27th SVRA Collier Cup Race & Bucher/Decker Trophy

Much will be written about racers who struggled to find their way to Watkins Glen for this year’s SVRA US Vintage Grand Prix with the Southern Tier Expressway shut down due to massive flooding and related mischief. Nonetheless, the race went on with weather being a minimal factor for racers who braved the detours and washed out roads.

As always, the MGVR gang had a great time racing in their groups while anticipating the Saturday afternoon Collier Cup race. Forty five MGs including eight MGAs signed on for this year’s Collier Cup race; by the green flag attrition took its toll as forty MGs took to the track.

In the Late 1950s a competitive, and yet friendly, rivalry developed between two upstate New York MGA racers. Bob Bucher and Sherm Decker won the Collier Cup in identically prepared MGAs (incidentally prepared by Sherm Decker) from 1956 through 1959. NAMGAR honors the memory of these two racers, competitors and friends, by awarding the Bucher/Decker Memorial Trophy annually to the highest placed MGA in the Collier Cup race.

This year’s winner, Bill Treffert, is the second Treffert to win this prize; Todd Treffert won last year. Not too far behind was Bill’s daughter, Dawn Myers, a rookie MGA racer who is running among veterans after only four races! Third MGA this year was Mark Brandow in his beautiful gray MGA roadster, followed by speedy David Good, and Tom Baumgardner. #222 Dick Powers, a Collier Cup veteran, finished barely ahead of Bob Schoeplein. Bringing up the rear with more than his share of MGA gremlins was Twin Cam Jim Holody, who traded in his twinkie for the John Burgess ex-Sebring MGA.

Other winners included Charles Guest/Midget (Cornett Trophy for first place), Don Munoz/MGB GT V-8, second overall, John McCue/Midget, third overall (Glanville Trophy for Midgets), Manley Ford/MGTD (Jack Archibald trophy for first production T Series). This year’s Collier Cup winner, as selected by the MG vintage racers who participated in the 27th Collier Cup race, was Larry Smith.

Collier Cup Race Winners (L to R) Bill Treffert, Charles Guest, Manley Ford, John McCue, Larry Smith, Don Munoz.

Congratulations to all MG vintage racers who participated in this year’s Collier Cup race for MGs!