VIR - 1963 April Nationals - 
NC Region SCCA Bulletin (thanks to Gordon Warren)

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VIR -- NATIONAL RACES --Full results and an excellent news release, prepared by SCCA will be found later in the Bulletin. What they do not cover are some of the sidelights. First, and undoubtedly foremost, is the fact that the entire weekend was beautifully handled by those appointed by Joe Sargent, Race Chairman. First, our deepest thanks to Stewards, Wes Dalton, Ed Brown, John Beard, Bill Brown and "Tex" Hopkins and to the SCCA Top Brass, Herschel Harkins and John Bishop. Nothing but praise is due the many who accepted responsibilities and, without exception, really followed through on them. Peggy Sargent, as Race Secretary, handled all entries. John Bonitz,, with the assistance of Eleanor Smith and Ann Whims as well as others time to time, did a beautiful job with registration. There was virtually no wait. Frances Walker and her large corps of Timers and Scorers did their usual outstanding job. Bill Brown, when "Tex" Hopkins couldn't make it on Saturday, acted as Chief Steward. Hayden Beatty, with the new false grid setup at VIR, had the cars pre-gridded and on the grid well in advance of each race. Assistant Race Chairman Harry Coutlakis handled all the finances and the Regional party. Fred Hayes and his crew ran tech inspection so well that again there was no wait. And Bill Brown also had communications and flagging running as they have never run before. When you put all this together with the fact that the Civil Air Patrol had installed a completely new communications network, had cleared the entire area (partially by a fire which got out of control several weeks before the race) so that the majority of the area looked like a fairway, plus the full cooperation of beautiful weather, the net result was a top-flight event. And then the drivers cooperated by providing some of,the best racing seen in many a year. On top of all that, the people really turned out and we are told that financially it was the most successful event which the CAP has had, Everybody has an excellent taste in their mouth and our relations with the CAP have never been better -and our appreciation for the job which they have done has never been greater. And, what is perhaps most unbelievable, the races started on time and there were no protests!
ACCIDENT REPORT -- For those who saw Gene Johnson prang his Lola and Chuck Weaver roll his Porsche, the latest reports are that Gene was discharged from Memorial Hospital in Danville Sunday evening and returned home to Memphis. Chuck Weaver has a mean puncture wound in his left arm, fractured right wrist and bruises galore. His father, brother and wife are taking him back to Connecticut and he will be requiring medical care for another 2 or 3 weeks. How many of us realize that insurance coverage pays 100% of all medical costs after the $25.00 deductible up to $5,000? And we mean all!
SCCA Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 29, 1963

DANVILLE, Va. -- Don Devine, 24-year-old Chicago property developer, won his first major road race in a thrilling 122-mile feature run at Virginia International Raceway April 28, in the second SCCA National race meet of the season. Devine, a relative unknown, dealt himself in among America's top road racers by stunning the crowd of 15,000 and a good starting field with a six-second victory aboard the remarkable Chevrolet-powered Scarab. The Troutman-Barnes design, ex-Reventlow car is now in its fifth season of competition. Modified and refined over the years, the Scarab carried the Meister Brauser Racing Team colors to a 81.01 mph victory as Devine put down a succession of challenges while leading from the start. Devine's teammate and boss, Harry Heuer, Jr., was second at the finish driving a Chaparral in a furious pursuit that fell short.

The feature race mixed the big production cars with the modified machinery and Bob Johnson, Columbus, O., jammed his Shelby Cobra in behind Devine for four laps. Skip Barber, Concord, Mass,, made it a threesome in his Lotus 23, got by Johnson on lap five and hounded Devine relentlessly for the next 55 miles., forcing and hoping for a Devine mistake that didn't come. Heuer, gridded at the rear for lack of a qualifying time, roared through the field, putting down one car after another, went into 2nd place on lap 20, and spent the rest of the race chewing vainly at Devine's lead. Barber held third at the finish.

Just four laps from the end, Ed Lowther, Canonsburg, Pa., in a lightweight Sting Ray running modified, inherited 4th place category when Johnson blew a tire, dropping him to seventh. The misfortune also lost him the important first place in A Production class as Dick Thompson, Washington, D.C., streaked by in his Grady Davis entered Sting Ray coupe.

The Tarheel Challenge Cup, an unusual award, was given for the first time in the feature race. It went to Don Yenko (BP Corvette), Canonsburg, Pa., for winning his class by a greater margin than any other class winner.

Best race of the weekend show of 108 starters sponsored by the Danville Civil Air Patrol and conducted by SCCA's North Carolina Region was the first for small production classes. There were many good dices in the field but the crowd stood up throughout for one of those staggering, race-long, two-car, first-place duels that happen only once or twice a season. It was Jack Crusoe, Lexington, Mass., in an Alfa Romeo vs. Art Riley, Franklin Sq., N.Y., in a Volvo P1800, both running for F Production and overall honors. For the full 61 miles they swapped the lead at corner after comer, lap after lap, never more than a length or two apart. The hard struggle seldom saw Riley or Crusoe put a wheel wrong and at the finish it was Crusoe by inches after a dazzling display.

The 18-lapper for C, D and E Production saw Paul Richards, Wappinger Falls, N.Y., drive away to victory in a Fiat-Abarth 1000 twin-cam. Duncan Black (Daimler) Parkton, Md., was 2nd, pushed hard by Al Rogers, Warren, O., in a Morgan SS. Bob Tullius, Alexandria, Va., drove his TR-4 through to first in DP from the back of the grid.

Charlie Hayes (Elva), Chevy Chase, Md., won the F-Jr. race easily while Chuck Dietrich, Upper Sandusky, 0., brought the new American-made Bobsy into G Modified first after Doc Wyllie's apparent Lola victory was blighted by clutch trouble that required a pit stop.

Provisional results:

FP, GP, HP & HM - 1. Jack Crusoe (Alfa Romeo), 2. Art Riley (Volvo 1800), 3. Pete Van der Vate, Arlington, Va.(Sprite). FP - Crusoe; GP - Van der Vate; HP - Paul Hill, Ft. Worth, Tex. (Sprite); HM W. C. Greer, Knoxville, Va. (Zink Petite).

CP, DP & EP - 1. Paul Richards (F-A 1000) , 2. Duncan Black (Daimler) , 3. Al Rogers (Morgan SS). CP - Richards; DP - Bob Tullius (TR-4); EP - Bill Haenelt, Middletown, N.Y. (Porsche S90) .

F-Jr., F-III, & GM - 1. Charlie Hayes (Elva F-Jr), 2. Chuck Dietrich (GM Bobsy) , 3. Art Tweedale (GM Lola) . F-Jr. - Hayes,- F-III - John Gadwa, Riverdale, Md. (Cooper); GM - Dietrich.

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