A new and exciting chapter was written in the competition history of Triumph with the Ninth Annual International Triumph Challenge held last August in Topeka, Kansas. Challengers from more than ten states and the United Kingdom competed under the watchful eye of former Standard-Triumph competition boss R.W. (Kas) Kastner on the 2.5-mile road course at Heartland Park.
With more than 30 Triumphs vying for the Kastner Cup, the action on the track was hotly contested, belying the often collegial nature of the Triumph racing family. The event was held in conjunction with the First Annual Heartland Vintage Grand Prix, which featured an F-15 flyover and a small-bore run group populated throughout by former SCCA National Champions.
Fittingly, the pace was set during the Cup Challenge by 2009 SCCA E Production National Champion Sam Halkias in his TR-6, which ran five seconds a lap faster than the large flock of TR-4s that followed close behind. Jeff Snook (2005 Kastner Cup winner) was the fastest of the side-curtain contingent in his TR-3A, while Joseph Hovey set the bar for those piloting Spitfires.
When the checkered flag marked the end of the final lap, Kastner awarded the Cup to Keith Files of Chipperfield, England, who finished 2nd overall in his ex-works Sebring TR-4. Following the awards ceremony and the obligatory group photograph, Triumph racers were treated to an announcement that the Tenth Annual International Triumph Challenge will be held at California’s historic Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca on June 7-8, 2010 under the auspices of the Historic Motor Sports Association. More information on this event can be found at www.fot-racing.com.
