FERRARI 612-HORSEPOWER ROMA COUPE

With the new Ferrari movie coming soon, Road Test Editor Howard Walker takes a 2024 FERRARI 612-HORSEPOWER ROMA COUPE for a spin.

FERRARI 612-HORSEPOWER ROMA COUPE

In celebration of the upcoming cinematic tribute to Scuderia Ferrari founder and Il Commendatore himself, Enzo Ferrari, I felt it my duty to get behind the wheel of one of Maranello’s’ latest and greatest. So let me introduce you to la bella Roma.

But first the movie. Unless you’ve been living a yurt in Tristan da Cunha, you’ll know that Ferrari, starring Adam Driver (House of Gucci) as Enzo, with Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Ali) doing the producing, opens at a cineplex near you on Christmas Day. I’m counting the hours. Signore Ferrari, who passed away in 1988 at the ripe old age of 90, would have loved the Roma. When it was launched back in 2020, it marked a return to classic front-engined Ferrari grand touring V8 coupes. Here is the successor to Ferrari’s Portofino folding hardtop roadster and, at around a quarter of a million bucks, essentially the first rung on the Ferrari ladder. A ‘starter’ Ferrari no less!

As a lover of fine engines – Mr. Ferrari once said: “When you buy a Ferrari, you are paying for the engine. The rest you get for free” – I’m pretty sure he would have nodded in quiet appreciation of the Roma’s exquisite powerplant. Mounted well back under that curvy hood for near-perfect weight balance is a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8, packing an impressive 612-horseys and 561 torques, that loves to shriek to its 7,500 rpm redline. It’s one of the great Ferrari engines.It powers a car that has more curves than Gina Lollobrigida in her sultry prime, more tensed muscle than Chris Hemsworth in Thor. See it in the metal and there’s hardly a sharp edge or crease anywhere. From that thrusting shark-nose front end, to the bulging rear haunches, to the swept-down roofline. Bellissimo.

It’s at the recent Monterey Car Week in California where Ferrari kindly offers the keys to this ever-so-subtle Grigio Medio-colored Roma. We have four hours; just long enough for a fast blast south along snaking Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur and the beloved Nepenthe coffee shop for cappuccino.FERRARI 612-HORSEPOWER ROMA COUPESlide into that fabulous rosso-red-and-black leather interior, gently squeeze the leather and carbon wheel, and gaze at that yellow-and-black Ferrari prancing horse badge in the center. Ahhhhh. As the t-shirt says, Life is Good. It’s surprisingly spacious inside the FERRARI 612-HORSEPOWER ROMA COUPE. Heck, there’s even a pair of rear seats. Not that anyone over the age of 10 will fit back there. But they fold flat and add to the luggage space. Pop the glass tailgate, and there’s room for a couple of weekend-away bags.One big disappointment here is that instead of some big red ‘START’ button on the center console, Ferrari has opted for a capacitive touch surface on the bottom of the steering wheel. It uses haptic feedback to recognize your thumb and offers about as much sense of occasion in firing-up that mighty V8 as turning on the radio in a Kia!

But ignite the motori, hear that soul-stirring bark from the exhaust, pull back on the oversized paddle shifter behind the wheel, and we’re rolling. Along the winding, picturesque 17-Mile Drive, crashing Pacific to the right, the Roma is a docile, relaxed, refined grand tourer, its eight-speed dual-clutch automatic shifting with oily smoothness.FERRARI 612-HORSEPOWER ROMA COUPEBut on to Highway 1, stomp on the throttle, and Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde in a very short time. The sheer thrust as the Roma slingshots forward is beyond breathtaking, accompanied by a soundtrack matched only by Pavarotti hitting the high notes in Nessun Dorma. Select sport or race mode for the full fireworks when the Roma’s true supercar persona is revealed. Hearing the V8 as it screams towards the red zone, is aural magic.And through Highway 1’s tight twists and turns, the Roma tracks on invisible rails no matter how hard you push. Yes, the steering, while laser precise, is a little too light in feel for my taste. But there’s an agility, a dynamism and athleticism here that’s pure Ferrari. What the Roma delivers is that glorious blend of relaxed grand tourer and heart-stopping supercar, all wrapped-up in a body that’s design perfection. Signore Ferrari would have approved.

For more information about the 2024 FERRARI 612-HORSEPOWER ROMA COUPE and the full model range, please visit https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/auto/ferrari-roma

FANGIO/ MASERATI WINS MONZA IN 1953

The Trident recalls the victories of the past – FANGIO/ MASERATI WINS MONZA IN 1953 – with an eye to a new chapter in the history of motorsports.FANGIO/ MASERATI WINS MONZA IN 1953

FANGIO/ MASERATI WINS MONZA IN 1953

Seventy years have passed since the Italian Grand Prix on September 13, 1953, where Juan Manuel Fangio celebrated his first and only victory of the season in the final race at Monza, at the wheel of his Maserati A6GCM, above, leading Ascari #4 and Farina #6, in Ferrari F2s.

The Argentine ace, one of the greatest of all time together with colleagues of the caliber of Senna and Schumacher – Fangio ceded the crown of the most titled Formula 1 driver to the latter after almost 50 years.  After FANGIO/ MASERATI WINS MONZA IN 1953, he took the Trident to the Olympus of the brands in the highest class of motorsport in 1954 and 1957, the year of El Chueco’s fifth and final world championship.

Seventy years ago, on the Brianza circuit, the curves of the temple of speed lit up for one final race, to wipe away a subdued season for the Argentine world champion. He would go on from that victory to win his second world title the following year.

An anniversary to remember – FANGIO/ MASERATI WINS MONZA IN 1953 – Maserati has once again become a major player with a carefully thought-out racing strategy. Historic racer Mike Moss, above, right, with the Trident‘s latest racecar, the MCXtrema. One of the 62 that will be built will have his name on it!

After its first year in Formula E, where Maserati took three podiums and one victory in the 100% electric series, the Modena-based brand announced its return to GT competitions: in July, at the 24 Hours of Spa, it unveiled its latest disruptive 621-horsepower track creation, dedicated to private teams and gentleman drivers, due to take part in the Fanatec GT2 European Series from the 2024 season.

With its constant longing for laurels, Maserati also unveiled during Monterey Car Week, the surprising MCXtrema, a track-only car for a select few – 62 to be precise – fans of uncompromising performance and outstanding design. It was designed and engineered to channel unique emotions exclusively on the racetrack!

Since its debut in the racing world – back in 1926, with Alfieri Maserati first in class at the Targa Florio in his Tipo 26, excellence in motorsport has been the hallmark of Maserati’s DNA. Its history is repeating with its aspiration to write major new chapters in the greatest classes in motorsports, where the Italian brand has been confirmed as one of the most prestigious brands that can guarantee the most distinctive performance, in its road cars and those designed for the track.

For the latest information from Maserati, please visit https://www.maserati.com/us/en

MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023

CGC’s Jim Palam presents highlights from events that fill the most exciting week on the concours and historic racing calendar, MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023.

MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023

 “Suddenly, as if by magic, the cars appeared!” I have to admit that I was like a kid at a magic show when I took in the sights, sounds, pomp and pizazz of MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023. How the organizers, presenters, participants and attendees managed to all come together to revel, rejoice, race and reward in the relatively limited confines and congested roadways of Monterey and Carmel is at times mystifying. Top photo, Kode61 Birdcage Concept; Left, Dea Wison, President, Ferrari Club of America, Sacramento Chapter.

For those who have attended Car Week you know that you’ll need a bag of tricks and another bag of money to secure accommodations anywhere within 50 miles of Monterey during Car Week. Even though I have more than ten years of practice for this “Room Booking” trick, things did not go as planned when upon my arrival I discovered my motel was well, not the kind of place you’d stay if you care about your health, safety and relationship with the Almighty!

I won’t bore you with the details but the upshot of this discovery forced me to cut my Car Week stay from five days to two. The good news is that those two days included time at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to check out the Heritage Corvettes participating in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and the 70th Anniversary of the Corvette – and a gorgeous day at beautiful Pebble Beach to cover the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. So, clear your mind of all things dull and tedious – because it’s time for a little MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023.Renowned Austrian sports car restoration expert Egon Zweimüller was up before sunrise to drive the loud and fabled ’64 McLaren M1A past the tony Pebble Beach Lodge and onto the show field at the Concours D’Elegance. I chose this grainy photo for this caption because it shows Egon’s high quiff hairdo and sideburns – an homage perhaps to Elvis Presley who drove the M1A in the 1966 motion picture Spinout.” This car was awarded the Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy at Pebble, the award for the most significant car of British origin.What a thrill to rise before sun-up for “Dawn Patrol” and watch historic and fabled cars from bygone eras roll along the entrance road and onto the manicured Pebble Beach show field! This is no illusion I thought as I watched this blue, 2-seater Delahaye 135 CS Competition Spéciale cruise-by. Only 17 examples of this 1930s era racer were ever built. It features a shortened chassis, a powerful in-line 6 cylinder, 170 horsepower motor and race-carved bodywork by Figoni.CGC’s Jim Palam presents highlights from events that fill the most exciting week on the concours and historic racing calendar, MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023.When you build your own car, you have the freedom to design whatever strikes your fancy, and the freedom to name your creation any name you want. Lou Fageol was a bus and truck builder who built a spectacular, streamlined car dubbed the “Supersonic.” That car debuted in 1949, toured the auto shows and ended up stored on the family’s farm. In 1952 Lou’s son Ray reimagined the car with a new body and wrap-around windshield and named the rebuilt car by combining his name and his wife Pat’s name. Fast-track to August 20, 2023 where the Pataray rolled up onto the awards ramp at Pebble Beach to take the Class V: American Dream Cars of the 1950s 3rd Place award.If you’re a “Boomer” you might remember the post-war decade of the 1950s as a truly magical one. In the design world anything was possible and almost everything took on a streamlined, space-age look. This 1953 Kurtiss Sorrell SR-100 Roadster is a great example of 1950s zeitgeist, with its “Looks Fast Sitting Still” sweeping lines. After grabbing this shot during Dawn Patrol the Sorrell grabbed first place in the Class V: American Dream Cars of the 1950s Class at Pebble.Designing sleek automobiles certainly was not just a 1950s paradigm. The 1921 Rumpler Tropenwagen is considered to be one of the first serially produced aerodynamic cars to be manufactured. Take a look out your window now and there’s a good possibility you’ll spot something sleek, albeit likely chiseled as well. When I first got to Laguna Seca on Saturday, I spotted this streamlined beauty atop a trailer making its way to its exhibition spot in the paddock. Corvette historians will recognize the Bill Mitchell helmed, mid-engine, gull-winged 1976 Aerovette. Targeted for a 1980 production run, the Aerovette’s magic just wasn’t there in the eyes of Corvette Chief Engineer Dave McLellan, who instead gave a green light to a new front-engine C4 Corvette for 1984.CGC’s Jim Palam presents highlights from events that fill the most exciting week on the concours and historic racing calendar, MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023.Was GM’s Vice-President of Design Bill Mitchell a motorsport magician? A staunch supporter of Zora Arkus-Duntov, he was the guiding force behind head-turning Corvette racecars when GM was not officially racing, including the 1959 Corvette Stingray XP-87. Its chassis was influenced by the Mercedes 300SL. Power was originally from a high-performance 283 V8. The car achieved 155 mph on a test run with Dick Thompson behind the wheel. Check out my short video of the XP-87 and two other Heritage Corvettes as they were staged for an exhibition run at Laguna Seca.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_txd4kuCEgKnown in racing circles as “The Lightweight Corvette”, 125 Grand Sports were originally planned to be built in the early 1960s; only 5 are currently documented. However, there was a 6th! So yes, I was excited and yes, it was magical to discover the fabled 1963 Corvette Grand Sport #003 sitting in the Heritage Corvettes exhibition tent at Laguna Seca. There’s lots of racing lore surrounding these Grand Sports, the most valuable Corvettes in private collections. These vicious Vettes were built to face off in the GT Class against the then dominating Shelby Cobras.There was another magic-maker at GM in the heydays, Zora Arkus-Duntov, who joined Chevrolet Engineering Research and Development in 1953 as an assistant staff engineer. Not only was he an exceptional engineer, Zora was also a racecar driver who applied his track experience and vision to help build the Corvette’s performance legacy. One of the many Corvette racecars that Zora and his team produced was this bad-to-the-headrest-bullet, magnesium shell, fuel-injected Corvette SS, known within GM as the XP-64. With Juan Manuel Fangio behind the wheel during a practice lap at Sebring in 1957, it turned a 3:27.4 lap. Unfortunately, there were suspension and overheating problems by lap 23 and the XP-64 failed to finish the race.While the words “historic” and “vintage” are used in association with the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion that fires-up during Monterey Car Week at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, it’s an illusion to think you won’t see historic and significant racecars running at high speeds around the fabled and freshly-repaved 2.238- mile road course. Then again, there are the Ragtime Racers, a dedicated group of vintage race car owners who charge their 100- year-old machines around the 11 turns and through the Corkscrew to thrill the spectators. The bright yellow No. 7 Lexington is a fan favorite.It’s hard to not notice yellow cars, but it’s almost impossible to ignore a rare and fast Porsche 906E Weinsberg Coupe finished in black and yellow, caution stripes – even if its roof is just 38.6 inches from the ground. This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance featured a carefully curated display of historically significant Porsches from 1948 to 1973 that included sports and competition cars – like this ready-to-race 1967 906E Weinsberg Coupe from the famous Ingram Porsche Collection in Durham, NC. The 906Es were revised for the 1967 racing season with a change to Bosch fuel injection. Total production was 54 cars.OK, I could have selected a red Ferrari for this spot, but you’ve seen plenty of them, right? So, I’m sticking to our yellow car formula one more time to bring you this stunning, 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione which was beckoning on the lawn in front of Casa Ferrari at Pebble Beach. Now there’s a complicated history for this car with multiple owners since 1960, race entries at Le Mans, Goodwood and Montlhéry and a well-documented restoration. It was originally identified as a 1931 GT and later rechristened as a Comp/60, chassis 2021 GT. That’s the easy part of its provenance; it gets way more complicated. So, I’m just going to finish with stating the obvious: it is one of the most beautiful sports cars ever produced!There’s a certain etiquette that one needs to follow when attending a high-end Concours. It’s markedly different from the behavior on display at the Piggly Wiggly Cars & Coffee! One needs to dress well, be mindful of your language and by all means, do not get in front of a judge who is inspecting a show car. In this shot, owners, judges and car caretakers gather for a “Concours Klatsch” alongside the Peter Mullin Museum’s 1939 Delahaye 165 Figoni et Falaschi Cabriolet at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Note that there are no containers of coffee in this klatsch!The 2025 Mustang GTD is a street-legal, track-ready Supercar that was revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours, and it got lots of attention. You’ll need around $300,000 to buy one and for that you’ll get a true Supercar, that will be initially built by Ford and finished and fine-tuned by the racecar magicians at Multimatic in Canada. According to Ford, “Every line drives unrelenting, aerodynamic performance on the streets — and the track — for a corner-obliterating, pulse-raising experience.” It’s powered by a supercharged 800 horsepower, 5.2L V8 mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. This setup is, according to Ford, “…tuned for monstrous potency on pavement.” Look out…Speaking of Mustangs, I couldn’t help but draw a connection between this beautiful 1956 Ferrari 250 GT’s roof louvers and the mid-1960s Mustang GT Fastback’s louvered roof detail. I was also a bit concerned about identifying this Ferrari based on the show placard that offered only the 1956 Ferrari 250 GT designation. I could not find another 1956 250 GT that has these high, straight and peaked rear fenders – until I found just one 1956 GT that was a prototype for the famous 14-louver 250 GT competition car. If my research is correct, this is the one-off 1956 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Scaglietti Berlinetta. Ferrari experts are encouraged to chime-in.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_txd4kuCEgThe sweeping Art Deco lines of this striking 1937 Peugeot Darl’Mat Pourtout Roadster owe their sexiness to custom sports cars builder Emile Darl’Mat, coach- builder Marcel Pourtout, designer Georges Paulin and their collaboration with Peugeot. Emile had a very supportive relationship with Peugeot and as such they gave him the resources to develop his own sports car. The Darl’Mat had successful runs at Le Mans in 1937 and 1938. A total of 104 Darl’Mats were built in coupe, convertible, roadster and competition roadster styles. It’s estimated that there are 30 remaining today.Ferrari has built over 220,000 cars since its founding by Enzo Ferrari in 1939. The company built its first car in 1940 but it wasn’t until 1948 that we got the first Ferrari road car – the Ferrari 166 Inter. What’s impressive is not the number of cars but the consistent excellence and excitement built into the brand. The first thing I did when I entered the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance was check out the Ferrari Monza SP1, a forerunner in Ferrari’s limited edition “Icona” (Icon) line. An Icona showcases modern aesthetics and technologically advanced components to deliver the highest performance possible. The SP1’s V12 engine produces 785 horsepower. Top speed is 186 mph. Thrills, are no doubt unlimited!When this beautiful deep blue convertible rolled past me during Dawn Patrol at Pebble Beach, I at first thought it was a 1950s vintage Italian car sports car. Well, I was right about the decade but I later learned that this is a 1954 Edwards America Convertible. One of only 5 built, the Edwards America was conceived by West Coast sportsman and industrialist Sterling Edwards who hired legendary fabricator Phil Remington and engineer Norman Timbs to make his American Sports Car dream a reality. The bodies were fiberglass, the Rocket V8 motors and transmissions were from Oldsmobile. The design and coachbuilding were exceptional but production costs were astronomical by mid-century comparisons. Sticker prices ran between $5,000 to $8,000, but unfortunately, few buyers ran to the showroom.As I’ve mentioned in previous CarGuyChronicles reports, one of the reasons I love going to automotive events and carguy gatherings is the opportunity it presents to meet fascinating people. During my shortened, two-day stay to produce MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023, I met dozens of wonderful car owners, celebrities, racers, crew members, journalists and support personnel. One of the nicest guys I met is Meguiar’s car care products company CEO Barry Meguiar. He, his wife Karen and friends were standing next to me at Dawn Patrol. Just about every other car driver that passed by yelled out “Hey Barry!” and he knew them all by their first names. Many will also remember Barry as the always smiling host of the successful TV show Car Crazy.PeugeotCar Guy Celebrities are hard to pigeonhole. They come from all walks of life; all parts of the world. Some are wealthy, some are struggling – but all share a passion for motor-powered vehicles. I can’t think of a better car guy contrast than the always smiling, always natty Barry Meguiar and one of the other car guy VIPs I met ‘Urban Outlaw’ and Porsche disciple, Magnus Walker. Magnus is hard to miss: his long dreadlocks cascading down from his straw hat, his long legs covered in worn denim. We met under the Heritage Corvettes tent at Laguna Seca and struck-up a friendly conversation. For a great look into Magnus’ life and Porsche collection, check out Tamir Moscovici’s film Urban Outlaw by going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdvPwr_77A0A quick shuttle ride from the Pebble Beach Lodge and the Concours is Concours Village, which is billed as a premier location for manufacturer displays. It’s also where you go for speaker panels, automobilia treasures, retail concessions, Will Call and the Media Center. It was here, in the Maybach pavilion that I discovered the monster-truck-size PROJECT MONDO G, the ahh, well, uhm, moon vehicle? OK, I’m not sure how to categorize this creation, but it is a show car collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and fashion-forward puffy garment maker Moncler. I think if we’ve learned anything since Carl Benz applied for his motorized vehicle patent back in 1886, it’s that innovation and progress will sometime confound, sometimes amuse – but almost always amaze. You could say it’s something magical!

MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023 Words & Photos © Jim Palam, https://www.jimpalamphotos.com/

For more information on MOTORSPORT MAGIC: MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2023, please visit   https://www.seemonterey.com/events/sporting/concours/

VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL

Jim Palam headed to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL with a craving. Discovers he’s just one among 15,000 with a ‘Need for Speed.’

VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL

It is like your favorite piece of pie. You will make sacrifices just so you can enjoy it again and again. I had my first Velocity slice a year ago and what a treat to be back to enjoy the VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL again in 2022!

For those of you still waiting to take a bite of Velocity I’d say “Definitely go!” Remember that piece of pie? What makes it a treat is that all of the ingredients are right – and it’s been prepared and presented by people skilled and passionate about what they do. In the Velocity Pie mix are the rare and expensive automotive festival ingredients that impress: Iconic American and imported vintage and historic racecars. Modern Formula One cars. Actual pedal-to-the-metal racing. Cutting-edge prototypes of the next-gen Hypercars. The Mighty Minis! Gourmet food and beverages at the show’s Sip & Savor Pavilion. And – drum-roll please – Mario Andretti running spirited exhibition laps behind the wheel of the ‘13 McLaren MP4/28A Formula 1 car, courtesy of Zach Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing!

From its inception the VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL was designed to be a family affair. “Velocity Invitational was introduced with a vision of revitalizing the motorsports experience for all generations of enthusiasts and their families to enjoy,” said event founder Jeff O’Neill. As I explored the paddock areas I spoke with families from points near and far including California, New Jersey, Kansas and Japan. Some were spectators and others racers. All were having an excellent time!

This year’s 3-Day Velocity event attracted over 15,000 attendees from Friday, October 14 through Sunday the 16th. It was also live-streamed with over 600,000 followers across YouTube (syndicated by Goodwood Road & Racing) and other streaming platforms. I had hoped to cover at least two days of the event but thanks to some anti-car guy who did a hit and run smash on my parked pickup I had to hitch a ride up on Saturday with local race car driver John Adams. He was more than happy to be my driver and even happier that he got a personal photo with racing legend Mario Andretti in the McLaren Garage. The good news is that I had a ball and shot over 800 photos on Saturday. I’m excited about presenting some of my favorite images – including the 3D printed Czinger C21 Hypercar, above right. Enjoy!

Group 6 cars lined up on the Pre-Grid Lane included this red ’67 427 Corvette, followed by the silver GT40 and the blue Shelby FIA Cobra. The Group 6 cars include 1963 – 1969 Sports & GT cars. They were wonderfully noisy and sometimes nasty as they muscled their way around the 11-turn, 2.238-mile WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway.

Sitting right below the gray Media Center building were the Juan Gonzalez Formula One Pole Position Collection cars, most recently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Juan, a racer and motorsports enthusiast, is the CEO of Mission Foods which is the #1 tortilla company in the U.S. Mission Foods is also a McLaren team sponsor.

I discovered this beautiful Aston Martin DP215 sitting poised and proper along the primary paddock lane when I first arrived at Laguna Seca early Saturday morning. A single example was built for GT racing in 1963. The DP215 was sold at RM Sotheby’s 2018 Monterey auction for $21,455,000 including buyer’s fee!

VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVALImpossible to ignore on the green sod of the Pre-Grid display area was the McLaren P1 HDK (High Downforce Kit) orange sizzler from Lanzante Limited and O’Gara. It follows in the same footsteps as the High Downforce Kit that was available to McLaren F1 owners who wanted to give their cars added performance and a unique aesthetic. The McLaren/Lazante P1 HDK is a privately owned, fully bespoke commission.

A ’67 Porsche 910-004 sits low and ready-to-go on the Pre-Grid. Only 980-mm high, its fender height is about the same as the knee height of the mechanic standing at-the-ready next to the driver. Only 29 910s were built from 1966 to 1967; 10 remain worldwide. Specs: 2000-cc 6-cylinder, 225 horsepower, top speed 155 mph. The 910 was only raced for about one year by the factory. Class rivals Ferrari Dino 206P and Ford GT40 proved too powerful for the 910.

We featured an exterior shot of this silver Scuderia Bear GT40 P/1029 for our Monterey Car Week 2022 race report back in August. It was great to see her back out on the track for the VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL. This time I thought you would enjoy a driver’s view of the interior – just before blasting away for the Group 6 Qualifying Race.

McLaren had a strong and active presence at Velocity. Much more than a partner and sponsor of this Luxury motorsports event, they were also fully engaged with the velocity/speed side of things – offering up track rides in their modern production cars and racecars to burn-up Laguna Seca’s asphalt. Pictured is the MP4-27 designed by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for the 2012 Formula One season punching it out on the Corkscrew.

When he zipped by me, I was impressed by this gentleman’s deft handling of his electric mobility scooter in the paddock garage area. When he parked it behind this iconic ‘61 Cooper Monaco Mk. III curiosity got the better of me, so I struck up a friendly conversation. Turns out this is Jeffrey Heller, the founding principal of Heller Manus Architects of San Francisco, and the proud owner the Cooper. This impeccably restored icon has a wonderful race history that includes ownership by Briggs Cunningham and victories in the early 1960s at Bridgehampton and Watkins Glen. It later won its class with Spencer Trenery behind the wheel.

Stunt driver, drift champion and TV host Tanner Foust was one of the celebrity racecar drivers entertaining the crowds. I grabbed this shot of him in the Gulf Racing ‘96 McLaren F1 GT-12R as it blasted away from the infamous Corkscrew. Racing enthusiast and pharmaceuticals magnate Ray Bellm along with co-driver James Weaver drove this car to four wins on their way to becoming the 1996 BPR GT champions.

This head turner was on the display grass. From a distance I thought, “Hey, it’s a Ferrari 250 SWB!” When I got up close, I realized that this red V-12 gem is a revival build from famed Ferrari restoration shop GTO Engineering. It has been meticulously hand built to the same 1962 factory specs as the original and this example was brought to Laguna Seca by the folks at the O’Gara Collective. GTO Engineering will build just 60 replicated 250 SWBs.

As impressive as it is to see and hear the modern F1 cars scream around Laguna Seca, it’s a special treat to see vintage racers like this lightweight and aerodynamic, 210 horsepower, ‘38 Talbot-Lago T-26 SS aggressively run the course on skinny tires and fervid resolve. The T-26 SS was designed for Le Mans competition but unfortunately would never see a victory at the famed 24-hour race. Brian Mullin was the driver of the Talbot-Lago in this Group 1 Qualifying Race.

VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVALIf you head to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to catch a vintage automobile race it’s a good bet you are going to see the Ragtime Racers and their impressive collection of pre-1920 racecars from the “Heroic Age.” One of my favorite cars from the collection is the mighty 1917 Hall-Scott owned by Dick DeLuna. Built on a vintage REO steel chassis, this reconstructed racer is powered by a truly massive 9,900-cc, 4-cylinder, overhead cam WW I aircraft motor!

The Next Generation: I met these three 19-year-old guys in the Ragtime Racers open garage space in the paddock. They volunteer for the Ragtimers and are happy to get hands-on experience wrenching on these vintage machines. They are pictured with a 1911 National Racer which is restored to the same specs as it raced in the first Indy 500 back in 1911!

Throughout my day at the VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL, I asked attendees and participants if they were enjoying the event. No one I talked to had anything negative to say. Perhaps the best response I received was from the driver of a stunning Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada that was staged for a qualifying race. When I asked him if he was having a good time, he shot his thumb up and said, “Inside the helmet I’m smiling!”

Words & Photos © Jim Palam, https://www.jimpalamphotos.com/

“If you can’t see it, smell it and hear it, it’s not a racecar.” – Jeff O’Neill. Founder of the Velocity Invitational, on why he encourages participants to race their vintage and historic cars at VELOCITY INVITATIONAL MOTORSPORTS FESTIVAL. For more details, please visit https://velocityinvitational.com/

For the latest information on events at Laguna Seca, check out https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/weathertech-raceway

Classic Ferrari is ‘Best of the Best’

Gareth Herincx

17 hours ago
Auto News

1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione

This prized Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione has won the Peninsula Classics 2021 Best of the Best Award.

The Peninsula Hotels’ highest honour goes to the car chosen from the winners of the world’s most prestigious Concours events from the previous year.

The Ferrari became eligible for consideration after winning the Best of Show trophy at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

One of nine 250 GT Berlinetta Competiziones ever built, the 1956 Ferrari has an extensive motorsports heritage competing in the famous Mille Miglia, several hill climbs and the 1959 Tour de France.

During its racing career, the Ferrari was modernized by Carrozzeria Scaglietti with a lowered nose, smaller grille, covered headlamps and a rear spoiler.

Years later, it was discovered that this 250 GT was fitted with the first prototype of Ferrari’s 12B V12 engine.

The rarity of the 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione, its racing pedigree and meticulous restoration helped it stand out from a field of competitors and win the coveted Best of the Best Award.

2021 Best of the Best Nominees - Peninsula Classics

Also competing for the award this year was a distinguished group of finalists, including a 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Tour de France, a 1974 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale and three variants of the 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K.

Other nominees were a 1926 Suiza H6B Cabriolet and a 1934 Avions Voisin Type C27 Aerosport Coupe.

“Winning the Best of the Best Award is a great achievement and a true honour,” said Brian Ross, owner of the winning Ferrari.

“It is a magnificent recognition of the multiple years spent trying to get my hands on this 250 GT and the hard work that went into the years-long restoration process.

“All of the other nominees have fantastic vehicles so I am incredibly humbled to be selected by the acclaimed judges for this award. Winning Best of the Best is a true dream.”

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