Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the Sears Point Challenge at Sonoma 10/3 and Finale event at Thunderhill 11/1.  Z Car Garage participated  in both events, supporting several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group. Great weekends filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our race reports with photos and video!

 

Sears Point Challenge 10/3-5

 

ROB: Beautiful weekend at historic Sonoma Raceway (which will always be Sears Point to me). We had a a few bitchin’ 510s including Tom Dockery and Kenny. Super excited to test out the suspension fresh and adjustments on Noah’s Bluebird coupe.

 

Everything seem to be working well with Tom, Kenny everyone up to a really good pace, it was fun.

 

Lots of cool hardware in the paddock:

VIDEO

Turn the volume up and enjoy the sounds and sights from the paddock at Sonoma Raceway!

Vintage Spec Miata

 

ROB: The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is excited to welcome Vintage Spec Miata (1990-1997) to all of their events! This is a fun, affordable way to get into vintage racing. Each event we see more really clean VSPs coming out to race. Season high for us in Sonoma, with I believe 10+ cars out there:

 

Speaking of glorious…we would like to introduce you to “Little Butters”, our 1991 Vintage Spec Miata that will be available for rental throughout the vintage race season. Contact Rob at ZCG for details. Since this is a new build for I drove it for the weekend to make sure it was sorted and ready to rock for any client that wants to enjoy it. It has a competitive race engine, Penske shocks which are the current suspension for SCCA Spec-Miatas. Just to pay tribute to how wonderful Mrs. Butters Z (our Series 1 shop 240z) is,  we painted it Safari Gold. It’s nickname is Little Butters,  Josh likes to call it “I can’t believe it’s not Butters” and then we picked the number 23 because we are Nissan dorks.

 

Anyway it was fantastic to have the car out and then honorable mentions are Lora B, she keeps kicking ass in her Spec Miata and Allison as well. Also on Saturday and Sunday we had Ross Lindell in the Randy Pobst National Championship-winning Miata (1992)…pretty cool that Miatas are old enough to have their own vintage class and then also have one of the their own ambassadors:

  

Super excited for the season to play out at Thunderhill. Huge thanks to Josh and Cooper for keeping us safe all weekend , Meghan and Oliver for taking care of the snacks and the tire recycling. I love that event. CSRG is magical. If you haven’t been to one those events you ar emissing out, so come on out! WE’ll be posting out race scehule soon after the holidays.

 

CSRG Finale 11/1

ROB: Every year CSRG ends their season with the Finale at Thunderhill. This event is lightly attended and results in tons of track time. There’s an Enduro on Sunday with with a faux LeMans start… and it is just rad. The Saturday night dinner is a special event and we are seeing more and more people showing up. It’s been two years since I have had my Datsun 510 out and it was a great way to end the season racing it. 

 

Troy Ermish brought his 510 and we had a really nice B-Sedan field with a ton of Dimes out there. Most important 510s to us obviously include Tom Dockery and the return of fire captain Todd R,  Noah, Tom, Alison and Rob was out stable for the weekend:

 

It was just awesome having so much track time. Everybody was kicking ass and taking names, and by Sunday afternoon I think we’d all kind of figured that we’ve had enough track time which is unbelievable for us to say. Once again Josh and Cooper kept us all safe all weekend long and we rocked it. Oliver was on tire recycling duty and Meghan on snacks while enjoyed the small town feel of Willows.

  

We enjoyed Saturday night dinner with CSRG and it was so much fun to see everyone. I hadn’t seen Josh Moriarty in a long time and he was out there kicking ass in his 510. There was a really great group of these ex-GT3 cars (tube frame/ fiberglass bodies).  Jim Froula was in one (240SX) and a kid I run Spec Miata with (Joseph Carl) was out there with his Dad in a super cool vintage 1st-gen GTU RX-7.

 

VIDEO

Turn the volume up and enjoy the sounds and sights from the paddock at Thunderhill!

 

ROB: We had perfect weather and another race reason in the books.  Can’t wait for 2026 we are super excited and will be traveling this year. There will be a big Japanese big-bore/bash with Sovren in the PNW and I’ll be going to the Rose Cup at PIR in my Miata. Get out there and race! If you have any questions/thoughts about racing with us please contact Rob at rob@zcargarge.com

Tom Dockery

 

Tom Dockery continues to enjoy racing in his Ex-Norm Balzer B-Sedan 510. Here is his report from both CSRG events along with some great in-car footage

TOM: The Sears Point Challenge was a fantastic weekend filled with learning and improvement. With Kenny, Noah, and me as students, Rob skillfully coached, challenged, and encouraged each of us to push our limits. As a result, I managed to improve my lap times with each session, achieving a new personal best at Sonoma.

 

The CSRG Finale at Thunderhill was fun, although it had its frustrating moments. We shared track time with the higher horsepower group 8 machines during all 10 sessions. The frustration stemmed from some group 8 drivers opting to start from the back of the field despite their qualification times. As they worked their way through the field, they didn’t always take the easiest path, requiring slower drivers like me to let them pass, which affected my race pace with competitors I hoped to stay with.

VIDEO

Volume up and enjoy. in-car video action from Tom Dockery’s Datsun 510!

 

TOM: There were positive aspects too. I learned the freight train signaling method to coordinate with teammates at the start. Noah and I used this technique to block a NASCAR Cup car that tried to prevent the faster B-Sedans from overtaking in the corners. Josh and Cooper provided excellent support on both weekends. At Thunderhill, Josh performed a fuel pump swap while Cooper replaced a lower radiator hose, ensuring we didn’t miss any sessions.

 

See more photos in the gallery below (Thanks Meghan!) and stay tuned for our 2026 race schedule!
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Happy 89th Birthday to our hero Peter Brock! You have been and continue to be inspirational to us Datsun fans worldwide. Here are a few pictures we enjoyed taking with you over the years:

 

WE LOVE RACING! Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is hosting the Sears Point Challenge at Sonoma Raceway, October 3-5. Z Car Garage is participating and supporting several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group. This vintage racing event is totally FREE to spectators so please join us! Bring the family, enjoy cool cars and charity rides around the track. Attention DRIVERS: there is still time to register to race! Sign up HERE.

 

Again, admission is FREE for this event and you will have access to all spectator areas on track, race cars and drivers. You can see our report from the 2024 Charity Challenge HERE

Z Car Garage Supports Five Datsun 510s!

 

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno:

 

#88 Todd Rueppel

Todd enjoyed his Z Car Garage trackside support experience with us at the Laps For Laguna event!

#7 Kelvin Tse

Kelvin and his brother Kenny are regular ZCG trackside support clients…

  

#64 Kenny Tse

  

#6 Noah’s Bluebird Coupe

#72 Tom Dockery

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. You can view his race report below:

#68 and #30 Noah’s 510 and BMW 2002

#7 Rob Fuller

ZCG owner Rob Fuller, Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute car

 

Vintage Spec Miata

 

We will also be supporting Vintage Spec Miata!

Join us for the 2025 Vintage Racing Season!

 

The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is excited to welcome Vintage Spec Miata (1990-1997) to all of their events! This is a fun, affordable way to get into vintage racing. If you have any questions regarding prep and presentation, reach out to Rob Fuller: rob@zcargarage.com.

Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Please check the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for upcoming race events.

 

 

 

 

 

On June 20-22, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the Corkscrew Classic vintage race at Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage participated and supported several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 3. It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our race report with photos and video!

 

Z Car Garage Supports Four Datsun 510s

 

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno.

VIDEO: Dyno tuning Noah’s Nissan Bluebird and Alison’s Spec Miata.Volume up and enjoy!

 

Hoosier Tire 2.5 Challenge

 

CSRG hosted the Hoosier 2.5 Challenge TA/BS. This is an action-packed race group with B-Sedans battling for points in the series!

 

ZCG clients running at the Corkscrew Classic included:

#6 Noah’s Bluebird Coupe

 

#64 Kenny Tse

  

#88 Todd R.

 

#72 Tom Dockery

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. You can view his race report below:

 

TOM: Returning to Laguna Seca was a real treat—it feels like it’s been far too long. The track has a natural rhythm that just flows with you through every corner. While Sonoma may be more technically demanding and keeps you on the edge of your racing seat, Seca will always have my heart.
This CSRG event gathered all the B-Sedans under the Hoosier 2.5 Challenge banner, which meant a field full of fast drivers, many of whom were laser-focused on points and the podium. I was content to stay out of that mix, hanging toward the back and enjoying the experience. That was easy enough during the two races, but a bit more challenging during qualifying.

 

The event also brought back former owner and champion Jon Koobation, which was a highlight. A special thanks to Rial Barnett from B-Sedan Racing for taking the time to interview both Jon and me for the B-Sedan community—truly a special moment. As always, big thanks to Rob and the ZCG Team for their outstanding coaching and race support. And of course, huge appreciation for the extended racing family—Meghan, Laura, Chris, Kenny, Noah, Kelvin, and Kelly—you’re simply the best. Looking forward to Sonoma in October! 

You can view the B-Sedan interview with Tom Dockery and John Koobation here on Facebook.

VIDEO: Enjoy this in-car video of Tom qualifying at Laguna Seca with a chase camera view as well:

Paddock Action

VIDEO: Catch a glimpse of the Z Car Garage paddock and watch the Group 3 and Group 9 vintage racers rollout in the video below!

Rob recaps the event…

ROB:  Troy Ermish’s Hooiser Challenge Series was one of the special run groups and it was really cool to see all the 510s, Alphas and BMWs mix it up. We supported 510 drivers  Kenny Tse, Noah, Todd, and Tom Dockery. Todd took a year off racing and he did a fantastic job for hist first time back with a personal best lap time. Laura B and myself in our Spec Miatas and we had a new addition: Ara’s (who races 510s) wife Alison came to join us with her Spec Miata. We had a great time as the run groups were fantastic with 5-6 Miatas. Can’t wait to see 20 VSP in the field.

 

Kenny and Noah both got their PBs at Laguna. Tom Dockery had his B-sedan interview with John Koobation which was super cool. Unfortunately Meghan and I were busy on Sunday, so huge shout out to Josh and David Carroll for handling the Z Car Garage Sunday program.  Our staff is a well-oiled machine, and I had FOMO really bad on Sunday. Everybody did a great job. Can’t wait for the Sears Point event coming in October so thanks again for tuning into our races. Remember, all CSRG events are free for spectators. Contact Rob if you are interested in racing with us. We will guide and help you get faster as well.

 

Vintage Spec Miata

 

The Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) is excited to welcome Vintage Spec Miata (1990-1997) to all of their events! This is a fun, affordable way to get into vintage racing. If you have any questions regarding prep and presentation, reach out to Rob Fuller: rob@zcargarage.com.

A weekend of great racing and good times

 

We enjoyed sharing this experience with our friends and CSRG family. Special shoutout to ZCG crew including Cooper and Josh, running all of the cars above would not be possible without them. Big thanks to Meghan for taking photos and video around the paddock.  View all in the gallery below

 

 
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On June 20-22, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) will host the Corkscrew Classic vintage race at Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage will participate and support several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 3. It will be a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Remember to bring your family and friends as admission is FREE for spectators!

Hoosier Tire 2.5 Challenge

CSRG will be featuring the Hoosier 2.5 Challenge TA/BS. This is an action-packed race group with B-Sedans battling for points in the series!

 

Race Schedule

Watch these Datsuns Race!

Want a glimpse of what it’s like to see Datsuns racing at Laguna Seca? Check out our 2024 race report with video and photos: HERE, and view a sample of cars expected to race June 20 at the Corkscrew Classic:

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou in his FAR Performance 240Z. This Z has a very rich racing history, driven in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence in VIPS Restaurant livery.