Over the weekend, Phil Smart Mercedes sponsored the Historic races at Pacific Raceways. These are the same guys that put on the Historics @ Laguna Seca in Monterey California.
I spent all day Saturday there and was absolutely blown away but some of the cars there.
The races themselves were incredible. While they may not have been pushing the way they did when they were new, it was great to see them out getting some exercise
First off, the track map. Pacific Raceways is a 2.25 mile, 10 turn road course. The first half of the straight runs along side the drag strip and rejoins in the run off strip after the turn 10 kink. The only turn you can't see form any part of the spectator area is turn 7, but there is talk of changing that.
You can see turn 1 and most of 2 by standing at the far end of the straight against the fence in the infield. Turn 2's exit is at the top of a hill for a run into turns 3A and B which you can see by walking down a hill behind you where you can stand above the turn in point to 3A and watch them slip through the Esses before disappearing behind an embankment.
In order to see them come out of turn 4, you have to be standing above the entrance to turn 6. Here you can watch them exit 4 and come through 5. The grandstands on the infield side of the dragstrip give you a great view of turns 8 and 9, the first half of the front straight, turn 10, start/finish and into turn 1.
Due to the heavy foilage around the track, the sounds of the cars reverberates in ways you can't imagine. The rumble of the Trans Am cars was insane from the grandstands.
Out of Turn 2, downhill to 3A
3A and B
Exit 4, Turn 5, Entrance 6
Turns 8 and 9:
Straight, Turn 10 and if you look hard enough, Turn 1
Now for the cars:
BMW:
(i need to do a little work on the others, will post the rest soon)
Vids:
Trans Am cars from the grandstands
from turn 2/3A, multiple classes
Vintage races @ Pacific Raceways
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