Next Event: SCCA Concours Motors Group National: August 26-28, 2010 at Blackhawk Farms Raceway / South Beloit, Illinois

UMW’s 1977 AAR Eagle DGF Triumphs in First Run at Road America

Elkhart Lake, Wisc. 12 AUG 2010 – After nearly sixteen months in restoration, UMW’s 1977 All-American Racers Eagle DGF #005 Formula Ford, driven by Jacques Dresang, took home a FF class-win this past weekend at the SCCA Chicago Region’s Kettle Moraine Regional at Road America.

On Saturday, Dresang took the #46 car out for its first test run during the day’s qualifying session; his first in a Formula car. After a few shake-down laps, the former west coast machine came to life as the Hartford, Wisconsin native tested the car’s abilities. Everything went like clockwork as the car qualified and finished third for its initial day of shakedown.

Day two presented a heavy rainstorm just before the 8 a.m. qualifying session. With only a handful of cars entered in the class, Dresang and mechanic Paul Jay thought it would be best to skip qualifying. Instead, the duo had a coffee indoors and waited until the sun came out for the race.

The move proved to be a wise one as the track began to dry an hour before the second race of the weekend. The #46 machine started the race in second and grabbed the lead in turn 2, leading from flag-to-flag to capture their first FF win despite two full-course caution periods.

‘It was a great feeling to have the car not only run the full weekend without an issue, but for it to come home first on Sunday,’ said Dresang. ‘A lot of people thought we were crazy to try to race a 33-year-old Formula Ford nationally in 2011; but with the amount of improvements that we are planning on making for our next race, I think we can definitely make people take notice of the Eagle DGF.’

The win also proved to be timely, as this coming weekend marks the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The event is honoring legendary American racing icon Dan Gurney whose All-American Racers company built three of UMW’s machines, including the Eagle DGF.

‘We unfortunately had too many irons in the fire to make it out to Monterey,’ said Dresang. ‘But we would like to send our best wishes to the AAR family, as well as our thanks to the Chicag Region of SCCA, John Taylor of Two-Dogg, Inc., Heinz Mihm, Jeff Jagusch, Wes Allen, and the staff at UMW.'

The next race for UMW will be August 28-29 for Continental Motors Group National at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Illinois, where driver Jacques Dresang will again pilot the team’s 1977 All-American Racers Eagle DGF.

UMW is a team dedicated to the integrity and preservation of the history of motorsports. Since 1996, UMW has competed in various forms of racing, always with the same attention to detail that can be seen today in the various machines currently raced and restored by the team. For more information, visit www.uemsimotorwerks.com.

UMW Triumphs at Road & Track Concours d’Elegance

Elkhart Lake, Wisc. 21 JUNE 2010 – After five years of restoration work, UMW’s former Penske Racing 1972 International Fleetstar 2110A did the unthinkable this past weekend in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, winning ‘Best in Show’ at the Road & Track Concours d’Elegance, an event that is coupled annually with the Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman at the four-mile Road America racing facility and the streets of Elkhart Lake.

It all started Friday evening on the streets of Elkhart Lake and the grounds of the fabulous Osthoff Resort, where the team’s freshly-restored 1972 transporter came away with a class win in the retired racecars class, beating out many famous racing cars; including the team’s 1972 All-American Racers Indy Eagle. From there, the truck was displayed at Road America for much of the weekend, where it served as a landmark for the 2010 Mark Donohue Reunion tent before Sunday’s overall Concours judging.

Showing the hauler alone with the ramps out would have only told half the story to the thousands of fans who made it out to the KIC. Thus, UMW team manager Rick Dresang consulted with Matt Drendel of Heritage Motorwerks, owner of the 1973 Porsche 917-30 on display under the Reunion tent. Rick and Matt came to the decision that the 917-30 would look great parked at the end of the International’s loading ramps to give the complete ‘Tonka set’ look to the truck. After checking with the judges, the 917-30 was allowed into the gated Concours area, and parked at the end of the loading ramps for the first time in over 36 years. When the final votes were tallied; the UMW crew, headed by team manager Rick Dresang, took home the ‘Best in Show’ award.

‘It is a great honor to take home the Best in Show award at the Road & Track Concours d’Elegance,’ said Dresang. ‘The truck was a massive undertaking to restore. We couldn’t have done it without the help of Dick Saleva, Heinz Mihm, Calico Hand Painted Pinstriping, Paul Jay, Dan O., Rick U., Jon ‘Wadewerx’ Wade, Gary Welk, Southland International Trucks Ltd., Lakeside International and the former Penske team members for their help in bringing the transporter back to former glory. A big thank you also goes out to Matt Drendel and his Heritage Motorwerks crew for helping complete the display with their Porsche 917-30.’

The team also had their ’72 Eagle-Offenhauser on-track during the course of the weekend with team driver Paul Jay taking the turbocharged Offy up through the gears on the car’s first laps of the Road America circuit. The UMW team will be seen next during the weekend of August 6-8, 2010 at the Road America circuit where team driver Jacques Dresang will make his 2010 debut in SCCA competition in the team’s newly-restored 1977 All-American Racers DGF Formula Ford. It will be the team’s first foray into formula car competition.

UMW is a team dedicated to the integrity and preservation of the history of motorsports. Since 1996, UMW has competed in various forms of racing; always with the same attention to detail that can be seen today in the various machines currently raced and restored by the team.