This year marked the 15th running of the Turkey Bowl at Summit Point Raceway. ELBRacing was once again in attendance, this time with Jerry Boyer debuting his 1976 Ford Pinto to the vintage racing world. This was Jerry's first vintage event. He reports that he and the car survived and are both looking forward to a great year in 2012. Jerry teamed up with Bruce Shelton of Automotive Enterprises who brought his 1980 SCCA Ford Pinto out to play with the vintage cars, as well as Steve Moulton of Hayseed Racing Services who ran his 1971 Trans-Am Pinto. A few photos from the paddock and of Jerry's ELBRacing pinto:
Adventures in Vintage Racing with an Extremely Low Budget
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
A Visit to MARRS
September 3rd marked the first part of the annual WDCR SCCA Labor Day Double races at Summit Point Raceway, WV. Jim Karamanis had his 1972 ELBRacing Pinto on track for MARRS VII. Jim qualified his Pinto on pole for his class (SPU), ran comfortably in the lead for 7 laps, and had a terrific battle with class GTP Pinto points leader (and multiple time MARRS champion) Bruce Shelton until Jim's Pinto decided it had enough.
Following are a few photos from the day, qualifying video and race video. Pay attention to the 11:00 minute mark of the race video when pieces of Jim's spark plug & flames fly out of the hood. A picture of what remains of the spark plug is also posted. The head will need to come off of the engine for some minor machine work, but Jim will have his Pinto back in action for the Vintage Racer Group Turkey Bowl in November.
Race:
Qualifying:
Following are a few photos from the day, qualifying video and race video. Pay attention to the 11:00 minute mark of the race video when pieces of Jim's spark plug & flames fly out of the hood. A picture of what remains of the spark plug is also posted. The head will need to come off of the engine for some minor machine work, but Jim will have his Pinto back in action for the Vintage Racer Group Turkey Bowl in November.
Race:
Qualifying:
Monday, July 11, 2011
SCCA Take 2
This weekend saw Jim Karamanis take his ELBRacing 1972 B-Sedan Vintage Racer Pinto back in time. For the first time in 15 years, the car was run in an SCCA Regional Event. The last time that the car appeared at an SCCA Regional Race was at Summit Point Raceway in October of 1996 during a Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series weekend put on by the Washington DC Region (WDCR). The car was run in the GT-3 class at that event. This time, it was back to Summit Point at another MARRS WDCR event, but running in the class SPU.
SPU (Super Production Under) is for cars that don't meet the criteria for specific current SCCA classes, are under 2.5 liters, and meet the safety requirements of the SCCA General Competition Rules. Some extremely fast cars normally compete in this class (baby grand cup cars). On this particular race weekend, no other cars appeared in this class, so Jim was one of one throughout the weekend. The race group however is mostly composed of Production Cars and the majority of them were vintage eligible. It was very much like competing in a vintage race. In fact, even the mentality was very much like vintage, with racers giving each other lots of racing room. Jim and his vintage Pinto held it's own, despite racing on vintage spec treaded race tires instead of the competition slicks run by the other competitors.
For the weekend, ELBRacing teamed up in the Paddock with Shelton Racing. Bruce Shelton had two GT Pinto race cars on the grid. One for himself and the other for long time SCCA Racer Matti Vilkkila. Bruce went on to win his class with Matti taking second.
Some photos and video of the two races:
Saturday Race:
Sunday Race:
SPU (Super Production Under) is for cars that don't meet the criteria for specific current SCCA classes, are under 2.5 liters, and meet the safety requirements of the SCCA General Competition Rules. Some extremely fast cars normally compete in this class (baby grand cup cars). On this particular race weekend, no other cars appeared in this class, so Jim was one of one throughout the weekend. The race group however is mostly composed of Production Cars and the majority of them were vintage eligible. It was very much like competing in a vintage race. In fact, even the mentality was very much like vintage, with racers giving each other lots of racing room. Jim and his vintage Pinto held it's own, despite racing on vintage spec treaded race tires instead of the competition slicks run by the other competitors.
For the weekend, ELBRacing teamed up in the Paddock with Shelton Racing. Bruce Shelton had two GT Pinto race cars on the grid. One for himself and the other for long time SCCA Racer Matti Vilkkila. Bruce went on to win his class with Matti taking second.
Some photos and video of the two races:
Saturday Race:
Sunday Race:
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Ford Pinto Turns 40
This year the Ford Pinto turns 40.
Given the fact that ELBRacing now has three Pintos in our stable we
thought it would be fitting for us to join the Stampede! The Pinto Stampede was organized by a group of enthusiasts from the Pinto Car Club of America. These Pinto fans caravaned 1000 miles from Denver to
the Carlisle All-Ford Nationals in order to celebrate the Pinto 40th
anniversary as well as raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
The Pinto Stampede featured nearly 70 Pintos! This
is surely one of the largest gatherings of these ponies since the
assembly line.
The ELBRacing 1972 Ford Pinto owned by
Jim Karamanis was on special indoor display along side the famous
Racer Walsh 1971 Trans-Am race Pinto owned by Jerry 'Racer' Walsh's
son Brian Walsh. Jerry was kind enough to
sign the dash of Jim Karamani's Pinto, something that he will always
cherish.
On the final day of the event, the two
road race Pintos, along with an SCCA road race Pinto owned by Barry
Young, were asked to do a demonstration run on the Carlisle autocross
course, an event run by the Cumberland Valley Corvette Club.
Some photos from the weekend event:
Friday, May 20, 2011
2011 VRG Jefferson 500
ELBRacing once again teamed up with Kingstowne Racing for the Jefferson 500 vintage races sanctioned by the Vintage Racer Group. Kingstowne Racing's Krisjan Berzins debuted his BMW 2002 vintage race car and Jim Karamanis once again campaigned his 1972 B-Sedan Ford Pinto vintage race car. Rain showers sprinkled throughout the weekend. But, the weather did not take away from then experience. Four days of racing culminated with the Classic Motorsports Small Bore Cup race. This time released race featured incredible action as cars of mixed class and capabilities took to the track together.
The Delmarva Cougar Club also made the Jefferson 500 one of their club events and came out to support the ELBRacing crew.
Pictures from the event:
Classic Motorsports Small Bore Cup Race, Jim Karamanis, ELBRacing 1972 B-Sedan Ford Pinto:
Sunday Morning Big Bore Qualifying, Jim Karamanis, ELBRacing 1972 B-Sedan Ford Pinto:
The Delmarva Cougar Club also made the Jefferson 500 one of their club events and came out to support the ELBRacing crew.
Pictures from the event:
Classic Motorsports Small Bore Cup Race, Jim Karamanis, ELBRacing 1972 B-Sedan Ford Pinto:
Sunday Morning Big Bore Qualifying, Jim Karamanis, ELBRacing 1972 B-Sedan Ford Pinto:
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
More ELBPintos!
Winter has been busy for ELBRacing. ELBRacing supported Kingstowne Racing on the shakedown of their BMW 2002 Vintage Racer during a test / PDX day @ Summit Point Raceway, March 13th. ELBRacing was also out in full force during the SCCA Double Spring Drivers School @ Summit Point Raceway, March 18th – 20th, in support of new ELBRacer Jerry Boyer.
Jerry purchased a former SCCA GT Pinto, a 1976 equipped with a 2.3 liter from Bruce Shelton of Automotive Enterprise. Bruce Shelton has been campaigning SCCA GT Pintos for over 20 years and was kind enough to lend assistance throughout the weekend, along with three GT Pintos that Bruce had rented for the school. Jerry is a long time friend of ELBRacing, from the Classic Cougar crowd, and is very excited to be starting his racing career.
A slide show of Jerry's Pinto as well as SCCA school photos:
Qualifying for the SCCA school race, from Jerry Boyer's ELBPinto:
School Race, from Jerry Boyer's ELBPinto:
Jerry will be converting the car to Vintage Race Specifications in preparation for a vintage racing career with the Vintage Racer Group (VRG). The VRG board recently voted to extend their rules, allowing for 2.3 liter powered Pintos to participate in vintage race competition.
ELBRacing crew chief Ralph Pagington has also taken the plunge, having purchased a former SCCA GT Pinto (a 1979) from Bruce Shelton. Ralph will be restoring his car over the next couple of years to vintage race specifications.
A slide show of Ralph's project Pinto:
Jerry purchased a former SCCA GT Pinto, a 1976 equipped with a 2.3 liter from Bruce Shelton of Automotive Enterprise. Bruce Shelton has been campaigning SCCA GT Pintos for over 20 years and was kind enough to lend assistance throughout the weekend, along with three GT Pintos that Bruce had rented for the school. Jerry is a long time friend of ELBRacing, from the Classic Cougar crowd, and is very excited to be starting his racing career.
A slide show of Jerry's Pinto as well as SCCA school photos:
Qualifying for the SCCA school race, from Jerry Boyer's ELBPinto:
School Race, from Jerry Boyer's ELBPinto:
Jerry will be converting the car to Vintage Race Specifications in preparation for a vintage racing career with the Vintage Racer Group (VRG). The VRG board recently voted to extend their rules, allowing for 2.3 liter powered Pintos to participate in vintage race competition.
ELBRacing crew chief Ralph Pagington has also taken the plunge, having purchased a former SCCA GT Pinto (a 1979) from Bruce Shelton. Ralph will be restoring his car over the next couple of years to vintage race specifications.
A slide show of Ralph's project Pinto:
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Another Vintage Racer!
Over the past year we have featured many photos of Krisjan Berzins and his Kingstowne Racing 1987 BMW 325is race car. Krisjan has become so enthusiastic about vintage racing that he has purchased a vintage racer of his own, a 1976 BMW 2002. This former SCCA ITB race car will soon be undergoing a restoration in preparation for a new lease on life as a vintage racer. Krisjan plans to run the car along with the folks at ELBRacing at numerous racing events with the Vintage Racer Group (VRG).
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