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Hawk at Road America 2013 – Report and Photos

John Cherry, 66Porsche 910 Picasa
John Cherry, 66Porsche 910

Report and photos by David Ferguson

The Hawk at Road America with Brian Redman was held July 18-21, 2013 at the famed 4-mile, 14-turn Road America road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Formerly known as the Kohler International Challenge or KIC, the historic car races featured 450 cars competing in eleven groups throughout the weekend.

“It’s the combination of the revered Road America circuit, a gorgeous backdrop with the village of Elkhart Lake for the Friday and Saturday Nationwide Insurance Concours d’Elegance, the beautiful mid-summer Wisconsin weather, as well as the enthusiastic crowds and tremendous entry of cars,” said Brian Redman.

The field for the 2013 running of the Hawk at Road America with Brian Redman could best be described as interesting and diverse. Group Three, Vintage Sports Racing Cars and Vintage Production was perhaps the most interesting, with nimble Lotus 23’s racing against a 1954 Lincoln Capri in Carrera Panamericana colors. That group also included Scarabs, Ginettas, Bobsys, Devins, Cheetahs, Porsche 908s and 910s, a Ford GT40 and more.

Other notable entries included a Porsche 917K in Martini Rossi colors, a lovely Jaguar XJR-5 in Bob Tullius’ green and white Group 44 livery, a 1969 Eagle, a Shadow DN4 Can-Am and more types of McLaren Can-Am cars than there are fingers on your hand. Historic Formula One cars were very well represented with March 761s and 811, Shadow DN8 and DN9, Lotus 77 and 79, McLaren M23 and M29, Ensign N179 and a Hill GH1. A 1997 Benetton and 1997 Williams were Screamingly fast and loud. Brian French in the Benetton B197 set fastest lap of the weekend, averaging over 128 MPH for the lap. The event also celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Corvette with a feature race that included nearly forty Corvettes, ranging from the 1954 to 2006 model years. John Goodman brought an ex-Greenwood Corvette.

The racing is always fun to watch simply because of the diversity of cars on the track, and as always, there are some heats that provided good competition. In Group Two, there was a five-car battle for 5th place with Donald Eichelberger in a 1970 Datsun 510 prevailing over an Alfa Romeo Spider, an Austin-Healey 3000 and two Porsche 356s. They all finished within two seconds of each other. Yet, the race of the weekend was the Group 11 qualifying race where Duncan Dayton in his Lotus 79 F-1 car and James King in his 1976 March 761 F-1 passed and re-passed each other several times on the last lap. They came up the front straight side by side, with Duncan in his Lotus prevailing by 0.015 seconds.

Weather seems to have been a big topic in the United States this year. The 2013 Hawk at Road America with Brian Redman started under very hot conditions on Thursday and Friday, but it turned beautiful for the weekend. That is until about 3 pm on Sunday when the rain came. Group Eight was on the pre-race grid when the rains came, and though 26 cars followed the pace car on the warm-up lap, eight pitted before the green flag fell and another five pitted after the first lap. The final three races had a total of 13 cars in them.

There are many stories in an event with over 400 entries. Perhaps the unluckiest man of the weekend was Paul Swanson. The winner of this year’s Group Two races at the Mitty Speedfest towed his Porsche 356 from South Florida, over 1,500 miles away. On Thursday night he became ill and was unable to race for the whole weekend.

On Sunday’s Group Three race, Lorrie-Ann Fisher in her 1954 Lincoln Capri was one of only five starters. One of those started after two laps were run and Tony DeLorenzo’s Scarab developed ignition problems and dropped out, so Lorrie and the old Lincoln finished third overall, and made it to the podium. It was a nice ending to the weekend.

Similar to our 2012 race coverage, photographer David Ferguson also documented the 2013 running of the Hawk at Road America with Brian Redman, offering the following picture gallery that shows the strong field of entrants, in addition to the views found on the epic road course in Elkhart Lake. We split up David’s 255 pictures into two galleries. The first gallery starting below features our favorite images, all displayed in the full-width view of Sports Car Digest, while the second gallery (and race winners) can be found on the last page of the article and gives a comprehensive view of all the photographs.

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery

 

Craig Bennett in the very fast 1974 Shadow DN4
Craig Bennett in the very fast 1974 Shadow DN4
Tom Malloy, 1971 McLaren M8E leads another McLaren into turn 9
Tom Malloy, 1971 McLaren M8E leads another McLaren into turn 9
James Ferro, 1970 Lola T165
James Ferro, 1970 Lola T165
Jim Pace goes under the Johnsonville Bridge in his McLaren M6B
Jim Pace goes under the Johnsonville Bridge in his McLaren M6B

Andy Boone, 1968 McLaren M6B 'McLeagle'

Isaac Keeler, 67 Mercury Cougar
Isaac Keeler, 67 Mercury Cougar
John Safro, 1965 Ford Mustang
John Safro, 1965 Ford Mustang
Larry Ligas, 1961 Jaguar XKE
Larry Ligas, 1961 Jaguar XKE
Andy Boone, 1970 AAR Plymouth Cuda
Andy Boone, 1970 AAR Plymouth Cuda
John Goodman in the iconic John Greenwood 1971 Corvette
John Goodman in the iconic John Greenwood 1971 Corvette

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery Page Two

 

David Hinton, 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
David Hinton, 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
Ed Swart and Rick Knoop making thunder at the Carousel in 1972 Mclaren M8Fs
Ed Swart and Rick Knoop making thunder at the Carousel in 1972 Mclaren M8Fs.
Bert Skidmore, McLaren M6B
Bert Skidmore, McLaren M6B
Jeff Downes, 73 Legrand Mk20A
Jeff Downes, 1973 Legrand Mk20A
Byron Defoor, 1973 Porsche 911 RSR
Byron Defoor, 1973 Porsche 911 RSR
Tom Malloy, 1971 McLaren M8E
Tom Malloy, 1971 McLaren M8E
Roger Williams, 1971 McLaren M8E/F
Roger Williams, 1971 McLaren M8E/F
James Ferro, 1970 Lola T165
James Ferro, 1970 Lola T165
Bob Hardison, 1966 McLaren M1B
Bob Hardison, 1966 McLaren M1B
Bert Skidmore, 1968 McLaren M6B
Bert Skidmore, 1968 McLaren M6B

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery Page Three

 

Byron DeFoor, 1965 Lola T70 MklllB Spyder going under the Johnsonville Bridge
Byron DeFoor, 1965 Lola T70 MklllB Spyder going under the Johnsonville Bridge
John Goodman in an ex Greenwood Corvette.
John Goodman in an ex Greenwood Corvette.
Todd Treffert, 73 Porsche 911 RS
Todd Treffert, 1973 Porsche 911 RS
Kent Prather in his very quick 1962 MGA
Kent Prather in his very quick 1962 MGA
Roger Williams, 1971 McLaren M8E/F
Roger Williams, 1971 McLaren M8E/F
Jerry Peters, 1965 Porsche 911
Jerry Peters, 1965 Porsche 911
Norbert Bries, 1970 Lotus Europa
Norbert Bries, 1970 Lotus Europa

James Fuerstenberg, 1972 MB B GTV8

Najeeb Khan, 1964 Ginetta G4R
Najeeb Khan, 1964 Ginetta G4R
The Porsches of Craig Taylor, Rob Purviance and Todd Trefert in the Carousel.
The Porsches of Craig Taylor, Rob Purviance and Todd Trefert in the Carousel.

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery Page Four

 

Bud Moeller's 1979 Ensign N179
Bud Moeller’s 1979 Ensign N179
John Goodman's 1979 McLaren M29
John Goodman’s 1979 McLaren M29
1969 Gurney Eagle Mk5 of Tony Adamowicz
1969 Gurney Eagle Mk5 of Tony Adamowicz
Brian Pettey, 1974 Porsche RSR leads a Ferrari and a Camaro through the Carousel.
Brian Pettey, 1974 Porsche RSR leads a Ferrari and a Camaro through the Carousel.
2006 Audi A4 DTM
It’s not vintage, but it’s a rare sight in the United States. All the fins, vents, wings and louvres give this 2006 Audi A4 DTM a very menacing look.
Lance Smith's 1975 Chevrolet Monza AAGT leads Daniel Parr's 2004 Camaro and Keith Conroy's 1999 Marcos Mantis.
Lance Smith’s 1975 Chevrolet Monza AAGT leads Daniel Parr’s 2004 Camaro and Keith Conroy’s 1999 Marcos Mantis.
2006 Ford GT MK7
Andrea Robertson in her 2006 Ford GT MK7
1975 Chevrolet Monza AAGT
Lance Smith’s interesting looking 1975 Chevrolet Monza AAGT
Robert Blain, 2004 Chevrolet Corvette C6R
Robert Blain, 2004 Chevrolet Corvette C6R
1977 Chevron B36
Rick Carlino, 1977 Chevron B36

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery Page Five

 

John Cherry's 1966 Porsche 910
John Cherry’s 1966 Porsche 910
1978 Lola T298
James Farley, 1978 Lola T298
Duncan Dayton's 1972 Chevron B23
Duncan Dayton’s 1972 Chevron B23
John Goodman's 1971 Ferrari 312P Sparling Special next to James Farley's 1978 Lola T298.
John Goodman’s 1971 Ferrari 312P Sparling Special next to James Farley’s 1978 Lola T298.
Speedville indeed!
Speedville indeed!
West Coast racer Thor Johnson in his beautiful 1959 Lotus 17
West Coast racer Thor Johnson in his beautiful 1959 Lotus 17

Chip Van Sant in his lovely 62 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint.

Dan Powell's 1961 Austin-Healey 3000
Dan Powell’s 1961 Austin-Healey 3000
Steve Walker. 1971 BMW 2002
Steve Walker. 1971 BMW 2002
The bumper sticker that won't go away. It'll be 50 years old next year.
The bumper sticker that won’t go away. It’ll be 50 years old next year.

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery Page Six

 

Lola T70 Mk3B
A Lola T70 Mk3B speeds down the very long front straight that would see the Can-Am cars hit 180 mph.
Jim Pace's 1968 McLaren M6B leads Dave Ritter in the 1968 Lola T70 MKIIIB
Jim Pace’s 1968 McLaren M6B leads Dave Ritter in the 1968 Lola T70 MKIIIB
Visibility became an issue on Sunday afternoon
Visibility became an issue on Sunday afternoon
Rick Balsley, 1969 Brabham BT-29
Rick Balsley, 1969 Brabham BT-29
1959 Bandini Formula Junior
Hugh Ruthven in his beautiful 1959 Bandini Formula Junior
1979 McLaren M29
John Goodman, 1979 McLaren M29
1976 Shadow DN8
Phil Gumpert, 1976 Shadow DN8
1978 Lotus 79
Duncan Dayton goes off track in his 1978 Lotus 79
1965 Causey P6 Special
Mike Kaske, 1965 Causey P6 Special
Tony DeLorenzo's 1958 Scarab Mkl
Tony DeLorenzo’s 1958 Scarab Mkl

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery Page Seven

 

Michelle Gesse, 1967 Lotus Elan
Michelle Gesse, 1967 Lotus Elan
Terry Watson's 1958 Devin Chevy
Terry Watson’s 1958 Devin Chevy
1958 Echidna
Steve Steers, 1958 Echidna
Lorrie-Ann Fisher's 1954 Lincoln Capri prepared for Carrera Panamericana
Lorrie-Ann Fisher’s 1954 Lincoln Capri prepared for Carrera Panamericana
Road America is a worthy destination on it's own right, but the surrounding area is stunningly beautiful and well worth taking the time to see.
Road America is a worthy destination on its own right, but the surrounding area is stunningly beautiful and well worth taking the time to see.
Robert Boller's lovely 1983 Jaguar XJR-5
Robert Boller’s lovely 1983 Jaguar XJR-5
Greg Galdi's stunning 1970 Porsche 917K
Greg Galdi’s stunning 1970 Porsche 917K
1965 Cheetah
Robert Boyce in his 1965 Cheetah was one of the most popular cars at this year’s Hawk. It was nice to see it win its race.
Mark Brannon in a 1963 Lotus 23B is followed by John Daniels in his oversteering 1965 Sunbeam Tiger
Mark Brannon in a 1963 Lotus 23B is followed by John Daniels in his oversteering 1965 Sunbeam Tiger
Joe Hish, 1969 Chevron B16
Joe Hish, 1969 Chevron B16

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery Page Eight

 

Thor Johnson, 1967 Porsche 910
Thor Johnson, 1967 Porsche 910
One of these seems out of place...
One of these seems out of place…
Michael Malone's 1968 Porsche 908
Michael Malone’s 1968 Porsche 908
Jim Sharp, Nu-Art Can-Am
Jim Sharp, Nu-Art Can-Am
George Krass, 1990 Nissan NPT
George Krass, 1990 Nissan NPT
Theo Bean, 1991 Intrepid
Theo Bean, 1991 Intrepid
Craig Bennett, 1997 Williams FW19
Craig Bennett, 1997 Williams FW19
1997 Benetton B197
Brian French in the very fast and sweet sounding 1997 Benetton B197. This was the fastest car of the event.
David Roberts, 1978 Lightning Indy
David Roberts, 1978 Lightning Indy
Bob Bramlidge in a Nu-Art Can-Am spec car.
Bob Bramlidge in a Nu-Art Can-Am spec car.

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Top Photo Gallery Page Nine

 

Peter Schick, 1970 Porsche 914-6
Peter Schick, 1970 Porsche 914-6
Najeeb Khan, 1964 Ginetta G4R
Najeeb Khan, 1964 Ginetta G4R
Michael Malone, 1965 Lotus 26R
Michael Malone, 1965 Lotus 26R
Frank Boucher, 1969 Porsche 911S
Frank Boucher, 1969 Porsche 911S
Jim Stengel, 1973 McRae GM1
Jim Stengel, 1973 McRae GM1
Michael Knittel, 1970 Chinook
Michael Knittel, 1970 Chinook
Chris Locke's 1976 Lotus 77
Chris Locke’s 1976 Lotus 77
Dudley Cunningham, 1973 Lola T332 F5000
Dudley Cunningham, 1973 Lola T332 F5000
Brad Hoyt. 1976 Hill GH1
Brad Hoyt. 1976 Hill GH1
Tony Adamowicz's 69 Eagle, crooked wing and all, leads a Lotus and a March.
Tony Adamowicz’s 1969 Eagle Mk5, crooked wing and all, leads a Lotus and a March.

 

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Main Photo Gallery

 

[nggallery id=575 images=15]

 

 

The Hawk at Road America 2013 – Race Results

 

Group 1 – Historic Can-Am
1. Craig Bennett, Milford, Mich., ’74 Shadow
2. Jim Pace, Clearwater, Fla., ’68 McLaren
3. Roger Williams, San Diego, ’71 McLaren

Group 2 – Vintage Production Cars, Sedans, Select Sports Racers (Through 1972)
1. Denny Wilson, Washington, Mo., ’62 Lotus
2. Michael Besic, Glen Ellyn, Ill., ’69 Alfa Romeo
3. Mike Pranka, St. Louis, ’67 Alfa Romeo

Group 3 – Vintage Sports Racing Cars (through 1960) Production cars (through 1964) on approved tires
1. Bob Bramage, Junction City, Kan., ’64 Ginetta G4
2. John Daniels, Minneapolis, ’65 Sunbeam Tiger
3. Lorrie-Ann Fisher, Crystal Lake, Ill., ’54 Lincoln Capri

Group 4 – Classic Monoposto Formula Cars through 1972 with treaded tires
1. Bruce Hamilton, Monkton, Md.,’70 Brabham
2. Rick Balsley, Naples, Fla., ’69 Brabham
3. Joel Quadracci, Hartland, Wis., ’69 Brabham

Group 5 – Historic Formula / Sports Racing, F 70, F 5000, FIA Prototypes, post 1974 Can-Am
1. Danny Baker, ’79 Renault
2. Randy Johnson, Dallas, ’75 Lola
3. Theo Bean, Norcross, Ga., ’76 Lola

Group 6 – Big-Bore Production Cars / Sedans (through 1975) on approved tires
1. Brian Kennedy, Cannon Falls, Minn., ’66 Ford Shelby GT350
2. Pete Stolz, Manitowoc, Wis., ’73 Porsche 911
3. Michael Kehoe, Brookfield, Wis., ’72 Chevrolet Corvette

Group 7 – 60th Anniversary of Chevrolet Corvette Feature Race
1. David Roberts, Charlotte N.C., ’06 Chevrolet Corvette
2. George Krass, Plainfield, Ill., ’03 Chevrolet Corvette
3. Jody O’Donnell, Dallas, ’69 Chevrolet Corvette

Group 8 – Historic Medium Displacement Production Cars & Sedans
1. Todd Treffert, Sarasota, Fla., ’73 Porsche 911 RS
2. David MacNeil, Hinsdale, Ill., ’93 Porsche 964
3. Tom Martin, Austin, Texas, ’89 BMW M3

Group 9 – Modern Formula One, Indy Cars, WSP/GTP/LMP
1. Brian French, Sheboygan, Wis., ’97 Benetton
2. Craig Bennett, Hodgkins, Ill., ’97 Williams
3. Dan Mershon, ’97 Lola

Group 10 Modern GT, Trans-Am, Production Cars (1973 through present)
1. James Stanislaw, Granite Falls, N.C., ’02 Porsche 996
2. Brian Petty, Winfield, Kan., ’74 Porsche RSR
3. Guy Dirkin, Oak Park, Ill., ’89 Oldsmobile Cutlass

Group 11 – Historic Grand Prix, Formula 5000
1. Paul Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., ’73 March 73
2. Rick Parsons, Huntley, Ill., ’76 Lola
3. James King, Telluride, Colo., ’76

[Source: David Ferguson]