Goodwood has announced that the 2012 Revival’s Grand Prix grid will include a comprehensive field of Silver Arrows. They have confirmed that in appearance and on track will be the Mercedes-Benz W25, W125, W154 and W165, and examples of the Auto Union Type C and Type D racing alongside other period GP cars. Seeing any one of these at speed would be an absolute thrill. That list right there is six of them. SIX! And there’s likely to be more than one of the Auto Unions.
Just stop and let that sink in for a moment. If you’re like me and keep saying, “maybe next year” each time the Revival rolls around. This might be the year to stop procrastinating.
Friend of the blog, Steven Cabales wrote in about his trip up the coast with my dear friend (and old housemate) Heather for the Rennsport Reunion at Laguna Seca. Part of me thinks he just sent it in to fuel my envy.
Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV. After this weekend I’ve learned that no other manufacturer has earned more endurance racing victories than Porsche. Was this new knowledge? Not really. I like Ferraris and Alfas (had a 1974 Alfetta GTV) but I love Porsches. Nothing could prepare me for what we were about to witness. Being in the midst of the legendary winning vehicles and their legendary drivers was total nirvana.
We rolled up Saturday at Mazda Raceway at 7am and directed to the 993 section of the Porsche corral. There were a few cars there already but pretty empty that early. Foggy and cold we slowly made our way to the track. Vendor stalls started opening as we walked past. Once across the bridge and past a few more stalls, through the fog there they were. 935 Moby Dick and the amazing RSR in front of the Porsche Paddock on the asphalt. No ropes, no “do not touch” signs, just sitting there for anyone to touch, which I did. These and 54 other of Porsches finest steeds came directly from the Porsche museum in Stuttgart. That museum must have looked very empty during the week.
Could it possibly get any better than this? Hell yes it could. Just walking past the Brumos staging area nearly gave me an aneurysm. Hurley Hayward’s Daytona winning 914-6 was sitting there. At Canepa’s, multiple 917′s in Gulf livery. In the pit paddock, racing Porsches from every era, all in chronological order! In the “tent” there must’ve been no less than 8 550s a 356 Abarth Carrera, with Carrera Panamerica livery, a Martini 917, and a lot more I’ve leaving out. It was like walking into the history books of Porsche racing. Shortly after checking my pulse to see if I was really alive still or not, we discovered the Porsche Corkscrew shuttle. Porsche set up a free shuttle service with brand new Cayennes to the Corkscrew. Nice marketing.
At the Corkscrew the fog started rolling in. I feared they’d delay first practice session. I was wrong. First thing we saw was flashing lights of the pace car (Panamera Turbo) leading the group, and then the sound. The sound of wailing 4 Cam Carrera motors bombing down turn 7 and up throttling in before turn 8. RSK, RS60s, Abarth Carrera, Speedsters. I couldn’t talk at this point even if I tried. Next up Eifel Trophy: 908, 904, 914-6s, 911s. One car I did recognize in this group was Hurley Haywood’s Daytona winning 914-6, only to learn later who was driving this car. Hurley Haywood!
Now next group is really what I came to see. The Weissach Cup cars. I could nearly feel tears swelling up in my eyes hearing the flat 12s of the 917s, followed by 910s, and 906s screaming down the screw, spitting fire on the overrun. Oh look, there goes Brian Redman in the Gulf 908. Hi Jeff Zwart, I sure like that 906 you’re driving. It was that surreal to me. Still is.
I could go on and on about which cars we saw and which drivers I talked to, but the auto rags have done a much better summary than I possibly could. The most important thing I came away with from this event is Porsche has endurance racing DNA in spades. Nothing even comes close. My first memory of a Porsche was in 1976. I was six. We bought our first Mercedes that year. A 1976 240D. Mustard yellow. Slow as molasses, tough as iron. Next door was a Porsche dealership. I asked my parents, ‘why can’t we get one of those?’ ‘Because mom can’t drive stick’ was my dad’s answer. Super. So after years of growing up with Benzs, I still coveted Porsches. I still covet aircooled 911s and 33 years later I now have my first one. Rennsport Reunion confirmed I made the right decision. DNA really is everything in racing.
Thanks again for sending this in Steven. See more of Steven and Heather’s photos from the Reunion here.
I love these little atmospheric snippets in James Hakesley’s video from the Sunday of the Revival. Following the weekend from across the Pond isn’t easy. While I get to see plenty of photos and video clips from the track, or even the pits, the little moments captured here really give me the feeling of being there. Great stuff.
Luc Ghys’ photos from events around continental Europe are always magnificent, so you can imagine how pleased I was when an email from him popped up letting me know about his snaps from the Goodwood Revival. I was immediately drawn to this set he shot of Goodwood’s event remembering Fangio. Usually when I think of the Revival I inevitably immediately jump to all the imagery I can find of the legendary TT revival and the high-performance high-beauty high-dollar machines.
This eclectic mix of cars from El Meastro’s past, however, reminded me of something vitally important, and something I so love about the era: Variety. Just look at this mix of machines; and this is by no means a complete collection of Fangio’s racers. There’s everything here: from the Grand Prix cars for which he’s most known, to the Carrera Panamericana and Mille Miglia machines, to smaller voiturette racers. Almost more amazing than Fangio’s five Formula 1 World Championships is that while he was winning them, he was also competing in anything else he could find.
Just look at the buzz that gets generated today when Montoya moved to NASCAR, or Raikkonen hit the rally course (or NASCAR, himself). I applaud these drivers for attempting to take on the variety of racing opportunities available to these top-tier drivers. But that excitement wanes when I consider that this is newsworthy at all. Of course Kimi should want to rally! Of course JPM should want to turn left for two hours! These cravings for new races and racing cars still exist in every driver; it’s just a shame that contemporary racing teams seem to frown on these “unnecessary extra-curriculars”.
Not so in Fangio’s day. Thank you Goodwood for reminding us. Thank you Luc for sending along these images so we could all see.
Lovely onboard footage here from the impressive duo of Orange Company Director Tom Alexander and Red Bull team manager Christian Horner in their DB4GT in Sunday’s RAC TT race. The event was cut short when the rain set in, but this onboard footage looks like it was a mighty fun time regardless. Nice capture of the driver change about 6 minutes into the video, and we can see what the rain looked like from the cockpit when it started to come down pretty hard about 13 minutes into the video.
When £30Million worth of GT cars are circling the track you take the rain very, very seriously.
I think Vic has the right idea. Friday is probably the day to visit The Revival, and for the right reason. Yes, it’s less crowded. Yes, it’s probably easier to compose that photo in the paddock without 50 folks gathered around the DB-2. But, more importantly, the feeling of aniticipation hanging in the air must be palpable and thrilling. More Friday shots on Super Ninety.
Great car. Great outfit. Couldn't you find a period appropriate lawn chair?
Usually I don’t categorize something under Video AND Audio, but I’m going to make an exception for this ridiculously lovely sounding clip from the Gstaad Classic 2011 rally. Check out Sports Car Digest’s event report and marvelous gallery of Julien Mahiels’ shots from the event.
Farbbild has shared some photos of the Oldtimers’ GP at the Ring and, to no one’s surprise, they’re fantastic. I’m particularly taken with his captures from the GT class. I love the photographic style Farbbild achieves here, looking a bit like vintage film, a bit like cross-processing, or maybe just some clever Photoshoppery. More at Farbbild.com and his Masters GT Facebook album. Great stuff as always.
Holy crap.
