We all may be in denial. Wait! Is it really…that time? Already?
The verdict is yes it is. You had better have flights and rental cars and hotel rooms booked by now. And tickets and dinner reservations and…if you’re shopping…letters of credit on file. The good news is we have other things to show you before we remind you to confront the calendar.
Let’s go first to recent history, that is, history made on an American mountain by a German auto manufacturer and a French racer. And, oh yes! Many German Porsches on the same Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The image above is one Pikes Peak veteran and RSM-regular contributor Sean Cridland found one morning (or one evening) of the Porsche Paddock. There are GT4s and GT3s that climbed the mountain and established new records.
But it is to Volkswagen on Pikes Peak to whom all must doff our hats, VW and their French driving champion Romain Dumas. The VW and Dumas crashed through a record speed others expected to last…well, a long time. Look to Cridland’s wonderful report – our first-up story for July – for a fascinating report. And then follow his recommendations for those two video links that follow. Be sure audio volume is set to “excite” mode.
That said, Porsche performed its own stunner at the Nürburgring, with Porsche team driver Timo Bernhard setting a new lap record around the ‘Ring. Whether the timing was coincidental or, well, coincidental…. As one of my favorite television show lead characters used to say, “You might think so. I couldn’t possibly comment.”
Part of my job at Road Scholars – besides urging you to get out and enjoy your cars – is to present modern day accomplishments and introduce you to those who’ve been accomplishing things in Porsches for a while.
That role, this month, falls to regular contributor Randy Wells who is bringing us face to face with a PCA/R Gruppe/POC legend, Chuck Miller, the man hidden in the helmet but whose driving gloves somehow match the color of his car. Chuck’s story is big enough we will bring you the second half in our August edition.
Lastly – but alas we know it’s not the last word – we bring you an early preview of Porsches on offer in the auctions at Monterey late next month. It’s a preview; lot numbers are not set; auctioneers are hedging bets on estimates. So come back in about a month and we’ll have more. And then in September, we’ll present our wrap up with some commentary about what happened and what really happened. And why it happened.
If you’re trying to set aside funds for some fantasy to add to your garage, just think: There are not one but two 550 Spyders for sale up there. These are significant historic racers that are road-legal everywhere! Okay, remember to breathe now.
And, as always, thanks for reading us!
Randy Leffingwell
Editor
