The 2009 Quail Motorsports Gathering was held Friday, August 14th at the Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club in Carmel, California.
The seventh annual Quail event paid tribute to 50 years of racing at the Daytona International Speedway, home to the Daytona 500. It also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the BMW M1, the first modified production auto and honored racing icon Hans Joachim Stuck. Once again sold-out, the Quail impressed its 3,000 lucky guests with a great collection of rare sports and racing automobiles and motorcycles.
Of the vintage cars on display, one automobile received top honors as the Rolex Best of Show: the 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B owned by Bob Lee. This coveted award, given at the Rolex Circle of Champions Awards Ceremony, called on all entrants to vote on the vehicle that has achieved what they believe to be the best representation of historic excellence.
Other highlights included the first North American public unveiling of the Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Valentino Balboni, Aston Martins newest DBS Volante convertible and Confederate Motors latest design, the P120 Fighter Combat. Guests also enjoyed the traditional Historics to The Quail Run, featuring 25 of the most celebrated sports racing cars, an aerobatic air show and access to the Bonhams & Butterfields auction.
“We are proud to be recognized as one of the most sought after events during Monterey’s Classic Cars Week,” said Sarah Cruse, general manager of Quail Lodge. “Our team has excelled in creating an exclusive day-long celebration where automotive collectors and connoisseurs have an unmatched opportunity to compare the aesthetics and engineering of the worlds most extraordinary driving machines in a picturesque garden-party setting.”
The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering concluded this year, as in the previous years, with the Rolex Circle of Champion Awards. In this anticipated award ceremony, entrants were summoned to subjectively choose the vehicles that they believe have achieved their design goal, performance expectations and overall impact on automotive history.
2009 Quail Rolex Circle of Champion Award Winners (Photo credit: Robert Kerian)
Additional 2009 Quail Motorsports Gathering Winners Include:
Post-War Sports Cars – 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic owned by David Sydorick
Tribute to Hans-Joachim Stuck – 1974 BMW 3.0 CSL owned by Mark Leonardo
The Great Ferraris – 1951 Ferrari 212E owned by Skeets Dunn
Post-War Racing Car Award – Porsche 550 Spyder owned by Cheryl and Peter Dunkle
2009 Quail Motorsports Gathering Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture)
A portion of the proceeds raised will benefit local and national charities aiding children and families including The California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation, The American Red Cross, Carmel Area Chapter, Rancho Cielo, CASA of Monterey County (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and Friends of the Carmel Unified Schools (FOCUS).
The 2010 Quail Motorsports Gathering will take place on Friday, August 13th. For more information, visit www.quaillodge.com.
[Source: Quail Lodge; Photo credit: Robert Kerian]
