Monterey Motorsports Reunion tickets and Lotus Corral passes now on sale

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The GGLC is once again arranging for a Lotus Corral at the 2012 Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca Raceway on August 19-21, 2011. Purchase your Monterey Motorsports Reunion ticket and Lotus corral pass from the GGLC and for a discount. The GGLC must sell at least 25 tickets and get 25 Lotus cars in the corral. Please order early and reserve your spot in the corral. GGLC membership is NOT required, but you must drive your Lotus to the event to park in the GGLC Lotus Corral.

A few things to keep in mind.

  • The GGLC/Lotus Corral is available all 3 days!
  • A corral pass is $10 and is good for all 3 days.
  • You must purchase a ticket from the GGLC to be able to purchase a GGLC/Lotus Corral Pass.
  • We are offering “Priority Mail” delivery
  • GGLC/LOTUS CORRAL PASSES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE GGLC AND PURCHASING A TICKET FROM THE GGLC!

Typically the tickets are sent to the GGLC 2-3 weeks prior and we will then immediately distribute them to you. Expect your ticket(s) and corral passes approximate one week prior to the event.

DEADLINE TO BUY TICKETS & CORRAL PASS: JUNE 25, 2012!

We will not be able get tickets and corral passes after this deadline!

Click here to buy your tickets and passes on the GGLC website.

GGLC Paddock Tour @ 2011 Monterey Motorsports Reunion

2011 Monterey Motorsports Reunion

The GGLC is once again arranging for a Lotus Corral at the 2011 Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca Raceway on August 19-21, 2011. Purchase your Monterey Motorsports Reunion ticket and Lotus corral pass from the GGLC and for a discount. The GGLC must sell at least 25 tickets and get 25 Lotus cars in the corral. Please order early and reserve your spot in the corral. GGLC membership is NOT required, but you must drive your Lotus to the event to park in the GGLC Lotus Corral.

A few things to keep in mind.

  • The GGLC/Lotus Corral is available all 3 days!
  • A corral pass is $10 and is good for all 3 days.
  • You must purchase a ticket from the GGLC to be able to purchase a GGLC/Lotus Corral Pass.
  • We are offering “Priority Mail” delivery
  • GGLC/LOTUS CORRAL PASSES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE GGLC AND PURCHASING A TICKET FROM THE GGLC!

    Click here to buy your tickets on the GGLC website. Typically the tickets are sent to the GGLC 2-3 weeks prior and we will then immediately distribute them to you. Expect your ticket(s) and corral passes approximate one week prior to the event.

    DEADLINE TO BUY TICKETS & CORRAL PASS: JUNE 25, 2011!
    We will not be able get tickets and corral passes after this deadline!

  • The Historic Grand Prix Experience

    IMG_1156

    I recently had the pleasure of talking to long time GGLC member and Historic Grand Prix racer Chris Locke at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Chris has been campaigning his ex-Andretti JPS Lotus 77 in historic grand prix for five years and graciously agreed to share his experiences with the rest of the GGLC. The following is our exclusive interview with him discussing the Historic Grand Prix experience, the history of his car and comparing the 77 to other cars both new and old.

    You can see more pictures of the Lotus 77 on the Flickr set below while video from the Monterey Motorsports Reunion Historic Grand prix is available here. For more info on Chris and his cars please visit Checkered Past Racing.

    Historic Formula 1 @ Monterey Motorsports Reunion (Video)

    The main feature race of the 2010 Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrated 60 years of Formula 1 and had a grid featuring an incredible 24 F1 cars including 3 Lotus (Types 77, 79 and 81) and 6 championship winning cars (Lotus 79, Williams FW07, 2 Williams FW08, Tyrrell 006, Ferrari 312 T2). The following are some quick video snippets showing the action as it went down.

    The most iconic turn at Laguna Seca is the Corkscrew and we got this quick clip of the cars navigating it during the Sunday morning practice session. You can also see another video from a different angle here.

    This clip shows the cars lining up for the grid and labels them for the folks who don’t remember all their historic F1 liveries 🙂

    Unlike Europe, Historic Grand Prix racing in the US generally uses a rolling start. The Williams FW 07B and FW 08C make up the front row.

    A clip showing Turn 11 passing from lap 2. We have the two Williams FW 08C cars trying up and under moves while the Lotus 79 outbrakes the Penske PC4

    The final turn of the race featured a finish line drag race between the Lotus 77 (driven by GGLC member Chris Locke) and the McLaren M30.

    The full results and entry list are now posted on the official website.

    Evora Cup GT4 North American Premiere

    Evora GT4 Cup
    While the Lotus Exos was deservedly getting all the press after the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion, Lotus also held the North American Premiere of the Evora GT4 Cup car at the same time.

    Evora GT4 Cup
    Developed from the highly acclaimed Lotus Evora sports car, the Lotus Evora Cup GT4 race car has been engineered to give drivers a competitive racing package straight “out of the box”. The car has been developed in conjunction with a number of prestigious technical partners and features a world class chassis, steering and brakes delivering exceptional ride and handling.

    Evora GT4 Cup engine bay
    Photo © Jack Fried

    The Cosworth tuned engine is bored out to a 4 litre capacity and produces 360 bhp (Vs 3.5L and 280 bhp in the road car). Further upgrades include a six speed sequential paddle shift racing gearbox, full FIA specification roll cage, FIA-compliant 96 litre fuel system, FIA fire extinguisher system and kill switch. Unladen weight has also been reduced by over 200kg to just 1190kg.

    Evora GT4 Cup Rear Wing
    Photo © Andy Kern

    While the Evora Cup looks quite similar to the road car, there are a number exterior changes to improve downforce such as the beautifully integrated carbon fiber rear wing and diffuser package above. Other downforce enhancements include the front splitter and wheel vents on all four corners. The body panels are also easily removable for easy access to various internals.

    Evora GT4 Cup rear bodywork
    Photo © Jack Fried

    Since the premiere event was being held a Laguna Seca, Lotus had test driver Johnny Mowlem on hand to give prospective buyers some “test rides”. The GGLC was able to speak to Johnny in this exclusive interview to hear his thoughts on the development of the Evora Cup GT4 and how it compares to the street car:

    Lotus Challenge Series racer and all around Lotus fan Andy Kern was one of the lucky few that got a ride and gave us this feedback comparing it to his Lotus 211 racecar:

    I first thing I noticed going down the pit-out lane was the seamlessness of the paddle-shift sequential box… and next I thought, gee… Johnny’s going to go around the pit out corner at T2 pretty quick, and he did: the car definitely has some serious grip. The next two corners, T3 & T4 are relatively flat; no camber… I usually ease into the brakes so I don’t upset the car too much, then transition into the turn. Johnny waited much later to brake and broke much harder, but it didn’t seem to faze the Evora’s chassis at all, the car just has great grip and poise during transitions. The rest of the ride was more of the same, as the tires warmed up and Johnny broke later and harder than I would have expected; but always completely smoothly. The shifts were so smooth I barely noticed them. The car has good acceleration too… better than my 2-Eleven everywhere with the possible exception of the steep rise from T6 to the corkscrew.

    As I’d said, it’s always tough to compare one car from the passenger’s seat with another from the driver’s seat… but the overall impression is that the Evora Cup is very much a Lotus… fantastic braking, tenacious cornering, great chassis dynamics… and maybe somewhat of a welcome surprise… very torquey.

    All in all the Evora Cup GT4 appears to be another fantastic race car from Lotus and should do well both as a track day car and as a competition GT4 racer. For more information about the car please visit www.lotusevoracup.com.

    For more pictures from the premiere event please use the slideshow below or head directly to our Flickr Set. We request blogs and news outlets that use our content, photos and video to please credit Rahul Nair and the Golden Gate Lotus Club as well as link back to this post.

    A huge thanks to our friends at Lotus Cars USA and Boardwalk Lotus for inviting us to the event. News

    Lotus Exos T125 revealed (GGLC World Exclusive)

    Lotus Exos T125 "Laguna Seca" "Pre-Reunion"

    The GGLC was proud to attend the world premier of the new Lotus Exos Type 125 at the Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion today. The Lotus T125 is an F1 inspired track only car that uses Formula technology and a Cosworth V8 to provide stunning performance for the ultimate track day toy.

    Lotus Exos T125

    The first things that strikes you when you walk in is how much it looks like a current generation F1 car. The chassis is a carbon fiber monocoque with both the wide front wing and the narrow rear wings of the 2009-spec F1 cars. It also has the coke bottle shape, top exit exhaust and shark fin engine covers that have been in vogue. Other technical similarities include carbon ceramic brakes and a carbon fiber pushrod suspension.

    Lotus Exos T125 "Laguna Seca" "Pre-Reunion"

    The F1 technology continues inside the cockpit there the car uses paddle shifters to control the semi automatic gearbox as well as a multi function screen on the steering wheel that allows drivers to set the various parameters on the fly.

    Cosworth GPV8 Exos Lotus T125 engine

    The engine is a 3.5L Cosworth GPV8 that has been detuned to produce 650 bhp with a 10,300 rpm redline (10,800 push to pass). Weighing just 650kg the car will have a power to weight ratio just shy of 1000 bhp per ton and should be faster than anything this side of a recent Formula 1 car.

    Lotus Exos T125 Cosworth GPV8 engine alternator

    Unlike an F1 engine, the GPV8 is designed to run 4500 km between rebuilds and has a starter motor (note the alternator above) so that you don’t need a support crew to be able to run the car at the track. Notably absent chassis features include double-diffusers, exhaust blown diffusers, flexi wings, f-ducts and other F1 innovations that were created to get around the various rules. Being a track only car and not built to a particular series, Lotus has been able to use the best features of F1 without having to use the various rules workarounds. Its a clean sheet design where the designers were told to “have at it boys”.

    Lotus Exos T125 Rear Wing + Diffuser

    Lotus plans to make just 25 Exos next year and will be pricing then at one million dollars apiece. Apart from the car itself, the Exos program will also include 5 “driver events” at various race tracks that will allow the owners to slowly come up to speed with the performance of their new car by getting instruction and advice from a variety of current and past Lotus drivers (a little birdy tells us that Mika Häkkinen and Jarno Trulli will be involved).

    For more on the Exos please watch this video of Stephen Wright from Lotus Motorsports explaining the philosphy behind the Exos.

    You can also see the rest of our Exos pictures in the slideshow below or head directly on to Flickr. We request blogs and news outlets that use our content, photos and video to please credit Rahul Nair and the Golden Gate Lotus Club as well as link back to this post.

    A huge thanks to our friends at Lotus Cars USA and Boardwalk Lotus for inviting us to the event.

    Lotus Events during Monterey week

    Lotus-T125

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 7:
    9:00am – 5:00pm: Lotus exhibit in the four-bay garage under the presentation podium structure. North American debut of the Evora Cup GT4 race car and World Premier of the new Lotus T125 ultimate track/race car.

    12:20pm – 12:35pm: Lotus Evora Cup GT4 race car on track with Johnny Mowlem providing rides to seriously interested Evora Cup GT4 prospects.

    5:00pm – 7:00pm: Reception hosted within Lotus exhibit.

    SUNDAY, AUGUST 8:
    9:00am – 5:00pm: Lotus exhibit in the four-bay garage under the presentation podium structure. North American debut of the Evora Cup GT4 race car and World Premier of the new Lotus T125 ultimate track/race car.

    12:20pm – 12:35pm: Lotus Evora Cup GT4 race car on track with Johnny Mowlem providing rides to seriously interested Evora Cup GT4 prospects.

    WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11:
    5:00pm – 10:00pm: Lotus T125, Evora Cup GT4, Evora road car and IndyCar display at the McCall’s Motorworks Revival at the Monterey Jet Center.

    FRIDAY, AUGUST 13:
    9:00am – 6:00pm: Lotus exhibit on Peter Hay Hill near The Lodge at Pebble Beach housing the Evora Cup GT4 track/race car and full array of Lotus road-going product portfolio.

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 14:
    9:00am – 6:00pm: Lotus exhibit on Peter Hay Hill near The Lodge at Pebble Beach housing the Evora Cup GT4 track/race car and full array of Lotus road-going product portfolio.
    12:00pm – 6:00pm: Lotus T125 track/race car displayed on the Concept Car Lawn at The Lodge at Pebble Beach.

    SUNDAY, AUGUST 15:
    8:00am – 4:00pm: Lotus exhibit on Peter Hay Hill near The Lodge at Pebble Beach housing the Evora Cup GT4 track/race car and full array of Lotus road-going product portfolio.
    8:00am – 6:00pm: Lotus T125 track/race car displayed on the Concept Car Lawn at The Lodge at Pebble Beach.

    We hope to see as many Lotus aficionados as possible throughout the week!

    Best regards,

    Kevin Smith

    Kevin D. Smith
    Marketing and PR Executive
    Lotus Cars USA, Inc.

    Monterey Motorsports Reunion to celebrate 60 years of Formula 1

    The Monterey Motorsports Reunion (formerly known as the Monterey Historics) has announced that the 2010 event (August 13-15) will feature 38 historic F1 cars will take the grid including a Lotus 49 and GGLC Member Chris LockeLotus 77.

    Hungry Lotus

    As mentioned before, the GGLC is once again arranging for a Lotus Corral at the event. Click here to purchase your Monterey Motorsports Reunion ticket and Lotus corral pass from the GGLC and for a discount. Please order early and reserve your spot in the corral. GGLC membership is NOT required, but you must drive your Lotus to the event to park in the GGLC Lotus Corral. DEADLINE TO BUY TICKETS & CORRAL PASS: MAY 25, 2009! We will not be able get tickets and corral passes after this deadline!

    Scroll down for the full press release and for pictures of Lotus from the 2007 event.

    [press release from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca]

    For motorsports fans there’s no sweeter sound than the high-revving engines of Formula 1 cars. And for those attending the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 12-15 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, there will be plenty to see and hear as 38 historic F1 cars will take to the grid to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Formula 1.

    “The first world championship Formula 1 race was held at Silverstone in 1950 and for this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, we wanted to celebrate the 60 years of Formula 1 history with a featured race,” explained Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Dan Gurney, the only American to build and win in a Formula 1 race in a car of his own construction will be on hand to help us pay tribute to the beautiful and history-laden grid of Formula 1 cars.”

    On the grid will be one of the most radical entries ever to succeed in Formula 1 competition. The 1976 Tyrrell P34 ‘six-wheeler’ used four, tiny 10-inch wheels and tires at the front and two ordinary sized wheels in the back. The idea of the smaller front tires was to increase air penetration and have a smaller ‘frontal area’ to reduce drag. Driver Patrick Depailler debuted the car and with team-mate Jody Scheckter earned one win and several high place finishes.

    No historic F1 race would be complete without a few of Colin Chapman’s revolutionary cars. The 1976 Lotus 77, known as the John Player Special MK II, driven by Mario Andretti to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, will be on track along side the 1967 Lotus 49. The Lotus 49 was the first Double Four Valve powered car in F1 with an engine that not only was revolutionary; it started the Ford/Cosworth relationship. Driven by Jimmy Clark, it won its debut race at Zandvoort. This was the first F1 race car that had sponsor liveries.

    The red team from Modena, and F1, are two names that will forever be entwined with each other as Ferrari is the oldest surviving and the most successful F1 team in Grand Prix racing. Fans will experience the 1969 Ferrari 312 driven by Chris Amon and Pedro Rodriguez, the 1970 Ferrari 312B driven by Jacky Ickx which was the first F1 car from the Scuderia with the ‘boxer’ engine (flat 12 cylinders), and the 1980 Ferrari 312T5 which was driven by Jody Scheckter and Gilles Villeneuve. The Ferrari 312T series won 27 races, four constructers’ and three drivers’ championships.

    The Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion is honoring one of the true legends of motorsports- Dan Gurney who is one of five Americans to have won an F1 race. Additionally highlighting the 19 race groups will be a dedicated grid of 40 Bugatti race cars in the Bugatti Grand Prix, a featured race for Trans-Am; and for the first time ever, Stock Cars (with drum brakes) that competed between 1959 and 1975.

    GGLC Lotus Corral @ 2010 Monterey Motorsports Reunion (13-15 August 2010)

    The GGLC is once again arranging for a Lotus Corral at the 2010 Monterey Motorsports Reunion (nee: Monterey Historic Races) at Laguna Seca Raceway on August 13-15, 2010. Purchase your Monterey Motorsports Reunion ticket and Lotus corral pass from the GGLC and for a discount. The GGLC must sell at least 25 tickets. Please order early and reserve your spot in the corral. GGLC membership is NOT required, but you must drive your Lotus to the event to park in the GGLC Lotus Corral.

    # A few things have changed since last year. The GGLC/Lotus Corral is available all 3 days!
    # A corral pass is $10 and is good for all 3 days.
    # You must purchase a ticket from the GGLC to be able to purchase a GGLC/Lotus Corral Pass
    These new “rules” are based upon the new policies from the Monterey Motorsports Reunion organizers.

    Click here to buy your Monterey Historic tickets. Typically the tickets are sent to the GGLC 2-3 weeks prior and we will then immediately distribute them to you. Expect your ticket(s) and corral passes approximate one week prior to the event.

    DEADLINE TO BUY TICKETS & CORRAL PASS: MAY 25, 2009! We will not be able get tickets and corral passes after this deadline!

    [Buy GGLC Corral Pass + tickets]