E-Production TR4s

As you can see, there are 3 TR4's pictured on our December calendar page. These photos were taken at Road America in September 2001. The blue car, #59, is known as New Blue and belongs to ISOA member Jack Drews. Jack's son Tony is in the car. That is ISOA member Ernie Husmann (aka Evil Bert) directing Tony to the false grid, which is where we go prior to being let out onto the track. New Blue was constructed in 2001, and replaced Old Blue. Old Blue was destroyed at Road America in 2000 when the left rear axle snapped while Tony was driving in the Carousel, a high speed right handed turn. When the axle snapped, the left rear wheel exited the car, the axle tube dug into the ground, and rolled the car 3 full times before coming to rest on its (remaining) wheels. Tony estimated that he was going around 100 mph when the axle broke. Fortunately, Tony was essentially uninjured. New Blue contains improvements and refinements that Jack and Tony learned from racing Old Blue, and is considerably faster than Old Blue. One of the major improvements on New Blue and on many other TR's racing today (including mine) is known as the Southwick Conversion. This consists of replacing the not suitable for racing TRiumph rear axles with axles from a Ford. The axles are modified to fit the TRiumph differential and axle assembly, and are way stronger than the TRiumph parts. We still get to use the TRiumph diffs and the TRiumph brakes, but we are much safer now.

The red car has been a racer since at least 1972, and started life as a solid axle 66 4A. The 4A frame was replaced by a previous owner with a frame from a TR4. The body tub is actually 2 pieces of body tub from 2 different cars pieced together (and not very well). At least the front part is 4A, don't know about the back. I bought this car in 1992, it was in real rough shape. Between 1992 and 1999 when I got it on the track, I removed the racing slicks, and the flared fenders, stripped the body to bare metal and had it painted. I had the engine rebuilt by Jack Drews and had Jack install a dual circuit brake master cylinder (a stock TR6 set up), and fabricate some brackets to re-mount the radiator and the oil cooler. I completely re-wired the car, and made up and installed new Aeroquip braided hoses for the fuel system and the oil lines. Stagmeister made up a set of mountings for my electric fan and the electric fuel pump. Since I started racing the car in 1999, I have upgraded the rear with a Southwick Conversion, replaced the front hubs with aluminum hubs that house oversized wheel bearings (also produced by the Drews/Southwick collaboration), replaced my trans with one containing a close ratio gear set, had the engine rebuilt with a nitrided crankshaft and Carillo racing connecting rods, and made major changes to the roll bar (those were done after these photos were taken). I have had tons of fun racing this car, even when it misbehaves (not too often) and despite the fact that I'm a lousy driver. When I go to the track, I have 3 goals: Have fun, don't finish last, don't run into anything or anyone. So far, so good.

The white TR4 belongs to Don Brick. We won't say much about his car since he isn't a member of ISOA (he lives in Iowa, but that is no excuse). Don has been racing his car since 1986. He was my instructor when I went to Drivers' School in 1999.

by Jack Drews and Irv Korey