Photographs by the Pro's, 2018 VARAC Vintage Grand Prix

Click on name.

• Steve Bedford
• Richard  Coburn
• Howard Lipman
• Bill Stoler Photography
• John Walker

Mont Tremblant or Road America?

I had planned on doing both.  But seeing how long it took to get ready for Mosport,  it's best I only participate in one.  Road America this year and Mont Tremblant next year.  To do both I would have only one day for race prep and whatever repairs needed, and then a 900 mile drive.

We have a antique show these weekend then it's back to the car and trailer.

All new brakes and drums for the trailer.

F5000 Drivers Honor Racer Jeff Green With Missing Man Formation

This article was published by Vintage Motorsports

                               Photo: Ray MacAloney

Bowmanville, Ontario, CANADA -- Following a racing accident Saturday during the VARAC Vintage Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park that claimed the life of Jeff Green, 61, of Peoria, Ill., his Formula 5000 race group honored him by driving three laps in a missing man formation on Sunday afternoon. “After the Saturday accident, the Formula 5000 group was devastated and had no desire to continue racing on Sunday,” said Seb Coppola, president of the Formula 5000 Drivers Association. “Jeff was a friend and a wonderful person, always freely offering his assistance and advice. He brought a considerable amount of racing experience to the group after competing in the Pro Mazda Race Series.” “We felt the best way to honor Jeff and the race fans who had come to see the races was to do three laps of the race circuit in a missing man formation -- a tribute that took place at 1 p.m. Sunday,” Coppola said. “It was a very emotional event with track officials, crews and fans saluting the race car formation.” Green started racing with the F5000 group in 2016 after buying the 1972 Lola T300 (ex-Jerry Hansen car) in 2015 and doing a complete rebuild. The car, away from the race scene for a number of years after 19 recorded contests, raced at Road America in 2016 and 2017. On Saturday, Green was competing in an F5000 Revival Series event sanctioned by VARAC when he lost control around corner eight at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and left the track, hitting a tire wall. He was taken to Lakeridge Health Centre in Bowmanville, where he was pronounced dead. Part of a family with deep ties to the auto industry, Green operated Ford and Chevrolet dealerships in Peoria, IL, after moving there in 1997 from Danville, IL, where he had run dealerships for 18 years. He got his start cleaning cars as a teenager in the Peoria-area town of Monmouth where his father, Ray Green, owned a Chevrolet-Cadillac franchise.

Back to the trailer

Decided the trailer brakes needed replacing.  I think the truck was stopping most of the load. 

I needed to get a measurement of the drum, so I pulled off one wheel.

The brake shoe material fell off the shoe, not good.  When I inspected these before the trip, no problems.

Photos from Mosport

L-R Steve, Mitch, Ken. 

Myself and Ray.  

Back home

Arrived home last night around 12 am.  The ride back was uneventful except for a smoking right rear brake pad( I think).  The trailer worked well.  As far as the race car, except for a 2nd gear not working(the dogs were to thin to re-cut)all repairs done have been successful.
I'll have a race weekend report later in the week.

Saturday Mosport

The morning session went well, I was more comfortable in the car.  The afternoon session about the same.  See what happens tomorrow.

Brian Redman reunited with his old ride.

Friday Mosport

Today we had 2 practice sessions.  Not driven for the past 3 years I needed to knock some of the rust off.  Toward the end I felt a little more comfortable.  The group before us in the afternoon session someone drop oil around the track, so things were slippery. Not much was learned.  Today we do it all over again.

Smooth trip

Left around 5am and got here around 3:30pm. No problems.  Unloaded and ready for tomorrow. 

I think we're ready?

So, didn't leave today.  I really underestimated  the amount of work left to do.  So tomorrow morning we leave on the big adventure.

Packing

The race car is ready.  Now packing all the support equipment.  Haven't done an event in 3 years, forgot how much time it takes to gather it all.  Plus get all the paper work for crossing into Canada. Taking more time than I had planned.  Also was asked if I can bring up some poster.  The weather is not looking good for Wednesday(thunderstorms).   Hoping to leave by 5 pm tomorrow, if not, then 3:30 am Thursday.  Time will tell. 

That's about it.

Room for more.

Ready.

Helmet finished

Finally finished the helmet.  I don't know if I would have tackled this before Mosport now knowing how long it would take.  But, it's done and that's good.

Getting closer

Less than a week now.  Just have been working on the helmet.  Have an antique show in S.Jersey tomorrow and have been getting ready for that.  Come Sunday it's back to race prep.

Now it's polish and add decals.  

Car show and trailer

One last item for the trailer was a test run with the car.  I had been planning to do a car show for the past month but the weather has been bad.  This would give me a chance to test the trailer on the highway and to unload and load the car looking for any problems.  So the Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, NJ was having a car show.  All went well, no problems.

Not quite as fast as a speeding bullet, or should I say an artillery cannon shooting a projectile 12 miles.

When I got home I unloaded the car, moved the trailer and placed the car back in the shop in just 12 minutes.  Using the box truck would have taken at least 50 minutes. 

If your interested, nice new Lamborghini for a mere $460,000.
 I do like blue. 

Helmet progress

Painted the blue.  Notice I had to increase the white and lower the blue.  The opening on the new helmet is larger(and lower than the old helmet) for people who wear glasses.

Wet sand everything.

Ready to shoot the yellow.