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Fort Pitt Race Team
The Dream Team who makes the Dream Machines and Winning
Races Seem Easy!
Team
The Fort Pitt Racing restoration/customization team includes:
- Ron Libengood
- Jeff Lutz
- Jeffrey Lutz, Jr.
The 2008 Swartzlander Race Team
Winner of the BRP Tour Championship for the 3rd year
During those early days, Dick Swartzlander worked at Gulf Research and
ran the test cars and Gulf’s race cars on the company’s dyno. John
watched, helped, and learned. While there John met the legendary Grady
Davis who was then the President of Gulf Oil and was an avid racer. Gulf
(through Grady Davis) supported a Cobra that raced at Sebring in 1962
and the following year began the involvement with local legendary
Chevrolet Dealer Don Yenko. John was at the right place and time and was
able to help and learn.
John got his drivers license in 1957, bought his first car - a 1950 Ford
convertible - and built it for racing. He dropped in a Cadillac motor,
changed the suspension and went drag racing. At this early age, John got
familiar with sport car road racing by helping a local guy who raced
with an Aston Martin. Soon after, he started a long career with the
Pennsylvania State Police.
Even then, John continued his association with the Swartzlander family
while he was drag racing his own car and started dirt track racing. In
1968 he purchased a new L88 Corvette. With the help from Gulf Oil, he
raced the car for a year, setting a record speed and elapsed time record
under NAAR sanction. With the help of Grady Davis in late 1968, he was
able to order and take delivery of a unique 1969 ZL1 Corvette which he
raced till 1974 when Gulf Oil retired from racing.
In 1970 John built a new Camaro for Gulf to gathered information on
their lubricants. Gulf supplied John with motors. John hired legendary
Blackie Watt to drive the car. Blackie drove for John until 1974,
winning track championships and numerous races.
Following his retirement from the PA State Police in 1977, and until
1992, John ran a trucking business but managed to keep his hands in
racing both at the dirt track with the Swartzlander family and with his
own racing activity. Also he built a 1975 Kenworth diesel powered drag
tractor.
On the sports car side, John has always had Corvettes. He has raced on
road courses and drag strips throughout the country including Watkins
Glen, NY, Nelson Ledges, OH, Mid-Ohio, OH, Sears Point, CA, Summit
Point, WV and BeaveRun, PA. He has driven on asphalt tracks at
Heidelburg, PA, Pocono Raceway, PA, Richmond International Raceway, VA,
Lowes Motor Speedway, NC, Texas International Speedway, TX, and
Chicagoland Speedway, Il. He has drag raced at Keystone Raceway (now
Pittsburgh Raceway Park), PA, Maple Grove Raceway, PA, Cecil County
Raceway, MD, Englishtown Raceway, NJ, Norwalk , OH, Salem Drag Strip,
OH, Wattsburg Drag Strip, PA, and Chicagoland Drag Strip, Il.
Presently John owns and drives, almost daily, a modified, street-legal
2008 Z06 Corvette. John has been timed in a Modified Production Class at
a speed of 191 MPH, and has made an unofficial run of 234 MPH in October
2008 at Maxton, NC.
John has a close relationship with Hendrick’s Motorsports at Charlotte,
NC and has access to a wind tunnel and chassis dyno at their facility.
As a tow vehicle, he use a 2005 HD 2500 Chevy Silverado equipped with a
8.1L V8 and Allison transmission. He frequently tows a 2009 42 ft Work
and Play 5th wheel trailer. He has towed in his lifetime in excess on 1
million miles without an accident.
Ron Libengood
Ron Libengood is the firm’s Managing Partner, and brings more than 30
years of management and marketing experience to Fort Pitt Racing.
Ron has recently completed the body off restoration of a 1965 Corvette
Roadster, and owns a 1965 Cobra Roadster, 1975 MGB Roadster, 1960
Corvette Roadster and a 2004 Corvette Coupe.
Ron is the owner of a 24 foot Haulmark Trailer and a 2005 GMC Sierra tow
vehicle used for his personal use as well as transporting customers’
cars.
Contact us for your Racing Team needs.
Fort Pitt Racing ● 230 - 15th Street at S. Canal
● Pittsburgh, PA 15215 Phone: 412-781-2277
Fort Pitt Racing Copyright ©
2008-2009. All Rights Reserved.
