Ok, back to the Quest.
Sunday, September 2, 2012, 6:45am. I drove up in my 1982 BMW Baur, following my friend Bill and and his wife Carol in their beautiful Z3.
Departing behind Bill's Z3 at the crack of dawn for our Lime Rock adventure.
Bill used to have his own race car, back in the day, and, now semi-retired, he makes regular visits to Lime Rock, including 4 times this year. This was my first real visit to the Park, except for one time many years ago, when I did a brief drive-through when the Park was closed. So I tended to defer to Bill for things like directions to the Park, and navigating around inside the Park once we arrived.
Which we did, a few minutes before 9am. We paid our admission, and the Park staff guided us to 'the BMW area', right at the checkpoint near the Midway. I had no idea where I was in the park in relation to anything else, so I .... parked where they told us.... "where the BMWs will be'. Second mistake.
We then proceeded on foot through the Midway, noting the essential things---- like where the food vendors are, where the restrooms are located, etc.---- and came upon an overlook, where we set up base camp. Wow, what a spot. Beautiful overview of the track, paddocks, and the main podium. In the shade, and handy to the facilities. Perfect!
Carol was not planning on touring the track, so, after a bite to eat, we got her comfortably situated
on the overlook, and Bill and I set out for the paddocks. The skies, which had been overcast and threatening the whole drive up, were now clearing, and it was turning into a glorious late summer day! Naturally, I declined the opportunity to apply some suntan lotion, having failed to learn my lesson from our recent stay on Block Island in August where the summer sun basically turned me to toast. But I digress.
What happened next caught me unprepared again! Nobody ever told me that your jaw muscles could get sore from having your mouth AGAPE for an extended period of time! Like... for the rest of the day! One jaw-dropper after another, starting with the Rahal-Letterman Racing Group.
Why can't my white E21 be like this one?
;)
I gotta get one of these! Do they make a kit car?
Did I mention that Rahal brought a couple of cars to Lime Rock?
Last 5 pics from Patrick Delany in Facebook.
We strolled through the paddocks, where most of the Vintage race cars that were here for the racing on Friday, Saturday and Monday, were on exhibit. Talk about Sensory Overload!
Sunday, September 2, 2012, 6:45am. I drove up in my 1982 BMW Baur, following my friend Bill and and his wife Carol in their beautiful Z3.
Departing behind Bill's Z3 at the crack of dawn for our Lime Rock adventure.
Bill used to have his own race car, back in the day, and, now semi-retired, he makes regular visits to Lime Rock, including 4 times this year. This was my first real visit to the Park, except for one time many years ago, when I did a brief drive-through when the Park was closed. So I tended to defer to Bill for things like directions to the Park, and navigating around inside the Park once we arrived.
Which we did, a few minutes before 9am. We paid our admission, and the Park staff guided us to 'the BMW area', right at the checkpoint near the Midway. I had no idea where I was in the park in relation to anything else, so I .... parked where they told us.... "where the BMWs will be'. Second mistake.
We then proceeded on foot through the Midway, noting the essential things---- like where the food vendors are, where the restrooms are located, etc.---- and came upon an overlook, where we set up base camp. Wow, what a spot. Beautiful overview of the track, paddocks, and the main podium. In the shade, and handy to the facilities. Perfect!
Carol was not planning on touring the track, so, after a bite to eat, we got her comfortably situated
on the overlook, and Bill and I set out for the paddocks. The skies, which had been overcast and threatening the whole drive up, were now clearing, and it was turning into a glorious late summer day! Naturally, I declined the opportunity to apply some suntan lotion, having failed to learn my lesson from our recent stay on Block Island in August where the summer sun basically turned me to toast. But I digress.
What happened next caught me unprepared again! Nobody ever told me that your jaw muscles could get sore from having your mouth AGAPE for an extended period of time! Like... for the rest of the day! One jaw-dropper after another, starting with the Rahal-Letterman Racing Group.
Why can't my white E21 be like this one?
;)
I gotta get one of these! Do they make a kit car?
Did I mention that Rahal brought a couple of cars to Lime Rock?
Last 5 pics from Patrick Delany in Facebook.
We strolled through the paddocks, where most of the Vintage race cars that were here for the racing on Friday, Saturday and Monday, were on exhibit. Talk about Sensory Overload!
Stainless? Aluminum? Aluminium? I don't know!
C Type Jaguar
1935 Ford-Amilcar Special
The above pics are just a small sampling of the Vintage race cars that were on display that day..... and racing all weekend! Four of those cars pictured above were actually raced by Sir Stirling Moss, incidentally! You remember Sir Moss, right? He is the whole reason I am at Lime Rock that day! We will get to him all in due time however. Be patient.
;)
And, don't forget.... this was only the beginning of the day for me! I had very quickly hit Sensory Overload, and I was now walking around dazedly, snapping pictures randomly, and just gaping at one amazing machine after another! Somebody should have warned me! Wow.
Here are some great shots of the Vintage racers in action, from Patrick Delany, a professional photographer and a member of the BMW CCA CT Valley Chapter. Beautifully done!
Ok, enough for now. I am exhausted just thinking about it again! It was brilliant! I regret that I did not take pics of every single car there. What am I up to now... third mistake??? They mount up quickly! Next time I will take pics of every single car. They were that good!
I was going to add another compilation of pics of the show but.... this is plenty for now. I don't want to put YOU in Sensory Overload! I have tons more pics, both mine and.... er... purloined..
And.... we have almost totally forgotten about the Quest!
Whoa! Now you know how my day was!
;)
By the way... it was about this time, that despite reeling from overload, I was aware that the pubic address system was broadcasting over the entire Park, and there was a conversation going on. One of the voices was distinctly British. It took me a few moments to realize that Sir Stirling Moss was being interviewed somewhere in the Park at that very moment. I had no idea where he was, nor any idea how to get there... I was still entranced by the Vintage racers! I had lost complete track of time. Is that the fourth mistake? Yikes. It is not even noon yet, best I could tell!
Clearly, I was no match for this show. I was out of my league! I needed to hunker down now, and try to salvage what I could from this fabulous event. For I knew that there was no way that I could come close to doing it justice. I would leave that to the more experienced journalist/bloggers, who are usually very generous to share what they have----as long as due credit is given.
I had a new issue to deal with: I had just run into a fellow Baur owner, John M of NJ with his son, who informed me that I could have parked my car on the track alongside his beautiful Baur.... instead of parking in the parking lot! Day um! And day um the torpedoes, I was going to bring my Baur down to the track now to join the cars on display NOW! Regardless of who it was addressing the crowd! (Sir Moss!) Something I should have done, had I known it was an option, when I first arrived! Thank you, John!!
Stay tuned: much, much more on the way.
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