2012
Monaco Historic Grand Prix
Every two years, vintage racing cars come from
around the world to race on the streets of Monaco. The race course at Monaco is
hopelessly out of date by modern standards. It is too dangerous, too twisty and
too narrow. There are only a few places where a driver can make a mistake
without doing serious damage to the car. The likelihood of injury in the event
of a crash is high.
There has been motor racing in Monaco since
1929. All the greatest drivers – Chiron, Fangio, Moss, Hill, Clark and Senna –
have pushed their race cars to the limit in the corners at La Rascasse,
Ste-Devote and Massenet. All the greatest constructors – Bugatti, ERA, Alfa
Romeo, Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus – have brought their cars here to challenge
the streets of Monaco.
Soon, they swing into view, scrabbling for
traction, the rear of the cars dancing and sliding through Tabac before
sweeping past the yachts tethered along the inner harbor. The drivers tug and
haul on giant steering wheels with their elbows outside the cockpit, struggling
to impose their will on the cars as they dart by. Then in a flash, they are
around the swimming pool and out of sight, the smell of burnt gasoline and
alcohol trailing in their wake.
The Historic Grand Prix is organized into 7
classes. Serie A is for grand prix cars
built before 1952. Serie B is for
grand prix and Formula 2 cars before 1961. Serie
C is made up of sports cars built before 1952. Serie D
is where rear engine grand prix cars from 1961 to 1965 are found. Serie E is comprised of
Formula One cars from 1966 – 1972. Serie F represents the heavy iron, Formula One cars from 1973 to 1978. And Serie G consists of 2 liter Formula 3 cars from before 1985. Friday is open practice for the cars. Saturday is devoted to qualifying and Sunday is race day.
Formula One cars from 1966 – 1972. Serie F represents the heavy iron, Formula One cars from 1973 to 1978. And Serie G consists of 2 liter Formula 3 cars from before 1985. Friday is open practice for the cars. Saturday is devoted to qualifying and Sunday is race day.
Most of the fans are here to see the old
race cars, the ERA’s, Bugattis, Alfa Romeos and Maseratis that ran these same
streets 60 to 70 years ago. Some delight the crowd with the sound of screaming
superchargers. Others assault our ears with the thunder of large displacement engines.
But all of them skitter around the track on narrow tires, slithering this way
and that, always just on the edge of disaster.
The machines here this weekend are
museum pieces worth up to a million dollars or more - in some cases, much more.
In vintage racing, there is an unwritten rule that you do not collide with your
competitors. Nor does anyone want to bend his collector’s item by stuffing it
into a wall. But still, the level of racing is spirited, to say the least, at
least near the front of the field.
There seem to be two kinds of drivers at
Monaco for the Historics. The first group consists of racers who are bound and
determined to be first across the line when the checkered flag waves. But many
are simply content to be part of the scene. They drive with passion, yet you
can almost hear them thinking, “I am driving at Monaco in an antique race car.
How cool is that?”
One of those is Alan Patterson, driving an
Allard J2X that he bought new in 1952 and has owned ever since. Alan is 82
years old this time around and promises to be back for the next event in 2014.
In a 10 lap race, he completes only 7 circuits of the course. But he is here at
Monaco in his flawless red Allard driving where the legends have driven. The sun
is blazing in an azure Mediterranean sky on a picture postcard perfect day. Who
wouldn’t wish to be Alan Patterson at this moment?
Part of the charm of Monaco is its mix of
cultures. Nestled in the southeast corner of France only a few miles from the
Italian border, it brings together race fans from many countries. Four
announcers call the action in French, Italian, German and English. Yet whatever
the language, the names of the drivers and constructors are the same:
Carraciola and Dreyfus, Ickx and Andretti, Stewart and Senna. Ferrari and
Maserati, Bugatti and ERA, McLaren and Lotus . The legend is everywhere around
you, soaking into your soul like the afternoon fog that often envelopes the Inner
Harbor. Now you are part of the legend
as well. Life will never be quite the same after you have been to Monaco.