Doug Pace: Festival of Speed features vintage cars
The Festival of Speed road-racing event returns to the Inland Empire this weekend with a three-day program featuring vintage racecars including sedans, sports cars and Formula-style machines.
More than 100 entries are expected to compete.
Weekend proceeds from admission will come back to the community in the form of donations to the Parkinson’s Resource Center of Spokane, according to event organizers.
Among the historic cars fans will see are many of Europe’s best-known racing companies, including Porsche, Lotus, Alfa Romeo and BMW. American muscle cars such as Mustangs, Corvettes and Camaros will join their European counterparts for time trials and qualifications on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s finales.
Friday drivers will take to the twists and turns of Spokane County Raceway’s 2.25-mile road course layout for a series of practice sessions.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Ford’s iconic Mustang, the car will be featured during a series of events on Saturday and Sunday.
The weekend format includes 20-minute timed events in four groups of cars with up to 16 separate races held during the qualification and finales.
Legendary racer, author and celebrated Mustang driver George Follmer, who has competed in Formula One, Indianapolis and at Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) races for many years, is the celebrity guest of the Festival of Speed. Follmer’s Ford Mustang captured victories on the Trans-Am road racing circuit during his career. Driving a Porsche 917, Follmer won championships in road racing’s prestigious Challenge Cup.
All completion of the Society of Vintage Racing Enthusiasts (SOVREN) is sanctioned by a national body and rules package.
The SOVREN group has been active at the road course for several years, according to one member.
“(SOVREN) members have been instrumental in improving the road race circuit (at Spokane County Raceway). We’ll have over 25 cars (from the Spokane area) participating in the race this weekend,” said Jim Sullivan, who will be behind the wheel of his Alfa Romeo during racing activities.
Other area drivers expected to race during SOVREN’s Festival of Speed include Bruce Hunt (Porsche 914), Art Metz (Datsun 240Z), Paul Jaremko (Datsun), Rick Larner (Triumph TR4), Rob Vincent (Alfa Romeo) and Kevin Shaha (Porsche 914).
For more information regarding the weekend’s Festival of Speed at Spokane County Raceway, log onto spokanecountyraceway.com or sovrenracing.com.
Rookies chase Popple
Stateline Speedway’s Late Model division returns to action Saturday night with two rookies among the top five in the chase for the championship.
Harley Kellogg, who cut his teeth in karting before moving onto Scaled Late Models, and Corey McGuire, who graduated from Sunset Speedway’s dirt karting ranks, are chasing points leader Justin Popple for the coveted championship trophy.
Popple captured the runner-up position in last year’s championship standings, finishing within a handful of points to winner Nicole Behar.
Holding down the second-place position in the standings, McGuire sits nine points behind Popple (198-189) with the weekend ahead. Fifth-place Kellogg is 23 markers behind. Ricky Nelson (third place and 20 back of Popple) and Rob Vinning (21 back) are also in the chase.
In the Bandolero division, Daniel Watkins leads the standings pack with Alex Bartlett five points behind.