The 2015 Rolex Monterey Historic Motorsports Reunion

The 2015 Rolex Monterey Historic Motorsports Reunion

By: Brandon O'Brien

Images: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images unless otherwise stated

Historic Motorsport racing is a unique way of seeing, in action, racing cars from the past.  Unlike regular automobile racing where the drivers are going "all out" for the prize,  historic race drivers/owners are doing this out of a love for the sport and the cars they are driving.  Don't get me wrong, most of the drivers are not just puttering around the track. Although it may seem like it when you are watching a 1912 Packard or 1916 National with their "mechanics" leaning out around curves.   They are driving the cars at somewhere around 85-90% of the cars' capabilities.

Pete Thelander in his 1934 MG NE leading Eric Ramos in the 1916 National AC and Jim Putnam in the 1912 Packard 30 prior to entering the Cork-Screw. Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

Along with the older cars you may actually see old favorites like Eddie Lawson and John Morton taking their turn behind the wheel or Sir Jackie Stewart as an honored guest. The track allows 550 entrants to compete over the 3-day weekend.  This year, over 65,000 spectators were in attendance. Even with all those people in attendance it is still easy for the average photographer to get great action shots and see the cars and drivers up close in the paddock area.

1933 Maserati 4CM in the Paddock Area. Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

1971 Tyrrell 004 as seen in the Paddock at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

The events are divided into various groups to make the racing more competitive.  Those groups are divided into sub-groups "A" and "B". For this years' event at the Rolex Monterey Historic Motorsports Reunion held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca the following groups were used:

1A - Pre-1940 Sports Racing and Touring Cars
1B - 1927-1951 Racing Cars
2A - 1955-1962 GT Cars
2B - 1947-1955 Sports Racing and GT Cars
3A - 1965-1970 Shelby Mustang
3B - 1955-1961 Sports Racing Cars under 2000cc.
4A - 1973-1981 FIA, IMSA, GT-GTX - AAGT - GTU
4B - 1961-1966 GT Cars under 2500cc.
5A - 1955-1961 Sports Racing Cars over 2000cc.
5B - 1963-1966 GT Cars over 2500cc.,
6A - FIA Manufacturers Championship
6B - 1966-1972 Trans-Am
7A - 1981-1991 FIA / IMSA - GTP, GTO
7B - 1968-1976 Formula 5000
8A - 1967-1984 Formula 1.

Each year the track honors a marque. This year homage was paid to the original Shelby Mustang celebrating it's 50th anniversary. Fifty-six cars were present during the picture taking event on Wednesday. From Turn 3 all the way to Turn 4 all you could see was row upon row of Wimbledon White and Blue Stripped Shelby's, with a few other colors thrown in. In the paddock the Ford Motor Company had a wonderful display of both historic 1965 Shelby's and also their new 2016 GT350 and GT350R's.

The Ford Motor Company Display showing both original and the new 2016 GT 350's.
Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

Thirty-eight 1965 and 1966 G.T. 350's took to the track from Thursday to Saturday.  Not even in the iconic days of Carroll Shelby had that many vintage G.T. 350's been on the track at one time.  Maybe they were not fighting it out like they did in the late 1960's but it was still inspiring to say the least.

Terry Lawlor leads Forrest Straight and Tom Fry  into Turn 7 in their G.T. 350's
at the Monterey Historic Car Races.  Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

The awarding of trophies is not based on who actually wins an event but who is "most deserving".  They are presented on how well the cars are driven, preserved, and the drivers' "overall spirit" during the weekend. The penultimate award, the Spirit of Monterey, a specially engraved Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona watch, went to Dick Deluna and his 1917 Hall-Scott The Four-A-7A. Dick stated, "The car is a hoot to drive and is a crowd pleaser."

Dick Luna, The Spirit of Monterey Award Winner exiting Turn 7 in his 1917 Hall-Scott The Four-A-7A.
Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

Rolex Awards of Excellence were awarded in each of the 15 race categories to those drivers that were most deserving:

 Rolex Race 1A – Rick Rawlins: 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C
 Race 2A -  Clinton DeWitt: 1960 Porsche Super 90 Speedster
 Race 3A – Gilbert Hakim: 1966 Shelby GT350
 Race 4A – Didier Andre: 1977 Greenwood Corvette
 Race 5A – Fred Burke: 1962 Cooper Monaco
 Race 6A – Richard Griot: 1969 Porsche 908/02 Spyder
 Race 7A – Parker Johnstone: 1991 Acura Spice GTP Light
 Race 8A – James Hagan: 1983 Tyrrell
 Race 1B – John Kerr: 1932 Miller-Scofield
 Race 2B – Steve Schuler: 1950 Allard J-2 Le Mans
 Race 3B – Tom Trabue: 1958 Porsche 550 A
 Race 4B – Alan Benjamin: 1967 Porsche 911S
 Race 5B – Sandra McNeil: 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra
 Race 6B – Walt Brown: 1970 Chevrolet Camaro
 Race 7B – Alan Dunkley: 1968 Lola T140

Group 2A Rolex Award of Excellance winner Clinton Dewitt in his 1960 Porsche Super 90 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

Group 3A Rolex Award of Excellence Winner Gilbert Hakim in his 1966 Shelby G.T. 350 in the Cork-Screw at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

The Group 4A Rolex Award of Excellence Winner Didier Andr in His 1977 Greenwood Corvette at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

Group 6A Rolex Award of Excellance Winner Richard Griot in his 1969 Porsche 908/02 Spyder at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

Group 7A Rolex Award of Excellence Winner Parker Johnstone in the 1991 Acura Spice GTP Light at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

The Group 8A Rolex Award of Excellence Winner James Hagan and His 1983 Tyrrell 011 At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit:  2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

Group 3B Rolex Award of Excellence Winner Tom Trabue in his 1958 porsche 550 A Exiting Turn 11 At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

The Group 5B Rolex Award of Excellence Winner Sandra McNeil in her 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra Braking Hard for Turn 11 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

The Rolex Awards gathering concluded with the announcement that BMW will be the honored mark next year as it will be celebrating it's 100th anniversary. If you are a BMW fan or just a plain "gear head" now is not too early to make your reservations for the 2016 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion which will be held on August 18-21, 2016.

The Honored Marque at the 2016 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.  Image Credit:
2015 Motor Driven Images / Brandon O'Brien

Can't wait until next year?  The Coronado Speed Festival will be held from September 18-20, 2015 at NAS Coronado Island in San Diego. Many of the cars seen at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be on hand at Coronado.


TAGS: Monterey Historic Car Races, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Motor Driven Images, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, BMW, Jackie Stewart, Formula 1, Formula 5000, Shelby G.T. 350, Ford GT350, Rolex, Monterey Classic Car Week

TUDOR United SportsCar Championship At Laguna Seca

Prototype, Prototype Challenge, and GT Daytona cars in Turn 4 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix. Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Moves to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

By: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Two weeks after the hotly contested street race in Long Beach the full complement of TUDOR United classes took to the track at the fabled Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Having its first race in 1957, what was then known as Laguna Seca Raceway, and actually part of the Fort Ord military reservation, has always been a favorite of fans and drivers alike.  With its 11-turns (most moderate to high speed) and elevation changes the 2.238-mile circuit has hosted events including Can-Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA GT, Champ Car, American Le Mans Series (ALMS), and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

The Corkscrew is both a fan and driver favorite.  This famous left-right hander has an initial grade of 12% that quickly transitions to 18% and drops a gut wrenching 59 feet within the complex turn.  The total elevation change from Turn 8 to Turn 9 is 109 feet, all within a distance of 450 feet. For most drivers, when the car is set-up correctly, there is only a slight tap of the brakes as they enter the left-hand Turn 9. They accelerate all through the Corkscrew and on the way to Turn 9.

For those not totally familiar with the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (TUSCC) it is comprised of four classes of cars. Prototype (P) is the flagship class featuring the fastest and most technologically advanced cars in North America by combining Grand-Am Daytona Prototypes with the ALMS P2 class prototypes and Deltawing cars.

Prototype Challenge (PC) is a spec-class carried over directly from ALMS featuring open-cockpit Le Mans Prototype cars built by ORECA with engines supplied by Chevrolet and tires by Continental. These cars are driven by a team of two drivers, one a full-time professional and the other a part-time "amateur" driver.

Grand Touring Le Mans (GTLM) is a continuation of the ALMS GT class of cars using the same technical regulations as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Based on production models, they are engineered to produce the maximum performance.

GT Daytona (GTD) is a class that combines the Grand-Am GT and GX classes along with the Porsche GT3 Cup cars, all built to FIA GT3 specifications. These, like the PC cars, are driven by professional and amateur drivers.

In order to keep all the cars within a class comparatively equal the TUSCC uses what is called the "Balance of Performance" (BoP). This is a formula that mandates a level of performance for all competitors by using restrictors and weight. Whether due to the BoP or not there have been 14 different drivers to claim the GTLM class pole in the first 14  races.  That trend did not change at Mazda Raceway when Dirk Werner became the 15th different GTLM driver to capture the class pole in the No.25 BMW Z4 GTE.

The No.10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP during it's Pole Setting qualifying run at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Other class pole sitters were; Jonathan Taylor in the No.10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP, Chris Cumming in the No.11 ORECA FLM09  (PC), and Patrick Lindsey in the No.73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT America (GTD).

The winning No.90 VisitFlorida.Com Corvette DP at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

On race day the conditions were almost perfect with the temps in the mid-60's. Unfortunately, for the drivers, they had little time practicing and qualifying in that type of weather.  Friday was blistering hot and Saturday was cooler.

The start of the race was exciting with all the DP cars vying for the lead at the same time. The inevitable occurred when the No.10 Wayne Taylor Corvette and the No.01 Ganassi Ford EcoBoost Riley had contact in Turn 2 causing both cars to lose time and some aerodynamic bits which allowed the No.90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP to take the lead. While the pack of 35 starting cars was still tight, the No.3 Corvette C.7R (which had to start at the end of the pack due to an engine change) had contact with rear of the No.90 Corvette DP in Turn 3 causing the Corvette to lose part of the right front fascia which effectively put an end to their race. A few laps later the No.33 Riley Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT, still on cold tires, went wide at the exit of Turn 6 hitting signage which broke the right front suspension. Fortunately,  Keating was able to make it back to the pits thereby averting a full-course yellow.

The first full-course yellow came out when the No.16 BAR1 Motorsports ORECA FLM09 driven by Todd Slusher spun across the track in Turn 2.  The long yellow brought out a flurry of pit stops. Shortly after the re-start at the 40-minute mark the No.45 Flying Lizard Audi R8 LMS driven by Patrick Byrne went wide on cold tires in Turn 5 and got mired in the gravel bringing out the 2nd full-course yellow. The yellows allowed for early pit stops with most of the teams doing their driver changes at that time.

By mid-race most of the action had stabilized and the top runners were Jordan Taylor in the No.10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP with an 8 second lead over the No.90 VisitFlorida Corvette DP. In PC, Chris Cumming in the No.11 RSR Racing Oreca FLM09 had a 45 second over Mikhall Goikhberg in the JDC/Miller Motorsports car.

The PC class winning No.11 ORECA FLM09 at Mazde Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The 2nd Place No.54 CORE autosport ORECA FLM09 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

For GTLM the No.24 BMW Team RLL Z4 driven by John Edwards held an 18 second lead over the No.62 Risi Competizone Ferrari driven by Giancarlo Fisichella. The tightest race at that point was in the GTD class where Patrick Lindsey in the No.73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT America was just 0.44 seconds over Christopher Haase in the Paul Miller Racing No.48 Audi R8 LMS.

The No.24 GTLM winning BMW Team RLL Z4 GTE at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2015 Motor Driven Images

One thing that was noticed during the green flag pit-stops was that the Mazda SkyActiv Prototype was able to go 26 laps further than any of the other competitors. The fuel economy which made the diesel formidable at Le Mans will certainly have an effect in TUSCC once Mazda picks up the speed it is currently lacking.

The fuel efficient Mazda SkyActiv Prototype at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The racing continued to be close and exciting for the next half of the race.  The running order remained essentially the same as at the mid point.  Close to the 30-minutes to go mark the No.10 Corvette DP came in for a splash of gas coming out in second place.  A few laps later the No.90 Corvette DP also came in and re-entered the race just 1.4 seconds ahead of the No.10 setting up the final half-hour as a nose to tail battle with mistakes or traffic going to be the deciding factor.  Neither driver made any mistakes and although there were a few times when traffic was an issue both cars were able to thread there way through without loosing or gaining any time.  The last two minutes were definitively a "nail biter".

The race could have essentially ended 6-minutes earlier when the No.22 WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America and the Turner Motorsports Z4 came together in Turn 5 with both sliding off track and into the tire barrier. Both were able to re-gain forward motion and limped back to the pits thereby averting a full-course yellow.

The WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America leads the Turner Motorsports BMW Z4 through the Corkscrew prior to their coming together in Turn 5 a few laps later.  Image Credit:2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Richard Westbrook held onto his overall points lead by bringing the No.90 VisitFlorida Corvette DP in first place just 1.351 seconds over Ricky Taylor in the No.10 Taylor Racing Corvette DP.  Bruno Junqueira led the PC contingent in the No.11 RSR Racing ORECA FLM09 about 40 seconds ahead of  Colin Braun in the No.54 CORE Autosport car.  GTLM was a BMW affair with John Edwards in the No.24 BMW RLL Z4 GTE about 22 seconds ahead of the sister car driven by Bill Auberlan. Finally, in GTD Spencer Plumpelly brought the No.73 Park Place Porsche GT America into first place a little over 4.5 seconds ahead of Christopher Haase in the Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS.

The GT Daytona class winning Porsche 911 GT America exiting the Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The 2nd place car in GT Daytona was the Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS.
Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix - TUDOR United SportsCar Championship winners: (L-R) John Edwards & Lucas Luhr (GTLM); Michael Valiante & Richard Westbrook  (P);  Bruno Junqueira & Chris Cumming (PC); Spencer Pumpelly & Patrick Lindsey (GTD).  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

On a sad note, all the Michelin crew were wearing a black armband honoring Francois Michelin who had died earlier in the week. Michelin had been Co-Chairman of the tire manufacturer from October 1959.

The next TUDOR United event will be on Saturday May 30 in Detroit on the Belle Isle Park circuit.  The event will be a 100-minute speed fest which will host the Prototype, Prototype Challenge, and GT Daytona classes.

TAGS: TUDOR United Sports Car Championship, Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, American Le Mans Series, Prototype, Prototype Challenge, Grand Touring Le Mans, GT Daytona 

Joey Hand Up Close and Personal At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Joey Hand prior to the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix weekend.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Getting to Know Joey Hand At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca  
Interview By: Brandon O'Brien for Performance & Racing Tech Talk (PRTT)
Photography By: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images unless otherwise specified

Prior to the start of the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix weekend we had an opportunity to have an interview with Daytona Prototype Driver Joey Hand.  Well known for his driving skills and prowess in both the American Le Mans Series driving for BMW Team RLL and also for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Riley-BMW prototype in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

As a reward for winning the GT drivers championship in 2011 BMW presented him with a full-time ride as one of the BMW factory drivers in the prestigious DTM series in Europe.  After three years of flying between Sacramento and Europe, Hand is now back here full-time driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, now with Ford, for the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship aboard the Ford EcoBoost Riley Daytona Prototype.

PRTT: "Joey, how did your DTM experience prepare you for driving the new Chip Ganassi Ford EcoBoost Riley prototype car?"

JH: "I've done the Daytona prototype before.  In 2008 I drove for Alex Job Racing in the Ruby Tuesday car so I had some DP experience and I drove with the team of Chip Ganassi Racing since 2011, once a year, at Daytona."

"Since I've last driven a DP car they have put a good bit more down force on them and that is what the DTM car is all about is down force. We have so much down force in those cars and not as much horsepower so it is all about driving the corners and keeping the car at a high speed in the high speed corners."

"There were things to learn there but it is quite a bit different car. The DTM car is very stiff and they really only think about down force and how to make more down force. Whereas the Prototype car, especially the Daytona Prototype, we are maybe a cross between a GT car and a DTM car because we sit low, have a decent bit of down force, and a good bit of roll too, more towards the way of a GT car. I think everything I've done in my career has made me pretty versatile. I've driven a lot of stuff from Sprint Cars, Midgets, Stock Cars and Indy Cars.  DTM was just one more thing to put into the experience bank.  I learned a lot there."

PRTT: "Speaking of DTM, European drivers appear to have a different type of mentality or philosophy. How did it differ from your American philosophy and travel?"

JH: "From the travel standpoint I decided to stay at home because I have a wife and two little kids.  I did not want to do the whole move to Europe thing. It just wasn't for me so I decided to travel back and forth from California. I spent a lot of time traveling. It was hard after three years. For the first year-and-a-half  it was fun, it was different with new places all the time but the third year really wore me out. So that was one of the reasons I wanted to come back to the U.S. and do American racing."

"The racing is a different type of racing altogether. The cars and teams, it's a step below F1.  It's F1 with a body and the mentality is the same. The level of the drivers is similar to what we have here in the states. You just needed to figure out how to race there because it is only an hour and ten minute race.  I came from endurance racing where you only raced in the last hour and ten minutes but it might have been a 12-hour race."

Joey Hand driving the 2014 BMW M4-DTM  at Hockenheim-Ring, Germany.  Image Credit: 2014 Stefan Brending / Wikimedia Commons

"You have to get into the mentality of when the red lights go off you were 'Go-Go-Go'!  It was like a qualifying run for an hour and ten minutes.  Any time loss, 1/10 sec, 2/10 sec, 1 second you really never saw it again. You either had to race back to it and but there were not a lot of full-course yellows, not a lot of safety cars, so you had to get that mentality. It took me a good year, almost two years, just to learn how to race there."

"From the racing standpoint you still drive the car to the limit and you drive as hard as you can. You just have to be careful. Everyone sees the contact in DTM  and oh it's fun to see the contact.  The contact makes for a good show but in DTM we have so many widgets and stuff on the outside of the car for aero that once you knock one of those off you lost  4 to 5/10 a lap and you just couldn't race any more.  There was a fine line   of contact or having a car to finish the race. It just took some time to figure all of this out."

"Unfortunately I did not have any really big results there but I was on par many times to have some big results just to have something go wrong, caught a yellow wrong, or whatever it was.  I think my best finish was fourth and I qualified 3rd or 4th. I'm kind of proud that I did it. I'm the only American to contest the full season. So, at this point, I'm the best finishing American and the best qualifying American, until somebody else goes over there."

PRTT: "In BMW your team mate was Bill Auberlan who is one of the most successful sports car drivers and now you are co-driving with Scott Pruett who is just a few races ahead of Bill in podium finishes.  What is it like racing with Scott?"

JH: "First off, I've been very fortunate in my days in sports car racing to be teamed up with the best in the world. When I first came to sports car racing it was with BMW and my teammates were Boris Said, Hans Stuck, and Bill Auberlan.  I had so much knowledge to go off of and in the first years I was directly teamed with Boris Said. The past 7-8 years I spent driving with Bill Auberlan and learned a lot from that guy, I mean, he is really good at winning races and there is always something to learn from people.  My goal is to chase both of these guys down, Bill Auberlan and Scott Pruitt."

"Now to be teammates with Scott Pruett, Holy-cow, I mean he has tons of experience. We both grew up in Sacramento and we both still live in the area.  We both came from karting and we both came from what we call, the hard way. We did it on our own and  raced our way to the top. I have a ton of respect for Scott and I'm happy to be with a guy that I can learn from again.  Like I teach kids in karting and even formula cars you need to learn every day.  There is always something to learn. You are not as good as you think you are. You have to keep that same mentality even when you are driving for Chip Ganassi. There is always somebody that could possibly be better than you or is better than you. When you are lucky enough to be driving with someone that you can gain knowledge from you need to suck it in.  I never know how long I will able to drive with Scott Pruitt. I want to get as much dollar from him as possible. Ultimately, I want to go after those win records. I'm 20 years the younger of Scott and I feel that I have 20 years to go after that record. So that is my goal."

"I've just been really lucky, fortunate to be with these great guys. Not just great guys but great teams. I've spent time with Tom Milners' team and  PTG,  Bobby Rahals' Team, and great teams in Europe and now with Chip Ganassi Racing.  I've stood at this race at Laguna Seca, I came here every year for the Indy car races ever since I could drive and I always wanted to drive those red Target cars that Jimmy Vassar, Alex Zenardi, or Montoya were driving.  When I got the chance to do that in 2011 I thought that this was awesome and when we won the race Chip said, 'You can drive any of my cars anytime', and I said, 'I'm going to take you up on that.' And here it has come around and I get to drive for Chip Ganassi. For me I have been lucky and have in the right place at the right time and have been able to capitalize on the opportunities."

Front view of the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Ford EcoBoost Riley DP as seen at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

PRTT: "The Ford EcoBoost, except for Daytona, has not always been the front runner. Two weeks ago at Long Beach you were second and I know that you were pushing but it seemed like there was nothing you could do to get around the Taylor's Corvette DP."

JH:  "Well, I'm new to the team and so it is my first year driving for Ford and my first year driving a turbo motor and they have done a really good job with the engine to get the drive ability good, to make the turbo's work good to have the horsepower.  I think the biggest thing for us is that we definitely don't have the most horsepower on the race track. More than anything I think we don't have the aerodynamics of anybody and it seems that the P2 cars on an aero track are going to be very quick.  The Corvette DP cars definitely have more aerodynamics than us and a little more torque to go with it.  From the BOP (Balance of Performance) standpoint we are off a bit .We are the only car of our make, we are the only Ford Riley DP we really stand alone and we can only judge off of us.  At Long Beach we got what we could.  We were not the quickest car and second place out of it and that was one of our better races. I think Detroit will be stronger because it is not a high down-force situation.  I think here at Laguna that this could be a tough one for us just judging off what we have seen so far.  At Sebring we were 8th quick in qualifying and we lost most of the time in the high speed corners and here at Laguna clearly we have a lot of high speed corners. Six out of eleven corners are medium to high speed and there is not a lot of straightaway for us to make it up.  For us to get it this weekend we will have to be better in every other aspect which is normally the deal with Chip Ganassi Racing, strategy, keeping the car under us and getting the best of what we got is going to be the name of the game for us. I hope I'm wrong but this will be a tough track for us to be as quick as the other cars".
ENDS

The No. 01 Chip Ganassi Ford EcoBoost Riley DP as seen at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Although the Scott Pruett/Joey Hand No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford EcoBoost Riley DP qualified second,  the team finished in seventh place. That finish could have been better if it had not been for a gearbox problem causing Joey to spend a good amount of time in the pits costing them about 9 laps.



TAGS: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, DTM, Joey Hand, Scott Pruett, Bill Auberlan, Chip Ganassi Racing, Ford, Ford EcoBoost, Riley DP, Brandon O'Brien

Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo; A Real Bull Fight in Monterey

The 2015 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo cars during practice at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo; A Real Bull Fight in Monterey
By: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images 

A few weeks ago, Monterey, California experienced a real bull fight. Not in an arena nor on the streets of that fabled city, but in the oak and grass covered hills of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo started its 2015 North American season with the first two rounds on May 2nd and 3rd.

This is the third season for the North American event which is also held in Europe and Asia . The 2015 season features twelve rounds at six circuits with the finale being in October at Sebring International Raceway. The series is divided into two classes of cars; the 2013 Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo and, new this year, the Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo. Within the Huracan Class there are Professional, Professional-Amateur, and Amateur drivers. The Gallado Class only has Pro-AM and Amateur. Each day of racing consists of both classes being on the track at the same time for a 50-minute sprint race.

Up to this year, the 2013 Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo was the only model competing.  This car has a V10 motor making an impressive 570-horsepower. Other features found on the four-wheel-drive Gallardo Super Trofeo, aside from the mandatory safety adaptions,  include a paddle-shift E-gear transmission, Ohlins race shocks, Brembo brakes, a carbon fiber aerodynamic package that includes a rear wing with ten adjustable positions, MTA data acquisition, air jacks, and center wheel locks.

The Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo adopts the standard V10 Direct Injection engine with a Motec control unit that delivers a maximum of 620-horsepower. The frame is a hybrid carbon/aluminum construction with modifications to allow a larger radiator up front that allows for the racing gearbox at the rear and also making the car more aerodynamic. One of the major differences between the two cars is that the Huracan is two-wheel drive.

Richard Antinucci was the hard charger on both days setting qualifying lap records of 1:23:860 (96.074 mph avg.) on Saturday and 1:23:527 (96.457 mph avg.) on Sunday.

Richard Antinucci in the PRO Class and Overall Winning #50 O'Gara Motorsport Lamborghini  LP 620-2 Huracan as he exists the corcscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Saturdays race was highly contested and may have ended differently if an incident in the corkscrew complex with 6-minutes remaining had not caused a full-course caution that effectively ended the race. Richard Antinucci was able to take the overall and  Pro honors in his #50 O'Gara Motorsport Huracan, Cedric Sbirrazzuoli  in the #07 STR car was first in the Pro-Am class, and the father/son team of Jim and Josh Norman took the Amateur Class win.

Cedric Sbirrazzuoli in the #07 STR PRO-AM winning Lamborghini  LP 620-2 Huracan as he exists the corcscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The father/son team of Jim and Josh Norman in the #71 BAD Lambo Racing (Park Place) AMATEUR winning Lamborghini  LP 620-2 Huracan heading to Turn 9 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

In the Gallardo Class Dylan Murcott took top honors in the #84 Mitchum Motorsports car being the highest placed Pro-Am driver and Bryan Hixon in the #23 Mitchum Motorsports car was the highest placed Amateur..

Bryan Hixon was the highest placed AMATEUR driving the #23 Mitchum Motorsports Gallado at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Dylan Murcott in the Class winning #84 Mitchum Motorsports Gallado at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Sundays race started under a partly cloudy sky that turned into full sun with cooler temps than on Saturday.
This race was highly contested between Antinucci and Sbirrazzuoli. Antinucci was forced to do a drive through penalty due to a short pit stop which dropped him from first to fourth place.  He was able to pass both the third and fourth place cars in one pass placing him second behind Sbirrazzuoli.  The race ended with just 0.0436 seconds separating the two. Being in only his second Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Sbirrazzuoli was very happy with his overall victory and his second Pro-Am win in two days. Sundays results were; Cedric Spirrazzuoli first overall and first in Pro-Am in the #07 STR car followed by Pro driver Richard Antinucci in the #50 O'Gara Motorsports entry with Ryan Ockey being the top placed Amateur driving the #89 O'Gara Motorsport entry.

Ryan Ockey in the #89 O'Gara Motorsport AMATEUR Class winning Lamborghini  LP 620-2 Huracan as he exists the corcscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Thomas Pichler was the top finisher in the #63 STR Gallado with Brandon Gdovic in the #46 Mitchum Motorsports Gallado  taking the highest place for an Ameteur.

Brandon Gdovic was the highest placed AMATEUR driving the #46 Mitchum Motorsports Gallado at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Thomas Pichler  in the Class winning #63 STR Gallado at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

For those interested in following this series, races three and four will be at Watkins Glen on June 27 and 28th.


TAGS: Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, Gallado, Huracan, LP 570-4, LP 620-2

Petersen Museum Cars At The Ronald Reagan Library

Camp Pendleton Color Guard with Ronald Reagan Library in background. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Petersen Museum Cars On Display At The Reagan Library
By: Brandon O'Brien - Photography By: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images unless otherwise specified 

The 6th of February marked the anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's birth. On that day the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library honored the memory of the former President with a special ceremony that included the Camp Pendleton Marine Division Band, a keynote address, and the laying of the presidential wreath at his final resting place. This year marked the 104th anniversary of his birth.

Tiger Squadron Flyover commemorating Ronald Reagan's 104th birthday. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Welcome by John Heubusch, Executive Director Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation with keynote speaker Vice Admiral Michael Miller (Ret.) looking on. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Laying of the Presidential Wreath by Brigadier General Edward Banta and Vice Admiral Michael Miller (Ret.)
Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

As part of the changing exhibits to be found at the Ronald Reagan Library, The Petersen has on display a number of automobiles from their elaborate collection. Located in three galleries the cars are grouped into the following categories; Hollywood, Heads of State, and Historic.

Hollywood, the movie studios, and the stars have always fascinated the public. Being in the ideal location, The Petersen has been able to acquire cars made famous by the movies or television shows they were used in or by their famous owners, including Elton John, Steve McQueen, and Fred Astaire. The automobiles on display cover Hollywood history from the early days up to the present.

In the main foyer is the 1956 Jaguar XKSS once owned by Steve McQueen. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

1927 Rolls Royce Phantom Town Car once owned by Fred Astaire. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

1952 Pinin Farina Nash-Healy used by William Holden and Audry Hepburn in the movie "Sabrina".
Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

1949 Delahaye Type 178 Drophead Coupe once owned by Elton John. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The 1982 Ferrari 308 GTSi made famous by Tom Selleck in the "Magnum P.I." television series.
Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Appropriately located in the Air Force One building the Heads of State cars are displayed around the periphery of the exhibit hall.  One would think that the cars on display would primarily have been used by American dignitaries but that is not the case.  One of the "Popemobiles" is on display along with cars used by many famous and infamous world leaders.

1942/46 Lincoln Zephyr Limousine used by President Harry Truman. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

1938 Packard Super 8 Parade Phaeton used by Argentine President Juan and Eva Peron. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Premier Nikita Krushchev's 1962 Chaika Parade Convertible. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The battered 1978 Mercedes-Benz 600 Laudaulet used by President Saddam Hussein. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The most recent exhibit to open has the Historic automobiles.  All of the cars mentioned are historic in some fashion. These automobiles are historic for what they attributed to the automotive industry including design, racing, and hot rods.

1913 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

1929 DuPont Model G Speedster. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

1992 Jaguar XJ220. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

1933 Duesenberg Model SJ Convertible. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

One of three 24-karat gold plated 1981 DeLorean DMC12's produced for the American Express Catalog. This car has less than 10 miles on the odometer and is the only car in The Petersen collection whose value will fluctuate daily. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The only 1953 Bosley GT Mk I produced. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

1929 Cord L-29 which was the first front-wheel drive car offered to the public, beating the Ruxton by several months. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Breathtaking 1939 Bugatti 57C Atlante. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

A very rare, completely original, 1952 Ferrari 212/225 Barchetta by Touring Superleggera once owned by Henry Ford II. It is thought that this car was used for some styling cues on the original Ford Thunderbird. Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

This is an interesting mix of automobiles that should have something for everyone.  They will continue to be on exhibit through May 1, 2015 so there is still some time to plan a trip to the Ronald Reagan Library which is located in Simi Valley.

TAGS: Ronald Reagan Library, 1952 Ferrari 212/225 Barchetta, 1939 Bugatti 57C Atlante, 1929 Cord L-29, Petersen Museum, Elton John, Steve McQueen, Fred Astaire, 1956 Jaguar XKSS, 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom Town Car, 1952 Pinin Farina Nash-Healy, 1982 Ferrari 308 GTSi,