I don't remember that Bobby Krokus drove for Group 44 but I do know that he
was one of the people that had a house in Fall Church Va that was peopled
only by Triumph racers and called the "Manor". I still have a special
micrometer that they gave me one year for Christmas suitably engraved, "from
the guys in the Manor". I think there were five guys living there having a
hellva good time and all really really good guys. Bob Krokus was one of
those. each fellow took care of his own car and helped out when there was a
bit of problem with something. They all used their own dough and did their
own preparation I helped them some but would have liked to do more cause
they all tried so very hard and had such a good time Every room was rumored
to have its own parts cleaning trough and basket for empties of various
kinds of liquid sold in local liquor stores. Racers had a wonderful time in
them there days, hard to duplicate now.
----- Original Message -----
From: <EISANDIEGO@aol.com>
To: <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2000 7:26 AM
Subject: Nontech - Final FOT Chapter/Erwin Lorincz & His Spitfire - Thanks
To All
>
> This story started last spring when an FOT member posted a note about
a
> project Spitfire racecar being for sale in OK. I purchased the car
because
> it had a good 1970s and 1980s race history when it was raced. It made
> appearances at ARRCs in the 1970s and 1980s driven by Dr. French Hickman,
> Kurt Getches, and Don Reynolds. Both Getches and Reynolds worked for a
while
> for Kas at Nissan.
>
> Some of you may recall that I asked last spring about who won the
first
> national in a Triumph Spitfire. I raised the question because Kurt Getches
> told me that the basket case of the racecar was also the first Spitfire
that
> won the first SCCA National. Mike Cook and Kas Kastner were able to point
me
> in the direction of Erwin Lorincz. And as it turns out, it was Erwin
> Lorincz's racecar.
>
> After months of searching, I have finally found Erwin Lorincz. In the
> process, I gained a lot of respect for the man as a racer. He was not only
a
> very competitive driver, but he built his own roll cage, engines, etc.,
for
> the Spitfire. (The same roll cage [Nascar style) is in the car today, very
> sophisticated for it time.) Whenever one holds fast lap records, you know
> someone is doing things right on both fronts. He held them in G production
at
> a number of race tracks in the Northeast, including Watkins Glen as late
as
> 1971. I am not sure what the configuration of the track was at that time,
but
> his lap record then was 1 minute 37.3 second (about 90 mph average) That
was
> the last year he raced in the Spitfire.
>
> Remember that he was up against the factory sponsored team. I have a
race
> report from about 1969 at Marlboro. Group 44's Krokus broke the GP lap
> records during the initial stages of the race and won. Lorincz, in a
Spitfire
> that he personally maintained and drove, broke the Group 44 lap record set
> earlier in the race while finishing second. Pretty good for a grassroots
> effort.
>
> Lorincz was one of the first Divisional champions in the Spitfire. He
was
> the NE Divisional Champion in 1963, the year that he won the first
National
> in a Spitfire. Lorincz and his Spitfire were at the first ARRC, he
finished
> fourth. The information that I have collected shows that Lorincz was
usually
> in the heat of NE Division Championship race, despite having to compete
> against factory sponsored efforts of Group 44.
>
> Lorincz never won a national championship despite competing in many
> ARRCs. He probably would be more prominent Triumph racing figure had that
> happen. But during the 63-71 vintage period for Spitfires, he was clearly
one
> of the better grassroots racers. And a true amateur in a racing scene that
> was getting more and more professional.
>
> My sincere thanks to all of you that have helped in this research
effort.
> I am greatly enjoying working with Erwin to put together the complete
history
> of the car. Frankly, the Spitfire competed in a lot of races, so that is
> going to take some time.
>
> Regards Cary
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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