Racing a Cobra R in vintage racing

1995COBRA-R

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Tom,
The Porsche 944 raced in Motorola Cup back then. At Road America, they had a few Porsche 944's (not a real Porsche, but that is a different thread) show up in the Motorola Cup class.

Fair Warning: German parts are expensive. The Cobra R was slow when Gary started working with them. It's not so much slow now. The 944 didn't do well.

This group still has some fast cars (Watkins Glen turning into T-1):
HPa.gif
 

1995COBRA-R

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Good looking 914, was it a 4 or 6 cylinder?
The 914 had a 4-cyl. (1.6L) and a 6 cylinder (2.0--rare). This one is punched out to a sand caste aluminum 2.5L (or above) with twin plugs and some serious weight transfer (the weight package is $50K).

The red car is from the 901 Shop (FL). They can keep you on the same lap as a Cobra R for $150,000+.

The Porsche cars also use a crank-fired ignition and place it below the crank so the tech guys don't catch it (they present a non-functional distributer on top). I say nice cheating. :-D

The competition is going to bend the rules. The Cobra-R will race with what it had then.

The rule for a Cobra R is 5.8L. Tech found a 331 c.i. engine (5.35L?). Tech got their balls on fire because a Cobra R had a smaller engine.:rollseyes

It's obvious that the competition is mouthing off to tech because they can't get it done with their illegal twin plug stroker engines.

They should work on their cars to make them faster.

Yea, yea, the girl is fast. ("Girls Just Want To Have Fun") She can switch cars with you and still beat you. ;-) I promise.

If you didn't get the memo from Cobra-R corporate, it's here:
DCHawk.jpg


I'm just glad that she doesn't race a Toyota.
 
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GJMCAR98

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On my end Mark we won some sprint races but our biggest achievement was winning the Vintage Enduro OVERALL at the Road Atlanta Mitty. One of the biggest races of the year. We did that with the #53 Car. Then, a month later we went to Road America and also won that Enduro OVERALL with that same car but they threw us out because of a misunderstanding over the tire we ran. They later came back and gave us the win but no points. I can tell you this. We ran so good with those cars this year that there throwing us out of our run groups in both HSR and SVRA and moving us up to run with a faster group. I'd say when your making everybody mad the cars are really running good. Everywhere we went these cars drew a big crowd. We're making some improvements over the winter and were expecting big things out of them next year. I guess I would Summarize it by saying we kicked a lot of ass :beer: GJ
 
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GJMCAR98

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Tom
If your talking about Doc and the 21 Snipes car he sold it to me knowing I had it pre sold to a very good friend/customer of mine. The Motor broke on Doc at The Mitty this year and we bought it, rebuilt/improved the motor and took it out to Austin where it ran problem free all weekend. I am pretty sure you will see it in Charlotte at the 50th. GJ
 

1995COBRA-R

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On my end Mark we won some sprint races but our biggest achievement was winning the Vintage Enduro OVERALL at the Road Atlanta Mitty.
I agree.

The Cobra R race cars were a big hit in vintage racing. Not just because so much that they ran well with the best of the best (vintage is very competitive) but because Gary knows how to make them be photographic to vintage and fast to competitors.

I stole those pictures from the official pictures of the COTA race. They usually just use Ford GT40, Ford GT350, and Ferrari pictures.

If your talking about Doc and the 21 Snipes car he sold it to me knowing I had it pre sold to a very good friend/customer of mine.

True.

I had already sent Tom a PM about the Snipes #21 going to another Tom. ;-) I didn't want to say anything until the new Tom said that it was OK. ;-) His wife may not know....

I hated giving up a perfect Snipes car, but I can't afford to race two vintage cars.

Gary restored it to page 95 of the SVT Mustang Cobra Recognition Guide. It has a better engineering staff and a better owner.

Mark,
Congratulations on your new promotion. You deserved it, and you will go higher.
 

1995COBRA-R

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How would one go about summarizing the results for the 95R's in vintage racing this year?

Mark,
I agree with Gary. It's been a huge success. Maybe too much so.

First, the spectators love them. They've been well received from the younger guys that watched them on TV win those Championships. Ford is selling new Mustangs to those guys.

Second, the old style vintage racer guys are not so supportive (it's the 1965-1966 crowd). You will understand. They don't appreciate the go-fast modifications of the Motorola Cup Series Cobra R's (and Grand-Am Cup :-D ).

The old crowd know the Cobra R's are 30 years different, but they don't like the pressure. Vintage rules are not so sure what to do but require a slow tire on the 95R (the 95R is now grandfathered in).

You can check them out at Charlotte in April (probably not wearing the slow tires :-D ).

My old red 1994 Cobra (now a Motorola Cup replica) is getting an big update. Me going slow back in ~1997 (Sebring):
94Cobra1-1.jpg
 

flattrack53

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How long did it take in the Sebring sun for that polaroid to come clear?



Great looking car. So you stay true to your words "real race cars are red"!
 

1995COBRA-R

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How long did it take in the Sebring sun for that polaroid to come clear?

It's a scan of an old film thing. A cute chick asked me to make it and gave me a copy. :-D I was 1st in class.

Going into 2014, Gary has raised the bar. He'll be at Charlotte. Then at the Mitty and every East Coast race.

This will be nothing about 1995 Grand-Am, but all about 2014. The current owners are very serious about racing these cars in the front.

Stayed tuned for some real fast lap times in the original period correct 95R livery.
 

1995COBRA-R

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I promise. The bar has been raised in vintage 1995 Cobra R ex-Grand-Am (Motorola) Cup.

The last that I heard is that they are coming to Charlotte. They will also race east coast vintage.

My ex-Snipes car was sold to a guy that paid a guy to match his helmet with the Stars and Stripes original livery. The engine now has a little more horsepower.
Steeda21b.gif


The #53 car is working on a legal engine update (as is the yellow car).
Mitty2013DC.gif


Harry is still in:
HarryRAm2013.jpg


My ex-1994 Cobra is now in the mix with a new owner (who has years of experience racing a Roush Trans-Am Mustang car---and a Cup car). It's going to be bad fast in the first event (me, back when):

94Cobra-4.jpg


I hear Gary has a 95R race car that is almost completed. The rumor is that he is too old to drive fast anymore. :-D We'll find out soon.

It's going to be a very competitive season. I can already hear the Corvette guys complaining. :-D
 

GJMCAR98

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I'm not building this car Doc. I just sold my buddies up at MMR in Detroit the Car as a roller and they are building/prepping the car for the first SVRA event in March at Sebring. Since we all paddock together and share a few customers and Have a really good technical alliance I'm looking for good things out of all of our cars this year. We are making MAJOR changes on all of or cars over the winter so I'm looking forward to some fast cars next year. With both Norm from MMR working both sides of the fence with technical help and Wes Burton joining my team this year as a shock/suspension/ set up guy and a Driver I think were going to be Very Fast. When you combine the guys from MMR and GaryJonesMotorsports together and then factor in the great customer base and driver line up, and the fact that we have good solid customers that understand the cost of racing these cars it makes what Mike from MMR and Myself do a lot easier. We have a great overall team and I strongly suggest anyone living in the Detroit area to look the group at MMR up. Of course if your down south I'm your man :). I would also like to thank Doc for all the posting and PR work he does throughout the year when I'm to busy trying to make cars go fast to do any of this. Gary
 

Cobra R Man

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Gary,

I for one am happy to see someone(you) take interest in the next generation vintage race cars.
I know you worked with SVRA a lot. It took time from your building, tuning, etc. of proven cars, to promote a new class. :beer:
My hat(helmet) is off to you. :thumbsup:
 

GJMCAR98

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Thanks Gene. I think you know from experience what it takes to do this.......I'm very determined to get these cars the respect they deserve for being in one of the best Roadracing series in the Country. Anybody that ever got to see these things race will know what I mean and if you didn't get to see them then come to a Vintage event and enjoy History....GJ
 

1995COBRA-R

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I'm very determined to get these cars the respect they deserve for being in one of the best Roadracing series in the Country.

Gary,
You are the one guy that can get it done. You won three (almost four?) Rolex vintage championships with the old cars.

GJ.gif


When was that when your #77 co-driver wrecked which allowed Bone and me to pass you? ;-)

I'd be glad to co-drive one of those 95R race cars for you in 2014. :-D
 

1995COBRA-R

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HSR (Historic Sportscar Racing) is delighted to announce the appointment of Dorsey Schroeder as Competition Director.

In 1971 Dorsey became the youngest driver to be licensed by the SCCA.

Career highlights include:
· 5 Formula Atlantic divisional titles
· 1986 Drivers Champion Lucas Challenge
· Trans Am rookie of the year and drivers champion (1989)
· IMSA rookie of the year and drivers champion (1990)
· Factory drives with Ford & Dodge
· 2 years in the IROC Series
· Class wins at both the Daytona 24 hours and Sebring 12 hours
· Last race was the Sebring 12 Hours in the mighty Champion Racing Audi R8 finishing 3rd in an Audi 1-4 sweep.

Yes, that is the Speed, NBC, LeMans broadcaster. I wouldn't screw with him on the 1995 R vintage rules (he raced one).

It is what it is in vintage going forward. Dorsey will be our Comp Director beginning next month and flowing into the big race at The Mitty at the end of April.

I'll ask him over in my pit for a few questions just to get a car picture of him and me next to my fast car. ;-)

You guys need to get your cars ready to race under Dorsey and some guy named Brian Redman (the event Grand Master) at the Mitty (the last weekend in April).

They even now have a class for you 00 R guys (as if you can race with 95R guys ;-) ).

Fair Warning. It's a four day event and a crowded paddock. You should tell your Corvette friends to skip it. They'd be embarrassed anyway.
 

1995COBRA-R

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I didn't want to say anything until the driver went home from the hospital. He is OK. Many of you have already seen this. He only had a few broken ribs with a collapsed lung. :dw: He has seen worse (the '67 Camaro).

He was hauling butt in the 1995 #53 Zippo car (Sebring). He was chasing another car. A part failed, and it wrecked him. (pics from GJM and others):
DC53f.gif


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The car was hard to beat earlier this year at Road America at The Hawk:
DCHawk.jpg
 

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