NASCAR 75th at Road Atlanta

The 45th Historic Sportscar Racing Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta went into the record books as one of the biggest-ever editions of HSR’s oldest and first blockbuster race meetings  after an exciting and competitive weekend of racing on 27-30 April.

Founded in 1948, NASCAR marks its 75th Anniversary in 2023, and HSR’s Mitty was just one part of the year-long celebration.  Saturday’s NASCAR 75 tribute set a new standard, attracting an entry of more than 50 historic stock cars for both competition and exhibition laps on the 2.54-mile circuit North of Atlanta.  The two races also served as the second annual Gene Felton Memorial Challenge, which honours the late road racing star and 2019 HSR Mitty Grand Marshal Gene Felton. 

Joe Nemecheck won the Felton Memorial Challenge in his Chevrolet Silverado

Reigning Gene Felton Memorial Race winner “Front Row” Joe Nemechek won Saturday’s opening round and was out front again in his NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado for the majority of Sunday’s final race until he felt his tyres going off in the closing laps, while Ryan Gemmell, in his Toyota Camry, and long-time HSR competitor Jack Finch, wheeling his 2002 Dodge Charger, were each on new tyres.  After pressuring Nemechek throughout the race, Finch – who had passed the Camry a few laps earlier – and Gemmell both slipped by Nemechek on the uphill run out of Turn 1 on the final lap of the race.

Finch took the overall win for a victory that was popular and appreciated in both the Historic Stock Cars garage and the HSR paddock.  Gemmell finished second while Nemechek’s third place, along with his Saturday victory, was enough to clinch the Gene Felton Award a second time.

emerged victorious in the B.R.M. Chronographes raceAfter 60 minutes of outstanding car control Angus Rogers

In another feature race, early Sunday rain showers saw a robust group of HSR Vintage and GT Classic (GTC) competitors take to a wet and cloudy circuit for a one-hour B.R.M. Chronographes Endurance Challenge race at 8:15am.  After 60 minutes of outstanding car control in tricky conditions by some of HSR’s best drivers, Angus Rogers emerged for the overall and GTC win in his KMW Motorsports Porsche 911 RSR.  Rogers shared the overall podium with Vintage-class winner Colin Dougherty, in his 1988 Porsche Turbo Cup series car prepared by DAS Sport.  The win was Dougherty’s second feature race victory of the weekend after he finished first in the Porsche class in Friday’s Sasco Sports B Race.  Peter Dolan closed out the overall top three and finished second in GTC in his Cobra Automotive Mustang Shelby GT350.

Sunday’s other feature race winner was Mark Brummond who drove his Lamborghini Super Trofeo to victory in the HSR Stoner Car Care Global GT race that brought the meeting to a grand conclusion on Sunday afternoon.  David Richardson finished second in the FlatSix Motorsports Porsche 991 GT3 Cup while Dougherty stepped up in his 2008 Porsche 997 Cup to snag yet another podium with a third place showing with DAS Sport.