***ATTENTION DATSUN FANS***
There are TWO exciting Datsun events this weekend!
Saturday, 4/30    
The Solvang Datsun Roadster Show is being held in beautiful downtown Solvang, CA.

Sunday, 5/1
A record number of Datsuns will be racing at Laguna Seca with HSR on Sunday, 5/1

If you are a Datsun fan and love vintage racing come out to Laguna Seca this weekend! On  5/1 the Historic Sportscar Racing group is bringing an exciting event with plenty of historic race cars and several notable Datsun racers! If you can’t make the Solvang Datsun Roadster Show (held on Saturday) this is another way to get your Datsun fix! We will do our best to attend on Sunday afternoon where the Datsuns are running in group 3. We also want to be there to cheer on our favorite Datsun Roadster racer, Ron Carter!

So just how strong will the Datsun showing be? At least TWENTY 510s, Zs, and Roadsters! Come on out to ‘Seca and watch these Datsun vintage racers mix it up with exotics and other wicked metal 🙂

Here are some killer shots of Matt’s 510 at Laguna Seca from our track day with NCRC 11/1/10. I love this little dime!

Monday the 1^st of February was an amazing day for a couple of reasons.  For one, Fred of the ZCG crew turned 40.  And secondly, Fred gave me the day off to play with the shop 370Z.  The day started off at ZCG in the early morning hours where I met the other two cars in the pack, Scott with his Z33 and Gia with his Nismo edition Z34.  We drove down to Laguna Seca to start our track adventures for the day.  Once we arrived at Laguna Seca we prepped our Z’s with numbers and a double check of our wheel torques.  After a brief driver’s meeting, we were off to drive our first session.  It’s been a while since I have been able to go to the track and hone my skill set.  Years ago, before ZCG, going to the track was a regular event in my life.  Driving on the track with Scott really made me appreciate the value of seat time.  Scott’s many track days and autocrosses have paid off and he and his Z33 looked great out there.  A few days prior to the event, we fitted Gia’s Nismo edition Z34 with a test ZCG oil cooler and some upgraded front brake pads.  The oil temps were in range for moving forward with our next round of testing.  The brakes, on the other hand, weren’t able to keep up with Gia’s driving style.  I have shared my data with Stoptech and they say help is on the way in the form of a pad that should help us on the street and allow us to push the limits at the track.  Once Gia’s Z34 brakes were unable to continue, we double teamed the ZCG Z34 with back to back sessions.  During these sessions, we were able to keep our oil temperature under control with the help of the ZCG oil cooler.  The highest oil temps were in the 250F range.  For those of you just tuning in, this is the 3^rd test version of our oil cooler.  We feel after the next set of tests that we will be able to serve the Z community with a product that will allow you to keep your Z’s oil temps within reason and out of the famous limp mode.  We will be returning to Laguna Seca on February 25^th to complete the shake-down on our latest mods.  The track organization we are running with is NCRC, nice guys with great organization which leads to lots of track time.

Turn in,

Rawb

I have quite a few posts in the works that should be done in the next day or two. Coming up will be a full track report from last Monday’s sessions at Laguna Seca, a nice write up on a G35 build and lots more.

Thanks to those of you who are patiently waiting.

Long live the Z

Rawb

Thanks to our friends at BRE for forwarding this information to us.  Sometimes change can be good.  It will be an interesting August with the Monterey Historics going through some big changes.  The BRE Datsun 510 has been invited to the new event at Laguna Seca, so keep these dates saved on your calendar.

RICH TRADITION OF HISTORIC RACING CONTINUES

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Announces New Name for Marquee Event

MONTEREY, Calif., January 20, 2010 – Automobile enthusiasts worldwide have been descending on the Monterey, California peninsula each August for three decades. They come to enjoy the world’s finest pre- and post-war race cars competing as they were originally intended on the challenging road course. This rich tradition continues August 12-15 with a fresh new look and name – the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion – at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is the confluence of historic race cars, legendary drivers and motoring enthusiasts. “It’s a new dawn for the event and we are embracing it by honoring the authenticity of the race cars and integrating social and lifestyle elements that present guests with new discoveries to keep it exciting and innovative,” said Barry Toepke, vice president of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Our new name and branding captures the spirit that has made this event one of the most respected gatherings of its kind worldwide.”

“The Rolex connection to motorsports is significant and we are pleased to formalize a new relationship with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and to become the inaugural sponsor of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. As always, we are proud to maintain a strong presence on the Monterey Peninsula,” commented Peter Nicholson, vice president of Rolex Watch USA, Inc.

Formerly known as the Monterey Historic Automobile Races®, the event is now produced exclusively by SCRAMP (Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula), a not-for-profit 501(C)4 corporation established in 1957. A professional staff is supported by thousands of community volunteers and a volunteer board of directors who are the backbone of every event.

“Each one of our 27 SCRAMP board members will spend hundreds of hours on this event, just as the board has done for all the historic racing held in Monterey,” explained Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Our directors and volunteers are amazing and are completely immersed in every aspect of the event to ensure its success.” In return, SCRAMP donates its net proceeds to the volunteer groups that help put on the races.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will continue the annual tradition of honoring one marque each year that is chosen for its historical significance and achievements. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will announce the featured marque and new logo in the coming weeks.

Approximately 400 cars will be accepted based on their racing pedigree for the 14 race groups. This year’s featured races are Formula 1, which celebrates its 60^th anniversary this year; Trans-Am; and for the first time ever, stock cars (with drum brakes) that competed between 1966 and 1975. Additionally, the Bugatti Club of America will celebrate its 50^th anniversary with an exclusive Bugatti Grand Prix, with cars entered from as far away as Australia, France, Germany and Switzerland.

For ticket and additional information please visit www.Mazdaraceway.com or call 800-327-7322.

A leader in the Swiss watchmaking industry, Rolex owes this reputation to the pioneering spirit and perpetual quest for perfection and innovation that have distinguished the brand since its creation over a century ago. In 1926 Rolex invented the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch and, in 1931, it created the first self-winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor. Renowned for its privileged association with the worlds of sport, exploration, and culture, Rolex has had a long-time and deep involvement with both contemporary and historic motorsport – at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, the LeMans 24 Hour Race, the European LeMans Series, the Goodwood Revival, the long-running historic races in Monterey and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This distinguished timepiece is treasured by individuals in every endeavour.  Sports enthusiasts value its ruggedness, explorers depend on its reliability, and some simply value its elegance. Rolex has become a symbol of life’s crowning achievements.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s world-class 2010 racing schedule includes the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patron May 21-23, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring MotoGP World Championship July 23-25, the Pre-Reunion August 7-8 and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 12-15.