on the Grand Prize Circuit on Hutchinson Island

- Banz Wins Friday's Bob Woodman Tires International/American Challenge Race and Saturday's First Group 5 WeatherTech Sprint in No. 13 1974 Porsche 911 RSR
- Johan Woerheide Takes Group 7 WeatherTech Sprint Victory Saturday in No. 3 1965 Lola T70 Mk II Spyder
- Dennis Olthoff Drives Frank Marcum-owned No. 15 Gentry 1965 AC Cobra to Bob Woodman Tires American-Class Win Friday

Mike Banz was two-for-two in the opening races of this weekend's Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Savannah Speed Classic in his No. 13 1974 Porsche 911 RSR, taking overall and International-class honors Friday in the Bob Woodman Tires International/American Challenge race and another win Saturday morning in the first of this weekend's two Group 5 WeatherTech Sprint races.

Other race winners through Saturday morning at the Savannah Speed Classic included Johan Woerheide, who won the weekend's first Group 7 WeatherTech Sprint race in his Savannah Race Engineering-run No. 3 1965 Lola T70 Mk II Spyder (pictured below).

Dennis Olthoff in turn joined Banz as Friday's other race winner, scoring the American-class victory in the Bob Woodman Tires sprint in the Frank Marcum-owned No. 15 Gentry 1965 Ford AC Cobra.

Starting from the pole in his Heritage Motorsports-prepared No. 13 Porsche on Friday, Banz took the lead at the start of Bob Woodman Tires race and led every lap for the overall and International-class victories.

Keeping in touch with Banz to the finish, Jack Refenning finished second overall and took runner-up honors in the Bob Woodman Tires International class in his 901 Shop-prepared No. 28 1974 Porsche 911 IROC.

Olthoff finished third overall in the Bob Woodman Tires race while topping the American division in the 1995-built Cobra replica, which is being prepared this weekend by his own Olthoff Racing team.

Craig Ross finished second in the Bob Woodman Tires American class after a competitive fourth-overall run in his Cross Ross Boss Racing No. 72 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302.

The overall top-five in the Bob Woodman race was completed by an emotionally moved Thomas Clarke who made it to victory lane for the first time in his HSR racing career. Clarke drove his 901 Shop-prepared No. 66 1967 Porsche 911 S/T fifth overall and third in the International class.

Third-place in the American division went to Dickson Rathbone in the MRM Racing No. 111 1966 Ford Mustang 2+2.

Saturday's schedule at the Savannah Speed Classic presented by Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems concludes this afternoon with more first-round WeatherTech Sprint races and the day's featured B.R.M. Chronographes Vintage and GT Classic one-hour Enduro Challenge at 4:25 p.m. EDT.

Photo by Patrick Tremblay

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