Martin
06-16-2008, 06:29 PM
BLACKHAWK FARMS RACEWAY: 16th Vintage Classic
Drivers vintage, too
These older weekend warriors drive racing's legendary cars
By Jim Franz
Sports Editor
SOUTH BELOIT - It's billed as a vintage car event this weekend at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, but it's not just the cars.
Many of the drivers are vintage, too.
Mauri Henricks, 82 years young, isn't the fastest driver on the course, but he just may be having the most fun.
“When you have a job working with people every day you appreciate the singular nature of racing,” the Kokomo, Ind., native said Friday after several laps at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. “It's just you behind the wheel doing your own thing.”
Henricks' car was one of the most impressive on the track Friday. A 1963 Lotus Super 7 with the number 007 on the side, it has been restored to pristine condition. Henricks had the car restored in 1999. It was supposed to be done over a winter so he could race it that summer.
Instead, it took about three years before the job was completed. But it was worth it.
“That's the original aluminum skin,” said Henricks, who started club racing in 1966 and is a veteran Blackhawk Farms racer. “They restored it carefully, rivet by rivet. There are some other Lotuses here that are much quicker than I am, but they got a little more help in their restoration. I've got no malice about that. I just wanted to stay pretty close to the original.”
If you're wondering about the “007,” Henricks points out that Lotus cars were used in several James Bond films, not just the Aston Martins.
“I'm going to do this as long as I can,” he said. “I enjoy doing a lot of other things, too, but this a very fascinating hobby and a lot of fun.”
There were dozens of unique cars turning laps in their respective classes during Friday's practice, everything from a muscle car Mustang to a Bugatti and everything in between.
“There will be all different kinds of cars here this weekend,” Backhawk Farms Raceway General Manager Ron Ehrenhofer said. “People who know cars will recognize a lot of them - the MGs, Lotuses and Triumphs, but they won't be able to tell some of the others.”
Tucker Madawick of Bloomington, Ind., stumped Ehrenhofer with his green-and-white 1959 Elva Courier.
“The paint job fooled me,” Ehrenhofer said. “Those are Lotus colors.”
This is Madawick's first time at Blackhawk Farms. In his 60's, he has his own business in Bloomington repairing and restoring classic British sports cars and European touring cars.
“I love this track,” Madawick said of Blackhawk Farms. “I'll show up anywhere there's a race, but this one really looks like it's going to be fun.”
Ehrenhofer received plenty of favorable comments about his own vehicle. He was motoring around the paddock area in his own 1929 Model A Ford. He doesn't race it, but it was used in the background during filming of Johnny Depp's new movie, “Public Enemy.” Tom Hanks and Jude Law sat in the backseat during a scene of the film “Road to Perdition.”
“I'll leave the racing to the other guys here this weekend,” Ehrenhofer said. “It's a thrill for them. They have a ball.”
Source:
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2008/06/14/sports/sports01.txt
Drivers vintage, too
These older weekend warriors drive racing's legendary cars
By Jim Franz
Sports Editor
SOUTH BELOIT - It's billed as a vintage car event this weekend at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, but it's not just the cars.
Many of the drivers are vintage, too.
Mauri Henricks, 82 years young, isn't the fastest driver on the course, but he just may be having the most fun.
“When you have a job working with people every day you appreciate the singular nature of racing,” the Kokomo, Ind., native said Friday after several laps at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. “It's just you behind the wheel doing your own thing.”
Henricks' car was one of the most impressive on the track Friday. A 1963 Lotus Super 7 with the number 007 on the side, it has been restored to pristine condition. Henricks had the car restored in 1999. It was supposed to be done over a winter so he could race it that summer.
Instead, it took about three years before the job was completed. But it was worth it.
“That's the original aluminum skin,” said Henricks, who started club racing in 1966 and is a veteran Blackhawk Farms racer. “They restored it carefully, rivet by rivet. There are some other Lotuses here that are much quicker than I am, but they got a little more help in their restoration. I've got no malice about that. I just wanted to stay pretty close to the original.”
If you're wondering about the “007,” Henricks points out that Lotus cars were used in several James Bond films, not just the Aston Martins.
“I'm going to do this as long as I can,” he said. “I enjoy doing a lot of other things, too, but this a very fascinating hobby and a lot of fun.”
There were dozens of unique cars turning laps in their respective classes during Friday's practice, everything from a muscle car Mustang to a Bugatti and everything in between.
“There will be all different kinds of cars here this weekend,” Backhawk Farms Raceway General Manager Ron Ehrenhofer said. “People who know cars will recognize a lot of them - the MGs, Lotuses and Triumphs, but they won't be able to tell some of the others.”
Tucker Madawick of Bloomington, Ind., stumped Ehrenhofer with his green-and-white 1959 Elva Courier.
“The paint job fooled me,” Ehrenhofer said. “Those are Lotus colors.”
This is Madawick's first time at Blackhawk Farms. In his 60's, he has his own business in Bloomington repairing and restoring classic British sports cars and European touring cars.
“I love this track,” Madawick said of Blackhawk Farms. “I'll show up anywhere there's a race, but this one really looks like it's going to be fun.”
Ehrenhofer received plenty of favorable comments about his own vehicle. He was motoring around the paddock area in his own 1929 Model A Ford. He doesn't race it, but it was used in the background during filming of Johnny Depp's new movie, “Public Enemy.” Tom Hanks and Jude Law sat in the backseat during a scene of the film “Road to Perdition.”
“I'll leave the racing to the other guys here this weekend,” Ehrenhofer said. “It's a thrill for them. They have a ball.”
Source:
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2008/06/14/sports/sports01.txt