The guys at the Sportscar Vintage Racing Assocation, or SVRA, made a mission to have their race at Watkins Glen Raceway not only conducted perfectly, but to also have it documented to a “T.” Numerous cameras, mounts, and people teamed up to make the day one worth remembering.
In an homage of the days of Trans Am racing, the cars could only be within the muscle car era and had to be untouched in any way other than what was standard during those days. As Bill Ockerlund, driver of the 15a ’69 Mustang, said: “The cars have to be exactly as they ran in their model year, and there’s no deviations on these cars…this is the purest form of vintage racing.”
It’s part and parcel of SVRA’s mission, which, as a 1,200-strong organization, is to expand the glory days of these races into the digital age. Its leader, Tony Parella, looks for drivers “who take care of their cars and respect that legacy that these cars provide.”
On the day of the race, the competing field had everything from Challengers to Camaros to Mustangs, all driven by members of the SVRA including Vic Edelbrock Jr., who drove a sweet-looking ’69 Mustang number 16a in the HTA class.
And to give the ultimate share of perspectives to the race, each car ran the race equipped with a GoPro attached to the roof and behind the driver’s seat–a stark contrast to the days of old, with that sparse yet grainy coverage by the likes of ABC and Bud Lindemann.
The final results showed the top three as follows: in 1st place, Pat Ryan and his ’67 Camaro number 15c; in 2nd place, Bill Ockerlund in his ’69 Mustang number 15a; in 3rd place, Ken Epsman in his ’71 Javelin number 2a. Overcome by adrenaline and joy, what was there to do but dump water bottles on each other?
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