BRIC sucks?

This is the first year I'm going to the BRIC (Brian Redman International Challenge at Road America) as it has a great reputation for historic race cars with a lot of Ferraris participating.

Yet when I looked through the list of entrants I found a small handful of Ferraris. This year is the 40 year CanAm anniversary and so I think I'm SOOL.

Did I just pick the wrong year? Should I just hold off and wait till next year? Or are there going to be Ferraris that are simply not participating but are parked there?

 

You'll be amazed at the amount and variety of cars that are there, but not on the track. It's a weekend-long vintage car show. I heard that there were not many vintage Ferrari at the Challenge event last weekend, I'd guess that there will be more there this coming weekend. See you there, if you're going on Saturday.

 

The Can-Am Aniversary ?
No man, you hit the Jackpot !

 

BRIC, has never really had "tons" of Ferraris in the event... I'd guess the average would be 6-10 each year...

There are plenty of Ferraris that come out of the woodwork on the street and the car show though.

If all you'll be looking for are Ferraris, you might be a little put out... that being said if you'd like to see a DBR1, genuine Cobras, GT40's, and some other cars you might not see anywhere else there's plenty of things to see.

It's supposed to be pretty hot/humid weather, but it's always a good time from the track to the race car parade, the car show and all the interesting people you meet/see...overall if you are a car nut, you wont be dissapointed.

 

I know, I was a bit sarcastic in my question. After all I'm even a member of one of the CanAm racing crews (which is really why I'm going).

I just always thought that BRIC has tons of Ferraris (it is an official Ferrari Club of America event) and yet when I looked through the entrants list was disappointed to see less Ferraris than a week ago at the Challenge weekend.

 

Lucky dog !
BTW The UOP Shadow has to be my all-time favorite racer.

 

I went 2 years ago and had to be dragged out of there! It's the most under-rated event of the year at Road America, by miles. There was a group there with 6 ex-F1 cars from the mid 90s--two '94-ish Benettons, two Ferraris of the same year (Alesi/Berger) and two '97 Jordans.

Andreas, keep a lookout in the paddock for a group called Toad Hall Racing. The main guy's name is Jim O. and lives just a couple blocks from here. He's got a pretty nice collection of cars himself. He won't remember Tiff's and my names, but tell him we're the ones who had our 2 Golden Retrievers with us. He and his wife have a couple as well. Really great guy. Hopefully they're attending this year. Enjoy it!

 

Here some shots I took about 25 years ago at Riverside:
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Ah, Vasek Polak Porsche........... those were the days........

 

Andreas keep you chin up. This is one of the great sports car events in the country and as you've seen from the entry list it draws a large and diverse group. Road America is one of the great tracks in the world and the Village of Elkhart Lake has all the charm of a European Village. Friday and Saturday evenings are the big nights and not to be missed. Welcome to Wisconsin and have a ball.

 

Andreas -
I've gone on twice, and am going this weekend too.
One year there was a yellow F40, several other F's of note.
But.... wanna see D-types, DB5s, etc. racing.... they'll be there
One year there was at least one 355 challenge
Met and talked extensively with the owner of the Lotus JPS Formula car (one of only 2, bought by his best friend [who had died] from Colin's widow).
The parking lot is cool too... panteras, Astons (DB4 one year), etc.
LFSC has an area to park, shared with continental (I think) for F/M, usually bring some cars and have refreshments.
I'm staying at the Ostoff. A guy had his 288GTO there 2 years ago.
Good enough???????????

 

Andreas,
It will surely be worth the trip up there to see the huge variety of cars, both the race cars and the street cars in the paddock and parking lots. However, if you ask me, the BRIC has never regained (or really even come close to) the excitement and quality of the event when it was called the Chicago Historic Races, organized by the late, great Joe Marchetti. Maybe it was because I was just a kid then and was just completely overwhelmed by the incredible cars that I feel that way, but I would bet that I am not the only one who feels that the BRIC has lost "it" over the years. That being said, this year should still be cool. There are more CanAm cars in this weekend's race than ever raced together back in the 60's and 70's! The sounds themselves will be worth the trip.

 

Thanks all for your replies. I'm sure it'll be a great trip and I'll come back with many pics to post. I'm going there primarily because one of my friends will be racing a McLaren CanAm.

Still from a Ferrari perspective it sounds like this event doesn't yield a lot. We'll see. I guess I'm spoiled by Goodwood.

 

From my perspective, I try to avoid large car shows with the Ferrari b/c of the gawking and possibility of getting hit. What's more, the FCA has lots of Ferrari only events that don't carry the same problem of possibly uninsured drivers, gawkers etc.. I will take the Viper. I am sure a lot of folks feel the same way. It will be a cool time none-the-less. BTW, there are Can-Ams with Ferrari motors. Enjoy the sound!

 

There are? Got more details?

Temperatures in the high eighties are reason enough for me not to bring the Ferrari. That A/C is a bad joke.

 

Here is one to look for...
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Ferrari History in Can Am

The first Ferrari entered in a Can-Am race was the Dino endurance racer of Pedro Rodriguez, which failed to impress anyone in two races in 1966.

In 1967 a P3/4 endurance racer was driven by Lodovico Scarfiotti, and two P4 spyders (open cockpit), based on the P4 endurance coupe, were driven by Jonathon Williams and Chris Amon. The best finish was a seventh by Scarfiotti.

For 1968, Ferrari built their first true Can- Am car, the 612, powered by a 6-liter V12 engine. The 612 had a steel tube space frame chassis with aluminum body. It carried a movable wing above the engine, just behind the driver. There were two trim tabs on the wing and a perforated panel on the nose that raised under braking to act as air brakes. The car was heavy, the brakes were weak, and both handling and aerodynamics were slightly off. The 612 raced only once (by Amon), at the last race of the season in Las Vegas. It was eliminated in a multi-car accident on the first lap. Pedro Rodriguez also ran the year old P4 in two races but finished neither.

In 1969, Ferrari again got Amon's 612P into the series late, but this time they only missed three races. Although built on the 1968 car's chassis, the 612P was lighter and horsepower was up to about 650. Late in the season the engine size was increased to 6.9 liters. Amon qualified well, led several laps, and had a second and a third place finish, but usually he was let down by the engine. He was sixth in the season's final standings. Jim Adams campaigned the 612P (with engine size reduced to 5 liters) in 1970 and 1971 with little success.

In 1971, Ferrari entered a new car, the 712, in only one race. The car was based on Ferrari's 512S/M coupe endurance racer but with slightly different suspension, a 680-hp 7-liter engine, and wedge shaped body. Mario Andretti qualified the car sixth at Watkins Glen and finished fourth. Jean- Pierre Jarier drove the 712 a few times in 1972 with his best finish being a fourth.

A few men drove 512S and 512M endurance cars in Can-Ams in 1971 and 1972. Their best finish was a fourth by Herbert Mueller in 1971.

 

Haven't seen it here. The only way BRIC sucks is that it's always about 120 degrees... =)

 

Last reports I read the 712 car is in Europe. Oh well, too bad, it should be there.

 

O.K., besides the heat (what can you do), the "track tour drives" are a BIG F-ing RIPOFF!!! (Yes I'm talking to YOU, the event organizers) $75.00 for an "hour" or drive time (BS, they usually cut that to about 40 mintues saying that they are running behind the race schedule & need to catch up....remind me how that is somehow MY problem now).

Been there with my 308 & did the track thing (kinda cool, but.....) they bill it as "highway-style driving ONLY". No Sh*t! It IS like being on the highway, but in downtown RUSH HOUR traffic. They pile SOOOO many cars into the tour sessions (more money in THEIR pockets, I guess) that you can't get above 35-45 mph at all. Wanna complain? Their attitude is "Tough, you are LUCKY that we even let you ON the track". I'm not saying let's all go "balls-to-the-wall" all out (many out there do not have the skills or experience to drive that way), but come on, can we have a LITTLE fun? Oh yeah, they will let ANYTHING on out there. I mean I have seen Ford Explorers out there. No offense (except that I would NEVER own a Fords), but does a top heavy, over-sized, questionable reliability SUV have ANY business on a TRACK??? I even think I remember seeing a Dodge Caravan out there!

The VERY cool side: LOTS of very nice cars, very friendly people (MANY from the Chicago region group), neat to see & hear the historic cars on the track being driven that way God & Enzo (same guy in some people's eyes) intended them to be driven. Great fun at Sebkins (sic?) bar in the evenings, and very nice street car show each night....oh yeah, the auction is fun too. I have seen some get really great deals on nice cars & I have seen "those on crack" asking crazy prices for their rides. (No stock 308 is worth $70K).

I have also had the immense pleasure of being invited into the home, to stay for the weekend, of a close friend's family friend during the weekend visit. Very hospitable new friends and a great "car" family.

 

Yes, touring is kind of a joke. You just have to look at it as a chance to get on the track and nothing more. If you really want to have "fun", you'd need to go there during a club event, or last wekends Ferrari challenge in which there was also a touring (much shorter, but could go all out if you wanted).

Where's the auction....are they doing one at the track??

 

Glad to hear that because I would have killed myself for having missed that one. No it was not there, but a few others. One puzzled me: It had Ferrari badges but the catalog lists it as a Special car with a Porsche engine. What gives???