Monterey Historics, August 2008

[Tony Aguirre]

I'm headed up to the San Francisco/Monterey area in mid August. Has anyone seen the 2008 schedule for the races? I cannot attend all three days but sure would like to see some Porsche's run. Their website only says the schedule is coming soon though.

[Chris Markham]

The Laguna Seca website is also light on details at this point.
http://www.laguna-seca.com/Events/index.cfm?EventID=24

My experience is that you can see Porsches run every day. They tend to save the 70s IMSA cars, the "big iron" GT and prototypes, as well as the Historic F1 group for the last day. The 50s sports cars under 2.5L is the run group you want for 356es and Abarths, whereas the Sports Racers group is for the Spyders and limiteds (Poopers, et al.). These were "3A" and "4A" last year, but the group numbers change depending on the special groups for that year (e.g., Indy Roadsters, or NASCAR, etc.).

That's usually Saturday. If you look at their slideshow of last year,
http://www.montereyhistoric.com/galleri ... ndex2.html
(click the right arrow past all the Bugattis 4-5 times and you'll see the 356es) you'll see
that Saturday was a Good Day.

But you know, Friday is practice, so there's really no such thing as a "bad day" at the Historics.

And this year, we get to see Mario Andretti drive Turn 2, the eponymous hairpin!
See you there!

PS> For reading this far through my hot air, you get tipped to The Secret. If you're in Monterey area on August 9-10 (the weekend before The Events) drop by the track to see the "Pre-Historics". There is club vintage racing. Lots of the CA/NV/OR 356 guys are there, and many of the cars who are there for The Show the following week show up early to get the good parking (I guess) and start working out the cars.

The best part? You sign-in (liability release) at the paddock gate and you're in! No crowds, no ticket, no Luxury Box champagne, no cost. Just the True Believers. One guy invited my wife to sit behind the wheel of his TransAm Shelby 350 GT (she was unsuccessful in orchestrating a "straight swap" for my 356 Coupe--at both ends!), and a mechanic for a birdcage Maserati took the time to explain to my son the details of the chassis design and fabrication of that piece of atuomotive art. Try to get that kind of time from anyone (well, most anyone--the 356 guys are notoriously friendly) the following weekend--you'd be hard-pressed because of the crowds and the schedule.

See you there, too!