I will freely admit that I have never been a huge racing fan. In fact, it wasn't until roughly 12 years ago, when I first took my 1989 Mazda MX-6 GT Turbo on the track, that I became somewhat interested in racing. The only motorsports that captured my attention were WRC and DTM/BTCC. Otherwise, F1, NASCAR and the others do little for me.
Today, at Laguna Seca Raceway, that changed somewhat. Historic racing is really about man and machine unlike many of the modern types of organized races. On this Saturday, I bore witness to some of the most extraordinary racing I have ever witnessed.
The one that really rocked me to the core was the 1966-72 Trans Am cars. And when I say rocked, I mean rumbled! The heavy-hitting V8s from these monsters have the entire mountain shaking! Dan Gurney, the man that began the champagne spraying at the end of a race, was being celebrated in all his glory over the weekend. Many of his cars were on hand and a number of them raced.
On a totally other level, the Bugatti Grand Prix was an incredible sight to behold. Never have or never will I ever see 30 Bugattis assembled on one race track. Actually, on the grounds of Laguna, our regular contributor, Alain Raymond, counted more than 50 Bugattis! I let him tell you more about them in the near future.
Another group that got me going was the 1964-69 FIA manufacturers Championship cars. The selection of cars included such notables as Ford GT40s and a number of Italian beauties. Hearing a Porsche 914/6 fly by followed by an AMC AMX, a Ferrari 312 and a Lola T70 was music to my ears. As was the 1973-82 IMSA, GT, GTX and AAGT car category. I had a soft spot for a pair of Porsche 935s and BMW CSLs.
The following gallery includes shots from the main paddock area. In its midst were all participants and their incredible collections of race and street cars. This is another collection of pictures you need to look through if you love cars!
Today, at Laguna Seca Raceway, that changed somewhat. Historic racing is really about man and machine unlike many of the modern types of organized races. On this Saturday, I bore witness to some of the most extraordinary racing I have ever witnessed.
The one that really rocked me to the core was the 1966-72 Trans Am cars. And when I say rocked, I mean rumbled! The heavy-hitting V8s from these monsters have the entire mountain shaking! Dan Gurney, the man that began the champagne spraying at the end of a race, was being celebrated in all his glory over the weekend. Many of his cars were on hand and a number of them raced.
On a totally other level, the Bugatti Grand Prix was an incredible sight to behold. Never have or never will I ever see 30 Bugattis assembled on one race track. Actually, on the grounds of Laguna, our regular contributor, Alain Raymond, counted more than 50 Bugattis! I let him tell you more about them in the near future.
Another group that got me going was the 1964-69 FIA manufacturers Championship cars. The selection of cars included such notables as Ford GT40s and a number of Italian beauties. Hearing a Porsche 914/6 fly by followed by an AMC AMX, a Ferrari 312 and a Lola T70 was music to my ears. As was the 1973-82 IMSA, GT, GTX and AAGT car category. I had a soft spot for a pair of Porsche 935s and BMW CSLs.
The following gallery includes shots from the main paddock area. In its midst were all participants and their incredible collections of race and street cars. This is another collection of pictures you need to look through if you love cars!
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