Toly Arutunoff is an internationally celebrated sports car racer and unique car collector. He raced a 1957 Porsche Carrera Speedster GS at the original Lake Garnett Grand Prix in 1959, the first year. Toly raced all over the SCCA races in the U.S and also raced in Europe. He won the 1981 H-Production SCCA national championship and the President’s Cup.
Toly came back to the Lake Garnett Grand Prix Revival this year to celebrate the 60th anniversary and to run his 2002 Qvale Mangusta in the 80 MPH group. Toly and Brian Haupt (who raced in 1972, the last year of the original races) were named our Grand Marshals.
Pam and I had the honor of hosting Toly for the weekend at Lake Garnett and listening to his many stories. Toly enjoyed showing his car Saturday. It is a rare Italian car with a Ford V-8. Less than 300 were made. While he enjoyed showing his car he had even more fun running on Sunday. Many other drivers came to Toly to greet him and get their photos taken with him. Others, like me, bought his books (“One Off” and “Steering with Your Knees”) and had him autograph them.
How did Toly enjoy the current Lake Garnett Grand Prix Revival? In one of my books he wrote, “Garnett is an undiscovered JEWEL!” and in the other, “The only thing sweeter than VALOMILKS is a fast lap around Garnett.”
Russ Sifers
Toly running in Group B2…
Toly after his run…
Toly and me at the end of the day.
Russ
