and reasonable in working out any issues I saw arise while we were there. Others felt the same way. Everyone at SVRA seemed as infected with excitement as we were. It felt like we were all part of something special, and we knew it.
When our race was over, I happened to be in the right place at the right time, when Bobby Epstein, from COTA, was walking around the paddock. He was looking for some people to come back in three weeks to run in a Formula Atlantic/Formula B support race for the F1 race. We had an old 1977 Chevron Formula Atlantic car sitting in mom and dad’s barn in Massachusetts, and the track agreed to let us bring it to the support race and give it a go. The car had not been moved in a over a year, and did not run. When we went to start it, a mouse nest blew out the exhaust pipe, filling dad’s garage with dust, mouse hair, seed shells, and other debris. Race ready!
A childhood buddy of mine, my brother-in-law, and I towed the car with dad’s pickup and open trailer straight from Massachusetts to Texas. We even got caught in snow storm. When we got to the track, we immediately tore the car apart. We knew the clutch was about to go from the last time we parked it. The gearbox oil had turned to jello. Everyone pitched in to help, including SVRA’s Billy Mitchell who worked his way down the tech sheet while much of the car was still apart. We all knew if we could get it back together and running there would be no time to do a full tech before we hit the track. That’s exactly what happened. It took EVERYONE’S help to get us on the track, including SVRA’s Roger Linton, who continued to keep us apprised of the schedule, and changes, so we didn’t mess up.
On the day of the Grand Prix, we were qualified third for the Formula Vintage Support Race. It was amazing that we were even on the track. Both Tim de Silva and Tim Gaffney were quicker, but at least we were there. With two laps to go, strangely enough, Tim Gaffney and I were battling for the lead with Tim de Silva closing in fast from third. When the flag came out, our old “mouse house” Chevron crossed the line first. Unbelievable!
I brought the car into parc ferme, stood up in the seat and raised my arms to my family in friends running up the pit lane. Completely unexpectedly, I heard a strange roar. I had forgotten that this was the F1 race day, and that over 100,000 people were going to be there. I looked up and there I was on one of the Jumbotrons that surround the track. The F1 fans were cheering. It was amazing! Then the F1 marshals took the two Tims and me up to the F1 podium. The route was lined by the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders all applauding us. Incredible! We stood on the F1 podium for the National Anthem. None other than Mario Andretti presented us our trophies. Are you kidding me? Then we sprayed the champagne, just like our racing heroes do. It was crazy!
As we walked off the podium, members of the Infinity Red Bull team had made their way up to the podium. Race fans themselves, they applauded and shouted “Great race, mate!” “Brilliant drive!” I was stunned. On reflex I held up the first place trophy and told them “I got mine, now it’s time for you to get yours!” They cheered again, saying “Right on!, Yeah!” And you know what, they did.
I wanted to send you this very abbreviated version of the story (you wouldn’t believe the full version) to let you know how the risks you took/take, and the effort you and everyone at SVRA puts in, has had a major positive effect on a lot of people. Your decision, and commitment, to take SVRA, and vintage racing, in a new and bold direction, has provided thousands of us the chance to see and do things that we would not have thought possible for us.
The National Championship in Austin brought people together from all over the country, and in some cases, the world. We got to drive on a world class F1 circuit, mere weeks before the F1 teams arrived. We got to stand in the same pits that Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, the rest of the F1 world would soon stand in. You provided us awards ceremonies, and trophies. You put on major parties for us. You gave all of us unique SVRA mementos for being at this historic event. You solicited our feedback so you could make this great event even better. We got to race hard together, work hard together, and party hard together. We all left with huge smiles, new friends, and stories of a lifetime.
Thank you, Mr. Parella, and everyone at SVRA.
Happy Holidays to you, everyone at SVRA, and you families.
Cheers!
Art
Jon,
I attended the Austin weekend and it was fantastic. I haven’t heard that sound since Formula One came to Dallas in 1984. Your team did a great job. The racing was great and getting up close to the cars made an old guy’s dream come true. I can’t wait til SVRA comes back to COTA next year. Thanks to you and please pass this along to everyone else in your organization.
Chuck Boyette
Canton, Texas
Hi Jon,
I would like to congratulate yourself, Tony and Kyle for putting on a wonderful event at COTA, and in particular for catering for the “Pre-War” cars. Despite the fact that it was the inaugural event, I thought it went extremely well and kudos to the SVRA for a job well done.
Paddins Dowling
Congrats to you all on pulling off a great weekend! I know it wasn’t always easy, but you did a spectacular job. Our guys, and our quick chick, Lisa Hansen all had great fun. I would have thanked you sooner, but we just got home; spent the last couple days winding our way across the Mississippi, Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast. Oysters and beers for all!
Hugs to you all. Looking forward to next year!
Mary and the Ecurie bunch
Hi Jon,
Thank you again to you and the entire organization for putting on such a great event. I really had a blast being able to combine such vintage cars with an ultra-modern track, truly like no other experience. Many thanks and hopefully see you next year!
Derek Jones
To Tony, with Kim and Kathy:
I just wanted to send a note, after all the dust has settled, to tell what a joy it was to be a part of the COTA race. And after seeing the F1 race last weekend, it was just so exciting to see the track on TV and just screaming (sometime out loud): “I was just racing there, I was just racing there!!”
And, I had the privilege of attending the inaugural F1 event last year, so I now feel especially connected to that track. And what a track that is! Just incredible. The feeling of that first pit-out from the hot pit… rumbling up The Hill in first gear that one first time… just indescribable.
As far as my individual performance, I had I think the best overall race that I had ever had in my 8 years of racing. I was pretty intimidated by COTA’a 476-turn layout (hey, I’m a Willow Springs guy – 9 turns…). But the combination of learning the track (along with everyone else), getting faster each session, getting more comfortable each session, improving car control, interacting with fellow drivers – making sure lapped traffic got through safely – it just all came together. A real groove – a real zone.
I had hung up my Formula Ford spurs two years ago and seven old my car. But I came across a great deal on a Caldwell (the only Formula Ford to be made in the U.S., interestingly) that had great SVRA (east) history, and while I had the proper time to get the car serviced front-to-back, top-to-bottom, I would not have any time to practice before the gig. I did have a couple production cars that I could have entered, but it just seemed right to run an open-wheel car for this event. And I’m so glad I did.
So… thanks so much for organizing this race, and thanks so much for making sure we get on California Speedway this year as well. By the way, it was also nice to see some familiar “SVRA-West” faces like Treva and Mike McCarthy. And you even managed to get spectators!
And Tony, it was a such great touch when you walked through the hot pit area prior to our race, introduced yourself and shook all of our hands, in each car! I was stunned, actually. It was such a simple thing to do, yet it had so much impact. It really underscored your leadership of the club, as well as showed why you are the leader of the club.
Can’t wait to next year,
Pen Pendleton
Los Angeles
Hello Tony, Ray, Roger, Jon and Kathy-
As the 2013 vintage racing season comes to a close, my son and I wanted to thank you and congratulate you and your whole team on an extremely successful National Championship inaugural race. You are to be commended on a very well run and organized event that from our perspective came off without any significant hitches…and that is incredible given the number of cars and people involved, size of the venue, etc.
We had two occasions to work directly with Roger and his group and found the Tech process to of high-standards, safe, fair, and relatively painless. Not an easy task with so many entrants. We also enjoyed working with Kathy and Jon.
We have been racing since the 70’s with all kinds of different vintage groups including HMSA, SOVREN, SCRAMP, etc… and this was one of the best orchestrated events with which we have ever been associated. And it all starts and ends with your people. Bravo to your whole organization… you guys really rocked it!
Sincerely,
Bill and Patrick Byrne (father/son team)
1958 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce (winner of Group 3BS)
Good Afternoon Tony,
Many thanks to you and your team for making this exceptional event possible. The level of excellence regarding drivers, industry professionals and cars was an outstanding experience for me and I am looking forward to participate again at COTA in 2014.
My Group 5 with sports racers and can-am cars was the last group out on Sunday. As luck would have it I finished second in BSR with my Brabham BT8 in my second outing ever in this car.
Thank you again for the great efforts and congratulations to a super event.
All the Best,
Ralf
Roger,
This note is past due but I wanted to thank you for your assistance at the event at COTA.
I am very proud to have raced my Jensen Healey for over 40 years and have done my best to keep it as original as possible. My experience with SVRA has always been positive but this years event at the National Championships was the best ever. From the entry to the finish you and all the SVRA staff were “world class”.
Thanks again and I look forward to 2014.
Patrick Lind
Tony,
Just a quick note to tell you that I had a great time at the COTA event. I’m sure you’ll have some whiners but to pull off such a large undertaking on the first try so well was very impressive. This will be an annual “can’t miss” race for me and most everyone that I talked to. I broke a few parts in the process but still managed to finish the feature race. I might not have everything back together until Indy but I’ll make Indy come hell or high water.
Thanks again.
Bob Caudle
#71 A/P Corvette
First, thank you for running a good event. I have only run with SVRA a few times in the past and it is interesting to compare the different organizations. I am a close friend of Cris Vandergrif and have watched his work at bringing together events and the stress involved. I have a deep appreciation for your efforts and congratulate you for the success of the event.
I also appreciate the fairness and diligence of the technical crew to keep things in perspective and work to make it a fair event for the different levels of performance due to the march of technology, especially in the formula group.
All in all a great race and good event, thanks.
Chris Bender
Hi to you all,
We are back home now and reminiscing about the fabulous time we had at COTA – all seems like a dream from this distance!
Of course the icing on the cake was winning a gold helmet – absolutely brilliant – THANK YOU!Roger Ealand
Hi Jon,
Thanks again for putting on such an amazing event! I could not believe how well everything ran the entire time we were there. And the people, such as yourself, were SO nice, and SO accommodating. It was the best race I have ever had the pleasure of running at ever, and I’ve been doing this for over 15 years now. Well done!
Please feel free to share this e-mail with everyone at SVRA who had any part in putting on the event. Absolutely fabulous!
Arthur R. Hebert
Congratulations to you and everyone at SVRA for putting on such a great event and for doing such a great job of it!
Mike Donohue
Congrats to SVRA team for bringing this event to the vintage racing community with the National platform. I think, this event was really the highlight of any racers season.
Regards Fritz
Jon,
It was a great event. Those helmets will be proudly displayed in my trophy room. I really appreciate what you guys are doing for our sport.
Don Soenen
Tony,
Just wanted to say thank you for putting on an awesome event last week at COTA, you and the entire SVRA staff were very courteous and friendly and above all made all of us at Team Ivey Motorsports feel welcome and important. Hats off to you guys for showing everyone what a Vintage Championship race is all about. I will definitely be running more of your events in 2014 and would like to attend the Championship race at COTA again next year! Thank you for running a very safe and FUN race again.
Thanks again thanks for what you do for the sport!
Shannon Ivey
Tony,
Thank you for all of the hard work that you and your staff put into that event to make it so successful.
Before the event, I had a couple of issues that needed the attention of SVRA, and Kathy Swinford took very good care of me. In fact, I got to meet her face-to-face and thank her personally when you brought her and Ben to our paddock space Thursday afternoon on a golf cart. Thank you for doing that. She’s a wonderful lady.
My DOP/TOP experience was also very positive. Peter Krause and his team did an excellent job of teaching the track and encouraging those of us who took advantage of that program. Trying to learn a new track in a hurry is tough to do, well at least it is for me! The time in the classroom and the van ride around the track was time very well spent.
The entire experience, for me, was exceptional. I would never have thought that I would be driving a race car at an event like that. The track, vendors, fans, support staff, fellow competitors, level of competition, beautiful cars, BBQ, and entertainment by Edgar Winter made it so much more than just another race weekend for me. My hope is that a lot of positive feedback has been flowing into SVRA, and has been a source of pride for you guys for a job well done.
My weekend would’ve been much better had the car I was driving worked on Saturday and Sunday; but while it did run, I had a ton of fun! Hopefully, the car owner will want to return next year.
Again, thanks for your hard work and the work of your staff. It was, in my opinion, a fabulous event.
Pete Hoekenga
Dear Tony,
I just wanted to drop you a note regarding my experience at your COTA event. First, I would like to THANK YOU for letting me enter at such a late date. You called me 4 weeks before the race and we discussed how this event would be such a great experience for me and my father in law Jerry Waldschmidt.
We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and were greeted with open arms by your fantastic staff. It was great to see Kim again and she and the folks at registration were completely buttoned down with smiles on their faces and a warm welcome.
We pitted right at the entrance to the B paddock and I sure was surrounded by fantastic people. I ran perfectly all day Wednesday and Thursday. I had a clutch hydraulic hose fail on the grid for qualifying Friday afternoon and had to return to my paddock. I made some calls in Austin and no one had the hose. After a dozen calls a fellow called back and said he had a friend that might be able to help. Well that night at 7pm two guys pulled with hose in hand and the proceeded to help me install it. Such gracious people in Austin.
I ran great all day Saturday what a blast! Sunday not so good. Must of got water in the wiring of my car so something was shorting out during the GT Enduro. Even with having the problem, I started 32nd and finished 15th. Just goes to show don’t ever give up. I did not get to run the group10 feature but there is always next year.
Tony this event was a lifetime memory for Jerry and I. Thanks again for having us and I must say SVRA is the best run vintage racing organization I have ever seen. You have permanent customer with us, and I can’t wait to be part of the 2014 SVRA season.
Brian Lockwood
Tony,
I would like to thank you and everyone at SVRA for putting on a wonderful event and letting the No. 29 Triumph TR2 race in the inaugural U.S. Vintage Racing National Championship. I had a blast and so did my wife and all her Texas relatives that were able to attend. The weather was super, lots of beautiful cars, and everyone was extremely nice.
David Nelson
Tony:
Congrats on putting on a terrific event. Our engine didn’t enjoy running at low altitude (it’s a Pikes Peak Hill Climb car), so we got a grand total of two laps on track, but that didn’t change the fact that the event itself was top notch.
Great job, and we hope to return next year, with a car that’s more tuned to the low altitude of Austin!
Chris Lennon, #167
Dear Tony,
Want to thank you and your team for not only the Vintage Championships but your team did an unbelievable job in tough conditions for the GP support event. Great guys, lots of extra effort and a fantastic event. Everyone involved from SVRA did an incredible job.
Thanks again for delivering dreams to old men! I’ll Remember this stuff forever!
Rick Balsley
My son and I (1969 & 1972) Merlyn FF had a great time ! We hope to be invited back next year. I am still amazed at how well everything went for a first time event. I know it wasn’t an accident ,but a result a lot of hard work . Thanks for the memories!!
Greg & Mitchell Hibbs
Tony,
Thank you… for pulling SVRA from one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel! Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a Happy, Joyous, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year to you and your family.
Bill & Marty Luken
Cincinnati, Ohio
Hi Tony,
I just want to thank you for putting on such a great Season Finale at COTA. I can only imagine the number of hours that everyone on your team put in to making this inaugural event such a success. Everyone must feel a real sense of satisfaction for a job well done. Thank you for letting us be a part of it.
Karol
Hi Tony,
Just wanted to commend you and your staff for the most enjoyable racing experience of my life. The entire COTA event, from registration, to tech, and the conduct of the racing was most professional and friendly. The track is no less than amazing and challenging! Myself and all the CVAR participants were very happy with the entire event, We will return for sure next year! Thanks for all your efforts in putting this on!
Regards,
Peter Glawe
Tony,
I want to pass along my compliments regarding SVRA’s weekend event here in Austin last month. As a seat license holder at CoTA, I have attended all the events from F1 to MotoGP, but yours was the biggest delight. I brought several guests over the three days, and we were blown away by the sheer number of cars and the amazing cross-section that were represented.
The other element that made it so awesome was broad access to the paddocks. Whether it was watching a group assemble when getting ready for track time, or walking around a corner and seeing a JPS Lotus, Bugatti, Formula Ford, Can Am, or even old Triumphs and Minis, it was a stunning event.
I’m so glad to see owners out using these cars as intended, too, instead of locking them up in some collection only to be shared with the few that might stumble across them. I realize that is the whole idea behind SVRA, and it is awesome that such a large group of owners share that goal.
All the best,
Mark Jacks
Austin, Texas
Hi Tony,
Just a note to congratulate you and your team and a successful launch of the Vintage National Championship at COTA. I realize the amount of time, effort, and coordination that goes into an event like that. I have participated in most of the major Vintage Events in the U.S. and this was one of the best. As an aside, I would like to single out John Cordeiro, one of the SVRA volunteers. John handled his politically sensitive job with diplomacy, tact, and sensitivity.
Again, great event and I look forward to next year!
Steve Smith
Houston, Texas
CVAR
Group 9 – #27 Ralt RT1
I would like to congratulate you and all of SVRA for the great job everyone did at the COTA event. I have been in the racing business for about 41 years and I don’t recall (a lot of things) any event, professional or amateur, as well done as the National Championship weekend.
Curt Geatches
I have to say that the National Championships Event at COTA was THE BEST racing weekend I’ve ever attended. It was my first Vintage Race and it most definitely won’t be my last. The access to the cars, owners, drivers, and mechanics was astounding. Continually being invited into an individual paddock or garage was fantastic. Hearing the big bore cars on Saturday and Sunday was incredible, closed my eyes and imagined being at Watkins Glen or Sebring in the 60’s, only this was better I was there! COTA staff was friendly and made you feel welcome, not just another spectator/customer. Thanks for coming to Texas!
Ed Loutherback
Tony,
Just wanted to congratulate you on a great event! You and your team did a super job pulling this event off. Thank you for inviting the CVAR guys, we had a ball and are looking forward to next year.
Come race with us when you have time.
Bill Kuers
I compliment you on what I think was the best racing venue I have attended. The workers at tech were great. The grid folks were outstanding. I had concerns prior to the COTA event. I thought it would be a cluster [explicative]… I was very wrong. I thought the track would not be challenging… I was again very wrong. All the people who put this event on did it right. A number of other clubs should pay attention to how your guys performed their duties. My hat goes off to all those hard working folks who made it happen. I thanked as many as I could in person and wish I could shake hands with them all.
I hope to attend the next one.
Cheers
Roger Williams
Suspect Racing
Group 1 #72 and #66.
Gentlemen,
As a founding member and former club president of CVAR, I would like to express my congratulations to what appeared to be a very successful inaugural vintage event at COTA. To the person, all of the SVRA Staff were friendly, courteous and just happy to be in Texas with a ton of neat cars. A job well done!
Sincerely,
John Jr.
Hi Tony,
I’m just catching my breath after having returned from the COTA event-supporting four cars and driving two of them . I have been racing with SVRA since 1990 but what you have created with COTA is something I have never seen and is indeed unique . Congratulations, you have accomplished something your predecessors never could –a “vintage” event which unites the entire (USA) vintage racing community—East and West and everywhere in between. Well done sir, we thoroughly enjoyed it and are looking forward to next year.
-Roman Tucker , Roman Auto Prep
Tony,
Thanks for all the hard work you and your staff put in to make our first vintage racing national championship a success. We truly had a wonderful time in Texas and can not wait to go back next year. Again, thank you for everything.
Sincerely,
Ron & Laureen Ramsey
Melbourne, FL
1965 Corvette, #13