Report and Photos by Louis Galanos
Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) held its Sebring Historic Fall Classic 2010 on October 21-24 at the 3.70-mile Sebring International Raceway in Florida.
For the past 14 years the Sebring International Raceway has been host to the season-ending event in HSR racing calendar. That event was usually held during the first week in December.
This year an unexpectedly large monkey wrench was thrown into the HSR calendar. First the popular Daytona Continental event, held in November, was canceled due to much needed track paving at the Speedway.
Second, four months into the 2010 schedule the folks at the Sebring International Raceway (SIR) informed HSR they could no longer have the first week in December for their year-end event. This December date has been a fixture in the HSR calendar for 14 years.
It seems that the management at SIR had decided to give that December date to Bobby Rahal and his newly-formed Legends of Motorsports.
Despite the Daytona cancellation and the earlier than normal end-of-year event the recently concluded (October 22-24) HSR Sebring Fall Classic went off without any major problems. It was blessed with blue skies, light breezes, mild temperatures and some great racing.
The phrase “great racing” might be an understatement when you consider that with the International/American challenge race held on Saturday the margin between the first and second place car was a whisker-thin margin of just five-one-thousand of a second.
No one who witnessed the finish could tell who had won. The transponder read-out had to be called upon to determine the winner. In this case it was Larry Ligas of Pinellas Park, Florida in his 1961 Jaguar XKE beating Dennis Olthoff in his 1966 GT40 MKII. Your eyes are not deceiving you folks, a 1961 Jaguar beat a 1966 GT40. Maybe the Golden Era of Sportscar Racing is not quite dead.
In spite of the fact that the event was held two months earlier than planned, the folks at Historic Sportscar Racing put on a great event at the legendary Sebring track. Special thanks to Ken Fengler and Judy Marchione of HSR for their hospitality.
HSR Sebring Historic Fall Classic 2010 – Results
Group 2 – 3 Vintage/Historic Production Feature Race 1 & 2
1. Farrell Preston, Vero Beach, FL – 63 Jag E-Type
2. Brian Johnson, Sarasota, FL – 70 Royale RP4
3. Juan Lopez-Santini, Plantation, FL – 69 Porsche 911S
Group 5C Cayman Interseries – Feature Race 1
1. David Hansson, Chicago, IL – 09 Porsche Cayman
2. JC France\Shane Lewis, Daytona Beach, FL – 09 Porsche Cayman
3. Jim Bacus\Jack Baldwin, Downers Grove, IL – 09 Porsche Cayman
Group 5C Cayman Interseries – Feature Race 2
1. Jim Bacus\Jack Baldwin, Downers Grove, IL – 09 Porsche Cayman
2. Lee Davis, Alpharetta, GA – 10 Porsche Cayman S
3. Jim McCormick, New York, NY – 09 Porsche Cayman
Group 5 & 7 Classic GT/Championship of Makes – Feature Race 1
1. Dennis Olthoff, Mount Ulla, NC – 66 GT40 MKII
2. Larry Ligas, Pinellas Park, FL – 61 Jaguar XKE
3. Oliver Bryant\A.R. Smith – 65 Shelby GT350
Group 5 & 7 Classic GT/Championship of Makes – Feature Race 2
1. Edward Sevadjian, Farmers Branch, TX – 69 Corvette
2. Dennis Olthoff, Mount Ulla, NC – 66 GT40 MKII
3. Catesby Jones, Fort Lauderdale, FL – 74 Porsche 911 IROC RSR
Group 6 Historic GTP/WSC – Feature Race 1
1. Bill Adam, Fort Lauderdale, FL – 05 Audi R8
2. Travis Engen, Weston, CT – 05 Audi R8
3. William Binnie, Portsmouth, NH – 05 Lola BO5-40
Group 6 Historic GTP/WSC – Feature Race 2
1. Travis Engen, Weston, CT – 05 Audi R8
Group 8 Historic Stock Cars – Feature Race 1
1. Donald Soenen, Saline, MI – 98 Taurus
2. Larry Hoopaugh, Charlotte, NC – 00 Monte Carlo
3. Wayne Otto, Watchung, NJ – 06 Dodge Charger
Group 8 Historic Stock Cars – Feature Race 2
1. Larry Hoopaugh, Charlotte, NC – 00 Monte Carlo
2. John Ware, Bristol, RI – 02 Intrepid
3. John Cloud, Wellington, OH – 04 Fusion
Group 9 Historic GT – Feature Race 1
1. John Cloud, Wellington, OH – 00 Mustang Cobra
2. Richard Howe, Boston, MA – 89 Mustang Trans-Am GTO
3. Donald Soenen, Saline, MI – 95 Mustang Trans-Am
Group 9 Historic GT – Feature Race 2
1. Oliver Bryant\A.R. Smith – 95 Mustang Trans-Am
2. Robert Borders, Plant City, FL – 00 Corvette
3. Brad Blum, Winter Park, FL – 06 Porsche 997
Historic/Classic GT/GTP/WSC Enduro
1. Bill Adam\Andy Wallace, Fort Lauderdale, FL – 05 Audi R8
2. Donald Soenen, Saline, MI – 95 Mustang Trans-Am
3. Richard Howe, Boston, MA – 89 Mustang Trans-Am GTO
International/American Challenge
1. Larry Ligas, Pinellas Park, FL – 61 Jaguar XKE
2. Dennis Olthoff, Mount Ulla, NC – 66 GT40 MKII
3. Oliver Bryant\A.R. Smith – 65 Shelby GT350
Klub Sport Porsche Challenge
1. Catesby Jones, Fort Lauderdale, FL – 74 Porsche 911 IROC RSR
2. Frank Beck, Phoenix, AZ – 72 Porsche 914/6
3. Cody Ellsworth, Jupiter, FL – 70 Porsche 914/6
Night Enduro
1. Travis Engen, Weston, CT – 05 Audi R8
2. Catesby Jones, Fort Lauderdale, FL – 74 Porsche 911 IROC RSR
3. David Hansson, Chicago, IL – 09 Porsche Cayman
Vintage Enduro
1. Juan Lopez-Santini, Plantation, FL – 69 Porsche 911S
2. William Binnie, Portsmouth, NH – 63 Lotus 23B
3. Jack & Brady Refenning, Eads, TN – 67 Porsche 911S
Four Hours of Sebring Endurance Race
1. Markku Biedermann\Klaus Graf, Miami, FL – 04 Porsche RSR
2. Jim McCormick\Tommy Kendall, New York, NY – 09 Porsche Cayman
3. Jim Bacus\Jack Baldwin, Downers Grove, IL – 09 Porsche Cayman
HSR Sebring Historic Fall Classic 2010 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
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