Browsing: Vintage Racecar Articles
Going up, Down Under
2017 Leadfoot Festival, New Zealand, February 4-5, 2017 Like from the musical ‘Porgy and Bess’…“Summertime and the living is easy…” as it is the peak of the Antipodean summer and racing is very busy in New Zealand. Rod Millen is the famed “Kiwi” racer and an American motorsports icon known for breaking records at Pikes Peak, Mickey Thompson Stadium Trucks, the Baja 1000, and many other international Rally events. The 2017 Leadfoot Festival Hill Climb brought together International and New Zealand racing stars with rare cars that is staged up his ranch driveway in Hahei along the Coromandel Coast and fondly termed…
Goodwood Sets Brooklands Tribute
In celebration of 110 years since the opening of Brooklands, the ancestral home of British motorsports, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, presented by MasterCard, will host an array of cars and motorcycles from the Surrey historic circuit’s past when it unfolds on the weekend of June 29-July 2. The brainchild of Hugh Locke King, Brooklands was the world’s first purpose-built race circuit. From its first competitive event on June 28-29, 1907 — 110 years to the day before the opening of this year’s Festival of Speed — until the outbreak of World War II, the circuit hosted some of the…
Mike Rahal (1924-2017)
Mike Rahal, father of three-time Indycar National Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and the grandfather of current-day Indycar star Graham Rahal, passed away last week at the age of 93. (Photo from Rahal Collection, courtesy of David Bull Publlishing) Racing was a hobby for Mike, whose business was in the wholesale food distribution industry, but those recreational activities set the stage for his son and grandson. Mike’s racing provided Bobby with what he calls a “nutrient-rich environment,” giving him his initial exposure to the sport that would come to dominate his life. Mike began racing in 1957…
Barrett-Jackson’s New England Concours Sale
The inaugural New England Concours d’Elegance, scheduled for June 17-18 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, and sponsored by Barrett-Jackson, will set the stage for the company’s 2nd Annual Northeast Auction, which will take place the following weekend, June 22-24. “We are extremely grateful to all those who supported our inaugural Northeast Auction last year,” said HYPERLINK “https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Company/Home/ExecutiveBiographies#craigjackson”Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “The electricity generated at last year’s record-setting event was unforgettable. This year, we decided to build on that high energy by creating even more collector car activities for the whole family, first by serving as the…
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RM Sotheby’s Santa Monica Preview
RM Sotheby’s will expand its footprint in California this summer with a sale at the historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on the weekend of June 24-25. The event, which marks its fifth anniversary in 2017, was previously presented solely by RM’s sister company, Auctions America. “Auctions America has done a fantastic job in establishing a strong foundation in California over the past five years,” said Alexander Weaver, Car Specialist, RM Sotheby’s. “Last year alone, the Santa Monica sale generated $14.2 million, attracting bidders from 16 countries. The fact that almost 50 percent of bidders represented first-time clients reflects the…
Miata Heritage Cup Schedule Set
Having taken the first steps into the world of vintage and historic racing at SVRA’s Auto Club Speedway outing in California last month, Mazda’s Miata Heritage Cup has announced four further races that will comprise the new championship’s first season. Those standalone races for first-generation Miatas — those built between 1990 and 1997 — will be part of the SVRA weekends at: May 18-21 – Road America June 22-25 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course July 27-30 – Portland International Raceway Sept 21-24 – Virginia International Raceway For a $295 entry fee each racer will receive: A two-day race weekend plus…
Auctions America Auburn Spring Sale Recap
Auctions America enjoyed one of its best Auburn Spring sale results yet last weekend, generating nearly $10.2 million in total sales at Indiana’s historic Auburn Auction Park. During the three-day sale nearly 350 vehicles and 450 lots of automobilia crossed the auction block, with 83 percent finding new homes. Bidders hailed from 38 states and 11 countries, with more than one-third being first-time Auctions America clientele. “With strong attendance from start to finish and exceptionally great weather, this was without a doubt one of our best Auburn Spring events to date,” said Gord Duff, global head of auctions for Auctions…
Inaugural Norway Rally Scheduled
The inaugural Slartibartfast road trip, scheduled to take place between August 23 and September 7 this year, is being organized by Bespoke Rallies, one of the leading specialists in such long-distance motoring events. A two-week rally, it will allow competitors to experience the very best of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the Norwegian fjords, following a start at the highly acclaimed Louwman Motor Museum in The Hague, Holland. Named in honor of the character who designed the Norwegian fjords in the 1980s SciFi comedy series Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the Slartibartfast will begin in Holland and head north through Denmark,…
Sir John Whitmore (1937-2017)
British racing driver Sir John Henry Douglas Whitmore has passed away at the age of 79 in the aftermath of a severe stroke. Perhaps best known for winning the 1961 British Saloon Car Championship with an 848-cc Mini he’d bought for £400, Whitmore became one of the top British touring car drivers of his era. He began to make a racing name for himself in 1959 with one of the first Lotus Elites, an acquisition made possible by his friend Alan Stacey, a works driver for Lotus, who convinced Colin Chapman that Whitmore could do the job. Chapman soon offered…