Celebrating the Unsung Heroes of Historic Festival 43: Piston Technician Award Goes to Bob Gett

Recognizing the Technicians Who Keep Car Culture Alive

At this year’s Lime Rock Park Historic Festival 43, The Piston Foundation proudly presented its fourth annual Piston Technician Award to Bob Gett, General Manager at KTR Racing in Ayer, Massachusetts. The award honors the skill, dedication, and behind-the-scenes work of the technicians who make vintage racing possible.

The presentation was made by Jeff Mason, president and COO of The Piston Foundation, along with Festival Grand Marshal Rob Dyson and Lime Rock Park president and CEO Dicky Riegel.

Honoring a True MVP: Bob Gett

Gett, who has been with KTR Racing since he was 16 years old, managed an impressive 12 race cars competing at Lime Rock this weekend. Beyond the track, his team at KTR looks after around 30 cars regularly and provides service for many more, often juggling 50–60 cars in the shop.

For Gett, the recognition was meaningful:

“The real reward we get out of the job is when the cars run well and our customers are happy at the end of the weekend,” he said. “This award is important because for the sport and the collector car hobby to continue, we need the next generation of people enthusiastic enough to keep the cars running and racing.”

Why the Award Matters

The Piston Technician Award shines a spotlight on the mechanics, fabricators, and crew members who rarely stand in the victory circle but are essential to the sport.

As Rob Dyson put it:

“The mechanics are the unsung heroes. They’re not holding the trophy, but they’re the ones who make the cars perform at their best. The Piston Foundation is the ideal partner to help ensure more young people are trained to keep this tradition alive.”

Jeff Mason echoed the mission by saying “Our goal is to bring more young people into the trades of collector classic cars and give them a career path forward.”

A Tradition of Recognition

Since 2022, the award has been a highlight of Lime Rock’s Historic Festival. Past winners include Mike Marra (Automobile Associates), Chris Kavaka (Vintage Racing Services), and Davin Lindy (Brown Brothers Racing).

Each year’s trophy is itself a symbol of the next generation: designed and fabricated by automotive technology student Michael Samela of J.M. Wright Technical High School in Stamford, Connecticut, in partnership with The Piston Foundation.

This year, more than a dozen technicians also earned Honorable Mentions for their outstanding contributions, underscoring the depth of talent and passion in the field.

Honorable Mentions for this year’s award include:

• James Adler, Del Monte Trophy Team
• Mike Aguitilo, Stonebridge Classics
• Holger Ahl, Powerslide Motorsports
• Ben Bragg, Bragg about Cars
• John Cannata, RTX Racing
• Joe Crisafulli, GMT Racing
• Jeffery Downing, Boalsburg Autos
• Sam Every, TTI Racing
• Tony Garmey, Vintage Classics US
• Brian Hannigan, Peter Greenfield Team
• James Heth, Del Monte Trophy Team
• Dean Hutchinson, GMT Racing
• Patrick Keegan, KTR Racing
• Mark Lefferts, Leffert Brothers
• Graham Long, Graham Engineering and Motorsport
• Hugh Stewart, Hi-Speed Motorsports
• Bela Sztanko, European Performance Specialists
• Vic Tamini, Olde Speed
• Glenn Taylor, Taylor’s Garage
• Nathan Tufts, Automobile Associates

Fueling the Future of Car Culture

By honoring skilled technicians like Bob Gett, The Piston Foundation reminds us that the preservation and performance of vintage cars depend on the people who know how to care for them. Through scholarships and career-path programs, Piston is working to ensure the next generation is ready to keep these cars alive on track and road.