VINTAGE: Sonoma Hosts Racing Feast

Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival features 400 vintage race cars competing on the track, most of them from California.

Vintage Motorsport Staff | http://www.vintagemotorsport.com | Posted May 09, 2011 Sonoma, CA

A 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 runs hard during last year's Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival. (Photo: Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival)

Of the 400 historic cars entered in the Second Annual Sonoma Historic Motorsport Festival from June 4-5 at Infineon Raceway, more than 250 hale from the State of California, a hot bed for collectors of exotic street cars and significant race cars.

The event features the McLaren marque, which was a dominant force in the Can-Am, Indy 500 and Formula 1 racing series in the '60s and '70s.

While nearly 190 of the entries list Northern California as home, the remaining are from the Los Angeles and Central California areas. Included in the San Francisco-based cars are a 1934 Bugatti T-59, owned and driven by Charles McCabe, a 1977 McLaren M23 and a 1963 Lotus 27 Formula Junior driven by Danny Baker, and Len Auerbach's 1938 Aston Martin.

Peter Giddings of Danville is expected to run his 1931 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 once again in this year's event. (Photo: Sonoma Historic Motorsport Festival)

Jim Gallucci, of Danville, will race his 1969 McLaren M8C, while Peter Giddings, also of Danville, will compete in his 1931 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 and 1956 Maserati 250F.

The editor-in-chief of Vintage Motorsport magazine, D. Randy Riggs, comes from nearby Novato to race Ron Tribble's ’86 IMSA GTO Camaro in Group 6B.

From nearby Yountville, home of the world-renowned restaurant French Laundry, Steve Cook will race his 1964 March 741 and 1968 McLaren M6B. Jeremy Nickel, also from Yountville, will pilot his 1963 Lotus 27 Formula Junior in one of the 13 races groups that will compete during the weekend.

Jeffrey O’Neill, who lives and works in the heart of the wine country in Kentfield, has entered his 1957 Maserati 250F, and Frank Altamura, of Napa, will drive his 1966 Porsche 911S.

Petaluma will be represented by the 1974 Shadow DN4A, entered and driven by Fred Cziska, and the 1963 Corvette of Dan Payne, while the quaint seaside town of Sausalito boasts six entries, including a 1934 Lagonda Rapier owned and driven by Alan Patterson.

The LA-area entries include Bob Lee's 1968 McLaren M6B (of Rolling Hills), Mitch McCullough's 1956 Lotus 11 Le Mans (of Redondo Beach), and from Santa Monica, Dave Hagan's 1960 Cooper T-52 Formula Jr.

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