CSRG David Love Memorial Vintage Car Road Races 2016 Saturday

CSRG David Love Memorial Vintage Car Road Races 2016 Photos and Stories.

Vintage Car Road Races, 2016-04-01 - 2016-04-03, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California, USA Saturday

CSRG David Love Memorial Vintage Car Road Races Saturday

Sports car racing in the US started to gain traction after the returning WWII soldiers started driving their MG's and the likes, that is 'those little sporty cars', in hillclimbs and small competition events like what was done in Great Britain and Europe before the war. Up to that point the US mostly had Fair ground oval races and drag races. Racing back then was mostly 'race what you drove up in. Pretty much anyone with a car could race. Camping out in a tent at the track in the dirt paddock for weekend events was standard. The races were a sport. Each car was a solid color and had only a number to identify it. This was amateur racing. But of course organization always gets in the way of the 'good o'l times'. Sports Car Club of America, SCCA, soon became the main body of road racing control in the US.

As road racing became more popular factor teams would arrive, like the Ferrari Team. Factory teams had special built open car transporters that would hold 1 or 2 cars and drivers that were paid to drive. Still in the 1950's, US drivers would drive up in their MG's, Jaguars, Porsches, etc. pitch a tent, lighten their car by taking out the passenger seat and spare tire. put tape on the head lights, and on the most sporty models lower or remove the windshield. Take some black tape and make a racing number on the side of the car. They would then be ready to run door to door with anything on the track. And did.

These very same cars that were race in the 1950's through '70's are now being resurrected and restored to better (and safer) than new. The sport of early 'amateur' racing is still amateur but now the amateurs have great enclosed car transporters and huge motorhomes that fill today's large paved paddocks. So it was a great pleasure to witness, this weekend at this CSRG meet at Sonoma Raceway, not only the reincarnating of these early cars and the amateur competition but a humble 2 person tent camping site set up amongst the now vintage racers. Just like the 'Good O'l Days'.

CSRG David Love Memorial Vintage Car Road Races 2016 Sonoma

Set up and ready to go

1972 Shadow Mk lll Can Am
CSRG David Love Memorial Sonoma 2016

Shadow Mk lll Can Am 1972

AIfa Romeo Giulietta Spider 1957

AIfa Romeo Giutia Sprint 1967

Alfa Romeo Duetto 1966

Alfa Romeo Duetto 1966

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider 1956

Alfa Romeo GTV 1969

Alfa Romeo GTV 1971

Alfa Romeo GTV 1971

Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce 1957

Alfa Romeo TZ sn-10511AR-750060 1964

Austin-Healey 3000

BMW 2002 1968

BMW 2002 1971

Brabham BT29 1969

BRP 1964
CSRG David Love Memorial Sonoma 2016

BRP F1 1964

I spent the day shooting at track side working my way up to the north end at turn 4 where things started happening with the open wheel F Fords and F-B cars. I was standing on the hill shooting down and panning to the left as the cars passed and when I swung back to the right there was a pretty little red Formula car setting in the grassy ditch just below my feet.

Yellow out and cars running

Waiting in the hot sun. No one sad this would be all fun all the time

From the tracks on the tarmac I surmised that the driver of the red car had lost it in the middle of the group that I had been focusing on and spun out and backed off the track and into the ditch. It appeared that there was no contact and the car was not damaged. But the driver could not get traction to leave so he just sat there. The corner worker was displaying a yellow flag to prevent passing that corner but it looked to me that the race was still on.

I remained standing on the hill above the 'ditched' red F car and shot the racing cars as they passed. Then I heard tires and swung back up-traffic to see 2 more cars spinning, a yellow and a white one and both traveling backward... one directly toward the parked red car.

The white one went backward off the North side of the track and was facing into the track. The yellow one backed off the south side stopping right near the 'ditched' red car facing the track.

All looked OK. Then things looked like more than racing was going to happen. Lets just say that arms were waved shouts were heard and a display of frustration. But this is all about fun right!

With a little push the red car gained traction and drove off. With the track race stopped the white car drove back onto the track and down the hill. Unfortunately the little yellow car suffered at least a flat tire and need a hook which was supplied by the ever present Sonoma safety crew. Cars travailing at speed is what gives the 'rush' that we like but miscalculations can even add more adrenalin.