With “Entrance Row” Joe Nemechek appropriately on the pole and one of the well-known households in all of motorsports presiding over the celebration, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) paid tribute to NASCAR’s seventy fifth Anniversary in an enormous means Saturday on the forty fifth HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Highway Atlanta (MRRA).
Based in 1948, NASCAR marks its seventy fifth Anniversary in 2023, and this weekend’s HSR Mitty is only one a part of the year-long celebration. Historic Inventory Vehicles have been a significant a part of HSR occasions at Michelin Raceway in recent times, however Saturday’s NASCAR 75 tribute set a brand new customary. The occasion attracted an HSR entry of greater than 50 historic and classic inventory vehicles for each competitors and exhibition laps on the two.54-mile highway course North of Atlanta.
The enduring Wooden Brothers Racing household was the right alternative for this weekend’s Grand Marshal duties. Eddie Wooden and Len Wooden – the sons of the late Glen Wooden who based the crew over 70 years in the past – joined their equally legendary Uncle Leonard Wooden in representing the household on the forty fifth Mitty on Saturday.
The NASCAR 75 function occasions are additionally the second annual Gene Felton Memorial Problem races, which honor the late highway racing star and 2019 HSR Mitty Grand Marshal Gene Felton. Nemechek gained the inaugural Gene Felton Memorial race final yr and made his repeat bid just a little bit simpler by successful the pole for Saturday’s race.
Nemechek led a subject of 35 HSR Group 8 Historic Inventory Automotive rivals to the inexperienced flag for Saturday’s featured dash and stayed there till the checkered flag. He pulled off the flag-to-flag victory in his
NEMCO Motorsports 2007 No. 22 Chevrolet Silverado however the win was removed from straightforward as prime HSR common Curt Vogt pressured Nemechek to the end in his Cobra Automotive 2006 No. 38 Ford Fusion.
Vogt crossed the end line in second place simply 1.114 seconds behind Nemechek whereas Joe Burke was even nearer to the No. 38 to safe a detailed third in his 2006 No. 48 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.
Together with a strong prove of rivals and race followers, a number of NASCAR and IMSA Executives had been among the many enthusiastic attendees Saturday. The group included NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France, NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton, IMSA President John Doonan, IMSA CEO and NASCAR EVP, Chief Administrative Officer Ed Bennett and a number of other different Daytona-based executives who had been welcomed by MRRA President Rick Humphrey and HSR President David Hinton.
The second and last Gene Felton Memorial Problem NASCAR 75 function race of the forty fifth HSR Mitty weekend is scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
The NASCAR 75/Gene Felton Memorial Inventory Automotive function race co-headlined Saturday’s schedule with the one-hour B.R.M. Chronographes Endurance Problem for the Prototype, Historic and GT Fashionable (GTM) divisions. The general and Prototype-class victory went to Francesco Melandri and Nigel Greensall within the 2017 No. 24 Fransco Racing Ligier JS/P3.
Mark Brummond secured the GTM win in his No. 101 Lamborghini Tremendous Trofeo, ending a strong seventh general behind a string of faster Prototypes.
Historic class honors went to the successful 1995 No. 63 Mazda RX-7 of Jeff Dernehl.
