No race this weekend at the SVRA’s U.S. Vintage Grand Prix presented by Jaguar hearkens more directly back to the early history of motor racing in Watkins Glen than today’s Collier Cup for MG racers. Six-time SCCA G Production National Championship Runoffs champion Kent Prather led start to finish but was kept honest by the close-running MG Midget duo of Peter Uzdavinis and Harry Gentry, who put up a spirited duel right to the checkers.

Prather, who operates Prather Racing to provide performance and racing engines for MGA, MGB and Elva Courier car owners, holds the SCCA all-time record for G Production national championships. He drives an MGA and transitioned to vintage racing in 2009 after the car was transferred to SCCA F Production for 2008.

This year’s Collier Cup boasted a healthy field of 24 cars ranging in vintage from Daniel Leonard’s 1949 MG TC to the 1975 MGB of James Acquilano. In all, there were six class winners and an array of trophies were distributed including the Collier Cup that is actually awarded based on votes, not finishing position. This year’s honor went to Steve Konsin who finished 13th overall with his 1953 MG TD. Konsin also won the “Jack Archibald T-Cup” trophy for the first MGT across the line.

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Konsin’s teammate, Gary Johnson, won the John Targett 612 Trophy as the first 4-cylinder MGB to finish. This is still a new trophy, first presented in 2014 as an honor to Targett who had a great reputation for demonstrating tremendous respect for his fellow vintage racers while campaigning his number 612 MGB racecar.

Falling just short of the podium was Dave Nicholas, who helped BMW win an IMSA Camel GT touring class championship in 1973. Nicholas prevailed in a tough battle for fourth place after trading positions several times with Johnson.

The Collier Cup was first presented in 1985 as the SVRA’s homage to the original Collier Brothers Memorial Trophy after the premature passing of Sam and Miles Collier in 1954. Sam lost his life racing on the 6.6-mile public roads course and Miles fell victim to polio. The brothers were the first to establish a sales import dealership for MG in 1936 and did much to advance amateur sports car racing by founding the Automobile Racing Club of America, the forerunner to the SCCA. They also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Collier Cup is awarded to the owner of the car that is most faithful to its period by a vote of the race participants. Other considerations are car preparation as well as the sportsmanship and competency of the driver. Appreciation for the spirit of camaraderie expected in vintage racing is a must. Last year’s winner, Jim Holody, who edits an MG vintage racers’ newsletter that stitches the community together, drove his MGA Twin Cam in today’s race and is a good example of these qualities.

For his efforts Prather was awarded two big prizes, the Denver Cornett Jr. Trophy and the Bob Bucher/Sherm Decker Memorial Cup. The Cornett Trophy recognizes the overall winner of the race. The Bucher-Decker Memorial Cup goes to the top finishing MGA driver. Bucher and Decker were regional sports car racing heroes and consistent winners in the heady days of the 1950’s as Americans shook off the trauma of World War II.

In a direct link to that glorious era Christopher Meyers’ 1957 MGA, which he drove in the race. Bucher drove the same car to victory in the original Collier Brothers Memorial Trophy in 1957 and 1958. The car has brass plates commemorating the accomplishment screwed to its wooden dash.

Another significant trophy winner was second-overall Uzdavinis in his 1964 MG Midget. At stake in his back-and-forth duel with Harry Gentry was the Bill Glanville Cup for MG Midget Racers. This trophy goes to the first MG Midget to finish the race. The MG Car Club Western New York Center sponsors the prize. Glanville was widely respected as a long-time MG vintage racer known for his generous spirit.

Despite some pretty intense competition at the front of the field, the spirit of camaraderie behind that is the theme of the entire event was evident in victory circle. A healthy crowd of fans gathered to surround the podium finishers as well as Collier Cup winner Steve Konsin.

Click here for complete Collier Cup results.