ELBRacing @ 2013 VRG Turkey Bowl

Thanksgiving weekend was once again spent at Summit Point Raceway with the extended VRG family. ELBRacing had one Pinto on the track as Jim Karamanis competed in his 1972 Vintage B-Sedan road racer. This was the last event for the 2013 season and the team is busy preparing for 2014. Enjoy some video from The Turkey Bowl:

New Jersey Historics

ELBRacing spent September 20 - 22 at the VRG New Jersey Historics @ New Jersey Motorsports Park on the Lightning Circuit. This flowing track provided fast paced and exciting action. Jim Karamanis brought his '72 Pinto out for the event with team mate Ralph Pagington acting as crew chief for the weekend. The VRG hosted an event filled with an abundance of track time and a visit to the Millville air museum. This event is a must attend for all vintage racers!

In-car video, Saturday morning race:



A few event photos:

PVGP 2013!

ELBRacing brought one car out to this years VRG Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix @ Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Jim Karamanis piloted Pinto #272 throughout the race weekend. A new engine was broken in, though with some teething problems. A failing oil pressure relief valve kept Jim from driving at full capacity through the race weekend. However, overall the new build performed well and with a new valve will be ready for the next race weekend.

PVGP does a wonderful job of putting on an event, with some of the friendliest volunteers you will find in the vintage race world.

A couple of videos from the race action:

2013 VRG Jefferson 500

ELBRacing was back at Summit Point Motorsports Park for the 2013 VRG Jefferson 500. Ralph Pagington had his third successful race weekend, promoting him to Full drivers status. Congrats, Ralph! Brian Walsh held the IMSA RS / SCCA 2.5 Challenge reunion race at the Jefferson 500 for the second year in a row. Photos courtesy of Kermit Burroughs can be seen here: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjFDzGEE

Some video from Ralph Pagington's in-car camera:

Thursday Practice


Saturday Sprint Race


IMSA RS / SCCA 2.5 Challenge Reunion Race

A New Season

2012 ended with a bang, well three bangs. ELBRacing had the full barrage of Pintos on track for the 2012 VRG Turkey Bowl Thanksgiving weekend at Summit Point Raceway. Unfortunately, all three ELB Pintos experienced catastrophic engine failure!

The team is busy prepping the cars for 2013 with plans to attend the 2013 VRG Jefferson 500 at Summit Point Raceway. This will be the 2nd year that Brian Walsh hosts the IMSA RS / SCCA 2.5 Challenge Races at the Jefferson 500 and team ELBRacing plans to have three cars on the grid for the big race.

Let's hope for a more reliable 2013!

Performance Driving Experience

October 8th, Team ELBRacing was back on track. This time at Summit Point Motorsports Park for an SCCA Performance Driving Experience event. The team used this as a test and tune day for the upcoming VRG Turkey Bowl @ Summit Point. Some event footage from the day:

Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix @ PIRC 2012

ELBRacing brought two cars to the newly renamed Pittsburgh International Race Complex to contend the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Historic Races. Unfortunately, only one ran the event, as the 1972 ELBRacing Pinto of Jim Karamanis suffered from a broken external oil pump on the Friday test day.

Jerry Boyer did run his 1976 ELBRacing Pinto throughout the race weekend and graduated from rookie to full race privileges. Congratulations, Jerry! Following is video from Jerry's PVGP racing experience:

2012 VRG Jefferson 500

ELBRacing has officially kicked off the 2012 racing season! The team was out in full force at the VRG Jefferson 500, May 17 – 20 @ Summit Point Motorsports Park. Jim Karamanis participated as an instructor during the two day VRG drivers school. New ELB Racers Jerry Boyer & Ralph Pagington both attended the school in their vintage racers. This was Ralph Pagington's first event since restoring his 1979 Mercury Bobcat. All three participated in the vintage races throughout the weekend, including Brian Walsh's feature race for IMSA RS / SCCA 2.5 Challenge Reunion race cars. The event grand marshal was Peter Brock who paced the Reunion Race field in a 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe, a car of his own design.

See a slide show of pictures taken by ELB Photographers Kermit Burroughs & Steve Manley here:


And a selection of race videos taken by Jerry's daughter, Charlotte, here:





Also, event results have been posted to mylaps.com here:
http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=779745

And finally, official event photos by Bill Stoler here:
http://billstoler.com/site/#/gallery/jefferson-500-2012-summit-point/j500-9086/

IMSA RS / SCCA 2.5 Challenge Reunion Race:

VRG Turkey Bowl

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:

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:

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:

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 40^th 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:

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:

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:

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).

VRG Turkey Bowl @ Summit Point Raceway

The Crew of ELBRacing again teamed up with Kingstowne Racing for the last track event of the year. The Turkey Bowl (November 26 - 28, 2010) @ Summit Point Motorsports Park was sanctioned by The Vintage Racer Group and featured something for everyone. With a variety of vintage classes and groups for late model and legends cars, there was plenty for every racer & spectator to enjoy. Darin Treakle and his SCCA ITS Acura Integra also joined the gang in the Paddock for a 3 car line-up. All three cars made it through the weekend incident free, even through sessions that featured snow flurries. A variety of photos and in-car video are included for your viewing pleasure:

More Inspiration

We've already mentioned that the Classic Cougar racing heritage was a major inspiration for ELBRacing. We started with Open Tracking a couple of classic cougars. Well, here is the car that inspired us to go Open Tracking:

This monster of a '69 Cougar was built and is Open Tracked by “Cougar Bill” Quinlisk. Bill runs a restoration shop in Colorado and custom built the upper control arms on both of the ELBRacing classic cougars.

Cougar Engine Refreshes!

Though the race car has been dormant over the last couple of months, the folks at ELBRacing have been busy. Ralph Pagington worked with KTL Restorations on the build of a 331 stroker engine for his '67 Mercury Cougar. Ralph has installed this new monster in his Cougar and the package will be seeing track time at Summit Point Raceway sometime in the Spring of 2011.

Jim Karamanis also pulled the 351C out of his '70 Cougar. The mild 351C received a set of reconditioned heads and an otherwise cosmetic rebuild.

Stay tuned for more as ELBRacing prepares the Ford Pinto vintage race car for the final racing event of the year, the Vintage Racer Group Turkey Bowl @ Summit Point Raceway.

1970 Mercury Cougar Restoration

As mentioned in our very first blog post, ELBRacing was started with a dream of road racing vintage Mercury Cougars. Even though a Cougar race car was not in the long term cards, the ELBRacing crew have been Open Tracking & Autocrossing Mercury Cougars for several years now.

1970 Mercury Cougar owned by Jim Karamanis

1967 Mercury Cougar owned by Ralph Pagington








Both of our ELBRacing Cougars are currently under-going a refresh in the power department, which reminds us of the nostalgic days when our '70 Mercury Cougar first came into Jim's ownership (December 1998). Jim purchased the car as a painted shell. The following slideshow depicts what the car looked like when the previous owner purchased it and performed the restoration of the paint and body work and a final photo which shows what the car looks like today:

Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix

ELBRacing was formed with the goal of participating in vintage racing. This past weekend that dream became reality. Teaming up once again with Kingstowne Racing, The ELBRacing Pinto took to the track for a weekend of racing as part of the Historic Trans-Am Group, during the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix at the  Beaverun Motorsports Complex.

The weekend started with an advanced drivers school for those new to 'Vintage' Racing, where the emphasis was placed on respect and good judgment. After a half day of class time and a couple of lead and follow sessions the students blended into their regular run groups for the remainder of the weekend.

The ELB Pinto faced a series of mechanical issues that materialized during Friday afternoon practice sessions. The shifter linkage kept jamming making the car undrivable. Team driver Jim Karamanis and crew chief Ralph Pagington pulled the transmission from the car to identify the issue, but were only able to patch it back together. The car was back in one piece for Saturday morning practice with the realization that 2nd gear would be unusable for the remainder of the weekend. With ginger driving, the car was able to be nursed through race time on Saturday and as far as Sunday morning practice. Several times the car was stranded on track, but the BeaveRun workers happily towed the car back to the paddock and encouraged the team to keep band-aiding the car back together and continue on track.

The Kingstowne Racing BMW faired much better. Driver Krisjan Berzins participated as part of the Historic Trans-Am Group and also made an appearance in the Porsche – BMW challenge race. The car was rock solid all weekend and Krisjan ran progressively lower lap times throughout the weekend.

The team also met many wonderful people at this event, including the Schindel's who campaign a BMW 2002, the Wentz's who campaign a 1968 Mustang, McKie Racing with driver Brian McKie's beautifully prepared 1965 MGB, Tripod Racing with their immaculate Datsun 510s, Nial McCabe and his Spridget, as well as many, many others.

Special thanks to the Vintage Racer Group and the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix for putting on an extremely well run and unforgettable event.

ELBRacing is now working on correcting the transmission issues encountered during the race weekend in preparation for an appearance later this year at the 'Turkey Bowl' at Summit Point Motorsports Park.

Beaverun 2010 Slideshow:

Beaverun 2010 Race, Part 1


Beaverun 2010 Race, Part2