With the largest, most competitive field in V8 StockCar history on hand, and racers from as far away as California, Texas, Kansas, and Vermont, there is little doubt the V8 StockCar Series has arrived. There was outstanding competition in all three classes and three new first time winners to boot.
At the very front, the faces were familiar as series "stars" Charles Wicht in his winged super late model Monte Carlo and Dave Machavern in his Heritage Motorsports Corvette split the overall and V8 GT-1 wins on Saturday and Sunday. Machavern, the V8 GT-1 points leader, already with six wins this year had a clutch failure in Saturday's race leaving Wicht firmly in control in his ex Kevin Harvick Sonoma winning South West Tour Monte Carlo. Wicht took the win over Gary Jensen in his Porsche, Bill Ridell, in his ex Tommy Riggins Championship ride, and Ray Webb in another Riggins built chassis. Wicht eclipsed the track record of former champ Jeff Emery during the race. In the V8 SPO class Danny Foster garnered his first series win at the helm of his ex Ganassi Racing Coors Light/Outback Dodge Charger.

The V8 GTA field was extremely competitive ex SPEED World Challenge winner Bob Stretch from Arlington, Texas took the top spot over team mate
Gregg Rodgers and 2007 Champ Jay Marshall. Also running strong in the class were Ron Fariss, Kansas Tornado Ron Keith and Sebring winner, George Lutich.

Sunday Morning, The Heritage Motorsports/Riggins Engineering crew had replaced the clutch in Machavern's Corvette and he immediatley went out and re-set the V8 GT-1 standard at a fast 1:52.331. In the V8 SPO class three time NASCAR Dash series champ Larry Hoopaugh grabbed the class pole with a quick 1:59.490 in his Chevy SB2 powered ex ARCA stock car. Texan Bob Stretch took the V8 GTA point at 2:00.273.

At the drop of the green, Machavern roared off with Wicht in hot pursuit, but the Corvette was really stretching it's legs, and Machavern's lead was increasing at about a second a lap margin. In V8 SPO Hoopaugh was out front running laps in the 1:58-1:59 range in his big stock car and holding a several second advantage over "Bosco" Logsdon in the MO'S GOLD Monte Carlo. In V8 GTA, Stretch was really flying, cutting consistent laps and running in the top six overall. From his middle of the pack starting spot, Nascar racer, Scott Lagasse Jr. was on the move in his ex ASA stock car
and he was now running laps equal to Stretch, this in only his first weekend in road racing. Around lap 7 a full course caution was called to remove the V8 GTA entry of Tom "Hollywood" Graham which had come to a stop just out of the chicane on the back straight. At the restart, Logsdon made a move on Hoopaugh in the chicane, getting by when Hoopaugh took the opportunity to do a little agricultural racing. Hoopaugh was relentless though and repassed in the tri-oval up high as the two approached a Porsche running about forty miles per hour slower. Up front, at the checker, Machavern had a six second advantage over the pursuing Wicht, with Bill Ridell coming home third in class and overall. Hoopaugh got his first win in V8 SPO and Bob Stretch took the V8 GTA class over Lagasse Jr. and Bob Davis in third.

The Central Florida Region SCCA hosted and sanctioned the event with something like 370 cars in all six groups. Nobody handles the logistics of these big events better than these folks, and V8 StockCar thanks their officials and workers for the opportunity to race with them.

The V8 StockCar group will be back in Action Labor Day weekend at Historic Sebring International Raceway with another big field expected.

For more info on the series check out: http://www.v8stockcar.com

V8 StockCar thanks it partners: SCCA, Central Florida Region SCCA, Mo's Gold, Hoosier, Goodyear, RaceCar Engineering, FiveStar, Howe, DRP, RacingJunk.com, Racing Limo's, Roehrig-Enders Suspension, and GrassRoots Motorsports Magazine

 

 

A race win anywhere is sweet, but it has to be just a bit sweeter to win one at VIR., the beautiful, fast, twisting circuit on the banks of the Dan River, just outside historic, Danville, Virginia.  The esses, the incredible elevation changes, the high speed sweepers, all give the track a character rarely found.  Charlotte, Vermont's Dave Machavern sounded confident before the race, as he had practiced well, and qualified on the outside pole, next to VIR "hotshoe" Scott Murphy. Murphy, a race winner a year ago, is always tough to beat here in his C5 Corvette.  Machavern, once again had his car builder, mentor and former Grand Am Co-Champ Tommy Riggins on hand for support.   

 

Some fifty two big bore cars took the green, with more than thirty participating in the three V8 StockCar classes.  Murphy, led into turn one with Machavern on his tail, they headed up the esses, with their small block chevy's screaming that sweet song.  At turn sixteen of lap one, Murphy made an uncharacteristic mistake, over cooking it and going off.  Machavern quickly assumed command, one that he would not relinquish.  Now in second overall was the suprisingly fast V8 SPO entry of Rich Koehler, who was setting a new class record about every other lap.  Ron Fariss, of Lynchburg, Virginia, a veteran of may wars at VIR was running in third overall and first in the V8 GTA class in his late model type Monte Carlo.  Kenny Liesfeld in his V8 GTA Monte Carlo, was keeping the pressure on Fariss.

 

Lee Arnold and ARRC champ Bryan Dobyn's were having a great race with Bob Davis keeping them honest.  Charging up into the top ten overall midway through the race was Naples, Florida racer Paul Breehne in his V8 SPO car that was fresh from the prep shop at Tommy Riggins Engineering.  Breehne found the new setup to his liking and the first year racer was having his best race to date.  Scott Murphy, down two laps as a result of his spin was still entertaining the crowd as he charged through the field running some very quick laps.  On lap eight, Paul Breehne's motor started making some ugly noises and he parked his blue racer ending his charge.  On lap nine, Rich Koehler got in some oil deposited by a backmarker and was launched off track, sending corner workers scurrying when his car ended up nearly in their station. 

 

 Machavern, now running just fast enough to keep his concentration, was unthreatened to the end, and took the checker well ahead of second overall, and first in the V8 GTA class, Ron Fariss.

 

 "Wild Man" Kenny Liesfeld entertained everyone with his slideways style and came home third overall and second in V8 GTA.  Lee Arnold got the V8 SPO win and finished fourth overall, with Baucom Racing's Doug Sanders garnering second in the class in his ex Nextel Cup car. 

 

Complete results are at www.V8StockCar.com

The V8 StockCar group heads back to Sebring, June 6 & 7 running with the Central Florida Region SCCA.  Another large field is expected, including Roebling V8 GT-1 winner Bill Riddell, V8 SPO winner and track record holder Charles Wicht, 2007 V8 GTA Champ Jay Marshall and more.

 

The V8 StockCar series thanks the North Carolina Region SCCA for their outstanding job hosting the Al Fairer SARRC races and the management at VIR for providing such an outstanding, world class facility with the most helpful and courteous staff.

 

V8 StockCar also thanks its' partners: SCCA, North Carolina Region, HRP, Hoosier, Goodyear, Mo's Gold, DRP, RaceCar Engineering, Roehrig- Enders, GrassRoots Motorsports, FiveStar, Howe, RacingJunk.com, and Racing Limo's

 

Smith and Riddell Big Winners at Roebling V8 StockCar Races

 

The V8 StockCar Road Racing returned to one of the racer's favorite tracks, Georgia's Roebling Road running with the Buccaneer Region SCCA at their annual Jim Stark Memorial Races.

Amelia Island, Florida resident, Bill Riddell put his name in the series record book taking both ends of the V8 GT-1 class races.  Ridell, driving the ex race winning Buick Somerset Regal of legendary road racer Tommy Riggins was solid all weekend, running fast and consistent and seemingly never putting a wheel wrong.  On Sunday, Ridell put his racer that is still prepped in the Riggins Engineering shops on the pole and never looked back.

Ridell finished ahead of Duluth, Georgia's Bob Mayer, in his beautiful, yellow, ex Scotty B. White Speed GT Corvette and Daytona's Ray Webb in his Olds Cutlass, once the ride of road racing star Terry Borcheller. Chapin, South Carolina's Wayne Cabaniss came home fourth in the class in his C4 vette.

 

In the Stock Car Classes, perennial front runner "Wild Bill" Smith took both V8 SPO wins in his "worlds' oldest tube frame stock car." Smith, always a crowd favorite, with his relentless, "out on the edge" style destroyed his own class track record in Sunday's qualifying with an impressive 1.10.658 clocking.  Smith's racer is prepped in the shop of crew chief Andrew Blaske, only about a mile down the road. 

 

Local oval track racer, Andrew Smith, who only recently started road racing startled everyone with his quick lap times and hard charging style.  Smith, just twenty years old, from nearby Pooler, battled hard on Sunday with V8 SPO winner Bill Smith and last years class champion, Lee Arnold.  Andrew earned a spot on the podium, finishing just behind the two talented veterans.

 

Amico Racing teammates, Tony Amico and Tom "Hollywood" Graham took control of the top step of the podium in V8 GTA for the weekend, with Graham getting the pole and win on Saturday and Amico doing the same on Sunday.  Amico set a new track standard for the class at 1.14.240 during Sunday morning qualifying.  Wrens, Georgia's most famous racer,

Randy Gay Jr. took second on Sunday in V8 GTA in his Monte Carlo stock car, with Hilton Head Island's Tad Segars taking the final spot on the podium.

 

The series thanks the Buccaneer Region SCCA for the fine job hosting the event which brought more than 250 entry's from around the country in all the classes.

 

The V8 StockCar group will take to the road again for the May 10-11 races at Virginia International Raceway running with the North Carolina Region SCCA on the historic course near Danville.

The V8 StockCar Series wishes to thank it's partners: SCCA,  Hoerr Racing Products, Goodyear,Hoosier, Five Star Bodies, Howe, DRP, RaceCar Engineering , Roehrig, and Mo's Gold.

For more series info please go to www.v8stockcar.com

AVE SCORES AT CAROLINA MOTORSPORTS PARK 

 

 

A fine field of big bore racers made the tow to Kershaw, South Carolina to test the newly reconfigured and improved Carolina Motorsports Park at the South Carolina Regions Buck Muse Memorial Double SARRC event.  Our hats are off to CMP management for their commitment to improving the track and facility.  The team at CMP had recently completed a redesign of the turn 12-13-14 complex, and repaved most of the turns providing faster speeds, reduced lap times and improved tire life.  In addition 24 day garages were constructed and made available to racers.

 

The sky was overcast and threatening on Saturday morning and the temperature a cool 50 degrees but the track was dry when the group hit the track for qualifying.  Tony Ave quickly put everyone on notice that just because he didn't bring the 2007 National Champ GT-1 Beebe Racing Corvette, that he wouldn't be fast.  Tony took the pole in convincing fashion in a beautifully refurbished ex Tom Gloy, Beebe Racing Mustang, setting a new standard at 1.29.574.  Tony's considerable driving talent is well known, but his expertise at constructing and setting up these big bore racers deserves notice.  Sebring winner and former Grand Am Champ Dave Machavern took the outside pole in his fast Tommy Riggins Corvette, with the always quick and exciting Scott "Slideways" Murphy third.

 

In V8 SPO, Lee Arnold took the honors in his ex Boris Said South West Tour Monte Carlo, with colorful, enigmatic "Wild Bill" Smith second in his tube frame  replica of a '55 Chevy prepped by Georgia stock car Ace, Andrew Blaske.  A fast learning Paul Breehne took the third spot in the race winning, ex Bruce Perra Monte Carlo.

 

Tampa Bay's racer, Tony Amico followed up his V8 GTA pole at Sebring, with another, over Augusta, Georgia's Randy Gay Jr and Charlotte's Steve Magowan.  Magowan and Gay were separated by one, one thousandth of a second.

 

With the group sitting on the grid for the afternoon race, waiting for workers to clear the track from the previous race, the rains came,  just sprinkling at first, but then a steady shower.

Pole sitter Tony Ave departed from his car as did Scott Murphy, Lee Arnold, Randy Gay and more.  With most of the big bore cars without rains and ill suited for the conditions anyway, V8 StockCar officials decided to draw points from qualifying.  The SCCA group went off anyway with the slowest car in the field, T-2 Nissan, lapping the entire field.  It helps to have rains, a defroster, and wipers.

 

Sunday looked like more of the same with temperatures around 42 degrees and a steady drizzle.  V8 StockCar's decision was to double qualifying points from Saturday, and look forward to better weather at Roebling Road, April 26 and 27.

 

V8 StockCar thanks the South Carolina Region SCCA and its' workers for the excellent job planning and hosting the Buck Muse Memorial Races.