Category: Event

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Event

Legends of Riverside is Right Around the Corner

Speaking of Riverside, the 2nd Legends of Riverside event is only just over a month away. This year’s event and gala dinner honors Carroll Shelby. I watched with quite a bit of interest the coverage of last year’s Legends. I thought it interesting to see how a vintage racing event would fare without the benefit of an actual race, or without proximity to Monterrey or some other high-visibility vintage weekend. I do like their film-festival-meets-academic-conference approach—it’s the very kind of thing we do here—and hoped that it would be a success.

Now that they’re following it up with a second event, I think the verdict on the concept is in. I must admit that that a large part of the appeal for me was the film festival. As someone substantially younger than the events and cars that we’re so obsessed with, historic film has been my only full-sensory exposure to the racing of the era. Sure, I’ve read a lot of old racing books, and heaven knows i’ve spent a lot of time looking at photos of old racecars, but the full experience has best been displayed to me through film. Even attending vintage race weekends, which is invaluable and does so much to showcase these incredible machines, doesn’t convey the era in full (I suspect that Goodwood is the exception here). These films have long been our conduit to the races, drivers, and machines as they were; to a time when drivers didn’t think twice about banging the doors of their Gullwing through the turns, or happily risked spinning their GTO or 550 in a tight battle. Few drivers are willing to take these levels of risk today (and I applaud those who are). So I’m glad the film portion of the Legends of Riverside event remains prominent this year; filled with old favorites (LeMans, Winning), and less-seen productions (Sound of Speed, Formula One Comparo).

Of course, the opportunity to meet with legendary drivers is the big draw for the event, and with invited drivers as Dan Gurney, Bob Bondurant, Vic Elford, Jim Hall, Brian Redman, and David Hobbs (I’ve seen Hobbs speak before, and his stories are absolutely hilarious), it’s sure to be a weekend of excellent tales. The ticket price may seem steep, but with all the events, meals, opportunities to mingle with both fellow racecar geeks and drivers, and the donations made to charity by the event, it seems like money well spent to me.

More info and tickets at the Legends of Riverside site.

Categories
Event Ferrari

Mille Miglia 2010 Allowing Modern Ferraris?

The Mille Miglia legacy and Ferrari are closely intertwined, and with good reason. As such, Mille Miglia 2010 is celebrating the history of the race and the marque by allowing a special 120 car procession of post 1958 Ferraris to precede the Mille competitors from Rome to Brescia. This means, of course, that drivers of contemporary Ferraris can join in the fray, driving through the lovely Italian towns that are otherwise closed to automobile traffic. Pistunzén here sure seems excited about it (what the Hell is up with the cartoon piston?). I suppose this is good news for Ferrari drivers, but I really don’t see the point of it all.

The Mille Miglia isn’t a race anymore, officially anyway ;). It’s billed as a time trial, but even that is a bit of a stretch. It’s a renaissance festival. I’m not saying that to disparage it. The thing I like most about it is that we get out our early sportscars—the Mille ended quite early after all—and we parade them through some of the most picturesque countryside the world has to offer. I think that is what makes the event what it is, extraordinarily rare cars seen in the appropriate environment. Oddly, in this case, it’s the modern cars that are an anachronism. There’s a reason Lord March hides the modern cars indoors during Goodwood.

Don’t spoil the fantasy.

What do you think? Do modern Ferraris add to the fun and I’m just a stick in the mud? Or should the Mille Miglia remain the exclusive domain of period appropriate racers?

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Event

Es el Momento de la Carrera Panamericana

'63 Nova - Carrera ReadyLa Carrera Panamericana 2009 is set to start in a few short days. While most of us won’t be making the trip, Coop will be photoblogging from the road. He’s already begun with photos of the trip down to Huatulco for the start. Head on over to his blog for updates over the next several days. Have a great race, Coop.
Coop’s a veteran of a few Carreras. Check out his photos from his previous races.
Update: Coop made it safely back and has hundreds of photos on his Flickr stream.

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Event

Cars and Boats and Planes, Oh My!

Photo from The Orlando Sentinel, who puts Roar 'n Soar in their list of 10 best festivals in Florida.
Photo from The Orlando Sentinel, who puts Roar’n Soar in their list of 10 best festivals in Florida.

As the vintage racing season starts to wind down in the North half of the US, it’s easy for us to forget that those of you in warmer climates can just keep on going. Scheduling of this interesting event that combines vintage aircraft and boating displays with a historic autocross in November sounds like pure folly to this Mid-Westerner. Which is, of course, the benefit of hosting the 2009 Roar ‘n’ Soar in Polk City Florida.

The Roar ‘n’ Soar weekend looks like a great day out for every variety of gearhead and vintage enthusiast. Vintage aircraft from the Fantasy of Flight Collection will be on display, with aerial demonstrations on their little brothers: hang gliders, paragliders, and RC planes. A display of vintage racing boats will pepper Lake Agnes in conjunction with the Classic Race Boat Association. Photos of a previous year’s event show show a large contingent of hot air balloons as well, but I don’t know if that’s continuing this year.

Of particular interest to Chicane readers though, is the adjoining autocross sponsored by the Jaguar Club of Florida. I’ve been to my share of autocrosses, and I’ve never before considered them particularly good spectator events. A great deal of fun to participate in, to be sure. But with no overtaking, it simply pales in comparison to wheel-to-wheel action. I think the team behind the Roar ‘n’ Soar has found a way to change all that. The simple overload of vintage machines at every angle make the autocross part competition, part high-speed car show. This is one autocross I would definitely attend as a spectator. Better yet, bring your vintage machine.
Any vintage machine, apparently.

Categories
Classic Cycle Classic Sportscar Event Historic Racing Photos

Goodwood!

Anachronism is perfected in this Goodwood Aston Martin garage

Well my friends, The 2009 Goodwood Revival is already in the books. We spent an inordinate amount of time blasting you with every bit of minutia we could a few weeks back for the Monterey Historics. Sadly, the truth is very likely that the world’s greatest classic motorsport festival doesn’t take place on American soil at some desert track. It doesn’t even take place at my beloved Road America. It is almost certainly on the disused service roads surrounding the decommissioned airfield on the country estate of Lord March.

The beauty of the event, as I’ve said many times before, isn’t the tremendous quality of its racing cars and motorcycles, it isn’t the period-appropriate track itself, it’s not even the vintage aircraft that share the spotlight. The sheer enthusiasm of the period-attired participants and spectators for this event are the reason she so outshines her peers.

Enough of my jealousy of having missed Goodwood yet again, on to the booty! Videos and photos have been flooding the interwebs in the past week. Here are links to some favorites:

These Flickr streams were the sources of the photos above and offer many many more lovely captures from the weekend:

simmoB44, Bernie Condon, Eduard Mossinkoff, richebets, jobeywan, Natasha Baille, andAston-Phillips.

Of course, Octane is also on top of it with galleries from Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Categories
Event

Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival 2009 Photos

Eric Dean’s Merlyn 20A was among the most beautiful cars at the track

I have returned, and have mostly recovered, from the always spectacular Fall vintage event at Road America. The VSCDA always puts on a good event, and this particular event is among my favorite every year. This was also the first year that I was able to tear myself away from the track long enough to take in some of the racecar procession around the old Elkhart Lake road course that was used from 1950-52.

This Corvair was a highlight of the parade through town.
  • Who isn’t a sucker for Gulf Blue?
Matching livery for this brace of Ground Pounders
I have a soft spot for this particular 356, a photo of which was the header for The Chicane for 2 years.

Here’s a small sampling of the photos that I took this past weekend, you can see more on Flickr.

Categories
Event Porsche Video

More Monterey Historics Video

More video is finding its way online in the days following the Monterey Historics. Here’s a lovely example: the starting grid for Group 7 rolling out. A field that includes Porsche 917s, 910s, 906, and others. Hallelujah!

Here’s another for the Porschephiles among us. Let’s take a walk among the amazing machines that Porsche brought from their collection. Everything from the LeMans winning Herrmann/Attwood 917 (wow), to a pair of Porsche 804 Formula 1 cars (wow!), to the Redman/Siffert Targa Florio 908/3 (wow!!). Amazing.

Categories
Event Ferrari

Testa Rossa Mayhem at Monterey

This is a bit heartbreaking. If you suffer from heart problems, are pregnant, or have a weak stomach, by all means look away.

This Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa driver had a bit of an off at Laguna Seca this weekend and put one of the most beautiful cars of all time all the way through the kitty litter and into the tires. It largely looks like body damage, but it’s a chilling sight nonetheless.

I love to see vintage cars driven hard, wheel to wheel; the drivers getting a little competitive. Unfortunately, this is the price we sometimes have to pay for that passion. I don’t know what happened at this race, and I don’t say any of this to place blame on this driver. Aggressive contact and carelessness are terribly rare at vintage events, and I’m assuming that this wasn’t the result of either. I hope he wasn’t injured. It looks like a glancing blow on the tires, so hopefully he’s alright.

I’m looking for a silver lining here; I guess this is good news for restorers.
You can click on any of these photos for larger versions—but I wouldn’t recommend it. Octane had an excellent photographer in the right place at the right time and has the complete sequence of photos that led us here.

Octane has been really on top of Monterey coverage this weekend and I commend them for it. They’re really taking care of the vintage racing junkies that are trapped at home in front of our computers waiting desperately for information from the Historics.

Update: an incredibly comprehensive set of photos of this crash is available at AutoBlog. They report that the driver, David Love, is a long-time Monterey Historics competitor who suffered a brake failure in the corkscrew. David was dazed, but unhurt.

Categories
Event

Octane’s Pebble Beach Tour Gallery

Octane Magazine is on the scene in Monterey this weekend and has a brilliant gallery of cars participating in the Pebble Beach Tour, the annual road trip event open to participants in the Pebble Beach Concours. Check it out.

Categories
Classic Cycle Event

Goodwood Spirit Comes to the States

An event organizer finally figured out what makes the Goodwood Revival so special. It isn’t the history of the track itself, which is rich and storied. It isn’t the drivers, though Goodwood attracts many of history’s best. It isn’t even the race vehicles themselves, which are undoubtedly among the best in the world.

The Goodwood Revival is spectacular because of the attendees. The crowds almost entirely arrive in period attire. It’s a giant renaissance festival for cars. It’s the best possible cosplay. This extends to the grounds of course, which are staged and prepped in period attire as well, from traditional garages featuring period accoutrements, to classic pubs and barber shops; the entire scene is like a film set and the attendees its extras.

For Laguna Seca’s historic Festival of Legends motorcycle race, the 2010 event organizers have decided to showcase the halcyon days of motorcycle racing, the 1970s. The organizers promise to offer all the “spectacle and glamour of the era and a magical step back in time. The atmosphere, dress, food and music will celebrate life on racetracks in 1970s in a unique weekend celebration”.

Hopefully this isn’t all wishful thinking and the attendees will don their best short-shorts for the series. I’ve long been hoping that this enthusiasm among attendees at vintage events would spread from Goodwood to our shores. Even if the 70s isn’t your personal favorite period for fashion, I hope you’ll get into the spirit if you’re making your way to next year’s event. If it succeeds, we may see more of the classic racing spirit at Stateside events. I hope so.

Hell for Leather has more details, and will no doubt be following the story.

(Photo from Paul’s Place EUPEN’s vintage motorcycle racing Flickr Stream)