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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Z Car Garage presents five cars for sale from our client Randy Jaffe’s collection. The Datsuns consist of three Series 1 240Z cars and one 1979 280ZX Race Car. Also for sale is a 1966 Mustang R-style Fastback Race Car. Below is a preview of the collection with links to each car’s individual listing containing build details, photo galleries, driving videos and more.

Serious inquiries only, please contact Rob: 408-452-0350 or rob@zcargarage.com

 

3.2L-Powered 1971 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Rocketbunny

 

 

 

 

 

Randy Jaffe’s 1971 Datsun 240Z Series 1 S30 started as a project car with paint/bodywork performed by Bryson Richards of Classic Livery. The Z was shipped to us from Georgia for finishing his vision of a wild show/go race car. Inspiration for the Tangerine paint color and Jagermeister livery came from Randy’s obsession with Porsche, and the Max Moritz Racing Porsche 934.

Providing room for the 275/315-width tires and custom Panasport C8 wheels is an authentic Pandem Rocketbunny aero kit. Randy channeled his passion for racing into this build and the chassis is virtually identical to his #46 BRE Datsun 240z, using zinc-plated DP Racing suspension parts. The engine is a dyno-tuned 3.2L L-series running 13:5:1 compression, triple-Mikuni ph44s, a Fujitsubo header and glorious BRE-style exhaust. Running gear includes a close-ratio 5-speed ZX transmission, R180 OS Giken LSD, our ZCG CV Axles and ZCG Big-Brake Kit (race version). Continuing the race car theme is a stripped, body-color interior with Sparco race seats, steering wheel and custom Alcantara custom dash. BRE/vintage details throughout.

Car is is pristine condition with zero chips, scratches or defects. Approx. 400 miles on build. 1st Place Winner Best Datsun 240Z at the Japanese Classic Car Show.

Full build details with photos, video and more can be found here: 3.2L-Powered 1971 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Rocketbunny

 

3L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Safari Tribute

 

 

 

 

 

Randy’s 1970 Safari Z is a tribute to the original #11 car piloted to victory by Edgar Herrmann and Hans Schuller in the 1971 East African Safari Rally. Nissan campaigned three of these S30s in the rally, finishing 1, 2 and 7th place while handily beating Porsche’s and other marques along the way. This is an early 4/70 production (VIN 03227) Series 1 car and Randy shipped it from Georgia to our shop to prepare it for the “60 Years in 30 Seconds” commercial as part of “The New Nissan” ad campaign starring actress Brie Larson.

The drivetrain includes a new, dyno-tuned 3.0 Rebello street motor using a 10.5:1 head for pump gas, triple-Mikuni ph44 induction (as the original #11 Safari Z ran) complete with Harada intake, velocity stacks, linkages and Z Car Garage Heat Shield covering the Fujitsubo exhaust header. All backed by a new, 1982 280ZX 5 speed transmission and OS Giken 4.11 LSD.

The interior features period touches like navigator’s equipment including 70’s route map, microphone headsets, rally timers and reproduction vintage race seats. Small details remain faithful to the original car inculding functional Works-style side jacking points, rear bumper steps and twin-exit exhaust system. Car was featured by Nissan at SEMA and by Larry Chen in his YouTube video series.

Full build details with photos, video and more can be found here: 3L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Safari Tribute

 

2.8L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Bonneville Salt Flat Race Car

  

 

 

 

This 1970 Datsun 240z set the F/GT class record (1976) of 166.037 mph at Bonneville with Nissan USA field engineer Bob Stockman behind the wheel. The car was stored in Nissan warehouses for decades until our client Randy acquired it from Nissan in 2020. The Bonneville Z-car is chassis HLS30-05834, built in June 1970. Never sold to the public, with only ~2300 miles.

The exterior features the “G-nose”, a factory-made, 5-piece kit for the JDM-only Fairlady ZG (HS30-H) and created for Group 4 racing, The stripped interior houses a simple roll bar with integrated headrest. The steering wheel is a rare, “Ura Mach” unit. This leather/aluminum steering wheel was an available option to all S30s from Nissan sports/race, with the stock wheel being wood composite made by Izumi. Though available as optional parts, these seats and steering wheel were removed from a 432R and installed on the F/GT car as delivered from Japan by Nissan!

In 2021 we performed a sympathetic restoration of the Bonneville Salt Flats Z. The original record setting motor prepared by Tom O’Connor and his team at Nissan was not available, so we installed a high-compression L28 built by BRE team member John Caldwell. It features triple-ph44 Mikuni’s with Harada intake, velocity stacks and Z Car Garage Heat Shield. The exhaust system includes a ceramic-coated header and side/rear exit all painted white. The dyno-tuned engine is backed by a low mileage 280zx close-ratio 5-speed with a JWT aluminum flywheel ad HD clutch.  Power is sent through an R180 with 4.11 gearset complete with new bearings and hardware. Original Firestone Bonneville tires, and 15 inch steel wheels that were used during the record setting events are included in sale.

Car was featured by Larry Chen in his YouTube video series, and won the Amelia Award in the 1961-’89 race car class at the 2025 Amelia Island Concours.

Full build details with photos, video and more can be found here: 2.8L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Bonneville Salt Flat Race Car

 

Ex-Jim Fitzgerald 1979 Datsun 280ZX Race Car

 

 

 

 

 

This 1979 Datsun 280ZX was raced from 1980 through 1983 by Jim “Fitzy” Fitzgerald, Paul Newman’s close friend and teammate. Fitzy remains the winningest driver in SCCA history and campaigned this 280ZX in C Production as well as IMSA GTU.The car has belonged to Adam Carolla (2009 to 2017), then our client Alex McDowell who raced it the Monterey Motorsports Reunion and many Laguna Seca vintage events from 2018 to 2021.

Z Car Garage refreshed and prepared the ZX for racing in 2018. The drivetrain includes a dry-sump 3.2L Rebello race engine (approx 5 hrs) with triple-Mikuni ph44 carbs on a Nissan Competition intake manifold, Nissan Competition exhaust header with straight pipes into exhaust megaphones, 3.9 OS Giken LSD, ZCG CV Axles and 5 Speed Nissan Comp 2 Transmission. Suspension consists of Koni race shocks, period disc brakes and 16×10 Panasport C8 wheels.

The interior features a full roll cage, fire suppression system and Sparco race seat. This is a very significant historical race car with easy entrance to Vintage Events. Race ready. Additional Body Molds included with sale.

More details with photos, video and more can be found here: Ex-Jim Fitzgerald 1979 Datsun 280ZX Race Car

 

1966 Ford Mustang Fastback R-Style Race Car

 

 

 

 

This 1966 Ford Mustang fastback was built as a B Production race car in 1991 by Historic Race Engineering of Costa Mesa, California and has competed in VARA, SVRA, VDCA, and HSR events since. It is a period-correct homage to the Shelby GT350R, featuring Shelby-style bodywork along with an upgraded suspension and brakes, larger wheels and tires, and safety equipment.

The small-block Ford V8 is backed by a Toploader four-speed manual transmission was purchased from Cobra Automotive. The car was reportedly built to FIA specifications and is currently configured for SVRA Group 6, VDCA Group 6, and HSR Group 3 competition. This GT350R replica is now offered by the current owner with service records, a letter from Carroll Shelby, a logbook, timing sheets, old racing photos, spare parts, a car cover, and a clean GA title.

More details with photos, video and more can be found here: 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback R-Style Race Car

 

All cars from the Randy Jaffe’s Collection are listed below:

• 3.2L-Powered 1971 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Rocketbunny
• 3L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Safari Tribute
• 2.8L-Powered 1970 Datsun 240Z 5-speed Bonneville Salt Flat Race Car
• Ex-Jim Fitzgerald 1979 Datsun 280ZX Race Car
• 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback R-Style Race Car

 

On April 17-19, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the David Love Vintage races at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage raced and supported several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in the B-Sedan Group. It was great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our race report with photos and video below.

 

Z Car Garage Races Ands Supports 4 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.

Video of Dyno tuning of all four 510s below, Enjoy the sweet L-series music!

Our lineup of 510 racers…

#64 Kenny Tse

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

  

Noah’s Bluebird Coupe

 

#52 Kelly McCarty

Kelly recently acquired this 510 from Jim Froula. It features our Z Car Garage CV Axles and race preparation.

 

#40 Rob Fuller

ZCG owner Rob Fuller, in the #40 Corky Bell U2.5 Trans Am Datsun 510

 

Z Car Garage restored it back to its former glory with Trans Am livery and Corky drove it for the first time in 52 years at the 2024 Velocity Invitational. This was the first time Rob Fuller raced the Corky Bell 510! Full feature coming to zcarblog.com

 

B-Sedan Racing Action!

All of our clients finished the race and had a blast. Rob recaps the weekend…

ROB: The David Love season opener for CSRG, man did it feel like it was forever since we’ve been on the race track. Kelly McCarty purchased Jim Froula’s #52 car so we did a little bit of prep to make sure it was ready to rock and Kelly was back in action. It was super awesome. Noah’s Bluebird was there and both Noah and Kenny are really picking up the pace, we worked on all the things that will keep us staying competitive and fun in the front.

 

ROB: I will be driving the U2.5 Corky Bell Trans Am challenge car in both the Velocity Invitational event and the Rolex so we were sorting the car out. I had some really fun close racing with Tony Delane. He was kicking but in his 2002. We built this 510 in period and there wasn’t enough support in the fiberglass hood, so it was really funny to develop the “Fuller Flap” over the weekend 🙂 The car was super competitive and now we know what to do to for a bit more juice. Super excited to be part of the B-Sedan group with Bell car.

 

Video

Watch Rob Fuller battle for P1 with Tony Delane in the BMW 2002 plus paddock action in the video below:

Full in-car race video from Rob in the Corky Bell 510 is HERE

Full in-car race video from Noah in the Bluebird Coupe is HERE

Kenny’s Porsche 997 GT3 Cup

 

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 races this throughout the season with CSRG and Rolex events.

ROB: Also on the racetrack was the Formula Ford group with a large field and they put on a great show. The Club Wheelhouse Classic Cup includes Porsche 996/997 cup cars with race livery and private cars that were built by Porsche. They had about 12 cars and it was really fun to watch them run. Both Kenny and Noah raced their 911s: Noah’s car is more developed 996 and both these guys are out there giving it the business.

 

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.

ROB: “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.

 

ROB: Tom Dockery’s B-Sedan Datsun 510 is undergoing prep work for the upcoming Velocity Invitational and Rolex Reunion events. This is something that Tom has aspired to accomplish, his first time attending these two big shows. So he was driving Little Butters to get some seat time and then Ross “the hammer” Lindell was with us in the most important Miata, Randy Pobst’s first National Championship-winning Miata (1992). This car has only been a race car since it was built and it’s fantastic, full feature coming zcarblog.

 

A Fan-Friendly Race Event

 

Our friends from The Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC) hosted a car corral on Saturday to support the David Love Vintage Races at Sonoma Raceway! Super cool to see our clients Linda Williams’ 1972 Datsun 240Z OMS Pace Car Duplicate  and Lora’s Series 240Z participating.

LINDA: Great day at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday for the CSRG David Love Vintage Races. Congrats to Rob Fuller for the win on Saturday afternoon. What a fun race to watch with Rob moving into the front on the next to the last lap and pulling off a fantastic race in the Corky Bell 510 #40 ! The weather was perfect and not too warm. We had a good turnout for the car corral and getting to take 3 laps for the parade laps.

     

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. Thanks to Ning Recio, Joel johnson and others for sharing photos with us (see full gallery below). Check out high-res track photos from WGG. Next up is the Velocity Invitational at Sonoma May 29 with a special Friday night gathering including Sung Kang and Larry Chen with ZCG race cars on display. Then we have the CSRG Corkscrew Classic at Laguna Seca in June.

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Join us for the 2026 Vintage Racing Season!

Z Car Garage is amped for vintage racing this year. View our race schedule listed below, and follow the CSRG website and zcarblog.com for more information. Check out last year’s David Love race report.

Z Car Garage Trackside Support Services

 

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our trackside 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. From arrive-and-drive service to on-track support and coaching…we love to help. Check out the Z Car Garage experience with our client Todd and his B-Sedan Datsun 510

 

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. Here is a video of the race cars we prepared this week with dyno passes and a walk around the shop. Enjoy!

 

 

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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.

 

 

On Saturday I took Mrs. Butters, our Series 1 shop 240z for a drive with fellow enthusiasts through some backroads to Carmel. It was a blast with fast roads, great cars and company. Enjoy our report with photo gallery below.

 

By 7:30am the South San Jose starting point was filled with cool cars. Our very own Cooper attended with his Datsun 260Z, now sporting a 3L L-series. More on his Overcrest Rally experience coming to zcarblog.com. The group was 13 deep with a nice mix Japanese, Euro and English marques…

The Cars

Photo by Alex Trang

Four Porsche 911s of different vintage and modification level: Koich’s 1975 911 Hot Rod, Tony’s Aubergine 911 (began life as a Targa!), Cam’s G-Body 911 with 17″ Fuch-style wheels, and Michael’s lowered G-Body 911 SC:

 

B-sedans representing with Matt’s 1973 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super with a 2.0L swap and Geoff’s Cortina:

 

Glenn and Rei’s NA Miatas:

 

Alex’s Midnight Blue 370Z

 

Bob’s Noble M400. This thing is wicked

 

We made a short stop in Hollister where Pascal joined us in his ND Miata. From here we took 25 to King City. Got some good rolling shots with smiling drivers:

 

The scenery and topography is wildly contrasting to the Bay Area through 25 with rolling hills and farmland. Some great curvy stretches of road here.

 

 

Pit stop in King City where we somehow managed to get all 13 cars parallel parked in one block:

 

 

King City to Carmel via Carmel Valley Rd was another change in scenery and weather.

 

This was a very twisty stretch with some rough sections and wet surfaces from earlier rains. Still fun! Mrs. Butters’  3.2L with triple-Mikuni induction, Z Car Garage Big-Brakes, Z Car Garage CV Axles, ZCG Heat Shield, 6-speed transmission and full KW suspension all worked in harmony. The 3.54 rear end makes a huge difference in power delivery and cruising…80mph at just under 3500rpm!

 

Lunch at Baja Cantina, good food and great conversations!

 

Cooper and I got home via HWY 1 and 17. It was a wonderful driving day.Thanks to Alex and Glenn for organizing. Saw some familiar faces and met new folks sharing the same passion!

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