Lucas Oil VARA Big Bore Bash Ford Vs Chevy Challenge

Nov 8

Written By Nestor Cabrera and Tony Thacker

November 2020
Presented by USAutomotive

Steve Gibb’s Nitro Revival had been cancelled and the weather forecast said rain all around the Southern California basin except for a small ray of sunshine over Willow Springs, CA. Sports cars, sports racers, post World War II formula cars plus big tire muscle cars of the Trans Am era such as Corvettes, Mustangs, the odd Mopar and some vintage NASCARs. No reason not to go—rain or shine.

Visibility was miserable as we headed through the Placerita Canyon and dropped into the Antelope Valley heading north towards Edwards Air Force Base and the birthplace of dry lakes racing. This place has history. They started racing on what was then called Muroc in the early 1900s and Bill Huth’s Willow Springs came on line in November 1953 during that post-War boom.

Exactly 20 years later, in 1973, the Vintage Auto Racing Association (VARA) was born. VARA is the largest vintage car racing member organization on the West Coast. Race fields are made up of production and sports cars through 1979, with a focus on fun and competitive, contact-free racing. They hold events throughout the year at Buttonwillow Raceway, Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch and, of course, Willow Springs and have six events scheduled for 2021.

We arrived to catch the first group of qualifying sessions and have to say the schedule was tight, groups went out pretty much on time and there were some great cars: Everything from tiny British sedans and sports cars such as Dr. Shelley Hiestand’s Sprite and a Buick-powered Cooper, European sports cars such as Alfa Romeos, even Shelley’s husband’s Lancia Montecarlo, American specials such as Rory Rinebold’s Devin Triumph and a whole host of Corvettes and Mustangs including a group from the Los Angeles Shelby American Automobile Club.

No doubt the biggest field of maybe 20 or more cars was the Great American Stock Car class or GASS for short. Founded by Chris Evans of Portland, OR, in 2004, GASS was developed to provide a stock car driving experience and training. Eventually, it evolved into an arrive and drive rental series as part of the National Auto Sport Association. They put on a great show that definitely added some thunder to the Lucas Oil VARA Big Bore Bash.