[h=2]SVRA Preview: National Championship Festival[/h] Wednesday, 02 November 2016


Mark Dill / Images by Dill, DC Photo, Theo Bean, Bob Pengraph, John Hollansworth Jr.

Above: Doc Bundy in his #24 1964 Lotus 23 is a heavy favorite to repeat as SVRA national champion in his Group 5 class.


The SportsCar Vintage Racing Association's vintage racing national championships at Circut of The Americas have blossomed into the season-ending crescendo officials were hoping for when they conceived of the event in 2013. The annual invitational of the top competitors across all recognized vintage racing organizations in the country has an outstanding class of cars and stars from both professional and amateur sectors of the sport. Bell Racing is back as sponsor of their special gold-and-black helmet trophy – the signature emblem of SVRA national championship races.
Some big names pop off the entry list with just a cursory glance. Among them are 1993 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Geoff Brabham, the son of Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jack Brabham and father of 2016 Indianapolis 500 starter Matthew. The Brabhams are among only three families with three generations of drivers to start the Indianapolis 500. The others, the Andrettis and the Vukovichs, are racing royalty as well.
Geoff, who started the Indianapolis 500 10 times with a best finish of fourth, has driven in two of the SVRA's "Indy Legends Charity Pro-Am" races at the Brickyard Invitational. At that event this past June,he made some history when he became only the second member of his family to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a Brabham racecar. That was one of two canary yellow 1971 Brabham BT35 Formula B cars of owner Ron Horning. Both Geoff and Ron picked off wins in SVRA Group 2 sprint races during that weekend. They will be back in the same machines at COTA.
"Unfortunately, I enjoyed myself a bit too much," Brabham quips. "When I got a call from Ron about joining him at COTA, I just couldn't think of a good reason not to do it. I'd go to any track with Ron. His cars are well prepared and professional. It is a bonus to go to a world-class track, though. I've watched Matthew race here, but this will be my first time driving."
The car Geoff is driving also carries the special distinction of being SVRA Gold Medallion certified. This is an elite certification program that holds applicants to rigorous standards of period-correct restoration to prove authenticity and historic significance. Horning had the car, which was once campaigned by former Formula 1 Ferrari driver and Indianapolis 500 veteran Stefan Johansson, painstakingly prepared. This was recognized the last two years at the Brickyard Invitational as the machine was awarded the "Brabham Trophy" as the best example of the marque at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Another household name going wheel-to-wheel this weekend is Boris Said. He will compete with the SVRA for only the second time in his stellar career; the first came at the 2015 Coronado Island Speed Festival. Said was at the wheel of a 1968 BMW 2002 on that occasion. This time around he will be wheeling a 1999 GT4 Corvette.
Adam Carolla (pictured), the comedian and all-around car guy who received plaudits for his work in producing the 2015 documentary, "Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman," will be back with the SVRA for the second time this season. He competed at Coronado Island in September. Carolla has his ex-Newman 1970 Datsun 510 B Sedan entered in Group 8 competition.
Another strong talent is 23-year-old Theo Bean. Bean, who aspires to the ranks of professional racing, has taken the unconventional path of grooming his racecraft through seat time in vintage racing. This year he raced in IMSA's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge ST class as well as the Toyota Racing Series, a winter open wheel competition in New Zealand. He is back at COTA to defend the Group 11 national championship he brought home last year.
Bean has two teammates: his father, Toby, and his younger brother Patrick. They are also entered in Group 11 with an impeccable pair of 1990 Chevrolet Intrepids. The car at Theo's disposal, however, is extra-special – the ex-Geoff Brabham 1988 Nissan which Geoff won the IMSA GTP championship with that year. Brabham was the dominant driver of the series during that era, picking off 23 race wins and four successive championships from 1988 through 1991.

 

For anyone going to Hot Import Nights type the code HOT in any promo code box.
Feel free to pass this around.


HIN returns to the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday November 19th, 2016.

The best deal for Hot Import Nights is 4 spectator tickets for $31.96
1. Go to this link https://hin.webconnex.com/tampatickets2016
2. put a 4 in the box under ticket options and the price will drop to $10 each
3. It will say convenience fee $11.96 and total will be $51.96 for 4 tickets ($40 for 4 tickets + 11.96= 51.96)
4. Type HOT in capital letters in the promo code box and click apply to
deduct $20 and the total will drop to $31.96
4 tickets for $31.96........ is almost 1/2 of the original $60.....at (4 X $15 each).
When 3,000 tickets are sold, the price will change, but typing HOT in the promo code
will always save $5 per ticket.


To buy only one $15 spectator ticket........
1. Go to this link https://hin.webconnex.com/tampatickets2016
2. put a 1 in the box under ticket options
3. It will say convenience fee $2.99 and total will be $17.99
4. Type HOT in capital letters in the promo code box and click apply to
deduct $5 and the total will be $12.99
That is for only one ticket. When 3,000 tickets are sold, the price will change, but typing HOT in the promo code will always save $5 per ticket.

To register a single show car at Hot Import Nights
1.Go to this link https://hinevents.regfox.com/2016-hi...r-registration
2.Put a dot in the circle beside Vehicle/2 Passes and it says $50
3. It will say the convenience fee is $2.99 for a total of $52.99
4. Type HOT in capital letters in the promo code box and click apply to
deduct $5 and the total will be $47.99 for a single show car registration.

Promo code HOT saves $5 which is better than full price and
each show car Registration gets 2 free tickets

For multicar registrations at Hot Import Nights
1.Go to this link info@hotimportnights.com with the name of your club
and number of entries for instructions. 5 show cars or more save even more $$$$