Thunderhill Raceway Park, CA  The second race of the season for the Magnaflow Vintage 2.5 Challenge was like a heavy weight fight that went fifteen rounds to see who could last to the finish.  The weekend started out sunny and warm with open practice Friday and by late morning many of the competitors were already up to full race speed.  Saturday was sunny and warm but by late afternoon it was apparent that the weather was changing fast and it was likely that the group would be racing in the rain on Sunday.

Under sunny skies Saturday morning Jeff Hecox set a fast pace of 2:08.30 to secure the pole for the qualifying race followed by Kevin McKee, Steve Link, Bob Wass, and George Willet along with the rest of the field.  When the green flag fell it was the typical drag race to turn one as Hecox held off Mckee and Link.  George Willet managed to slip by Bob Wass who was closely followed by Chris Kattchee, Don Forester, and Doug Ellinger.  Jim McAdory pulled off with a broken camshaft, the first of what would be many mechanical failures the group would have during the weekend.  It didn’t take long for Willet to realize he’d made a bad tire choice, but being a good race driver he didn’t waste time by holding up Wass or Kattchee and allowed them to go after the leaders.  The attitude shown by Willet was in the “Vintage Spirit” and is to be commended.  Just past the half way point in the race Mckee lost a head gasket and Link lost his transmission which left Wass and Kattchee to battle it out for second, Wass eventually won the battle.  Hecox went on unchallenged to win the qualifying race and was set to try to repeat last year’s Thunderhill performance.

Saturday night in the pits looked like a sedan repair shop with transmissions being rebuilt, head gaskets replaced, header cracks being welded, and cars getting their typical servicing.  It was a late night at the track for many but with all the 2.5 Challenge guys sharing parts and helping one another it looked as if most all would be able to take the flag Sunday for the main event. 

Sunday morning came along with the rain, and knowing tires would be the key to victory if the wet conditions lasted, the rain tire scramble began.  Some decided they’d had enough and were not going to attempt to race on full dry tires while others started disconnecting sway bars, adjusting the cars to better suit the worsening conditions and mounting whatever tire they had for wet weather. 

At the start of Sunday's flag race Jeff Hecox lead the field carefully into turn one with the rest of the pack hanging on to his bumper and driving with respect for the conditions and others.  By the end of the first lap it was clear that tires were everything as Kevin McKee had come from last to first and was pulling away a will.  McKee had gone with full rain tires while others were on intermediates or dry tires.  Hecox clung desperately to second place and the points lead while Chris Kattchee followed in third and for his first podium finish of the popular series, way to go Chris!  Steve Link and Doug Ellinger also had a terrific race in what had turned into really wet conditions.  

To show the level of talent and good judgement of the drivers in this series, there was no contact and not a single car left the track while racing in a constant downpour.

Chris and Ted Kattchee (Kattchee Bros. Racing ) have been racing in the series since the beginning, driving their beautifully prepared Alfa Ti Super and have steadily improved over the past year.  While some have said a four door sedan could not compete in this series the KBR team has proven this to be dead wrong.  Not only did Chris and Ted to repair their car over the race weekend but they also raced the car in the popular HSR-West one hour enduro for extra seat time.  These racers show the spirit and determination of the competitors in the Magnaflow Vintage 2.5 Challenge.   Look for the brother’s blue Ti at the next event, they’ll be happy to give you a tour of the car.

Jeff Hecox still holds a narrow two-point lead in the championship over Kevin McKee followed by Steve Link and Bob Wass. Wass looks like the early “Rookie of the Year” as the series moves on to Fontana June 21-23. 

The popular vintage race series was developed by the Vintage Sedan Racers Group (VSRG) of Vista, CA.  Complete information on the VSRG and the Magnaflow Vintage 2.5 Challenge can be found at VSRG’s web site located at www.bsedan.com.