Bernard Juchli Brings Home the Trophy
November 12, 2006 11:50 PM
And the winner is... Bernard Juchli!
Car fans everywhere know that Bernard Juchli is the mechanical genius that keeps Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage running on all cylinders, but he's also one of the country's top amateur formula race-car drivers as proven by his November 12 championship win at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, a 600-acre complex that has been in operation for over 50 years.
For three years, Jay Leno has sponsored Juchli's 1976 Chevron Formula Atlantic, which has been a fixture on the VARA (Vintage Auto Racing Association) circuit for twice that long. Juchli is known as a fiercely competitive driver, which his impressive win record bears out.
For the past four years, he has won the circuit's championship trophy, and on November 12, he sewed up this year's top prize with a 13-second lead over the second-place car in a 20-minute sprint race against other classic Formula 500 cars.
With 225 horsepower, 9000 rpms, and a Ford Cosworth engine, Juchli's Chevron has plenty of power to bring home the wins, but it wasn't always the case. Thanks to Jay's sponsorship, Juchli was able to drop in a new engine three years ago, and that's when the wins really started piling up, proving that the team of Juchli and Leno are an automotive match made in heaven.
