Father's Day Weekend Features Legendary Historic Race Cars and Father/Son Team

GRESHAM, Ore. - June 13, 2019 - PRLog -- Two legendary race cars that began their winning legacy at Blackhawk Farms Raceway return more than 40 years after their debut at this weekend's Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association Blackhawk Vintage Classic XXVII event in South Beloit, IL.

The father and son duo of Don and Dennis Racine from California are competing in the Unsbee family race Mini's of the 1970s, which were part of the three-car Peterman Unsbee Racing Enterprises (PURE) team that won numerous races and championships across the Midwest sports car racing scene.

Don is piloting the #61 Mini that John Unsbee won with while Dennis is driving Randy Unsbee's #62 championship winner. The location of the third Mini, the #63 driven by the late Bill Peterman who also won a championship, is unknown. The Unsbee's were from La Grange, IL and the team operated out of Westmont facilities of Braley Electric Service.

Don and Dennis just came from racing both Minis at Colorado's Pueblo Motorsports Park last weekend during the Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing 2019 Thunder on the Arkansas. Dennis scored a first and a second place finish in the #62 and Don took #61 to third and fourth place finishes.

Don has raced almost every type of sports car since the 1970s, including formula cars, sports racers, and sedans at more than thirty tracks in the USA, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, and Canada. Like many, he began by volunteering at events and autocrossing before graduating to a variety of racing cars while developing a love for Mini Coopers. Sourcing parts for the growing numbers of Minis he owned led to founding Mini Mania in Nevada City, CA, an import business that's flourished into the leading restoration and performance parts supplier for both Classic Minis and the new BMW MINI.

He has won numerous Classic Mini races in recent years, including events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and California's Sonoma, Laguna Seca and Coronado racing circuits, to name a few.

Following in his father's footsteps, Dennis' earliest memories are of when his parents purchased a Mini Woody station wagon. He also began with autocrossing and helping on his dad's cars while growing up. Dennis has owned more than 20 Minis and has been road racing them for the past 14 years with numerous victories.

The #62 Unsbee Mini was featured in a recent issue of "Victory Lane" magazine: https://www.minimania.com/Tale_of_Two_Mini_Racing_Families

Spectators are welcome to this weekend's event for a $10 donation to the Shriners. Camping is free. For more information, please visit www.vscda.org.

Both cars will also be featured at the 60th Anniversary Mini Race set at Portland International Raceway for the Sept. 6-8 weekend, part of Columbia River Classic and 2019 Portland ABFM Celebrating 43 Years, Saluting Sixty Years of MINI. The official race website is http://abfm-pdx.com/2019/MiniRace.

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