"Ahhh, I love the smell of vintage car racing in the morning............it smells of -- fog !"
At least it does if you're at Laguna Seca. It's that time of the year and The Historics are upon us once again. Drove to Carmel on Friday to be able to be start taking pictures as early as possible Saturday AM ( actually around 7:00 AM ) when Laguna Seca throws open it's gates, only to be greeted by a slight drizzle, low visibility, a penetrating breeze that chilled to the bone and a lamentable absence of vendors ready to serve great, steaming cups of flavorful and strong cappuccino. No problem, because as always, around 10 AM the sun started winning its eternal, daily battle with the morning fog and things finally got started.
Looking back I get the impression that last year my coverage of Re-union week was positively received and therefore propose to treat this year's Re-Union coverage pretty much in the identical manner, except for few minor changes: had to drive home yesterday evening to look after some personal business today and tomorrow morning before driving back to Carmel Monday afternoon, after spending all day Saturday at the track and taking in the Pre-Historics, ( called the Pre-Reunion these days ), and am posting some of yesterday's photos today, purely as a first course to a much more complete feast of coverage starting on Tuesday, August 20, '13 of the following events:
Tuesday, 8-13-'13 - Cars-0n-the-Avenue, the wonderful free Concours on Ocean Avenue in Carmel.
Thursday, 8-15-'13 - Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance
Friday, 8-16-'13 - AM: Legends of the Autobahn PM: Laguna Seca - track shots
Saturday 8-17'-13 - Laguna Seca, the BIG day for all classes
Sunday, 8-18-'13 - Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Until then, some purely random shots from the first day of the long week of some of the best vintage racing anywhere, to hopefully whet your appetite for the rest of the coverage after its all done next Sunday afternoon. The other change is that I shall try my damnedest to refrain from my usual windy, superfluous and customarily highly subjective commentary and just concentrate on posting the best pictures I am capable of taking, of the best cars, accompanied only by factual data from conversations with owners ........ when & where available.
Enjoy, and we'll talk again week after next.
JZG
Captions:
Photo 1 - the first shot of the weekend around 7:15 AM - not a lot going on.
Photo 2 - by mid-day things got a lot brighter & cheerier
Photo 3 - I know I said no subjective commentary.........but Geez, is this cheesy, formal, black draped entry portal for cars to the track really the message SCRAMP ( Sports Car Racing Association Monterey Peninsula - the organizing body and track owners) and the title sponsor want to telegraph to the world
Photo 4 - detail of the almost totally original 911 Ser.# 18, the first 911 ever to win a competitive motorsports event.
Photo 5 - details, pre-war Alfa-Romeo