Any info on Toby O Conner, Grand National div?

[dirthammer]

Looking for info on Toby O Conner. He raced I beleive the Grand National division. I attended some of his races @ Texas World in the late 70s and early 80s. Looking for pics.He was sponsered by Coors Light. My cousin built some motors for him.

Please respond.

Michael

[RodneyRodriguez]

I remember the #54 Coor's Light Camaro later driven by John Newlin @ TWS. I know that Toby O' Connor raced that car @ HWY 16, TXTOM or Neil Upcurch would be the best bets for additional information.

[NeilTPS]

Rodney: I recognized the name Toby O'Connor. So did my wife and Cotton Sherland.

 

Even though dirthammer posted that "he raced at TWS in the late 70's and early 80's" I poured through numerous TIDA-LM and TWS TROC paper records anyhow. The TIDA-LM records are complete during 1992 thru 1997. The TWS and TIDA-LM records are incomplete between 1988 and 1991. None turned up the name Toby O'Connor.

 

As for Highway 16 Raceway, I just don't recall Toby racing there.

 

Suggestion: If he raced in the Grand National division of NASCAR (now Sprint Cup) NASCAR should have records about him on their website.

 

 

Neil Upchurch

 

Former Race Director

Texas World Speedway

 

Former President

TIDA Late Model Series

[txtom]

Toby O'Connor is listed as an entrant in the Texas Race of Champions held on March 9, 1980.

The car was a 78 Camaro, #02, and was sponsored by TIOC Racing of Houston. I have no recollection of if he raced, or how he might have finished.

During this timeframe, O'Connor had purchased a race-ready late model from Mark Martin. I suspect this was the car that O'Connor would have run at TWS. This was an ex-ASA car. I remember him bringing it to Hwy 16 only a time or two, and he was not competitive.

I am not bashing him here, but it was way too much car, and too little driver. He wouldn't get in the gas until he was on the straight, and was off it at the flagstand. I am not sure they let him run it past practice.

I remember him also at one or two of the Austin Road Course races held around Palmer Auditorium, but he was not a factor there.

These are the only stock car recollections I have of O'Connor. And he never raced any division of NASCAR.

 

Now, his name did surface later with the Zunne Group/Beck Motorsports Racing team, which fielded Indy cars in the IRL series in the mid-90's. Cars were known as "The Spirit of San Antonio". Zunne was also aligned later with McCormack Motorsports, and Lynn St James is listed as driver of this entry.

Toby and Barbie O'Connor were the founders of the Zunne group, and they took the name Zunne from an Indian Tribe.

All this only lasted a few years and races; at various times, they had Robbie Buhl, Scott Goodyear, and Hideshi Matsuda, among others as drivers.

 

The last time I heard of O'Connor was a few years ago, when he proposed a 1 mile racetrack across from the SBC or ATT or Spurs Arena; whatever they are calling the damn stadium these days.

This 1 miler was to be part of a larger entertainment center, but it never got past the announcement or "dreaming" stage.

 

As for contacting O'Connor, I would suggest googling "Zunne Group Racing" and see what pops up.

[RodneyRodriguez]

I found a picture in a supplement to a 1981 HWY 16 program where the 54 Coor's light car is pictured on pit road, readin O' Connor as the driver; it's not scannable, dirthammer if you want to PM me with your address I can photocopy and mail to you?

This is the car or one that looked like it that John Newlin beat Robin McCall in a close TROC finish @ TWS.

Program is dated 9/5/1981.

Let me know.