Randy Hale wins in # 31 ex-Whelen Corvette at Road Atlanta
The Trans Am at Road Atlanta offered a welcome refuge for older Corvettes.
# 31 Randy Hale from Old Saybrook CT in New England ventured south to win the XGT class in a C6 Corvette built by Ted Marsh that Sonny Whelen drove in the Rolex Grand Am Sports Car and the SCCA World Challenge Series.
With the 850 HP TA entries getting sparse, Trans Am organizers have filled the grid by creating XGT and SGT classes for older cars like this. They are also suited for SCCA Club Racing that culminates at the annual Runoffs.
# 48 Jason Hart finished second in XGT in an older C6 ZO6 that was converted from street use by G-Speed, a specialty shop in Cresson Texas.
# 51 Don McMillon from Texarkana TX finished fourth in SGT, a similar class suited for older cars but built to a lesser GT3 spec that is becoming popular.
All in all, the hair-splitting distinctions between XGT and SGT is a boon for Corvette fans, in this case by attracting 6 Corvettes in total, or about a third of the entire field.
# 23 Amy Ruman from Stow OH soldiered on to fourth place in the top TA class completing 39 laps, one shy of the leaders.
# 20 Chris Dyson from Poughkeepsie NY won the race outright for a good start on his way to a repeat championship.
# 30 Richard Grant from Germantown TN was fifth, 2 laps back while relishing the role of dad & uncle to family racing Porsches in the above-mentioned SGT class.
# 17 Jose Chocron from Panama City Panama showed some pace but was a DNF, classified sixth in a C5 updated with a C6 nose.
Photos thanks to Chris Clark
The long haul and high gas prices suggest that Ruman Racing will be the only TA Corvette at Laguna Seca scheduled for April 23-24.
Bonus Coverage by Dave Ferguson
Five (5) noteworthy Corvettes appeared at the SVRA Road Atlanta Speed Tour.
Kent Hussey, Atlanta-based Collector/Racer brought # 55, a C4 1984 IMSA Dillon tube frame chassis cloaked in a rare silhouette wide-body. It was the last Corvette built and raced by the late Dave Heinz. Sponsored and co-driven by the late Jim Truman from Columbus OH, founder of budget hotel chain Red Roof Inns. Refurbished by Ray Evernham in 2019. Corvette racing legend Johnny O’Connell was behind the wheel in SVRA Group 10.
Kent also brought # 60, a C4 1995 designed and built by Callaway Engineering for Rocky Agusta (ITA) that saw action at Le Mans. It later went to Almo Copelli (UK) who added wide-body and other upgrades. Copelli raced this brute at Le Mans and also in the US SCCA World Challenge Series. A number of technical glitches were encountered by Lance Miller of Carlisle Events who had it imported to the states in 2011. Current owner Kent Hussey is getting closer to sorting things out but not yet ready to race.
Scott Borchetta from Nashville TN has dominated SVRA Group 6 since acquiring this # 1 C3 1969 Roadster in early 2021. It was built by folks at Troy Promotions in Michigan for Curt Wetzel, a Pan Am pilot to race in Europe. (The same Troy Promotions crew that built the two 1969 Corvettes for Tony DeLorenzo and Jerry Thompson of the famed Owens-Corning Racing Team). Scott replicated the novel shades of purple & white paint scheme designed by stylist Randy Wittine.
Matthew Butson from Snohomish WA won SVRA Group 10 in this # 24 C7 bodied SCCA GT-1 tube frame on loan from constructor/racer Rick Dittman.
Rick Ortman from Kokomo Indiana raced # 26 C4 1990 World Challenge Corvette in SVRA Group 12a.
