Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival…..you know, "Wine Country"

[John Z Goriup]

After the last few years of lackluster, underfunded, underattended ( by both, participants and spectators ) and thoroughly mediocre editions of this once great and enjoyable annual event, I was delighted to witness a real change for the better last weekend at the venerable old Sears Point track, these days referred to as Sonoma Raceway.

350 quality cars, some of the old mainstay names in the sport have returned to this track, but the biggest change is that SVRA - Sportscar Vintage Racing Association - has purchased rights to this event and is sponsoring it as the first Gold Medallion Invitational Event. The rules and the general structure incorporate Steve Earl's General Racing and form the model for expanding this program in the future. Steve in fact still maintains a titular role as Hospitality Co-ordinator ( or some such honorary function ). In 2015 alone there are 18 historic / vintage / classic events scheduled in various parts of the country; My personal next attendance at one of these will be the Portland Vintage Racing Festival at PIR during the weekend of July 9-12. I will post a photo essay of non-duplicate cars when I return.

Based on the pleasant and enjoyable visit to last weekend's Reunion, pictures of which are posted below, I am really looking forward to it.

Enjoy and thanks for looking,

JZG

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Photos:

Starting out with an image of how this participant chose to start his weekend……the most basic of tools for a final check on his entry, because, like most experienced vintage racers, he firmly believes that preparation should be done at home in the garage, not under stressed conditions in the pits.

The pitwalk reveals a wide range of cars, types, years of manufacture. capabilities and personalities.

Roger Krause Racing mounts a major effort at every historic event in Northern Calif. to keep everyone supplied with tires of their choice, and to provide repair, advice, expertise and unmatched support for the race cars. You won't find higher quality rubber or better service……… anywhere!

[John Z Goriup]

To me the best part of any vintage weekend is the early morning walk-about in the pits, steaming cappuccino in hand, seeing who's there, what they 'brung' checking what they've done over the winter and getting familiar with new cars that were recently purchased, completed or resurrected.

In the 'English section', a clean, well turned out MG, and a beautifully prepared, very loud and fast '66 Ginetta G12.

[John Z Goriup]

A gorgeous '66 Bizzarrini 5300 Strada GT coupe, very prfessionally prepared for historic racing………..definitely worthy of a whole set of 5, I submit.

Yes, the same, highly talented and gifted Giotto Bizzarrini who left his mark at Ferrari in the form of the SWB 250 GT, the eternally iconic 250 GTO and several other seminal designs for various manufacturers, only to fall into disfavor in Maranello with Il Vecchio when he joined seven others in scheming to get Laura Ferrari, the Commendatore's meddling wife out of her undefined, nebulous role in the running of the Scuderia.

Looking at the car with the hood up gives one a clear idea of what the term 'mid-front-engined' really implies - the price for great handling with that type of chassis arrangement is that the aluminum box that seprates the hot mechanicals from the driver and his legs, and which usually intrudes excessively into the cabin, gets uncomfortably hot and seriously impaires driver comfort and ability to concentrate……….but they were uasually the fastest in their class down the Mulsanne straight back in the day before the chicanes. A wonderful concept combining simple, strong, large-displacement American agricultural engine power with sound chassis design and beguiling Italian style. Many tried, with Bizzarrini probably the best of the lot.

[John Z Goriup]

An absolutely charming and very beautifully authentic '38 Aston-Martin, followed by what appears to be a most Devin-like mid-sixties device with Chevy power.

[John Z Goriup]

continuing with random shots from my pit walk, featuring a Ford Mustang 3500 Shelby GT, this year's featured classic at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion weekend at Laguna Seca, then a sweet little '52 SIATA 300 BC with the remarkable 750cc 4-cylinder Crosley motor, the first US mass-produced OHC motor. Note that the cylinder head is cast integrally with the iron block, eliminating the head-gasket altogether, ala the Offenhauser Indy motor. This motor in fact spawned a whole series of small sports cars powered by this engine, with spare parts and aftermarket components still available.

Ending this set with a shot of a '35 Riley Special returning to the pits after morning practice.

[John Z Goriup]

I just realized that it appears I have chosen quite a few multiple images and full sets of 5 to post from this event. My criteria are that the car be rare or exotic, exceptionally well turned out and presumably of interest to other genuine vintage automobile enthusiasts. I ran across this '71 Ferrari Daytona 365B 'Competizione', one of a total of 15 such cars produced over three years in three series of 5 cars each, each series different in subtle ways from the previous to remain competitive. This is one of those highly desirable cars where many more exist today than were ever produced, the result of Schmucks and Putzes without integrity modifying stock Daytonas and peddling them as ex-factory race cars to uninformed and alarmingly gullible buyers with far more money than good sense, so these have to be individually checked and verified for origin, provenance and ownership history. This one's the real thing.

A good, honest car other than the non-standard 'dive vanes' at the corners of the front bumper to divert and dissipate air to reduce front end lift - in my opinion they are utterly hideous, ineffective and offer no improvement at all over the original aluminum winglets.

[John Z Goriup]

3 images of an ex-John Mecum '66 Lola, a slightly later '69 model T163 Lola and the '49 Baldwin-Mercury Special that looks a whole lot like an Allard.

[Jim Calzia]

Always The Best photos, John

[John Z Goriup]

The first image is of a Lister-Chevy's engine installation, the other 4 shots are of a truly imposing '72 McLaren M8F, powered by a 501 cu.in. fuel injected V-8…….and like a T-Rex, i.e. a huge maw with a set of terrifying teeth and mighty legs with which to run down their prey, these cars are very little more than huge motors with wheels and not much else. I remember the sound of those V-8s being a lot scarier than any noise a predatory dinosaur could have possibly made. You look back at the men who were able to actually 'drive' these monsters and win races with them, like Donohue, Follmer, Surtees, Posey, Revson etc.and you develop a whole new level of respect for their daring, skill and courage.

We'll never see the likes of those machines being userd in anger again, except in occasional historic, but polite and emasculated promenades of priceless relics.

See you all after lunch……..

[72targa]

Great shots as always, John. Lest we forget...Denny Hulme...