This seems to be the event that really started things… A recent discussion of this epic event conjured up memories for many FOT that were there, here is a compilation of historical information.
Event Poster, thanks to Chuck Gee
Entry List, thanks to Mike Jackson
Remember those great panoramic photos? Hard to get a good look at it over the Internet, but very cool. If you hover over the picture, you will find controls to zoom in on the bottom, then click and drag the image to move around in it. Thanks to Mike Jackson.
Triumph-reunion-1992-numbered-1
Coverage in the 1992 Vintage Motorsports Annual, thanks to Dean Tetterton.
This one comes courtesy of Steve Belfer, he believes credit is due Reg Barton.
Dan Styduhar was there and captured some great stuff and was kind enough to share.
Enjoy these two videos plus a what he captured on a couple rolls of Kodachrome.
Thanks to Dan Styduhar for the videos and the pictures
And finally, here are some ramblings from folks that were there:
Bill Dentinger:
Far be it from me to make corrections on fine details. I can’t remember if I had breakfast until I look in the mirror.
But I believe 1992 is correct. And, of course, I remember the fine vintage racing in general, your own great performance in particular. Kas was not there that year. He was up at Lime Rock killing Porsches. Bob Tullius was there, and he brought all of the Group 44 equipment, at least one of which, actually showed off out on the track (starting at the back, and quickly moving its way up to the front).
But the thing I remember most about that event was the number of street Triumphs that showed up. Those that did were allowed a Track Tour out on the track, and they seemed to be nose to tail all the way around the circuit. Who can forget Peter Egan’s description of the event in the next issue of Road and Track, which started out something like, “I guess I knew that there were that many Triumphs, but who would have thought that they would all show up…”.
Another fact that bares mentioning is how Mid-Ohio stepped up to the plate, as they were shocked at how many folks showed up for the event. At the Saturday night Track Banquet they ended up feeding a lot more people than they could have planned for. But they pulled it off. I remember the line waiting to get to the food. It seemed to be a mile long, from the tent down near the false grid, all the way back up to the grassy paddock area. And who do you think was at the end of the line? Bob Tullius! I asked him, “Bob! You’re a VIP. You belong at the head of the line.” He looked at me and said something like, “Nope! I’m happy here. I do not want to miss of second of this.”
It was a very special event.
Glen Efinger:
I remember it well, it took me 3 days to haul the TR-6 up there with the old Land Rover.
It was a GREAT weekend!
Mike Jackson:
Charlie Kates’ old TR4 is now owned and extremely well driven by Mark Wheatley. It is a joy to see it every time its at the track with us.
I dont want to bore everyone with a hundred stories of that ’92 weekend. But, here’s my favorite..
Charlie and I remain great friends even tho he races some Japanese thingy now. We had been running literally door handle to door handle all weekend long and having a great time at it. His wife Betty passed away some years ago but she and my wife Sandy were on the hillside at the keyhole for the “big” race that weekend. During the race as we continued to come thru the corner either nose to tail or side by side Betty says to Sandy “I sure am glad Charlie doesn’t take this too seriously and only does it for fun”. Sandy bit her lip and said nothing. After the race she got Charlie off to the side and told him that he would “owe her forever” for not explaining to Betty just how seriously we did, in fact, take it.
Ok, one more… in the paddock he blipped the throttle and it ran up more like an F1 car of the era. “Charlie you POS, it’s supposed to have a flywheel on it!” His reply “It does”…. “Well it’s supposed to have a weight at least in two digits”….”It does! Eight point five”
Dear God, there are so many more Charlie Kates stories both that weekend and thru the years.