In advance of an event this week at Soho tailoring mecca Seize sur Vingt in honor of the American Le Mans series, DRIVEN was invited out to Lime Rock Park where the race teams will compete in the Northeast Grand Prix.
We sent style chronicler Fernando Morales of The Gentleman’s Topcoat to the track for a piece of the action. Here’s his report from the field:
An outing to Lime Rock Park where the American Le Mans series competes
To most folk, the name Le Mans conjures images of supercars redlining ’round the clock.
Of course, we always envision Steve McQueen in his Gulf-painted Porsche 917 rounding the final lap.
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Our peek at the American Le Mans series’ hunting ground, we hoped, would be a bit of both.
So, with nothing more than a gut full of espresso and about a two-day dose of adrenaline, we headed out to Lime Rock in Connecticut for a preview of coming attractions.
Lime Rock is known as the home of the Northeast’s motorsports junkies
Lime Rock is renowned as the home of the Northeast’s motorsports junkies, not to mention the asphalt alma mater of Paul “Butch” Newman, as he was known on the track.
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Upon arrival we found a BMW M3 (above) from the Skip Barber Racing School awaiting us in the pit lane with a temperamental purr.
125 mph and some drifty corners later, the M3 climbed notches on the RPM gauge to best the lap.
We did laps in a BMW M3 from the Skip Barber Racing School
A casual reminder of the positive Gs experienced in the long hard turns: a diagonal key fob suspended on its side.
Hoping to calm our nerves after the outing, we made our way to the open-tune ground for an encounter with some of the ultra-stylish cars that made the shift from sport to legend.
1984 Porsche 956; click to enlarge
Crouched low to the ground was Stefan Bell’s 1984 Porsche 956 (above), famous for setting the fastest lap at Nurburgring.
Stunning vintage Porsche racers sat around like bored supermodels
Lurking close behind was the ultra sexy Porsche 910 (top and below).
A design success of the ’60s based on the 906, the mean machine finished first in its class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in ’69.
1966 Porsche 910; click to enlarge
Our personal favorite however was the Lotus 23 from 1963 (below).
Our favorite: the 1963 Lotus 23, banned from Le Mans
While a bit more “common” than its contemporaries, the car shook up Le Mans history with its ultra-light construction, allowing it to pull away from competitors right off the starting line.
Resorting to their second nature, the French protested until the car was banned from Le Mans; Lotus vowed to never race there again.
1963 Lotus 23; click to enlarge
Breaking the spell of Le Mans was one of the 1970s Formula One circuit’s heavy contenders.
A blue Tyrrell 003 (below) awaited a last minute inspection before making its way to the pit lane for an open-tune run.
A Tyrrell 003, one of 1970s Formula One’s heavy contenders
A British gentleman going to put the car through its paces leaned over to me and muttered, “I can fly like a bat outta’ hell, but excuse me if I got to take it real slow on the corners”.
The close encounter with the Tyrrell reminded us why we loved this stuff.
Taking in the octane dusted air, we made our way to the Lime Rock chalet as cars grew and faded with the horizon behind our backs.
Allowing our heart rate to revert from RPM to BPM, we departed with quiet sorrow but were consoled by the thought of our upcoming rendezvous with the American Le Mans teams.
Next up: American Le Mans teams descend on Seize sur Vingt in Soho
An added benefit of the Seize sur Vingt event back in the city – the high-octane fuel will come in the form of cocktails.
– F. A. M.
Stay tuned for more from the American Le Mans event at Seize sur Vingt in Soho. All images by Fernando Morales for DRIVEN
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- Posted July 05, 2011
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