a007apl
08-02-2004, 01:15 PM
"In late June of this year, The Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania played host to one of the largest gatherings of fine Italian machinery ever assembled. Le Belle Macchine d'Italia is the East Coast's version of Monterey's Concorso Italiano with a slightly different flavor. The three day event starts off on day one with the Concorso d'Eleganza, a public show of the cars located at the Skytop Lodge in Skytop, Pennsylvania. The last two days consists of hot-lapping the 2.5-mile Pocono International Raceway.
Le Belle Macchine d'Italia was first held in 1987 and only Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Maserati were in attendance. A year later DeTomaso was added to the roster, and Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Bizzarrini, and Lancia owners brought their cars in the years to come. The event is set up by Italian C.A.R.S. @ Associates, a group formed by Italian automobile enthusiasts who have helped the event grow into the largest three day Italian automobile event in the United States. Sixteen car clubs participated this year, including the Ferrari Club of America, Lamborghini Club of America, Maserati Club International, Bizzarrinni Owner's Club, Pantera Owner's Club, American Lancia Club, and the list goes on. Maserati and Lamborghini even used the event to double as their national meets.
Concorso d'Eleganza
Day one started off right even before it had began; the hilly, curving roads near the lodge are a sports car driver's dream, and those who drove to the event were treated to a beautiful drive in the mountains of Pennsylvania. The early part of the day started off cloudy, and some cars were late in arriving because of the threat of rain, but by the early afternoon there were blue skies and only a few clouds could be spotted in the sky.
Maserati was definitely a highlight of the show, with a historic reunion of several of the brand's key racing cars. Two 450S's a 300S, and a T63 and T64 were proudly displayed together. Lamborghini had a strong showing as well, with several different breeds of bulls vying for attention. There was nearly every Lamborghini model at the show including several examples of the stunning Miura and even the LM002 SUV. Some Ferrari fans were somewhat disappointed with the no-show of Ferrari's latest supercars (Enzo and F50), although there were several other fine examples were there including the fantastic 288 GTO and a 333 SP that would make itself at home on the track the next day.
Pocono Raceway
The track portion of the event was officially just for the owners of the cars, but the public wasn't barred from viewing the cars run on the track. This year featured special guest Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini's factory test driver, who is known for his tremendous ability to handle the cars he drives daily. He demonstrated his talents by pushing a Gallardo and Murcielago to their limit around the track. Many of the drivers weren't slouches at the wheel either. With their cars passing tech inspection and dressed in full race gear, most of the drivers pushed their cars hard enough to make the tires audibly protest in the tighter corners.
The Le Belle Macchine d’Italia is certainly worth the drive for anyone in the area. The cars and atmosphere are great, and if the weather cooperates it makes for a fantastic weekend. Many thanks goes to Italian C.A.R.S. @ Associates for organizing the event, and to all the clubs and owners who brought their cars."
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Photos (http://www.fast-autos.net/features/04lebelle/pictures.html)
Le Belle Macchine d'Italia was first held in 1987 and only Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Maserati were in attendance. A year later DeTomaso was added to the roster, and Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Bizzarrini, and Lancia owners brought their cars in the years to come. The event is set up by Italian C.A.R.S. @ Associates, a group formed by Italian automobile enthusiasts who have helped the event grow into the largest three day Italian automobile event in the United States. Sixteen car clubs participated this year, including the Ferrari Club of America, Lamborghini Club of America, Maserati Club International, Bizzarrinni Owner's Club, Pantera Owner's Club, American Lancia Club, and the list goes on. Maserati and Lamborghini even used the event to double as their national meets.
Concorso d'Eleganza
Day one started off right even before it had began; the hilly, curving roads near the lodge are a sports car driver's dream, and those who drove to the event were treated to a beautiful drive in the mountains of Pennsylvania. The early part of the day started off cloudy, and some cars were late in arriving because of the threat of rain, but by the early afternoon there were blue skies and only a few clouds could be spotted in the sky.
Maserati was definitely a highlight of the show, with a historic reunion of several of the brand's key racing cars. Two 450S's a 300S, and a T63 and T64 were proudly displayed together. Lamborghini had a strong showing as well, with several different breeds of bulls vying for attention. There was nearly every Lamborghini model at the show including several examples of the stunning Miura and even the LM002 SUV. Some Ferrari fans were somewhat disappointed with the no-show of Ferrari's latest supercars (Enzo and F50), although there were several other fine examples were there including the fantastic 288 GTO and a 333 SP that would make itself at home on the track the next day.
Pocono Raceway
The track portion of the event was officially just for the owners of the cars, but the public wasn't barred from viewing the cars run on the track. This year featured special guest Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini's factory test driver, who is known for his tremendous ability to handle the cars he drives daily. He demonstrated his talents by pushing a Gallardo and Murcielago to their limit around the track. Many of the drivers weren't slouches at the wheel either. With their cars passing tech inspection and dressed in full race gear, most of the drivers pushed their cars hard enough to make the tires audibly protest in the tighter corners.
The Le Belle Macchine d’Italia is certainly worth the drive for anyone in the area. The cars and atmosphere are great, and if the weather cooperates it makes for a fantastic weekend. Many thanks goes to Italian C.A.R.S. @ Associates for organizing the event, and to all the clubs and owners who brought their cars."
_______________
Photos (http://www.fast-autos.net/features/04lebelle/pictures.html)