Trans Am champ Simon Gregg stars at Amelia Island

ABOVE: Simon Gregg dominated his Saturday race with International GT Cup competitors,
leading from start to finish in his Derhaag Motorsports Corvette C7.

Simon Gregg, 2012 Trans Am champion, was drawn to this weekend's Sportscar Vintage Racing Association inaugural Amelia Island Gran Prix for three powerful reasons. The first is clearly rooted in sentiment as his father, IMSA Hall of Fame driver and all-around racing legend, Peter Gregg, raced on the Fernandina Municipal Airport course at the dawn of his career in 1964 – the same year Simon was born. Simon even has an image of the program cover of that race in his phone.

Simon also has as another record of diary notes Peter made about the race, called the "Golden Crown Prix." In those notes, dated March 7-8, 1964, his dad describes how he finished second to Cobra driver George Walls after leading in his A Production Corvette. The Corvette's brakes faded and Walls "whipped by," according to Peter's notes, which are quoted below:

"Our first Divisional Championship race of 1964 was at nearby Fernandina. The car bore number 85. As usual there was a shortage of AP cars, and the only real competition was George Walls in his green Cobra. We were able to hold the faster Cobra off in the feature race, until our brakes began to feel the brunt of the long straights and slow turns of Fernandina. Then George whipped by to win easily."

As if the fact that Simon took the time to capture images of the program cover and his father's notes with his phone camera aren't proof enough, he is very clear that his father's mark on Fernandina racing history is important to him.

"The fact that my dad raced here is important to me," Gregg says. "It was a different course configuration then, but it is on the same grounds and that's meaningful."

Geography is another factor. Simon lives in Ponte Verde, Fla., which is little more than an hour's drive from Fernandina Beach. More than convenience, Gregg sees the potential of the Amelia Island Gran Prix and wants to see racing take root in his home community of Northern Florida.

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"I think the event has fantastic potential and appeal. It can be really good for the community," Gregg shares. "I like the connection to the Amelia Concours going on the same week. This community appreciates historic cars and a lot of those are racecars. If you're here, you understand how it can work."

Perhaps the most important reason the five-time SCCA Southeast Division champion is racing with the SVRA this weekend is simple: Racers not only like to race, they think it is important to staying sharp.

"As a driver you want to race," Gregg says. "No one likes being away from driving too long. I like to do the Sebring and Homestead SCCA Double Majors in January. The off-season can be too long. You don't want to get rusty."

Gregg shares that between Trans Am, the Double Majors and driving with Brian Redman's Targa "Sixty-Six," he is able to run in nearly 20 events annually. He drives his first racecar, a 1991 Camaro he still owns, in Redman's event. Looking ahead Gregg sees that the SVRA may provide him with additional opportunities to race.

"I'm very impressed with the SVRA schedule," Gregg says. "I saw their ad in a magazine that shows a map of the United States and how they have the country covered with almost all the best courses. When you do that you start to see pro drivers come out to experience tracks like COTA for example."

Another benefit for Gregg is that his Jim Derhaag Motorsports Trans Am Corvette is eligible to race in SVRA events because it was constructed in 2008. SVRA requires cars to be five years or older to qualify for the Group 10 classification his Corvette C7 fits into.

"It's neat that my Trans Am qualifies to race with SVRA," Gregg says. "This makes it great for the team. It's a different series, a different track, but obviously we know the car inside-out and so in many ways it's like just another race."

After reviewing entries SVRA officials ended up grouping Gregg with the International GT Cup cars. That put him in the middle of ten Porsches. Specifically, he is matched against three Caymans and one each of the Porsche GT3, 996, 993, 951, 911, 997 and Boxster models.

The first race for the run group was Saturday afternoon and Gregg prevailed, leading the 25-minute timed contest from start to finish. Porsche Cayman driver Shane Lewis finished second with John Higgins in his Porsche GT3 Cup racer securing the final step on that contest's podium.

While this Amelia Island Gran Prix victory will never quite compare to Gregg's 24 Hours of Daytona American GT triumph with co-driver Kenny Bupp in 2001, it carries a special meaning of a different kind. Simon has brought the Gregg family name back home to sports car racing on the Fernandina Municipal Airport course.