Quinn deMenna

Celebrating its 44th year, the Lime Rock Historic Festival launched held over Labor Day tour through the area with Thursday’s Vintage Race Car and Sports Car Parade. Friday, Saturday and Monday featured non-stop, on-track competition across a diverse set of historic racing classes.

On Sunday, the Lime Rock Concours and Gathering of the Marques displayed nearly 1,000 enthusiast cars and motorcycles arranged around the Lime Rock circuit.  Gathering of the Marques, which hosted enthusiasts and clubs representing nearly every make and model, all arranged around the 1.5-mile Lime Rock course. With as many as 800 cars that were expected, the event showcased an incredibly diverse display of cars grouped by make, model or country of origin.

As part of the Historic Festival tradition, Lime Rock Park selects a featured marque to be celebrated throughout the weekend. For Lime Rock HF44, celebrated the illustrious history of Alfa Romeo!  In the paddock all weekend long, were unique concours classes celebrating the rich history of Alfa Romeo.  Here was my opportunity to see in person an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.

The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale was the fastest commercially available car upon its introduction. 18 examples were produced between 1967 and 1969. “Stradale” (Italian for “road-going”) is a term often used by Italian car manufacturers to indicate a street-legal version of a racing car.  It achieved this using an engine less than half the displacement of those in high-performance contemporary sports cars such as the Lamborghini Miura, Ferrari Daytona, and Maserati Ghibli.  In addition to the Stradale there were many other beautiful Alfa Romeo’s.  Many of these I have only seen in magazines.

1939 Alfa 6C 2300 “Pescara” This car was of special interest to me because Pescara is near where my family is from in Abruzzo Italy.  In 1934, Carrozzeria Brianza, under Zagato’s direction, built just two 6C 2300 spiders exclusively for Scuderia Ferrari, then functioning as Alfa Romeo’s factory competition arm. This chassis, 700265, is the sole survivor of the pair. Entered under Scuderia Ferrari colors for industrialist-driver Luigi Catalani and co-driver Polini, race number 183, it competed in the Gold Cup of the Littorio, the first Tour of Italy, over 5,700 kilometers in May and June 1934, followed by the VII Targa Abruzzo, the 24 Hours of Pescara, that August as race number 26 – the very event that gave the Pescara model its name after Scuderia Ferrari’s cars swept the podium.

The car’s ownership since has been meticulously documented through Italian registration records, passing through a first Roman Alfa Romeo dealer, a noble Neapolitan family descended from Pope Paul IV, a wartime aviation ace who once challenged Nuvolari, and a historiographer of Italian automotive history, among others, before settling under its current Rome plate, 57775, acquired in 2005. Nearly a century after its competition debut, the car retains a documented chain of ownership virtually unmatched among surviving prewar Alfa Romeo racers.  

In addition to the Concourse was an incredible car show.  I was thrilled but not surprised to see our neighboring chapter AROC-NJ member Richard Reina get first place in his class for his 1967 GT 1300 Jr.

If all of the eye candy fun wasn’t enough, my wife and I were invited into the Pit Crew from our previous president, Bob Brady along with his wife Marie, his son Mathew and the past member, Bill Shields.  Bob, Mathew and Bill were all racing there GTV’s. Here we got to experience Lime Rock from the Paddock. 

Friday night Bill found that his steering box broke from the mounting flanges.  Luckily there happens to be Keith Goring  (Alfas Unlimited (860) 485-8956 89 Greenwoods Rd W, Norfolk, CT 06058) less than a half hour from Lime Rock.  While Bill drove over to Keith’s to get another steering box Mathew and Bob began to remove the old broken box.   By the time Bill returned the broken Steering box was removed.  Within another hour the replacement box was installed and an alignment was completed.

To me it was unbelievable what these guys could do in a short time.  Afterwards we fired up the grill and prepared the evenings diner.  The next morning Bill was all set for the day’s races.

During Saturday and Monday’s racing I couldn’t help noticing a pale-yellow Alfa Romeo TZ1 screaming around the track and placing first in every race. The TZ1 is owned by Lawrence Auriana and the driver is Joe Colasacco who’s family owns Euro-Tec Motors.

This year’s Lime Rock 44 was my first experience at this track, and I was glad I made it.  I doubt I will ever see that many Alfas in one place.  What made this weekend even more fun was hanging out in the paddock and spending time with the crew and meeting up with many other AROC members.  I am grateful to Bob, Marie, Mathew Brady and Bill Shields for such a fantastic weekend!

Finally, I must mention some of our DVAROC members who also participated in Lime Rock Historic Festival 44.  

For example, our fellow member Barry Cross Jr. showed his beautiful 1994 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Commemorative Edition and took home a “Star of The Rock“ ribbon in the class.

DVAROC member Frank Gill brought his incredible 1966 Fiat 2300 S which is a luxury grand tourer designed by Sergio Sartorelli at Ghia. Frank Gill took home the ribbon in the Preservation class. 

“I bought it because the lines from Ghia were and are strikingly elegant, considering it first appeared at the Turin auto show in 1960. Automotive press and the public swooned and Fiat found itself in the position of selling a car they initially had no intention of selling. ”The car is incredibly original, with the Italian owner receiving ASI (Automotoclub Storico Italiano) designation in the early 1990s. The spare tire still has the Pirelli sticker along with the vent spews. Amazingly enough, it still held air as he needed to use it when he got a flat. “It worked like a champ,” Frank recalled. “I take it out as often as possible as these cars, in my opinion, should be driven regularly to maintain fluids and seals/gaskets fresh and supple. I’ve driven it as far as Philadelphia to south Florida with my wife. It’s like an Italian caddy, but better.”

DVAROC member John Goodman, prominent vintage racer and collector shared cars from his exceptional collection to headline the event’s massive celebration of Alfa Romeo, the festival’s featured marque.  His cars joined an amazing collection housed across two premier tents.  Two of John’s Alfa Romeo’s included a 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ (No. 240): 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA: A mainstay of his collection, this highly historic, track-focused competition machine.

In addition to the John’s cars featured in the combined showcase which featured incredibly rare, high-profile classics like the Alfa Romeo RL, Testa Fissa, Monza, 33 Stradale, TZ1, TZ2, GTA, and the Targa Florio-winning 33/3 John entered two distinct vehicles for on-track racing action:  1962 Cooper T-59 Formula Junior: John Goodman raced this car in Group 3 (The Jim Haynes Memorial for Formula Juniors). It is a legendary rear-engined, open-wheel British formula car powered by a highly tuned production-based engine, serving as a staple of historic open-wheel racing grid competitions.  1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ (No. 240): In celebration of the weekend’s featured marque, Goodman also raced this striking, lightweight Zagato-bodied Sprint Zagato. He campaigned the rare silver coupe directly in the Alfa Romeo Featured Marque race groups along with John’s pit crew member and our DVAROC dear friend Ruth Wolf.