Photos from Thompson's VSCCA/VRG opener

If you watched the video below you saw I was having the time of my life battling MGA's at Thompson a few weeks back! Here are some really great photos of myself in action, as well as some friends of mine in the same run group!

My first Wheel to Wheel battle!

This past weekend was a tremendous one at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut. The circuit was originally a road course used in SCCA races in the 1950s, but in more recent times a small NASCAR oval was the primary track in use.  The owners of the circuit decided it was time to bring road racing back to Thompson Speedway, so they built an all new track with certain sections of the oval and also of the original road course.  To tie back to the history of the place, they invited the VSCCA and VRG to run at their official grand opening! The track is very challenging with some extremely tight corners and a lot of off camber exits making it very slippery.  There is one long straight with a tight 2nd gear corner at the end. The rest of the corners are quite technical.

At this race, I was able to hang with the other Giuliettas and MGAs and finished a 5th overall in Sunday's main race.  Here is an 8 minute snippet of the race where I had a hammer and tongs battle with two MGA's.  I was fairly sure I could have caught the white car eventually, but my brakes seem to have overheated (we need to still figure out what actually happened) and I didn't have enough stopping power to make the corner, opting for the escape road toward the end of the race. I managed to rejoin, losing 1 position.  Overall, it was disappointing to go off, but I was really happy with the driving I did and all 3 of us got together and had a good laugh afterwards and patted ourselves on the back for such a close, clean race.

The Automobiliac goes racing at last!

After dreaming of being a vintage racer since age 11 or so, I finally have managed, at 33, to live that dream!  I will be posting more photos of the car in the near future, but for now please enjoy my best lap from my inaugural VSCCA race at Lime Rock Park!

I know there is much work to be done to get my lap time from the low 1:12s into the 1:09 territory, but hopefully as I learn the car more and more I will be getting closer and closer to the limit.

And now your Alfa Romeo Moment of Zen

Or more like 3 minutes of zen.  HVR, is a custom restoration shop in Australia, who have crafted this breathtaking recreation of a 1939 6C 2300 MM.  I don't know if the car is based on a real period chassis and engine, or if it is 100% re-creation. But the result is undeniably spectacular, and HVR's artisans deserve a round of applause.

See their facebook build journal HERE

Lost in a Reverie at the Museo Nicolis

Somewhere off the highway between Verona and Mantova, there is a museum that is a must for any car lover visiting the Veneto region of Italy. The Nicolis museum celebrates the legacy of collector Luciano Nicolis, who passed away a few years ago leaving behind an amazing and diverse collection of cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and machinery, as well as ephemera and even period clothing from the 20th century.

The Museo Nicolis is multiple floors of beautifully presented Lancias, Alfas, Maseratis and more, contextualized amid design objects and costumes that would have been used by their wealthy owners. Perhaps the crown jewels of the collection are the ex-Eva Peron Maserati A6 1500 coupe Pininfarina, and the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8, which was used as a display model to sell these sumptuous cars in the States.For Lancisti, this is probably one of the finer collections you could hope to see of pre-1970 Lancias. The most special Lancia would be the Astura that is still run in the classic Mille Miglia by the children of Mr. Nicolis.

There are also plenty of obscure Etceterini, and interestign one-offs and customs to dazzle the eye. Another incredible object on display is the Vanderbilt Cup, on loan from the Alfa Romeo museum. Produced by Cartier, It may be the finest trophy I have ever laid eyes on. Just two names are engraved on its base: those of Bernd Rosemeyer and local Mantovan hero Tazio Nuvolari.Have a look through the full gallery of the museum HERE.