2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour October 30 – November 02

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour – Day 1 Thursday October 30

Morning comes slowly to the Sports Car Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) meeting at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). It doesn’t arrive with a sudden roar so much as it creeps in with an increasing glow. The sunlight gleaming through the catch fences, illuminating the grass and the battle-scarred concrete in front of the main tower. Warming the grandstands and bringing the red, white and blue circuit boundaries to life.

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour – Overview

Day 1 of the SpeedTour isn’t about lap records, or trophies. It’s all about people, machines, and the preparation for the weekend of testing, practice, qualifying and racing yet to come. It’s about getting reacquainted with the long, looping ribbon of asphalt on the south side of Austin. The world premiere, 3.426-mile road course known as the Circuit Of The Americas. Winding through the landscape with its long straights and wide corners, it has hosted a variety of motorsport events since its opening in October 2012. Including, MotoGP and Formula One. Now, once again, the SVRA vintage classes and Trans Am series have taken over the grounds the COTA SpeedTour had arrived.

The teams call it “testing,” but it seems more like listening. The cars emerge from their trailers and roll into the staging area sporting stiff springs and cold tires. As the first sessions begin, they launch onto the track, returning later with hot brake rotors, dirty windscreens and an optimum setup that remains elusive—for now.  Speculations abound with each passing lap as scraps of rubber build up on the surfaces of hot, baking tires. Calculated guessing becomes a plan, with small changes aimed at finding a perfect combination of speed and stability. A damper click here, a bit of rake there, a new set of pads, fresh tires. Everyone is flushing out problems, chasing that first comfortable balance between car, driver, and track.

COTA: a photographers viewpoint

 I was doing much the same. It was only my second visit to COTA, and the place was much too big to remember everything. You don’t just look at a circuit like this; you have to walk it, ride it, retrace its shape in your mind.

So, as I’ve done before, I rented a golf cart. Less a luxury and more of a survival tool working a facility built on such a Texas-sized scale. I set out on the twin rim roads that run like ribbons around the course. One of these circles the track on the driver’s right. The other on driver’s left. Between them there is an entire geometric vocabulary of lines, curves and angles. Full-frontal shots, high-speed pans, red-hot brake rotors—if you can imagine the shot. Somewhere out there COTA will give it to you, if you know where to look.

Time of day becomes a critical factor in the decisions about where to shoot from. Before the first engines turn over, I’ve already consulted my sun path calculator. I overlaid onto a photo map of the track to determine where to get started. The wrong location can become a furnace of glare; the right one can be a fully saturated house of magic.

COTA Locations

A few useful locations that I remembered from last year: the cul-de-sac between turns 12 and 15 for early light. The bend past the bridge at 16. Stretches of inner road where the cars face southeast between turns 6 and 7 and between 8 and 10. In the morning, these places are kind. When the sun swings over to the southwest, the south side of the circuit becomes a hall of glare. The apex of Turn 11, or “the Bobby Pin,” is one spot that is usable for most of the day.  In the morning, brightly saturated colors come alive. The grills and number plates bathed in direct sunlight heading into the corner, the rear of the cars lit up on the exit. In the late afternoon the front of each car coming back up the hill toward turn 12 is where the light is.

COTA SpeedTour Testing Groups and Classes – Group A

Each group ran four twenty-minute test sessions. Group A combined several of the classic SVRA Groups. Group 1 contained the small bore cars like the Sprites, Midgets, Mini Cooper, and Triumph Spitfire. In Group 2 we had the Pre-1973 Formula cars of Lotus, Brabham, and Crosslé. Group 3 were pre-1972 sports cars such as MGB, Porsche 356, Morgan, Triumph TR-3 and -4. Group 4 were limited produced cars and racing specials such as the Devin, Maserati, Lotus and other racers. Finally the Group 5(b) small bore World Sports Car Championship cars like the Lotus 23, SRF3S, and Genie.

Testing Group B

Group B was SVRA Group 10, which included the NASCAR Cup and Busch series stock cars. These were loud and heavy, rolling into the corners and launching out of them like warriors. There was also a smattering of others like the Mercedes AMG, sporting a blunt aggression and exhibiting raw power on track. Amongst these powerhouses were some Porsche Cup cars; agile, and fast.

Testing Group C

Group C brought together the rest of SVRA Group 5(a) with Group 7. These are under 2-liter sports cars post-1972 such as Can Am cars. In Group 11 it was mainly prototypes like the Audi R8, and the PSSA (Prototype Sprint Series Association) cars.

Testing Group D

Consisted of SVRA Groups 6, 8 and 12 Group D was a mixed bag. Group 6 is where the big-bore pre-1972 production sports cars live. Corvettes, Shelby GT-350’s, Mustangs, and Camaros. In Group 8 Lotus Super 7, Datsun 240Z, Porsche 911 and 914, and Group 12 finished out the list with GT sports cars raced from 1972 up to 5 years prior to current date. These include the Corvette, Dodge Viper, Mustang, BMW and others. Rounding out a group representing decades of muscle and racing history.

Testing Group E

Group E was the testing group for the International GT series, or “IGT”. This field was dominated by late model Porsches along with a pair of Ferraris. They adding a polished, contemporary sheen to the event.

Testing Group F

Group F was SVRA Group 9, referred to as “Wings and Slicks”. Showcasing post-1973 formula cars ranging from Formula 1, Indy Lights, Formula 5000, Formula Atlantic, Super Vee and others. At once fragile and violent, the entire circuit seemed to inherit echoes of a racing past dominated by these titans of the track.

Each group brought its own set of attributes to the event. The big-bore rumble of Group 6, to the nimble ballet of the IGT and old school charm of the early 70’s formula cars. There was something to be enjoyed in every one of them.

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour – Day 2 Thursday October 31

For the remainder of the event, the testing groups A through F were re-arranged according to the SVRA into their classically sanctioned qualifying/racing groups as follows:

Groups 2 and 5b were matched. In Groups 6, 8 and 12 they all ran together. Groups 5a, 7, 11 and PSSA also continued as they were in Group C. Group 10 ran alone, as did Group 9, and Groups 1. 1FV 3 and 4 formed the final match up.

Group 10 practice session was already on track by the time I had camera in-hand. I was shooting from the inside road a little past turn 6. The sun was lighting up the front of each car. However, because it was already mid-morning, shadows covered the near-facing side of the cars.  It wasn’t perfect, but I did want to get something a little different from the first day. 

Photographing the 2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour

Ritch Marziale was pushing the AMG around for a best time of 2:08.671 in Group 10. Joe Nemechek’s was the next fastest time, coming in around 3 seconds slower. The #05 Chevrolet Corvette driven by David Fershtand had a presence on track that felt less like a car and more like a settled idea. Not the fastest of the bunch in practice but the sleek, red Corvette on course was hard not to admire. Manuel Gil del Real’s 2023 Porsche GT3 Cup made a statement as well. The blue and red livery cutting through a field of stock cars still wearing the colors of their former series. Taken together, it was a nice group to watch and photograph.

“Wings and Slicks” – Group 9

The ”Wings and Slicks” Group 9 cars arrived on a column of sound that sliced through the morning air. The group has become a favorite of mine, in part due to my experiences early on covering the Indianapolis 500. I have always been drawn to the formula and Indy style cars. This event brought together a wide range of stunning examples, representing an equally wide range of racing eras. From the 1972 McKee Mk18 of Tom Simpson, with its proud air intake and formidable low-slung posture, to the 2024 Formula Enterprise 2 driven by Darryl Wills and its modern, high-nose design, suspending the front wing just millimetres above the pavement. 

COTA turn 6

On the test day, I’d managed to capture some fast pans through a cutout in the front straight catch fence. For practice day I chose to stay in the turn 6 area. It was a good choice, with plenty of front-facing sunlight and the red and white track boundary stripes supporting a high-speed appearance. The elevation hid their approach until they were on me. First the helmet and roll hoop appeared, followed by the top of the tires, the nose, and then the rest of the car in a rush of vibrant color and waves of breathtaking sound.

The quickest time of the session was logged by Shane Kennett in his 2006 Swift 016a, impatient, snappy in the corners. Number 44 Kool sponsored 1997 Lola T97/20 was driven by Joel Quadracci. A car that was likely part of the “Team Kool Green” Indy Lights Team in the late 90’s. Looking more like a long smooth brushstroke as it sped by, tracing the edge of stability. Both cars posted times in the 2:07 range.

COTA turn 9

Frequently moving up and down the rim road afforded me a variety of looks. By the time the next group was out I found myself inside turn 9.  Nineteen of the thirty-two entries in this mash-up hailed from Group 1 or 1b (1FV), representing twelve different manufacturers. Names like Lynx, Zink, Pegasus, and Austin (Mini Cooper and Healey). Autodynamics, Crusader, Zeitler and RCA. Caldwell, Taylor Stewart and Warrior. 

Group 3 was also well represented with nine entries. Including a Lotus Super 7 and Cortina, several Porsche 914’s, an MGB, an Austin Healey 3000, a Triumph Spitfire, and a Datsun 510. 

Finally there was Group 4, showcasing some real gems. Dan Chapman’s lovely 1965 Brabham BT8 posting the quickest session time. Steve Yarborough was just behind in the seemingly immortal 1959 Devin 295. This car has gone through a lot this year but keeps on truckin’. Also in attendance was the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette driven by George Wright, along with Piers Gormly’s 1959 Anderson Byers Special. 

IGT practice was full of GT3 Cup and Cayman Clubsport Porsches, along with a pair of Ferrari 488 Challenge EVO’s. The quickest times came in around the 2:12 and 2:13 range. Fastest was John Boyette in a 2019 GT3 Cup. Number 11b, sporting a black and yellow livery with a honeycomb pattern on the sides. The other sub-2:13 time belonged to Roberto Della Costa.  His GT3 Cup was newer (2023) but about three tenths slower than Boyette’s. 

Most of the top ten times were posted by GT3 Cup Porsches from various years ranging from 2019 to 2025. The remainder of the field saw Brad Evans’ 2024 Ferrari 488 Challenge EVO posting the ninth fastest time just shy of 2:16. The Caymans, the slower GT3’s and the other Ferrari filled out the field.

COTA turn 12

IGT was in the paddock and it was time for TA2 and TA/GT to shine, putting in their test sessions and taking us into the lunch hour. There was a lot of shadow and glare when shooting south as the cars approached. From inside the corner the exit proved to be much better, with cars bathed in rich sunlight, saturating the colors. I continued down the track away from the apex, taking advantage of the slightly uphill vantage point on the long straight that led into turn 12.

The TA2 cars, with powerplants boasting around 530hp, roared by in one of the fastest areas of track. The top time of the session was posted by Nathan Herne in the Owosso Speedway/BlueGold Industries Toyota Camry, at 2:10.333. Next in line was Thomas Merrill, never too far from the hunt, in the HP Tuners/Franklin Road/Cope Chevrolet Camaro.  Most of the rest were in the 2:11 to 2:17 range for testing.

COTA turn 13

I was still searching for more angles, and before the end I moved to the outside of turn 13. I caught the end of TA2 and the start of the TA/GT optional test session. The sun was high and the shadows tight. Moving further down the track into the turn 15/16 area, this is a good place for some high-speed pans.

I had the sun at my back, photographing through the fence somewhere between the 18th and 19th turns. At these speeds the cars seemed like warriors doing battle in an octane-induced round of full-throttle action. Their paint schemes glistened as the sun beat down on the cars without the slightest sympathy for the heat building up inside. 

Brabham Dynasty

The fastest of the bunch was Matthew Brabham, whose family has long been involved in auto racing at various levels. His grandfather, Jack Brabham, was a three time Formula One champion in the late 50’s/early 60’s.

Father Geoff Brabham achieved success in IMSA, winning four GTP championship titles in the late 80s/early 90s. His uncle, David, also won class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He would also go onto win the Australian Drivers’ Championship in 1987, British Formula 3 Championship in 1989, All-Japan GT Championship in 1996, and the American Le Mans Series in 2009 (P1 class) and again in 2010 in the LMP class. 

Matthew won the 2012 USF 2000 National Championship, the 2013 Pro Mazda Championship, and was a three-time champion in Stadium Super Trucks in 2018, 2019 and 2021. He has raced in the Trans Am series since 2021 and has logged seat time in the IMSA Sportscar Championship LMP2 class.

In the test session he posted a blistering 2:04.378 just ahead of a slower but still very fast Tomy Drissi, who clocked a 2:05.842 quick lap. Another familiar name, Adam Andretti, graced the top 3 posting a 2:06.092. Quite the delivery. Paul Menard was close to matching Andretti’s time with a 2:06.222, taking fourth in the session.

COTA turn 11 and 12

After lunch I returned to a trusted spot between turns 11 and 12 as the second cycle of the day began with a slew of qualifying sessions. Starting with Groups 2 and 5b and ending the day with the TA2 and TA/GT final test sessions. The Groups 2 and 5b session saw the top three spots filled with Brabhams. Geoff Brabham in the ’71 BT35-31 took pole with a lap time of 2:16.351. Ron Hornig took second in another ’71 BT35 with a 2:22.130. Third went to R. Bruce Hamilton in a 1970 BT30/36 with a 2:23.961 quickest lap time.  Number 29 of Patrick Flynn, was not far behind with a 2:25.939 quick lap time in a Van Diemen. Swifts, Crosslés and others rounded out the exceptional field of 31 to set up the starting order for their sprint race to be held on Saturday.

Group 6/8/12 qualifying

The action continued with an abundance of muscle cars and a wide range of makes in the Group 6/8/12 qualifying session. Peter Klutt’s classic 1971 Chevrolet Corvette was running in 6GT and qualified first. Wade Koehl 2002 Dodge Viper in the 12aMP3 class qualified second.

Jon DeGaynor’s stunning black 1960 Devin Evolution was one notable car in a stunning group. Shelby, Panoz, BMW, Jaguar, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Toyota, Datsun and Ford made up a great set of entries. What an outstanding group to watch and even more fun to photograph.

This area of the track provided speed on the straights for capturing pan shots and body flexes into the corners that at times seem more like ballet than racing. The cars launched past the apex and sped through the gears as their engines roared to life down the straight, disappearing over the hill on their way to the next corner in a succession of corners yet to come. 

Matt Brabham taking a break from Trans Am, qualifying #33 Mike Donahue’s ’63 Corvette Roadster in 4th. In 2018, he and Donahue took the car to victory (ahead of Matt’s father, Geoff) in Indianapolis at the Indy Legends Celebrity Pro Am.

PSSA qualifying session turn 11

Group 5a, 7, 11, PSSA qualifying session began following a short delay between sessions. First in my viewfinder was Jim Cope’s 2012 Elan DP02 open cockpit, open wheel racer. Jim qualified a respectable seventh with a lap time of 2:10.719 competing in the 11GTP3 class. 

Next was Keith Frieser in his #20 2009 Zytek GZ09SC/LMP1, putting that car into the pole position with a lap time of 2:01.674. The 2021 Radical SR10 of Judd Miller took second position. Joel Quadracci piloting his 2013 Oreca 03 took third spot. 

NuArt CanAm and the Unlimited Racing Championship

Another car that I remember from last year’s race was the 2007 NuArt CanAm of Mark Hannifin. There were two on track for the 2024 COTA SpeedTour and I remember thinking that these were works of automotive art with their sleek lines cutting through the air.  Similar in appearance was Tom Grunnah’s 2007 Relco CanAm. Although both cars are less than 20 years of age, they preserve the image of the 1970’s Can Am road racing giants and compete in the Unlimited Racing Championship series. It is unclear whether or not this series is still active, but I would love to see more of these running in SVRA in the future. The location inside T11 was an excellent place to catch side views and angled front shots, so I continued to cover the session from here.

COTA turn 15 / 16 and 2

I was on the move again ahead of Group 10 qualifying. First to the turn 15/16 area and then to a new spot, the bottom of the hill outside turn 2. From here the entire downward stretch coming out of turn 1 was visible, complete with a United States garrison flag in the background. 

Capturing large groups together in the first lap or two before things got spread out was my priority. Another option from here was high-speed, angled pans as they entered into the sweeping turn 2. 

Manuel Gil del Real took the pole in his #27- 2023 Porsche GT3 Cup with a time of 2:12.170. Ritch Marziale in that 2016 AMG GT3 took second spot. Third place went to stock car veteran Joe Nemechek in a 2006 Toyota Camry.

Staying at the bottom of the hill for Group 9, I shot through a well-placed cutout. Swifts dominated the top of the grid taking four of the top five positions, led by Clay Dellacava in the #21 2006 Swift Atlantic 016.

Group 1,3,4 and 1FV Qualifying

The final qualifying session of the day  featured Groups 1, 1FV, 3 and 4. Stefan Schluter in the tangerine-colored Porsche 914-4 set the quickest time.  These groups consist of cars such as Steve Yarborough’s Devin 295 and the Austin Healey Sprite driven by David Lee. Others included Piers Gormly’s Anderson Byers Special and a Chevrolet Corvette driven by George Wright. All four of these race cars are 1959 year models. The latest entry was the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle driven by Bryan Scheible. Bryan was pulling double duty competing in the TA2 series as well.

Piers Gormly – Byers Special

The Piers Gormly entry is interesting in that it is a one-off racer. Designed by Jim Byers in the 1950’s as a kit body to be fitted onto a customer supplied chassis and given a power plant. This particular Byers kit came to life on a Volvo PV chassis and was fitted with a B20 2-liter Volvo engine. Modified for full race performance it produced around 180 bhp. The motor was coupled to a Quaife 4-speed transmission and was rebuilt by Ole Anderson in the early 2000’s. Gormly has owned this car since 2017 and continues to race it at vintage events.  What a gem.

Dan Chapman – BT8

Securing pole for the sprint race was another gem, Dan Chapman’s dark blue 1965 Brabham BT8. Chassis number SC-2-65 was built for Peter Revson to drive in the 1965 racing season and then for Skip Barber in 1966. SC-2-65 went through several hands and at least one engine replacement (2-litre Coventry Climax to an Alfa Romeo powerplant), unknown if that engine has been restored to an original equipment Coventry or not. I’ll have to ask Dan about that next time.

Dan put the car in the show with a quick lap time of 2:38.136. Steve Yarborough was in second place time of 2:42.898 in the Devin 295. This car has quite a story to tell this year after being stuffed into the wall at Sebring during its first time out. Undergoing a miraculous front-end rebuild by Dave Asher, Steve’s mechanic and sometimes race car driver of the Crosslé, it was soon racing again at the NOLA SpeedTour in a desert rust primer “livery” replacing its original maroon paint. Continuing on an eastern US tour culminating in the 2025 finale at COTA, its metamorphosis is now complete and with a fresh coat of gloss red paint. I have watched most of its transformation up to now. 

Third place on the grid went to Stefan Schluter in the Porsche 914 with a time of 2:43.766.  The groups were now all set and ready for the sprint race. That was it for me, the IGT sprint race followed but I left the track after the last SVRA qualifying was complete. 

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour Day 3 – Saturday November 01

I was asked to assist with the driver photos for the Bell Helmet awards on Sunday. This would be my final day of shooting trackside. I started the day outside turn 11, shooting through a cutout. Group 6/8/12 and Group 5a/7/11/PSSA sessions were completed before I arrived at the track. 

Group 10 Qualifying

Up next Group 10 were qualifying for their Sunday Bell Gold Helmet Race. My intention was to get some good tire hop and body flex shots of this and other upcoming groups. The #27 Porsche of Manuel Gil del Real was once again at the top of the grid and looked very good coming out of the Bobby Pin corner. David Fershtand’s ’06 Corvette was also fast, behind the #27 by less than a second. Third place on the grid went to Curt Vought in the #6A Mark Martin livery 1997 Ford Thunderbird, posting a lap time of 2:20.079.

Group 9 Qualifying

Shane Kennett was .041” away from breaking the 2-minute mark to qualify his 2006 Swift 016a on the Group 9 pole ahead of Joel Quadracci in the Lola T97/20. Joel logged 2:04 and some change to secure second spot. Charles Livingston of Arrive Drive Motorsports put his 2013 JDR JDR-002 in third with a 2:06.617 quick lap time. I was able to catch a few group shots and an occasional tire lift here and there.

Notable cars in the COTA SpeedTour Group 9

Two 70’s era racers running in Group 9 caught my attention. Tom Simpson was the first in the #77, a 1972 McKee Mk18. The car spent several years being driven in F5000 and Formula A and SCCA national events. It was then modified to race in Can-Am (a very odd modification from the photos that I have seen). Eventually it was restored to its original glory, save the color, to be run in vintage races. 

Second was a 1978 Lola T620 driven by Adair McOran-Campbell. Originally built to compete in the Pro Super Vee category. This replaced the older generation Formula Ford cars with a more modern Formula Atlantic configuration. This is one of twenty-six produced, and may very well be chassis #HU 18, driven in the 1978 Bosch Gold Cup and Mini series. I cannot confirm that 100% without talking with the owner, which I never got a chance to do. Some notable drivers of the Lola T620 in the 1978 season include Tim Richmond, Arie Luyendyk, Bob Lazier, Jo Gartner and Herm Johnson.  

Groups 1, 1FV, 3, 4 second qualifying

Body flex and tire hops were more common in the Groups 1, 1FV, 3, 4 second qualifying session. One car giving me consistent “poses” was Mark Arnold’s  #80 1967 MG Midget, a beautiful example of the model in black and gold. Other lifters and flexers were Stefan Schluter’s Porsche, the 1965 Lotus Cortina of Michael Mott, even Dan Chapman gave me a little tire-wave. 

COTA turn 11

After catching that action I slid around to the other side of turn 11, looking up-track as they crested the hill. This is one of the signature photographs at COTA with the observation tower and Texas flag in the distance.

Groups 2/5b were back for their Bell Gold Helmet Race qualifying round, and I continued shooting from the same cutout. First in my view was the #3b 1985 FF Swift DB1 of Stuart Crow. Next through was the #29 1990 VanDiemen RF 90 driven by Patrick Flynn and the #76 1970 Brabham BT30/36 of R Bruce Hamilton, one of my favorite cars to see at this year’s COTA SpeedTour.

Bruce Hamilton – BT30/36-27

Since last year I have uncovered the racing pedigree of this car. Officially, this chassis is listed as a BT30, chassis #27. Originally built for Bob Jane in the 1971 season in Australia. However, due to delays with the Jane 2-liter engine, it was completed with a 2-litre Waggott TC/4V engine and FT200 gearbox. It was finally run at the Australian Gran Prix by John Harvey as a full-spec BT36.  Now it is owned and driven by R. Bruce Hamilton who drove it in the US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. It was a pleasure to watch and continues to be a beautiful and active piece of racing history.

Ric Baribeault – Hawke DL6B

Another gorgeous entry was the 1971 Hawke DL6B driven by Ric Baribeault. The Hawke was not a particularly successful car in its time. It was raced in the 1971 Canadian Formula B series by Gary Magwood and in the 1972 season by Don Mason. Likely owned by Ludwig Heimrath until 1992, it went through several hands until landing with Ron Hornig. Ron had it restored and maintained and then finally sold it to its current owner. It was the second of three Hawkes built and the first of the B version designed to race in Canada.

Geoff Brabham put the #83 1971 Brabham BT35-31 on pole for the helmet race. Followed by Tonis Kasemets in his 1969 Brabham BT29 with an almost matching 2:13.793 to Brabham’s 2:13.618.  Third grid spot was secured by R Bruce Hamilton in the Brabham BT30/36-27, with a quick lap time of 2:21.227. 

Ron Hornig was also here again this year in his 1971 Brabham BT35. I believe is still the Fred Opert Racing chassis #32 that he had with him at the 2024 COTA SpeedTour. He secured fourth spot with a time of 2:22.518.

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour IGT race

Around 11AM, it was time for IGT. This was their second sprint race, and as with all IGT races, it was going to be something. Ritch Marziale led the field behind the pace car. However, he was competing in the Exhibition class and not running for points. Roberto Della Costa was in the first points position and was down the hill ahead of the rest with Cliff Cayer and John Boyette in tow.

William Oliver spun early not far from where I was standing but he recovered without any contact. Juan Gonzales, who is the CEO of Mission Foods, one of the event sponsors, was staying close to the lead pack early on. Cayer passed Della Costa for the lead and never gave it up. Cayer crossed the line first to take the checkered flag and the win the GT4.R class. Roberto Della Costa, #17 2023 GT3 Cup and Juan Gonzales in the #81 took GT4.R second and third, respectively. Liam Gray, in the #991 2019 Porsche GT3 Cup crossed the line second overall and took first in the GT4.0 class. Ahead of Tomas Ballester and Julio de Jesus to complete the GT4.0 podium.

TA2 series practice session

After the excitement of the IGT race came the TA2 series practice session. These sleek, fast, fire-breathing machines look great from just about any angle there is. Even more so at the COTA track.

They came down the hill from turn 1 and roared through the esses without so much as a hint of slowing down. Rushing past me on their way out to the Bobby Pin turn as if they were late for an appointment. The bright sunlight kept all the colors popping, but weather was coming and threatened to change everything.

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour Paddock

During the lunch hour, I found my way to the paddock area. The pre-race grid was being set up for the first of the SVRA sprint races, Groups 6, 8 and 12. They were already lined up in formation for their release on to the track when I arrived. Taking the opportunity I got up close to them. Some I had seen before, and some not. There is something amazing about standing next to a vintage race car about to hit the ground running. 

In Focus: 1972 Matich A50

Sometimes when walking through the paddock, I run across something very interesting. In this case it was the 1972 Match A50. I had a chance to look at it up close, and did some research on it after the event. This is very likely chassis # 004, one of 3 surviving examples (of 4 originally built).  If this is indeed chassis #004, then it has quite a pedigree. Driven by the likes of Johnny Walker, Jon Davison, Graham McRae, Dave Powell, Bronwyn Taylor and Geoff Munyard. It is recorded to have run in 46 races including by Walker in the Australian Gold Star 1972, and has been actively raced ever since.

Thinking back, I realized that I had seen the car on the track for a couple of laps during testing. I never saw it running after that, as it was having some kind of mechanical issue. Here are a few of the photos that I took of it in the paddock and one on the track:

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour Group 5a, 7, 11 and PSSA sprint race

The sky was going gray, with darkening clouds lingering in the distance, making their way toward the track. I resumed my position outside turn 2 at the bottom of the hill, waiting for the first lap of the Group 5a, 7, 11 and PSSA sprint race. 

First over the crest was the #20, a 2009 Zytek GZ09SC / LMP1 driven by Keith Frieser.  Joel Quadracci was just behind him in the #48 Oreca, along with Jim Cope driving a 2012 Elan DP02. The Elan is a very sleek looking blue and silver sportscar with defining lines that reminded me of the GTP cars of the 1980’s.

The racing began against the cloudy background as Quadracci dove into the first turn, locking up the tires, narrowly avoiding contact with Cope. Frieser maintained his position out front, and held on to it through the entire race. Quadracci and Cope filled out the podium, followed by Judd Miller in a 2021 Radical SR10 taking fourth overall and first in the PS1 class. Thomas Melendrez, in a 2017 Ligier P315 was fifth overall/third in 11GTP2 class to round out the top 5 finishing positions.

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour Group 10 Race

Up next were Group 10, Manuel Gil del Real was out front with David Fershtand close behind.  Real set the tone immediately by taking charge into the first corner and rocketing down the hill.  It was a split start, with the second starting group led by Joe Nemechek some thirty seconds back.  Robert Kacprowicz challenged early in a 2017 Howe Mustang TA2 but faded mid-race. Dave Keister ascended to third at one point, driving the wheels off of his 2015 Porsche GT3 Cup, finally settling for fourth.  At the flag Real took the win overall, with Fershtand in second and Joe Nemechek taking third overall.

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour Group 9 Sprint Race

Grey skies turned to mist, getting thicker by the minute as the Group 9 sprint race got underway.  Preparing for the weather I covered my lens and camera with a weather-proof shooting bag.  Unfortunately, there was a first lap/first corner mishap that ended with a black flag. The racing was shut down before it began.

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour Group 1, 1FV, 3, 4 Sprint Race

Things didn’t improve much for the Group 1, 1FV, 3, 4 sprint race in regard to the weather.  Mist gave way to full-on rain. Steve Yarborough led the field to green but was quickly passed by George Wright in the Corvette. Wrapping things up at turn 2 I made my way down to the esses, where I stopped for a few more final shots. As the race finished, I rolled out, finished for the day and save for the helmet awards and a few cel phone shots in the winner’s circle area, I had done all that I could do.

2025 SVRA COTA SpeedTour Day 4 – Sunday November 02

On Sunday I spent most of my time setting up and photographing the Bell Gold Helmet Awards. Something that the SVRA along with sponsor Bell Helmets does at the event is to give to the winners of each class a Gold Bell racing helmet. The drivers are measured and fitted for a helmet made to size and photographed with the sample helmet on display. Located not far from the winners podium I did have the chance to walk over and grab some cel phone photos from time to time. Results for all of the Helmet races can be found on the SVRA website.  

MRA Racing Images Upcoming Assignments

My next event will be the HSR Classic Daytona 24 at the historic Daytona International Speedway.  Please have a look at this and my other reports. You can check out my website as well in the link below.

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