The Roaring Season

[attachment=0]tour_of_learning_495__1516260981_80975.jpg[/attachment]Ray, try and do it, believe me it is a different place and you can get right beside the cars, meet the people, they real friendly and love to chat with Kiwis. Great photo opportunities all around the track, Pit area is bigger than the whole of Hampton track included and full of the most unbelievable cars. huge crowds, huge cars, huge transportors, Huge service utes/truck, huge food stalls, and huge atmoshere. We back this year and they have 2 full fields of F5000 for 50 year celebration. You been to Goodwood, you ain't been to La Guna, and also the car shows and auctions are unreal. See you there Ray, promise you not be disappointed. PS bring big hat as it gets warm, but they also have Beer Tents, so you be all good. (Ken might shout you a beer). Goodwood there next year, 90 odd F5000 and about 2000 other classics at La Guna this year.

This half of pit area.

[quote="ERC"]Thanks for the advice. At the moment, I have booked the flights, but have reluctantly decided to skip Monterey 2018.

Maybe another year. I am lining up Goodwood Revival again, for 2018...[/quote]

Ray, try and do it, believe me it is a different place and you can get right beside the cars, meet the people, they real friendly and love to chat with Kiwis. Great photo opportunities all around the track, Pit area is bigger than the whole of Hampton track included and full of the most unbelievable cars. huge crowds, huge cars, huge transportors, Huge service utes/truck, huge food stalls, and huge atmoshere. We back this year and they have 2 full fields of F5000 for 50 year celebration. You been to Goodwood, you ain't been to La Guna, and also the car shows and auctions are unreal. See you there Ray, promise you not be disappointed. PS bring big hat as it gets warm, but they also have Beer Tents, so you be all good. (Ken might shout you a beer). Goodwood there next year, 90 odd F5000 and about 2000 other classics at La Guna this year.

This is "Lynn Park"....not a 'her' 😳

Jim Grant
Melbourne
Australia.

I often crew with McGee Motorsport and TransAm group....call by next time. Just up from Chad.[attachment=0]image.jpeg[/attachment]

Definitely on my revised bucket list! (I'd finished the original - all except a drive of an older style double decker bus...) Thanks for the info on the Lagonda. I may have published these before, but worth another airing.

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UK - Donington 2007. Track day.
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NZ - Leadfoot 2017. "Hooters" sponsor of the current NZ VCC pre 1960 saloons.
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[/CENTER]

Ray,
I am disappointed you won't be at Laguna Seca next August as I was hoping to meet you in person plus I think Bruce 302 T..was going to take all TRS contributors to lunch at the VIP lounge. (Isn't that correct Bruce ?)
I found some extra photos on my phone from the August event.

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A beautifully restored 1963 Lotus 27.
"The Lotus 27 was a Formula Junior version of the Lotus 25 Formula One car for the 1963 Formula Junior season. Its body was aluminium monocoque with steel bulkheads. It was originally designed with fibreglass sides which led to flexing problems, leading to them being replaced with aluminium." (Wikipedia.)

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" This 1950 Talbot T-26C Grand Prix car with chassis number 11052 was one of the factory works racers during the 1950 season. It is fitted with the twin-plug engine and a side air intake commonly known as a 'bazooka'. It is one of just 23 examples created from 1948 through 1951 and is powered by an eight-cylinder engine that displaces 4.5 liters and produces 260 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes.
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2008 " (Conceptcarz.com information )

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1939 Lagonda V-12 Le Mans.
"Roadster
Chassis Num: 14108
The example shown is a one of twenty reproductions of the 1939 Lagonda V12 racers that competed at the 1939 Le Mans race.
The twelve-cylinders produced over 150 horsepower which was sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox.

The original two 1939 LeMans team cars were badly damaged by a V1 'buzz bomb.' This car is a replica of those two cars and uses a body that was the first restoration of one of the team cars (plus a few other parts from it). This car has campaigned in many vintage races in Europe and the USA since the early 1970s.
By Daniel Vaughan | May 2007 " (Conceptcarz.com information )

Note this Lagonda is being driven along "Brabham Boulevard" in the Laguna Seca paddock area. Also note the hill in the background that is known as the "Corkscrew Hill" and it gives an idea of how high the cars drop down toward the pit straight area from the famous Corkscrew Corner.

(Ken Hyndman input and photos )

Thanks for the advice. At the moment, I have booked the flights, but have reluctantly decided to skip Monterey 2018.

Maybe another year. I am lining up Goodwood Revival again, for 2018...

[quote="Number4"]Book your accommodation in Salinas.......it's WAY CHEAPER and more readily available. The short drive is well worth it.
Jim.[/quote]

Good advise Jim, I'm booked in Salinas, did it as soon as I got back in August.

[quote="Bruce302"]Ray, You have full paddock access for the duration, and the opportunities for great photos are endless. You can spend your entire time on the inside of the track, and you will have some fantastic track shots from a lot of vantage points. Worth every cent and every hour on the plane.

Bruce.[/quote]

Book your accommodation in Salinas.......it's WAY CHEAPER and more readily available. The short drive is well worth it.
Jim.

The Olds belongs to Dave Lipsky from Winecountry Motorsports.....a major supplier of racegear out of Sears Point raceway.
The cars was bought new by his father who was an Olds salesman I believe.
Jim Grant.

Ray,
I do hope you can make it to Laguna Seca and/or Sonoma.
I just wander around with a little Nikon Coolpix S6500 camera and crop them to meet the TRS < 185 KB standards.
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I certainly can't achieve what Dennis Gray does with his photography for "Sports Car Digest "
Compare this photo compared to my middle photo at input # 101

[url]http://www.sportscardigest.com/rolex-monterey-motorsports-reunion-2017-photos/6/?envira_id=272924#envira-gallery-wrap-272924[/url]

( Adrian Van Hooydonk - 1970 BMW 2002 Tii Alpina )

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(Ken H )

Ray, You have full paddock access for the duration, and the opportunities for great photos are endless. You can spend your entire time on the inside of the track, and you will have some fantastic track shots from a lot of vantage points. Worth every cent and every hour on the plane.

Bruce.

[quote="ERC"]Just a couple of small queries - as they affect my bucket list!

1) Is paddock access available to all spectators?

2) For a paying spectator, holding a fairly ordinary camera, how do you rate circuit access for a range of pics? ie Without 3m high chicken wire and not miles from the track edge.[/quote]

You did a stellar job with all those photos Ken, You packed more into one day than I would know how.
Good luck with the fishing trip, I doubt it will be as exciting.
I have booked my accommodation for 2018, I hope we can hang out again.

(Ken Hyndman photos )
It has taken me two weeks to show one enjoyable day at Laguna Seca. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
I will give you all a break as I will be away for a while including that Montana fishing trip that Bruce T talked me out of.
I am glad you did as it is always a pleasure "hanging out" with you and Dave, even if you have to go off to eat your lunch in the VIP lounge ! Very much looking forward to next year.
Cheers,
Ken[/QUOTE]

Just a couple of small queries - as they affect my bucket list!

1) Is paddock access available to all spectators?

2) For a paying spectator, holding a fairly ordinary camera, how do you rate circuit access for a range of pics? ie Without 3m high chicken wire and not miles from the track edge.

Ken- we all enjoyed the neat ride you gave us, pix were so clear and the details you gave, it felt like we were on a guided tour.

Then it was time to watch a bit of spirited racing from the Turn 4 stands.
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Then one last look at IMSA GTP Porsche 962s before I headed back home to Los Olivos.
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(Ken Hyndman photos )
It has taken me two weeks to show one enjoyable day at Laguna Seca. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
I will give you all a break as I will be away for a while including that Montana fishing trip that Bruce T talked me out of.
I am glad you did Bruce, as it is always a pleasure "hanging out" with you and Dave, even if you have to go off and leave me so YOU can eat YOUR lunch in the VIP lounge !
I am very much looking forward to next year. (Perhaps even I can graduate to the VIP Lounge !)
Cheers,
Ken

Almost at the end.
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1985 Argo JM19. # 63

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1985 Porsche 962. # 5

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1988 Porsche 962 Group C # 06



(Ken H photos

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1985 Jaguar XJR-5. # 44

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1984 Porsche 962. # 68

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1986 Porsche 962. # 116

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1987 Alba AR8. # 15


(Ken H photos )

Group 7A continued;
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1989 AAR Eagle Toyota Mk 3 GTP # 99

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1990 AAR Eagle Toyota GTP. # 99k

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1989 Mazda 767-B. # 202



(Ken H photos )

The last qualifying on Saturday was for a favorite class of mine the 1981 to 1991 IMSA GTP Class.
Group 7A
You may not have seen much of these in NZ but please allow my inputs.
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1986 Porsche 962. # 16 driven by Zak Brown.

(Ken H photos )

More from the paddock area.

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1933 Maserati 4CM. # 0

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1987 Chevrolet Camaro. # 28

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1988 Chevrolet Corvette. # 89

(Ken H photos )