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Highlands Today

Classic Racers Get Their Chance To Shine

Jasmina Meyer, Highlands Today

From left: Larry Ligas lifts the hood of a LOLA T70 as SVRA Tech Dennis Costich inspects the car for safety requirements while co-driver David Hinton looks on Wednesday at the Sebring International Raceway.

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: March 19, 2009

Updated:

SEBRING - Lloyd Sutherland's Sports 2000 racer only needs a one-man pit crew - his wife, Maureen.

"I'm his man," Maureen declared.

Wednesday morning she was helping her husband bleed the brake fluid from the car. As Lloyd held a bottle underneath the brake line, Maureen kept tapping the pedal to release the liquid.

The Sutherlands spent the first official day of Race Week fine tuning their car and getting it set to run in Friday's Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) races.

"I'm hoping that we can finish in the top 10," Lloyd said.

While those hoping to qualify for Saturday's main event - the 12 Hours of Sebring - were busy speeding around the track at Sebring International Raceway, the paddock area was filled with crews tending to the many vintage racers and proud owners getting the cars registered for competition.

Cape Coral resident Simeon Shortman was entering his 1968 Corvette for what he expects will be his final vintage race.

"I've just had enough," said Shortman, who has been coming to the 12 Hours for 12 years and racing for 49.

Sitting on the top of his Corvette - secured by a tie wrap - was a small troll doll, complete with high, frizzy hair and an oil-smeared face.

"They last about five years and then they turn black," Shortman said.

Continuing the theme was a logo on the side of the car that said "troll racing." The concept was born out of a nickname the 5-feet-3-inch Shortman said he earned from plains-based racers when he was racing out of the flatland area of Boston - the flatland troll.

Larry Mahanor also had writing on his Nissan 280Z, but they were words of tribute instead of words based on a nickname.

Written across the top of the windshield was "In Memory Of Paul Newman 1925-2008."

Mahanor said his model of race car was the same one driven by the late acting legend and fellow racing enthusiast.

"We've run in the same races before," Mahanor said, who has been coming to Sebring's biggest annual event for about 10 years.

Participating in the vintage race, as well as the rest of the activities of Race Week, is a family affair for Shirley Shafer. She will be cheering on both her husband, George, and his twin brother, Bob, who will take turns driving a 1966 fire engine-red Porsche.

"They built it out of two old Porsches," Shirley said.

Bob Hufnagel, from State College, Pa., won't be racing in the vintage car event, but that doesn't make his job any less important.

Hufnagel is spending his fifth consecutive year as crew chief for driver Paul Stinson. His responsibilities include making sure his driver attends all pre-race meetings, prepping the car and handling the fueling.

When he's not busy tending to the car, Hufnagel is going to spend the rest of Race Week "just wandering around and looking at everything."

Those travels, he said, will include a stop in Green Park, where the "wild things" are staying.

"There's very much a Mardi Gras atmosphere," there, Hufnagel said.

Dr. Andrew Barron is also going to make the most of the festivities as well as the vintage race, where he'll be driving his bright yellow Lotus 7.

"For this sort of event, it's just fun," Barron said.

Shortman most likes the camaraderie of Race Week. At the low end of the list is the constant noise of the cars as they complete their laps around the track.

"The track is full eight hours a day," Shortman said. "You get OD'd on racing."

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at (863) 386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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