The Crane Cams V8 StockCar Series will roar to life at Sebring International Raceway for it tenth anniversary season on February 9-10 running with the Central Florida Region SCCA. More than thirty ground pounding, purpose built race cars with their ear splitting, high horsepower mills will certainly disturb the peace.
It was nearly ten years ago, May 2004 to be exact, when the checker fell on the first V8 Series race at legendary Virginia International Raceway.
The first series winner that day was Thomasville, North Carolina’s Scott Murphy. Murphy, then as now, excited those in attendance with his “slideways” driving style, hopping curbs and four wheel drifting his Pontiac Grand Prix through the esses, around Oak Tree and then booming down the long back straight at over 170 mph. Murphy went on to more wins in the series in both stock cars and his GT-1 Corvette. Murphy still competes on occasion and we fully expect him to be in his fast ex Michael Waltrip Pennzoil Grand Prix this May when the series returns to VIR. As always, Scott will be a favorite to cross the finish line first.
During the years since Murphy’s win, the series has grown from one stock car class to four total. Today GTA and SPO stock cars compete along with the GT-1 and GT-2 sports cars. In 2012 Crane Cams came on board as the title sponsor of the series and they return in 2013.
There has been a strong youth movement in the series of late with young hot shoes like twenty year old Cameron Lawrence, sixteen year old Nick Hazelwood, nineteen year old Bobby Kennedy and seventeen year old Dillon Machavern. Lawrence took the 2012 Howe Racing GTA class championship while also garnering his first professional win at Road Atlanta in the Trans Am Series. Lawrence will again compete in both series.
Hazelwood, a talented, former circle track racer picked up the LG Motorsports GT-2 championship in his C6 Z06 Corvette in his first year in road racing. This year the young Alpharetta, Georgia racer will move to the fastest class, driving a Porterfield Enterprises GT-1 Corvette for Hammer Magnum Racing.
Daytona Beach, Florida native Bobby Kennedy has already picked up a Pitboxes.com SPO class win in a V8 stockcar, along with a couple of SCCA championships and a first professional win in the Grand Am Total Performance Showcase class at Watkins Glen. Kennedy will compete in 2013 in a GT-1 Camaro prepped by Bemco Fabrication.
Charlotte, Vermont’s Dillon Machavern seems ready to take up where his dad, four time Porterfield Enterprises GT-1 champion Dave Machavern left off, and that is winning in the family Tommy Riggins built 840 horsepower 1963 Ford Falcon look-a-like GT-1 racer. Young Machavern already has a Sebring SCCA National win under his belt in the car just a few weeks ago. Dillon prepped in the very competitive SCCA Spec Miata class, taking home a number of first place trophy’s. This past fall, Machavern had a fine run in the Miami 500 endurance race, coming home eighth overall of forty six car driving a GTA stock car.
In 2013 the Porterfield Enterprises GT-1 class looks to be highly contested with 2012 Champion Simon Gregg expected to return and face challenges from Charles Wicht in his wicked fast Rocketsports Corvette, Zach Monette in his Jaguar XK8, Jon “Chevy” Leavy in his Riley Camaro, Nick Hazelwood in a Pancho Weaver Corvette, and Machavern in the Falcon. Bobby Kennedy could surprise in his late model LS powered Camaro.
In the LG Motorsports GT-2 class look for Keith Goldin in his ex Grand Am Riggins Chassis RX8, Ricky Sanders in a Trans Am 2 spec Camaro, Randy Walker in another Camaro and Squeak Kennedy in an LS6 Grand Am spec Corvette.
In Howe Racing GTA, Lawrence will again be the favorite, but the Reuse brothers, Roger and Bobby are always fast in their Camaro’s and Mike Attaway came on strong at the end of the year. Former champ Randy Walker will surely be in the mix in his Howe Camaro and Butch Kummer and his Monte Carlo are capable of pulling off a win or two, if Butch can find time away from his duties as SCCA Club Racing Director.
In Pitboxes.com SPO, 2012 Champ Bob Mitten is always tough in his ex Tony Stewart Cup Monte Carlo, while Tad Segars picked up some serious speed last year in his improved late model. Lee Arnold and his familiar black Impala late model is a consistent threat as well.
For some exciting and serious big noise, grassroots racing, come check out the Crane Cams V8 StockCar Series in 2013. You can get more information on the series at http://www.v8stockcar.com/.