Hi all, a member of Western Automotive Journalists takes amazing photos. Here's a link to his photos from the last Historics... Matt
This thread should come with a warning to put a drool guard over your keyboard. Every year I end up regretting that I've never made it to the Monterey Historics and promising myself I'll go next year...maybe.
At Monterey Most of the "buzz" is about all the events that aren't the historic races. But truth be told, the historics are one hell of a show. There's on photo where there are 3 Gulf colored Porsches going through the corkscrew, and that's a type of racing that just isn't seen any more. While the cars are very nice and collectable, don't go thinking that they aren't driven hard! But to do the whole event well, take a bunch of cash, as it's not a cheap event. Next year, I'm splitting a motorhome with some folks, I think we have the camping spot up by turn 6, I think it is. Cause I write, I get to beg for journalist credentials for a bunch of stuff. It's something that one should do at least once, without a doubt. I'm learning the ropes of access now, so I'm hoping to get to do it more and more... Matt ps, I also love the class at Monterey that has the Ferraris, the Shelbys, the Corvettes, Jags other mid-60s cars all duking it out. You get the largest mix of car styles on the track at once, and some of them are new enough that it's not "honey, sell the house I gotta fix the car" type of an issue if they get bent up. You can bet that the drivers don't want thier favorite car to finish behind the long term enemy and the racing isn't 10/10ths, but maybe 9.995/10ths...
I am fortunate to have a couple of annual Historic Race weekends at Portland International Raceway each summer. I absolutely love seeing all of the old cars racing around at speed. Neither of these are on par with the "Historics" at Laguna Seca, but they are a hell of a lot cheaper and much more accessible. I have got several local friends who campaign old Trans Am era cars at these races. Everything from Corvettes to Mustangs to Camaros and even an old Studebaker. And all for no prize money, just the thrill of the race and the friendships. However, I would sell the wife for a long weekend at Monterey ! ! !
LOL Back on topic for a bit..........the last historics at Portland featured some great IMSA GTP cars. We had 3 962's, a couple of Toyota's and Mazda's and the Acura GTP lights car of Parker Johnstone (who also lives just north of me, now has a Honda dealership near Portland, and was given the Acura Light car from Honda as a present for his career long support of Honda). I was simply amazed at how small these cars actually were. TV coverage really doesn't give you any kind of scale, but after sitting in one of the 962's I was amazed at how big the MINI felt after wards.