Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 2012 Prologue

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Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival Prologue
Historic Motorsports Festival and car race
Starts: 06/02/2012
Ends: 2012-06-03
Infineon Raceway
Sonoma, California
USA

PROLOGUE

GALLERY 1

ON-TRACK



On June 2nd and 3rd the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival at Sonoma Raceway hosts "Moments in Time: A Celebration of the History of Motorsports." Focus is on a period when auto racing nailed its image as a world-class spectator sport. Consider the monumental changes that took place during this period of the 1950's through the 1980s. The Le Mans 24 hour endurance classic became a major battleground between manufacturers. Ford took on Ferrari in endurance racing with their timeless and powerful Ford GT-40. Porsche proved what a small displacement air cooled six cylinder engine could do in racing, and how it could morph into a 12 cylinder juggernaut that conquered Le Mans and the Can Am. The turbo era came into being. F1 went from an era of skinny tires and fat drivers to fat tires and skinny drivers. Detroit entered the great horsepower race until the gasoline shortage slowed it. The Can Am series flourished with race cars practically without rules.

Many of The cars from that era will be present at the festival to watch on the track and in the paddocks up close. Please appreciate the comprehensive array of cars scheduled to be on track - Sports & Touring Cars , Sports Racing Cars , Production/GT-Cars , Grand National Stock Cars , Historic IMSA GTO/SCCA cars , FIA Sports Racing Cars , Historic Can-Am Cars , and single seat Formula Cars. Classics will range from a 1911 National Indy 500 racer to a 1991 Roush IMSA GTO Mustang.

Approximately 400 historic race cars will compete on the Sonoma 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. Not to forget, comedian and actor Adam Carolla will put his 1971 Datsun 510 in competition on track too.

One of my favorite activities at this event is to stroll through the paddocks and car corrals to admire the marques and models. Clubs featured include the NorCal Mini's Car Club, Redwood Empire Mini Club, BMW Golden Gate Chapter, Porsche Club of America (Redwood Region), Zonc, North Bay British Car Club, and the Shelby Club, although others may be present. I always find owners or mechanics to speak with about their exciting cars.

Remember to try the local wine and food from Sonoma and Napa valley in the Wine Country Pavilion. Thanks to Chef Victor Scargle of Yountville's Bardessono for assisting assemble this line-up of purveyors.
Michael Rockich ©, ACC Editor



The theme of the event is around the 1950s-1980s era when auto racing began to be established as an international world-class spectator sport.

The Grand Marshal is an 87-year-old US based racer, out of Southern California, named Bill Pollack, who raced an Allard J2 to first place at the first Golden Gate Park Road Races in San Francisco in 1952.

On track is estimated 400 historic race cars running at speed around the 2.52 mile hilly road course. Included is a significant number of race cars, ranging from a 1911 National Indy 500 racer to a 1991 Roush IMSA GTO Mustang.

The action in the open-to-spectators paddock and the speed demonstrations on the track is 2 full days of entertainment.

Vintage racing recognizes the history of road racing as well as the history of the cars, and the men that race them. Weather was part of racing as were the hardy men who sat behind the wheel in every kind of weather over all types of roads. These early drivers were dedicated people drawn to racing because of the cars and speed, just like today's historic car racers. Changing safety regulations have stopped the racing on open roadways but the dedicated race tracks still give the sense of what it might have been like.

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Michael Rockich Photo 2011
Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 2012
Sonoma Raceway 2012

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Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 
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Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 2012
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