The ultimate “Triumph Person” R. W. Kas Kastner (1928-2021) is the man most responsible for Triumph’s golden era of road racing success in North America. He was a revered engineer, strategist, and a living legend in the vintage sports car community.
According to Portland SpeedTour “The Triumph factory didn’t believe Kas Kastner could squeeze over 150hp out of a TR4 engine until Kas sent them one of his engines that sang to a tune of 152hp on Triumph’s own factory dynamometer. Kastner had a knack for pushing more HP out of a Triumph engine than anyone could have ever imagined”. After he had prepared three TR4s for the 12-Hours of Sebring, bringing home First, Second, and Fourth places in the 2.5 GT Class, he asked Triumph for compensation for preparing the race cars. The president of Triumph America refused. However when Carroll Shelby offered him a position in his company, Triumph, matching Shelby’s generous offer, asked Kas to establish and run a US Triumph Competition Department, Kas acceptede, deciding to stay with Triumph.
The sheer number of wins and championships attributed to his preparations is his primary legacy. He turned underdog production cars into consistent winners.
His innovative approaches to engine tuning, suspension, and aerodynamics set the standard for preparing Triumphs for competition. He authored and illustrated several racing preparation manuals for Triumph sports cars that are actively sought by enthusiasts.
The Kastner Cup is an annual, North American, stand-alone vintage race for Triumph and Triumph-powered cars, honouring his accomplishments. The award, first given in 2003, is unique in that the winner is not necessarily the fastest driver, but is chosen based on a combination of on-track performance (50%), the presentation of the car (25%), and the driver’s passion and sportsmanship (25%).
In 2016 Kastner received the Harry Webster award for his contributions to the Standard Triumph movement. He was inducted into the British Sports Car Hall of Fame in 2017.
To visit his official website click here.
