ALMS Eye Candy

Did you miss the American Le Mans race that took place at Lime Rock Park this past Saturday?  If you did, go look up who won.  Then come back and look at these pics of what you may have missed.

More Cars, More Coffee

This past Saturday two big names from the Boston area hosted separate Cars and Coffee events.  The Herb Chambers Porsche/Audi dealership and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum put on quite a show, showing off more exotic hardware than a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon's office.  Here are some of the sights from both.  Enjoy!

Warning: large photos ahead

The Beauty of All Wheel Drive

Think back to the turn of this millennium and remember how good things were.  Y2K failed to do anything to the infrastructure, the economy was booming, and the Fast and the Furious franchise wasn't a franchise.  People were living their lives a quarter mile at a time, had jobs, were buying all sorts of extravagance, and 401Ks seemed secure.  Everyone was happy.  That is, everyone except the car enthusiast.

Gestation of an Amateur Photographer

Nine months ago, I picked up my first real camera hoping to capture some really kickass photos for FPH.  At first, I thought it was going to be easy.  How hard could it be to aim at something and hit a button?!?!  Was I ever in for an awakening!  Not only were my pictures stagnant and off-color, they didn't illicit any emotion.  Now I don't confess my pictures are frame worthy and should be hung over a fireplace.  However, I do feel I've learned a lot since I unboxed my Nikon back in March.  Knowing that I still have a lot to learn, I present, what I think are, the best pictures of 2011 in chronological order.  Enjoy!

P.S. Some of the pictures get cut off on the right side due to formatting issues.  Click on them to view in large format.

Now and Then

The other day Danny Choy posted about the Ferrari California from both past and present.  It got me thinking about what cars have endured over time or have spiritual successors in the market place now.  This inevitably led to a lot of Googling and drooling.  Sit back and enjoy!

Drive-ins, Cruise Nights, and Club Meets

Throughout the summer, I've been trying to get to as many car events as possible to challenge my very amateur photography skills.  While FPH has covered the Mount Washington Climb to the Clouds and American Le Mans at Lime Rock, it's hard to constantly find race venues that are both within driving distance as well as willing to extend media credentials to FPH up here in the northeast.  To stave off the rust, I've also been attending car meets of various kinds.  Here are some of the more artistic shots I've taken.  Feel free to leave any kind of constructive criticism in the comments.

ALMS at Lime Rock Park: FPH wrap-up 2011

On Friday, Danny Chin shared about his first experiences at Lime Rock Park a couple years ago and his affections for the scenic racetrack.

Although I have been an avid fan of motorsports for many years now, I never had the opportunity to attend a live race. Yet since I was armed with a camera and a media pass, I somehow believed there will be no surprises. I was in for a big surprise.

Lime Rock Park and ALMS

Ever since I got into racing, I promised myself that I would make it to at least one race every summer.  It didn't really matter what cars were racing either.  I just wanted to experience anything and everything that I could afford and/or could actually find time to get away for.  For the most part, the promise has been kept.  There have been some memorable international series like MotoGP at Laguna Seca and Indy along with some homegrown racing such as Nascar up in Loudon and IRL at Watkin's Glen.  However, there is one particular Sunday from a few years back where I remember the track more than the racing.  That track was Lime Rock.

So with an engineering degree, a bad job market, and a lack of funds, I've decided to forgo the plane tickets, get back to basics, and return to what was such an inspirational place.  And what a return this event will be.  Since the serene beauty of the track is expected and won't broadside me like last time, I will be able to focus on the actual racing, a series that I have never seen before but I hope will be a precursor to many future adventures.  The American Le Mans Series, what some people say is the pinnacle of relevancy to street cars in motorsports, will hold its third race of the season at Lime Rock Park.

The meandering 1.5 mile track will play host to about twenty ALMS cars in both Prototype and GT classes including Aston Martin powered Lolas, Mazda powered Lolas, Ferrari 458s, Corvettes, GT3s, and XKRs.  Additionally, there will be a Porsche GT3 Cup race and a Prototypes Lite race. With no monolithic structure containing the racetrack, it should prove to be an amazing juxtaposition of nature and technology existing in harmony while we, the viewers, benefit with amazing racing set against a striking backdrop.

Here are the highlights from last year:

I along with Danny Choy will be at the races on Saturday.  They start bright and early at 9am.  Please feel free to seek us out and chat.  My phone will be on and receiving e-mails for the address listed on my profile.  More information can be found below.  We hope to see you there!

Lime Rock Park
American Le Mans Series
Tickets

Past Meets Present

The C2 Corvette Stringray (1963-1967) offered drastic changes from the previous C1. It was the first production Corvette coupe, offered substantial improvements in power and handling over its predecessor and gave us the infamous '63 split window.

Time Capsules

"Win on Sunday; Sell on Monday" is a phrase that's been used since the inception of motorsport.  It gained huge popularity with marketing departments in the 60s when muscle cars ruled the dragstrip and NASCAR's ovals were filled with cars that were close to showroom stock.  There are still cars like the Porsche GT3, Corvette Z06, and Viper ACR that abide by this marketing scheme.  However, these are all quite expensive and extensively modified for race duty.

In the world of motorcycles, this old adage still holds true. Although Honda didn't reach the top step of the podium at Daytona this weekend, this wasn't always the case.  One man has held two very rare Hondas in their original shipping crates for nearly 20 years.

Ebay Finds

For those that think an Aston Martin DB5 or a Shelby Cobra aren't rare enough, here are two cars from the 50s that would satisfy those extravagant connoisseurs.

Affordable Supercar Series

The 80s were a dark time for the automotive world.  Manufacturers hadn't figured out how to make horsepower after federally mandated smog equipment had been bolted onto motors.  The giants of the sports car realm - Supra, Corvette, 928 - didn't break the 300 horsepower mark until the very end of the decade.  However, if you look hard enough there's always a light in the darkness.  In the mid 80s, the light could be found in music by a still black Michael Jackson, the inherent goodness of Darth Vader, and the turbo V6 in the blacked out Buick Grand National.

autogaleria.hu

You Just Been Pimped!

Do you ever find yourself in the mood to watch a race and turn on the Speed Channel only to find Pimp My Ride or hour after hour of Barrett-Jackson auctions?  If you're like me, there's a series of reactions to this.  First, there's a feeling of anger/disappointment.  This is followed by being perplexed at how 18 TVs fit into one car.  Then, something on the auction block piques my interest and I settle in for a couple hours with dreams of buying some of those ridiculously priced concept cars from the 50s or maybe a nicely restored, numbers matching, overpriced Hemi Cuda.  Well, this post is here to slap you upside the head because there are much more interesting cars to find than what's at Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, or RM.

virginmedia.com

I love me some T-Rex

Shaped like the head of a Tyrannosaurus-Rex, Laguna Seca is my favorite track on Earth.

Affordable Supercar Series (ASS)

Courtesy Z06zone.com

There are only a few things that a 16 year old boy thinks about on a daily basis.  In no certain order, these thoughts circulate around food, video games, girls'...er..."personalities", and big horsepower numbers.  The car that produced the biggest numbers at a fraction of the cost of most supercars back when I was 16 was the 2002 Corvette Z06.

Car Porn

Here's a selection of car pictures to get you over that Wednesday hump.  They were taken by Keqing Song, a good friend of mine from school.  For more info, check out his website at here.

Obligatory Chevy Bel Air