DOMESTIC INDULGENCE // MY FAVORITE FORD: THE '64 FALCON

Ever since I can remember I have been a fan of Fords. My first car, a 1995 Ford Mustang, was an underpowered, ill handling, gas guzzling, muscle car wannabe. But I loved it. My fathers sled, a mid-nineties Lincoln Town Car, albeit a hulking champagne piece of shit, is still cool, in my opinion. There is just something about a domestic car that makes me smile. And there is but one domestic that makes me grin, ear to ear, like an idiot; Ford's 1964 Falcon Sprint... [read more]

If you have ever been to the SOVREN Pacific Northwest Historics, you'll know why the Falcon Sprint is my favorite Ford. Each year, a 500hp 1964 Falcon Sprint unloads from its car hauler and proceeds to decimate the competition. Originally built by Ford to compete in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, the car featured above, which was modified by Holman & Moodie and driven by Graham Hill at the '64 Monte Carlo Rally, would later go on to compete in the British Touring Car series, followed by a long career with Alan Mann Racing.

The Falcon has since been completely restored by Group 2 Motorsports in Ballard, Washington, and now competes each year at SOVREN as well as other vintage motorsport events around the country.

Photo: Classic Driver
Editorial: Justin W. Coffey

EYE CANDY // 1980 MERCEDES 450 SLC AMG

Just a bit of Eye Candy before we take off for the weekend.

Featured above is a 1980 Mercedes 450 SLC AMG Group 2 race car. Built by the German automaker as a way for Hans Werner Aufrecht to compete with Jaguar and Alpina-BMW in the European Touring Car Championship, the SLC tipped the scales at a mere 1225 kilograms, some 465 kilograms lighter than a standard 450 SLC. Power was increased from 217hp to 375hp, and engine speeds increased from 5000 rpm to 6550 rpm. Utilizing the standard three-speed automatic transmission, as the five speed manual gearbox had not been homologated, the Mercedes 450 SLC AMG, with Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz at the wheel, managed a fifth place finish at the opening race of the 1978 season of the European Touring Car Championship in Monza, Italy.

Click here for additional information on this Mercedes 450 SLC AMG // [comment]

EYE CANDY // ARIEL ATOM IN ACTION

As I rounded the corner to head up the hill, leaving my apartment on the North slope of Queen Anne, I was stopped by an approaching car. Wearing a racing helmet and clad in motorcycle leathers, the gentleman in front of me was at the wheel of an Ariel Atom. He passes me on my left, acknowledging my head nod and proceeded to park in the ground level garage of a town house at the end of my street. Now I have seen a few Ariel Atoms, one at the track, another being serviced at Group 2 Motorsports, but I had never seen one in the wild. Needless to say, this was a great way to start my day and prompted me to do a bit of research on the Ariel Atom. That being said, click here for additional information on the exoskeleton super car // [comment]

2009 SOVREN PACIFIC NW HISTORICS // PADDOCK & PRE-RACE

The SOVREN Pacific Northwest Historics are to the Northwest, what the Monterey Historics and Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance are to the California automotive scene. A collection of automobiles and personalities that might otherwise go unnoticed, this years SOVREN event, while slim in turnout, was a great opportunity for Northwest motorsport enthusiast to see some of the most fabulous race cars ever produced (see above). That said, follow the link for a look at some of the lust-worthy metal that made an appearance this year... [read more]

The Seattle based Liberty Motors, Ace Cycle-Car. Somewhat similar to the Morgan three wheeler, this V-Twin powered ride was a hit at SOVREN.

The first and only time I have seen a Cord in person. Manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929-1932 and again in 1936 and 1937, this was a rare opportunity to see a very rare car.

While there were a few woody's on hand, this Chrysler certainly caught our eye.

There were a great deal of vintage Trans-Am car in attendance, relatively speaking, and it was great to see this 1970 Boss 302 Mustang out on track all weekend.

A few vintage Harley-Davidson's were in attendance, but 'The Flying Merkel' was a particular favorite of ours.

For more photos from this years SOVREN Pacific Northwest Historics, click here

Photo: Terry Frye
Editorial: Justin Coffey

2009 SOVREN HISTORICS // M1 PRO CAR, CTD T-SHIRTS & MORE

This weekend is the 2009 SOVREN Pacific Northwest Historics. An annual gathering of Northwest vintage racing enthusiasts, SOVREN is the largest event of the year and the only one of its kind in this area.

Like last year, ColdTrackDays will have a booth along SOVREN's vendor row. ColdTrackDays shirt's will be on sale, as well as signed copies of Garth Stein's novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain. Additionally, the gentlemen at Munich Evolution have brought out their recently acquired 1979 BMW M1 Pro Car, formerly owned by the Prime Minister of Qatar. So if you are Northwest native, be sure and stop by the ColdTrackDays booth, say hi to a few of our staff members, pick up a copy of Garth's book and a ColdTrackDays T-Shirt! // [comment]

LOCAL RIDE // AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 @ GROUP 2 MOTORSPORTS

During my recent visit to Group 2 Motorsports, I spotted this mint Austin-Healey 3000 sitting in the back of the shop. Now the technicians at Group 2 are known for their ability (or should we say willingness) to work on nearly anything, often tuning and maintaining even the most obscure automobiles. So when I saw this classic British roadster in their garage, I was not surprised.

Finished in a red and black two-tone paint scheme and sitting atop a set of original wire wheels, this particular early model Healey reminds me just how much I 'need' a roadster this summer!

Follow the link for additional photos... [read more]




For more information on Group 2 Motorsports and the services they provide, click here

Photo/Editorial: Justin Coffey

LOCAL RIDE // PREPARED BY GROUP 2 MOTORSPORTS

Took this photo when I visited Group 2 Motorsports earlier this month. Not sure what exactly they have done to this late model 2002, but judging from its stance and the four-point roll bar, I am sure it is a capable track toy. Click here for additional information on Group 2 // [comment]

LOCAL RIDE // CHRIS' ALFA ROMEO MILANO 2.5

Parked amongst the precious metal lining the front of Group 2 Motorsports, Chris’ late-eighties Milano is anything but vintage. An edgy design with a cult like following, you either love or hate the Alfa Romeo Milano.

With that said, Chris’ Milano is certainly a labor of love. A stock (save the cams and exhaust) 2.5-liter V6 resides beneath the hood and while the power isn’t absurd, the grip is spectacular. Chris, a technician at Group 2, has reworked the suspension, allowing the Milano to make good use of what little power it has. But it isn’t the Milano that deserves credit, it’s Chris’ ability behind the wheel that makes this Alfa Romeo a bit different from most.

At a Northwest Alfa Club meet late last season, I had the opportunity to ride with Chris around Pacific Raceways. The conditions could not have been better, we hadn’t seen rain in days and though Chris had been on track all afternoon taxing wide eyed Alfa fans around the 2.3-Mile road course, he was more than happy to take me for a spin.

As we entered the track, the Milano sprang to life, quickly gaining speed. We powered down the front straight and into the sweeping left that lies at the end of the track. Clutch in, brake hard, turn-in late. Chris' ability to maintain control on the edge was astonishing. The Milano wanted to swing out from beneath us, it’s weight shifting to the outside as we neared the apex. But Chris maintained control, adjusting as needed with slight movements of the wheel. Out of the sweeper and down the hill, the Milano nosed in slightly as Chris braked hard and turned into the esses. It was this point that Chris decided to mention to me, that not only was this Milano his track toy, but it was his daily driver and had served him well, day-to-day, for a number of years... My heart beat a little faster.

We managed a handful of laps before a stranger noise (later discovered to be a wheel bearing) brought us into the pits. Chris’ Milano, after a hard day at the track, was in need of some R&R.

A great piece of machinery, tuned by one of the Northwest's finest shops, I look forward to hanging out with Chris and his Milano this coming season. For more photos from my visit to Group 2 Motorsports, click here // 02.09.2009

IN A THOUSAND WORDS // JOE'S ALFA ROMEO GTV

The Alfa Romeo GTV featured above belongs to Joe, the owner of Group 2 Motorsports in Ballard. Unfortunately, I neglected to get details on his GTV when I visited the shop earlier this week, so these pictures will have to speak a thousand words... for now.

For a look at all of the photos from our visit to Group 2 Motorsports, click here // 02.07.2009

FINE TUNING // A VISIT TO GROUP 2 MOTORSPORTS IN BALLARD

This past Tuesday, after a sleepless weekend of blogging and post processing, I decided to take the afternoon and visit a few friends at Group 2 Motorsports in Ballard. It had been some time since my last visit, and with the sun out I thought it was a good time to drop in and see what they had in the shop.

Group 2 Motorsports is one of the Northwest's premiere tuning shops. Offering everything from general automotive services to suspension/chassis adjustments, roll-cage fabrication and race car preparation, I was not surprised by the diversity of metal parked in front of the shop.

Featured above are but a few of the cars currently being serviced by Group 2. Stay tuned for additional features on Group 2 and a few of the cars we spotted in their shop // 02.06.2009

SCCA Double Nationals // Practice & Qualifying

The SCCA Double Nationals began today, and Cold Track Days was there to cover the event and spread the word about the site. With a weekend chock full of racing, the Grand Prix of Monaco and the Indy 500 both running tomorrow, this was an opportunity to see some racing first hand. Today saw practice and qualifying for nearly all race groups, with Track Trials having their first race to finish out the day. Open wheel cars laid down some fast times, and included Formula Fords, Mazda’s, Continentals, Atlantic's and the new FB class (aka Formula 1000). A number of Sport Racers and a few DSR, C-DSR and CSR cars made up the remainder of the grid, with a Formula Atlantic and C-DSR taking the pole positions. Regional Group 6 had a good showing, with a number of Porsche Turbos and 944’s making for a diverse mix, some fast times and a few exciting qualifying rounds. Tomorrow sees the first of two races for each class, with the event closing out late on Monday. Cold Track Days will be back at it again on Monday, so check back to the sight for a post race recap. Take a look in our photo gallery for a host of photos from today's event //

SOVREN "Spring Sprints" // May 17-18

SOVREN heads to Pacific Raceway for the second time this season, and we are hoping the weather will be more accommodating than the last time. Racing on Saturday begins at 1:30pm after a morning heavy with qualifying, while Sunday sees racing begin a bit earlier, with the first race group heading out at 11am. Different than the “Defrost” weekend, the “Spring Sprints” will see 2.0liter and under Trans-Am cars go at it, as well as the normal SOVREN lineup of small and large bore historics and vintage Formula cars. Another great event from the SOVREN group, with hearty racing and amazing cars a guarantee. Check out www.sovren.org for more information.

Diversity in Speed // NWARC Lap Day

The sky never removed its clouds, apparently gray and overcast was the soup of the day. But for the first event of the year, it could have been much worse. Track days with the Alfa Romeo club are anything but uneventful, and yesterday saw quite the turnout and a decent track condition. The wide selection of cars that showed, provided a good mix of size and horsepower. A Lamborghini appeared, lowering slowly from the innards of a double deck trailer (towed by what must have been a 1/2 million dollar motor home) and rolled itself backward and out into the pits. Slicks were on the Lamborghini for today, and I am sure they helped reel that thing in. Group A took the first session, with instructors and those with a high level of experience running hard. Group’s B and C followed suit and an all Alfa lap session rounded out the morning. We had managed to land ourselves on a corner (turn 5), and from our vantage you watch as the cars pull hard up the back straight, break slightly and push through turn 5, then hard breaking into a wide right and gas it up the hill into turn 8. One would think, a Lamborghini, trailered to the track, racing slicks tacking it to the pavement, would have been the fastest car out there. But in all honesty, I think the 1300cc Giulietta Spider was throwing her weight around and mashing pedal a bit more than the Lamborghini. But then again, they didn't have a quarter million dollars to loose. The afternoon saw a few more people show, a few more cars on the track and the conditions stay much the same. Shortly before we left, we sat in the pits and listened to a young man tell us of his ride in the Lamborrghini. 160mph down the main straight, 120mph through the back section, and she wasn’t even breaking a sweat, the kid was bug eyed and obviously impressed. So maybe the Lamborghini was a bit faster then our friend in the Alfa, but you would expect that for a quarter million. Check out the photo gallery for some pictures //