VSCCA Awards

Description below provided by William H Gelles, Jr.

As a child growing up living in New York City, my summers were spent at Camp Onota in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The Camp was founded in the middle 1930’s by Louis P. Williams. The first camper recruited by Mr. Williams was a young man named Paul Weisen. During the first summer of operation of Camp Onota, Mr. Williams was astonished by Paul’s spirit, athletic ability and demeanor. Mr. Williams was so impressed by Paul Weisen that he kept in contact with him as he grew into manhood. Unfortunately, Paul Weisen was killed at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Mr. Williams created an award at Camp Onota, the Weisen Cup, for the best “All Around Camper” in his name. I never forgot the emotion displayed by Mr. Williams when he awarded the Weisen Cup to each recipient.

The week following the news of the death of Tony Koshland, I attended a party at J.D. Igleheart’s house. Many VSCCA members were in attendance. I cornered Bill O’Donnell and told him the Weisen Cup story and I suggested that the Club consider creating the Anthony Koshland award. O’Donnell thought that the idea had merit and he said he would attempt to make it happen. The following year when the first Koshland Award was bestowed unto Fred Willits, I knew that Tony Koshland’s name would be remembered by the VSCCA, and his spirit would live on as it well deserves to.

The Koshland Award is bestowed annually to a member deemed by the Board of Directors of the VSCCA to typify the spirit and values of the Club and dedication to its principles. Anthony S. Koshland, for whom the Award is named, was the personification of these attributes.

Tony was a direct descendant of Levi Strauss, and thrived in the wealthy environment that he was born into. He was urbane, erudite, refined, literate and polished. His father, Steven A. Koshland had bought Tony a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. Tony married Penny Bloomingdale and bought a summer house in Sharon, Connecticut.

Tony was a sports car aficionado. He had entered and practiced for the 1962 Bridgehampton Double 400 races with an Alfa Romeo Giulietta but did not compete. However, the sports car racing devotion was becoming very important in his psyche. He formed Koshland Competition and bought a Lotus 68 prototype monoposto, chassis number 68/70-01 from Colin Chapman. A Ford Boss 302 V8 engine was installed in the car and Tony hired Mario Andretti as his driver. The Lotus was entered in the December 28, 1969 Sebring Formula 5000 race. Andretti led the first heat comfortably but the engine blew up after 12 laps.

I first met Tony while he was having a Ferrari 250 MM racing spyder restored by Modena Sports Cars in New York City. Tony regularly brought the Ferrari to VSCCA events at Lime Rock as he had decided to make Connecticut his primary residence. He concentrated his time with vintage cars, helping the VSCCA in organizing events and being a member of the car classification committee. In 1974 I bought Tony’s Ferrari 250 MM spyder because he decided he had to have a 1955 OSCA MT4 1500. Quite soon after he purchased the OSCA, he bought a second OSCA MT4. Both cars were painted a dark blue color. Koshland Competition was back in racing with Tony driving one OSCA and Judy Stropus driving the other. The two car team came to all of the VSCCA events and everyone enjoyed watching the two cars compete. In 1975 Tony’s life began to change. His marriage came to an end, he sold his seat on the New York Stock Exchange, he became withdrawn, morose and ultimately died. The circumstances surrounding his death are not germane to the award named after him.

Koshland Award Recipients

Awarded annually to the member deemed by the Board of Directors to typify the spirit and values of the Club and dedication to its principles.

2024 Robert M. Akin III posthumously accepted by daughter Johanna Akin - Photo by Ed Hyman

2023 JR Mitchell

2022 Benjamin L Bragg IV - Photo by Autophotos ed hyman

2021 Charles Bordin

2018 Phillip Roettjer

2017 Thomas A Ellsworth

2016 William H Gelles, Jr

2015 Dave Belden

2014 David W Baker

2013 George W Holman

2012 Robert Webber

2011 Howarth C Gilmore

2010 W. Chris Towner

2009 Joseph DeLucia

2008 George G Vapaa

2007 Bill Rutan

2006 Dr. Marcel Perlman

2005 David L VanSchaick

2004 Jerome S Morici

2003 Edward R. Hyman

2002 Gilbert L Steward, Jr

2001 Jeffrey S Brown

2000 Tivvy Shenton

1999 Frank Allocca

1998 Frank Righetti

1997 Stanley Weiss

1996 Edward F Sutherland

1995 Robert A Wertley

1994 John D Igleheart

1993 Donald Nattrass

1992 John R Jacobson

1991 Jerry J Greaves

1990 Homer Tsakis

1989 Everett M Dickinson

1988 Malcolm R Labatt-Simon

1987 James D Stetson, Jr

1986 James P Donick

1985 Donald P Lefferts

1984 Jeremiah JS Sherman

1983 John J Schieffelin, Jr

1982 Karen C Miller

1981 Everett M Dickinson

1980 R. Willis Leith, Jr

1979 Thomas F Melahn

1978 Edgar L Roy

1977 Anthony S Carroll

1976 Frederick E Willits

The VSCCA’s primary drivers’ award is generally bestowed annually. Named after the late Tony Goodchild, it honors a member who is known mostly as a competent and enthusiastic driver, who is also always available to assist at events and to mentor newer drivers as they try on some of the club’s competitive events. Tony was always mounted in a car of more than passing interest, Bentley and Aston Martin are two, and he always drove them with an eye toward wringing the very best from them that could be wrung but always in a manner that reflected his commitment to a generous and courteous sharing of the track with others. The Goodchild Award encourages these ideals amongst the club’s drivers and honors the memory of the late Tony Goodchild, who personified those ideals.

Goodchild Award recipients

2024 Peter Greenfield

2023 Andy Greenberg

2022 Marc Cendron

2021 Jim Bok

2019 Richard Campbell

2018 Mark D O'Day

2017 Stuart Forer

2016 Peter Ross

2015 Eric G Logan

2014 Sandra N McNeil

2011 Peter Giddings

2010 Jeffrey Jacobson

2009 Frank Mount

2008 Charles J Bordin

2007 Eno DePasquale

2006 William H Gelles Jr

2005 J.R. Mitchell

2004 Benjamin L Bragg IV

2003 Robert Millstein

2002 Richard N Fryberger

2001 William Hollingsworth

2000 Dudley Cunningham

1999 Robert Girvin

1998 James L Freeman

1997 William Vaccaro

1996 Robert Goeldner

1995 Frank R Righetti

1994 Tivvy Shenton

1993 Henry W Wessells Jr

1992 Kent Bain

1991 Donald Nattrass

1990 Jerome S Morici

1989 Charles T Gibson

One of the club’s signature events is the annual Mount Equinox Hillclimb. The event has been running since May of 1950 and is one of the most historic sports car competitions in the entire United States of America. Very much in keeping with the club’s role of not only protecting the cars of the era and their histories but it extends to protecting the histories of the places and events where they ran, the VSCCA took over stewardship of the event and of its history in 1973. It has been a vintage event ever since. Protecting that history requires that the competitors understand and appreciate what it is.

To encourage that understanding and appreciation the club has several awards associated with the event. All three encourage the members to reflect the best parts of that tradition in their experience at Mount Equinox.

The Malcolm Donaldson Award is named after the gentleman, who served long and enthusiastically as the starter at the bottom of the hill each year and flagged the cars off for their runs. It is awarded by the club to recognize a driver who most exemplifies the spirit of the event and has often maintained a commitment to it for many years. The permanent Mal Donaldson Award trophy is kept on display in the St. Bruno Visitors Center at the top of Mount Equinox.

Malcolm Donaldson Award Recipients

2024 Keith Park - Keith has been an annual volunteer at the mountain since he was 13 years old (1982) and has been at the finish line most years since 1986 or so.

2023 Dorien Berteletti

2022 Mark Ragsdale 

2021 George Pardee

2019 Robert Webber

2018 Andrew Greenberg 

2017 Jean M Petryshyn & Stephen B Chisholm

2016 Richard W Waite

2015 George G Vapaa

2014 Nick Grewal 

2013 John J Schieffelin Jr

2012 Shaun Henderson 

2011 Joseph DeLucia

2010 Robert Laepple 

2009 J.R. Mitchell

2008 David W Baker 

2007 William Rutan

2006 Jerome S Morici 

2005 David L Van Schaick

2004 James P Donick 

2003 Frank R Righetti

2002 Robert W Valpey 

2001 Howarth C Gilmore

2000 Thomas A Ellsworth

1999 Kim & Patti Eastman

1998 Benjamin L Bragg IV 

1997 Robert P Millstein

1996 William Vaccaro 

1995 Edmund Willimann

1994 Jerry J Greaves

1993 Gordon D Matson

1992 Robert Girvin 

1991 Edward F Sutherland

1990 John R Jacobson

1989 Karen C Miller

1988 David T Cooper

One of the club’s signature events is the annual Mount Equinox Hillclimb. The event has been running since May of 1950 and is one of the most historic sports car competitions in the entire United States of America. Very much in keeping with the club’s role of not only protecting the cars of the era and their histories but it extends to protecting the histories of the places and events where they ran, the VSCCA took over stewardship of the event and of its history in 1973. It has been a vintage event ever since. Protecting that history requires that the competitors understand and appreciate what it is.

The Rene Dreyfus Cup is awarded by the corner marshals, not the club nor the chairman of the event. It is given by the corner marshals to the driver that they have observed driving with enthusiasm, skill and safety over the course of the weekend. They choose the car and driver combination that they find to be the most memorable for those standing along the side of the course and observing.

Dreyfus Cup Recipients

2024 Mike Donick

Kobus Reyneke 2023 - Photo by Autophotos ed hyman

2022 Santo D Spadaro

2021 Charles Schoendorf

2019 Benjamin L Bragg IV

2018 Stefan Vapaa

2017 Edward A Callo III

2016 Thomas J Miller

2015 J.R. Mitchell

2014 Robert Millstein

2013 Andrew Greenberg

2012 James P Donick

2011 Halbert E Filinger III

The 5-50-500 Award is the Equinox Award and is not always bestowed. It is given to the driver who drove his or her car the farthest to an event over the public roads, competed in it and then would be driving it home again. The 5-50-500 award is named for an idea first articulated by John J. Schieffelin for preparing or restoring vintage cars for driving on the roads. First one goes five miles. If an old car will go five miles then it will surely be good for fifty. Once it is good for fifty then there is no reason not to drive it five hundred. In the earliest days of this event and of the sport in general the cars were nearly always driven to the events. They weren’t consigned to trailers or to transporters. This was the case for the 24 Hours of LeMans in France as much as it was the case for the Watkins Glen races and the Mount Equinox Hillclimb in the United States.

A team event, the Litchfield Cup race, traditionally held during the Fall Finale, matches Team Commonwealth against Team Rest of the World pitting the likes of Lotus, MG, Austin Healey, Triumph, and Morgan against Alfa Romeo, Porsche, Bugatti, Osca, Saab, and BMW.

Each of the two teams (Commonwealth and the Rest of the World) have their own 25-minute lapping session. The Cup awards consistency and camaraderie - the winner is the team that completes the highest average number of laps per participant. For example, if a team runs 20 cars and during their 25-minute session they complete a total of 220 laps, the average for that team is 220/20 = 11.

Litchfield Cup Recipients

2024 Team Rest of the World

2023 Team Rest of the World

2022 Team Commonwealth