Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) held its Spring Club Event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on March 17-18, 2012. The March club event featured approximately 50 historic race cars circling the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course in Monterey, California.
HMSA events feature historic production cars built through 1966 and purpose-built Formula, Sports Racing and IMSA cars built through 1984.According to the HMSA website, club event weekends are, “semi-competitive with nothing to be won except great experiences, plenty of track time and the camaraderie of fellow members.” Additionally, “Run groups are arranged by speed potential and age of the cars entered for a particular event. Although wheel-to-wheel racing is common, drivers are encouraged to respect the historic value of the machines.”
Similar to the 2011 event, the race weekend (and car count) was hampered by poor weather, with heavy, near hail-like rainy conditions on Saturday and Sunday. While upwards of 150 historic race cars were registered for the event, the near-monsoon conditions kept a fair amount of them on the trailers for the weekend.
Although the rainy conditions kept many cars on the sidelines for the 2012 HMSA Spring Club Event, several entrants did brave the weather. Notable entrants included the Costin-bodied Lister Jaguar of Erickson Shirley; Fred della Noce’s Alfa Romeo GTAm; Porsche 911 RSR IROC of Chip Connor; Nick Colonna’s Lister Chevrolet; the always-sideways Jaguar XK120 of Bill Rooklidge; plus an interesting selection of H-Modified entrants like Arthur Cook’s 1959 Deutsch Bonnet and the Nardi Crosley of Don Baldocchi.
HMSA Spring Club Event 2012 – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
Gilbert Hakim\’s 1967 Porsche 911 in turn two Sunday afternoon.
Steve Beck\’s 1993 T Bird leans into turn two.
1964 Ford falcon driven by Jonathan Long in turn two, Sunday afernoon.
Lara Andre\’s Lotus 26R leads Dan Verstuyft\’s 2001 Ford Taurus.
1965 Alfa Romeo GTA driven by Jack Perkins late Sunday afternoon in turn two.
Jeni Yeakel-Swanson in her 1964 Chevrolet Corvette leads the 1964 Mercury Comet driven by david Swig in turn two.
Jeni Yeakel-Swanson in her 1964 Chevrolet Corvette into turn two Sunday afternoon.
Dalmo De Vasconcelos in his 1965 Lotus Elan.
The early laps of Sunday\’s afternoon race made for tight quarters. Steve Beck\’s Ford T Bird outside Gilbert Hakim\’s 911 Porsche through two.
Bud Byrnes in his Elva Courier, turn two Sunday afternoon.
Turn two, Dan Verstuyft in his 2001 Ford Taurus.
David Swig in his 1964 Mercury Comet, turn two, Sunday afternoon.
John Burman\’s 1967 Austin Mini Cooper in two Sunday afternoon.
David Swig in his 1964 Mercury Comet, turn two, Sunday afternoon.
Fords at play. Turn two Sunday afternoon.
Lorne Leibel in a 1964 Cobra. Turn two late Sunday afternoon.
Lorne Leibel in a 1964 Cobra. Turn two late Sunday afternoon.
Bruce Revennaugh in his Lotus 18.
Steven Anderes in his Lotus Eleven Sunday afternoon.
Tom Morgan\’s 1956 Morgan 4/4 leads the Mini Coopper S driven by John Breslow.
Jim Weissenborn\’s 1959 MG in turn two Sunday afternoon.
Najeeb Khan\’s Mini Cooper S leads the Mini Cooper S of Julie Racine in turn two Sunday afternoon.
Mark Sange in his 750cc BMW
Avia streamliner.
Henry Morrison in the Bunce Buck Renault Special in turn two Sunday afternoon.
H Modifieds put on a good show.
David Swig in his 1964 Mercury Comet during one of Sunday morning\’s hail storms.
David Alvarado\’s 1968 Porsche 911T in Sunday\’s hail storm.
Danny Baker just as the hail start to fall. Lotus 27.
Jim Brown in his Lotus 20. That\’s hail not rain.
Dalmo De Vasconcelos in his 1968 Brabham BT21C.
Bob Baker in his Lola Mk6.
Bruce Revennaugh in his Lotus 18.
Danny Baker.
Butch Gilbert in his Elva MK4T.
Nick Colonna\’s Lister Chevrolet
Paul Perry\’s SAAB 96.
Crosley-Fiat Special
Don Baldocchi in his 1954 Nardi Crosley.
Nick Colonna\’s Lister Chevrolet
1959 Costin Lister Chevrolet – Erickson Shirley
David Swig drifts out of eleven in Saturday\’s rain.
Lotus Elan 26R
Fred Della Noce in his Alfa Romeo GTAm.
David Alvarado\’s 1968 Porsche 911T.
David Swig.
Chip Connor in his Porsche 911 RSR IROC.
John Delane in his Brabham BT 18 into eleven.
Dean Meiling in his 1967 Brabham BT 21A.
John Delane – Brabham BT 18
John Delane – Brabham BT 18
Danny Baker in his Lotus 27 Saturday morning.
Jaguar XK120
Bill Rooklidge drifts his XK120 Jaguar during Saturday morning\’s monsoon.
Joseph Rossi – 1964 Porsche 356C
Elva Courier – not listed
Dale Marcellini\’s 1963 Autodynamics FV in eleven.
Erickson Shirley\’s 1959 Costin Lister Chevrolet in eleven.
Bill Rooklidge in his XK120 Jaguar in Saturday morning\’s monsoon.
Arthur Cook\’s Lotus Eleven in turn eleven Saturday monring.
John Breslow\’s 1967 Mini Cooper S.
Njaeeb Khan in his 1966 Mini Cooper S.
Dennis Racine\’s 1966 Mini Cooper S between ten and eleven Saturday morning.
Erickson Shirley\’s 1959 Costin Lister Chevrolet.
Bill Rooklidge in his XK120 Jaguar.
Arthur Cook\’s Lotus Eleven, Nick Colonna\’s Lister Chevrolet, Bill Rooklidge\’s Jaguar XK120, and driver coach Mark Hamilton Peters.
Dennis Racine\’s 1966 Mini Cooper S, Najeeb Khan\’s 1966 Mini Cooper S lead out Group 2 Saturday morning.
Jamie Cleary\’s 1963 Triumph Herald between ten and eleven.
Paul Perry\’s Saab 96.
Mark Sange in his wonderful, exotic BMW 750cc Avia Streamliner.
Robert Dustan\’s 1959 Devin Renault Special.
Cook takes his Deutsch Bonnet through turn eleven in Saturday morning\’s monsoon.
Saturday morning, Arthur Cook\’s 1959 Deutsch Bonnet.
Joseph Rossi\’s 1964 Porsche 356C in Saturday morning\’s wet pits.
Purchase Dennis Gray Photos
See any photos that you’d like on your wall at home? We offer top-quality prints of any Dennis Gray photo shipped to your address of choice. We encourage you to purchase photos for yourself and the vintage racing enthusiasts among your family and friends. Prices are as follows:
8″ x 10″ = $24.00 (printed to edge or 1/2″ white border right, left, top and 1″ bottom)
16″ x 20″ = $44.00 (printed to edge or 2″ white border right, left, top and 3″ bottom)
20″ x 30″ = $54.00 (printed to edge or 2″ white border right, left, top and 3″ bottom)
Prices include shipping within the United States. (International Buyers: please inquire about total cost). To order any Dennis Gray picture, send payment via PayPal to [email protected] or via cash/check to:
GrayInColor
903 Pine St., Ste. 30
San Francisco, CA. 94108
Please specify the specific picture(s), print size, border choice and delivery address. Items will ship within 1-2 business days after receipt of payment.
Congratulations on a fantastic set of photos so evocative of a great weekend, albeit under inclement weather conditions. The British cars particularly rose to the occasion, enjoying the weather of their native land. I must confess, however, that the weekend was the first time I’ve had to whisk hail off the seat of my racecar. But Sunday afternoon’s conditions were glorious (clear sky and dry track at Laguna Seca), the organization was simply top-drawer (thanks to Cris and his team), and the sodden racers and crews could not have been more fraternal. Who could ask for anything more? Except for a great set of photos, of course.
As always great images Dennis!
Lagunaseca images beautiful.Great