SVRA: Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival rewind

To describe the plethora of historic and authentically prepared racecars at this past weekend’s SVRA Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival as impressive is like saying Muhammad Ali could box. In reality, this weekend’s show was overwhelming.

Let’s start by dropping a few hall of fame names: Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Richard Petty, David Pearson, Fred Lorenzen, Donnie Allison, Denny Hulme, Tazio Nuvolari, Neil Bonnett, Jackie Oliver, George Follmer, Eliott Forbes-Robinson, Lyn St. James, Darrell Derringer, Sam Posey, Peter Gregg, Swede Savage, and Jerry Grant are some of the drivers who once raced cars that were driven in anger this weekend. Even Charlie Merz’s National from the first Indianapolis 500 was stretching its legs.

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Enzo Ferrari’s name was also frequently invoked. That was not just because some of the most magnificent examples of machines that were produced during his time at the helm of his company were here – including Tom Price’s stunning 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. It was also because some of the other cars near the top of the list of those deemed most precious were also on hand, such as several 1930s Alfa Romeos boasting the Scuderia Ferrari shield from Enzo’s days as a race team owner. Before he launched his car company he managed the Alfa Romeo factory race team effort.

The paddock was so laden with awesome history you could trip over it. Photographs, videos and words don’t do it justice – you had to be there to comprehend the scale. Not only were there cars of the legends, but also machines that had garnered some of racing’s highest accolades, such as victories at the Monaco Grand Prix, the Daytona 500, the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio. Others had won championships such as Can-Am and Trans Am or raced the 24-hour grinds of Le Mans and Daytona.

The reality is that more cars had a story than those that did not, such as the delightful surprise of coming across Phil Ribbs and his Team Lotus 1963 Formula Junior championship-winning entry. Then there was John Hildebrand, the father to Indianapolis 500 driver J.R. Hildebrand, who ended up one of the feature race winners of the weekend by taking first place overall in Group 12.

This isn’t just car country, this is collector car country – and that includes racing machines. SVRA President and CEO Tony Parella seized the opportunity to trumpet his Gold Medallion program to certify cars maintained to rigid standards of authenticity to their glory days. He was warmly embraced, collecting some 200 new requests for application to the certification. Aside from the Formula Fords, all the other run groups totaling nearly 300 cars this weekend were Gold Medallion certified or deemed candidates for that distinction. There was just no way to account for every great car – or even most of them. It was simply overwhelming.

Click on the thumbnails below for larger images.

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Oh, and one more thing: There was racing, too. Podium finishers for each race group the are as follows:

Group 1
Paddins Dowling, 1932 ERA R2A
Peter Greenfield, 1938 Alfa Romeo 8c-35
Max Jamiesson, 1935 Ford sprint car

Group 2
Cameron Healy, 1953 Cooper Porsche Pooper
Gregory Campbell, 1955 Porsche Devin Speedster
David Swig, 1957 Monsterati Special

Group 4
Art Hebert, 1963 Lola Mk5A
Marty Benck, 1962 Lotus 22
Nicholas Colyvas, 1962 Cooper T59

Group 6
Ken Sutherland, 1968 Mustang 427
Jeff Abramson, 1964 Corvette Roadster
Chris MacAllister, 1964 Cobra FIA 289

Group 7
Martin Lauber, 1969 Chevron B16
Alan Frick, 1969 Chevron B16
A.C. D’Augustine, 1965 Genie MK 10B

Group 8
Randall Smith, 1969 Brabham BT 29
Ethan Shippert, 1981 Crossle 45F
Ron Horning, 1971 Brabham BT 35

Group 9
Fred Della Noce, 1964 Ginetta G12
Jay Embree, 1966 Lotus 47GT
Jim Froula, 1971 Datsun 510

Group 10
Ken Epsman, 1971 Javelin
Jim Hague, 1971 Mustang 302
Bill Ockerlund, 1970 Plymouth Barracuda

Group 11
Scott Drnek, 1970 Sting GW1
Brian Blain, 1969 Lola T-163
Emmett Murphy, 1972 McLaren M8F

Group 12
John Hildebrand, 1978 Camaro
Ranson Webster, 1976 Porsche 935 K3
Mike Thurlow, 1975 Corvette

Group 13
Chris Liebenberg, 1991 Mustang
Ken Epsman, 1984 Pontiac Trans-Am
Gordon Johnson, 1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass