On April 20, 2024, Walt Hollowell took the honors, he was awarded the Kastner Cup after a brilliant weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Walt piloted his TR6 near the front of the field all weekend, chasing and being chased by Will Hart in the Peyote MK2. Unfortunately, Will suffered a mechanical issue during the Cup race and finished two laps short, putting Walt on the top of the podium. Curt Johnston took second driving his Huffaker prepared TR7, and last year’s Kastner Cup winner Tony Drews finished third in the Red Rocket, his trusty TR4. Triumph was the featured marque of the SVRA Sonoma SpeedTour, where a dozen or so Triumphs battled for the coveted Cup.

On July 16, 2023 the 21st annual Kastner Cup was run at Road America. The race was won by Tony Garmey at the helm of the infamous TR250K, he was followed by a pair of fast GT6’s piloted by Dan Gehweiler and Alex Amys.

Tony Drews was awarded the Cup immediately following the race. Tony has a reputation of running strong all weekend in his meticulously prepared TR4, and this event was no exception. After putting down some great qualifying times, Tony raced his way in the feature to 10th place. Tony has the most experience driving the Kastner Cup events of anyone. Since the inception of the Kastner Cup Tony has raced in all except one! Also worthy of note, Tony’s father Jack won the inaugural Kastner Cup event at Mosport in 2003. Congratulations on a well deserved win, Tony! Full results can be found here. 

HARDY PRENTICE – 2024 GRAND MARSHAL

Hardy Prentice won the SCCA E Production National Championship in 1992 driving his 1956 Triumph TR3.  As a young man, Mr. Prentice’s love for Formula 1 spurred his participation in auto crossing.  With success in auto cross, his SCCA racing experience began in 1967.  But in 1968 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and spent 14 months in Vietnam.  He received his Honorable Discharge in the summer of 1970, and attended graduate school that fall at Golden Gate College in San Francisco.  There he met Ellie (Eleanor) who became his lifelong partner.  Ellie was a member of his race team throughout the years, and they are still married today living south of San Francisco.

Championship TR3.  Mr. Prentice purchased his Championship winning TR3 in 1961 for $900.  The TR3 was in such bad condition, a mechanic from the dealership where he purchased the car agreed to teach Hardy how to make the repairs.  This knowledge allowed him and a small group of team members to keep the TR3 racing for a generation.  As an interesting note, just prior to his tour in Vietnam Hardy was on the way to an SCCA national race at VIR in his TR3 with a team member.  He was in the passenger seat as the car was involved in a serious rollover accident and the TR3 was badly damaged.  Fortunately, while he was out of the country a friend purchased a parts car for just $15.  After returning safely from Vietnam, Hardy was able to use the parts from this car to rebuild his 1956 TR3 and resume his SCCA career. 

SCCA Racing Success.  Mr. Prentice first qualified for the SCCA Runoffs in 1974, and achieved his first SCCA class victory at Sears Point (now Sonoma Raceway) in March of 1975.  He participated in his first SCCA Runoffs later that year in 1975.  Also notable is that Mr. Prentice won the SCCA Northern Pacific Division Championship 13 times and six times in a row from 1989 through 1994.  During his career, Mr. Prentice qualified for the SCCA National Championship 25 consecutive years, and participated in the Runoffs 23 years in a row.  Hardy fondly recalls that the Seattle Times newspaper called him “Persistent Prentice”. 

Flat Towing the TR3 with an E-Type Jaguar.  In 1961 while living in Boston, neighbors convinced Hardy to attend a National Auto Show where he first saw the E-Type Jaguar.  He immediately loved the design and set a goal to acquire one in the future.  The dream was realized in 1970 when he purchased a 1967 E-Type FHC for $3,150 with only 19,000 miles.  At the time Hardy was driving his TR3 to and from SCCA races, but this was becoming increasingly more difficult. 

So, in June 1973 Hardy began using his E-Type Jaguar as his race tow vehicle.  He flat towed the TR3 across the country to attend SCCA races.  Flat towing means the TR3 was pulled on all four wheels without the benefit of a trailer or dolly.  Hardy designed and built a hitch and tow bar.  In preparation for each race he dropped the TR3 drive shaft, changed wheels, connected wiring for lights, and loaded up both cars with tools, tires, and spare parts.  He did this for 14 years until 1987 when another tow vehicle was purchased.  At the 1987 Runoffs, the TR3 was damaged on track at Road Atlanta.  Hardy purchased a $500 trailer from well-known Triumph parts supplier Ted Schumacher to make the cross-country trip home.  His days of flat towing the TR3 had come to an end.

Hardy ended his SCCA career at the end of the 1998 season.  Health issues and the requirement to make significant modifications to the TR3 to meet new car preparation guidelines convinced him to retire from racing.  Over the years Hardy is proud that his race team members were all volunteers.  He also paid out of pocket for all his expenses, except in one case when British Leyland purchased Huffaker Engineering parts on his behalf.  The Seattle Times certainly had it right when they called him “Persistent Prentice”.  It’s a great story that many in the Triumph racing community will be fascinated with. 

As the 2024 Kastner Cup heads to Sonoma Raceway near Hardy’s home, he has been selected as the Kastner Cup Grand Marshal.  In this role, Mr. Prentice will present the Kastner Cup Performance Awards to each top-performing driver in the various models of Triumph powered race car.  He will also select the winner of the R.W. “Kas” Kastner’s Trophy.