Tropic Zone Racing is a family racing team....
Road racing is the oldest form of motorsports in the U.S. Events are run on asphalt tracks with a variety of left and right turns, and sometimes parts of the track have elevation changes. Teams must prepare their cars to handle under hard braking for corners and for quick acceleration up to 200 mph on the straights. Road races may even be held in the rain. Needless to say, drivers require a high level of skill to find the quickest line around the track, while out-thinking and out-maneuvering their competitors.
In 2011, we sold our Riggins GT-1 Oldsmobile Cutlass racecar and it is on the west coast participating in vintage races. In 2016, we completed our rebuild of a 1972 vintage Corvette race car. We compete at various vintage events, most likely sanctioned by HSR or SVRA. Our team competes at tracks throughout the Southeastern U.S. such as Daytona, Sebring, Moroso, Charlotte and Roebling Road.
The highlight of our road racing career was running the 2001 Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, finishing 4th in the AGT class. As members of the Buccaneer Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) we won the GT-1 class, Southeast Atlantic Road Race Championship (SARRC) in 1998 and 2005.
Tropic Zone Racing also participates in some drag racing events.
In 2010, we completed building a Gasser style, street legal, and strip ready 1959 English Ford Anglia 100e. Dave had one back in 1968 when he first met Susan, whom he married a year later...and we're still married! Our intentions were to build an Anglia reminiscent of the first one, for cruising the local street scene AND be upgraded to be fast and fun at "Test and Tune" nights at Gainesville Raceway.
Our son, Mark, runs his 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 in the NHRA True Street Class. It is fun to gather at the track with friends, make a couple of runs and enjoy talking about cars.
Tropic Zone Racing is not only about racing.
We have "rescued" some vehicles other than the Anglia. In 2003, Dave finished a resto/mod on a 1971 T-top Corvette, which was nick-named Bruiser by a friend. Although it is a street car, it is built along the same lines of the Owens-Corning Corvette that raced in the late sixties. It has great handling and lots of power! A fun ride!
...and then there are the motorcycles
Motorcycles have also been a long-time interest. Dave raced Motocross in the seventies and more recently in Vintage MX. He has restored and sold several Bultaco motorcycles. the most recent bike project was converting 1972 Model 86 Bultaco Pursang into a TSS road racer.
In 2010, we acquired a couple of motorcycles. Dave did a "back to original" restoration on a 1966 Honda CL77, 305 Scrambler. Again, this was a bike like one he owned in 1966. The second bike project is a 1974 Kawasaki 750 Triple. This one has been done in more of a "Cafe Racer" style.
More information on our current and past activities can be found by using the links on our side menu.
