HMSA has the Top Talent

Cris Vandagriff, President

Born 1954 – Los Angeles, CA
Resides in Glendale, California
Married to wife Janet, they have one son - Connor.

Background in how it all began
Do you believe in racing genes? Well it might be safe to say the Vandagriff family does with Cris’ great grandfather, Harry Buchanan Grey, who started the racing history when he rode with Barney Olfield as a riding mechanic in the Indy 500. And then with Cris’ dad Chic Vandagriff, who raced in the early days of SCCA 1950’s in his Austin Healey. And we come to Cris, beginning with his first racing experiences as a kid attending the 1962 Riverside Times G.P. and the 1962 Dodger Stadium races, from there he was hooked. Joining his dad on the racing circuit from 1968 – ‘72 with the Hollywood Sport Cars racing team. Cris attended the Johnny Kasner driving school at Willow and his first race was in 1973 in an MGB, which he drove off and on until he finished college.

His racing picked up again after attending USC and growing Hollywood Sport Cars into the largest Ferrari dealership in North America, catering to LA’s premiere entertainment and business clientele. In 1989, he began vintage racing; most notable cars he raced were the 1971 Ferrari Daytona built by Holman and Moody for Roger Penske, and other great cars such as Corvette, Ford GT40, McLaren Mk.6B, Triumph Spitfire and Alfa GTV. In the years ‘93-94, when Cris opened Ferrari of Beverly Hills for the Ferrari Factory, Cris campaigned Ferrari 348’s in the Ferrari Challenge series; winning the dealer championship. Also in ’94, Cris took over running David Donahue’s IMSA Supercar Championship team, David drove a BMW M5 which won the IMSA championship that year. The following year in ’95, Cris had lunch with racing legend Phil Hill who mentioned that his son wanted to pursue a driving career. A close family friend of the Vandagriff family, Cy Yedor, sponsored Derek Hill and they were off to another championship that year in 1995.

Taking a change in direction, Cris decided to leave the Ferrari dealership business and pursue his interests in the vintage racing community as a career. It is here he started working for VARA full time as General Manager from 95-99, where he was responsible for all aspects of the sanctioning organization and produced large events such as the Palm Spring Road Races, Tustin Thunder and the ‘97 LA Grand Prix.
In 1999, Cris bought Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) from Steve Earle, the premiere historic racing organization. HMSA was created in 1977 to serve as the sanctioning body for premiere historic racing events such as the world famous Monterey Historic Automobile Races and mandates the cars race as they were and not what they could have been (historically correct within time period the car originally raced). HMSA is one of the most respected historic racing organizations in the United States, producing world class spectator events across the country in addition to managing one of the largest member-based associations, over 800 active members who own, restore, preserve and race the most historic and valuable sports and racing cars in the world.

And that is how a childhood passion and love of cars turns into a career.

Career Experience
1999 – Present Historic Motor Sports Association, Owner and President
1995 – 1999 Vintage Auto Racing Association, General Manager
1993 – 1995 Ferrari of Beverly Hills, General Manager
1977 – 1993 Hollywood Sport Cars
General Manager (‘86-‘93)
Service Manager – Jaguar division (‘82-‘86)
Service Manager – Ferrari division (‘77-‘82)

Career Highlights/Achievements

Owning and operating HMSA - the premiere historic motor racing organization

Organized and produced the 1997 LA Grand Prix

Launched and managed the 1st Ferrari factory owned dealership; Ferrari of Beverly Hills 1993 - 1995

Continued traditional success as the largest volume Ferrari dealership in the U.S. while at Hollywood Sport Cars from 1964 -1991

Completed an exclusive and unprecedented 9 month program at the Ferrari Factory in Modena, Italy, worked with Head of Customer Service and Customer Racing and learned first hand knowledge of Ferrari factory inner workings, including distribution and dealer issues 1972

Racing Highlights
Managed the Ferrari of Beverly Hills 348 Challenge Racing Team and won the Dealer Championship in 1994

Managed the David Donahue IMSA Supercar Championship team, David drove the BMW M5 and won the championship in 1994

Memberships:
Historic Motor Sports Association (member # 171)
Targa Sixty-Six
Ferrari Club of America – National and Southwest Region (founding member)
Petersen Automotive Museum – Checkered Flag 200
National Automobile Museum
Education
Orange Coast College 1973 – 1975
University of Southern California 1975-1977