From humble beginnings as a horseless carriage, the car has exploded into not just a necessity of life, but a necessity of leisure as well. For some people, cars are canvases for customization destined to become works of art—works of art, it’s worth noting, don’t have gigantic nonfunctional wings. Other people race them in every conceivable way: on-road, off-road, dirt-road; circles, serpentine circuits, straight lines; even straight into each other. Automotive passions have seeded the globe with must-see events; these are our top 10, listed in chronological order.
NHRA Winternationals
What: The greatest show in drag racing
When: February
Where: L.A. County Fairplex, Pomona, California
How Much: $25–$50
For More Info: www.NHRA.com
For megawatt power and tire-shredding performance, you owe it to yourself to experience a top-drawer drag-racing event. Few occurrences in modern sport can match the “holy shit!” factor of a Top Fuel dragster run. The earth trembles to the seismic pulse of nitromethane engines generating 8000-plus hp, and the cars reach trap speeds north of 300 mph in less than four seconds and just 1000 feet—the full quarter-mile is on hiatus while safety standards catch up to the cars’ jaw-dropping performance.
You’ll see this kind of action—plus the rest of drag racing’s top classes—at any NHRA National, but you’ll see more of it at the Winternationals. Staged annually at the Los Angeles County Fairplex, this four-day event is America’s quarter-mile Mecca. It’s the first event of the pro drag season, so all the cars are pristine, the teams even, and the competition fierce. It just doesn’t get any better. Comfort tip: bring earplugs. Top Fuel noise levels are like World War II compressed into one weekend.
Indianapolis 500
What: America’s premier open-wheel event
When: Memorial Day weekend
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Indiana
How Much: $40–$150
For More Info: www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500
Going to the Indianapolis 500 is a religious pilgrimage to racing fans, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a giant temple of speed standing tall among flat farmland outside of Indianapolis. Heck, there’s even a giant pagoda in the middle. Just don’t call the track an oval. It is actually four slightly different quarter-mile corners connected by as much straightaway as would fit on the original speedway’s land space. The peril and heroics of running the 500-mile race have diminished slightly thanks to modern safety improvements, but the average qualifying speeds, over 225 mph, remain near historic highs, and spectacular finishes are the norm.
But the Indy 500 is much more than the actual race. It’s an entire weekend of pageantry and history. The track is 101 years old, and an on-site museum is filled with the cars of past 500 winners. If you can get a pass to the Gasoline Alley garage area, do it—you’ll be able to walk right up to the drivers and mechanics as they move their cars from the garage to the grid. Also, bring sunscreen, lest you end up looking like one of the lobster-skinned shirtless dudes that litter the infield after too much pre-race revelry.
Isle of Man TT
What: A motorcycle race on public roads
When: Late May through early June
Where: Isle of Man, Great Britain
How Much: Free general admission
For More Info: www.iomtt.com
This set of motorcycle races on the Isle of Man, situated in the Irish Sea off the west coast of Britain, is a throwback to the past, when racers on two wheels and four pitted their skills against the hazards of public roads rather than purpose-built tracks. The Tourist Trophy (TT) races take place on the 38-mile Mountain Course around and over the island, where the riders hit speeds of more than 180 mph and get more air than the average ski jumper. Their bravery—some would say foolhardiness—is unbelievable, as any mistake on the island can be fatal. There are no run-off areas, and a collision with a stone wall, house, or tree is the likely outcome of any mistake.
Automobile racing started on the Isle of Man in 1904, with the first bike TT in 1907. World championship events were held there until 1976, when it was deemed too dangerous for top-flight racing, but hordes of motorcyclists descend on the island every year for this unique spectacle. The Isle of Man is hardly a glitzy vacation destination, but access to the course is unmatched. Where else can you sit in a pub, sipping a pint of ale, while a racing motorcycle roars by in the street?
24 Hours of Le Mans
What: Motorsports’ greatest test of man and machine
When: June
Where: Circuit de la Sarthe, northeastern France
How Much: $98 and up
For More Info: www.lemans.org/en
Le Mans isn’t just one race. Sharing the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe are cars ranging from the showroom-similar cars of the GT1 and GT2 sports-car classes to the state-of-the-art LMP1 and LMP2 prototype cars. Each car battles for class honors as well as overall position, and the different speeds and capabilities of the classes multiply the excitement exponentially. The omnipresent racing symphony ranges from the shriek of high-revving gasoline engines to the subdued grumble of the ruling turbo-diesel prototypes.
If the Indy 500 is the greatest spectacle in racing, the Le Mans 24-hour is the biggest party in motorsports—rock around the clock with an internal-combustion backbeat. No one goes just to watch cars zoom by for the entire 24 hours. They also go for the carnival rides (Ferris-wheel lights lend a circus aspect to the night sky), the food vendors, the boutiques, the sideshows, and partying. But no party surpasses the one on victory lane after a 24-hour triumph.
(The Unofficial) Woodward Dream Cruise
What: Detroit’s best, at its best
When: The third weekend in August
Where: Woodward Avenue, Oakland County, Michigan
How Much: Free
For More Info: www.WoodwardDreamCruise.com
If you’re a fan of pasty exposed granny-flesh, $4 bottles of water, and heat stroke, then by all means, attend the Woodward Dream Cruise. The promise of the Cruise is that you will see and hear the collected glory of Detroit’s muscle-car past thundering up and down this eight-lane boulevard four abreast. In reality, Woodward this weekend is so choked with traffic—human and otherwise—that the cars barely move.
To get the fully leaded effect, visit Woodward Avenue on a weeknight leading up to the big weekend and park yourself near the Shell station north of 13 Mile Road. Here you’ll find a front-row seat to an unofficial reenactment of the late-‘60s Woodward drags, that asphalt Colosseum where the Big Three’s gladiators would come before the stoplight emperor. Original Woodward legends like the Plymouth GTX “Silver Bullet,” their dashes papered with pink slips, stage here and detonate as they depart. You’ll also see warriors of more recent vintage—Murciélagos, Ford GTs, and even Enzos. So grab a Coke from the cooler inside the Shell, find a patch of grass at the curb, and feel the history vibrate through the soles of your shoes. And pay no heed to The Man’s schedule.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
What: The finest in prewar exclusivity
When: Every third Sunday in August
Where: Pebble Beach golf course, Carmel, California
How Much: $150 in advance, $175 at the show, plus outrageous hotel and food costs jacked up roughly 6000 percent for this particular weekend. And it’s so worth it.
For More Info: www.PebbleBeachConcours.net
This is it—the Big Kahuna, the Chairman of the Board, the most important classic-car show in the world and the anchor to the most important classic-car weekend in the world. Last year’s show drew cars from 30 states and 19 foreign countries, many of them vehicles and collections that simply cannot be seen in any other public venue. This year, the show is 60 years old, so expect something even bigger. The accent is heavily on pre-World War II and early postwar classics, although in recent years, the show has expanded to include more bourgeois hot rods and motorcycles.
The concession prices are stratospheric, the crowd after 10:00 a.m. is epic, and the coastal weather is usually foggy and freezing or boiling hot, but rarely just right. Still, it’s magical, especially if you arrive at 5:00 a.m. in your best seersucker to watch the cars actually motor in, then leisurely stroll the fairway to get unobstructed views before the hordes arrive. It’s a whopper ticket price to watch rich people engage in vigorous ego massaging (just try to find one DIY owner out there), but the show proceeds are donated to worthy charities. Even if you can’t tell a Bugatti from a Bucciali from a bagel with lox, you’re certain to be captivated by the rarest and most fabulous examples of automotive artistry.
To see the full list visit caranddriver.com
Thanks to Brandi Hodge for contributing.
Top Posts