2008 Lime Rock Vintage

[Al N.]

I can't go (helping Laura shoot a wedding), but they are still having a Lotus Club Corral...just got this info today. NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A USA7s EVENT...you do not have to be a member of the USA7s Club to participate.

 

Anyone who participated last year can tell you that the parade laps were taken at a fairly brisk rate of speed....fun.

 

Here's the info:

 

SECOND ANNUAL

LOTUS EAST GATHERING

LIME ROCK PARK

VINTAGE FALL FESTIVAL

AUGUST 30 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2008

 

The Vintage Fall Festival at LRP is the second most important vintage race and gathering second only to Monterey.

 

There will be a Lotus Corral (our own space) and a parade laps on Saturday.

Sunday is an automobile extravaganza 10-5. If you wish to put your car in the on track display contact me by August 15th for entry into the show. We would like to have at least one of each Lotus model in the show.

 

Tickets MUST be purchased under the group at www.limerock.com. The procedure is:

Go to www.limerock.com

Then go to: affiliate ticket sales

Enter 258 in the ID box

Enter LO2008 as password (CAPS)

 

This puts you in the Lotus group and makes you eligible for the corral,

a free Vintage Festival program, parade laps and a gift package.

You will also get 10% off tickets.

 

It looks like we will have a canopy and other amenities.

There will be dealer and Lotus Cars presence.

 

We need a minimum of 50 cars so make sure everyone gets their tickets through

this group.

 

Please let me know if you are coming and what days you plan to be there.

 

 

If there are any questions you may contact me at 860-824-4824, or email

ereagan1@comcast.net.

 

Ed Reagan

Co-ordinator

 

 

 

[11Budlite]

Thanks for the info Al...wish you could make it. As long as we can get a baby sitter, Nancy and I will be there with the Birkin. Would love to meet up with any other Seven owners/enthusiasts.

 

Bruce :7drive:

[Al N.]

Definitely try to make the Saturday "parade" laps!

[11Budlite]

"Definitely try to make the Saturday "parade" laps! " - We're counting on it!!

 

Bruce :7drive:

[11Budlite]

Thought I'd give a quick update on this event. Nancy and I were able to get a babysitter for our granddaughter so we headed up to Lime Rock on Saturday. The weather looked to have cleared up from the overnight rain with only a slight mist coming down when we left the house. Well, about two miles into the drive, it started to rain. :ack: It wasn't a hard rain, but it was enough to cause the inside of the windshield and the dash to get covered with water and to give Nancy and I a good case of Seven elbow. I should mention that I still haven't put the top on or even taken the protective wrapper off the side curtains/doors. Luckily we had hooded jackets to keep us relatively dry and a rag to wipe off the inside of the windshield. I asked Nancy if she wanted to put on the Birkini top we had brought along, but she said "I'm ok if you're ok". It's good to have a partner who's willing to sacrifice for this se7en sickness! So we motored on up the scenic roads to LRP with curious glances from the surrounding traffic. The rain did start to let up about halfway into the one hour trip and by the time we got there it had stopped.

 

We met up with Ed R. and some members of the Lotus Enthusisasts Org in the Lotus corral and were a little disappointed to find we were the only Seven there. :ack: There were 5 Esprits, 3 Elises, 2 Exiges, 2 Europas, a 67 Elan, an Elan M100, and our Birkin. It was still pretty cool but I would have loved to see more se7ens! There was a pleasant surprise when another gentleman named Ed came up to me and started checking out my Birkin. He said he had read about Birkins but had never seen one in person before and he was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the car. Turns out he is an old school sports car enthusiast, has a Caterham (an all red '92 Supersprint if I remember correctly) and he lives in the next town over about 8 miles from my house! I mentioned to him about USA7's and he knew about it and has visited the site, but I don't believe he is active here. We exchanged contact info and I plan to check out his car soon and maybe go for a cruise together! :7drive:

 

So the weather starts to clear up and Nancy and I walk around the track and check out the pits. We've been coming to this event since the early 80's and I must say that the turnout of really impressive cars has increased as the years have gone on. The number of tractor trailers in the pits for an "amateur" event is mind-boggling!

 

Nancy and I head back to the corral to get ready for the parade laps at lunch time. We have 15-16 cars lined up double-wide to follow the pace car out on the track. We start off down the diving turn and onto the main straight and Nancy has the camera out to try to take some pictures. The first is going through Big Bend:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/988924667_20080831_0107.JPG

 

The start of the Esses:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1107828174_20080831_0110.JPG

 

This shot gives you a decent idea how steep the original Uphill turn is and why they had to put in a chicane to keep the faster IMSA/GTP cars from going airborne:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/2028806689_20080831_0118R.jpg

 

And here is a shot of a nice yellow Europa heading out of Big Bend to the Esses and one of the only times we were able to accelerate at a decent rate:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/2011844454_20080831_0128.JPG

 

The parade laps were over in only two laps and the pace was WAY too slow for me....maybe the previous years pace had something to do with it. :toetap:

 

 

Here's a shot of the Lotus corral:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/498932432_20080831_0138.JPG

 

And a few other various shots of vintage racecars. A Series 1 on the No Name Straight:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1634613097_20080831_0220A.jpg

 

A very fast Lotus Eleven running a little wide:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1081539711_20080830_0008.JPG

 

Anoth

[MHKflyer52]

Bruce and Nancy,

 

Sounds and looks like you had a great day and a lot of fun in your 7 from the photos and post.

 

Thanks for posting the photos.

 

 

[Al N.]

Thanks for the update and pix, Bruce.

 

I will say that certain individuals on last years "parade" laps allowed a large gap to form in traffic, and those gaps had to be made up, goshdarnit. Truthfully, I was just trying to keep up with the guy in front of me and we probably got into the 80s. I heard one Exige hit triple digits. Maybe they got some sense after those laps....though I later saw a Corvette do a donut in the Esses as part of their parade....

 

If anyone went on Sunday, did James Giickenhaus bring his rebodied Enzo (the P4/5)?

 

EDIT: I JUST CORRESPONDED WITH JG AND HE DID NOT BRING HIS CAR OT LRP.