Shell Historics at New Jersey Motorsports

which consists of two separate race tracks with supporting facilities. The facility has historic ties of a sort, as it’s located only a few miles from the site of a track in Vineland, used for amateur and professional road racing in the early 1960s. The Shell Historics used the “Thunderbolt” track, a very technical 2.25 mile circuit, and the track was new to almost every driver.

There was one notable exception: Mark Hamilton Peters, a driving instructor and coach for the series, proved his credentials (and experience at the track) by qualifying Jon Shirley’s 250 TR prototype (0666) on the pole for the Drum Brake races with a lap over 3.5 second faster than Giddings’ best! Giddings is always a safe bet for the pole in his Maserati 250 F Grand Prix car — a car raced by Moss, Behra, and most of the other Maserati factory drivers – and for Giddings to be out qualified, and by full seconds, not thousandths, was as though the sun has risen in the West.

In fairness, Giddings was at a bit of a disadvantage. First, Peters, or “MHP,” his more familiar nickname, is a professional driving instructor. Second, MHP has raced on the New Jersey track, and Giddings had never seen it before. And finally, although Giddings always wears an open-face helmet, he was in an unfamiliar closed helmet, viewing the world through (for him) a tiny slot. It seems that there’s an obscure New Jersey law, requiring any driver racing an open-wheel car to wear a full-face helmet. Giddings did a few laps in the first practice session on Friday, and was black-flagged off the track, to find more suitable headgear.

MHP won both Drum races over Giddings, with little difficulty. Giddings was having difficulty, still seeing the world (and not his gauges) through the small slot of his borrowed helmet. Giddings took the win which counted though – MHP was racing as an Exhibition car – and clinched the title as the 2009 Drum Brake Group champion. Jon Shirley won his class in his Maserati 300 S, earning second place in the Drum championship.

Todd Morici, the 2000 Disc Brake Group champion and the other driver sharing the Grand Master title, lives close to the New Jersey track – close enough he could drive his LWB Spyder California to the track. (As in the old days, he taped up the headlights, bolted in the roll bar, and raced in the Drum Brake Group.) Morici’s 512 BB/LM – once nicknamed “The Dominator,” although Old Reliable might be more accurate – took pole position over Steve Dudley’s 308 GT/M and Leigh Keno’s similar BB/LM. Morici won both races overall (again!), Dudley took a pair of class trophies – moving him to second in the final Disc standings – and Jon Shirley, driving his Ferrari 250 GTO, won his class each day. Those wins gave Shirley the 2009 Disc championship and membership in an elite group of drivers who’ve won both Drum and Disc Championships. (For the record, Shirley joins Jim Fuchs, Peter LeSaffre, Tom Price, and Chuck Wegner in that honor.)

The New Jersey weekend was the final event of the season, but some North American Shell Historic drivers may attend the World Finals, held this year in Valencia, Spain, on November 14-15.

The Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge is organized by Ferrari North America, and sanctioned by Grand-Am. It is open to authentic Ferrari and Maserati competition cars built before 1980, and pre-war Alfa Romeos of the type raced by the Scuderia Ferrari. The series is sponsored by Shell Oil, Pirelli, Motorola, and Avantair. Further information on the series and future events can be found at www.ferrarichallenge.com.

Jon Shirley, Maserati 300S

Mark Hamilton Peters.

Chuck Wegner’s BBLM.

______________________________________________________

If you are enjoying this article, why not consider a donation to VeloceToday? Click here for details..it’s easy!
______________________________________________________

Maserati 300S.

Peters on the limit with Shirley’s Ferrari.

Peter Giddings, Maserati 250F.

Leigh Keno, Ferrari BBLM.

Todd Morici, 512 BBLM.

Garage; Jon Shirley, 250GTO.

Garage; Ferrari 250 TR.

Garage; Todd Morici has rolled bar installed for the event.

Garage; Gidding’s Maserati ready to go.

Steven Dudley, 308GTM on track.

Morici in the street legal 250GT LWB California.

Shirley brakes with the 250GTO.

The Dominator, Todd Morici’s BBLM.

Peters at work.

Wrapping it up for another year.