Vintage race cars and their owners received a strange welcome to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend as they encountered some varied springtime conditions, as the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) held its first event of 2018. The Spring Club Races took place on March 10-11, which marked the beginning of the racing season at the Salinas, California race track. The two-day event featured a large group of vintage racing machines which shook off the dust and cleared the exhaust pipes as they took to the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course on the Monterey Peninsula.
The HMSA Spring Club Races have always been a great way for vintage race car owners and drivers to bring their cars and equipment out from winter storage. It offers them a great way to get their cars out on the track and up to speed for the racing events of the coming year. With track conditions being cold and rainy on Saturday and then warm and sunny on Sunday, the weather throughout the weekend gave them valuable track time in these conditions, allowing for both wet and dry set ups on the cars.
The HMSA Spring Club Races are also a fantastic opportunity for enthusiasts to watch and hear some historic and significant race cars that typically attend this annual March weekend. Some of the notable cars that attended the 2018 HMSA Spring Club Laguna Seca were Peter Giddingsโ 1932 Alfa Romeo Monza, Alex Curtisโ 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, Mike Parsonsโ 1990 Nissan 300 ZX, Michael Doyleโs 1961 Jaguar E-Type and Thor Johnsonโs 1974 BMW CSL 3.5, to name just a few. A large contingent of Porsches and Formula Fords rounded out the classes, which made for some interesting and exciting action out on the track.
The HMSA Spring Club Races marked the last event that Laguna Seca will be under the Mazda Raceway banner. The track had held a naming rights agreement with Mazda for the past 17 years that ended on March 31. As of April 2018, the road course will be known as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca after signing a multi-year naming rights agreement with the manufacturer of vehicle accessories. WeatherTech has extensive involvement in motorsports. In addition to sponsoring the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and its own team, WeatherTech CEO David MacNeil and son Cooper are themselves sports car racers.
โ
Similar to 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, Sports Car Digest also documented the 2018 HMSA Spring Club Races with Victor Varela offering the following pictures from Laguna Seca.
HMSA Spring Club Laguna Seca 2018 โ Photo Gallery (photos: Victor Varela)
Don Hogue โ 1967 Lotus 47
1967 Brabham BT21
The Porsche garage
Lee Eberle โ 1964 Jaguar XKE
Bob Stockwell โ 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350
Rob Manson โ 1962 Lotus Super 7
Steve Walker โ 1972 BMW 2002
Adin Stein โ 1964 MGB
Joseph Rossi โ 1964 Porsche 356C
Mark Nettesheim โ 1969 Datsun 510
Christopher Lyon โ 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia TT
Martin Lauber โ 1988 Porsche 944T
Mike Thurlow โ 2018 Porsche 911
Bob Hardison โ 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Thor Johnson โ 1974 BMW CSL 3.5
Stephen Chamberlin โ 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint
Frank Altamura โ 1966 Porsche 911S
Joseph Rossi โ 1964 Porsche 356C
Steve Walker โ 1972 BMW 2002
Porsche 911 RSR
Porsche 911
Porsche 911
Porsche Cayman
Porsche 911
Porsche 911
Porsche 914-6 GT
Porsche pass
Porsche 911 RSR
Garaged Lizard โ 2010 Porsche GT3
1961 Jaguar XKE
1932 Alfa Romeo Monza
Good morning, Corvette.
1964 Jaguar XKE
Porsche in the Pits
Ready to go
Porsche 911
Lee Eberle โ 1964 Jaguar XKE
Peter Giddings โ 1932 Alfa Romeo Monza
Marty Stein โ 1952 Siata 300BC
Thor Johnson โ 1959 Lotus 17
1953 Healey Special
Frank Altamura โ 1966 Porsche 911S
Richard Jeffery โ 1936 Armstrong Siddeley Special