Story by Alan Cesar • Photography as Credited
Geoff Koteles is living out a legacy. His father, George Koteles, had been involved in the SCCA since the 1950s. The man was an architect, a neat freak, and the executive chief steward of the Western Division. George started putting together this Mazda GLC when Geoff was in college.
Geoff took a semester …
Gosh dang that is cool, 190 horse out of a naturally aspirated single cam 1.5 is heroic.
In reply to Gunchsta :
Especially a non-Honda single-cam engine, and one that only made 68hp to begin with
If anyone wants to build a 1.3L, RWD version of a GLC (78-80), let me know. I've got all the fixings for a great vintage racer. Clean shell, race engines, multiple rears, suspension, multiple wheelsets, etc. etc.
I will most likely not be racing again and I've lost the passion to rebuild this car.
I remember this write up.
Especially this part :
The Koteles car shifted the engine down 1.5 inches and back almost 3 inches to improve weight distribution. This also got the axles lined up more directly with the hubs. Moving the engine wasn’t technically allowed, but they did a good job making it look factory. The tech inspectors never noticed.
My son should lower the engine in his 1986 Golf GTi. 
For science.
Got damn, that is sweet!
George is at the wheel in this photo from a practice at Riverside International Raceway Turn Six, 1984 or so:
hobiercr said:If anyone wants to build a 1.3L, RWD version of a GLC (78-80), let me know. I've got all the fixings for a great vintage racer. Clean shell, race engines, multiple rears, suspension, multiple wheelsets, etc. etc.
I will most likely not be racing again and I've lost the passion to rebuild this car.
Would love to see that make it to the challenge!
200 ft lbs must be a typo- whatever, 190 HP is nuts, and that is a sweet family success story!
I had one of those with an automatic , it was scary slow when stock ,
Amazing they could get that kind of HP out of it !
fsheff said:George is at the wheel in this photo from a practice at Riverside International Raceway Turn Six, 1984 or so:
I thought I recognized that car.
and
"and the executive chief steward of the Western Division"
When was that? I only recall a Southern Pacific (SoPac) and Northern Pacific divisions.
Steve Lisa here. I love you story. As you may know, we still have one of the Dave Jolly/Metalcraft GLC's that I ran in the SCCA to many wins and Runoffs apperances, eventually netting a 3rd at the Runoffs. Mark Brannon also drove it a few seasons and stood on the Runoffs podium.
We have run the GLC as several HSR/Road America events, and will have it back our in a bit (we are currently rebuilding the motors).
Great job and keep racing.
Steve.
In reply to fsheff :
The Riverside pic of #66 appears to be an RX-3. ??
In reply to leegrx7 :
I'm guessing that was from about '82 or so. If you ran up front, most manufacturers back then would help out on some things, as long as you were running a current body style. That's why he switched to the GLC, I'd bet.
hobiercr said:If anyone wants to build a 1.3L, RWD version of a GLC (78-80), let me know. I've got all the fixings for a great vintage racer. Clean shell, race engines, multiple rears, suspension, multiple wheelsets, etc. etc.
I will most likely not be racing again and I've lost the passion to rebuild this car.
It sounds like a lot of work and too far away but I'm sure it's a Great Little Car.
That looks really familiar. I think I may have seen it race back in the day. If not that one then one of the GLC's I am sure.
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