The Kastner Cup is a race held each year at a different race track across the United States and Canada, specifically for Triumph and Triumph-powered, race-prepared cars. The Kastner Cup winner does not get any money and no points towards a championship. The true prize is the Kastner Cup trophy being handed to the winner by R.W. “Kas” Kastner himself. Every racer in the field wants the approving handshake and the trophy displayed at their home for the coming year, until having to hand it off the next year.
The Kastner Cup Champion is chosen by Kas Kastner himself. His decision of who the Champion will be is based half on the presentation of the car and the driver’s enthusiasm for vintage racing and the other half is based on performance on the track. Many times the Champion has not been the first place finisher, according to scoring and timing as a result.
This year’s Kastner Cup was held in conjunction with the Vintage Auto Racing Association’s (VARA) British Extravaganza weekend event May 4th, 2019 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in California’s hot sun. The track is in the farm region of California two hours north of Los Angeles, surrounded by farmland yielding almonds, walnuts, dates, figs, pistachios, and prunes. The dry heat made for perfect weather for racing. The cars seemed to like environment.
31 cars qualified and 27 of them started the race. Famous and significant cars like the TR250K and the Huffaker Engineering TR8 were amongst the racecars with history, awards, and championships; mixed in with lifelong Triumph racecars maintained, repaired, and even rebuilt by private owners for years. Some the entire existence of the car. The racers were happy to be there in the midst of friends and colleagues, all of them fighting for the Cup. The top performers were awarded the Peggy Kastner Performance Awards based on the top performer of each model.
It was an amazing weekend of door-to-door vintage racing, historic events, and the best wine and cheese parties in the area. The track was a well maintained facility with camping, paddock parking, and food facilities. The cars were extraordinary and the people were welcoming. We were California dreaming and I could think of much worse ways to spend a weekend. The Kastner Cup 2020 will be held at Mid-Ohio Motorsports Park. Find out more at www.kaskastner.com
[Photo Gallery below results]
2019 Kastner Cup Results
- 1980 Triumph TR8 Huffaker Racing #11 John Mueller, Peggy Kastner Performance Award TR8
- 1967 Triumph TR250K Prototype #47 Tony Garmey, Peggy Kastner Perfomance Award Prototype
- 1965 Triumph TR4A #595 Brian Howlett, Peggy Kastner Perfomance Award TR4 and Kastner Cup Champion 2019
- 1963 Triumph Herald #124 Jerry Barker, Peggy Kastner Performance Award Sedan
- 1963 Triumph TR4 #95 Tony Drews
- 1967 Triumph Spitfire #116 Kevin Ayers, Peggy Kastner Performance Award Spitfire
- 1962 Triumph TR3B #29 Steven Belfer, Peggy Kastner Performance Award TR3
- Morgan +4 Super Sport #45 Greg Solow, Peggy Kastner Performance Award Morgan
- 1965 Triumph Spitfire #46 Phil Pidcock
- 1966 Triumph TR4A #190 Paul Smock
- 1964 Triumph Spitfire #77 Dale Wallace
- 1970 Triumph TR6 #66b Dale Kent, Peggy Kastner Performance Award TR6
- 1959 Triumph TR3A #63 David Hogye
- 1959 Triumph TR3A #12 Barry Munson
- 1970 Triumph TR6 #73 Walter Hollowell
- 1962 Triumph Spitfire #9 Richard Grabowski
- Morgan +4 Super Sport #33 Greg Powell
- 1966 Triumph TR4A #25 Mordy Dunst
- 1962 Triumph Spitfire #177 Alan Mizutani
- 1957 Triumph Devin #189 John Miller
- 1970 Triumph GT6 #66g Randy Ryden, Peggy Kastner Performance Award GT6
- 1967 Triumph GT6 #56 Stephen Tierney
- 1964 Triumph TR4A #16 Kenneth Knight, Peggy Kastner Performance Award Race Chair
- 1959 Triumph Devin #98 Bill Hart
- 1964 Triumph TR4 #221 Frank Daley
- 1975 Triumph TR7 Huffaker Racing #11 Joe Huffaker Jr
- 1969 Triumph Spitfire #72 Brad Eells
- 1965 Triumph TR4A #41 Alan Berry
- 1971 Triumph Spitfire #24 Jerry A. Barker
- 1970 Triumph Spitfire #14 Chuck Gee
- 1968 Triumph GT6 #114 John Frymark
