No matter how many times I attend the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, I never quite get over the visual impact the event creates on the streets of Tokyo’s Odaiba neighborhood. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t into customs or hot rods, the sight that these cars collectively create is simply breathtaking. Throw in an ever-expanding [...]
As the Formula 1 dust settles at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona after last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix I’ve been thinking back to a couple of weeks ago when I was at that very track. It was my first visit to the circuit, courtesy of the Spirit Of Montjuïc classic racing festival, and as [...]
After a hearty breakfast and a last minute dip into the onsen, the second day of the Marronier Run was going to be all about admiration. I headed out to the front of the Hotel nice and early so that I could make full use of the beautiful morning light that was just breaking over [...]
Ayrton Senna, Formula 1 and Donington Park: three things that go naturally together. Ayrton’s career was intertwined with this track, from his formative years racing in British F3 through his first Formula 1 tests and then on to that European Grand Prix. He even referred to it as his ‘best UK circuit’. Donington already had a [...]
The Marronier Run is probably one of the lesser-known classic car events in Japan. It’s a friendly rally organized by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable weekends I’ve had in a very long time. We are always on a mission to step outside of our comfort zones [...]
This year’s Donington Historic Festival in the UK had the usual strong line-up of car clubs taking up the infield of the track, but one gathering I was really looking forward to checking out was the area dedicated to the Classic Z Register and the Z Club Of Great Britain. Organiser Jonathan Kinghorn had been [...]
So there we were: it was the first Monday of May, which in the UK means a public holiday. Hurrah! A month ago there was snow on the ground and many cars were tucked away in garages, safe from the ravages of an unusually long and severe winter that had rudely intruded into spring. But [...]
The Donington Historic Festival signals the beginning of the busiest part of the classic racing season in the UK, and already the event is getting international recognition for the quality of the entry – not bad for a festival that’s just three years old. Even better, the reach of the cars taking part is being [...]
Events like the Donington Historic Festival are like attending a year’s worth of the best racing events imaginable in one weekend, crossed with a time warp. That means the most exciting racing cars from across the last century, all in one place, all for you. One minute you can be watching priceless Ferrari and Aston [...]
When I set out last Saturday to round up some cars for a Spotlight-O-Rama post from Toyotafest, I wasn’t specifically looking for a selection of vintage cars. But as I made my way around the show, it just seemed that all the cars drawing my interest were from the 1980s and earlier. I guess the [...]
Aside from the spectacular environment it’s built around and the atmosphere abuzz within it, the beauty of the Leadfoot Festival lies with the machinery. I’ve been to a lot of car shows and motorsport events during my lifetime thus far, but when you’re talking sheer diversity, nothing has come close to the event created by [...]
Any day I get to pack up my gear and go Speedhunting is a good day, but ever since this time last year I’ve been counting down the days to the next Leadfoot Festival. The weekend just passed, edition 2013 went down in style on Rod Millen’s 1-mile long driveway. Although he made a name [...]
It’s the smell of nitro and rubber turned to smoke, BBQ and kettle corn; the sudden crack of a blower separating from its engine at 260mph, enough to make you jump even with earplugs; the guttural tremor as a Top Fuel car claws for traction. This must be March Meet. 55 years later, people still [...]
I will pick up the Nostalgic 2 Days coverage with another Spotlight-o-rama and after the slightly too Nissan oriented previous one, I thought I should probably mix it up a little (mind you 65% of the cars at the show were Nissans!). I’m a sucker for older Toyota Crowns, no matter what body shape, but [...]
I expected some impressive vintage racing cars for sure at Race Retro, the UK’s big historic racing meet, but not the staggering range and quality of metal that was on show, or the variety of events that were being promoted. In every set of circuit racers, rally machines and single seaters there would be at [...]
