Laguna Seca!

[Latka]

I told a couple people, but I had to post it here 'cause there are a bunch of gearhead / racer types on the board. Not doing it as a neener-neener thing, just sharing my excitement.

At the end of this month I'm going to Laguna Seca for the 4th annual Vintage Mini Challenge. I am soooooooooooooooo excited. I finally get to meet some of the "classic" Mini owners I've only known online for the past 7 - 10 years.

I'm going to take my camera and all my lenses, and my digital video camera. I'm sure over a full day of racing, a second day of practice and the drive up / down in a Mini caravan I'll have tons of cool stuff to show. That's the plan at least :)

[ArchangelX]

You suck. :gapteeth:

Nah...just kidding. That sounds freakin' awesome! I hope you have a great time! :D

[Udrivecrap]

one of my memories there is finding out people were siphoning gas from the parked cars back in the days of the gas crunch. :(

[taegu808]

beautiful time of year to go too. dang I need to go on a trip and get my freak on! did I say that out loud? haha :D

[Latka]

Here's a quick shot of the "Fortech" Mini dropping into the corkscrew turn. I think "dropping in" is a pretty appropriate term!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/AndyKauffman/2006%20SFO%20Region%20Vintage%20Challenge%20at%20L aguna%20Seca/2006LagunaSeca-Fortech_8x5.jpg

I got to go on 2 parade laps. Hoooooollllllyyyyyy crap is there a huge vertical change in that area. Games and pictures just don't do it justice! I took some digital video of the parade lap - will have to get that up too.

[ArchangelX]

Sweet Andy! Host some pix, man! :D

[Latka]

I took about 800, I think I kept around 400 of those. Last night I decided even though it was friggin 11pm that I *had* to put up at least one! :)

If it looks like the dudes in the background are taller than the car (well, they are) - but that's a result of using the longer telephoto lens. It kinda compresses the bakground.

How are those flares on the Mini? They're friggin Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide. They run a 13x7 panasport wheel with (I think) goodyear slicks. You've got the sound of the engine, the twin 45DCOE webers (they "split" them and only use one barrel per carb to get a straight shot into the engine), the straight cut gears, and the just-legal-enough exhaust was quite an experience.

I got to see an old Can Am car called the somethingorother "Shadow". It looked like a ski jump with a huge-ass wing. :) LOTS of cool cars... old Alfas, MGs, etc. Mustangs, Camaros (Err, one at least), a host of the old 63-68(?) corvettes - the cool stingray body style. There was a Grand Sport (I think) there - holy crap that thing was chunky looking...and FAAAAST. He was *WAY* out ahead of his group by the end of the race. It was cool to see Porsche 911s mixin it up with Mustangs and Corvettes.

[corytomo]

I heard they put a lot of money into Laguna Seca by putting more run off, huge gravel traps, and paved everything else. The last time I saw it, there were lots of grass and stuff around. I've always wanted to race there but when I had my chance, my car was broken!

[Latka]

Yeah, they said it has changed a lot in the last few years cause they wanted to run F1 and some bike GP thingy. One of the guys said he saw an F1 car testing... he said from the grandstand in the turn 3/4/5 area he could hear it *all* the way around the track.

It certainly is a nice facility - but like many places they're trying to shut it down to....wait for it..... waaaaiiiiiiiiiitttt for it..... put houses there.

[ArchangelX]

I'm not sure...but I think whatever you went to, Andy...is on SPEED right now. Tons of Minis and stuff...but then again, it might be something else. It's at Laguna Seca, though. :D

[Latka]

Is it the Rolex Monterey Historics? I didn't see any cameras at the event I was at... it was pretty much just a driver's event. I was the only person in the front straight grandstands when I went up there to take pictures Sunday morning. ;)

[ArchangelX]

Yeah...that's what it was. The Rolex Montery Historics...there was a buttload of minis. :D

[Chris Messer]

They just had the Monteray Historics on Speed.... I think the Toyota F1 car and set a new track record that weekend?

[Latka]

Yeah, they were featuring the Cooper marquee, so there were indeed more minis than one could swing a stick at. From the guys that went...they said no matter where you were on the track you could hear the F1 car shifting and running. That sucka musta been loooooouuuuuud!

I need to tape it on the 'ole Tivo so I can check it out.

[REH]

Yeah, I'd like to see that F1 at Laguna Seca. Must be a strange sight watching that thing go around a track where we're used to seeing Champcars racing around! Isn't it on again today?

[da808santaclauz]

that corkscrew looks animal. i always wondered how it was actually like in real life

[Latka]

If I ever get off my butt and post the video you can at least see what it's like at around 20mph. :)