This is a vintage car race for sports cars and sedans of the small bore type of cars from the 50’s and 60’s. Put-in-bay is located on south bass island an easy boat or ferry ride from port Clinton Ohio (located between Toledo and Sandusky Ohio). The eighth running of the vintage race is presented by the PIB road race heritage society . It’s an effort to recreate the „gentleman races“ of sports cars of the 50’s and 60’s that were held on the island driving through the towns streets until that was deemed too dangerous.
The „modern“ vintage races now take place at the islands airport with bales of hay set around to mark the corners like in the days of yore (slightly delayed by the landing of the mail plane!). Open to under 3 liter pre 80’s sports racers, sports cars and sedans. Expanding this year to formula Vee’s and formula Jr’s to fill out the field. To keep it in the earlier racing style and make it a fun event for all there is no big prize money for the winners. Additionally after the Monday practice and qualifying sessions at the airport, track entrants and residents (as a concession for hosting the event) with sports type cars are let loose on the old course through town for a few spirited laps. Afterwards many race cars were seen driving around the streets and going to the various restaurants.
We now come to the TVR connection and at the race were three TVR’s, Tom in a Griffith 400, Don in his old blue Grantura and Alex with the 2500m. Parked in a prominent spot we garnered many of the small but enthusiastic crowd asking many questions and getting admiring looks.
The next day at the car show (even though we weren’t officially entered) there were always people standing around the cars, with many to say they too at one time owned a TVR. Some of the racers said that they too were to look a some model of a TVR in a few weeks, one young man even mentioned that he had a jomar from ray saidel! Finally on a curious note you’ll see the 2016 put-in-bay race contained a TVR chimera! Odd as it wasn’t from the 50’s or 60’s, but we’ll take it for the publicity for the marque.
Bildquelle: Alex Lebarre
Text: Alex Lebarre