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Wild Hare Run 2022www.vrgonline.org2022Visit the VRG website at www.vrgonline.org for changes and updates to the schedule.VRG Event ScheduleApril 1-3Wild Hare Run with VDCA – Virginia International Raceway, Alton, VAEvent Chairman: Mike Jackson, 561-622-7554, vdca@vintagedrive.comApril 25Driver Development Program – Jefferson Circuit, Summit Point, WVAdvanced/Refresher Clinic for VRG’s current experienced racers and veteran driversreturning to the sport – Chief Instructor: Denny Austin, denny@vrgonline.orgMay 10-12Driver School – Summit Point, WVLevel 1/Novice Students – Chief Instructor: Denny Austin, denny@vrgonline.orgMay 12-15Jefferson 500 – Summit Point, WVEvent Chairmen: Cal Trumbo & Jim Karamanis, 304-449-7050, j500@vrgonline.orgJune 23-25Vintage Motorsports Festival with VSCCA – Thompson SpeedwayMotorsports Park, Thompson, CTEvent Chairman: Mark Gunsalus, 508-272-1323, mgunsalus@charter.netJuly 15-17Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix at PittRace – Wampum, PAEvent Chairman: Ian Wisbon, 412-400-9375, ian@vrgonline.orgSeptember 2-5Lime Rock Historics with VSCCA – Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, CTVRG Event Chairman: Paul King, 508-847-4809, paulking@vrgonline.orgSeptember 23-25VRG at The Glen – Watkins Glen, NYEvent Chairman: Mike Lawton, 978-274-5935, lawton@vrgonline.orgOctober 14-16New Jersey Historics – NJMP Lightning, Millville, NJEvent Chairman: Butch O’Connor, Tel: 973-295-3674, Email: bfo@spsk.comNovember 18-20Annual Turkey Bowl – Summit Point, WVEvent Chairman: Jim Karamanis, 304-449-7050, jim@vrgonline.org.Wild Hare Run 2022View more at BillStoler.com1

Vintage Racer Group NewsletterWild Hare Run 2022Bill Stoler’s SNAPSHOT! – VRG & FFCS at the 2022 Wild Hare Run“You can’t appreciate a Friday unless you’ve experienced a Monday!”Likewise, “You can’t appreciate the first trip to theracetrack unless you’ve experienced four months ofwinter in the Mid-Atlantic!” (Add in a few years ofCovid, politics and a world on fire – well you knowwhat I mean!) That has been my observation sinceI retired four years ago (where did that time go?) –I jumped at retirement at 55, just so I could chaserace cars with the VRG. So, after a few months in thewinter, I tend to get a little bummed out waiting forthe green flag to fly again!The weather was typical for spring in southernVirginia – plenty of blue skies but it was a bit blusteryon Friday. Saturday was excellent before the windsreturned on Sunday. No problem with rain, but themorning sessions were a constant reminder that coldracing tires demand respect. The entries may havebeen down a bit from last year’s record entry but notthe enthusiasm – plenty of smiles and socializing inthe paddock after a long winter break.The VDCA wastes no time getting to the feature raceof the weekend and it takes place on Friday evening.“The Wild Hare Run” is a VDCA version of an“Australian Pursuit Race,” a handicap race that allowseach car to compete for the overall win regardless ofclass. The VDCA “Math Wizards,” Mike Jackson andDoug Meis crunch the numbers (qualifying times)using a “complex and highly secret algorithm” todetermine the starting order, specific release time andmost importantly – the timing of the checkered flag!It’s always a thrill when I hit the road to any vintageracing event – but the first event after the long winterlayoff, always “turbocharges” my level of excitementand when the destination is the amazing VirginiaInternational Raceway, well it’s simply incredible!Since 2015, my first race of the year has been coveringthe VRG Formula Ford Challenge Series visit to theVDCA Wild Hare Run.View more at BillStoler.com2

Vintage Racer Group NewsletterWild Hare Run 2022Slower cars are released first and the fastest car last. Intheory – all cars should finish at the same time, if everycar ran its qualifying time and lost no time passingcars, etc. This year’s winner was Gregg Herr, fittinglydriving a 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit! Greg was awardedthe Wild Hare trophy, a “life size plush rabbit” at thedinner on Saturday evening and carried the traditionof strapping in the hare as a passenger for Sunday’sraces. The “Bunny’s Butt” award goes to the secondplace finisher and this year’s accolade went to PaulButtrose who piloted a Miata this year.Racers’ Journal – Eric RussellIt was a great weekend. We arrived around noonon Thursday after a 45 minute tow. It was windyand raining. At about 2:30pm a switch wasthrown, the clouds parted and the rain stopped.Blue skies and sun the rest of the weekend.We had four MGAs on the track. Stan and I hadgreat fun dicing in race #1 Saturday morning. Mycar developed a high speed misfire which let Stanget by on the back straight. A new set of colder sparkplugs fixed that. Stan’s son Stirling was not able torace his MGB GT due to oil pressure problems sohe drove the MGA in the Saturday afternoon race.It took him a few laps to get reacquainted with thecar and some lapped traffic slowed me down, sowe finished the race literally side by side.Plenty of good racing among all the groups but onebattle in Group 1 caught my attention. A battle ofMGAs was brewing – the ’61 MGA of Eric Russelland the ’59 MGA of Stan Heath traded the lead severaltimes during race #1 with Stan edging out Eric fora 4th place finish. Stan’s son Stirling (yes – namedfor that racer Moss) was having some oil pressureissues in his MGB-GT and was headed home beforeDad offered him the drive in the MGA. Stan Heathjoked to Russell – that he was “putting a ringer” inhis car for the feature race! The battle of the MGAscontinued – but this time it was for a photo-finishwin. Stirling bested Eric by only 3/10th of a second!Stirling described his race “I got caught behind aspinning car on lap one. I didn’t think I would be ablecatch Eric, but he got held up in traffic and the racewas on! We passed several times and on the last lap, Ipassed him on the back straight – but Eric got a greatrun out of Hog Pen and nearly caught me at the finish– another 100 yards and he would’ve beaten me!”Links to video from Eric Russell’s #61 MGAThe good parts:1:25 - 1:3515:50 - 16:1013:45 - 14:0517:35 - 18:0014:40 - 15:1510:50 - 21:05– Eric Russell, Mebane, NC#53 Stan Heath,#42 Carl George,#167 KevinRichards,#61Eric RussellViewmore at BillStoler.com3

Vintage Racer Group NewsletterWild Hare Run 2022The incredible racing continued with the FormulaFord Challenge Series. Doug Meis brought his newlyacquired “Flying Banana,” a ’78 Lola T440. Severalother new cars and faces racing with the series at VIRincluded the beautiful Lolas of Billy Moore – ’73T340 and Dennis Lane – ’74 T342. Billy Moore enjoysvintage racing but doesn’t get to do it nearly enough.He’s a crewmember on an IMSA race team (JRIII)and finding an open weekend to go vintage racing israre. Dennis Lane raced SCCA (Showroom Stock C)in the early ‘80s and returned to racing last year withhis sons. This was his first race with the Lola. Mooreand Lane both indicated they love the laid-back paceand the camaraderie of vintage racing.Fairchild stalling. In what seems like a moment madefor Hollywood, Fairchild recalls the motors fell silentand looking eye to eye, Griffin exclaimed “I don’tknow what happened!” Fairchild replies “I don’t knoweither – Let’s go!” But as Fairchild pulled away – hisspirit sunk as he saw Griffin’s rear wheel flailing away– a broken axle had been the culprit and brought an“unceremonious end to an epic battle!”For the full FFCS report, see Bernard Bradpiece’sstory on page 6.Exciting, wheel-to-wheel racing by the talented pilotsof the FFCS ensued, Tim Gaffney learning why turnthree is dubbed “NASCAR Bend” – it got its nameduring the 1966 Trans Am race when Richard Petty,David Pearson, and Danville VA’s favorite son –Wendell Scott struggled in this same turn! And here’sa scene from Sunday’s Challenge Series Feature Race:The Fords weren’t the only open wheel group providingexcitement at VIR, the Formula Vees competed inGroup 1 – but a split start allowed them to put ona great race. The father and son duo of Marcus andCharles Jones brought their Zinks, Mike Ennis andBob Clarke piloted Lynx Formula Vees. Mike Jacksonraced with his familiar ’69 Shadowfax and describedSaturday’s race as “the usual spectacularly close battleamong old friends that have raced in April at VIR formany years.” He added “somebody won and the restof us were mere car lengths behind!”Scott Fairchild took the early lead – but this time hewould not shake Joe Griffin who drafted tightly untilhe made his move on lap 4, taking the lead. The pairheaded into Oak Tree when Griffin suddenly spun andSeveral cars – new to us in the paddock this weekendincluded Tim Scopes ’58 Lotus 11. During the 60s, itwas raced in the U.S. and Central America. It spent 30years in Australia, the last 17 years in hands of collectorView more at BillStoler.com4

Vintage Racer Group NewsletterWild Hare Run 2022in Sydney. Scopes acquired the car last November andthe logbooks indicate this was its first race in 17 years.sure where he will get it back out but indicated it maybe the Jefferson 500. I certainly hope so!Another car attracting attention at VIR was the 1971Chevron “Gunston” B21/23 of Tom Grudovich. In1972, the car finished 1st in G class and 2nd overall atthe Kyalami 9-hour endurance race, driven by GerryBirrell and Jochen Mass. Sponsored by “Gunston”–a South African cigarette manufacturer, the teamcaptured the 1972 South African Springbok TrophySeries Championship. Tom said the WHR was agood low-key event for his “maiden voyage” practiceweekend with the car. Tom described that he a is verymethodical driver and didn’t rush stepping it up toits limits and never really approached the corneringability of the car. Despite that, he still turned thefastest lap of the weekend of the Wild Hare Run – a1:58, significantly faster than his previous best of 2:14or so in his G4 at VIR! Pleasantly surprised with howdrivable and controllable it was compared to his oldervintage cars, he stated “those big fat slicks – I hadnever been in anything like that before I felt like Iwas screwed to the chassis – I loved it!” He’s not quiteThe Wild Hare Run weekend is a special weekend ata vintage racetrack that was created long before thelawyers and engineers caught up. Hard to believe thatthis place may not exist – if it wasn’t for a vintageracer that simply wanted to build a facility with decentbathrooms and a good restaurant, so that his wife wouldaccompany him to the races. Thanks to the vision ofreal estate developer Harvey Siegel and his assistantConnie Nyholm – VIR was resurrected in 1998 andcompleted in 2000. Siegel has since retired, but VIRcontinues to thrive and grow under the direction ofConnie and her staff. Recent improvements include thewidening of pit-lane, added pit stalls and LED lightingand a new spectator walk. Lots of new guardrails andtire bundles have increased safety. The future looksbright for VIR and the racing faithful.I’ll see you at the Jefferson 500 in May!– Bill StolerView more at BillStoler.com5