The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) kicked off its 48th season at Sonoma Raceway Sears Point in Sonoma, California on April 10-12, 2015. The event featured testing on Friday, with vintage racing on the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course on Saturday and Sunday. Each race group competed in three races each over the two days for more than 20 races over the course of the weekend.
The 2015 CSRG season opener was held in honor of David Love, a longtime Bay Area resident and CSRG’s co-founder, who passed away in 2013. Love was instrumental in the growth of the organization, which has contributed more than $700,000 to the Sonoma chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Sonoma Raceway, through its race weekends. Love began racing in the 1950s with a series of Porsches and Morgans, among others. He later purchased the car with which he will always be identified – a 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (s/n 0754TR) that he raced in over 250 events before retiring in 2009.
Notable and interesting entrants at the CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 Sonoma Raceway historic races included Tom Price’s Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, the very same TR that Love raced for decades; Brian Blain’s BRM V12 F1; Thor Johnson’s BMW 3.5 liter CSL; Ned Spieker’s Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta; Dennis Losher’s Mk II Shadow; Fred Cziska’s Mk III Shadow; Nick Colonna’s Jaguar E-Type ‘Low Drag’ Coupe; Jeff O’Neill’s Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage and Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA; John Goodman’s Ferrari 312 P Sparling Special; Shawn Thomas’ Jaguar C-Type and Brandon Adrian’s Alfa Romeo GTA. In addition, a broad array of cars with a multitude of chassis types were also highlighted at the Sonoma historic races. Formula Atlantic featured seven different marques while Formula B featured five different ones. Porsche, Alfa Romeo and MG were well represented as were unusual sports cars like Turner, Marcos, TVR and others.
Tight racing was also found at the 2015 CSRG David Love Memorial Races. Race Group Two saw a mere six seconds cover the podium, with Kevin Shirley’s Turner Mark II taking the top spot over Dennis Racine’s Mini Cooper S and Will Carson’s MG Midget. Group Three was also close, as Fred Della Noce’s Ginetta cleared Marc Nichols’ Lotus 7 by 1.3 seconds. Not to be outdone, Group Four produced a great battle with Michael Malone’s Elva Mk. 8 SR leading the Lotus 23B of Robert Davis and the Lotus 23B of Mike Summer, the three of them blanketed by three hundredths of a second at the checkered flag.
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Similar to the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 races, Senior Photographer Dennis Gray also documented the 2015 CSRG Season Opener at the Sonoma Raceway Sears Point road course. We split up Dennis’ pictures into two galleries. The first gallery starting below features our favorite images, all displayed in the full-width view of Sports Car Digest, while the second gallery can be found on the last page of the article and gives a comprehensive view of all the photographs.
CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery
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CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Two
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CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Three
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CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Four
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CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Five
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CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Six
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CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Seven
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CSRG David Love Memorial 2015 – Main Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
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[Source: CSRG; photos: Dennis Gray]
How did Tom Price in his Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa get away without a modern (ugly) roll bar?
Dennis Gray, thanks for taking the time to label every picture but one (not in the program?). That effort is much appreciated.
My mistake. Ex-Team Lotus Ex-Le Mans Lotus Eleven driven by Bruce Miller.
Dennis, thanks for your wonderful pictures. You always get it right!
If the huge, ugly scaffolding on Sprite No.714 is an indication of the driver’s fear of rolling his little, under-powered car, he should not be on the track! Would never be allowed in
any historic race in Europe.
The little midget has a lot of history and one Jims other cars a Can AM McLaren just has a small hoop, he must really be afraid.
Just to be clear Jim had just acquired his Midget/Sprite. This was his first event in the car. Now to roll bars and other low blow comments. Jim runs a Can-Am Lola T163, McLaren M8, a Trans Am Mercury and Mustang and other cars. Jim is a driver that is consistently quick and clean in his driving. Roll bars too big or too safe? Please, would the reader have made the same comment about a cage in a Corvette or a 935 or is it the smaller engine and cage he finds upsetting? Enough. Enjoy this little skate drifting through the esses.
Did not mean for the above comment to be Anonymous. Dennis Gray
Thanks Dennis for shooting my 914/6!! I had a great weekend, my first time out with CSRG! Great group, hoping Group 8 expands, early 70’s (up to 1975) production based sports racing cars! Again, THANKS!
Martin.
I have always been a 914/6 fan. Check out http://historicmotorprints.com . Historic Motor Prints handles my images for print sales. They have one or two of you up today and will be uploading more images from the David Love Memorial this week. When your next event? Dennis
RENNSPORT 5, if accepted, then the fall CSRG event. Need some time to finish another 914/6 I am restoring. Thanks for the link! I am checking it out now!
Super images Dennis! The pack of Alfas chasing the 356 is my favorite among them. As always the captions are appreciated, and reflect not only the time needed to prepare them, but your knowledge about the cars and drivers.