Roger Hamel of the Austin Healey Club du Quebec called and asked a simple question, would I like to join them for the Canadian Grand Prix F1 Pilot’s Parade. As an F1 fan, I’ve been to a few different races, but like a bunch of potted plants being delivered, the driver introductions have typically consisted…
A while back, I wrote up an article about my plans to race an MG Midget in the I/GT class at the Bonneville Salt Flats in September, 2012. The plan was to campaign the “Milwaukee Midget” at the World of Speed event, which is run by the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association. Without going into…
The Legacy of Yesterday’s Mountain Climbers I sometimes wonder if the British cars that we collect, restore and love so much still carry with them the legacy of the rallies and races in the 1950s and sixties. Back in those Golden Days of motor sport, the cars not only had to look the same as…
A World Champion gets his first Healey ride. A dark sky, rain threatening; early Sunday morning 18 June, 2000, at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, site of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Canada. “Follow the course marshal’s instructions and DON’T SCREW UP! We’ll be in front of tens of thousands of people and…
I always knew where Mulholland Drive was though I didn’t find out just who Mulholland was for many years. I was raised near this epic road carved in the mountain, and when I got my first car I headed straight there. I believe the day Mulholland Drive was created—sometime around 1924—someone drove it fast. Famous…
The classified add read: “FOR SALE: ’61 Sprite, partially race-prepared, Engine rebuilt – $300. SW 4-1622 days till 7:00 pm.” We drove to Tom’s ABC Auto Service and there it was, a Cherry Red, H Production Bugeye Sprite with roll-bar, open exhaust, no windshield or front bumper. Too boot, it was a “Sebring Sprite” with…
Here’s some on track action from the Mitty. Don’t see a way to post a gallery within WordPress, so follow the link to a PBase gallery. Fair warning, there’s some non-British vehicles in here. http://www.pbase.com/ignomini/the_mitty_road_atlanta_2012
The Grand Prix cars racing around Long Beach brings back a memory of about 55 years ago. My husband Jack and I loved cars. He was one of the first to sign up to purchase the new MGs being brought over from England. Ours was a little two-seater with a red and black plaid top….
Attend any Vintage Auto Racing Association (VARA) event, and you’ll see many Triumphs signed by R.W. “Kas” Kastner, an icon who is revered by British car racers, owners and enthusiasts. At 83, he’s still attending races and offering advice to guys who are having the same problems he did half a century ago on the…
Targa was a great experience—an adventure. The event includes five days, 500 km, of high speed, go-as-fast-as-you-can racing, on the streets of Newfoundland. A friend of mine, living in Ontario, Canada was entered with his 1975 Jensen Healey. About 4 wks prior to the event, knowing that I was skilled Jensen Healey mechanic, he invited…
