PUT-IN-BAY — The racers are reuniting again.
The Put-In-Bay Road Races Reunion will return to South Bass Island in Lake Erie Aug. 25 to 27.
This year’s racing portion of the reunion, again taking place at the island’s airport, will expand to include production sports car and sedans with engines under three liters as late as 1973. Previous years limited entries to under 2 liters of cars built before 1963.
Sprots racers with engines under 1.5 liters, Formula Vees and Formula Jrs will also compete in an exhibition class.
“The secret is out that Put-In-Bay offers probably the most relaxed, enjoyable, and fan-friendly vintage sports car racing event on the planet,” said race driector Jack Woehrle in a statement. “We think it’s time to let drivers of later and bigger displacement vintage race cars come and share the fun.”
The Turner USA Reunion will coincide with the event that expects plenty of MG and Morgan lovers as well.
The three days celebrate the island’s past with sports car road racing when it hosted races from 1952 to 1959 and again in 1963. Besides one day of racing, there will be a car show, tours around the original course, course marker dedications and plenty of social outings.
For more on this year’s reunion, visit PIBRoadRace.com.
• MARKS ANOTHER: It was recently announced that Alex Tagliani will be in the defending winning car with Team Penske at this year’s NASCAR Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Justin Marks will drive the No. 31 Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports at Mid-Ohio for the Aug. 16 race. Dylan Kwasniewski will move into the No. 42 car, subbing for Kyle Larson.
Marks has competed in NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races, plus ARCA, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series.
Marks is no stranger to north central Ohio.
In his first race ever at Mid-Ohio in 2004, he won from the pole in a BMW with co-driver Bill Auberlen in the GT class of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The next year he started on the pole again with Joey Hand, but the team finished 16th in class.
In 2006, he competed in the American Le Mans Series race at Mid-Ohio, finishing fifth in a BMW in the GT2 class. He returned in 2009 with Grand-Am and was eighth in GT driving a Porsche GT3 Cup with Andy Lally.
His experience also extends to NASCAR where he was 18th after starting 26th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Mansfield Motorsports Park, ending on the lead lap. In 2010, he returned to MMP for the Tim Richmond Memorial and finished 10th, four laps off the pace in the ARCA race.
Marks, who owns a karting track in North Carolina and part of a sprint car team, hasn’t competed in the Nationwide Series since 2011. The race will be Aug. 16.
• NHRA HOLIDAY: Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk will celebrate Independence Day with an NHRA national event.
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will be July 3 to 6. Fans can see the stars of the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series compete in qualifying sessions Friday and Saturday evenings with eliminations starting at 11 a.m. Sunday. For tickets, call 419-668-5555 or visit SummitMotorsportsPark.com.
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