Meet Team 507 Racing
Jul 06, 2022 - 3 minute read
Image Courtesy of Andrew Miller Photography
Three Kruse employees - Mike Vaniperen (Kruse Buick GMC), Gannon Engels (Kruse Buick GMC), and Carter Iverson (Kruse Ford Lincoln) - have set out to Winona, Minnesota for monthly Autocross competitions this summer. They have a goal of bringing this car culture to Southwest Minnesota because enthusiasts in this area have to travel quite far for motorsport events. While there are local car shows, access to this type of racing event is not yet accessible here. “My goal with starting this is to bring together local people that are enthusiasts as well as bringing a younger generation into the sport. I am currently working with the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) to host sanctioned events in the area. Our next step will be finding a large enough location to safely host an autocross event,” Mike said.
What is autocross? “Solo®” is the brand name for SCCA® Autocross and on paper it seems very simple – use traffic cones to make a mini-roadcourse in a parking lot or airport and see who can get the lowest time without hitting any cones or going off course. Competitors range from the casual participant who may use the same car that they drive daily to work to the hard-core driver who has a dedicated competition car, special tires, and uses lots of vacation days to squeak out every last fraction of a second. In between the extremes, there are levels and classes for different degrees of car modification. Whatever your level or car – there is a place for you in SCCA Solo (Source: Sports Car Club of America). If you're interested in checking out this exciting sport, visit the SCCA's page on how to get started and join Team 507 Racing! Now, let's learn more about the inaugural team and their setups!
Hear from Mike Vaniperen who drives a 2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500:
Gannon Engels is behind the wheel of a 2006 Mini Cooper S:
When asking Carter Iverson about his 1998 Ford Mustang Shelby Cobra, here's what he had to say:
Stay up to date on the latest by checking out Team 507 Racing on Facebook!