Awarded 23 times, it is the only trophy that has been in continuous use since the ISF started in the year 2000. The traditional date for the rapids Grand Prix was always the second race at Rapids International Raceway of a given season. The GTP division was the class that fought for the trophy. The last space on the current trophy mounting was awarded in 2022 when Mike Lack took the title.
Probably the heaviest trophy awarded in the league, it features 23 Matchbox GTP cars painted to loosely resemble the winning car and has the drivers name written on the side pods along with the year of the victory on the rear wing. The base is painted to resemble the corkscrew section of Rapids International Raceway (version 2 chronicled in another article on this blog). It is the shape of the original corkscrew track on the first version of the street course set up at the Bourbon Street location. A sheet of quarter inch plywood was used to make the cut outs for the curb On either side of the track going down hill through the corkscrew. The track was laid on top of the plywood and cut out with a jigsaw. The resulting inside piece of continuous wood, where the track would eventually be laid out, was removed and then used for the base of the trophy. What will the new trophy look like? That is to be decided. Here are some facts about the trophy and history of the racers and races that are reflected on it:
Long time racer Larry Rotter only had one win in the GTP class at the track but it was the win that got him the trophy
John Shea was the first to win the trophy three years in a row and was the first to win it five times as he did that in the first eight years of the event. His victory total would stand until the final event when it was eclipsed by Mike Lack.
Chad Sorce was the first winner of the event and the first winner on the track in the initial ISF race and GTP event
Track owner Everet Kamikawa was the only driver to win the race for three different teams. Winning four Mercedes in 2007, Ferrari in 2010, and Audi in 2014.
Mike Lack won the trophy six times. By winning the last event for this trophy he broke the tie with John Shea.
John Wiedemann won the event twice, but has the two cars that are most divergently painted even though he won the event for the same team driving the same car.
Mike Fitzlaff became the second driver to win three races a row as he did it for opus motor sports.
Only seven drivers won the event out of the 23 runnings on the trophy.
Until next time… It’s not bad being in the pits!
Steve “the wrench” Ratchett
