news | New England Auto Museum

01 Nov

Entry List Announced for Classic 24 at Daytona presented by IMSA November 12 – 15 Features 174 Race Cars

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The entry list for the 2015 Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA, November 12 – 15, has been officially announced and features 174 race cars and a current tally of 300 drivers from around the world.

“We have gone on record recently in saying that the entry list for the second edition of the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA exceeded even our expectations and hopefully the motorsports world will agree,” said HSR President David Hinton. “The caliber of the historic race cars and the massive mix of legendary stars and historic sports car racing drivers is second to none. This is truly an amazing representation of historic sports car racing machines and the men and women who compete in them and we can’t wait to get back to Daytona in just a few short weeks.”

In total, the 2015 Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA features entered teams from 15 different countries on four continents.

The diverse background of the international drivers turning out for the Classic 24 Hour should be equally impressive. While minimal additional entries will be accepted – HSR currently has dozens of hopefuls on a wait list – all teams will be able to add drivers to their officially entered race cars in the weeks leading up to the race. A lineup of drivers that is already packed with past and current sports car racing stars will no doubt grow over the next month.

The list of current and legendary drivers confirmed for the Classic 24 includes Jochen Mass, Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Gijs Van Lennep, Jürgen Barth, Andy Wallace, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Eric Curran, Leh Keen, Scott Sharp, Jim Pace, Gunnar Jeanette, Dieter Quester, Didier André, Jean Marc Gounon, Jules Gounon, Zak Brown, Richard Dean, Jeff Zwart, Cooper MacNeil, Shane Lewis, Jack Baldwin, Mike Skeen and many more.

The equally impressive racing machines these drivers and other Classic 24 competitors will race in the Daytona event is a rolling collection of top sports cars and prototypes from the past 50 years.

The Classic 24 features six period-correct run groups rotating through a full 24 hours of racing on the 3.56-mile Daytona road course. The run groups, which include various classes of similar-era race cars, each take to the track four times throughout the 24 hours. The competitors in each group covering the most total distance in the shortest amount of time in their group’s four sessions will be “crowned” Classic 24 at Daytona champions.

Group A – 1960 – 1972: The oldest and perhaps most memory-stirring division, Group A features such legendary race cars as the Ford GT40, Lola T70, Chevron B8, Ferrari 365 GTB, Lotus Elan, Alfa Romeo GT Jr., several 1960s-era Corvettes and Mustangs, including a Shelby GT350, and a strong field of early Porsche 911s. A debuting entry not frequently seen in the United States is the French-built Matra MS630.

Group B – 1973 – 1982: Evoking the same emotion and memories of Group A with a little more turbocharged power and wide-body aerodynamics, Group B has attracted four Porsche 935s, six BMW CSLs, two Greenwood Corvettes, a Dekon Monza, several Porsche 911 RSRs and Carreras and big-bore Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes. This group also features several of the ultra-quick and classic Chevron Lola and March open-cockpit sports prototype race cars.

Group C – 1983 – 1993: The prime of the GTP and Group C era is at the heart of this run group. A strong lineup of six Porsche 962s will share the class spotlight with two Jaguar XJR-5s, a Jaguar XJR-7 and a Porsche Fabcar. Several production-based race cars are also in Group C as is the debuting Aston Martin AMR-1 prototype that raced at Le Mans.

Group D – 1994 – 2002: Historic but familiar, the highlight machines in Group D include several Riley & Scott Mk IIIs and Daytona Prototypes, a Lola B2K, Crawford DP03 and GT Porsches, Corvettes, Vipers and even a TVR T400R. A debuting entry of note in this class is the Saleen S7R GT1.

Group E – 2003 – 2012: This group lets ALMS and Le Mans prototypes that couldn’t race at Daytona in their day a chance to take to the high banks. Two Audi R8s, a pair of Pescarolo 01 LMPs and a Porsche RS Spyder highlight the group that also includes three Oreca FLM09s and several different Daytona Prototypes. GT cars are plentiful too and include several Porsche 996, 997 and 991 models, two LMS Audi R8s and a Camaro, Ferrari F430 and Nissan GTR. Another entry not frequently seen in the U.S. is the debuting BMW Alpina B6 GT3.

Group F – HSR Cars: This group produced some of the closest and most competitive racing in last year’s inaugural Classic 24 at Daytona. Home to HSR classes that are not represented in the other five other groups, Group F also lets competitors with race cars that were never eligible to compete at Daytona a chance to build a little history of their own on the legendary track in the Classic 24. Offering a mix of machinery from six different decades, this group is also home to the oldest car in the Classic 24, a 1962 Lotus Super 7.

The entry list for the 2015 Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available by clicking here.

Of interest to Connecticut race fans will be the eye-catching 2007 Pescarolo Judd LMP of David Porter, of Darien. Porter challenged the Rogers Motorsports Audi team for the 2014 Classic 24 Hour win and has no intention of coming up short this year.

“To win the race is the hopeful accomplishment, that’s it,” Porter said. “We had the fastest car in every session last year and, unfortunately, I didn’t put on my best driving performance and screwed up. We ended up four laps down and, even with a car that fast, you can’t make back four laps. I want to redeem myself in my own mind as much as anything else. I’m looking forward to this so much. Sitting on that grid at 4:30 in the morning under the lights is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”

Story & Photos Courtesy HSR & IMSA

About HSR: Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from our past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions seven vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and the Grand Prix of the Americas. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. The Classic 24 Hour at Daytona, presented by IMSA, has a dedicated website at www.Classic24hour.com. HSR and the Classic 24 are also on Facebook and Twitter – in addition to the HSR YouTube channel.

About IMSA: The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 with a long and rich history in sports car racing. As presenting sponsor of the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona, IMSA embraces that history by supporting all involved in returning iconic race cars and drivers that have been responsible for many great moments throughout decades of IMSA-sanctioned competition to the race track. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR Holdings group – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected WeatherTech Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. For more information, visit www.IMSA.com.

11 Oct

Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman; Special Movie Screening in Norwalk October 28th

On Wednesday, October 28th at 6:30 PM, the New England Auto Museum will host a special one-night screening of the acclaimed documentary Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman at the Stepping Stones Multi-Media Gallery at Mathews Park in Norwalk. The event will raise funds for the non-profit New England Auto Museum, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing a permanent facility for display and education in automotive arts and technology.

“Paul Newman had a special association with Connecticut,” according to NEAM President Mike Scheidel, “as one of the most prolific and revered actors in American Cinema, as well as through his philanthropy with Newman’s Own and the Hole-in-the-Wall Camps, but what is not so well known is his passionate love for auto racing which became a focus of his life for 35 years.”

That passion is well on display in the documentary, co-produced by Adam Corolla and Nate Adams which recounts how Newman became bit by the racing bug when he starred in the 1969 film “Winning”at the age of forty-seven and continued until shortly before his death at age eighty-three in 2008.

Providing commentary and Q&A after the film, which is 83 minutes in length, will be Sherman, Conn. resident and Paul Newman’s long-term racing partner Bob Sharp. Newman drove for Bob Sharp Racing for many years, winning the Sports Car Club of America National Championship four times. Bob Sharp is among the many friends and fellow competitors interviewed in the film. Others include Robert Redford, who became one of Newman’s closest friends, his “Winning” co-star Robert Wagner; Jay Leno, no small car enthusiast himself; racers Mario Andretti and Patrick Dempsey, and Pixar founding member John Lasseter, who directed the actor in his final film role, voicing the tailor-made character of Doc Hudson in the animated film “Cars.”

In its review, the Hollywood Reporter lauded the film, describing the “archival footage of Newman racing and interacting with his fellow drivers as revelatory, with the actor’s determined efforts to be just one of the guys on ample display. One of the film’s most affecting moments is a haunting shot of the actor sitting mournfully in his car immediately after the death of his teammate Jim Fitzgerald during a 1987 race. As passionate about its subject as the actor was about driving, Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman provides a fascinating footnote to his distinguished cinematic career.”

The special one-night showing of “Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman” will take place Wednesday, October 28th from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Beverages provided by Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines of Darien and hors d’oeuvres will be served in the hour before the show. There will also be classic cars on display in the courtyard courtesy of Dragone Classic Motorcars, one of the event’s sponsors. Location will be the Stepping Stones Museum Multi-Media Gallery at 303 West Avenue in Norwalk (Mathews Park). Other sponsors of the event include Hagerty Insurance, Pray Auto Body, Pray Achievement Center & Pray Auto Museum and Spacefitters Logistics & Technology Group. Tickets will be $25 per person and space is limited to 150 attendees. Tickets can be purchased atwww.neautomuseum.org

28 Sep

New Keno Brothers Auction in New York City November 19 Features Historic Ferrari N.A.R.T. Daytona

Photo: Keno Brothers

New York, N.Y. – Over the past 40 years, Leigh and Leslie Keno have gained world-wide acclaim for their passion for beautiful design, exquisite craftsmanship and impeccable provenance. Now, after a lifetime of maintaining a private passion for fine automobiles, the Keno Brothers are bringing their wealth of expertise in classic automobiles and extensive experience in the auction industry to establish Keno Brothers Fine Automobile Auctions. Their inaugural event, Rolling Sculpture, will take place during the heart of the New York art auction season on November 18-19, 2015, at Skylight Clarkson Sq. in Soho, New York City. Within this uniquely suited space Keno Brothers Fine Automobile Auctions will create a multi-sensory experience highlighting the beauty of each lot, while also bringing to life the history of each automobile – starting with one of the most important N.A.R.T. (North American Racing Team) Ferraris.

The 1971 Ferrari N.A.R.T. Daytona racing at LeMans (Photo 24h-lemans.com)

Just as some of the greatest masterpieces of art were produced in Italy, so were some of the most magnificent automobiles. The Italian marque, Ferrari is synonymous with beauty, style and speed, and recognized worldwide for its uncompromising legacy of victory on the racetrack. Epitomizing the Keno Brothers’ vision to offer important automobiles with unique provenance, a singular, storied Ferrari is amongst the first of the sale’s offerings to be announced.

The 1971 Ferrari N.A.R.T. Daytona 365 GTB/4 Daytona, chassis number 12467, is among the most historic of Ferrari’s North American Racing Team and will be one of the stars of the Keno auction. Modified for competition from a standard V12 road car, its first major race was the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it astounded the crowd by finishing fifth overall, behind only the purpose-built and much more-powerful WSC prototypes, with drivers Bob Grossman and Luigi Chinetti Jr. The Daytona came in eight laps ahead of the GT cars against which it would be classified in the future. The Ferrari, which heralded a number of factory-prepped Daytona Competiziones, has a pre-auction estimated value of $4.9 million to $5.9 million.

“Our goal as a company is to channel the trust, integrity and knowledge that we have built throughout our entire lives into every aspect of this new auction house,” said Leslie Keno, Co-CEO and Founder of Keno Brothers. “Our inaugural sale will offer a unique selection of 45 of the most highly coveted vehicles from around the world. Whether a racecar– purposefully built to go extremely fast or a touring car, designed with fanciful curves and sensual lines, each offering has a distinct story to tell.”
“It’s automobiles like these that are carefully curated to present some of the greatest achievements in automotive history,” said Co-Founder Leslie Keno. “Each car is extraordinary and will be elegantly displayed so that its history, styling and special attributes can be appreciated within its unique historical context.”

“We apply the same criteria and principles to motor cars that we use to evaluate works of art—line, proportion, design, originality and provenance,” Co-Founder Leigh Keno commented. “In addition to assessment and essays by the top experts in a particular make and marque, we will provide deep information on each car that makes transactions more transparent, reduces trading friction and makes the learning curve less steep for new collectors and sellers, including heirs.”

Leigh Keno with his Jaguar SS 100 (Photo Jim Motavalli, New York Times)

The Keno brothers are applying the same evaluation techniques and scientific technology used in the art and antiques world to the classic car world, in an effort to raise the standard by which cars are assessed and represented.

“When a potential buyer is considering acquiring a work of art by Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol or an exceptional automobile by Ferrari or Bugatti, there should be no “guesswork”, said Leslie Keno. “Many of the technologies we’ve used in the fine art and furniture world will assist us in distinguishing the true condition of these automobiles more accurately than ever before.”

For example, when appropriate, scientists will apply a variety of x-ray analytical technologies used in the art world in order to take the guesswork out of the purchase, allowing potential buyers to bid with confidence.

While car collectors will have the chance to bid on these automobiles during the live event, bidders will also be able to participate online in real-time, thanks to proprietary new software. Developed by Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder Bradley R. Farrell, this software collects automobile data in new ways, making the rarity and quality of a given automobile easier to understand and giving potential bidders a more informed purchasing experience.

Previously, Bradley Farrell oversaw his own digital marketing and technology company, responsible for creating experiences for companies that included Citrix and Cisco Systems’ global marketing teams.

For further information on Keno Brothers Fine Automobile Auctions, visit KenoBrothers.com.

Source: Sports Car Digest and Keno Brothers Auctions

Photo prnewswire.com

27 Aug

House of Cars: Curated Garage Tour and Gala Celebration in New Canaan September 12

TV Star & Race Car Driver Patrick Dempsey

The New Canaan Historical Society honors its 125th anniversary with an auto event featuring rare, vintage and exotic cars & motorcycles.

New Canaan, CT – With a twist on its tag line, ‘History That Moves You,’ the New Canaan Historical Society is honoring its 125th anniversary with a unique and exciting auto event called House of Cars: Curated Garage Tour and Gala Celebration. On Saturday September 12, car collectors, automotive enthusiasts and the local community will be treated to a remarkable experience with a hand-picked selection of some of the world’s finest cars and motorcycles. The day starts with a ‘Fuel-up Breakfast’ amid a collection of exotic cars, followed by a curated tour of select private collections of cars and motorcycles into the afternoon. The event culminates with an evening gala celebration amongst an extensive collection of rare, vintage and unique cars. Master car restorer Wayne Carini and accomplished racers David Hobbs, and Patrick Dempsey (‘Dr. McDreamy’ of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy) are featured speakers throughout the event. Limited House of Cars Curated Garage Tour tickets are available, beginning at $1,500. House of Cars Gala tickets may be purchased separately, beginning at $1,000. To learn more, or to purchase tickets to this unique event, visit www.nchistory.org or call 203.966.1776.

“This is one of the few area events where you can experience some of the finest examples of motorized works of art, visit unique private garages and mingle with highly-acclaimed car experts and racing aficionados,” said event co-chair Susan Bishop. “Celebrating the Society’s 125th anniversary requires a truly special event, and we’ve created an extraordinary experience where people can surround themselves with automotive inspiration, excellence and unparalleled style.”

Guests will ‘start their engines’ by beginning their day at Miller Motorcars’ Stamford, CT garage, where a House of Cars ‘Fuel Up Breakfast’ will be served amid a collection of exotic cars, including a Rolls-Royce Wraith, McLaren 650S Spider, Aston Martin V12S, Ferrari California T, Maserati Ghibli S Q4, Pagani Huayra and an Alfa Romeo 4C. Wayne Carini of Velocity Channel’s Chasing Classic Cars will be the morning’s host, sharing insights from his lifetime of experience as a master car restorer and collection manager for clients worldwide. Swapping stories and genuine camaraderie are the spirit of the morning as guests share their passions for special and exclusive cars in this exciting setting.

Wayne Carini of Chasing Classic Cars on Velocity TV

Attendees will then be directed, in limited groups, to the House of Cars curated tour locations for an intimate and memorable experience. Custom automobiles and motorcycles that are equal parts art and power will be on display, set in some of Fairfield County’s most remarkable private garages. Guests will have a chance to speak with owners and mingle among these enviable collectables, while taking in the stylish backdrops for each ‘House of Cars.’

An elegant evening closes the day with a gala celebration at Collectors’ Car Garage in Bedford Hills, NY. Guests will enjoy cocktails and a seated dinner amongst an extensive collection of exotic, vintage and rare cars. House of Cars gala attendees will have an opportunity to bid on exceptional packages in a limited live auction. Patrick Dempsey, well known for his award-winning role on ABC’s series Grey’s Anatomy, is a noted Porsche racer, and will be the evening’s keynote speaker. For nearly a decade Dempsey’s great passion for motorsports propelled him to drive competitively and create the championship winning Dempsey Racing Team. Dempsey’s most recent racing achievement is a second place finish in the GTE Am class in the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s oldest automotive endurance race. Dempsey will be interviewed by emcee David Hobbs, a multi-champion road racer, who over the course of three decades has raced in four Indianapolis 500 races and had three third place finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Hobbs recently joined NBC Sports, co-hosting live coverage of Formula One races.

David Hobbs NBC Sports Formula 1 Co-host

“It’s an honor to host car collectors and motorsports enthusiasts throughout the tristate area as they gather together in this spectacular experience that celebrates the automobile,” said Evan Cygler, Miller Motorcars Director of Marketing. “Guests will leave this memorable House of Cars event feeling exhilarated.”

Tickets for the House of Cars Curated Garage Tour and Gala Celebration begin at $1,500 and are very limited. Individual gala tickets may be purchased for $1,000. To reserve your tickets, please send payment to the New Canaan Historical Society, 13 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT 06840. For additional details, including advertising and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.nchistory.org or call 203.966.1776.

Proceeds from the House of Cars Curated Garage Tour and Gala Celebration will directly benefit the New Canaan Historical Society, which seeks to educate and enlighten the public in an atmosphere that is welcoming, friendly and fun by offering innovative educational exhibitions and programs for adults, children and families. The New Canaan Historical Society is a not-for-profit, privately supported, educational facility.

The New Canaan Historical Society is especially grateful to the House of Cars event sponsors. They include: Miller Motorcars of Greenwich, purveyor of Fairfield County’s finest motorcars; Chubb Insurance in partnership with Brown Thayer Shedd, provider of exceptional insurance for exceptional cars; CharlesDEAN New York, modern bespoke suits for discerning customers; Jonathan M. Wainwright Esq. of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLC, one of the world’s most prominent financial services law firms; Collectors Car Garage, a country club for car people; and media sponsor, Moffly Media, the leading authority on Fairfield County’s lifestyle resources, information and insights.

By Laura Roberts (Open Post on Patch)

11 Aug

October 8th, 2015 Survive the Drive “Behind the Wheel” at Lime Rock Park

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Survive the Drive will be holding a “Behind the Wheel” Defensive Driver Training event on Thursday, October 8th at Lime Rock Park. “Behind the Wheel” offers teen friendly, comprehensive, cost effective defensive driver education. The hands-on defensive driver training course was developed to demonstrate:

Crash Avoidance Maneuvers
Skid Capability
Vehicle Control
Braking Exercises
New Car Autonomous Technologies

Survive the Drive’s “Behind the Wheel” Defensive Driver Training program was created based on information and experience gathered by Survive the Drive’s professional staff and Board of Directors, each offering decades of service, education and experience in driver training, transportation safety and auto racing instruction.

Call Today at (860) 806-3042 to Register or Find Out More!

Participants Must:

• Present a valid DMV Drivers license or permit
• Provide proof of insurance
• Be accompanied by parent or guardian
(If under 18 years of age)
• Provide proof of registration of their participating vehicle
• Wear flat shoe, no sandals or open toes
• Wear comfortable clothing
• Have good tires and possess one spare tire or run-flat tires
* Be sure to check your gas gauge before arrival!

More about Survive the Drive:

Survive the Drive is an independent, not for profit, educational resource that provides risk awareness presentations and safe driving instruction to individuals, schools and community groups

The organizations program is designed to educate novice drivers through the use of a multi-media presentation and a hands-on defensive driver training course. The presentation focuses the students attention on the detrimental activity of texting, reading, drinking, phoning and any other activities that impair consciousness to the ever-present operational hazards of their heavy, moving equipment. The hands-on defensive driver training course was developed to demonstrate crash avoidance maneuvers, skid capability, vehicle control, braking exercises and new car autonomous technologies.

Survive the Drive presentations can be scheduled as a single assembly or as an accompanying presentation that will focus on each student’s competence and the desire to be their “Best Behind the Wheel.”

27 Jul

Four significant M-B competition cars confirmed for Historic Festival 33 at Lime Rock Sept. 3-7

Lakeville, CT – Competition cars from Mercedes-Benz will be the stars of Lime Rock Park’s Historic Festival 33, September 3-7, 2015. Event Chairman Murray Smith has confirmed the presence of four outstanding race cars:

From the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Stuttgart, Germany

The “722” 300 SLR driven to victory by Stirling Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson in the 1955 Mille Miglia
A 1954/55 W196 Silver Arrow grand prix car

From The Revs Institute, Naples, Fla.

1939 W154 Silver Arrow grand prix car
1914 Mercedes grand prix car (French G.P.)

Smith is currently in conversation with additional entities regarding other rare and significant Mercedes-Benz competition cars; announcements to follow.

• Historic Festival 33’s Honored Guests are Sir Stirling Moss and racing legend Jochen Mass, Mercedes-Benz Classic Center driver

• The Honored Collector for Sunday in the Park 2015 is Jim Taylor, of Gloversville, N.Y. Jim’s unique perspective focuses heavily on collecting “survivors” – cars that show their history and wear it proudly, and aren’t always washed much less restored – as well as eclectic, special cars with significant character. Among the cars Mr. Taylor is bringing to Historic Festival 33 are:

“The Evangel,” a 1935 Ford V8 “gospel truck”
1937 Horch 853A Cabriolet
1953 Allard J2X Le Mans
1964 AC Cobra (289 – CSX 2171)
1958 AC Ace Bristol
1962 Chevrolet Corvair wagon (with special factory 4-speed manual transmission)
1932 Ford hot rod

• The Honored Motorcycle Collector for Sunday in the Park 2015 is Rob Iannucci – Team Obsolete – of Brooklyn, N.Y. Rob Iannucci is one of the great stewards of the vintage motorcycle racing community in North America and internationally. Through his racing organization, Team Obsolete, he has participated in and won most of the important vintage motorcycle racing events in the world. Mr. Iannucci’s collection primarily focuses on bikes from Matchless and AJS, with a sprinkling of racing Harleys and other two-wheeled masterpieces. Not just any bikes, these are some of the most famous racing bikes in the world coming to Lime Rock Park.

1954 AJS 7R3 “Triple Knocker,” ex-Rod Coleman, 1954 Isle of Man TT winner
1959 Matchless G-50 #1709, ex-Al Gunter
1969 Arter G-50 “Wagon Wheels”
1967 MV Agusta 500/3; this is one of the legendary “triples” used by Giacomo Agostini to win 13 of his 15 F.I.M. World Championships… The Ultimate!
1972 Harley Davidson 750 XRTT – Cal Rayborn’s last and best XR750TT… The Holy Grail of all the XR 750TT Harleys

• New... Sunday in the Park is now accepting post-1985 cars in select classes to spotlight modern marvels (click here) to see the complete class list, some of which have post-1985 divisions)

• Lime Rock Park has made a multi-million dollar investment in its infrastructure as part of the Road to 60 Project. The facility is now substantially improved as compared to 2014 and prior. Rebuilt and/or all-new include: Paddocks, restrooms, viewing areas, walkways, landscaping, Wi-Fi system, PA system and more.

Find more information at www.limerockhistorics.com

16 Jul

Misselwood Concours enters its 6th year July 25 – 26

Beverly. MA – In 2010, the launch of a Concours d’Elegance show on Boston’s historic North Shore area was welcomed with great enthusiasm and excitement. Since then, thousands of people have roamed the Misselwood Estate to explore the magnificent display of antique cars and motorcycles, each significant in their own field. While concours car owners consider the spectacular oceanfront setting to be the Pebble Beach of the East Coast, the sloping lawns, hidden corners and manicured landscaping make for one of the most scenic concours shows in America if not the world.

Concours d’Elegance shows date back to the 17th century, whereby horse-drawn carriages paraded in the parks of Paris. Over time, these carriages were replaced by horse powered automobiles to be judged on their appearance in a “concourse of elegance”. The Misselwood Concours d’Elegance honors that tradition, as cars and motorcycles compete for various Best in Class awards, and ultimately for the coveted Best of Show Award. In 2014, the top-honors were given to a 1914 Locomobile Model 48 Berline, owned by Pebble Beach and Amelia Island judge Bill Alley. Alley is a former Olympian and a retired mechanical engineer who is committed to the preservation and history of the early automobile. For a full list of the 2014 award winners, please click here.

While the awards reflect the true uniqueness of the participating vehicles, it is gratifying that funds raised by tickets sales of the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance are dedicated directly towards student scholarships, providing current and future students the opportunity to start or successfully finish their educational dreams at Endicott College. Linking classic cars and motorcycles with supporting young adults in their pursuit of a college degree makes the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance truly distinctive.

Those not yet familiar with this region of New England should come and discover the history, traditions and rich heritage of the area and explore everything from scenic route 127, to Beverly, Salem, Gloucester andr Cape Ann. The area of the concours was often referred to as the “Gold Coast”, and became a summer destination for wealthy Bostonians and New Yorkers in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Set in this idyllic backdrop, literally at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean the Concours celebrates its 6th anniversary on Saturday July 25 and Sunday July 26, 2015 and the organizers look forward to welcoming back show car owners and classic car lovers to this beautiful setting in coastal Massachusetts.

1910 Oakland overlooking the Atlantic Ocean

1932 Duesenberg owned by Fred Duesenberg himself

Story & photos courtesy of Misselwood Concours d’Elegance

19 Jun

Darien car show steers in new direction

David Porter of Darien behind the wheel of his 1958 Jaguar XK-150 at his home; Porter will be showing the car at the Darien Collectors’ Father’s Day Car Show at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Park in Norwalk Sunday, June 21,2015. Photo: Martin Cassidy / Hearst Connecticut Media

By Martin B. Cassidy
Darien News Review
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
link to article

It took six months of networking three years ago before David Porter found a 1958 Jaguar XK-150 that hadn’t rusted into oblivion or suffered engine problems.

Porter, a retired financier who lives in Darien, said he bought the car from a United Kingdom-based dealer who found the well-preserved specimen under a tarp in an Illinois garage where it had been parked for more than 40 years.

Porter estimated about only a quarter of the roughly 820 XK-150’s created remain, and many are in poor mechanical condition, he said.

“They tend to be rough cars and they can be in bad shape for driving,” Porter said. “… There are also people who claim that they’ve fully restored cars but they haven’t.”

“I’ve been excited about cars since I was about 2,” Porter said. “My father was a car enthusiast and I remember having a pedal car when I was 4. You tend to feel the interest early. ”

Porter, 63, spent the better part of two days last week getting the Jaguar ready to roll for at the upcoming 10th Annual Darien Collector’s Father’s Day Car Show, which will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Norwalk, on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21. The registration fees for the cars on display will go toward establishing a New England Auto Museum in Norwalk.

The car show was previously held at Tilley Pond Park in Darien, which the show has outgrown, said Darien resident Nicholas Ord, a principal board member of the New England Auto Museum effort.

“(The show) is getting bigger and there is a lot more opportunity to make the show bigger in Lockwood Mathews, plus we’re establishing more of a presence in Norwalk,” Ord said.
While also a professional racer of vintage cars, Porter said car shows offer the fulfillment of being able to share a bit of beauty and industrial history.

Certain aspects of getting the car looking its best are tedious, such as polishing the 60 chrome spokes on each of the Jaguar’s tires, Porter said. But sharing the car in its restored glory gives Porter a sense he is fostering a historical appreciation for automotive history.

“These cars and others like it should be seen,” Porter said of the Jaguar. “There are so few of them left, especially in this condition.”

Ord said last week about 40 to 50 owners had registered cars for the show, a number that could jump significantly in the days leading to the show.

The non-profit effort launched in 2008 to establish a New England automobile museum is gaining momentum, Ord said, with the group fundraising for a $65,000 market study on whether a Norwalk museum celebrating Connecticut’s role in automotive history is feasible.
Last week the group received a grant for $13,000 from the City of Norwalk toward the study, and Ord said the group is focusing on building the future museum at 24 Belden Ave., the former site of the Norwalk Mall.

The New England Auto Museum would including rotating exhibits with up to 100 automobiles, historical displays about Connecticut’s history in the automotive industry, and an automotive technology academy in conjunction with Norwalk Community College and the Norwalk Public Schools.

“We’ve been looking in Norwalk now for almost three years and it is our favored location,” Ord said.

In most years, Porter will show the Jaguar at half dozen or more events throughout the region, including at the Lime Rock Raceway in Lakeville.

Last year, Porter raced in the Classic 24 Daytona race, which runs a full day pitting cars with a racing history from eras as far back as the 1960s against each other in a test of automotive endurance. Porter spent part of the race behind the wheel of a 2005 Pescarolo Judd, racing against other cars from the last decade.

The Pescarolo finished fourth in the race overall, after bouncing back from an accident early in the race, Porter said.

“It was an amazing feeling being underneath the lights at Daytona at 4:30 a.m. in the morning,” Porter said.

Admission to the show will be free for visitors, but a donation to the New England Auto Museum is requested. Anyone interested in showing a car can pre-register online at with the fee being $10 per car. More details about the show at www.neautomuseum.org.

14 Jun

New England Auto Museum eyeing Riverview Plaza as home

Hour File Photo/Alex von Kleydorff. Press conference in March of 2014 at Dragone Classic Automibiles in Wesport to announce Norwalk's New England Auto Museum

Hour File Photo/Alex von Kleydorff. Press conference in March of 2014 at Dragone Classic Automobiles in Wesport to announce Norwalk’s New England Auto Museum

By ROBERT KOCH
Hour Staff Writer | Posted: Saturday, June 13, 2015 3:30 pm

NORWALK –Riverview Plaza on Belden Avenue could become the home of the New England Auto Museum.

New England Auto Museum (NEAM), a nonprofit organization founded to preserve, interpret and exhibit automobiles and automotive artifacts, has selected Norwalk as the future home of a museum and educational facility, according to its website. And at this point, the organization has its sights set on Riverview Plaza at 24 Belden Ave.

“We’re hoping we could renovate it,” NEAM marketing director Nick Ord told The Hour. “We want the display space to be where the mall was, which is ground floor, and then the upstairs five floors would be educational.”

The New England Auto Museum would feature 100 automobiles, an education center and automotive academy co-sponsored by Norwalk Community College and the Norwalk Public Schools P-Tech Program, and draw 100,000 to 150,000 visitors annually, according to NEAM.

Ord’s comments came at City Hall on Tuesday evening after the Norwalk Redevelopment Commission approved a $13,000 grant toward an assessment to determine whether such a museum would be viable in the Norwalk area.

“It’s not so much location but to verify that we have economic rationale to proceed,” Ord told commissioners. Commissioners approved thegrant after requesting that Norwalk be the focus of the assessment.

Ord said NEAM has explored East Hartford, Bristol, Southington as possible locations for the auto museum but all fell through. In Norwalk, the organization earlier eyed Loehmann’s Plaza on West Avenue. White Oak Associates Museum Planners and Producers will perform the assessment at a cost of $65,000.

Ord said NEAM has applied for $32,500 in funding from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and will attempt to raise $19,500 in private donations to cover the balance of the assessment cost. NEAM has until Feb. 2, 2016, to secure all funding.

Riverview Plaza was once home to a Pathmark Supermarket and the Norwalk Social Security office. The building is now vacant, Ord said. According to NEAM, Riverview Plaza offers an “easy access to major arteries as well as convenient bus transportation for visitors to all areas of Norwalk.”

NEAM was founded in 2007 by Michael and Christine Scheidel to “celebrate the automobile and its significant impact on our culture through the preservation and exhibition of automobiles and historical artifacts,” according to its website.

According to NEAM, Norwalk is the ideal location for an auto museum: the city is at the crossroads of Interstate 95, Route 7 and Metro-North Railroad, lies an hour from Manhattan at the gateway to New England, and has other museums (The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and Stepping Stones Museum for Children) that attract more than 1.3 million visitors annually.

In addition, Norwalk is surrounded by the nation’s wealthiest zip codes.
“Norwalk’s New England location will draw current and future automobile enthusiasts from a wide area and provide a gathering spot for the region’s extensive and active automotive community,” according to NEAM.

The conceptual plan has received endorsements from, among others, Mayor Harry W. Rilling and Norwalk Community College President David L. Levinson.

“The museum’s presence in Norwalk will not only be a major tourist attraction in its own right, but will provide a venue for an automotive technology program that we will offer in tandem with the Norwalk Public Schools,” Levinson wrote.

Rilling, in a letter this month, congratulated NEAM in advance for its 10th annual Darien Collectors Car Show, which is scheduled for Sunday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Mathews Park in Norwalk. The event is expected to bring more than 100 collector cars.

The mayor welcomed the prospect of Norwalk becoming the home of NEAM’s automotive museum. “It will serve both as an educational center as well as display center to highlight an ever changing evolution of car history and technological development,” he wrote.

Hour Photo/Alex von Kleydorff. New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame member and national champion driver, Connecticut’s Bob Sharp speaks as New England Auto Museum Founder and CEO Mike Scheidel holds a press conference at Dragone Classic Automobiles in Westport in March 2014.

Link to actual article

05 Jun

Crowd Favorite ’68 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Returning to Father’s Day Car Show in Norwalk June 21st

Photo Mustang 360

Norwalk, CT – Ask any knowledgeable Blue Oval enthusiast to name the quickest pure-production Mustang of the muscle car era, and most will say the 1968 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet.

It was based on the staid 428-cid big-car engine, but had larger valve heads and the race-brewed 427’s intake manifold. It also had ram-air induction and a functional hood scoop. The scoop mated to a special air cleaner with a vacuum-actuated butterfly valve that funneled air directly into the 735-cfm Holley four-barrel carburetor. Output was around 410 horsepower, but Ford rated it at 335 horsepower in an effort to calm insurance agents and con dragstrip rules-makers.

With 11.5-second ETs at 120 mph, the factory team of eight specially prepared 1968 Ford Mustang 428 CJs obliterated everything in their Super Stock class at the ’68 NHRA Winternationals. The impact was no less forceful on the street. “The entire world will come to recognize this engine — the 428 Cobra Jet — at the pop of a hood,” declared Motor Trend. Finally, thanks to the 1968 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet, the competition was chasing Mustang’s tail.

Ford Factory Team, 1968 NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, CA
Gas Ronda (992), Jerry Harvey (983), Hubert Platt (984), and Don Nicholson (987)

The 428 Cobra Jet was born of Bob Tasca’s desire to win. Bob Tasca needs little introduction with longtime Ford buffs. But if you’re just tuning in, Bob Tasca’s Ford dealership in Providence, RI (now Tasca Automotive Group),was quite active in drag racing back in the ’60s. In his desire to win, it’s safe to say that Bob pioneered the 428 Cobra Jet V-8 using off-the-shelf parts from the Ford parts bin.

Ford Motor Company took Bob’s idea and further developed it with a stronger block, similar head castings, and a more aggressive hydraulic lifter camshaft to conceive the 428 Cobra Jet. What hurt the Cobra Jet’s development was an ugly United Auto Workers strike that shut down Ford during the fall of ’67. Development of the Cobra Jet didn’t really get underway until December of that year, with the production of a couple of Mustang test mules, then the limited-production run of 50 Wimbledon White fastbacks produced strictly for NHRA competition. Some of those fastbacks were shipped to professional drag racers, such as “Dyno” Don Nicholson, Hubert Platt, and Gas Ronda, as an opening salvo for the ’68 season. These gentlemen went to the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona with their fastbacks and earned Ford some respect.

#37 of the 50 factory Cobra Jet 428 drag racers was shipped to Rye Ford in Rye, NY as a promotional vehicle to create showroom traffic. This car was purchased by Vinny Lyons of Port Chester, NY who has owned and raced the car from new right up to the present day in vintage events.

Vinny’s Mustang has been a popular featured show car at the Darien Collectors Car Show, now celebrating its 10th anniversary on Father’s Day, June 21st and moving to Norwalk’s Mathews Park, at 295 West Avenue (near the intersection of I-95 and Route 7).

The event will be held from 10AM-3PM and will offer hundreds of unique cars to view. Admission to the event is free to spectators; a donation will be encouraged and proceeds will go towards the New England Auto Museum’s building and education funds. The New England Auto Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

Come out and enjoy an afternoon of classic cars in all shapes and sizes, talk with the owners, be a judge and select your favorite car, grab a bite to eat and even visit the Stepping Stones Children’s Museum and the historic Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, right next door. It’s a great afternoon for Dad and the whole family!