Motorsports Market Historic Racing`We have been racing historic, "vintage", racing cars for the past 15 years. These cars have ranged from 356 Porsches, to Lightweight Jaguar E-Types. We have raced Lotus, Cooper, and Lola Formula Juniors, Lister Chevys, Lister Jaguars, Austin Healeys, Porsche RSR's, Dodge Vipers, Ralt and March Formula Atlantic cars, and more. We race because it is our passion, and our business. Below are some of the highlights from our recent racing programs. Jaguar Vintage Racing Team From left to right: Driver, Bob Hebert; Team Manager and Lead Engineer, Brian Donovan; In 2003, Jaguar launched the Jaguar vintage Racing Team. Jaguar, already racing in Formula One and Trans Am at the time, became the first first manufacturer to have its own vintage racing team. The team, managed by Brian Donovan of Donovan Motorsports, has been campaining two historic Lightweight E-Type racing cars at select major vintage races throughout the U.S. for the past several years with great success. Motorsports Market's Bob Hebert and Art Hebert were chosen as the Jaguar Team drivers. Bob races the Ex-Huffaker prepared 1967 E-Type roadster, which won an SCCA Championship in the late 1960's. Art drives the 1961 E-Type hard top roadster, which raced in the Northeast in the early 1960's. Bob, one of the most successful vintage racers in the U.S. with over 100 victories, is now offering personal coaching and race car set up services. Coaching Services The team has won, or finished first in class, at every track they have raced including; Sebring, Watkins Glen, Road America, Lime Rock Park, Sears Point/Infineon, California Speedway, Virginia International Raceway, Moroso, Summit Point, and others. The historic racing program has been a success for Jaguar, their fans, and the vintage racing community. Jaguar has brought sponsorship to several major vintage races, and has introduced thousands of new fans to the sport of vintage car racing. The success of the E-Types on the track has also generated international publicity for the marque. If you attend a vintage auto race in the U.S., Make sure to stop by and say
hello. We would be happy to show you the cars and introduce you to the team. Great Cars: Jaguar Vintage Racing Video - Infineon Raceway Automobile Magazine article on Jaguar Racing Team Marin Indepedent Journal Article on Art Hebert and Motorsports Market Formula Junior Racing In 2006, Motorsports Market acquired a 1963 Lola Mk.5A Formula Junior. It is chassis number BRJ 59, which the FIA papers show to be the ex-Bill Bradely Lola. Bradley finished 5th with the car at Monaco in 1963, and also won the Irish Championship that same year with the Lola. The car is currently powered by a proper 1100 c.c. Cosworth Ford engine, with a Hewland Mk.4, five speed gearbox. In 2006 we won our first race with the car. The next race we finished first in class, and second overall to a 1963 F1 Cooper. We finished the year with another second place. In 2007 we only raced the car twice, winning, and finishing second. 2008 was the 50th anniversary of Formula Junior. We raced the car in several 50th Anniversary Championship Races, including the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, and the Wine Country Classic at Infineon Raceway. The Lola claimed seven victories and two second places out of nine total races. We also set the Formula Junior track record at Infineon, which still stands. In 2009, we did not race the Lola. However, we were back racing the Lola in 2010. We qualified 2nd, by less than .05 seconds, at the inaugural Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at Infineon Raceway. We won the race against some of the quickest Formula Juniors in the U.S., and against the more powerful Formula One cars of the period. See the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival article, and Sports Car Digest article, below. Video: Art Hebert and Lola Mk.5A winning the Wine Country Classic Lola on the pole at the Monterey Historics 50th Anniversary Formula Junior Feature Race Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival Article In 2011, We again qualified 2nd at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at Infineon Raceway. Track conditions at race time were tricky, with the first half of the course fairly dry, and the second half wet from the morning rains. Working with Scott Drnek of Virtuoso Performance out of Hayward, CA, we made last minute chassis changes to adapt to the constantly changing track conditions. We got it right and won the race for the second year in a row against a great field of Formula One cars and Formula Juniors. The weekend also included a Comcast Sports Net Live interview. See the link below. Comcast SportsNet Interview with Greg Papa and Art Hebert Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival Victory at Infineon Raceway  In 2009, we acquired a 1961 Lotus 20/22 Formula Junior, chassis number 20-J-935. It was originally raced out of Millerton New York, where Lotus East ran their U.S. racing headquarters. We prepared the car and raced it at the 2009 CSRG Charity Challenge at Infineon Raceway, finishing second in the featured Formula Junior race, splitting two Lotus 27's and finishing ahead of two Lola Mk.5A's, another Lotus 27, and several Lotus 22 Formula Juniors. Video: Art Hebert and Lotus 20/22 lap of Infineon Raceway Formula Atlantic Racing Motorsports Market acquired this Ralt RT1 in 2006. This is Chassis #5, the first Ralt Formula Atlantic car constructed. The 1,100 lb. monocoque chassis is powered by a 1600 c.c., 226 h.p. Cosworth BDD with a Hewland FT-400, five speed, gearbox. From 1975 through 1979, the car won the Macau Grand Prix, the Phillipines Grand Prix, the Selangor Grand Prix, the Penang Grand Prix and the Brunei Grand Prix. We qualified the car for the Historic Formula One race at Infineon Raceway ahead of several, newer, F1 machines. Unfortunately, a split water hose ended a great run during the race. The car has since been sold and restored to a very high level by Virtuoso Performance in Hayward, CA. The Ralt is currently being campaigned in U.S. vintage races.  Motorsports Market acquired this March 79B in 2011. This is Chassis #21, one of the last flat bottom March Formula Atlantic cars built. The 1,100 lb. monocoque chassis is powered by a 1600 c.c., 240 h.p. Cosworth BDD with a Hewland FT-200, five speed, gearbox. This car was originally raced in the Candadian Formula Atlantic Series before coming to the U.S. and being used as a training car for hopeful future Indy Car drivers. Thereafter, the car was restored by Virtuouso Performance, and serviced by them for a private client. In partnership with Virtuoso Peformance, we ran the car in the spring of 2011, winning the Formula Atlantic feature race at Infineon Raceway, our first race with the car.  Motorsports Market acquired the Chevron B39 in 2012. This is Chassis #9, a factory Chevron/Fred Opert Team car. Opert ran the car in the 1977-78 Labatts Formula Atlantic Pro Series. This B39 was raced by future Formula one World Champion, Keke Rosberg, as well as F1 drivers Didier Pironi, and Jacques Laffite. The B39 ran the famous Excita livery for both Rosberg and Pironi. It also ran with red, Ramada Inn, livery for Laffite. In our first outing with the car, the Lime Rock Vintage Fall Festival in 2012, We managed to finish first in the Formula Atlantic race, and turned lap times quicker than most of the F1 cars in the Historic Grand Prix F1 feature race. Future plans include returning the car to its Excita livery, and racing the car in further Formula Atlantic events. | ||||
