The Mitty

One of the longest-standing ‘vintage’ race meetings in America, the Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Mitty saw one of the biggest editions in the event’s nearly 50-year history come to a competitive conclusion on 28 April with more than a dozen HSR Feature Race winners crowned in the final two days of competition at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, one of America’s favourite circuits.  Nearly every generation of sports and racing category from the last 60 years was represented at the three-day blockbuster event that showcased “The Cars of Japan” as this year’s Featured Marque.

Photo HSR/Jessica Johnk

One of two competitors doubling up on HSR Feature race wins at the Mitty was Todd Treffert in his Porsche 911, who added the overall and GT Classic wins in Sunday’s B.R.M. Endurance Challenge race to his Friday Sasco Sports overall and Porsche class victories.

The weekend’s other double Feature Race winner was Cory Friedman and his Autometrics team in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.  Friedman won Sunday’s Global GT sprint and co-drove with Shannon Heford to the GT Modern (GTM) win in Saturday’s B.R.M. Endurance Challenge one-hour race.

Saturday’s Cars of Japan Feature Race was an exhibition run for more than 40 cars of all types from Datsun/Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Honda/Acura and more.  Although no trophies or points were awarded, Mazda Heritage Collection drivers Jonathan Bomarito and Tom Long definitely stole the spotlight, in mighty 1989 Mazda 767B and 1991 Mazda RX-7 GTO respectively.  After Long went to the front for a few laps, the Mazda duo formed up to take the chequered flag side-by-side in a nearly perfect photo finish.  The Mazda Heritage Collection cars and drivers were on track and on display all weekend and were one of the most popular attractions of the event.  The Grand Marshal of the 46th HSR Mitty was recently retired and longtime HSR President David Hinton, who gave the traditional ‘Drivers, start your engines’ command for the ‘race’.

Hinton, who is also the owner and principal of historic and vintage racing team Heritage Motorsports, remains a popular regular in the HSR paddock.  He was also presented during Friday night’s Mitty competitor social mixer at the track with the HSR Mitty Award for the competitor that best typifies the adventurous spirit of the fictitious daredevil daydreamer, Walter Mitty, who is the namesake and inspiration for the 46-year-old HSR Mitty extravaganza.