Put-in-Bay Road Race Heritage Society

PIB Reunion 2011 Recap

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Written by Manley Ford

The 2011 edition of the Put-in-Bay Road Races Reunion (PIBRRR) is history, and by all accounts the event met or exceeded the previous years’ enjoyment factors in many key areas.

PIBRRR should be a significant event on the calendars of sports car enthusiasts because it celebrates sports car races held at Idyllic Put-in-Bay, Ohio in the ‘50s and early ‘60s.  MG, Porsche, Triumph, Morgan, Alfa Romeo, Lotus and many other sports car brands figured prominently in those races.  Read more about the PIBRRR activities after the jump:

A two-hour, photo-illustrated panel presentation by five returning ‘50s era racers (Suzie Dietrich, Chuck Stoddard, Art Brow, Reed Andrews, and Dick Cook) and one corner worker (Bob Satava) was warmly received by the audience and obviously enjoyed by the participants.

Events at the Put-in-Bay airport included speed trials and fast-pace laps (and a little real wheel-to-wheel action) on a temporary road course.

Three new permanent markers were dedicated in places around the original course;

Other plentiful and varied activities included: an on-your-own rally taking participants to out-of-the-way places of interest around the island, a slide presentation by Chris Kintner (grandson of original race directors Dick and Betty Henn), a “cook out” at Joe’s Bar at the famed “Cemetery Turn”, a garden party at The Anchor Inn, a car show at Heineman’s Winery, and a closing lunch and award program at The Boardwalk restaurant, providing a stunning bay-side backdrop enhanced by near-perfect late-June weather.

Mix in the above activities plus real vintage racing and a move of the date for the 2012 event from late June to a Thursday-Saturday format in late September (20-22) and it all bodes well for further growth for the Put-in-Bay Road Races Reunion.

The temporary road course set up at the Put-in-Bay Airport during the 2011 event was a key step in pointing the way to the return of real vintage sports car racing to the island for 2012.  Jack Woehrle, one of the event’s founders, said that it has been his goal to build on the success of the PIB Road Races Reunions that have been held for the last three years by adding actual sports car racing at the airport for cars similar to the ones that raced at Put-in-Bay in the 1950s and once in 1963.

“The 2011 event provided a proof of concept that we are very excited about,” Woehrle said.  Regarding the schedule for 2012, Woehrle said that he has gotten very positive feedback from those with whom he’s had the chance to discuss moving to the September date.  “We hope to get a tentative schedule announced shortly but our plan is to conduct the racing activity on Friday and work the other traditional activities around that,” said Jack.  He added that the group also plans to revise the registration fees to reflect a different cost structure for racers and non-racers.

-- Manley Ford