The next few posts will be based on memories of driving our
Ferrari up to the Monterey, CA area for events centered around the Laguna Seca
Historic Car Races in the early 1980’s. So until we find our programs and/or
more photos I’ll post a follow up if and when we have corrected info.
In August of 1981 we belonged to the Ferrari Owners Club. In those
days the Historic Car races took place on Saturday/Sunday so The Ferrari Owners
Club had the Laguna Seca race track for Monday.
Ferrari owners belonging to the club, and who wanted to race their
cars on the track could sign up to do that. We had to install a fire
extinguisher in the car, and wear a helmet. We could bring any passenger we
wanted as long as they wore a helmet as well.
There were two sessions so I took the morning session and Dale
took the afternoon. We each had to first drive the track behind a professional
driver to learn the line, and then could drive on our own,
Dale tells me, but we can’t find our photos, that he believes a
black GTO belonging to Bob Price, was behind me. I was only concerned about
driving so wasn’t caught up with the other cars. All I knew was that after we
were finished, the GTO driver behind me told me that I’d done well as the he
had never caught up to me!
The track has a fairly sharp corkscrew turn on the back side and
turn #9 was nearly a hairpin. Coming down the corkscrew we couldn’t go really
fast but had the RPM on the redline, engine screaming! What music!!!
Driving home on Hwy 101 that evening I remember hitting about
100mph and telling Dale that it was boring driving on a straight highway. Dale
and I agreed that it was much more exciting red lining the car on the track. I
guess it wouldn’t have been boring if I’d been caught by the CHP.
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