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Sports Racer Network > William Bunce, the designer photo
Sports Racer Network > Photo and article below by Jennifer Justice from the La Junta Tribune http://www.lajuntatribunedemocrat.com/homepage/x718265949/Rocky-Mountain-Vintage-Racing-Gentleman-start-your-engines?popular=true Photo caption: "Henry Morrison (in red) is shown with his wife Chris and son Jake. Morrison just completed a two year long restoration project on the Bunce Buck with a Renault 750 cc engine shown in the picture. The family drove from Cedar Crest, N.M. to take part in the RMVR event this weekend at the La Junta Raceway." La Junta, Colo. - The rumble in the air emanated from the track, recurring thunder as the cars pass the stands. Chests rumble, fans cheer and flags wave as drivers make their laps. This is the scene at the La Junta Raceway over the weekend. Last weekend, drivers from near and far gathered at Industrial Park north of La Junta to see who was the fastest. Racing became popular during the 1950s and after WWII, this was the only kind of motorized racing the people had, making it a very popular sport. People used to race on the open road. Racing enthusiast and U.S. Air Force General Curtis LeMay saw a need and began loaning out, with the permission of the U.S. Air Force, old air force bases to be used by the Sports Car Club of America. He kind of spawned the idea of racing at air force bases. And now, over 50 years later, with safer racing areas and more regulations, racing is much safer than in the 1950s. The old air force base located at what is now Industrial Park north of La Junta was one of these sites, and the racing continues today. Sadly, the event has dwindled down and isn’t what it used to be. The track, for example, used to be much longer than the 1.5 miles that it is today. Spectators would come from places like Albuquerque just to watch the event. People would then be charged an admission fee to watch the races, now there is no charge. A huge car show would have been a part of it. Racers come from all over just for fun, as there are no cash prizes. As it is, though, many people still make the journey to La Junta Raceway to give it all they got. Some come in campers and stay at the raceway, others stay in town, boosting the local economy. OJC, in conjunction with La Junta Economic Development, provided a nice dinner and slide show for the racers. “It was a very nice dinner with an informative slide show, and an all around good time,” Henry Morrison of Cedar Crest, N.M. said. Morrison, along with his wife and son, traveled from Cedar Crest, which is near Albuquerque. He is a car enthusiast with a Bunce Buck. The little blue car is packed with a Renault 750 cc engine and after spending about two years rebuilding it, this is the first track he's taken it on. In the 1950s Bill Bunce decided to build a race car. Most of these cars were built in garages. Morrison participates in Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing events all around the western United States but chose the yearly La Junta event “because La Junta has some history.” Since there are only three of these cars around, he races with others in different classes. So it is possible to finish last in the group of racers, but actually place first in his class. Bob Hill, another racing enthuiast from Colorado Springs, brings his '67 Shelby Mustang production car to the track. Hill is a semi-retired body and paint guy. He is not a stranger to La Junta, though. He attended OJC in 1964 and 1965. Hill averages about one minute per lap at the La Junta Raceway with average speeds around 100 miles per hour. He has raced with Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing since the company began 25 years ago. Vintage racing is different than the SCCA, it goes by old rules, but utilizes today's safety standards. Hill doesn't race for the money, there are no cash prizes, trophies, or the like. He does it for love of the ride, and the time sheet, he gets to try to beat his previous time. The track and the event are operated entirely by volunteer workers. A lot of these workers have worked all over Colorado and the U.S. Some have worked for 17 years, some have just started. The volunteers are asked to participate in a "Crash and Burn School." The two day course teaches volunteers how to use fire extinguishers, how the track is run, proper handling of incidents and much more. The club provides lunches and dinners to the volunteers. Although about 90 percent of the volunteers are from Denver, the SCCA is always looking for volunteers and workers to help. They are kind of like a family. The big perk of being a volunteer is getting to take a ride during lunch. At this time the La Junta Raceway has the Alpine Region Porsche Club scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17. The Continental Divide Region Sports Car Cub of America (SCCA) is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26. A calendar posting in the La Junta Tribune-Democrat will be updated as other events are added, or event details can be viewed at www.lajuntaevents.com.
Sports Racer Network > William Bunce, the designer photo
Sports Racer Network > William Bunce, the designer photo
Sports Racer Network > William Bunce, the designer photo
Sports Racer Network > William Bunce, the designer photo
Sports Racer Network > William Bunce, the designer photo
Sports Racer Network > William Bunce, the designer photo
Sports Racer Network > William Bunce, the designer photo
William Bunce, the designer photo
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