3/9/2023 0 Comments Velocity race gearAt this stage of my life, to have this chance is huge. “No-one will ever understand how much I love driving a racing car. I can definitely call this one of the best events I've ever attended, though as usual when I'm not on the track myself, the old Steve McQueen Le Mans quote popped into my head many times.“I was in seventh heaven since May, and now it’s finally here,” Andretti told Motor Sport from his trackside motorhome, shortly after stepping out of the car on Saturday afternoon. Tickets to the full weekend start at $145 but for the chance to get so close to cars that typically only sit at park-and-show events across the globe-three whole days including the risky racing-the price point seems like a steal. For the 15,000 in attendance over all three days, these hundreds of cars all of a sudden become familiar throughout the course of the festivities. With the best seats in the house, I sometimes stood an arm's length away from some of my favorite cars of all time as they roared past at redline, throttles wide open and skinny tires squealing. ![]() All of a sudden, the echoing Trans Am V8s sounded another level louder, the gaps between cars shrunk right up, and the hilarious rivalry between Mustangs and Minis that wrapped up each day became quite fierce. The schedule on Friday and Saturday kept the racing relatively tame, for shakedown and qualifying laps, but on Sunday, the action amped up noticeably as drivers began pushing themselves and the cars to the limit. Probably the highlight races included the "1956-1962 Production GT Cars" featuring O'Neill in the GTO, a couple of Lotus Elites, bathtub Porsches, Alfas, Austin-Healeys, and MGs. Along with my media wristband, I also received a photography vest and gate codes to get all the closer, but spectators at Velocity Invitational can expect that they will certainly need earplugs-no mufflers or catalytic converters here!Īround all the wine tasting and exhibitions of parked cars, Velocity Invitational's main attraction demands attention the entire weekend simply because of the sounds. Farther up towards the corkscrew, streams of guests hiked on dirt paths to find the best views of the track. Suites overlooking the pit straight drew VIPs, and of course, a driver's lounge required credentials for access. Catering booths and displays surrounded the grid, plus placards for almost every car describing the history, significance, and ownership. As O'Neill told me, faux green grass and white picket fencing split up the grid area from tents where racers prepped their cars. From there, I walked directly down into the paddock and discovered that, once again, it had transformed into an automotive mecca. ![]() Driving up from Monterey, far fewer lines of cars caused traffic for Velocity Invitational and clearly delineated directions from the gate sent me straight to parking. I drove up to Monterey curious to experience how that plan manifests in the real world, after my experiences at the past two years of Monterey Car Weeks ran the gamut from camping in the hills around Laguna Seca to the swankiest of soirees at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.Įxploring Laguna Seca gets much easier each time I visit. ![]() I spoke with founder Jeff O'Neill earlier this summer about his vision to bring Goodwood-style glitz and glamor onto the track, while also providing more educational opportunities as fans of classic cars can get up close and personal with some of history's greatest automotive icons (both four-wheeled and two-legged). Not merely a continuation of Monterey Car Week, which runs every August and also draws historic cars to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Velocity Invitational aims to attract a broader swath of the enthusiast community to a full three days of fun. This past weekend, the roar of vintage racing returned to the hills of Monterey as Velocity Invitational kicked off a third year of the new automotive gathering.
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