Like previous events, Most amazing & yet even more expensive.
Saterday saw warm ups by class followed by an Allard paeade on the track.
Estimates were that approx. 80% of all Allards still in existance were present
at Laguna Seca for this event. After the parade the actual 10 lap races started.
The first event, class 1A, Included a number of Model 'T' Ford racers, a 1922
Meteor, a 1919
a 1922 Meteor, 1919 Essex, 1923 Bugattie, 1918 Mercer, 1935 Austin 7,
1924 Alfa-Romeo, 1928 Lancia Lamda, 3 Morgan three wheelers & more.
I missed this race as we were making final preparations for our class.
Class 2A broke into the '30s with such cars as 1932 Alfa-Romeo Monza,
a couple of 1930 Alfa-Romeos, a 1934 MG Magnette spl., a flock of Buggattis,
a 1937 BMW 328. I also missed this race. Of I forgot to mention. There
were two 1937 Jaguar SS-100s in this class.
Class 3A included a 1954 Corvette {The car i was associated with {pure stock,
with 6 cyl engine & 2 speed slushamatic trans}}, 2 A.H. 100Ms,
a '55 M.B. 300SL, a A.H. 100S, A number of Allard K1 & K2s,a '51 Nash-Healet,
a '51 Jowett-Jupiter A number of XK-120s, a '54 Arnolt Bristol, a
'56 Maserati, a '51 Ferrari 212 {make that 2}& more. I spent thsi race
focused on what the Corvette was doing. Last year, it passed a car for the first
time. This year it passed 2 Allards, and one 300SL. It even laped one of the
Al
the Allards!!!! All 4 of the Jaguar XKs were DNF!!!!!!!!! One after the
other they retired into the pits. One ended up off the track & came in after
the race. Bad day for Jag fans.
Class 4A had an assortment of cars such as a '50 MG-TD special, a '52 Aardvark,
a '49 Cooper-MG T10, 195k
a '49 Cooper-MG T10, a '52 Eyerly Crosley, '49 Ferrari 166mm, maseratti A6GCS,
'54 Lotus Mk6, '55 Cooper-Climax, OSCA 2000S, and lots more. We were busiy
cellabrating how well the '54 Vette ran, so I missed this one as well. i
did hear the announcer repedidly mention that the Aardvark was passing this
car or that.
Race 5A was mostly V-8 Allard J2s with a '54 Kurtis & a XK-120C thrown in.
Class 6A had a couple of D type Jags, a few Ferrari 250 Testarsas, a Ferrari
410 sport, a Lister-Jag, Maserati T-61 & 450S. 'Ol Yeller had a fire during
warm ups {evidently took term too literaly} & DNS. There was the '56 Corvette
SR2, and one of the two racing '57 Ford Thunderbirds that were built.
The last group that ran on saterday was class 7A. This class had a number
of Lola T-70s, Porshe 906 {3}, 907, 907 {2}, 908.910 {2}, 917K, & 936,,
there were a couple of Mclarens M6Bs, & M8F. There was a '72 Shadow Can-Am,
a Ferrari 512F and a Chevron B16. There was supposed to be a Ford GT40, but
it did not show up {or at least I did not see it}.
With the Saterday 'Vette & celebration over, I paid more attention to races
on Sunday. The first race saw a gagle of Lotus 11s some Porsche RSKs,
a couple of Maserati 200SIs, an Elva Mk3, a Lotus 15 and three TR3 powered
cars. These were a '62 Tanner T-5 {No 3 cly was tested to 50 lbs compression
just before its race but it raced anyway}. There was a '59 Triumph Peyote spl.
and a '59 Peerless LM. The Perless weighed in at about twice the weight of the
Lotus 11. The Lotus dominated this race from the begining, with the
Porsche RSKs and the Triumph Peyote spl in futile pursuit. The Lotus 15 lapped
the field {except for the chasers} about 1 7 1/4 times during the 10 lap race.
The nearist car was a RSK about 3 seconds behind followed by another RSK &
the Triumph peyote back about another 20 - 30 seconds. Total domination for
the Lotus 15!.
The second race was for formula jrs & 2 old F1 cars. 7 laps into this race
a Lotus 22 F-jr went into the wall {buffered by a stack of tyres}. The
driver had to be cut out of the car. From across the track the most obvious
damage to the driver seemed to be a broken left leg.
Group 3b saw a gagle of porsche 356s, a '52 Morgan +4, a TR3, an AC Bristol,
a several Lotus Elites, 2 MGAs {one a twin cam} two bug eye Sprites, a couple
of late 50s Alpha Romeos, and an Arbarth Zagato. From the begining this was a
Lotus race. Two of the Elites took off from the pack with the Sprites and a cou
couple of the Porsche Carras in pursuit. Nothing came remotly close to the
Elites as they steadily pulled away from their pursuires in tight formation.
The dynamic Elite duo lapped most of the field at least once. Another
suprise was those little A engined Sprites being so competitive with the
porsche Carreras! The Sprites and Carreras had their own tight race going.
Oh yes, the TR3 came in ahead of the Morgan. Like the class before it,
a great race!.
Group 4b had two very interesting interies. There were 2 Ferrari 250 GTOs!!!!
Filling out the class were 4 Ferrari 250 GTs, two M.B.300SL roadsters,
2 A.H. 3000s {Unfortunate because they were not competitve in this class},
and a half dozen 327 Corvette racers. From the begining the 2 Ferrari GTOs
sprinted away from the field. The 'vettes took up the chase but clearly
outclassed as the GTO pair slowly pulled away from them. On the third lap,
one of the GTOs pitted, leaving a very solid lead to the other GTO.
It was facinating to see such a beautiful $4,000,000 plus valued car drift
theough curves being raced full out. Amazing!
Group 5b had a bunch of Apph GTZs, a couple of Morgan SS's, Lotus S7, 26Rs,
O.S.C.As, Porsche 904GTS & 904/6, and several others. This was a Lotus
rase with two lotus 26's dominating all the way.
Group 6a had 8 AC Cobras, 8 Shelby GT-350s, 4 Corvettes {427}, a Ferrari 250LM,
and a '64 Sunbeam Lemans {Harrington coupe {one of three built & only
serviving}}. There was supposed to be a Cheetah in the field but it crashed
during warm ups & spent the rest of Sunday in its trailer.
The last race was an exebition of F1 cars. There were 18 F1 cars between '68
and '78.
All & All a very interesting weekend. Of course, there were other cars
parked in the pits that were not entered. One such was the Lotus 47 that was
auctioned off Friday. This is the car in the British Car Mag.
I think that there was a third 250 GTO in the pit.
On to next year
TeriAnn
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