Laguna Seca Spring Classic 2018- SCCA GT & IMSA RS

Onew of the he oldest cars in the race was this 5.4 litre 1965 Chevrolet Corvette of Chris Springer.

The very first race of the 2018 Laguna Seca Spring Classic weekend was at 8.00am on the Saturday and featured GT cars and a few, what we Europeans would call, Touring cars.  it was great to be in the paddock at 7.30am and here these mostly V8 Chevrolet engined cars fire up.  The races weren't very close but it is always nice to see V8 Chevrolet engined beasties!    Most of the cars are featured in this post.   As with all my Spring Classic posts, all pictures were taken with a Panasonic Compact camera, which for the first race of the day seemed very strange to handle compared to my normal Canon DSLR..

The winner on Saturday morning was Jeffrey Abramson in this 1970 Chevrolet Camaro.

First lap at the Corkscrew with Mike Thurlow in his 1976 Chevrolet Corvette leading the chasing pack.   On Sunday he won both races.

On Saturday, Mike could only finish second.

The car to eventually finish third on Saturday was this 1966 Chevrolet Corvette.

Fourth placed 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L88 driven by Tony Garmey.

This car was well know to Laguna Seca regulars.  It is a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette and has been in continuous ownership since 1970.  It is currently restored to its 1978 specification  when it held a lap record at Laguna Seca and won a Trans Am round at Portland.  Oringinally driven by Bob Matkovich, pictured, it was driven here by Richard Matkovich.  It finished fifth on Saturday.

Trevor Frank in his 1971 Porsche 914-4.

Early on at the Corkscrew and Robert Davis leads a group in his 1.2 litre 1972 Mazda RX-3.

The 1982 Mercury Capri Coupe of Les Werling.

The 1969 Chevrolet Covette of Eve Mincheff.

The 7.0 litre 1965 Chevrolet Corvette of AC D'Augustine.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Laguna Seca Spring Classic - Formula Atlantic and 2 Liter Sports Cars

Formula Atlantic cars being chased by an early Sauber sports car.

One of the classes at the Laguna Seca Spring Classic was for Formula Atlantic cars from 1967 to 1979 and 2 liter Sports Cars from 1970 to 1984.  I was particularly pleased to see an early Sauber C4 sports car.  I also enjoyed seeing Formula Atlantic cars.   I remember Formula Atlantic in the UK in the seventies with drivers such as Alan Jones, Vern Schuppan, John Nicolson, Tom Pryce, David Purley, Jim Crawford, Dave Morgan and Tony Brise competing at Brands Hatch and other circuits.  My best memory is of Tony Trimmer winning from the back of the grid at the club circuit at Brands Hatch in April 1976.  Formula Atlantic was also big in Canada and the USA. Thus very nice to see Formula Atlantic cars at Laguna Seca. One rather well driver was in the field, Ed Swart a Dutch driver who raced for Abarth and others in the late sixties and early seventies.   These pictures are from the Saturday morning race.

Danny Baker celebrates his victory in this 1974 Chevron B24.

Runner up was a 1980 March 80A driven by Steve Romak. 

Fifth was Jim Bouzaglou in this 1973 Lola sports racer.

A 1970 Lotus 69 driven by Chris Cord.

The 1975 Sauber C4 of Brian Groza.

Jonathan Burke in a 1973 Brabham BT40.  I think this was the last year that Brabham made anything other than F1 cars.

A 1977 Chevron B39 driven by Bill Cord.

Jim Catchot in a 1977 Ralt RT1.

Great to see Ed Swart still driving!  This Dutch driver, now living in California, was driving his 1978 Chevron B46.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Another 1980 March 80A.  This one driven by Jim Maetzold.

Laguna Spring Classic 2018 - FIA 73-87; Daytona Prototypes 90-07; IMSA, GTO,GTP,LMP,WSC.

This mixed group of cars descends the Cork screw on lap one.

Group I at the Laguna Seca Spring Classic was a very diverse group of cars from a wide time period and included out and out prototypes, GT cars and others.  It added some more modern cars to the meeting.  The photos below are of the Saturday morning race just before the lunch break.

Wade Carter took a relatively easy win in his 1997 Riley & Scott Mk3.  Here he is at the top of the Corkscrew.

David Lockwood, seen here exiting the Rainey Curve,  came second in his 2009 Oreca FLM09.  

Third in the Saturday morning race but a winner on Sunday was Taz Harvey in his 1987 Spice-Buick SE87L

Fourth on Saturday was the 1985 5.8L Ford Mustang of Kenneth Davis.

Alan Terpins came fifth in his 1975 Porsche 911 RSR

The 2000 Porsche GT3R of Clay Koevary came sixth.

Seventh was the 1988 Chevrolet Camaro of Mike Gagen.

This 1988 IMSA/TA Chevrolet Beretta  came eighth in the hands of Nick de Vitis.

Ninth was the 2006 Riley DP MkXI of Spencer Trenery.

Completing the top ten was this 1993 Oldsmobile IMSA GTO of Howard Matloff.

The 1985 Buick SCCA Trans Am Somerset of Mike McNamee.

The oldest car in the field was this 1972 Nissan Skyline GTR of Alex mcDowell.

David Doyal in a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

This Nissan 340SX was in the paddock but didn't start.

Laguna Seca Spring Classic showcasing Nitro Revival.

The noise and smell were amazing!

There was something to please everyone at the Laguna Seca Spring Classic.  Even though I am not normally a dragster fan these classic restored dragsters made a big impression on me, especially when the top fuel dragsters were given a push start fire up during the Saturday lunchtime break. An incredible sound!  The smell of the nitromethane was also amazing.  A pity I  couldn't stay for the Saturday evening line of fire.  Over 30 members of the International Dragster Hall of Fame were present.   perhaps, these picture will give a little flavour of the spectacle.

Almost a drivers eye view from the dragster cockpit.

Jim Herbert Dragster fires up.

Two funny cars on show.

Dragster driver in middle of suiting up.

One of the many hot rods on show.

Another hot rod coming back from a lap of the track.

A more subtle car - a Pontiac GTO

Clover Leaf dragster

Jerry "The King" Ruth 

Another view from the cockpit down the dragster.

Hot Rod and matching pit bike

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Floyd Lippencotte in his full face protection.