SVRA: “The Amelia” leader is a racer at heart

ABOVE: Bill Warner confers with Steve Boyle, who
crewed for him at the Amelia Island Gran Prix.

Bill Warner is best known as the founder of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance (he calls it "The Amelia") and the Amelia Foundation, but the man behind one of the most prestigious car collector shows on Earth found his life's passion in racing cars, not displaying them. The heir to a family water and chemical filtration company, H.C. Warner, Inc., where he also serves as CEO today, Warner worked his way into the sport at age 16. He took a job at Al Sager Volkswagen, a local dealership. That business had a race team with two Devin-bodied VW sports cars powered by Porsche engines. Warner happily served as team "go-fer," willing to do pretty much anything to contribute and learn.

"I just wanted to learn, and what I did is what a lot of young people need to do to start," Warner says. "The important thing is keep at it and always learn."

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A quick study of Warner's bio reveals that he is a man of many talents and his mind has always been working overtime to apply his skills to his favorite sport. While he eventually began racing cars he also put his considerable talent for writing and photography to work reporting on races for such prestigious publications as Road & Track and Sports Car Graphic magazine among others including some in Europe and Asia. He has been especially recognized for his accomplishments with photography, including the SCCA's 1970 Photographer of the Year Award.

Warner's successes in motorsports journalism created an opportunity to get behind the wheel in the IMSA Media Challenge, an event he won in three successive years beginning in 1984. He began racing in 1978 and his achievements include a fifth-place GT3 class finish at the SCCA Runoffs in 1982. He has competed in a host of other races including the infamous Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash with a 1975 Porsche 911.

For the past two decades Warner has gone vintage racing with his ex-Bob Tullius Group 44 1971 Triumph TR-6 (LEFT) that he has in last weekend's SportsCar Vintage Racing Association Amelia Island Gran Prix. Paul Newman previously owned the car but Warner has restored it to the original livery of Tullius' famous Group 44 team. He describes driving the car, "as comfortable as an old shoe."

The results support his words. He won the Skip Barber Cup in 1997 and the John Kelley Memorial Cup in 1999. More recently he brought home the top trophy in his class at the Lime Rock Historics in 2015. Running in Group 8 this weekend Warner scored a seventh in the 21-car field on Saturday and came home fourth among six on Sunday.

"Vintage and Historic racing aren't so much about on-track performance, but fellowship," Bill says – and then smiles. "Then again, I have to admit when I get out on the track the urge to push can take over at times. It can be hard to resist when the car feels so good and you're among a pack of cars."

Given Warner's focus with The Amelia, it's no surprise he draws a distinction between vintage and historic racing. Historic racing, says Warner (RIGHT), are with cars that are more significant than simply being of a certain period. Many historic racecars have won championships and almost certainly were driven by famous drivers.

"People are definitely more careful with truly historic racecars," he says. "It's no mystery, they're more valuable. One of the challenges with vintage racing is the promoter has to open events up to vintage racecars without historic distinction. They need to do that to attract enough entries to make their business work. The problem can come when you mix the two together."

To his point, Warner would like to see more racing for fields restricted to true, historically significant cars. He is interested in understanding more about the SVRA's Gold Medallion program that is providing incentives for owners with cars held to extreme requirements with respect to authentic restoration.

Warner has also raced another historic car out of his collection, a Group 44 Triumph TR-8. Originally the machine competed in Trans Am and IMSA contests but his favorite remains the TR-6 he used at the Amelia Island Grand Prix. No surprise, the man who has given Northern Florida one of the grandest car collector exhibitions in the world owns some incredible – and award winning - machines. Among his restorations are an ex-Denny Hulme Brabham BT-8, a Shelby King Cobra, a Lotus 11, an Elva Mk5 and a 1954 Corvette.

Although Warner came to the Amelia Island Gran Prix to "just be a racer," he obviously has a great deal of interest in the event. He sees a synergy between The Amelia and the Gran Prix just a few days later.

"I think the next step we can make is to strengthen the connection between the themes of The Amelia and the Gran Prix," Warner says. "One of the things we can do is focus on the same car marques. Things like that help create reasons for owners to stay with us through the rest of the week."

One of Warner's biggest challenges is the pressing demands of the massive project that is The Amelia. The array of decisions and detailed arrangements can be daunting and are most certainly time consuming.

There can be no doubt that Warner's blessing meant everything to not just the success of the Amelia Island Gran Prix but also its very existence. Through his leadership there can be no disputing that "Amelia Island" has become synonymous with exquisite automobiles.

"Bill has been very welcoming and encouraging," says SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella. "He has very much welcomed us into his backyard and I want to personally do everything I can to make him proud of this auto racing event he has helped make possible. I can't say enough how grateful I am for his support."

Warner likes what he sees in the Fernandina event weekend and the direction of the SVRA with its rising profile nationwide. A big part of his interest goes beyond his undying love for auto racing. He also has a passion for his community, for Northern Florida.

"Northern Florida can get lost on the map," he says. "It's like we're not part of Florida sometimes, and we certainly aren't in Georgia, although we're close. When I was approached about creating The Amelia I realized the opportunity we had to not just put our community on the map but also to do a lot of great charitable work as well."

That's where the Amelia Foundation comes into the story. Established by Warner, the Foundation has contributed well over $2 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Spina Bifida of Jacksonville, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society and Shop with Cops. These donations have been driven by the success of The Amelia. Given that the show was only founded little more than 20 years ago in 1995 such numbers are impressive.

Certainly one measure of the success of The Amelia is such charitable work. A stroll around Fernandina Beach reveals a community that "gets it" when it comes to car culture and especially one with a motorsports theme. Photos and art featuring sports cars are commonplace. The event poster promoting the Amelia Island Gran Prix blends into the general atmosphere.

Despite a persistent threat of rain, spectators filled the front stretch grandstand and many others roamed the paddock throughout the weekend. Drivers and racecar owners encouraged parents to let their children sit behind the wheel of their speed machines as camera phones shared moments on Instagram and Facebook. With the encouragement and help of one of Amelia Island's most well known leaders – a racer named Bill Warner – the Amelia Island Gran Prix looks to have found a home with a cultural fit.