HomeNews and EventsPorsche’s inaugural Sportscar Together Festival set for Indy Speedway

Porsche’s inaugural Sportscar Together Festival set for Indy Speedway

Our weekly roundup of car show and vintage racing news and notes

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Roger Penske’s racing team will help Porsche return to Le Mans in 2023, but even sooner, his Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host Porsche’s inaugural Sportscar Together Festival, a three-day event planned for September 10-12.

“The spectacular three-day festival combines a celebration of car culture, of Porsche sports cars in all of their forms, spanning seven decades with a packed schedule of motorsport action supported by themed, interactive displays of Porsche cars from the past, present and a little way into the future with the very latest new models making their public debut,” Porsche Cars North America said in its announcement.

“Car culture is a sense of family, of warmth and of shared passions and dreams – and this is at the core of the Sportscar Together Festival,” added Kjell Gruner, PCNA president and chief executive. “It’ll be a living, breathing and exhilarating celebration of not just cars created by Porsche, but of car culture itself – for all ages.”

Porsche said that the event will feature “relentless on-track action” as well as educational events on car design and vehicle restoration and themed car displays and a Porsche Club of American concours. Event visitors can participate in autocross and off-road events as well.

On-track competition will feature the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America series and will mark the only time all three Porsche one-make series share the same track this season.

Rolex Monterey poster unveiled

The poster for the 2021 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion has been unveiled and features three vintage Trans-Am cars. The artist is Kelly Telfer, whose father was a corner worker in Turn 3 at Laguna Seca in the early 1960s.

“I was sitting on a blanket on the race track side of the old 3-foot-tall wooden snow fencing during practice and one of the drivers spun into the dirt right in front of me,” Telfer recalled. “My dad and another corner worker push-started the race car, and the driver (I think it was Stirling Moss), looked over at me and winked and said, ‘Slippery, eh?’ Boy, was I hooked on racing from then on.”

With vintage Trans-Am cars as a featured marque for the motorsports reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the poster shows a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 driven by Parnelli Jones, Terlingua Racing’s 1967 Ford GT350 driven by Jerry Titus and Dan Gurney’s 1967 Mercury Cougar. It also illustrates racers Jones and George Follmer.

‘Women with Drive’ event scheduled

Women taking the initiative in the motorsports industry is the focus of the “Women with Drive” summit planned as part of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix IndyCar racing weekend in early August in Nashville, Tennessee.

The summit is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, August 5-6, and includes an opening reception, panel presentations, and a VIP tour of the IndyCar paddock. 

The event, which will benefit “Play Like a Girl,” is co-hosted by former Indy racer Lyn St. James and Cindy Sisson of GSEvents and Shifting Gears. Among invited panelists are racer Sarah Fisher, W Series racer Sabre Cook, racing team owner Beth Paretta and Margo Cooke, vice president of IndyCar sponsor NTT.

Jutta Kleinschmidt joins Extreme E team

Jutta Kleinschmidt

Speaking of women who drive, Extreme E has announced that Jutta Kleinschmidt, the only woman to win the Dakar Rally, will join the electric-powered off-road series with the ABT Cupra XE team, sharing the car with Mattias Ekstrom for the remaining three races of the season.

The next event is the Arctic X Prix in late August in Greenland.

Kleinschmidt replaces Claudia Hurtgen, who departs because of her previous racing commitments with BMW.

Concours America adds ‘not-bought’ class

“Built Not Bought” is the title of a new class to be featured July 25 at the Concours d’Elegance of America in Plymouth, Michigan. The class will feature hand-built rather than turn-key vehicles, including the 2016 Falconer Dodici by Randy Grubb.

Concorso Italiano drives July 10 

Organizers of the annual Concorso Italiano will stage their next monthly drive on the Monterey Peninsula on July 10. Coordinated with the Monterey Peninsula Chapter Ferrari Club of America the event includes lunch and a wine tasting.

The August drive date is August 11 with an 8 a.m. start.

RADwood returns

RADwood, that automotive celebration of the 1980s and ‘90s, returns post-pandemic with a show July 10 at the San Mateo Event Center in Northern California.

Other shows are scheduled August 28 in Chicago, September 19 in Seattle, October 9 at Austin, Texas; October 23 at Greenwich, Connecticut; and November 20 in Los Angeles.

FIA recognizes Dakar Rally

The FIA, governing body for global automotive events, has granted full “World Championship” status to cross-country rallying starting in 2022 with the Dakar Rally as the cornerstone.

“As part of the new agreement, FIA and ASO (Dakar Rally) Sporting and Technical regulations will be aligned, ensuring consistency for competitors across all events,” according to the announcement.

“The FIA is also developing technical regulations for new, alternative and experimental technologies within the discipline, in line with its environmental strategy to support climate action, technology and innovation, and sustainable practices. This will prove to be the ultimate challenge in a discipline where the action takes place in some of the most remote and harsh environments in the world.”

Noted Yann Le Moenner, chief executive of the Amaury Sport Organization that runs the Dakar Rally: “At a time when cross-country is undergoing a fundamental transformation, the creation of an FIA World Championship is an excellent news for the development of our discipline.

“ASO…  will work to promote the events in order to better showcase the technical expertise of the car manufacturers taking part in these rallies in extreme conditions. The World Championship will accompany them in this progressive transition to alternative energies, with the FIA integrating categories and classifications specific to these new technologies into the technical regulations.”

Hot Wheels sets first 2021 in-person tour event

The live and in-person version of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour is scheduled for July 10 at Miami, Florida, with subsequent events set for August 7 in Detroit, September 18 in Houston, and October 9 in El Segundo, California.

In addition, virtual livestream tour events are scheduled for June 24 and August 26. The global semifinals will be virtual livestream events with the grand finale live and in-person on November 13 at a location to be announced.

Skyliners staging 50th annual convention

Ford produced cars with retractable hardtops from 1957 through 1959 and on July 12-17 in Strongsville, Ohio, owners of many of those cars will gather for the 50th national convention of the International Ford Retractable Club.

Activities include judging in a variety of categories — original restored, non-stock and driving — as well as a driving tour and more.  

Rolling into Roanoke photo

Show showcases vehicles ‘Made in Indiana’

“Made in Indiana” is the theme of the Rolling into Roanoke car show scheduled for July 24 in historic village southwest of Fort Wayne. Featured vehicles include those by Auburn, International Harvester, Studebaker, Stutz and other Indiana-based companies. 

Copshaholm hosts Burt Levy

Burt Levy, automotive novelist of the Last Open Road and other books, and self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Ride Mooch,” will be a special guest at the Concours d’Elegance at Copshaholm scheduled for July 10 at South Bend, Indiana. He will sign books, share stories and present the “Burt Levy Digs This Car” award.

PRI goes back on the road again

PRI, which is short for the Performance Racing Industry, stages its huge motorsports trade show in early December in Indianapolis, but in preparation of that event, it’s staging its second “road tour” this summer and fall.

“The second PRI Road Tour will focus on elevating the entire racing industry with coverage that everyone will find entertaining from the world’s best photographers and videographers,” group president Jamie Meyer was quoted in the news release.

The tour began this past weekend at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Colorado. Next up is a visit July 14 to the Dirt Car Summer Nationals in Indianapolis. Other stops in July are the 16-17, Kings Royal, Rossburg, Ohio; 22, Rally North America, Gingerman, Michigan; and 24-25, NMCA/NMRA Power Festival, Martin, Michigan.

The tour is at the NTPA Summer Nationals, August 20-22 at Bowling Green, Ohio; the Crandon World Championships, September 2-5 in Wisconsin; Gridlife, September 9-12 in South Haven, Michigan; Hot Rod Drag Week, September 13-17 in various locations; Super Dirt Week, October 7-10 in Oswego, New York; and the Indy Autonomous Challenge, October 22-23 at Indianapolis.

The tour is in Las Vegas on October 29-30 at the Dodge/SRT NHRA Nationals, November 2-5 at the SEMA Show, and December 3-5 at the Mint 400. 

The annual PRI Show is scheduled December 9-11 at Indianapolis.

2021 car show and concours calendar

The following are dates currently set (but subject to change) for a variety of concours d’elegance, car shows and driving tours scheduled during 2021:

July

1-3 – AACA Central Spring Nationals, Auburn, Indiana; 2-4 Goodguys Heartland Nationals, Iowa; 3-4 – Austin 7 Rally, Beaulieu, UK; 8-10, Iola Car Show, Wisconsin; 8-11, Goodwood Festival of Speed, UK; 9 – Collector Car Appreciation Day; 9-11 – Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, Pennsylvania; Goodguys, Columbus, Ohio; 10 – Steam Day, Seal Cove, Maine; DeutscheMarques, Hickory Corners, Michigan; RADwood, NorCal; 11 – Mad Dogs & Englishmen, Hickory Corners, Michigan; Simply Land Rover, Beaulieu, UK; 11-16 – AACA Vintage Tour, Lock Haven/Wellsboro, Pennsylvania; 12-17 — International Ford Retractable Club 50th national convention, Strongville, Ohio; 16-17 – Horseless Carriage Club, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 16-18 – Street Machine Nationals, St. Paul, Minnesota; Hillsborough concours, California; 17 — Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance, Pennsylvania; Albaugh Classic Car Show, Ankeny, Iowa; Simply Vauxhall, Beaulieu, UK; 17-18 – Classic Nostalgia, Shelsley Walsh, UK; 18, The Great Car Show, Kansas City; Classics on Main Street, Forest Grove, Oregon; Simply Ford, Beaulieu, UK; Corvette Envy, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 21 – Woodward Dream Cruise, Michigan; 22-24 – AACA Grand Nationals, New Ulm, Minnesota; 23-25 – Concours d’Elegance of America, Michigan; Goodguys Pacific Northwest, Payallup, Washington; 24 – Mopars At the Red Barns, Hickory Corners, Michigan; Rolling into Roanoke, Indiana; 25 – Simply Japanese, Beaulieu, UK; Ultimate Truck Show, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 31 – Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional, Linconshire, UK.

August

1 – GM/Chevy Show, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 5-8 – Motor City Car Crawl, Detroit; 6 – Concours at Pasadera, Carmel Valley, California; 6-8 – Carlisle Truck Nationals, Pennsylvania; 7 – Red Barns Spectacular, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 7-8, Supercar weekend, Beaulieu, UK; 13 – The Quail, Carmel Valley, California; 14 – Lincoln Homecoming, Hickory Corners, Michigan; Concorso Italiano, Seaside, California; 13-15 – Goodguys Great Northwest Nationals, Spokane; 14-15 — AACA car show, Lindsay, Ontario; VW T(ransport) Chill, Beaulieu, UK: 15, Pebble Beach Concours, Monterey, California, 15 – Graham Walker Run (vintage motorcycles), Beaulieu, UK; 19 – EyesOn Design, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan; 20-22 – Goodguys Great American, York, Pennsylvania; 21 – Woodward Dream Cruise, northern Detroit suburbs; Back to the Bricks, Flint, Michigan; Relix Riot (hot rods and customs), Hickory Corners, Michigan; San Marino Motor Classic, Pasadena, California; 22 – Simply Mercedes, Beaulieu, UK; 24 – Import Showcase, Seal Cove, Maine; 26-28 – Corvettes at Carlisle, Pennsylvania; 27-29 – Goodguys WEst Coast, Pleasanton, California; 28 – Automobilia: Art & Design, Carmel, Indiana; 28-29 – Taste of Motorsports, Portland, Oregon; 29 – Pierce-Arrow Gathering, Hickory Corners, Michigan

Have an event to add? Email details to journal@classiccars.com.

Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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