IMSAblog

Phil Currin : a true racer

Caught by the racing bug early in his life, Phil Currin's life seems to have been dedicated to racing. He has spent most of his life building race cars and running them. His childhood probably helped a lot as his father held a Dodge dealership. He would deal with engines as soon as he could, and he earned his first car at the age of 11. Nicknamed 'Fast Phil', he likes to be considered as a top class driver. He surely is, as his whole racing career demonstrates it.
He was one of the many drivers who were part of the IMSA humble beginnings. A master candidate in Business Administration during the week, he would turn into a racer on the weekends. He had purchased a Chevrolet Corvette in 1967, which he would prepare, and he would use it in autocross. Autocrossing gave him the experience of car control, and it helped him for sure. After running more than fifty ones in two years or so and doing some SCCA races, he would get involved in IMSA GT racing.
He would enter this 327ci Chevrolet Corvette right from the start of the series and his only result in 1971 was a 12th place at the Daytona Finale.. After a mild 1971 season, he would be crowned IMSA GTO champion in 1972. He had posted a pair of thirds and three other top ten finishes. It was a totally private effort and his crew consisted of fellow students.

Phil Currin and Bruce Morton ended up eleventh at Sebring in 1973, with this Sting Ray Corvette.

Copyright Louis Galanos

 In 1973, he and fellow racer Bruce Morton would end up eleventh at Sebring, which was the highest placing for such a car in years. After a rather disappointing season, at the wheel of an old car, his best result being a 9th at Daytona, he eyed a new car. He would purchase it with a friend and partner, Bruce Morton. At the Daytona Finale, he and Bruce Morton showed up with the new car, which appeared to be the former BFG Lifesaver t-top car. His partner had put up the necessary funds, while Phil Currin brought his mechanical skill, truck and trailer. In addition to the car, Morton/Currin bought a certain amount of equipment to go with it. They obtained John's special fueling rig which comprised a 6 foot long canister standing about 8 feet tall in order to get the full ram effect during refuelling. The Minilites which came with the car (plus 2 spares) were originally a four bolt pattern, apparently built for Roger Penske's Javelin program. When the sale did not go through, John Greenwood had picked up the wheels at a good price; the holes were freeze-filled with a similar material and a five bolt pattern was re-drilled. Another distinguishing feature (at the time) was a special stainless steel fuel cell with dual pickups. This tank was subsequently moved to the Swiss Cheese car and then went astray.

The car was stamped as #01 and John Greenwood gave them a receipt of the car. At the first race they would enter, which was the Daytona Finale, John Greenwood was hired as technical adviser. For some unknown reasons, the partnership dissolved quickly, and Bruce Morton returned the car to John Greenwood's shop in Livonia, where a slab-sided wide body conversion took place over the winter. Running only once in 1974, the car was returned to St Petersburgh where it sat until 1979. Several attempts at selling the car proved to no avail.
After his partnership dissolved, Phil Currin would pull out the 1963 car one more year. He would use it until 1974, and then he sold it to a another friend. The 1974 season was difficult, mainly because the new Porsche Carrera RSRs were unbeatable. He posted an 8th at Charlotte, but it was clear that he had to switch to a more potent car. By the end of the season, he had purchased the Mike Murray car, which was also an ex John Greenwood car. Phil Currin would use it from late 1974 to 1978. From that period, Phil would use his never ending energy to update his car. Starting as a GTO car, it would evolve every year and then be used in the new AAGT class. In 1975, however, his best placings were three twelfth places at Mid Ohio, Road Atlanta and Mid America. The next season would be far better, and he was in the top ten seven times out of eight. He ended up 9th in points. He would have placed better, had he the necessary funding to run a full season. But it proved to be one of his weaknesses, and he would always have to run as a privateer. In 1977, he would again have a relatively successful season, and his best placings were two fourth place at Mid America and Daytona Paul Revere. The car was sporting the special rear end with high tail end. The 1978 season would be more difficult, with the introduction of the Porsche 935, which were clearly the class of the field.

The Swiss Cheese chassis, in its shop, being rebuilt.

Copyright unknown

His best race was at Mid Ohio, with a fifth place overall. Those were successful years, with the car undergoing some chassis lightening and a host of body changes. By the time 1978 was reached, the car was run in the AAGT class, but had become too light to get enough traction and handle well. However, he had a very good race at Daytona Paul Revere, with a fourth place finish, and a first in GTO class. In fact, following all these body changes, he had made the choice to get back to the GTO class. Known as the 'Swiss Cheese', his car failed to act as required, so Phil Currin knew it was time to search for another racer when he crashed it in California. In the meantime, Phil got to get in touch with Glenn Bunch, who was entering a mighty AAGT Dodge Challenger. Searching for a very fast partner, the latter found in Phil Currin the right driver and friend. Glenn and Phil would become friends and they would do a few races at the wheel of the big AAGT car. The two of them are still running the car at some vintage races, nearly thirty years later.

After the Dodge Challenger stint, Phil would search for his new racer. It brought him back to his former partner Bruce Morton, who had kept the white car they entered once in 1973. The car would be run from 1980 thru 1989. Once again, the car would evolve with the years, and sport many different components.

Phil Currin ran this car he purchased from his former partner Bruce Morton at Daytona in 1980. He ran the race alone until he retired! 

Copyright Dave Kutz

At Daytona in 1980, still running on a shoestring budget, he entered the race alone and did the refueling, stopped when he felt tired, and ran alone until he retired. He had secured the fastest GTO lap in qualifying, you can imagine how frustrating this could be. But he never surrendered, and he would make wonders in the following years. Those years were very busy, with Phil Currin running both the IMSA and Trans Am championships. The car could be easily modified in order to accomodate both rules. The GTX cars were out of reach, so Phil had to concentrate on the GTO class, which would also become very tough. In 1980, a ninth at Road Atlanta was the best he could get overall, but he finished 5th in class.
In 1981 Phil rebodied the car with a rounded rear style and in 1982 he changed back to the slab-sided style produced by Competition Fiberglass, like earlier versions of the Swiss Cheese car. The car was raced in this form pretty much through to 1989. During the following years, he focused on the Trans Am, and he posted a string of top ten finishes. His best season, however, would be 1982, which was his most competitive, as he captured a second place overall in the Trans Am, beating a lot of factory backed drivers, who ran newer cars.

The following seasons were less active, as Phil would run sporadically at different races. A ninth at Road Atlanta in 1983, a 22nd at Charlotte in 1984. He was not to be seen in 1985 while he entered one race in 1986. Later, in 1989 and 1990, he would be back with a Chevrolet Camaro, and he shortly missed the AAC title in 1991 to Dick Greer, losing the title at the last race.

Phil Currin at Mid Ohio Inv.GT 1991, at the wheel of his Chevrolet Camaro. He missed the AAC  title at the very last race.

Copyright Mark Windecker

He was still a racer, he still ran some SCCA events or did some autocrossing before returning to the IMSA fields. In 1990, he purchased back his old '63 car, which he would restore with the help of some friends. The car is still used nowadays and can be seen at some vintage events. He was thinking about going into the restoration and the preparation of Corvettes for vintage racing. 

Today, you can find him at many places in Florida, doing some instructing, some racing and going to swap meets to help clean out his huge collection of parts. Born a racer, Phil Currin will remain a racer. Thank you to Wayne Ellwood, who helped me write this post.

Harald von K unreal car

Harald von Keszycki wanted to build a really fast car out of a Porsche 914/6. In fact, his car was one of the 50 which were designed to run under the group 4 FIA rules. He purchased the car from Erwin Kremer, who had found the 914/6 no longer competitive when new and faster cars had been introduced. He would prepare the car in order to meet SCCA's solo rules. He began to modify the car by switching to stiffer springs and heavier sway bars. The chassis was then lowered and the Bilstein shocks were replaced by dual adjustable Konis. He would add a turbo later on. He would design it by himself, having been trained as an aeronautical engineer. He admits that he is the first man to have adapted a turbo on a racing Porsche without factory support. Dealing with heat was one of the main problem Harald von K had to deal with. His solution was to fit stainless steel bellows at the critical points. It remains one if his secrets, as to what exact alloy he used for that very purpose. One thing is sure : it was used in the spacecraft technology, and purchased at a very interesting price. The insulation system was a NASA heat shield inherited from a spacecraft, made of stainless steel and woven into a mesh which was covered with aluminium for reflectivity. Designing the turbo proved the most difficult part of the project. He got the charts from his connections from the aerospace and then decided which way to go. Dealing with the heat led Harald von K to using an intercooler. An expensive but kind of compulsory way to lengthen his engine's life. An air-to-air heat exchanger would pick the air from one of the two big air scoops located at the rear of the car. It would then realize a 150 degree drop in inlet temperature. Using a Bosch mechanical fuel injection, used on 911 racing cars, it should provide a better management of the fuel and air mixing. Since he experiments a lot of new solutions that were not readily proven, Harald von K did a lot of testing by himself. He had to devise many parts by himself, and the fuel injection system was done after the previous one went into a succession of backfires. The car's engine was equipped with dual plugs, giving the car some extra rpm-mainly while idle. The fuel-air pressure was monitored by a pickup fixed to the tailpipe.The instrumentation originated from Sears, but Harald von K adapted it his way. Not all the gauges can be found in racing cars, such as cylinder head and barrel temperature gauges. The gearbox has its own circulation system, squirting on the junction of the ring and pinion gears.

Harald von K at Laguna Seca in 1979. The car underwent a lot of testing and was constantly updated.

Copyright unknown

A big rear wing was added to the rear, which increased the car handling in a great way. The car was glued to the track, and speaking of horsepower, the 2,1L turbocharged engine was to produce well ahead of 500hp. Braking was devoted to Lockheed disc brakes, with 12inch,  diameter caliper, and 1,1 inch thick. The fiberglass work on the car was made by Dan McLaughlin, of American International Racing. He also designed the rear part, which allowed for 15inch wide BBS wheels. He adapted the big air scoops and laid the eye catching yellow paint.
It was definitely a very unusual car, with many innovative solutions used in a car that was not so attractive in the first place.
Unfortunately, the car would not achieve the expected goals. In site of many lap records recorded at some west coast tracks, it did not win any particular race. The only IMSA race entered was at Sears Point in 1979, amongst the big Porsche 935s and GTX cars. Harald von K recorded a 27th place on the starting grid and could not go further than 6 laps into the race. Not exciting but the car was obviously attracting the crowd with its weird and aggressive look. 

The Porsche 914/6 Tc before the race, just behind Joel Anderson Datsun Z car. 

Copyright Paul Ajari

He had not met with success, but he had created a really interesting machine, never to be duplicated. A unique and attractive car, which was definitely what IMSA could produce. Those were the good old days.

Daytona Finale 1982 : Interscope last victory

It was the last 1982 race, and John Paul Jr had dominated the IMSA season as no one ever did before. He had clinched the championship but wanted to win that race for one good reason : he could become the first American driver to win the Porsche Cup. His task would by no means be easy, with Bob Wollek at the wheel of a John Fitzpatrick entered Porsche 935L also willing to clinch this title. A big fight was to be watched by 20000 spectators. Some new cars would also show up, adding some spice to the show. A nice weekend seemed to be put up by the organisers of the event. Jim Trueman entered a brand new March 83G Chevrolet, a car that was available for purchase right now to the customers. Ken Murray co-drove him. The car would prove very efficient right off the box. Kenper Miller and David Cowart had a 82G BMW powered. They knew that it would be a very difficult task against more powerful cars, but who knows. John Gunn had brought in his Phoenix JG1 Chevrolet, a prototype he built himself. Ricardo Londono would be his co-driver. Much more ambitious was Ted Field's operation. He had entered a pair of Lola T600s, which were both Chevrolet powered. One of those, however, was sporting a brand new V6 turbo built by Ryan Falconer. Very powerful, it should do very well in the hands of Danny Ongais and Ted Field. The other car relied on the traditional V8 6,0L normally aspirated. Another interesting and somewhat competitive entry was Bob Tullius' Jaguar XJR5 which was V12 powered. The 5,3L was still shy on power, but the car was still under development. It should do well in 1983. He was partnered by Bill Adam. The Grid Plaza S1 was another English prototype, which was powered by a Ford Cosworth DFL. Don Whittington and Fred Stiff would drive it, with a top ten finish in mind. The very last GTP car was very special, as Del Taylor and Frank Rubino would drive the now famous Chevron B36 Buick to one more race, trying to finish in the top ten, as they sometimes did this year. The remainder of the GTP class was held by Porsche 935s, with nine cars entered. Eight would actually run. The most sophisticated car was John Paul Jr JLP4 machine, which he was supposed to drive with his father, and Hurley Haywood.  It would prove very fast again. Two other JLP built cars were entered, too.

John Paul Jr at the wheel of his JLP4 Porsche 935 had a brilliant but unsuccessful race.

Copyright Bill Oursler

Mauricio de Narvaez had a JLP3, co-driven by John Paul Sr. Mark Speer had purchased the JLP2, which he ran mainly in the endurance races. He and partner Terry Wolters were consistent enough to aim at the Camel Endurance title. They would have to face John Paul Sr in that very last race. Preston Henn entered three cars, all of them being different versions of the 935. Car number 6 was the one he purchased from Andial, who entered it at Riverside. Al Holbert and Doc Bundy were supposed to drive it with the boss. Cars number 9 and 09 were derivatives of the K3. Derek Bell and Randy Lanier would the second car. The former driver was hired following Bob Akin's 935L1 crash during practice. The car was virtually written off and never to be raced again. Doc Bundy and Bonnie Henn drove the other TBird Swap Shop car.
John Fitzpatrick entered two cars, with very strong drivers at the wheel. He would drive the 935L with Frenchman Bob Wollek, it was the fastest of the 935s entered. The second car, which was less suited to this kind of track, was the K4, shared by David Hobbs and again Bob Wollek. All those cars should provide us with a great race. The GTO class was very interesting, too, with a lot of cars able to win this class. John Greenwood was back with one of his mighty Chevrolet Corvette. His car was owned by T & R Racing, but he was to co-drive René Rodriguez and Tico Almeida  in some selected races. They were on the pole. The other cars were less efficient, but the most impressive was Richard Valentine's GTP car, which was driven by the owner and Del Markle. Too heavy to be efficient, the car remained a crowd pleaser. Jack Swanson and Dick Gauthier were at the wheel of a GTP Chevrolet Camaro. Lloyd Frink and Ed Hinchliff drove car #03, which posted some good results the previous season. John Carusso was another good contender, with his usual Sanyo car. He would drive it solo. A pair Keeping track of Vettes backed cars was entered too, with Bard Boand and Rusty Schmidt driving one car, and Richard Anderson and Mike Stephens at the wheel of the second one. Mike Oleyar, another Corvette regular, was here too, co-driven by Sammy Feinstein. Vince Gimondo would drive the Dingman Bros entry and Ford Smith would drive his familiar car with Luis Sereix. Irwin Ayes and Al White were also at the wheel of a Corvette.
An interesting car, which was probably able to fight for the win, was the Electramotive Datsun 280ZX Tc driven by Don Devendorf and Tony Adamowicz. Always very fast, it was becoming also reliable.
Two Ford Mustangs were entered too, with the strong T & R machine, driven by Tico Almeida and Ernesto Soto. This Holman and Moody prepared car was one of the class favorites. Another Ford Mustang was fielded by Marketing Corp of America, and driven by Milt Minter and John Morton. Another Ford product was the Mercury Capri driven by Ron Hunter, Duane Eitel and Doc Recknagel. Two Gordy Oftedahl entered Pontiac Firebirds should also play an interesting part in this race. Bob Raub and Chris Gleason just won the Road America round, while Chip Mead and Sam Moses would run the second car. Billy Hagan and Gene Felton were the favorites in the Stratagraph Chevrolet Camaro. The car was powered by a V8 5,4L built by Ed Pink. Bob Gregg entered his own car, after selling his Porsche Carrera. He was partnered by Bob Young. Robert Overby and Don Bell shared another Chevrolet Camaro, from the previous generation. The same could be told of Ken Murray's car, which he shared with Chris Doyle.
Nort Northam and Ed Kuhel were regular entrants from Florida, as well as Bobby Diehl and Roy Newsome. Hoyt Overbagh would enter his Chevrolet Monza, still backed by Oberdorfer Research. Some BMW M1s were entered, too, and they still could be valuable contenders, even though they had been restricted. Diego Montoya had purchased the Tony Garcia Montura car, and Roberto Guerrero was his one time co-driver. Canadian Uli Bieri and Matt Gysler drove an ex-David Deacon machine, still in its attractive black with stripes livery. The Porsche contingent was still very strong in GTO, with two Porsche 934s, three Porsche 924GTRs and seven Porsche Carrera RSRs. Chet Vincentz and Wayne Baker shared the Electrodyne 934, which was the most competitive car. They would try to prove that the 934 was still a real contender. Werner Frank had his own 934 entered, but he was somewhat less competitive. The Porsche 924GTRs were underpowered GTO cars, and even with good drivers could not be as fast as the top guns. Ludwig Heimrath and his son, who were the fastest from the squad, would start from row sixteen. Deborah Gregg and Elliot Forbes Robinson, in the Brumos entry, were just behind. George Drolsom, partnered by John Hotschkis, was many rows behind. The Porsche Carrera RSRs, once the rulers of the Camel GT, were now regular backmarkers. They could play a part in the enduros, but not in the shorter events. Lance Van Every and Ash Tisdelle shared the beautiful blue Van Every Racing entry. Luis Gordillo and Manuel Villa, in the Pennzoil of Puerto Rico car, were strongly co-driven by Diego Febles. Ted Hulse fielded his familar white with two blue stripes car for himself. Greg Pusey would run his first event in the Drax Racing immaculate car. John Hulen and Ron Coupland, who were longtime GTU entrants, now entered a red Carrera which beautifully turned out. Ron Case entered his own car and Ken Madren-Paul Gilgan were at the wheel of the Pegasus Racing car. A brand new car, which came untested, was the Oldsmobile Starfire driven by Brent O'neill. The car was a Chevrolet Monza clone, with a smaller engine. It was also less developed but was fast instead. The remainder of the field was held by GTU cars. Mazda RX7s and Datsun 280ZXs would fight it off, with the Porsche 911s watching over. Jim Downing and John Maffucci were eager to win, but they had to hold off Roger Mandeville and Amos Johnson, in the Mandeville Auto Tech car. The two teams had been competing very hard all season long. Back with a Mazda was Kent Racing, with Lee Mueller and Joe Varde running a Mazda RX7. Jack Dunham and Jim Mullen were not very far from the duo. Only three other cars were entered, should we say, as the Datsun ZX field was consistent in this race. Doug Carmean and Ed Pimm drove the Red Roof Inns car. Al Bacon and Bob Lane should also have a good race. Rick Cline, a SCCA regular, had brought his own car, while the Scuderia Rosso car was driven by Jim Fowells and Ray Mummery. Bob Leitzinger, co-driven by Logan Blackburn, led the Datsun squadron, with George Alderman driving his own car with Walt Bohren, who made an extra, being used to drive Mazdas. Reed Kryder would enter his own car and drive it solo, as well as Charles Morgan. Jim Fitzgerald would not drive a Bob Sharp Racing car, but his usual SCCA car too with David Bell. Bob Speakman and Ted Schumacher drove the familar Z car which regularly entered in years. The Porsche 911s were local ones, as was the 901 Shop team car, driven by Jack Refenning and Mike Schaefer. Fred Snow and Tom Cripe did the same in the Ours and Hours car. Jack Rynerson and Van McDonald had purchased the ex-Rusty Bond car, and it still displayed the same decoration. Klaus Bitterauf and Vicki Smith were regular GTU contenders, as Gary Wonzer was. The last GTU car was a 914/6, driven by Doug and Harro Zitza and William Wessel. No Toyota was to be seen, and AAR was busy setting up a new operation for the upcoming season. 

Bob Tullius beautiful Jaguar XJR5 ended up in the wall.

Copyright Jean Marc Teissèdre

The practice sessions would be eagerly disputed, with Bob Wollek running great, and beating Danny Ongais two year old record in 1m42s476. His main goal was to capture the very rewarding Porsche Cup. Followed by Danny Ongais Lola T600 fitted with the new engine. John Paul Jr was next, followed by Jim Trueman's new March 83G Chevrolet. John Greenwood set the best lap in GTO in one of his Chevrolet Corvette. The weather was very fine for the race, with seventy three cars under the green. At the start, John Paul Jr was the promptest and litterally swallowed his opponents. In fact, he did not keep his position and Danny Ongais overtook him, then Bob Wollek did the same before the end of lap one. Then John Paul Jr got black-flagged for jumping the start : he would have to make a stop-and-go. He restarted, and spun in the next lap. While Danny Ongais easily led the race, Jim Trueman, in his brand new car, slid and hit the guardrails : he was out. Danny Ongais suddenly pitted with a puncture. A caution period was set, following Jim Trueman's off course. At the restart, Danny Ongais was in seventh place, and began to work his way through the top positions. He would easily do so, and pass Derek Bell and Bob Tullius in one blow, but the latter suddenly hit violently the wall at high speed. The car was destroyed, but the driver was unhurt. A new caution period was set. Many of the top cars would pit for fuel during this period. Danny Ongais was third after passing John Paul Jr, he was now in third place, just behind the two John Fitzpatrick Racing Porsches. He overtook David Hobbs and began to chase Bob Wollek, when Mauricio de Narvaez crashed his Porsche 935 after hitting the wall. A new caution period, and Bob Wollek got out of the car. Danny Ongais took the lead but had to pit with a tire shredded. David Hobbs became the new leader, followed by John Fitzpatrick in the Moby Dick. John Paul Jr was back with a vengeance, and would overtake John Fitzpatrick. David Hobbs then would lend his car to Bob Wollek, while John Paul Jr took the lead. In the meantime, Danny Ongais had retired, with engine problems. He would take a drive in the second car. John Paul Sr, who had lost his drive in Mauricio de Narvaez car, was content to be back his son's car, but unfortunately, the latter would retire a few laps later. Caution period, again. Bob Wollek again was the leader, with John Fitzpatrick as his co-driver. David Hobbs was second in the K4, but in third was now Danny Ongais in the non-turbo Lola T600 Chevrolet. Not to be deterred from his Endurance Championship ambitions, John Paul Sr was dealing with Chip Mead, and would rent a ride in his Pontiac Firebird. This would allow him to finish the race and pick up the points he was in need for. The deal was concluded as he would offer a big amount of bucks. Out was Sam Moses. Bob Wollek was still in the lead, but Danny Ongais looked rather unbeatable, and he grabbed the lead in a pretty easy way, while Bob Wollek had to pit for fuel one last time. Doc Bundy, who was running well in the Preston Henn's Andial built 935L, was now ahead of Bob Wollek.

Doc Bundy about to be passed by Bob Wollek while Danny Ongais appears in the background.

Copyright unknown

The Frenchman would charge hard against Doc Bundy, and pass him in a very neat way. The latter would then spin, and lose his nose. He had to pit. The race was set, and Danny Ongais-Ted Field now held a comfortable forty second lead over Bob Wollek-John Fitzpatrick, while Derek Bell and Randy Lanier were third in another Preston Henn entered car. Doc Bundy-Al Holbert finished fourth. In fifth place came the first GTO car, which was the Stratagraph Chevrolet Camaro driven by Billy Hagan and Gene Felton. They were followed by Don Devendorf, in his Datsun 280ZX Tc, who clinched the title in this class. John Paul Sr ended up third in class, and it helped him grab the Endurance title, just ahead of Mark Speer and Terry Wolters. His son was the 1982 IMSA Champion, and a new star was born. The GTU class was won by Jim Downing-John Maffucci, who was also the 1982 GTU Champion. A nice race, who ended up a fine IMSA season.

IMSA RS Challenge : everybody could go racing

The idea occured to John Bishop back in 1970. The RS category would be based on limited modifications to the cars. This new race series should feature :

• Compacts and sub-compacts
• Restrictive rules
• Low-cost preparation
• Roll cages
• Big fields
• Close racing
• Street radial tires

The Baby Grand series was created in 1971 to provide an inexpensive entry to the world of road racing. This series featured sub-compact sedans which would bring highly contested races with street tires. A lot of components, such as carburetion, bore, stroke and port size, had to remain stock, while the suspension could be altered by one inch. The use of street tires was the key to competition, with the manufacturers having a chance at testing their products in a fierce competition. In 1972, however, BF Goodrich would become the main sponsor of the series. It would be called the BF Goodrich Radial Trophy Series in 1972. It did not prevent the other tire manufacturers to enter the series, however. BF Goodrich dropped sponsorship midway through 1976. The series later became the Goodyear then the Champion Spark Plug Challenge. Battling for position would be the hallmark of the series.

Technically speaking, this category was intended to promote interest in race competition for volume-produced cars familiar to the American public. To generate publicity for competing drivers, entrants and manufacturers. The goal was to encourage individuals to become active competitors to enable and compete in professional races with modest investments and maintenance costs.
Cars egilible should have been produced and marketed in sufficient volume, so that cars and parts may be obtained easily.  They should be marketed in the USA as 1968, 1969, 1970 or 1971 models. Ford Pintos, AMC Gremlins, BMW 2002s, Dodge Colts, Volvo 122s or Mazda RX2s were the cars you were supposed to watch.

They had to be be able to seat 4-average-sized adults comfortably at the same time. They had to be produced with an integral hardtop. Wheelbase was set at about 105 inches.
All components had to be identical to those produced and delivered to the public in the USA.
-Doors had to be pinned or bolted shut.
-Roll bars of approved design were mandatory in all cars.
-Passenger seats, seat backs, mats and other loose gear had to be removed.
-Hoods and deck lids had to be secured with pins or straps in addition to their normal latches.
-Steering lock mechanisms must be removed.
-Headlight bulbs had to be protected against breakage and the socket covered with non shattering material. Functional wiring should remain installed.
-Metal bulkheads had to be installed to separate the driver from the fuel tank.
-Shock absorbers could be modified or replaced with others installed in the original supports and brackets, provided that riding height is not affected by more than 1" from standard. Anti-sway bars, torque rods and similar axle-locating devices may be added or substituted.
-Original wheels could be strengthened but had to remain of size and offset specified for that model. All four wheels had to be of the same dimension.
-Standard brakes had to be used, but could be modified as follows : any dual master cylinders and pressure equalizing devices could be used, lining material was free and hand brake could be removed.
-Battery may be replaced with another of same voltage, similar size and weight, and installed in original location. Any make of ignition coil, condenser, spark plugs, fuses, relays and regulators of original type could be used. Any battery ignition system could be used.
-Engine and drive train was required to be as produced in combination with body and chassis of each recognized make and model. All components had to be mounted in standard location, with no material added. Cylinder head could be ported and polished; however, inlet and exhaust port sizes at the manifold face could not exceed the dimensions specified for the model engine concerned. Engine could be blueprinted and balanced. Pistons and piston rings were free.The valve train were free, their basic type and location of valves could not be changed. Exhaust manifold were free and standard oil sump had to be retained. Vents, breathers and oil filters could be added or substituted, but no oil cooler could be added. Any radiator, which could fit the standard location could be used, provided they did not modify the car's appearance. Fuel pumps were free in type, size and number. Axle ratios were limited in those listed for the mke and model concerned.
-The following components could be added or replaced with others of any origin : nuts, bolts, screws, washers and fasteners, electrical wiring, gaskets and seals, fuel and brake lines, any bearings of standard dimensions and type, drive belts and bushings.

Of course, a full roll cage was required.

The very first race took place in 1969, at Talledega Superspeedway road course. Razey Fizzell won that very first race in an Alfa Romeo GTV. The series first year was 1970, with only two races. One was held at Summit Point, and the second one was held at Montgomery Speedway. Razey Fizzell won the first race and Red Farmer took the second one in a Datsun 510. This race was to be the last RS race  Razey Fizzell would compete in, as some local racers had brought in their cars with their protruding wheels which would rub his Alfa Romeo GTV. He then quit the series forever. Two classes were introduced from 1970 through 1973 :

• Class A for under 2,0L or 1,6L with overhead cam
• Class B for over 2,0L or over 1,6L with overhead cam up until 3,8L.

Copyright Mark Windecker

-George Alderman was the series Class A 1971 Champion, driving a Datsun 510, Byron Morris won class B in a BMW 2002.

-In 1972, Earl Fellin drove his BMW 2002 to the class B Championship by a single point over Carson Baird's Ford Pinto. Steve Coleman won the title in class A in an Opel Manta.

-In 1973, Nick Craw, driving a BMW 2002 and Amos Johnson, in a Gremlin, finished tied in points until the end.
Carson Baird won the class A Championship, driving a Dodge Colt. Ten races were held, all in the eastern half of the United States. Mazda took its first professional win at Lime Rock, with Pat Bedard driving the famous Car and Driver RX2. He finished third in points.

-In 1974, all cars were placed in one class, and cars under 1,6L were allowed free carburetion. Limited preparation was permitted, but the origjnal rules required the cars to retain headlights, seats, upholstery, window cranks, stock brakes and original springs and radial tires. The exhaust systems and shock absorbers were free. Later, the rules regarding all this stuff would soften and engine modifications similar to the SCCA B sedan class were permitted. Overboring was not allowed, however. Stock carburetors were required, but modifications were allowed. Springs and alignment were free. The series was loosely based on the SCCA Trans Am's Two-Five Challenge. Nick Craw lost the Championship in the last race of the season to George Alderman, who drove an AMC Gremlin.

-Nick Craw won the 1975 Goodrich Radial Challenge series, driving a BMW 2002, Amos Johnson finished second in a AMC Gremlin.

-1976 was one of the best years for the series, with a wide variety of cars. Only Goodrich T/A tires were allowed. The series was split in two, with Goodrich winding up its participation and Goodyear stepping in. Carson Baird took both titles.

In 1977, Don Devendorf won six times, and he grabbed his first racing title. The series became the Champion Spark Plug Challenge, a name which was retained for seven years. Jerry Grant was named the series representative, working with the drivers, crews and manufacturers to help promote the series. He also had to ensure each event was a success. Hosted dinners became commonplace and a $10000 point fund was now available.

-In 1978, the series officailly became the Champion Spark Plug Challenge, with Jerry Grant becoming Champion's representative. He would co-ordinate Champion's sponsorship. Walt Bohren had three wins and many consistent finishes, and he won the title in his Mazda RX2. Two 6 Hour races were introduced, and they counted toward the World Challenge for Endurance Drivers.

-Roger Mandeville won the 1979 Championship in his Mazda RX3, and Renault scored its first victory with Patrick Jacquemart at the wheel. Many drivers took victories, including Tom Waugh, Roger Mandeville, Pete Harrison, Gene Felton, James Reeve and Jim Downing.

-Rob McFarlin took the 1980 Championship in his Datsun 200SX. taking five victories. Jim Downing was his fiercest opponent, with three wins, losing the title by eight points.

-The 1981 season would be one to remember, with Jim Downing having a fantastic season end, winning the four last races from the pole! The racing was tough between him and Roger Mandeville and Joe Varde. It was a Mazda year.

Jim Downing had a great 1981 season at the wheel of his Mazda RX3 

Copyright Mark Windecker

-In 1982, a rather unknown driver, Chuck Ulinski emerged as a winner after taking two wins and several high finishes.

-Joe Varde won the 1983 Championship in a Dodge Charger, he was challenged by Kal Showket, who took five wins in a similar car.

-A big change occured in 1984, with the introduction of the ProFormance front wheel drive sedans. Those cars would dominate the series. It was also a Renault year, with Tommy and Bobby Archer dominating the season. Tommy took the title in his Renault Alliance, taking seven wins.

Series results

1971  Baby Grand 

George Alderman class A Champion  Datsun 510
Byron Morris class B Champion  BMW 2002

1972  BF Goodrich Radial Trophy Series    

Steve Coleman class A Champion Opel Manta
Earl Fellin class B Champion  BMW 2002

1973  Goodrich Radial Challenge                

Carson Baird class A Champion  Dodge Colt  
Amos Johnson class B co Champion AMC Gremlin
Nick Craw class B co Champion  BMW 2002

1974  Goodrich Radial Challenge               

George Alderman  Champion AMC Gremlin

1975 Goodrich Radial Challenge                

Nick Craw   Champion  BMW 2002

1976 Goodrich Radial Challenge                

Carson Baird  Champion  Dodge Colt

1976 IMSA Radial Challenge                      

Carson Baird   Champion Dodge Colt

1976 the series was split into two different series, the Goodrich sponsorship ended half way through the year. Goodyear would step in.

1977 Executive Motorhome Challenge         

Don Devendorf  Datsun B210

Champion Spark Plug Challenge

1978        Walt Bohren Mazda RX2

1979 "      Roger Mandeville  Mazda RX3

1980  "     Rob Mcfarlin    Datsun 200SX

1981 "       Jim Downing    Mazda RX3

1982  "     Chuck Ulinski  Mazda RX3

1983 "      Joe Varde  Dodge Charger

1984 "     Tommy Archer  Renault Alliance

It was the final season for the RS series. The following seasons would see a tremendous domination by the ProFormance cars. The series would later be renamed after the IMSA Showroom Stock and later International Sedan series.

Many thanks to Brian Walsh, who provided me with helpful information.

IMSA Website announcement

I am extremely proud and happy to announce the launch of a new website dedicated to the IMSA Camel GT series. The IMSA History website is now up and running.

This project is aimed at giving the IMSA Camel GT series a true recognition amongst the auto racing community. Until now, it was obvious that something had to get done to bring the fans the opportunity to enjoy their favorite sportscar series.
The IMSA History website should be very comprehensive in the end, but it should also remain a work in progress, and updated on a regular basis. It is also an ambitious and very personal project. " Made for the fans, by a fan." It also offers a new approach to the way information is dealt with and will be more focused on the facts than on the technical side.

This IMSA History website will bring you everything you've ever wanted to know about IMSA. It will be data oriented, and will feature :

• articles
• galleries
• race results and stories
• drivers stories and portraits
  
• database
• technical articles
• car profiles
• racetracks
• categories
• series evolution
  

and much more. It should also be unique in a sense that it should deal with every aspect of the series. I'll try to drive you into the world of IMSA, with great information to share.

Interaction with the visitors is encouraged. People who attended such races have some memories or memorabilia, and I am constantly looking for material such as entry lists, race programs or magazines. Feel free to contact me here

A tribute to John and Peggy Bishop, the founders of the International Motor Sports Association.

Be sure to visit the IMSA History website at http://www.imsahistory.com

Sincerely.

Alexis Gousseau

Glenn Bunch Dodge Challenger

Glenn Bunch used to enjoy race cars. He still does. Back in 1971, he would field a Saab Sonet in SCCA and IMSA races, then he would switch to a Jaguar XKE, with some mixed results. He would race this type of car three years or so, then he would have a break in his racing career. By the end of 1976 however, he was ready to tackle a new project, which was much more ambitious. Looking for a car which would be able to run for the overall, he would wade through your race car catalog, searching for the killer racer. He needed a car that would give him some kind of unfair advantage. After devising for a while, he set his choice upon an engine that impressed him very much, the 426 Hemi, with was  extremely powerful. The car that was best fitted to host this engine was the Dodge Challenger. The large body seemed to be perfect for such an engine, and it should run fine, at least he and friend Powell Hughes thought so. It would take a long time to build the chassis and suspension. The very first chassis was built and remained close to the original Dodge Challenger shape, at least visually. A lot of time was taken to build up the suspension and chassis. The car seemed to handle well but was not as fast as Glenn hoped, for he had not taken into account a very critical aspect in auto racing : weight. He would admit it afterwards. The car was entered at Road Atlanta 1978 for the Spring IMSA race, and it would stir some controversy amongst the race officials. The car, which was built under the AAGT rules, was liberally turned out and you could hear something like : What is that? or Where did you get that body? How about the engine? from the tech inspectors. Glenn Bunch and Powell Hughes would reply they built it while using the rule book. They claimed that such a new car could add something new to the series, but they had to convince the IMSA officials in the first place, which was not an easy task.

Glenn Bunch Dodge Challenger as entered at Road Atlanta spring 1978.

Copyright Clark Nicholls

The car was considered illegal due to the fender bulges continuing into the hood. Glenn would have to rework this and make new molds. The car would be entered in the Atlanta Fall race, as well as the Daytona Finale. A second chassis would be built, which was to be much more radical, and also much lighter! With the help of Emmanuel Zervakis, aka the flying greek, he would get a brand new rigid chassis, well fitted under the Challenger sheet metal. He would then use fiberglass doors, and angle aluminum to form the edges of the fenders. The rear fenders were inspired by the AAGT Corvettes, so they were flared upwards, to improve down force. The grill opening was ducted for the brakes, with a small opening for the oil cooler. The new car weighed around 2750 lbs, which was a clear 1000 pounds lighter than the first chassis. The car did undergo a tremendous facelift.

At Brainerd, for the very first race for that car, Glenn used a small 405ci engine, which was down on power. He finished 21st. The Daytona Paul Revere race would be probably the best ever one for that car, with Glenn being able to run in the top 5 position for most of the race. Unfortunately, the lights went out and Glenn had to pit for lights repairs, which cost him three laps. He ended up 9th overall, however. It was the race where he was able to follow fast Phil Currin in his black AAGT Chevrolet Corvette, and he and Glenn would become friends shortly after that. Phil Currin would compliment him for being able to run with him during the race. Later in the season, a 528ci aluminum block was used, giving some 800hp. At Mid Ohio, the car was a dnf, however. The next race was the Lumbermen's 500 race, held at Mid Ohio too. Glenn would have a co-driver, who was no less than Phil Currin himself. Very impressed to be racing with a pro, Glenn surely could learn a lot from his input. The race was to finish under the rain, and Phil Currin and him ended up 5th overall, which was a great result, for a car which still ran the Daytona setup.

Glenn Bunch and Phil Currin drove the revamped Dodge Challenger to a great fifth place overall at Mid Ohio 1979.

Copyright Mark Windecker

The last race for the Dodge Challenger was at Road Atlanta, with the same engine setup too. The car would lose a long time, with a carburetor fitting spreading gasoline on the track. The last race was a really disappointing one. He was still not aware of the fact that it would be the last professional race for this car. The season was over and Glenn wanted to develop the car much more, in order to make it even lighter and faster. While thinking about the future of this car, Glenn was wondering if his new car would be legal for at least three or four seasons. He would request an answer from IMSA, but never got any reply. To worsen things, Chrysler could no longer help him so Glenn decided to take a time out. The project would be put aside. The IMSA career for that fantastic car was over. It looked like the unlimited potential of this car was not to be reached. It could have been developed as a real killer car. Unfortunately, Glenn Bunch, who was a real private entrant, did not get enough support from his counterparts. Even getting some help from people like Larry Rathgeb, for the chassis design, Dave Koffel, Dave Lewis, Junie Dunlovie and Henry Lauterback who were really helpful people, it was simply not enough to get this huge car as competitive as it should have become. Chrysler involvement would have been the right solution to getting competitive, but they were running out of money. Glenn Bunch suddenly would have to drop his racing career. More than three years of sweat, money and hard work had been spent in the car development. A big disapointment in the end, for sure!

It would be stored in a garage for nearly thirty years, before being ready to race again in 2005. The car, driven by Phil Currin, has been completely rebuilt and has become a real Porsche killer. A torque monster, as Glenn Bunch would put it. You did a great job, Glenn!