Rivergate Racing Drivers

Will Perry: Began SCCA racing in a borrowed Toyota MR2 and Vintage racing in a Bugeye in 1993. South Atlantic Road Racing Championship titles in 1996 and 1997 in the ITD MG Midget. Also co-drove with his Dad, Bill, to the Endurance Championship Racing title in ITD in the Midget in 1996, 1997 and 1999. Three consecutive first places in the American Road Race of Champions: in 1996 and 1997 in the Midget, in 1998 in his Honda CRX. Pro IT champion in ITC class in 1998, 1999, and 2000. He won ITC in the SARRC Invitational Challenge (SIC) in 2000. He placed second to Vesa in ITC in the South Atlantic Road Racing Championship (SARRC) in a Rivergate team effort. In 2000 he finished first in 10 of his 13 races. Won the Harvey Templeton Road Racer of the Year Award in 1997, 1998, 1999 and in 2001. Finished second again in 2001 in the SARRC after an accident at the SIC knocked him out of first place for the series. After his car was totaled in late 2001 he drove a only a few races in 2002, with 4 first in 6 races including finishing 3rd at the ARRC in ITC after leading going into the last lap. Wins included the Endurance Race at the ARRC.

In 2001 he prepared and co-drove with Randy Bailey in a Group 2 Isuzu Impulse where they won their first ProRally, the Cherokee Trails International Rally. Since then he and Randy have never finished out of first place in the rally Impulse, except two mechanical DNF’s. In 2001 he drove in his only Performance Rally, coming in first overall at the Tarmac Express in the ITC CRX. In 2002 he co-drove to the ClubRally National Championship with Randy and took first place in Group 2 at the International Cherokee Trails ProRally. He was Region and SEDIV co-driver champion in 2002.

Won the Chattanooga Region RallyCross Championship in 2002.

2003: Won the Harvey Templeton award, with 10 wins and 2 seconds in 12 races. Won the SARRC Championship in ITC. Second in the American Road Race of Champions. drove the ITC Civic purchased from his Dad. 2004: Repeated as SARRC Champion in ITC and Harvey Templeton Award. Raced in 10 events with 8 first place finishes. Second at American Road Race of Champions. Started the season in the Civic and finished it in the new CRX built from parts of the CRX totaled in 2002. 2005: Threepeated as Harvey Templeton Award winner in the "new" CRX. Four wins and 2 seconds in only 8 races. Finished first in his only race in Formula Ford. The car was totaled in practice for it's second race due to a mechanical failure. 2006: Took off most of the season to move his home, get married and remodel and build onto his "new" 70 year old home. Ran just 5 races with one first place and two seconds. Finished in first place in both the National RallyCross Challenge events he ran in his Mod FWD Honda Civic, in Nashville and in Hastings, Nebraska. Also won the RallyCross National Shootout in Nebraska.

Vesa Silegren: The newest member of the Pod is from Finland, by way of Sweden and Canada. He raced Go Karts in Sweden for several years, including shifter karts. Now he is trying his hand at SCCA racing. He attended his first school in July 1999 and won his first race and finished third 3 times. In 2000 he won the SARRC Championship in ITC, having taken first place in seven races. Vesa was also awarded the Harvey Templeton Club Racer of the Year award in 2000 and in 2002. In 2001 he finished second in the ARRC, and followed up with a first place in ITC in the 2002 ARRC.

In 2002 he finished first in 6 SARRC races, second in the SARRC Invitational Championship to once again take the SARRC Championship. In 2002 he won the Chattanooga Region’s Harvey Templeton Award as Road Racer of the Year.

2003: Ran just four races, with two second place finishes and a third. 2004: In eight races, he took one first place, and five seconds in the Civic. 2005: Ran just six races, with one first and two seconds. 2006: Had a dream season in a newly prepared ITC Honda CRX, probably the best prepared ITC car in SCCA. Ran 10 races and took first all 10 times. Most of the races no driver was able to challenge his speed. Blew away a long standing lap record at Roebling Road. Won the American Road Race of Champions, the South Atlantic Road Racing Championship and the Harvey Templeton Award. A spectacular display of car prep and driving!

Bill Perry: Began racing in SCCA in 1965. Made the upgrade from an MGB to a Bugeye Sprite racer in 1966. Vintage raced a Bugeye beginning in 1991. Back to SCCA racing in 1996 in an MG Midget. Co-drove the ITD class Midget, with his son Will and Nephew Brian to the Endurance Championship Racing series title in l996, l997, 1998 and 1999 and to the Sunoco 400K endurance championship in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Drove his Honda Civic in SCCA's ITC class in 2000 and 2001.Retired from racing to serve as Regional Executive of the Chattanooga Region, SCCA and is working as a Race Steward in Training. 2003 and forward. Serving as Steward at SCCA Club Races and Track Trials events, and works Hillclimbs.

Brian Stubblefield: Began racing in 1998 as a high school student. Won his first race in the Midget, the day after his driving school at Gateway International. Co-drove to two Endurance Championship Racing titles and to consecutive Sunoco 400 wins with his uncle Bill. See the February 1998 issue of SportsCar for an article on Brian as "Speed Freakz" of the month. See also "Red Sand in My Shoes" for a article Brian wrote. Now concentrating on being a full time college student. Graduated college and working for University of Tennessee at Martin in computer support. Not currently racing.

Carl Blevins: Began racing in SCCA in 1993 in his ITA class Toyota MR2. Won the Harvey Templeton Road Racer of the Year Award in 1996. With only a few wins in the MR2, Carl switched to a ITC class Honda in 1998. The Honda’s win ratio is already much higher than the MR2. In the Honda, he has wins in both SARRC and the Endurance Championship Series. An autocrosser before he became a Road Racer.

Carl has also tried his hand at ClubRally using the ex-roadracing MR2 in events in 2002, 2001 and 2002. His best finishes have been two second places in Group 2.

In 2000 he placed fourth in the ECR despite running only 3 races, when the winner ran all 17 races. In 2001 he took second in an Endurance race and three firsts in three races at Memphis. Skipped Road Racing in 2002, 2003 and 2004. 2005: Came back with two wins and a second in four races. 2006: Took up Competitive Shooting which didn't allow time for racing.

Jamie Blair: Attended driving schools and began racing in 1998, in another of the Rivergate Honda CRX's. His nine races in 1998 included three third place finishes in ITC. In 1999 he had one first. In 2000 he started the season with 7 first place finishes in his first seven races! has five first place finishes in five races! He set new lap records at Road America, Gingerman, and Blackhawk Farms this year. He won the ITC points championship in the Central Division. In 2001 he finished first in a Pro IT race, and finished no worse than third all year. Ran limited schedule in 2002 due to a new baby in the family, but did well. Too busy with new job and new babies to race.

Art Thompson: Rivergate Racing Pod Crew Chief. Not in photo. Has raced occasionally in past years and has served well as crew chief, waiting for the opportunity to get back behind the wheel. Has also served as co-driver in ClubRally.

In 2002 he finished prep of his ITC Honda CRX and raced it several times. In 2002 he ran seven races including two at Sebring with the Honda. 2003: A very active season for Art, with 15 races in his ITC Honda CRX. It included a first place, a second and several third place finishes. Took fourth in the SARRC and third in the ECR Series in ITC. 2004: Prepared a new Spec Miata. Just four races, two in CRX and two in SM. A third and fourth in ITC car. In Solo I, he was Region Driver of the Year. 2005: Only two races, in the CRX. Mostly worked to get his SO, Ruthie, started in Club Racing. 2006: Just two races. Worked races and supported Ruthie's efforts.

Randy Bailey: Randy is our Rally Specialist. In his first Performance Rally, the Cherokee Trails Club Rally, he teamed with co-driver Will Perry. They won their class and got the award as Rookies of the Event. Randy drove to third in the Headwaters ClubRally in Minnesota, after a brake failure. He drove to wins in the Wandering Star and Paris by Night ClubRallys in Paris, Texas. He won the SEDIV Club Rally Drivers Championship in Group 2 in 2000 and in 2002. Randy was the ClubRally Driver of the Year for the Chattanooga Region in 2000, 2002 and in 2002. In his first ProRally, the 2001 Cherokee Trails International Rally, Randy drove his Isuzu Impulse Lotus Edition to first place in Group 2. He repeated as Group 2 Champion in the International Cherokee Trails ProRally in 2002. He won the ClubRally National Championship for 2001 at the 100 Acre Woods Rally.

Roy Yother: Roy is joining us with the ITC Honda CRX he recently purchased. He has previous experience racing go carts.

In 2001 Roy drove his ITC class CRX in 9 races, getting better with each event. He sat out 2002

Chuck Fullgraf
2005: Came back to racing after several years off. Previously raced formula cars and sports racers. Bought the Perry ITC Honda Civic and completed his two schools. Then did a total of five SARRC races and the ARRC. 2006: Eight races in ITC, with 2 second place finishes and 2 thirds.

Michael Hartberger
2004: Completed his two schools at Roebling Road in February then jumped into a busy season in Spec Miata. Total of 12 races, including four endurance races. 2005: Fifteen races in Spec Miata, with a best finish of fifth in big fields. 2006: A very busy season racing in Spec Miata. Total of 19 races. Had a first place finish, 2 seconds, and 4 thirds.

Ruthie Cartlidge
2003: Completed her first school, in the ITC Honda CRX. 2004: Did her second school, then four races, two of them endurance races. 2005: Only one race, and worked corners. 2006: Three races, with a best of a third place finish.

David Hester
2003: Attended the school at VIR in the fall after years of active working in Flag and Comms. Runs an American Sedan Mustang. 2004: Second school in February. Did a total of 6 races, with three third place finishes. 2005: Only two races, with a second and third place finish. 2006: Total of eight races, with three second and two third place finishes.

Anthony Henderson
2002: Completed his two schools at St. Louis in a Formula Vee. Took second in his first race (field of five) at Memphis. Total of four races. 2003: Just three races, with two seconds and a third. 2004: Three races, in his old Zink FV, with a second and third. 2005: Eight races in his new Caracal. A second and a third place finish. 2006: Eight races in the Caracal FV. Three first place finishes. Two seconds and a third. Fourth place in the SARRC Series championship in FV. His SIC race ended with him upside down in the sand or his SARRC finish would have been much better. Joined the Steward in Training Program.

Efren Ormaza
2005: Began racing in SCCA without a school due to his considerable previous experience racing in Equador. Raced his G Production Suzuki Swift GT that he brought from Equador. Did seven races in his first season here, with a first and three seconds, and two third place finishes. 2006: Total of eight races, with three first, three seconds and a third place finish. Third in G Production in the SARRC Series.

Dwight Floyd
2000: Did his schools in Moroso and VIR in his SPU class Baby Grand. 2002: After apparently skipping 2001, our record only shows one race, a first place. 2003: Five races in SPU, with a first, three seconds and a third. Fourth place in the SARRC series. 2004: Four races, with a best of second. 2005: A DNS in his only attempt, in our records, at Roebling. 2006: Attempted three races, but only finished one, in third.

Kelly Atkins
2006: Previously race Karts. Bought an ITC Honda Civic off E Bay. Did a double Driving School at St. Louis, and did his first regional race that weekend, finishing first in ITC. Did a total of four races this first year and showed good improvement each race.

See the Road Race Report on the Chattanooga Region SCCA’s web sight for more details on recent races.