Yours truly managed to snag press credentials once again this year, so of course, I went down to Laguna Seca to get some practice in before the main event! This year, Monterey Car Week will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the International Motor Sports Association. This means nearly all of the famous GTP, Group C, and even LMP race cars will be present at the track!
The Monterey Pre-Reunion was chock full of awesome race cars from the past, including the legendary Audi R8 Le Mans Race Car that dominated The American Le Mans Series from 2000 to 2004! Also, there were more than a few fire-breathing Group C and GTP race cars, including the Toyota-Eagle GTP Race Car!
The best part of all this? I get to see these cars again starting Thursday! I’ll be staying at the track with some friends, so it’s going to be racing from sunrise to sundown!
The Monterey Pre-Reunion is a sort of practice session that kicks off the start of the week. Racecar owners and their teams could get laps in and dial in their cars for the fastest lap times. It’s a great opportunity to get really close to the action since it’s not as crowded as the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. In fact, it’s very similar to the Spring Classic series at Laguna Seca.
Of course, I’ve been getting ready for Monterey Car Week by tidying up my Lightroom Library! Plus, I got my Media Credentials in the mail! I’ll be shooting behind the fences once again!
While I was enjoying my weekend setting off fireworks and napping on a boat in the middle of a lake, The Goodwood Festival of Speed kicked off and some amazing and wonderful cars were revealed! So, to keep up with everything I missed, I’m starting a new blog series: Weekend Rear-view! (Get it? Review / Rear-view? Ok.) So without further ado, here’s my Weekend Rear-view: The Goodwood Festival of Speed!
This past Le Mans saw the Ford GT program, unfortunately, end on a low note, as none of the cars took the class victory. Aside from this, the Ford GT program was Ford’s successful reentry into endurance racing since the Matech Ford GTs from more than a decade ago. To celebrate this now legendary car’s swan song, Ford has created a new customer program with a very limited edition, rule-breaking race car: the Ford GT MkII.
The Ford GT Mk II takes the hill.
Designed with the FIA rulebook firmly in the trash bin, the GT MkII makes 400 more pounds of downforce with a revised aerodynamic body, and 200 more horsepower from the 3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6! This monster is even said to be able to drive upside down like an F1 car thanks to its massive downforce! Only 45 of these machines will be built-to-order.
The DeTomaso P72 might be the most beautiful car ever
To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I nearly fell out of the boat when I heard that DeTomaso was making a comeback with what I honestly think is one of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever seen! The DeTomaso P72 made its worldwide debut at Goodwood, probably snapping necks as it went up the hill. Just LOOK at it! It’s like the Spyker C8 Preliator had a baby with The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale, and went to reform school with the Pagani Huayra!
Of course, looks this good comes with a price. The P72 would have a limited production run of 72 units, all priced around $841,000 USD. The car is being built by the same people that brought us the Apollo Intenza Emozione so that glorious V12 sound emanating from the “trumpet” exhaust in the video might be the same 780 horsepower 6.3L V12!
Who would have thought polished copper would look so good?
It’s kind of hard to explain exactly how fast that is until you see the actual video. That car is FAST. The amazing thing here is that the ID.R actually weighs more and makes less power than the legendary F1 car. The ID.R was better equipped to tackle the hill than the McLaren thanks the crew setting the car up specifically for the hillclimb. Next, I want to see what that thing would do at the Circuit De La Sarthe!
That’s a wrap!
Well, that’s it for the Weekend Rear-view: The Goodwood Festival of Speed! See you next time!
