The mud has settled on this yr’s Monterey Automobile Week and meaning the outcomes are in from 4 days of classic racing (six for these taking part within the Pre Reunion) at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The most recent installment of the storied occasion highlighted 70 years of the Chevrolet Corvette with a show of magnificent machines detailing the racing historical past of “America’s Sports activities Automobile.”
The race automobiles all through the paddock had been as soon as once more the celebs of the week with teams that includes automobiles that raced at Laguna Seca within the early 70s like Can-Am, Trans Am, and F5000. Search for extra tales and pictures within the subsequent difficulty of Classic Motorsport Journal.
First on monitor all through the week, Group 1 – 1955-1967 SCCA Manufacturing Small Displacement racers usually confronted a burning marine layer as an added aspect across the 2.238-mile circuit. Chip Fudge nabbed the win in Friday’s race behind the wheel of his ’60 Huffaker Genie MK IV, with Horatio Fitz-Simon (’64 Lotus 26R) and Cameron Healy (’55 Cooper Porsche Pooper – above) shut behind. Saturday’s race noticed Fudge and Fitz-Simon swapping locations with Healy ending on the rostrum once more.
The Group 2 – 1961-1971 FIA Producers Championship podium outcomes had been similar for each races with Remo Lips (above) main wire-to-wire behind the wheel of the outstanding wanting (and sounding) ’69 Ferrari 312P. Gerad Lopez (’69 Lola T70 MKIIIb) and Alex MacAllister (’66 Ford GT40) rounded out the rostrum.
The various Group 3 – 1927-1955 Grand Prix/Open Wheel Single Seat discipline noticed battles all through the grid, however it was a pair of ERAs that distanced themselves in each races. Paddins Dowling (’34 ERA A-Sort) led Friday and Saturday with Charles McCabe (’36 ERA R6B) shut behind. Kurt Engelhorn (above) took P3 aboard his ’55 Maserati 250 F.
The quick and aggressive grid of Group 4 – 1981-1991 GTO/Trans Am racers noticed shut battles all through the sphere, however no person may match Ron Fellows within the ex-Greg Pickett ’87 Protofab Corvette lately restored by Binks Motorsports. Fellows received each races by a large margin. Chris Hines (’87 Chevrolet Camaro) certified P2 for Friday’s race, however a starter difficulty on the grid meant he must begin from the again following a push begin to get shifting. Hines carved by means of the sphere to search out himself again in second place when the checkered flag waved. A drivetrain difficulty saved Hines from a repeat Saturday and Octavio Rincon (’86 Dillion Camaro) moved up two positions to take P2. Rick Jeffery (’86 Protofab Z/28) got here house third in each races.
The rostrum was similar for Friday and Saturday for the Group 6 – 1972-1981 FIA,IMSA,GT,GTX,AAGT, GTU races as Cal Meeker (above) couldn’t be caught in his ’73 Lola T294. James Davenport (’76 Chevron B36) and Mike Sweeney (’70 Chevron B16-Spyder) claimed second and third respectively.
A stout Group 7 – 1966-1974 Can Am/ 1963-1968 USRRC discipline was a welcome sight at this yr’s Rolex Reunion with 18 entries filling the thunderous grid. The Rev’s Institute’s go-to sizzling shoe, Gunnar Jeannette, appeared to have issues in hand all through the week. After racing the ’69 Porsche 917PA to a win in Friday’s race, Jeannette began on pole Saturday, however Alex MacAllister (’71 McLaren M8F – above) pulled into the lead at the beginning and held it to the tip. Chris Springer completed P3 in each races behind the wheel of his ’72 McLaren M8F.
One other loud and plentiful grid was the ever-popular Group 8 – 1966-1972 Historic Trans Am discipline. Joshua Feiber (’69 Chevrolet Camaro) and Chad Reynal (’69 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28) completed 1-2 in Friday’s race and swapped positions for Saturday. Peter Klutt (’67 Ford Shelby 289) completed P3 in each races.
Celebrating 55 years of Method 5000, the Group 9 racers from across the globe gathered at Laguna Seca for a racing reunion. High qualifiers Kirt Bennett (’76 Lola 332 – above) and Paul Zazryn (’74 Lola T332) battled fiercely all through the week, with Bennett popping out on high in each races and New Zealander Glen Richards (’75 Lola T400) rounding out the rostrum.
The trio of Cobras couldn’t be caught within the Group 10 – 1955-1967 SCCA Manufacturing-Massive Displacement races. Ford CEO Jim Farley took Friday’s win in his ’64 Ford Cobra 289 with Philip Kadoorie (’63 AC Shelby Cobra) and Lorne Leibel (’65 Shelby Cobra) shut behind. Saturday noticed Farley and Kadoorie swap positions and Leibel completed on the rostrum once more.
The 20-car Group 11 – 1966-1985 Historic Method One races made for some spectacular afternoon theater Friday and Saturday with Steve Romak (’85 Tyrrell 12 – above), Charles Nearburg (’81 Williams FW07C), and Danny Baker (’76 McLaren M23) finishing the rostrum in each races.
It was one other story of consistency with the Group 12 – 1947-1960 Entrance Engined Sports activities Racing and GT races. Greg Meyer (above) walked away with a pair of wins along with his ’59 Sadler MK4 whereas Al Arciero (’58 Lister Knobbly) and Brian MacEachern (’56 Lotus Xl) completed P2 and P3.
The penultimate run group all through the week was Group 13 – 1981-2007 GTP, Group C, DP, WSC, LMP, and GT1 by means of 2009 which displayed iconic sports activities automobile greatness at full velocity across the circuit. Patrick Lengthy completed first in Friday’s race aboard the ’88 Leyton Home Porsche 962, however a problem Saturday saved him from ending that race. Friday’s P3 finisher, Spencer Trenery (’06 Riley Gen 1 Daytona Prototype), seized the chance at the beginning of Saturday’s race and by no means yielded – At the same time as P2 finisher Travis Engen (’05 Audi R8 LMP – above) pressed him all through. Malcolm Ross accomplished the rostrum behind the wheel of his ’85 Porsche 962.
Friday’s Group 14 – 1955-1969 Saloon endurance race noticed drivers pushing the restrict for over an hour on a heat afternoon in Northern Calif. The required 5-minute pit cease, with non-obligatory driver change and/or fueling, added a strategic aspect to the race. Although, no person may catch Todd Prepared (above) in his ’68 Ford Escort, who received the race from pole place. Richard Stuart Milne and Troy Ermish (’68 Alfa Romeo GTA) took second, and Dennis Racine (’66 Morris Mini Cooper S) captured third. Prepared took the win throughout Saturday’s dash race as nicely with Racine ending P3 once more. This time it was David Murray (’67 BMW 1600) grabbing second place to complete out the occasion.
The complete listing of outcomes from testing to races will be discovered HERE.
