We had a fabulous week racing at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 12-15. More commonly known as the “historics” at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, this epic vintage race is part of several events occupying the week-long Monterey car festival leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours. Enjoy our race report with photos and in-car video!

Serious recognition for Japanese Race Cars

Now in its 52nd running, for the the first time ever the Rolex celebrated “Icons of Japanese Motorsport”. Laguna Seca was filled with run groups and displays highlighting racing histories of Toyota, Honda, Acura, Yamaha and Nissan. Taking center stage in the paddock was a huge 40+ car showcase of significant Japanese race cars like the legendary Le Mans-winning 1991 Mazda 787B. Nissan was well-represented with IMSA prototypes and the BRE Datsuns:

The Nissan Prototypes

 

These were factory-backed prototype race cars that Nissan used to conquer the IMSA GT Championship during the late 1980s and early 1990s. (Above) is the #23 Nissan R91CP Group C / IMSA GTP car, shipped straight from Japan for the Rolex event. (Below) is the 1990 Nissan NPT-90, driven by Geoff Brabham.

 

Z Car Garage was proud to display the 1988 Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo at the Rolex. This iconic race car was driven by Geoff Brabham and John Morton, known for de-throning the Porsche 962 in IMSA racing with 8 straight wins. (Below) Chassis #8801 with Rob in Turn 4 at Laguna Seca staged for the Japanese Icons photoshoot:

 

(Below, left) Electramotive engineer Chris Willes with Rob. You can see behind-the-scenes photos of the ZCG crew getting the GTP car out to turn 4 for the Icons photoshoot in the gallery below. We thank Dean Case and Greg Nelson of Nissan Motorsports for the opportunity to have this legend here at Z Car Garage since 2024. It now resides with our client Randy Jaffe in Atlanta.

 

The Rolex is a highlight for race fans, but it is also part of Monterey Car Week which is filled with classy events like auctions and the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance, where we displayed the GTP ZX-Turbo in the first ever “Japanese Motorsport” class:

VIDEO: See the GTP cars in action!

Video of the LeMans prototypes in action including the Nissan NPT-90 from Turn 6, volume up!

Japanese cars also got some love at The Quail, with a first-ever “Legacy of Japanese GTs” class. We even spotted Larry Chen’s SR20DET-powered 1970 Datsun 240Z on the lush greens (photo by Geoff Wise):

 

The BRE Datsuns

 

Nissan also celebrated the Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) race cars alongside the GTP prototypes. Our client and friend Randy Jaffe and Mark Lambert transported the 1971 BRE Datsun 510 and 1970 BRE Datsun 240Z from Atlanta on behalf of Nissan. Both cars were part of the central showcase:

 

BRE Championship driver John Morton gave hot lap rides in the BRE Datsun 510. Legendary automotive designer, racer, and motorsports visionary Peter Brock served as Grand Marshal for the event, a fitting choice given Brock’s influence on Japanese motorsports.

Nearby was the original BRE Datsun 2000 roadster driven by Frank Monise who won the Pacific Coast Championship in 1969:

 

Complementing the three BRE Championship cars above were the BRE Hino transporter and Jamaica 510, the 1973 BRE Baja 240Z, the 1969 BRE Baja 510 and Pete Brock’s personal 1972 Datsun 510 aka “screaming yellow zonker”:

 

Now, let’s get to the racing!

Z Car Garage Trackside Support for Seven Race Cars

 

With 60+ Nissan/Datsuns racing this year the starting grid for Group 2 (Small-bore/roadsters), Group 8 (B-sedan/510s) and Group 9 (IMSA GTU/Z cars) was a fan’s dream come true. Z Car Garage supported seven race cars, see them all on the dyno in preparation for the Rolex…volume up and enjoy that L-Series music!

 

Peter Gregg Trophy (1973–1981 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU and FIA)

Rob Fuller piloted the the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z in the IMSA group. You might recall the story behind this special, 1972 IMSA GTU 240z as it was owned, built and raced in the 70’s by none other than Joel Anderson.  ZCG restored #49 back to its former glory and it debuted at RMMR 2014. John Morton would drive #49 at RMMR 2015, and Rob Fuller finally drove it at the 2018 RMMR.

ROB: Since the IMSA car has been back together, unfortunately we’ve been having a couple of teething issues with it. It was ok in the first practice of Rolex Reunion, but it just didn’t feel like it was gonna work well. We made the call to to leave it on display in our paddock.

Rob was heartbroken, but that is racing. The #49 car will be back, for now enjoy this extended video with in-car footage of Rob dicing it up with big power Porsche RSRs at the 2024 RMMR… Volume UP and Long Live The Z!

 

Bob Sharp Cup (1966–1979 Historic SCCA B & C Sedans)

Historic B&C Sedan proudly organized a field of 48 historic sedans set to be exhibited and raced in the Bob Sharp Cup. Datsun 510s dominated the field with notables including the Corky Bell U2.5L Trans Am 510, Paul Newman’s 510 and several Bob Sharp Racing cars including the #38 Ex-Jim Fitzgerald 510, 610 (driven by Adam Carolla) and 200sx.

 

Z Car Garage helped arrange the field for a photoshoot on the front straight and it was epic. Each car with historical provenance, ready to be driven hard. Kudos to Glenn Chiou and Dave Stone for making this race group a reality. You can grab a high-res image of the group photo directly from the photographer Rami Garcia.

VIDEO: See the B-Sedan group in action!

Video of the B-Sedans from Turn 6 with starting grid and paddock action, volume up!

 

Z Car Garage Racers in B-Sedan Group

 

ROB: Z Car Garage raced and supported four Datsun 510s running in the Bob Sharp Cup. Myself in the Corky Bell car, Tom Dockery in the Ex-Balzer car, Kenny in the Ex-Ted Gruner car and new client, Patrick Byrne in the Ex- Greg Schmidt 510. Everyone had a good time.

#72 Tom Dockery

 

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. He is a Datsun enthusiast, friend and we love seeing him improve his craft. Here is Tom’s race report from the Rolex…

TOM: The full impact of running the Pre-Reunion and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is still sinking in. Racing at the Rolex was only a dream 20 years ago, but it became my primary goal after acquiring the Norm Balzer car in 2016. A very special thanks to Dave Stone for finding the car and facilitating the sale, and to Steve Link for selling it to me.

 

The week had another special element: my sons, Matt and Nick, and my daughter-in-law, Sarah, drove their historic Datsuns and Alfa down from Portland. We spent the entire week together, caravanning to Monterey and enjoying the automotive scene. It was great fun.

 

Both racing events were fantastic. As always, the car was flawless, and the ZCG Team made the experience seamless and carefree. They allowed me to be fully present with my family and friends throughout the event. Thanks to Rob’s coaching and positioning at the front of the practice and qualifying grid, I was able to set a personal record in the very first session.

 

The races at both events went well, and I stayed in the top 15 in all four races. I was especially pleased to remain within sight of Jenson Button and ahead of Jimmie Johnson in both races. To be fair, both had a 500cc handicap, and Jimmie was racing a right-hand-drive car for the first time. One thing I will never forget is the energy of sitting on the grid and feeling the excitement of the people surrounding the area. It was a magical moment for me. A big thank you to everyone who helped me get there.

 

VIDEO: In-car action with Tom’s 510

Take a few laps with Tom Dockery in the Ex-Balzer/Koobation B-Sedan Datsun 510

 

#39 Patrick Byrne

 

ROB: Patrick and Bill Byrne are a father and son team that have lots of cool vintage cars. Patrick runs in the IMSA group with my Z and he is a brilliant driver. Super excited to see the Schmidt car previously owned by Bill Ockerlund, now in the ZCG’s hands. We took this car to a test day before the Rolex, found a few shortcomings and sorted it out. Really cool car, beautiful and very competitive with Patrick behind the wheel.

    

#64 Kenny Tse

 

Kenny has been with us for many years enjoying our Z Car Garage Trackside Services for his Ex-Ted Gruner B-Sedan Datsun 510. Kenny did awesome, finishing top 10 in the Bob Sharp Cup:

  

#40 Rob Fuller

 

Rob drove the Corky Bell U2.5L Trans Am Datsun 510. Famed engineer and race car driver Corky Bell ran this Datsun 510 in the early 70’s Trans Am series. Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time in 53 years at the 2024 Velocity event. We will dedicate a separate blog post to the restoration and Corky’s story. Here are a few photos of the car during the revival:

   

Rob had a blast driving the Bell car with fellow B-Sedan racers in the Bob Sharp Cup. Rob won the race, with Richard Stuart Milne in second, Timothy Probert in third and Patrick Byrne in 4th. All Datsuns for the win!

(Left) Photo by Travis Bath

VIDEO: In-car action with Rob’s 510

Take a few laps with Rob Fuller in the Corky Bell B-Sedan Datsun 510

See the both races from Rob on his YouTube Channel and give the man a subscribe!

 

Datsun Roadsters at the RMMR

 

The 2026 Rolex Reunion featured no less than 12 Datsun Roadsters, roughly 9 of them racing in the John Morton Trophy (1950s–1960s SCCA Small Displacement Production Cars). Z Car Garage provided race preparation and trackside support services for our two new clients: Bruce White out of Colorado and Greg Walsh from Monterey.

 

ROB: Bruce White purchased the #33 1967 Datsun 2000 from our friend Ron Carter, so we’ve known about this car for many years and super excited to be a part of its next chapter. The car needed some sorting prior to the Rolex reunion so we did a test day and identified some shortcomings. Jim Tyler from Datsun Restoration Products was a wonderful resource to help us get this thing going. Bruce had never driven the roadster and by the end of the Pre-Reunion he was really competitive, putting down solid 1:54s and third overall among the Datsuns.

 

Greg Walsh had a similar experience in his Dan Parkinson Roadster: he struggled in the past with his roadster and we were able to have both of these cars run flawlessly. Both clients had a great time and that was really cool running at the Pre-Reunion and Rolex. 

 

Such a great sight seeing all these Datsun Roadsters in the paddock. Here are a few notables, with more photos in the gallery below:

 

Craig Carter’s Bob Sharp-prepared Datsun 2000. Note BRE-style exhaust that wraps around frame exiting side:

 

#88 Christopher Van De Meulengraaf 1967 Datsun 2000. This is the first RHD 2000 I’ve ever seen racing here in the States:

 

 

Phil Mendelovitz’ Ex-Bob Studdard 2000. This car won the EP national championship in 1987. Phil took 6th place overall in the John Morton Trophy and fastest Datsun Roadster running 1:49s.

 

VIDEO: See the Datsun Roadsters in action!

Video of the Roadster and Sports cars from the 60’s in the John Morton Trophy  from Turn 6, volume up!

Watch all the Rolex Races via livestream HERE

Paddock Highlights

The best part of the RMMR has to be the paddock. Home to all the race cars and their teams, massive car transporters and an all-around pure sensory overload. At every corner there is wicked metal with history begging to be told. Here’s a few of my favorites, more in the gallery!

 

My favorite race group, the Trans Am group with muscle cars abound:

 

Phil Mendelovitz cars included this HKS Turbo Datsun 240Z (dyno tuned at ZCG) and Nissan GT3 240SX:

 

Z cars were well-represented in several race groups including IMSA:

 

 

The #33 Planters / Newman-Sharp 300ZX with turbocharged VG:

 

 

S130 Z cars, #85 had a turbocharged VG!

   

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his FAR Performance 240Z in the Ken Miles Trophy (1955–1967 SCCA Large Displacement Production Cars). This Z has a very rich racing history, driven in the 70’s by Loren St. Lawrence in VIPS Restaurant livery.

 

Glenn also raced his Ex-Finn/Harris Trans Am Datsun 510 in the B-Sedan group. He’s got the best looking wheel/tire fitment:

 

Troy Ermish had a stable of cool Datsun 510s, including this freshly built, logbook #001 B-sedan owned by Daniel Wu:

  

Datsun 1200s just across:

 

This Miller Imports Datsun 510 was mint:

  

Autozam AZ-1 just chillin’ in the parking lot. Motorcycle for scale 🙂

 

JDM/Euro gems all around!

 

 

Randy Pobst’s first National Championship-winning Miata (1992), currently owned by Ross Lindell

 

VIDEO: RMMR Paddock Action!

Video of the machinery in the paddock, enjoy!

JDM Legends Car Show

Kaiju Company x Super Drive — JDM Legends Display

The JDM Legends Car Show was held August 14-15 within the lakebed at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. They had a fun showing of curated vehicles plus great turnout. More photos in the gallery below!

 

Wheels for Fantasy

A wheel lover’s dream, especially if you like meaty fitment…

 

People

Contributing to the fun were family and friends. We were humbled by the number of people that stopped by including fellow Datsun owners Jan Trondsen and Dave Sholz:

ROB: Lots of really cool people from all over the country came out and I got to meet a lot of enthusiasts… people that have been inspired by Z Car Garage and it was very cool. Just a wonderful weekend.

 

ZCG Race Crew

 

Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including Josh, Meghan, and Cooper. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!

 

Thank you!

 

ROB:  Seeing Tom Dockery with his kids there and everyone supporting him it just really warmed my heart. And then the guys, Josh and Cooper and Megan and Alvin…the vibe in the Z Car Garage paddock was incredible and the amount of cool cars that were there was unbelievable. You know I’ve been going to the Rolex reunion since the 90s and it was just awesome for me to see the paddock filled with so much deliciousness from overseas in Japan. Thank you to Nissan for letting us be a part of the GTP history…we got that car rolling, on display and then to Pebble Beach. A great job to everybody that’s involved to make those weekends work, really appreciate it. Thanks to Nicholas Caraballo  and Travis Bath for the on-track photos.

 

We hope you have enjoyed our recap of the 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorpsorts Reunion! Please browse our mega-gallery of pictures from race weekend below. We certainly enjoyed the company of friends and visitors in our paddock, here’s to another year of vintage racing in Monterey, California.

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This is Sean’s 1970 Datsun 240Z featuring our Z Car Garage CV Axles and Z Car Garage Big-Brakes that he had installed in SoCal. Highlights include a Rebello 3.0L, triple-Mikuni induction, Nismo 6-speed transmission and Watanabe wheels. Let’s take a look at how Sean got into Z cars…

 

Sean: This early-production 1970 Datsun 240Z Series 1 was purchased in 2019 from the original owner’s family. The original owner, in the army and stationed in Okinawa at the time, bought the car there brand new in mid-1970. It’s an early-production car with a 4/70 build date, chassis number HLS30-2811, and is one of the early non-EVAP examples. After completing his time overseas, he had the car shipped back to the United States in 1972, where it spent its entire life in Long Beach and has remained in California ever since. The family also included the original 1972 California pink slip with the car, which I thought was incredibly cool. Because of its lifelong California history, while the car does have some minor rust in common areas, it remains a very solid and honest example with excellent bones.

 

The original owner passed away roughly 25 years ago, after which the car sat dormant and untouched. When I acquired it, although largely original, the interior was in rough shape, the engine barely ran, and the car showed clear signs of long-term neglect. Over the years, it had been repainted twice in its lifetime, but I intentionally chose to leave the exterior exactly as it is. The layers of paint, chips, and exposed remnants of the original finish tell the story of the car’s history, and preserving that character became more important to me than restoring it cosmetically..

 

Interior

 

SEAN: While the exterior remains untouched, I painstakingly restored the interior myself back to essentially factory condition, using as many original parts as possible. This build was never intended to be a trailer queen — it was built to be period-correct, with modern underpinnings, driven, and enjoyed. Because of that, a full repaint will probably never happen. I know I’d never be able to keep it perfect, and honestly, I enjoy the car far more this way. I drive it through the canyons nearly every weekend, which is what it was built for...

          

Drivetrain

 

SEAN: Mechanically, the car has been transformed into the driver’s car I always envisioned. It’s powered by a 3.0L Rebello engine, paired with a Nissan S15 Nismo six-speed transmission and a fully rebuilt R200 differential with a Quaife LSD. Supporting modifications include triple Mikuni 44 PHH carbs, Kameari headers, a Fujitsubo Legalis R exhaust system, 123 Ignition, and Koyo radiator:

 

SEAN: The car recently dyno’d at 234 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque to the wheels on a Dynojet, which is more than enough for my needs. At this point, the build is pretty much complete Now it’s simply about enjoying the experience and continuing to drive a car that feels incredibly rewarding every time I get behind the wheel.

 

Enjoy this video of the Z in action including the dyno run, volume up!

 

Z Car Garage Big-Brakes

 

SEAN: The chassis was upgraded with Techno Toy Tuning and Apex components throughout. The Z Car Garage Big-Brake and CV Axle upgrades absolutely transformed the car, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. The car has also been professionally corner-balanced and tuned to my liking.

 

As fellow S30 owner/racer Glenn C mentioned in his review, on top of braking performance, pedal feel is extremely important and our Big-Brakes deliver. This is a direct result of working with Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments. All fitting behind a 15″ Watanabe or Panasport wheel and retaining factory emergency brake lever! A few details below:

Calipers: Stoptech ST42 4-piston front & rear race calipers (Alum 6061 mil-spec Type III anodized)

Rotors: 280mm x 20.6 with Alum 7075 hats

Pads: Stoptech 309 sport street pads

  

Big-Brake Kits Available For DIY Install!

(UPDATE…this kit is no longer available, V2 is coming soon see  HERE for more details)

Z Car Garage is proud to offer our Big-Brake Kit to Z-Car owners that want to perform the installation themselves. We can ship worldwide and each kit contains everything needed with a comprehensive (40-page) installation guide. Blog posts documenting all of our customers running the ZCG Big-Brakes can be found HERE.

 

Beyond ease of installation and quality components, our Big-Brakes perform by offering superb pedal feel…everyone that drives our demo Z confirms! This is a direct result of working with Stoptech to create a totally bolt-in solution requiring no M/C change or additional proportioning valve/adjustments. Photos of Sean’s ZCG BBK installation, looking great behind his 15×8 Watanabe wheels:

  

Parking brake functionality is retained with our ZCG Big-Brakes!

 

Z Car Garage CV Axles

  

Our Z Car Garage CV Axles help transmit power to the ground and ensure smoother operation compared to your standard half shafts. We have over 250 CV axle kits on customer cars and we are stoked with all of the positive feedback.

Sean’s ZCG CV Axle set, #0422 installed:

 

Enjoying The Ride

 

Sean has been driving his Z everywhere including those canyon runs!

     

What’s in store for Sean’s Z? Follow his build on Instagram

SEAN: I’ve always had a love for these cars. I bought my first Datsun 240Z in 1988 for 700 bucks before my senior year of high school and went on to own several more throughout the 1990s before selling my last one in 2001 due to having twin boys, as life understandably shifted priorities, but I hoarded and held onto all my parts, knowing that someday I’d own another one once the kids finally flew the coop..

 

Thanks for your support Sean we love that you are Enjoying The Ride and Long Live The Z! More photos in the gallery below

The Last Stop in Braking for your Z

 

Z Car Garage Big Brakes are one of the best systems available for your S30 Z Car with over 200 kits sold worldwide and unanimous positive feedback. See our ZCG Big-Brakes on client cars HERE and enjoy the photos below: (UPDATE…this kit is no longer available, V2 is coming soon see here for more detailss)

   
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Z Car Garage is excited to participate in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 12-15 at Laguna Seca. The event will honor the icons of Japanese motorsport as the featured marque. ZCG will be racing and supporting nine vintage Datsuns, see below for a preview and event schedule. It’s already shaping up to be a Nissan/Datsun fan’s dream like the 2018 RMMR :

 

Z Car Garage Racers

Here is a preview of vintage Datsun race cars we prepared and dyno tuned for the Rolex event. Volume up and enjoy that L-Series music!

 

Group 9

Peter Gregg Trophy (1973–1981 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU and FIA)

Rob Fuller will pilot the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z. You might recall the story behind this special, 1972 IMSA GTU 240z as it was owned, built and raced in the 70’s by none other than Joel Anderson. ZCG restored #49 back to its former glory and it debuted at RMMR 2014. John Morton would drive #49 at RMMR 2015.

 

Larry Oka’s Ex-Glemik IMSA Z

Group 3

Ken Miles Trophy (1955–1967 SCCA Large Displacement Production Cars)

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou will race 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.

 

Group 8

Bob Sharp Cup (1966–1979 Historic SCCA B & C Sedans)

 

Historic B&C Sedan is proud to announce its participation in the upcoming Monterey Rolex Motorsports Reunion and Pre-Reunion at the legendary Laguna Seca Raceway. With an impressive field of 48 historic sedans set to be exhibited and raced, fans can expect a spectacular showcase of vintage touring car competition. This year’s featured marque celebrates Japanese icons, and the Historic B & C Sedan group is exceptionally well represented, highlighting many of the era’s most influential and beloved Japanese racing machines. From the paddock to the corkscrew, it’s sure to be an unforgettable celebration of motorsports history.

The Corky Bell Trans Am 510

 

Rob Fuller will be racing the Bell 510. Famed engineer and race car driver Corky Bell ran this Datsun 510 in the early 70’s Trans Am series. Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time at the Velocity ’23 event. We will dedicate a separate blog post to the restoration and Corky’s story. Here are a few photos of the car during the revival:

   

Kenny is a steady ZCG trackside support client, running the Ex-Ted Gruner 510.

#72 Tom Dockery

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years.

 

Bill Ockerlund’s Ex-Greg Schmidt Datsun 510

 

Group 2

John Morton Trophy (1950s–1960s SCCA Small Displacement Production Cars)

We prepared 2 Datsun Roadsters for this exciting race group:

Bruce White’s 1967 Datsun 2000

 

Gregg Walsh’s 1966 Datsun 1600

 

 

Events!

Grand Marshal Peter Brock will join the Unser Family Cup group for photo opportunities and autographs before their afternoon race.

Autograph session: Saturday, August 15 · 11:30 AM–12:15 PM · Heritage Display

 

Kaiju Company x Super Drive — JDM Legends Display

JDM Legends Car Show August 14-15 within the lakebed at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

 

See the BRE Datsuns!

 

Nissan will be displaying the 1971 #46 BRE Datsun 510 and BRE Datsun 240Z

 

View the race schedule HERE.

View the list of entries and race groups HERE.

View previous RMMR race reports HERE.

Z YOU AT SECA!

 

Join us for the 2026 Vintage Racing Season!

Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Please check the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for upcoming race events. Do not miss the next event: The Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca August 12-15th.

 

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One of ZCG’s greatest achievements is the development of our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes in collaboration with StopTech. Many satisfied clients are running these brakes on their S30s. Unfortunately, due to supply issues, we no longer offer that kit. The good news is that we’re excited to introduce our new Big Brake Kit!

 

Version 2 has a slightly larger rotor with 4-piston calipers front and rear. It is in final testing, and will be released soon. Here are a few photos from our test drive last weekend in “Mrs. Butters”, our 1971 Series 1 240z shop demo car fitted with the V.2 Big-Brake Kit:

 

Stay tuned for more photos, details and pricing.

  

 

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The 2026 Velocity Invitational was held at Sonoma Raceway May 29-31. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting clients in Group 8 (ALMS) and Group 5 (B-Sedan). The event was just as fun for spectators with a friendly, immersive vibe. Enjoy our report from the weekend with photos and in-car video of the action.

  

Z Car Garage Racers

Photo by Chris Constantine

This year we missed racing in Group 7 IMSA, however the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z was proudly displayed in the paddock for the weekend.

 

You can see photos and in-car video from Rob in the Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z from the last VI race below. Volume up and enjoy!

  

The IMSA group this year was fun to watch and we enjoyed seeing the Leary 280Z car driven by Gabe Tesch’s son, Jake.

Photo by Elton Hom

Historic B & C Sedan

Photo by Alex Trang

Historic B&C Sedan partnered with Velocity Invitational to gather a collection of 30+ real historic B and C sedan cars in a dedicated run group! Several cars among them had real Trans Am Under 2L and Two-Five Challenge history like the Datsun 510s of Corky Bell and Bob Finn.

The Corky Bell Trans Am 510 (Group 5)

 

Famed engineer and race car driver Corky Bell ran this Datsun 510 in the early 70’s Trans Am series. Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time in 53 years at the last Velocity. We will dedicate a separate blog post to the restoration and Corky’s story. Here are a few photos of the car during the revival:

   

Rob Fuller piloted the Bell Trans Am 510 at the Velocity Invitational. His race report is below:

ROB:  This year we were going to see the return of the Joel Anderson IMSA 240Z and unfortunately it didn’t work out. Then our Mini Cooper that was supposed to be in the Mini Vs. Muscle race had some engine issues…so let’s talk about the fun stuff… Historic B&C Sedan!

 

After many years of dedication, Dave Stone and Glenn Chiou finally got an entire group of Historic B&C Sedans assembled for a run group at Velocity Invitational. This is really amazing because it has been discussed forever and every one of the cars inside the field has historic pedigree with stories. With about 33 cars total it was fun racing and we had a really good time. 510s were very strong in the field…Noah was there in his 68 car, Kenny in the 64 Ex-Ted Gruner car, Tom Dockery in the 72 Ex-Balzer/Koobation car and Rob Fuller and Corky Bell number 40 Datsun 510. 

 

Chet Taylor raced his Alpha GTV which was piloted for almost 50 years by Jon Norman (Bay Area Alpha legend) and he was in the mix. It was just a blast with great racing and got to spend time with fans and tell them about the cars and their stories. That’s one of my favorite parts. Everybody was competitive, there were no car issues. It was an absolute wonderful weekend filled with peanut butter pretzels, snacks,  good times and hugs. Also honorable mention to Greg Hoff in Larry Oka’s historic Michael Bell car that ran out of the Pacific Northwest in the late 70s. 

 

The Corky Bell car finished 2nd in the Qualifying Race and third in the Feature Race.

 

Enjoy this video of Rob Fuller racing in Group 5 at the Velocity Invitational with in-car action:

 

You can also see the full-length, in-car footage on Saturday and Sunday and watch more of Rob’s racing adventures on his YouTube Channel.

 

#68 Noah’s Datsun 510

 

#72 Tom Dockery

We have helped Tom build and prepare his Ex-Norm Balzer/Koobation 510 for several years. One of his racing goals for 2026 is to attend both the Velocity Invitational and Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

 
TOM: Velocity Invitational 2026 was another outstanding event for the B Sedan community. A large B-Sedan group, 30 plus cars with a broad representation of manufacturers. This was my first event after extensive work on the car performed by the Z Car Garage team. A special thanks to Rob, Josh and Cooper. The car worked well and I was able to stay in the top third of the run group. There is always room for improvement in my driving but I was very happy with my performance and more importantly the performance of the run group. The group put on a good show with racing throughout the field. Looking forward to August and the Rolex.

 

We have in-car video from Tom Dockery in the Ex-Norm Balzer B-Sedan Datsun 510, volume up and enjoy!

 

#64 Kenny Tse

Kenny is a steady ZCG trackside support client, running the Ex-Ted Gruner 510.

 

#37 Glenn Chiou

 

The Historic B and C Sedan founder and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his his Ex-Bob Finn U2.5L Trans-Am Datsun 510 This car features our Z Car Garage CV Axles. We also provided dyno tuning services for the fresh Rebello L18 with Solex/Mikuni 44phh induction and BRE intake:

 

More on-track photos by Elton Hom can be seen HERE

Friday Night Meet with Sung Kang and Larry Chen

 

Lifelong car guys Sung Kang and Larry Chen brought the spirit of Daikoku PA to Sonoma Raceway for a one-of-a-kind Friday night meet.  Z Car Garage displayed #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z. Rob recalls the evening:

ROB: Friday night…Larry Chen and Sung Kang go to Sonoma Raceway. They had a separate event where they sold tickets to allow fans to bring cars to the meet, see a drift car demo and trailer of the new movie, Drifter. Larry and Sung did a Q&A-style hang with fans and as the sun set Velocity had us bring down the IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z to the hot pit and display it with some really cool curated cars.

 

After the Q&A/trailer and everything in turn seven, they would choose which cars that would go down and be in the car show, was really cool. Lots of families and people I’ve never seen before. The IMSA 240Z was staged between some cars from the race like the Celica GTU car and a Mazda 767B.

Photos by Elton Hom

At the very end of the hot pit was Larry Chen signing books and meeting people. That line didn’t stop until they kicked us out at 9:30 at night. It was absolutely incredible. People were excited and respectful. People talked to me about some of the YouTube channel episodes that I’ve been in with Larry, their own Z car projects and being at the VI for the first time. Just absolutely wonderful. Very very cool to bridge that world to our world and so it was just a mix of young and old and families. Spent time with Johnny Lieberman. Highlight for me was seeing Joey Bautista’s early (Prince) Skyline it was epic. Really good time had by all and just a great job for Velocity bringing folks together.

 

Z Car Garage Trackside Race Support Services

ZCG provided trackside support for 4 cars in the B-Sedan field at the Velocity Invitational. Interested in our services? Find out more HERE.

Porsche 997 GT3 Cup (Group 8)

This very special Porsche is the 2006 FIA European GT3 Championship winning car that was driven by Sean Edwards. It is a 997 GT3 Cup S Prototype and our client Kenny Tse raced it in the ALMS (group 8).

 Photos by Elton Hom

Paddock Gems

Photo by Elton Hom

There was no shortage of rare and exotic cars from well-known supercar marques. Historic icons were everywhere. More photos in the gallery below!

 

Our client Lora with her Series 1 Datsun 240Z

A Fan-Friendly Race Event

 

One of the best experiences for spectators is the paddock and organizers made access to drivers and their machines seamless. Fans could get up close and personal with race cars without the typical ropes or 45-foot RVs in the way. Enjoy our video coverage of the paddock focused on the Historic B&C Sedan groups:

ROB: Since the inaugural Velocity Invitational, Z Car Garage has been a big fan of what they were trying to accomplish:  mixing something that we (love vintage racing) with car culture that appeals to people of all ages. Kudos to Jeff O’Neil and his team for pulling off another exciting event.

If you want to see action from the event in its entirety, check out live streaming coverage HERE. Huge thanks to Meghan Fuller for capturing photos/videos for ZCG. More photos in the gallery below from photographers Alex Trang, Chris Constantine and Elton Hom.

ZCG Race Crew

  

Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including Josh, Meghan, and Cooper. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!

 

Join us for the 2026 Vintage Racing Season!

 

Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Please check the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for upcoming race events. Do not miss the next event: CSRG’s Corkscrew Classic June 12-14.

 

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