Porsches and Pastries

Jen is game so it’s on again this year! Sunday, September 16th at Kellogg’s. This is also the worldwide Drive Your 356 Day in honor of Dr. Porsche. So plan to attend, enjoy the food, 356’s and good folks. Time is from 11 AM to 3 PM. Call for directions if you don’t know the way.

Lime Rock

The Porsche Rennsport Reunion was a great event! BJ and I count it as the high point of our Porsche experience.

Since we have been back, people ask how it compared to Monterey 1998. That’s a tough comparison; 1998 was Porsches 50th Anniversary. The factory sent over a lot of cars from the museum and there was a West Coast Holiday, Laguna Seca Races and the Pebble Beach Concours.

Lime Rock was all Porsches and all racing. The venue at Lime Rock was fantastic! Close to 200 Porsches of almost every racing model 356, 550, 906, 907, 908, 910, 917, 911, 914, 966, 935, 962, RSK, GT3-RS and others. The weather was great, hospitality exceptional and the sights unbelievable.

So how did 1998 Monterey and Lime Rock compare. I would say equal. 1998 was exceptional because we had close to 400 356’s at the Holiday. Lime Rock was exceptional because we had all of the Porsches racing machinery on the track in competition or exhibition.

Jacky Icky was there driving the Porsche Formula 2 car. Elliot Forbes-Robinson in a 910, Hurley Haywood in a 917/10. Milt Minter in a 935. Paul Newman in a 914, Chad McQueen (Steve’s son) in a RSR. Derek Bell, Rob Dyson, Vic Elford, Bob Garretson, Milt Minter, Brian Redman, Denise McCluggage and others were top Porsche drivers in attendance.

The event was races on Friday/Saturday and a Concours on Sunday. I thought the non racing on Sunday was due to blue laws, but it is due to the Episcopal Church right outside the Paddock gate.

BJ and I got in on Thursday and stayed at the Yankee Peddler Inn in Torrington about 25 minutes from the track. The hotel was built in the 1860’s which was really recent compared to the villages incorporated in the early 1700’s and the stately mansions we passed on our way to the track. The track is in the valley with a stream running along side the front straight. While only 1.5 miles long it has a lots of elevation changes and is quite technical. Most of the action was in turn one called Big Ben. BJ and I walked the track Sunday morning. How I wish I could drive it.

Vic Skirmants was there in his 356 and boy did he drive it! He was first in class and beat all the 911’s in his group. The only metal to metal incident during the weekend was when a 911 spun and was hit by a 914. Yep, Paul Newman crashed the 914 hard.

There was a special group for 962/956/935 racers. Many of those cars hadn’t been run in years. But there they were; the Interscope 935, the Rothmans 962’s and 956, the Dyson 962 and Jagermeifter 962’s and others. What was neat was the Jagermeifter 962’s were towed to the grid by Porsche tractors.

As at most historic racing events, the pits are open to the public. Friday the pits were not that crowded but Saturday the crowd was huge. Friday morning BJ and I got there early and were able to take pictures without a lot of people around. I was talking to one guy who was wiping the dew off some 962’s. I thought he was a mechanic but he was the owner/driver. BJ was able to spend a few minutes with Brian Redman and thanked him for hosting the event.

With the crowds on Saturday, we viewed the races from the Chalet above turn one. The Connecticut Valley Region of the PCA rented this facility and provided great hospitality. Great food and drink and the cost was only $20 for three days on top of the $10/day gate ticket. This Lime Rock event was exceptional in that many of these great racing Porsches have been retired to museums and will never be seen on the track again.

Progress

Since last month I have done some evaluations for out of state buyers and also bought another Shop Car; a ’64 Coupe. The 356RESTORE website has generated a lot of e-mails and calls. Check out the website for pictures of Lime Rock.

We finished the Shop ’60 Coupe which is now Black on Black and started the engine. Fired right up and will be ready for driving with clutch and brake adjustments. BJ has almost all the rough body work done on Keith’s ’60 Cabriolet (which he calls Frankenstien, much to the non amusement of the owner).

Scotty picked up the parts for his ’53 Coupe and will have it finished in Arizona. His finish body man backed out of the deal. The new Shop ’64 Coupe was disassembled and taken to Blast Tech. Miles dropped of his ’58 Cabriolet for finish body work and Rocky dropped off and picked up is ’65 Coupe after minor door adjustments.

Thanks to Newsletter readers we were able to buy two sets of drum brakes. One set will go on Keith’s Cabriolet and the other for future restorations. We still need parts for A cars. We offer a fair price and these parts are used to get those great cars back on the road.