Monterey Car Week; Ferrari Club at Laguna Seca 2015
On Tuesday and Wednesday of the 2015 International Meet, we had the (FCA) Ferrari Club at Laguna Seca. Track days, also known as Driver Ed or DE days are all sorts of fun; driving, or just watching. Mazda Raceway, more commonly known as Laguna Seca Raceway, is an 11-turn, 2.238-mile jewel of a road course first built in 1957 after the nearby Pebble Beach Road Races were abandoned for being too dangerous.
Pete Lovely won the first race in 1957 in a 500 Ferrari Testa Rosa. Many notable pro and amateur racers cut their teeth on the famous Corkscrew twisties including Stirling Moss, Steve McQueen, Roger Penske, Bruce McLaren, Dan Gurney, Graham Hill, Jim Hall, Jim Clark, Paul Newman, Jackie Stewart, and Mark Donahue.
On most track days drivers are assigned to a run group based on experience. Instructors are available for novices, drivers who are new to that track, and those who are just looking to pick up some pointers like perfecting the famous Corkscrew turns.
On this DE day there was a noise limit on the cars of 105 dbA, high enough to allow most street Ferraris (although a Tubi exhaust might be pushing it), but not high enough for some Ferrari Challenge and GT cars. My 360 Challenge car would be pushing the limit unless I used turn-downs. We have the same issue at Lime Rock Park (LRP) in CT in that the 360, 430 and 458 Ferrari Challenge cars can only run on LRP’s few un-muffled days each year.
The FCA scheduled lunchtime parade laps around the track which was well attended. The cars in the lot were as or more impressive than the cars on track for DE.
The Ferrari Club at Leguna Seca
In the garages, a Ferrari 250 Tour de France going out for a run. He’s owned the car some 40+ years
Getting some advice
Admiral and Mrs. Phillips’ 1955 500 Mondial Series II looking race ready
The straight approaching Start/Finish
Check out the meats on this Daytona
That’s restorer Tom Yang going out for a hot lap in the Daytona
The Daytona and other Ferraris on track
Ferrari 458 GT3 and Ferrari 599XX
The only LaFerrari I’ve seen in Pearl White
333 SP in Momo livery
Another 333 SP
458 Challenge car
Ferraris queuing up for the lunchtime parade laps
A McLaren 650S in the mix
The 1957 Ferrari Boano gets ready for a few laps
Cars in the paddock
348 and 355 Challenge cars
This Ferrari 575M has the optional HGTC handling package which includes ceramic brakes, a stiffer suspension, sport exhaust, and adjusted calibration for the paddle-shift sequential F1 six-speed transmission
A black/black LaFerrari
A pretty Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint in the paddock
Ferrari 275 sitting in the middle of the paddock
1963 Ferrari 250 P. You don’t see these every day
