2002 Monterey Trip Itinerary:
Friday, 8/16
Morning: Concorso Italiano @ Quail Lodge Resort.
Early PM: Monterey Historic Races, practice day, @ Laguna Seca.
Late PM/evening: Pacific Grove Rally & dinner.
Concorso Italiano
Quail Lodge Resort; Carmel Valley
A mind-boggling display of Italian machinery, with separate corrals for the others,
like Porsche, BMW and Corvette. Hundreds of Lamborghinis, Maseratis
and Ferraris. DeTomasos, Alfas, Fiats and more.
The Corvette Corral filled up quickly, choreographed by "Corvette Mike" Vietro.
Other views, captured from video.
Ford GT 40 concept.
Chrysler Atlantic concept.
Monterey Historic Races
I left the Quail Lodge Resort about 10:45 to head for Laguna Seca race track where it was Practice Day for the Historic Races. If you think there are a lot of photos here, this barely scratches the surface: I took over 220 pictures in about 5 hours at the track!
Chevrolet had a few Corvette "Concept Cars" displayed in a tent on" Corvette Island" in the middle of the track. Below are the Aerovette (originally the 4 Rotor Corvette - remember Dave McLellan's tablecloth sketch?), the Mako Shark and the Manta Ray.
In a display building were some of the most famous early Corvette factory racers
and concepts: the SR2, the SS, the Sting Ray, the CERV-1.
Also there was the 2001 & 2002 Le Mans winning C5R #63, displayed "as raced". That is fresh rubber all over the sides - Oliver Gavin took it out on the track every couple of hours for a few "demo laps". To say "awesome" is to trivialize the sight and SOUND!
Outside were more of the great early racers.
Unexpected find: the EX 122!
This was actually the very first Corvette ever! Hand built and introduced to the world at the Waldorf Astoria in January of 1953, this is THE "Motorama Corvette". After the success at the show, the Corvette was rushed into production. EX 122 was used as an engineering "test mule" for several years, was the first Corvette to receive the new V8, and was rebodied as a 1955 model. In the late 50's it was retired and sold to an engineer who drove it on the street for many years. His daughter actually drove it at college before it disappeared into storage. When it was discovered in the early 90's it was restored to the configuration, if not the condition, as it left General Motors.
The REAL Grand Sport #2 heads out from the display building
onto the track: what a great sound!
Here are some of the incredible sights as I wandered as if in a dream through the paddock... Cars that I had eagerly read and dreamed about as a kid in the 50's were all here, and were prepping to do what they were designed and built to do: RACE! As you can see, not many were 100 point show cars.
Contrast in engines: Ford Flathead (track roadster), Chrysler Hemi (Cunningham),
Fuelly Corvette (Devin), supercharged Bugatti.
Cheetah, Aston Martin, Lola,
Kurtis/Desoto.
Bizarre 1923 Bugatti. Likely one of the first attempts at streamlining!
Buick Allard.
John Fitch Pan America Mercedes.
Doesn't everybody carry a crated spare Ferrari Testarossa boxer 12 engine with them?
Chaparral, Studebaker Indy car, Sabra (Israeli car!)
Talbot Lago (what a beautiful set of headers!)
How's this for a contrast: Old gent working under a Bugatti...
with guidance - note cell phone in close-up! Tech support?
Some really early iron: Falls Eight is the only one ever built.
It was out there racing the next day!
I finally got to a spot where I could see the track in time
to see and hear that Grand Sport #2 make a few laps.
Alfa Romeo, Bentley
Lister Chevy, Morgan 3-wheeler.
I nearly forgot that I had another event to get to yet that day!
Back to the car, exhausted from all the walking. The road out to the highway.
Pacific Grove Rally & Dinner
Widely recognized as the most beautiful cruise in the country,
this was like a grand scale "cruise night."
This weekend every year, the town of Pacific Grove blocks the wide, divided
main street through town all afternoon for the cruisers (max 300) to assemble.
A pair of restored classic "cruisers" would be our front and back doors.
Mandatory drivers' meeting to receive instructions for
the loop around Monterey's famed "17 Mile Drive".
Police chief warned "You light-em-up, we write-em-up!"
Roll 'em!
Unfortunately it was getting too dark and foggy
for decent shots of the scenery along the route.
Passing by Pebble Beach, we could see preparations
for Sunday's "Concours d'Elegance".
Dave Hill, Corvette Chief Engineer, addressed the party
after the banquet back in Pacific Grove.
A pleasant and relaxing end to an exhausting but memorable day.