A walk through the paddock at Lime Rock

OK guys – here you go – over 100 photos I took while wandering around the paddock and watching the races this weekend – Enjoy!

: My first look at “Paddock A” – Friday at about 10:00 AM.

: An aluminum bodied – and highly polished – Aston Martin. I was proud of my work on the 61 bonnet, but having this right around the corner put me right back in my place. Wow – you could not see a single seam…

: A Jomar – kind of like a short, stubby Griffith with a Coventry Climax engine. The body was fiberglass, and glassed right around the frame rails – try repairing THAT!

: A beautiful 3.8 roadster that reminded me of my own – about halfway through college I also ditched the front bonnet chrome – and had amber turn lenses…

: VERY COOL! This is THE Hansgen Jaguar Special!

: A homebuilt racer that is basically a “poor man’s C-Type”

: But if memory serves, it gave the real thing a run for their money!

: My father and I were really into stuff like this when I was in college – we built several speedsters and racers from abandoned pre-war chassis – including a 1927 Paige-Detroit, and a 1923 American LaFrance Speedster. This racer is Ford-based.

: This is no special – this is a REAL, all-original, Bugatti racer!

: Another semi-famous, home-built, aluminum-bodied special.

: Dean knew the car, but I forgot what he said it was.

: But it’s a great example of ingenuity and getting out there with whatever you could work up in your garage!

: This is the engine of a D-Type replica. It was one of the less precise replicas – being based on a tube chassis, XJ suspension pieces, and a fiberglass body. But it sure looked great on the outside – AND going around the track!

: A shot towards the infield from the tower.

: The D-Type – this may have been a “Predator” or “Realm”

: the view toward the grid from the tower.

: Corvette Stingray – don’t know if it was big or small-block powered…

: A shot of the Donovan setup from the tower – obviously, I’m in the tower to watch the cars, since they aren’t under the canopy…

: Another shot from the tower.

: Cobra – nuff said.

: Back of the track, taken near the entry bridge.

: Another shot back there.

: Late afternoon sun on Friday entreing the Donovan pits.

: Another shot of the D-Type replica. Building these is in the future for Monocoque Metalworks – we have already lined up access to a very exact “toolroom copy” replica for patterns. Stay Tuned – we’ll get there eventually!

: A mildly prepared E-Type vintage racer heads over to the grid for another session on the track.

: Group 3 on the track, just coming off turn 2 on the first lap of a practice session.

: Here is a shot of the Skip Barber Racing school headquarters – located at Lime Rock.

: Here is their stable of cars.

: They had about half a dozen of these little open-wheel jobs…

: Nothing fancy in here!

: OR here! This Miata has been gutted of all creature comforts for all-out driving!

: Not exactly the luxury interior option…

: They also had other Mazda’s that were setup for driving school.

: Pretty sure this one was a big block – but again, not sure…

: This Mini was FAST! On Sunday, in an HRG race, this little car was glued to a Shelby GT350 and a Datsun 240 racer, and the three of these cars were locked in a tight battle for 10 laps. You wouldn’t think this little car could stick with a Shelby GT350, but I saw it with my own eyes!

: British sports racing cars at the track.

: This was a cool Lotus from the early days of mid-engined sports racers.

: The big names in sports racing made their racing careers in the early sixties when they started putting smaller American V-8s into chassis like these.

: Just a few years older, this Lotus has its engine in the front. Another impeccable aluminum-skinned car. Man this smoothness requires LOTS of hours in the wheel!

: But on this one, you COULD see the welded and planished seams. It was educational for me to examine this body and see how the skin was pieced together.

: Yet another Lotus – driver is back in the front here.

: Shade was really at a premium this weekend – the heat was almost unbearable! Don’t let the photos fool you – it was HOT and HUMID!!!

: A group of XK racers.

: Open – Closed…

: I REALLY liked this early Lola. This is another example of the type of thing that was getting V-8’s stuffed into them in the early to mid 60’s.

: The rear of the Lola.

: Aluminum Aston Martin again.

: The Lola just got coller the more I looked at it! No frills here – all GO!!!

: Original number plate.

: …and badging.

: And it was a rarer 3-digit numbered car.

: Just a cool vintage racer!

: In my younger days, this Cobra would have been my favorite car there. But now, for some reason, it doesn’t blow me away like it used to – stuff like the Lola just seams alot cooler now.

: Hmmmmm… This Allard is under the same tent and has the same number. I finally figured out that everything under this tent belong’s to Herb Wetson – who provided the free dinner for everyone at the track. What a great guy – with a great stable of cars!

: Loti…

: The big headlights are very “LeMans-ish” – these may even be specifcally for that…

: Two Lotus tails with different treatments. This one is closed…

: …and this one is open.

: A psychadelic Porsche – these were actually official Porsche team colors – or maybe team colors of Porsches campaigned by privateers, and there was at least one 917 painted like this. I’m not a Porsche guy, but who doesn’t love the 917’s!?! If you haven’t already, read the Wikipedia entry on the Porsche 917s – the specifications and statistics of that car are just unbelievable!

: There were other groups at the track, including a fair number of more modern Ferraris.

: This was a great E-Type road car that had a de-chromed bonnet.

: The inside of the same E-Type – a 3.8 roadster.

: A Lotus Elan at speed.

: An Austin Healey returning to the paddock.

: An Elva open-wheel racer.

: Elva

: Another shot – looks like a late 50’s Formula car.

: Two Jag racers comparing notes after a session.

: They look happy about their runs!

: Another Elva – this one is a sports racer.

: Having this bulge off-center makes perfect sense – I’m sure that’s where it is necesssary, and it does not block the driver’s view. BUT – I have learned that my brain just does not work this way, and having stuff like this off-center just messes with my head!

: A cool head-on shot of this Elva.

: Here is another shot of that red Austin Healey.

: Well-tuned for racing, I’m sure, but still very clean and stock-looking!

: Here is an Austin Healey 3000 driving around the padock.

: The modern version of Dead Man’s Curve. This Corvette is a Z06, so I don’t think the Jag is going to win this one – or even come close…

: If I could have gotten the Mercedes out of this shot, it could have been taken 50 years ago!

: Here are some really old racers from the VSCCA.

: This is a Ford-based special from the late 20’s/early 30’s – my father and I were really into stuff like this in the early 90’s.

: This is no special – this is a real Bugatti racer – with lots of original Patina!

: I’d watch that right elbow if I were you – HOT!

: Here is a cool shot of the For racer.

: Bugatti

: A ferrari racing coupe.

: Ferrari

: Series 2 E-Type FHC headed out to the track!

: Another shot of the Ferraris.

: Jomar

: Jaguar Mark IX

: Interior of the Mark IX – make no mistake, it is EXPENSIVE to restore one of these to this level!

: Never really been a fan of the Jag saloons, but they’re growing on me!

: Another Series 2 E-Type coupe. I’ll admit, I’ve always been a bit of a Series 1 snob (like everyone else it seems…), but Series 2 cars are REALLY starting to grow on me. Better brakes, much less expensive, and the last time I drove one around about a month ago, it dawned on me that when you’re in it, you don’t know it’s a Series 2! Once I get my car back on the road, if I do another one or build one for the kids as they get older, it will almost certainly be a Series 2.