OUCH!!

[henk4]

It'll panel beat out. And he'll do more damage to it next year.

Good on him.

He has been a participant in every edition of the Monterey Historics so far.

[cmcpokey]

He has been a participant in every edition of the Monterey Historics so far.

with that particular TR, which he has owned for 40+ years.

[baddabang]

IIRC the same owner has had the car since the 50's and when he got it it had a Chevy V8 in it.

No wonder the poor TR keeps trying to commit suicide.

Probably a better engine...

[henk4]

Last year's incident, the car came straight towards me, then veered to the right but ended rear end first in a big cloud of dust. No real damage.

[f6fhellcat13]

Thanks for the pictures.
Shame the same thing didn't happen this year...

[DesmoRob]

What a car. As much as it hurts to see her get beat and bent, its always comforting to know that the owner will most certainly have everything looking and running tip top again soon after.

I'd have no problem tracking a Ferrari, although I wouldn't push it hard enough to risk damaging the body. Lucky for me there won't be much temptation, because the okanagan doesn't really have any tracks aside from ovals (damn rednecks).

[henk4]

I think we also have to understand that for the owner the original cost of the car was hardly top dollar, so we may consider it a significant problem, but he is enjoying his car (and putting it over the limit sometimes).

[DesmoRob]

I think we also have to understand that for the owner the original cost of the car was hardly top dollar, so we may consider it a significant problem, but he is enjoying his car (and putting it over the limit sometimes).

I think its admirable that he's held onto it for this amount of time. That's what you'd call true love. Most would have taken their capital gain and ran with it.

[NSXType-R]

I think its admirable that he's held onto it for this amount of time. That's what you'd call true love. Most would have taken their capital gain and ran with it.

Or worse- left it in a showroom/museum for the rest of its life.

I think an aircraft restorer put it nicely- if you were to exhibit animals, the easy way would be to shoot it and stuff it. Why put it in a zoo? The same thing with cars, airplanes, etc. You can't reproduce the feeling of it without it moving.

[f6fhellcat13]

Or, if we are to stretch the metaphor, observe the animals in the wild; the racetrack.

[johnnynumfiv]

You think he would slow down a bit before that corkscrew. Instead of N or R's on cars for Newby or Rookie, they should put S's for senlie.

[csl177]

He has been a participant in every edition of the Monterey Historics so far.

Yup... a genuine Friend Of Steve. Which is why even though he's overcooked several spots on track with his redoubtable (if somewhat abused) TR, he's invited back regularly.

For nubes, one must be a FOS to get away with it... otherwise, one off-track excursion and it's over. You don't get "invited" back to play, multi-million-dollar vintage racer or not. I can't say the Historics won't progress without Mr. Earle at the helm any more.

[Matra et Alpine]

Not seeing anything that led up to it I have to ask what condition his tyres were, brakes ? Any sand on the road - I've been told Laguna is bad for that.
So a number of reasons to be "caught out" possibly

csl177, in the UK classic "racing" then not only do we see "offs" but also an occasional rubbing and nudging. Not "malicious" but accepted as a possibility when racing.

If you can find it, look for the MotorsTV coverage of the Silverstone Classic race weekend .... I'd rather see some old guy pusing the car hard on track than some younger guy storing it in a shed to "make a profit on it"

[csl177]

You guys generally have a more competitive attitude concerning vintage racing, Matra... a Good Thing. I agree with you.
In some quarters of American vintage racing it can be a parade. There is genuine competition at most, though.
The issue I described had to do with something most know as the 13/13 rule: if you have an incident you can't have another for 13 months (unless you're a Friend of Steve). Afterwards 13 months probation (unless you're FOS... and happen to have an important TR).

As to conditions, well the track wasn't slippy though it can be, he just got deep on turn one in the first case. Can't explain the corkscrew incident, but it isn't hard to overdrive a car with drum brakes on this track.

Yes, he's owned the car a long time. Perhaps it's time to use a younger driver.