Gene Felton

[skycafe]

Gene Felton passed away Nov 6, 2020. A fixture of the early days of IMSA, he won many races and championships in various classes. He was active in SC CA and in stock cars.

He stayed active in historics, both as a driver and a restorer of American Pony Cars

https://insideeko.com/gene-felton-de...rordx1q99joJgM

[JHamilton]

I'm really sorry to hear about this, thanks for letting us know. I've seen Gene race many, many times in HSR over the years. He was the grand marshal of the Mitty last year but was unfortunately too ill to make it.

His company mainly restores stock cars that make up much of the historic grids and I believe that Ernie Elliott does many of their engines. Bill Elliott stated that Gene (they go way back) was a big contributor to getting him out to race again in historics.

His Nova from the late 70s is still thundering around and winning races.

[skycafe]

I saw him from those early IMSA days on. Huge talent behind the wheel and the wrench.

[fieldodreams79]

When seeing this news, I was reading and reminded that he drove a Camaro at Le Mans with Cale Yarbrough. Badass!

And everything that I've read about Gene was he was one of the nicest and generous guys around. He as the Grand Marshall for the Mitty last year!

Edit - more reading tells me he raced just about every type of vehicle and was the Mini Stock Track champ in 1971 at the old Peach Bowl race track in downtown Atlanta!

[jimclark]

Very sad news indeed...

Originally Posted by JHamilton

His Nova from the late 70s is still thundering around and winning races.

I followed his efforts in IMSA and beyond (mainly Camaros) and don't remember a Nova.
Where'd he run a Nova? Amateur races perhaps? Or did he just build one for somebody?

[skycafe]

Nova may be Buick Skylark, which he ran in IMSA Kelly, later just American, Challenge? Nova and Skylark are same body type.

[broadrun96]

The #96 shown above, and on many HSR event pictures, was listed by Gene's shop as his 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980 IMSA American Challenge race winning Nova. It's a 77 Nova body on his custom tube frame chassis. 25 wins under its belt and has been running for years. He sold it in 2016 and it still runs with HSR at multiple events.

I believe Frank Marcum may own it now, also runs a Ford stock car. He was at the Fall Historics, it is listed as a 1980 on the HSR list but they play fast and loose with the descriptions at times. I did not see it on the Daytona or Sebring entry lists.