I’m going on a field trip!

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Dr. Karen Stephen

CLICK on POSTER to see all the fabulous POSTER ART created for the Concours over the years

The Blackhawk Automotive Museum is sponsoring a trip to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The perfect “field trip” for this classic car enthusiast. We’ll meet at the Museum in Danville at the crack of dawn on Sunday, August 16th, and return late that night, riding in a VIP coach with all the amenities. They’ve added a travel fee on top of the regular Concours ticket price of $300, but seeing it just once in my lifetime in person is well worth the tariff. There will even be a Museum docent led tour from someone in the know.

My original plan was to attend the Rolex Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca that weekend, but I’ve done that several times. So I’ve chosen quiet elegance over the roar of engines to satisfy my classic car fetish for this year.

For anyone who is jealous and lives in the SF Bay area, there are still some seats left on the bus (there will be pickups in San Jose as well). Just contact the Blackhawk Museum.

The house

The morning view of downtown Oakland and SF Bay beyond from my little patio on the ground floor (behind the lower railing on the house pic

P.S. For those of you who have mentioned my recent lack of posts, I’ve been deep in the throes of a move from Contra Costa County to the Oakland hills, moving in with my daughter and her family so that my bilingual granddaughters can go to kindergarten and preschool at two different French schools in the Oakland/Berkeley area. The little one will attend Ecole Bilingue and the older one the new Francophone Charter School, where her mother will be the curriculum director. A guided tour to the Concours will be a welcome change from all the weeks of packing and unpacking.

Calling all Classic and Indy car racing fans

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Dr. Karen Stephen

It’s that time of year again, and I’ll be moved and settled in just in time for my two favorite auto races. First, I’ll do one day, Saturday, August 15th, at Laguna Seca at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Second, I’ll do all three days, Friday, August 28 through Sunday, August 30, at the Go Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma, which will be the last and deciding race for this year’s Verizon INDYCAR series championship. GO, HELIO!

And here’s the exciting part for YOU! I would love to find a race car fan to go with me. Friends and relatives are eligible. Even new friends if you’re the companionable sort. A single ticket (pre-purchased) for Laguna Seca is $80 and you have to be a very early bird willing to drive down at the crack of dawn the morning of the race to get parking. I already have purchased two 3-day tickets for Sonoma and price depends on which day(s) you chose to attend and how close a friend you are (hint, hint!). Friday is practice, Saturday qualifying, and Sunday the race itself. Very exciting track–I’ve done three amazing and very scary charity laps on this track on two different occasions.

Here are some photos and videos from prior years to whet your appetite.

Pit passes enable you to go on the track just before the start.

My “date” last year!

Not quite the real thing

Explore the paddock at Laguna Seca

Name this VERY famous driver!

With my favorite driver. Go Helio!

The vintage cars on the track.

Helio’s pit at Sonoma

ZOOM! ZOOM!

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Dr. Karen Stephen

The Maserati Alfieri Concept car in the early morning fog

A great time at the 2014 Rolex Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. Drove down from the Bay Area at the crack of dawn to get a good parking space. I was delayed by a big spill of tomatoes on the freeway but because the track was fogged in still arrived in time for the first race run. Found a very wet seat in my favorite stands by Turn 4. By 10 am the seats and the track had dried out. Enjoyed taking a little Track Taxi (run by Veterans to raise funds for Wounded Vets) up to top of the track where you can see a view of the entire track off one side of the hill and see the race cars zoom through the corkscrew turn on the other. The Mark this year was Maserati and it was great to see both the classic versions and this stunning new Alfieri Concept.

After the race maintenance

Under heavy fog Group 3B Can-Am comes out to play including Craig Bennett in his 1974 Shadow DN4 (scroll down through the photos on this Sports Car Digest article). On the left is a photo I took after the race with the chassis exposed for some repair work. I’d also seen this car up at Sonoma last spring. Great to watch it pull away from the rest of field here at Laguna Seca.

So much fun watching classic race cars zoom through the corkscrew at the top of the hill on a pace lap.

My friends weren’t able to make it, but never fear, I met a really great guy. Big and fluffy! And hel’ll never give me any back talk!