Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Announces 2012 Schedule

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Announces 2012 Schedule

MONTEREY, Calif., Sept. 30, 2011 – Some of the world’s best drivers, riders and teams will descend on the Monterey Peninsula, to test their skills, earn championship points or just enjoy the historic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit in 2012. The 55^th race season of the world-renowned facility will feature the American Le Mans Series, Ferrari Racing Days, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Red Bull United States Grand Prix and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

“Next season is going to be a special one for the fans and teams,” said Gill Campbell, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca CEO/general manager. “This facility is one of the only international race tracks to host such a diverse assemblage of race series, from prototype motorcycles and race cars to rarely-seen vintage race cars.”

2012 Race Season for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

May 11-12                   American Le Mans Series 
May 18-20                   Ferrari Racing Days
July 13-14                   GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series
July 27-29                   Red Bull United States Grand Prix featuring the MotoGP World Championship
August 17-19               Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón returns for its 14th season and is the premier sports car racing championship in the world. As the Global Leader in Green Racing, its technology intensive race cars showcase tomorrow’s automotive advancements as the Series encourages automotive manufacturers to test their latest technical innovations on the race track. Featuring multiple classes of high-tech sports cars competing together in each race, the American Le Mans Series provides a dynamic that offers constant passing and on-track battles throughout. The six-hour endurance race takes competitors from daylight, to dusk and into the darkness, pushing drivers’ and crews’ mental and physical abilities.  

Ferrari Racing Days return to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with three full days of racing with the Ferrari 458 Challenge along with historic Formula 1 cars and Corse Clienti programs. The Ferrari Challenge series allows Ferrari owners the opportunity to compete wheel-to-wheel while providing Ferrari enthusiasts the chance to watch the Prancing Horse run in their natural environment – the race track.

The GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series is one of the most competitive professional road racing championships in North America. The series’ Daytona Prototype (DP) class has attracted the attention of superstar drivers and universally recognized teams. For 2012, Daytona Prototypes have been updated with new shapes and new proportions, paired with the great racing you have come to expect from these purebred race cars. While the DPs have redefined prototype racing in the U.S., the Rolex Series’ GT class has done the same for high-performance, production-based sports car racing. In 2012, the Rolex GT class will welcome the arrival of popular European makes, with GRAND-AM adding racing versions of the Ferrari 458 and the Audi R8 to its diverse lineup.

Boasting the largest spectator attendance of any race held in Monterey, the Red Bull United States Grand Prix, featuring the MotoGP World Championship, returns to the race schedule for its seventh consecutive year. MotoGP is the world’s premier motorcycling championship, with a season of 18 Grand Prix race weekends in 15 countries bringing together the world’s top motorcycle manufacturers like Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Ducati - along with an elite list of riders from every corner of the globe.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a cornerstone of Monterey Peninsula’s Classic Car Week. The 2012 event’s featured marque is the iconic Shelby Cobra. Only around 550 vehicles will be accepted, based on the car’s authenticity and race provenance and period correctness. Nearly every decade of motorsports history will be represented in what is described as a museum springing to life.
 

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is operated by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula since its inception in 1957. A volunteer board of directors oversees operations and works tirelessly with the many community groups who also volunteer their time at the track.

“Without the unwavering support of all our volunteers and the county, our racing events would not exist on the Monterey Peninsula,” Campbell added. “The economic impact to the community is in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and we are proud of our ongoing involvement with and commitment to our local residents and businesses.”   

For more information, to reserve camping, rent a hospitality suite or purchase tickets call 800-327-7322 or visitwww.MazdaRaceway.com.

Rennsport Reunion IV Coming to Laguna Seca Oct. 14-16

 Porsche Display Cars Trace Porsche Motorsport History

at Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV 

October 14-16 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

MONTEREY, Calif., September 29, 2011 — More than 350 Porsche race cars have been accepted to participate in the on-track racing during Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV, October 14-16. They will tackle the historic 11-turn Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where many of these same cars once turned a wheel in anger during their professional racing day.

Complementing the race cars in the paddock will be a very special display of approximately 50 Porsche race cars that will be showcased to Porsche fans, and each one has its own story. This includes cars from two very significant collections: the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany, and The Revs Institute for Automotive Research at the Collier Collection in Naples, Florida.

Special cars from Porsche Museum include:

• 1971 Porsche 16-Cylinder, the only one built  and  intended for the Can-Am series
• 1973 Porsche  911 RSR, winner of the last Targa Florio
• 1977 935/2.0 “Baby,” which “added lightness”
• “Moby Dick,” the original that many consider to be the ultimate 935 Porsche
• Porsche 961, considered to be the “Uberporsche” race car, and is the one and only
• 911 GT-1 98 LM, which is widely thought to be the ultimate 911

The Revs Institute is an internationally-recognized collection that focuses not only on the automobile as a technological device, but as an agent for social and economic change, and worthy to be considered among the masterpieces of creativity. This 501(c)3 not-for-profit educational foundation is a vast collection in the highly specialized field of automotive historical research, comprising an enormous resource on automotive history for scholars, historians, media, institutions and academia.

Cars from the Revs Institute’s exhibit: “Porsche: Designed to Excel” include:

• 1953 Porsche 550 Coupe, the very first 550 built and raced at Le Mans
• 1959 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder, raced extensively in 1959 by now-legendary drivers
• 1960 Porsche Abarth-Carrera GTL, the only factory entry in the 1960 Le Mans
• 1967 Porsche 911R, winner of the 1969 Tour de France and Tour of Corsica
• 1971 Porsche 917K, of the famous Martini Racing Team, founded by Louise Piëch

“This is just a sampling of some of the significant Porsche race cars that will be visible for fans,” commented Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “With all the supporting entertainment, legendary Porsche drivers, vendors and fan activities, Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV will be a delight for everyone interested in motorsports.”

For additional information and tickets, visit www.MazdaRaceway.com or call 800-327-7322.

2011 Monterey Highlights

Photo highlights from 2011 Monterey Classic Car Week

Favorite memories of 2011 Monterey Classic Car Week in pictures. Enjoy.

2011 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Photos from 2011 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

It's difficult to choose where to be on Friday during the Monterey Classic Car Week. Various car shows vie for our attention, including the Quail Motorsports Gathering, Concorso Italiano and Legends of the Autobahn. Deciding where to spend our time on Saturday, however, is easy. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is the place to be, with the Monterey Motorsports Reunion hosting hundreds of vintage race cars at the famous 2.24 mile racetrack.

Jaguar was this year's featured marque, highlighting the 50th anniversary of the E-Type. We generally think of the famous Jag as a beautiful road car, but it was a fierce competitor on track as well. An entire race category was dedicated to the E-Type, which made for an incredible sight.

Of course, not all of the race groups were Jaguars, and some of our favorite regulars were back at the track for another year. We always enjoy seeing the Shelby Mustangs and Cobras battle it out with the Corvettes, the IMSA racers, and of course the ever-competitive Trans-Am cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s. We only wish we could stay at the track all weekend to see every race.

One race we definitely didn't miss this year was the Ferrari group that included a Lusso, 275 GTC, a couple of SWBs...and four a half dozen or so GTOs. Incredibly, these cars were to be featured at Pebble on Sunday but spent a good hour or so on the track on Saturday, reminding those who got to see them exactly what they were built for in the first place. Another great year at Laguna Seca.

2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Nobody can throw an anniversary party like the folks at Pebble Beach. To celebrate 50 years of the Ferrari 250 GTO, the world's most famous classic car show convened an incredible collection of Enzo's most coveted creation. And what a gathering it was. More than half of the 39 250 GTOs in existence were on display – the official number quoted was 22, although we could only count 21. The line of cars literally stretched farther than our cameras could capture. Factoring in the going rate of $25 million for a 250 GTO, the collection of Ferraris represented more than half a billion dollars worth of Pininfarina sheet metal and V12 engines.

Some of the more notable 250 GTOs present:

1961 Ferrari 250 GT Sperimentale, chassis 2643GT: This is regarded as the 250 GTO prototype, being the first Ferrari to combine the 250 SWB chassis and the race-spec 3.0L V12. The car raced at Le Mans in 1961 and at Daytona in 1962 with Stirling Moss behind the wheel.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3223GT: This is the first official 250 GTO built. The car has several distinctive features including mis-matched headlights that were thrown on the car during a race at Daytona to help the drivers see the wall on the banking at night. This car was selected as the best in class.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3705GT:This 250 GTO has one of the best racing histories, finishing first in class at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, second overall. The car won every race it entered in 1965.

1964 Ferrari 250 GTO/64, chassis 5571GT:The first of three Series II 250 GTOs that features the lower and shorter Pininfarina body. The car raced at Sebring and Le Mans and was driven to victory at Daytona by Phil Hill.

You can see these 250 GTOs and the rest from the 50th anniversary celebration at Pebble Beach in the high-res gallery above.

Best of Show at Pebble didn't go to one of the GTOs however. No, it went to Peter Mullin's 1934 Voisin C-25 Aerodyne. Voi-what?

Peter Mullin, who has about the most beautiful collection of pieces from the art deco movement in the world, now has one more item to add to his collection, the trophy that goes to the Best in Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. His 1934 Voisin C-25 Aerodyne took the prize on Sunday.

Mullin has 15 Voisins in his collection, in addition to numerous Bugattis, Talbot Lagos and Delahayes.

"I'm a total French-car nut," he said. "French cars are the ultimate in automotive design, technology and performance."

On Sunday, the judges agreed. But it wasn't an easy decision.

"I thought it would be about like it always is here at Pebble Beach, they get better and better every year, and then you get here and there are over 200 beautiful cars all around you," Mullin said. "I heard, someone said, there were six cars with 100 points each [perfect scores] in our class."

If so, that's really something, since the class had only seven entries. But of course there can be only one winner per class. Pebble Beach now credits runners-up along with the winner. This year, those were a 1929 Bentley Speed Six and a 1938 Talbot Lago, both stunning.

But as every year, there can be only one winner.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110821/CARNEWS/110829979#ixzz1Z1tBDLYr

2011 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance

Photos from 2011 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance

These ain't no trailer queens.

While you might expect that a car that cost more than a million dollars to restore beyond its original glory would be something you'd keep in a sealed zip-lock freezer bag in the guarded basement of a museum, the vast majority of the entries in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance are actually driven on the street. Or at least they are driven once before the big show. On the Thursday before the concours--which leaves three days to repair dings, paint chips and mud splats--about 170 of the 210 or so cars entered in the concours roared off from the Equestrain Center above the Lodge and circumnavigated the Monterey Peninsula--squashed bugs on the windshield and all--to the delight of cheering fans waiting in beach chairs all along the route.

Thursday's circuit began with a short stretch of 17-Mile Drive and headed up into the hills of Monterey, through Tehama preserve, down Carmel Valley Road and then shot off south to Big Sur and back. A lunch stop in downtown Carmel provided plenty of opportunity for the public to ogle the parked cars while their drivers had lunch.

Surprisingly, almost all the cars made the trip without problems. One of the most difficult parts of the tour are the uphill sections, not because the cars don't have enough power to get up them, but because they tend to travel in a sort of conga line nose-to-tail. When one car without a synchromesh first gear has to stop to downshift, the whole line has to stop, except those quick enough to figure out what's going on and steer around the halted caravan, preserving their momentum. Stopping and starting again and again on a steep hill is not easy on these old drivetrains, and you could smell burned clutches when it happened.

But as the cars spread out on the much flatter Highway 1 to Big Sur and back, the great beasts could open up a little and roar along as their original builders intended them to.

The cars are all in private garages now having the bugs surgically removed from the windshields. Come Sunday, you won't know they ever left the showroom.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110819/CARNEWS/110819853#ixzz1Z1vUUQ1n

2011 Quail: A Motorsports Gathering

Photos from 2011 Quail: A Motorsport Gathering

The 2011 Quail, a Motorsports Gathering was best described in the brief opening remarks of the Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie, patriarch of event and the man on whose sprawling property the show has taken place for nine years. He said simply: “Enjoy yourselves and drink plenty of champagne.” Nothing more. Words to live by.

Kadoorie flies helicopters, loves race cars and owns about a million hotels all over the world, but it might be the race cars that he enjoys the most. So when the Quail became available to host an event after the raucous Concorso Italiano outgrew this fine setting, Kadoorie and a dedicated and talented team took the opportunity. Kadoorie had been hosting a rally for friends for about five years before that. So the Quail became a natural outgrowth of the rally.

Gordon McCall, who puts on the Motorworks Revival, more commonly known as the Jet Party, was pivotal in the Quail's formation and growth. Though growth is a bit of a misnomer, since the event is supposed to be limited to 3,000 attendees a year. Scanning the lawn this year, in the afternoon it seemed as if there were about 300,000 people there, but they were all pretty well behaved.

Among the honorees was the great Porsche driver Derek Bell, five-time winner of Le Mans. And not class wins, mind you--Bell won it overall five times. Organizers had lined up two cars to commemorate Bell's visit, a Porsche 935 and a Ferrari 250 GT.

“I didn't know what the 250 was there for,” said Bell. “Then someone explained that I had mentioned once that as a kid I had watched a 250 in a race and that it had inspired me to go into racing.”

The 935 was one Bell had raced but was not one of his more glorious mounts.

“I hit the wall at Pocono at 180 mph in this car,” he said. “I spun round to see Danny Ongias coming at me.”

Ongias braked and didn't hit him, but it wasn't like having one of the Rothmans 962s on hand. Not that anyone was complaining.

Bell later took the stage for a “fireside chat” with journalist Winston Goodfellow, during which Bell discussed his new book, a revision of My Racing Life.

“Now that I'm out of racing, I don't feel compelled to hold back on anything,” Bell said. Guess we'll have to read the book.

This year's Quail also commemorated the 50th anniversary of Phil Hill's world championship, and we saw members of the Hill family strolling the grounds.

There were tributes to cars that raced at Riverside, our favorite of which was the 1975 AAR Eagle Jorgensen Formula 5000.

The 50th anniversary of the Jaguar E-type featured several examples of that great design, but the highlight was when a whole litter of them roared out of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, over Laureles Grade and into the Quail with full California Highway Patrol escort, assembling as the centerpiece of the show.

Among those cars were a pair of Can-Am entries, our favorite of which was owned and driven by AC/DC frontman and current best friend of Autoweek Brian Johnson, who spent a good 15 minutes or so hanging around with various Autoweek editors.

Who knows who'll show up in 2012?

Tickets are not on sale yet for next year's Gathering, but when they are you can get them at www.mccallevents.com.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110821/CARNEWS/110829986#ixzz1Z1shsGfJ

2011 Concorso Italiano

Photos from 2011 Concorso Italiano

More room, flatter fairways, more cool cars and even a section of barn finds and beaters made this year's Concorso Italiano one of the best ever.

As you may recall from the 26- or 28-year history of this perennial classic, recent servings of Concorso Italiano have been a little up and down, with venue changes and field sizes that didn't always show these great cars in their fullest possible glory. There were the buses that took us around the first year of the Black Horse golf course, followed by the year of the cold, hard cement of the Marina Airport, and then the box canyon of last year's show. But we put up with it because we love these cars and nothing was going to keep us away from them.

Well, 2011 was no such year. Organizers discovered three huge fairways on the same golf course they used last year, opening up the whole show to give tifosi a little more elbow room between the fenders.

“The setting is the best,” event emcee and Italian-car fan Keith Martin said. He is the publisher of Sports Car Market and a former Autoweek contributor. “There are more cars than ever. It not only achieved its former provenance but surpassed it.”

Concorso president Tom McDowell estimated there were “roughly 1,000 cars” and “I'm guessing 8,000 people.”

With room for them all.

“We really like the new layout,” a slightly sunburned McDowell said at the end of the day. “From the feedback we've gotten, people really appreciate the venue.”

A big hit this year was the “Originals and Barn Finds” section, with 21 unrestored Italian cars and four barn finds. Heck, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance started a class for unrestored cars, why not Concorso? Maybe because so many Alfas across the country look like unrestored barn finds? Just kidding. Don't send hate mail.

And unlike past years that featured what seemed like 10 million 355s and an equal number of Murciélagos, this year seemed to balance the old and the new with a mix that appealed to almost everyone.

“It's a little more spread out,” entrant John Maclay said, standing next to his 1964 Alfa 2600 (“It's got enough power to be interesting.”). “It was nice, a real variety of cars.”

Best of Show this year went to Pete Vasquez's superbly delicate 1953 Fiat Stanguellini, an intricately styled 2+2 that had something cool in every fender and dash panel.

“Last year it was on the lawn at Pebble,” Vasquez proudly pointed out. “[Winning here] just blows my dreams away.”

We ran into Frank and Janet Mandarano, the founding couple of what would become Concorso Italiano some 26 (Frank) or 28 (Janet) years ago.

“It's 28 if you count the years it was just the Maserati Club,” said Frank.

“[This year] it was back to having fun,” said Janet.

The hit of the show might have been the guy who, on his way out, drove his Gallardo Spyder halfway into a sand trap. A pretty good crowd gathered to watch an inventive tow-truck driver extract him. Autoweek alumni Byron Pope helped engineer the retrieval. Together they pulled it back from the brink, just like the organizers of this year's and last year's shows. The Lambo driver, and probably all of the attendees, drove off happy as a clamshell hood opening.



Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110821/CARNEWS/110829988#ixzz1Z1q3qqPE

Cars & Coffee - 9/24/11

Gloomy skies and a schedule conflict with the Cruisin' for the Cure event at the OC Fairgrounds meant there wasn't a huge turnout this week, but the cars that showed up were a great mix of old and new - not just in terms of model year, but in terms of cars we've never seen here as well as old favorites. Follow the link and you'll see everything from a Lotus Elite (above) to a pristine "orange badge" 1973 Porsche 911S Targa. For Porsche lovers there was also a bent-window 356, as well as a Karmann 356 coupe, Zwart's East African Safari Rally car, a 550 Spyder replica, 993 Carrera RS, and a few dozen others.

Lots of Ferraris this week too with a 458, three Scuds, a TdF Stradale, 365GTC/4, 365GT 2+2, 308s, 348s, 360s, 430s and 355s. Besides the Elite there were Elans, Elise, Exige, Esprit and Evora models representing Lotus. Studebakers were relatively plentiful as were old Saabs. A huge turnout of BMWs were there too, with a limited edition Frozen Gray E92 M3 and Laguna Blue E46 highlighting the field. A couple of Fiat 500s battled with a few Minis for most bang per inch, while a VW GTI showed its family resemblance with a set of ginormous Bentley rims stuffed under its fenders. Check out the pics by clicking below.

Link to pics

UNLIMITED RACING CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES LAUNCHED

UNLIMITED RACING CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES LAUNCHED

As 'Heritage Series' for American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón today announced its association with the Unlimited Racing Championship (URC) as the new “Heritage Series” for the 2012 season and beyond. The URC will feature identically built NuArt CanAm cars reminiscent of the “glory days” of the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am) from the 1960-70s.

The NuArt CanAm cars are purpose-built from the ground up and engineered for safety, aerodynamics, driver comfort and speed. These magnificent cars feature spectacular 700+ horsepower, big-block V-8 motors and state-of-the-art aerospace quality components with an emphasis on safety.

“The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is thrilled to welcome the Unlimited Racing Championship, which will be joining a number of ALMS events in 2012,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the ALMS. “This ‘Heritage Series’ will provide more variety and a modern day link to the past for our many fans next year. The new initiative establishes a direct connection to the history of sports car racing in North America with the sights and sounds of an era of extreme speed and power – the revolutionary Can-Am Challenge Cup of the 1960s and 70s. The spectacle of these massively powerful racing machines with a bridge to the past of American racing will surely evoke many fond memories for some and attract new fans as well.”

“This project was years in the making,” said Richard Nauert, founder of the Unlimited Racing Championship and designer of the NuArt CanAm car. “We analyzed the original Can-Am cars, remaining true to the visual, as well as spiritual concept. Components like big-block engines, 12-inch steel brakes, and Can-Am intakes were just some of the historical elements we maintained in the NuArt CanAm car. Despite the tribute to the originals cars, at the same time, they are particularly relevant to the American Le Mans Series because we loaded them with modern technology. The technology is specifically to make them safe, have longevity, and be flexible for a wide range of driver skills.”

The thrilling new Unlimited Racing Championship Series will feature identically prepared NuArt CanAm cars, racing against one another on original historical Can-Am circuits around North America. The format includes eight races; two 30-minute races on four American Le Mans Series circuits beginning in 2012. Cars will be fully prepped for the owner/driver by the URC series organizer and ready to race at each venue. Initial cars are offered at $485,000, along with a walk down memory lane of a legendary tradition, while also creating a new era of racing memories.

For more information, please visit www.unlimitedracingchampionship.com.

2011 Auto Event Schedule

2011 Major International Auto Shows

January 2011

European Motor Show Brussels
Brussels Expo,
Brussels, BELGIUM
www.salonauto.be

 

January 15-23, 2011North American International
Auto Show (NAIAS)
Cobo Center,
Detroit, USA
www.naias.com 

February 2011Canadian International Auto Show
Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Rogers Centre,
Toronto, CANADA
www.autoshow.ca

February 11-20, 2011

Chicago Auto Show
McCormick Place,
Chicago, USA
www.chicagoautoshow.com

 

February-March, 2011Melbourne International Motor Show
Melbourne Exhibition Centre,
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
www.motorshow.com.au

 

March 3-13, 2011

International Geneva Motor Show
Palexpo,
Geneva, SWITZERLAND
www.salon-auto.ch/en/

 

April 2011Beijing International Automotive Exhibition
New China International Exhibition Center
Beijing, CHINA
www.china-autoshow.com

 

April 2011New York International Auto Show
Jacob Javits Convention Center,
New York, USA
www.autoshowny.com

 

April 19-27, 2011Auto Shanghai
Shanghai New International Expo Center,
Shanghai, CHINA
www.autoshanghai.auto-fairs.com

 

July-August 2011British International Motor Show
ExCel London
London, UK

www.britishmotorshow.co.uk

September 2011

Frankfurt Motor Show
Frankfurt/Main, GERMANY
www.iaa.de

 

October 2011

Paris Motor Show
Paris Expo-Porte de Versailles,
Paris, FRANCE
www.mondialautomobile.com

  

October 2011

Prague Auto Show
Prague Exhibition Grounds,
Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC
www.incheba.cz

November 2011

SEMA Show

Las Vegas Convention Center

Las Vegas, USA

www.semashow.com

 

November 2011
L.A. Auto Show
Los Angeles Convention Center,
Los Angeles, USA
www.laautoshow.com

 

December 2-11, 2011
2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Makuhari Messe,
Chiba City, JAPAN
www.tokyo-motorshow.com

2011 Regional Auto Shows

December 30, 2010-January 2, 2011

San Diego International Auto Show

San Diego Convention Center

San Diego, California

http://sdautoshow.com/

 

January 6–9, 2011
Silicon Valley International Auto Show
San Jose McEnery Convention Center
San Jose, California

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/sanjose/

January 14–16, 2011
South Carolina International Auto Show
Carolina First Center
Greenville, South Carolina

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/greenville/

January 14–17, 2011
Utah International Auto Expo
South Towne Exposition Center
Sandy, Utah

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/saltlake/

January 27–30, 2011
Northeast International Auto Show
Rhode Island Convention Center
Providence, Rhode Island

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/providence/

January 27–30, 2011
Pennsylvania Auto Show
PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/harrisburg/

January 28–30, 2011
West Virginia International Auto Show
Charleston Civic Center
Charleston, West Virginia

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/charwv/

January 29-February 6, 2011

Philadelphia International Auto Show

The Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

http://www.phillyautoshow.com/

February 10–13, 2011
Motor Trend International Auto Show – Baltimore
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/baltimore/

February 11–13, 2011
Iowa-Illinois Regional Auto Show
RiverCenter Convention Center
Davenport, Iowa

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/quadcities/

February 18–20, 2011
Memphis International Auto Show
Memphis Cook Convention Center
Memphis, Tennessee

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/memphis/

February 26–March 6, 2011
Greater Milwaukee Auto Show
Frontier Airlines Center (formerly Midwest Airlines Center)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/milwaukee/

March 11–13, 2011
Virginia Motor Trend International Auto Show
Greater Richmond Convention Center
Richmond, Virginia

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/richmond/

March 18–20, 2011
First Hawaiian International Auto Show
Hawaii Convention Center
Honolulu, Hawaii

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/honolulu/

April 15–17, 2011
New Mexico International Auto Show
Albuquerque Convention Center
Albuquerque, New Mexico

http://www.newmexicoautoshow.com/

October, 2011
Orange County Auto Show
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, California

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/Orange_County/

October, 2011
Puerto Rico Auto Show
Puerto Rico Convention Center
San Juan, Puerto Rico

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/sanjuan/

October, 2011
Long Island Auto Show
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Uniondale, New York

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/LongIsland/

November, 2011
Central California Auto Show
Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center
Fresno, California

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/fresno/

November, 2011
Arizona International Auto Show
Phoenix Convention Center
Phoenix, Arizona

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/phoenix/

November, 2011
Central Florida International Auto Show
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, Florida

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/orlando/

November, 2011
Motor Trend International Auto Show – Las Vegas
Las Vegas Convention Center, Hall S-3
Las Vegas, Nevada

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/lasvegas/

November, 2011
Nashville International Auto Show
Nashville Convention Center
Nashville, Tennessee

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/nashville/

December, 2011
Tampa Bay International Auto Show
Tampa Convention Center
Tampa, Florida

http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/tampa/

2011 Classic Car Automotive Events

January 18-23, 2011
Palm Beach Cavallino Classic
Palm Beach, FL

January 19-23, 2011
Arizona Collector Automobile Auctions
Scottsdale, AZ

April 9-11, 2011
Festivals of Speed St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL

June 17-19, 2011
Concours d'Elegance of the Eastern United States
Bethlehem, PA

July 2011
Kohler International Challenge
with Brian Redman
Elkhart Lake, WI

July 25, 2011
Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance
Auburn Hills, MI

August 2011
Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Monterey, CA

August 2011
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Pebble Beach, CA

August 2011
Woodward Dream Cruise
Ferndale, MI

September 2011
Route 66 Rendezvous
San Bernardino, CA

October 2011
Louisville Concours d'Elegance
Louisville, KY
 

November 2011
Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance & Motoring Festival
Hilton Head Island, SC

November 2011
Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals
Rosemont, IL

Link to photos

VETTEL'S F1 CAR!!!

1966 Dodge Dart 270 Convertible Part 14

Late August:

Fitted carpet for the boot/trunk...

Installed the exhaust system...

Early September:

Finished the rear seat and installed in the car...

Installed new number plates front and rear

A Daytona in a Farm

I got a tip from a nice gentleman in Wisconsin, he mentioned that there was a fairly rare and desirable Muscle Car not far from a town I know. So after running a Dodge SRT (www.drivesrt.com) event in Rockford, I headed north for the night. The next morning I followed the directions down winding roads to a farm in the middle of nowhere.  Where the mythical car was rumored to be.  From the road you would never have known what was hiding there.

One of the Sons heard me pull up to the gate and came and asked if he could help me with something. I told him who I was and why I was there. He said he would ask his father if it was alright to let me in and allow me to see the car. A few tense moments passed and thankfully the father said yes, and the gates to a Mopar legend opened. 

And there, sitting in the corner of the yard was what I was there for... one of those magical barn finds...  the ones dreams are made of... a real 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona.

I talked to the owner of the car for about an hour.  A very nice older gentleman. He is the original owner. Funny story, his wife was in Madison and saw this car for sale at the Dodge dealer up there. Called her husband at work and asked him to come see it. They ended trading in their 1968 GMC Pickup Truck on it because, as he said, “It wasn't one of their... finest vehicles...” So for the next 4 years they drove the Daytona everywhere.

Unfortunately one day after getting a full tank of gas in town, the family came home, then swapped cars and went out to dinner. This was roughly late 1974. They got back, and the next day try to go drive the Daytona and the thing shudders, there was a terrible noise and the car quit running. After tearing apart half the engine and taking the gas tank out, they discovered someone had drained all the gas out of the car and replaced it with water. Hydrolocking the engine.

The only major damage they found after dis-assembly was that some of the push rods were bent. But instead of fixing it during the gas crunch and with whnter around the corner, they filled the engine with heavy duty oil, drained the entire cooling system and topped off the transmission. That's it.

And ever since, they move the Daytona where ever the family goes.  It was in a garage for a few years, but they needed room in the garage.... for stuff, so they moved it back outside. And so it sits outside, uncovered until the day they are able to restore it, they say.

So I parted company with my new friends, told them to stay in touch and keep me up to date on the car. If they ever needed anything, just to let me know. I would help to the best of my ability.

There were some other finds of the day, but I will share those in another blog.

Ryan Brutt

HemiPwr70@aol.com