Since Nissan lent us the 2023 Z to enjoy during Monterey Car Week we have been attending events and sharing the Z with fellow enthusiasts. On 8/17 we started with the Motorlux kick-off celebration (formerly McCall’s Motorworks Revival). On Friday and Saturday we attended the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. Finally on Sunday we closed with a visit to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Enjoy our report with photos video from Car Week in the new Z!

 

Vintage Racing at Laguna Seca

 

We love vintage racing and had a blast at this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. On Friday we parked the new Z in Row C of the paddock with our friends from Racecraft. Race car driver and restoration specialist Jim Froula piloted the Greg Alderman 300ZX and a Nissan 240SX, both in IMSA trim. The Z31 features our ZCG CV Axles:

 

The new Z was well-received at the race track. We showed people around the car and let them check it out, always happy to share with enthusiasts! Many people shared their love for the Z and posted photos on social media (thank you!). Below L to R: Larry Oka displaying Gary Cooks’ Z, Rob showing the new Z in Racecraft paddock and Meghan Fuller with the legend Pete Brock:

 

Hanging out with the Breakfast Club

 

Before heading to the track on Saturday, just before the races we joined the Breakfast Club Rally at their pre-rally gathering in Carmel. The BCR organizers kindly gave us a spot to park the new Z during their social hour from 8-9am prior to the event start. It was a great time chatting with new and familiar enthusiasts. We loved seeing our client Jay W with family creating memories in his Datsun 510 featuring our Z Car Garage CV Axles:

 

BCR’s rallies always bring a variety of vintage and modern metal, more photos in the gallery below and don’t forget to join us for Breakfast Club’s upcoming Tokyo Calling2 event 9/24!

 

From Carmel we headed back to Laguna Seca with the new Z for even more racing action. It is worth noting the complete absence of any vintage Z cars Datsun 510s on track at this year’s reunion. Have no fear as the upcoming Velocity Invitational will have a dedicated B-Sedan race group and many Z cars racing! Despite the lack of Datsuns on track we enjoyed the Trans Am and other feature race groups.

 

We left RMMR happy and ready for more Monterey Car Week fun. As if we did not receive enough attention in the paddock, Rob and Meghan were flagged down by CHP– only to inquire about the new Z 🙂

 

Pebble Beach Concours

 

A spectacular ending to Monterey Car Week was Sunday’s visit to the 71st Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Rob and I drove the Z one last time back to Monterey and spotted our friend Tony on the road in his mint 13B-powered Mazda RX-2. Arriving in Pebble Beach, event parking along the famous 17-Mile Drive was a car show itself with cool cars lining the shore:

    

We were bussed into Concours Village and immediately greeted by the Japanese Automotive Invitational(JAI):

 

This display showcased 17 historically significant Japanese cars within several categories including: Concept Cars, “Kei” and Small Cars, Luxury Sedans, Sports Cars, Coupes/Hatchbacks, and Trucks/Utilities. Z Car Garage was proud to support and help prepare the iconic 2003 Infiniti FX45, owned by former INFINITI designer, Julien Thiebaud:

 

Our friend Sean Morris and his team at Toprank International Vehicle Importers showed two stunning Nissan Skylines: an R34 GT-R in rare Midnight Purple II (above) and Kenmeri C110 GT-R:

 

Daniel Song’s Datsun 240Z built by JDM Legends, a “Hakosuka” Skyline and Jun Imai ‘s (of Hot Wheels fame) Datsun 510 Wagon. As with previous JAI displays this was free and open to the general public, more photos in the gallery below!

 

From the JAI we walked past the Concours Village and entered the ticketed, official Pebble Beach Concours….or so I thought. Here, Mercedes Benz had their own display and so did Ferrari. Apparently this was “just a taste” of what lie ahead!

Ferrari display:

 

Mercedes display:

 

The Concept Lawn in front of the lodge was barely visible due to the crowds of photographers and admirers trying to get eyes on the latest dream machines from Koenigsegg, Genesis, Hennessey and Guntherwerks. Lincoln’s new L100 Concept stood out as did Czinger’s 21C hypercar.

 

The Lawn at Pebble Beach

 

The competition field awaited us and I was not prepared for what lie beyond the Lodge…over 200 automotive treasures lined the 17th and 18th holes of the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links. Nestled amid prewar classics were Alfa Romeos, Aston Martins, Packards, and Duesenbergs. We were among well-heeled car enthusiasts sharing similar interests in admiring ornate sculpted hood ornaments, gleaming art deco designs and distressed leather seats.

 

Making this experience even better were our longtime friends Jan Trondsen and Dave Sholz. In addition to being die-hard car enthusiasts and Datsun owners, they are both seasoned Pebble Beach attendees and gave us the royal tour. With MOET in hand, we embarked on a journey back in time to admire metal, leather and artistry. The 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was celebrated this year at Pebble. Our favorites included the 1979 Porsche 935 K3 Coupe and 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Scaglietti Berlinetta:

 

Many attendees at the Pebble Beach concours dressed like it was the Kentucky Derby of motorsport.  Party-style suits and dresses, bright colors, and feather-clad hats brightened the lawn during the morning fog along the bay. We had several celebrity sightings including Chip Foose, Wayne Carini and ex-Formula One driver David Coulthard!

 

The judging process at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has two parts: Class Judges focus on originality and authenticity, while Honorary Judges focus on attention to design, styling and elegance. Dave pointed out that none of the cars we saw are allowed to participate the following year…

 

This Duesenberg caught my attention as the judges scrutinized it. I was able to capture video of the straight-8 engine firing up as well it was beyond impressive:

 

Enjoy this video showing our time at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and Pebble Beach Concours!

 

After a few intense hours of geeking-out on the cars we took a break for a meal. Huge thanks to Infiniti and Jul Thiebaud for hosting us!

 

So who was the Best of Show winner? That fabulous 1932 Duesenberg Model J that I captured being scrutinized by the judges!  To be eligible to win Best of Show which is the event’s highest award a car must first win its class. What a machine!

 

With the show concluding we parted with our friends Jan and Dave. Rob and I headed home in the new Z. The bus ride back to the Z was again another car show along the 17-Mile Drive. We spotted an R34 Skyline GT-R and Z31:

   

 

Thank You!

 

We can’t thank Nissan and Infiniti enough for the opportunity to share the new Z and enjoy Monterey Car Week. Stay tuned for dyno testing, in-car and exhaust video for this 9-speed automatic Performance model. Enjoy the photo gallery below and Long Live The Z!

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Dear Zcarblog readers, it’s been a busy year and we are catching up on blog posts, so please enjoy our belated race report from April.

WE LOVE RACING! On April 1-3, Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) hosted the David Love Vintage races at Sonoma Raceway. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting several client’s Datsun 510 race cars running in B-Sedan Group 9 (John Morton Cup). It was a great weekend filled with competition, camaraderie and plenty of Alfas, BMWs and Datsuns sharing the track. Enjoy our report with in-car footage and photos.

 

Z Car Garage Supports Three Datsun 510s

It is our pleasure to bring more enthusiasts into the world of vintage racing. Our services do include full race support and car-preparation to help make client’s race days seamless and worry-free so they can focus on driving. One of our specialties is dyno tuning. Before a race weekend we confirm that your car is running well and make necessary adjustments while on the chassis dyno.

Video of two Datsun 510 B-Sedans (Rob and Tom), Enjoy the sweet L-series music!

ZCG clients running at the David Love Vintage races included:

#7 Kelvin

Kelvin’s 510 features our Z Car Garage CV Axles and dyno tuning. He achieved a personal best lap time at Sonoma:

   

#71 Ed M

 

Ed is friends with Kelvin and started joining Z Car Garage last year. He also achieved a personal best lap time at Sonoma.

 

#7 Rob Fuller

 

Rob Fuller piloted the Bay Area Datsun Dealers tribute 510. Here is his report from the race weekend with in-car video:

“First CSRG race of the season and our favorite events to go to with a relaxed atmosphere and super cool people. This is one of the oldest vintage racing groups in the US and we love watching the B-sedan group grow. As we continue to report on these events it makes u happy to see more and folks racing and spectating. We want this sport to grow and be alive for the next generation of enthusiasts and drivers!”

 

“We headed to Sonoma Raceway, missing our buddy Tom Dockery in his Ex-Norm Balzer 510. It was involved in an incident on test day preparing for the event and will return soon. It was a superb race weekend for myself, Kelvin and Ed. We were cutting it up with Troy Ermish and Parker McKean (son of Bruce from PNW) in his fast Alfa.”

“Our buddy Josh Moriarty in his 510 had engine failure so Dave Rebello made a guest appearance visiting the track. We installed Rob’s back up engine into Josh’ 510 and he was able to finish the race weekend…that’s the spirit of vintage racing. We are all there to support each other and have a good time. Sure, it’s fun to be competitive but at the end of the day it’s more important to spend time with friends and family. It was a great weekend.”

 

Enjoy this in-car video from Rob’s 510 chasing Parker and Troy:

You can see more of Rob’s race videos from the CSRG event (and other race) on his YouTube Channel. Give the guy a thumbs up and subscribe while you are there!

 

More photos in the gallery below!

 

Z Car Garage is amped for more racing this year. Here is list of events we will be attending. Please join us!

April

4/1-3  Sonoma with CSRG (Finished, report soon!)

4/21-24 Laguna with SVRA

4/28-5/2 Sonoma with SVRA

May

5/21-22  Laps for Laguna with CSRG

August

8/13-14  Laguna with HSR Pre Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)

8/17-20 Laguna  with HSR  Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)

October

9/30-10/2 Sonoma with CSRG Charity Challenge

9/13-16 Laguna   VI

November

11/4-6   Thunderhill with CSRG

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On Sunday 7/31 we attended the Morning Motors Cars & Coffee event hosted by DrivingWhileAwesome (DWA) in Santa Cruz, CA. The event impressed us again with a fun vibe and superb variety of cars. One of the many perks of DWA Morning Motors is its location surrounded by the best driving roads.

 

This morning’s pre-event gathering met at Alice’s restaurant at 8am. Our group started with 4 cars including Rob (Porsche 993 Turbo), Josh (VW bug), Kurt (Subaru 2.5RS) and myself in the Z Car Garage 1967 Datsun 2000:Our brisk run up HWY 9 was amazingly traffic-free and plenty of room to enjoy the twisty bits. A brief pause at the 9/35 junction to meet Nick in his Datsun 510 Wagon:

 

We joined our friend Naveed (thanks for organizing!) and few other enthusiasts at Alice’s. Below, Mark’s 1971 Datsun 510 and Erich’s1974 Alfa GTV give off B-Sedan vibes in the am light:

 

After re-connecting with friends we headed to the Santa Cruz via 84 and HWY1. The lot in front of the Old Wrigley building was near full a few minutes after 9am.!

   

Mandatory Nissan/Datsun

I was happy to see so many Nissans and Datsuns at Morning Motors.

 

It was a real pleasure to see Rick’s 1965 Nissan Silvia, driven by his son Matthew!I had a blast driving this RHD gem on the strongBreakfast Club Rally back in March:

 

This R33 Skyline GT-R was recently acquired by DWA co-founder Art C our friends at Toprank International Vehicle Importers. Super stoked for Art and glad to see him enjoying it! Love the BBS LMs!

 

 

Datsun B210!

 

There were several S13/S14 240SX sports cars, G35s and a Z33 on WORK T7R 2P wheels:

  

Another ZCG client, Eric’s Infiniti FX35 sporting upgraded suspension and R35 GT-R wheels. Parking next a mint 2003 FX!

  

In Search of J-Tin

Morning Motors did not disappoint if you are Japanese Classic fans. Representing Mazda was our friend Tony’s 13B-powered RX-2 and his Rotary gang:

   

90’s icons…Third gen (A70) Supra and FD RX-7 (on ADVAN wheels)!

  So much variety! Enjoy this short video:

Euro Classics

Yearning for Porsche’s? Or something a bit less “mainstream”? DWA CnC did not disappoint. Citroen 2CV:

 

Porsche, Alfa and Austin Healey

   

Lone E38 7-Series BMW…peak 7 in my mind!

 

My favorite car was this Porsche 914-6:

 

American Muscle

From 60’s to 80’s. Mike Garret’s familiar purple Mopar with late-model drivetrain and really wild Ford Coupe with diesel engine:

 

DWA CnC is definitely my kind of cars and coffee. It’s a great venue with amazing driving roads nearby and the cars were so diverse. We highly recommend checking it out! Thanks to the DWA crew for hosting. If you haven’t already, listen to their podcast and make sure you give them a follow on Instagram.
More pictures in the gallery below!

 

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This is a new vintage racing event created by the Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation and Classic Sports Racing Group (CSRG) to raise money for charity. It is an open sound event with multiple races for each race group, charity rides and more. Registration details are HERE. Join Z Car Garage at Laps for Laguna as we will be running the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z:

 

Racing into 2022!

 

Z Car Garage is amped for this year’s race season. Here is list of events we will be attending. Please join us!

April

4/1-3  Sonoma with CSRG (Finished, report soon!)

4/21-24 Laguna with SVRA

4/28-5/2 Sonoma with SVRA

May

5/21-22  Laps for Laguna with CSRG

August

8/13-14  Laguna with HSR Pre Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)

8/17-20 Laguna  with HSR  Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)

October

9/30-10/2 Sonoma with CSRG Charity Challenge

9/13-16 Laguna   VI

November

11/4-6   Thunderhill with CSRG

 

 

Dear Zcarblog readers, it’s been a busy year and we are catching up on blog posts, so please enjoy our belated race report from November 2021.

WE LOVE RACING! On November 11-14 we attended the Velocity Invitational at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. Z Car Garage had a blast racing and supporting several client’s IMSA GTU Z cars running in Group 7A (1966-1977 IMSA GT). This vintage racing event was just as fun for spectators with a friendly, immersive vibe. Enjoy our report from the weekend with photos and in-car video of the action.

 

Z Car Garage IMSA Race Car Support!

 

If you missed our earlier post, we prepared and supported three IMSA race cars for the Velocity Invitational (VI). Here’s a quick review:

#49 IMSA Joel Anderson GTU Z

Rob Fuller in the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU Datsun 240Z:

 

#47 Brad Frisselle IMSA GTU Z

We supported our client Randy Jaffe who recently acquired the Transcendental Racing Datsun 240Z. This famous 1976 IMSA-GTU Championship-winning 240z will be driven by ex-driver Brad Frisselle’s son, Brian Frisselle. Randy recently had the Z re-painted by William with correct graphics and hand-applied livery by the Real Ralph.

  

#93 Different Drummer Racing Datsun 260Z

Race car driver, restorer and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his  Ex-Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z. Glenn built and prepared this race car by himself, ZCG simply dyno-tuned it prior to race week.

  

Ready for some L-series music from these historic race cars on the dyno? Check out the video below and turn those speakers up!

 

We also prepared our client Kelvin Tse’s Porsche 911 RSR, because if it’s not the Z-car, it’s the P-car!

 

Epic Racing With Group 7

 Group 7’s IMSA GT and FIA race cars (1966 and 1977) was dominated by big-power Porsche 911 RSRs with a few BMS CSLs and 4 S30 Datsuns. Speaking of powerful Porsche’s, the organizers did not allow turbocharged cars to run so we thought an NA motor race would make things interesting. Read more about Group 7 here with driver Jeff Francis in Larry Oka’s 1970 Ex-Glemik IMSA Datsun 240Z (#54):

 

Friday’s qualifying race was eventful. Rob and Brian Frisselle were doing well and putting down some great lap times. Unfortunately, a Porsche oiled down the track between turns 4 and 5 and both Z cars skidded off the track. They recovered under their own power but the Frisselle Z sustained minor body damage from hitting the tire barrier. Good news: Glenn, Jeff and John Murray avoided the mess and Rob Fuller qualified on Pole Position!

Racing in to the Night

 

Saturday’s Group 7 would start at dusk, a rare exhibition for both drivers and spectators. I zipped up to my favorite vantage point at Turn 6 to catch the sunset. Auxillary lights were placed at each apex and few cars had headlights of their own to navigate the evening’s race. It was magical to watch. Here is Rob Fuller re-capping his sessions from the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU 240Z:

 

“We had a great first session, made some adjustments to the cars and clicked-off good times. The qualifier was pretty scary as I lost control from a Porsche’s oil spill but I made it out ok. Brian Frisselle is an ex-IMSA professional driver and he safely negotiated the oil slick, avoiding a potentially severe impact with the sitting Porsche and softly hitting the tire barrier. I was surprised to make Pole-Position. Saturday’s evening race was intense. Though I started on Pole, by Turn 2 the Porsche gapped me 3-4 car lengths…

…We were racing our Datsuns with skilled drivers like Ned Bacon, Alan Terpins, and Martin Lauber in their multi-million $ Porsches. I was able to hold on to 2nd place, trying hard to reel Ned in but caution struck again, another Porsche had oiled down the track between Turn 5-6. Now its really dark and I’m trying to stay with Ned then I see these lights coming up hard on me and I know it’s Terpins. Tried to defend but he got around me. Honored to be amongst these guys who never let up. We finished the race in 3rd place.”

Enjoy this video we made highlighting the Group 7 races with in-car, Turn 6 and Goodwood livestream footage mixed in. Volume up!

You can see full, in-car footage from Rob in  the#49 Joel Anderson IMSA 240Z over on his YouTube Channel, check out the Qualifying and Saturday Evening sessions. Here is Rob recapping the Sunday race from Group 7:

“Final race was midday with plenty of sunshine. Frisselle started 4th. Three lead Porsches took off,  while Brian and I battled for P4. He then got around me and we both enjoyed the magic of driving our IMSA cars. Drivers around me were in expensive machines giving it 100%. Really happy to see 4 Datsuns in top 10 places. Honorable mention to John Murray (narrow body 260Z), Glenn Chiou did a really good job (Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z) and Jeff Francis (Ex-Glenn Klemik IMSA Z).“

 

Joel Would Be Proud

  

You might recall the story behind this special, 1972 IMSA GTU 240z as it was owned, built and raced in the 70’s by none other than Joel Anderson.  ZCG restored #49 back to its former glory and it debuted at RMMR 2014. John Morton would drive #49 at RMMR 2015. Rob Fuller would drive #49 for the first time at the RMMR 2018. Joel was present at all of those events but sadly passed away March 2021 and we miss him dearly.

“This was unbelievable…driving the Z without Joel around was so emotional. Thinking about the fact that all of the vintage race support and seat time we have is all because we met Joel. He taught us how to be racers. His memory was shared by us all at the race.”

 

Privateer Spirit

Our friend and Datsun Historian Glenn Chiou raced his Ex-Greg Sorrentino IMSA 260Z. It’s worth noting that not unlike privateers of the period, Glenn builds his Z cars, maintains and manages his racing efforts himself. Not an easy task so we applaud his work ethic.

 

A Fan-Friendly Race Event

Formerly known as the Sonoma Speed Festival (2019), the Velocity Invitational re-imagined the vintage race experience with a Goodwood-inspired vibe. One of the best experiences for spectators is the paddock and organizers made access to drivers and their machines seamless. Fans could get up close and personal with race cars without the typical ropes or 45-foot RVs in the way. It was a dream come true for me to share vintage racing with my family, they loved it!

 

The hot pit area where all run groups stage before heading out to the track is an amazing place to be. Typically, access is only granted to pit crews and media. At the Velocity Invitational however, organizers staged a “false grid” where any spectator could walk amongst the race cars. Our family loved the artificial turf and hay bale seating lining the grid:

 

Though the fresh format was immediately enjoyable for spectators, it did come as a surprise to drivers and race teams. Rob’s initial reaction was met with eventual praise:

“Upon arrival to ‘Seca we knew this was going to be a different kind of event. All race cars were displayed together under white tents in the paddock for a Goodwood-like experience. It allowed spectators to see all cars within each race group but it was challenging for the team as our tools and support vehicles are usually near us. Initially we were intimidated but got the hang of it with just our essentials.  The layout encouraged interaction and it was super fun to meet other racers, new folks and see old friends. Kudos to the organizers for doing something new and absolutely knocking it out of the park!”

Enjoy this video we made showcasing the sights and sounds of the Velocity Invitational. Rob Fuller gets interviewed by the Goodwood Livestream just before the evening race, and I included the lineup from my favorite vintage race group (other than IMSA), the Trans Am cars!

 

If you want to see action from the event in its entirety, check out Goodwood’s live streaming coverage Day one and Day Two.

 

Paddock Finds

At each corner there was something special in the paddock to see like exotics, Muscle Cars, personal sports cars and even Ragtime racers. The paddock never disappoints. Here’s a few of my favorites, more in the gallery! Where else can you see a brace of McLaren Speedtails, Lamborghini Mirua, Mercedes Benz 300 SLR and Lotus Cortina in one place!

 

Exotics abound with Bugatti and McLaren hypercars:

 

Really excited to spot this Datsun 240Z in the car corral…it is Z Car Garage client Matt K. Full report soon on this pretty Z car that features our Z Car Garage Big-Brakes (for small wheels) and Z Car Garage CV Axles!

 

We have more photos in the gallery below. ZCG would like to thank the following photographers for sending us photos from the event, you can click on their name to see their photo albums or Instagram handles: Kristina Cilia, Larry Chen, Pall Kornmayer, Todd Lapin, PnutProductions and Paul and Ann Devor, enjoy!

ZCG Race Crew

 

Huge shoutout to the Z Car Garage race crew including the Corwins, Meghan, Nick and Josh. We are grateful for your support, keeping us safe and on the track!

RADWOOD

The weekend of racing also included the popular RADWOOD car show. On Saturday and Sunday they are took over the famous island in the center of all the action at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca with a curated display of 50 of the most iconic, unique, and RADical rides of the era. Check out ZCG client Pall Kornmayer’s coverage in his photo album HERE:

 

People

 

We enjoyed spending time with friends and meeting new folks. The Velocity Invitational really helped create such a friendly atmosphere. Below: Larry Chen, Randy Jaffe with Brian Frisselle.  Rob, Anna, Randy Jaffe, Brian Frisselle and his Dad Brad Frisselle. Brad is the original builder/racer of the Transcendental Racing IMSA GTU 240z!

 

Racing Legend John Morton and Sylvia Wilkinson were both present and having a blast. Yes, that’s Jim Froula of Racecraft photo-bombing us in back:

 

Meghan sporting the #49 Joel Anderson IMSA GTU livery shirt. More pictures in the gallery below!

Racing into 2022!

 

Z Car Garage is amped for this year’s race season. Here is list of events we will be attending. Please join us!

April

4/1-3  Sonoma with CSRG

4/21-24 Laguna with SVRA

4/28-5/2 Sonoma with SVRA

May

5/21-22  Laguna with CSRG

August

8/13-14  Laguna with HSR Pre Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)

8/17-20 Laguna  with HSR  Reunion ( NOT CONFIRMED)

October

9/30-10/2 Sonoma with CSRG Charity Challenge

9/13-16 Laguna   VI

November

11/4-6   Thunderhill with CSRG

 

Thank you Velocity Invitational for an incredible event. We look forward to running with you again! LONG LIVE THE Z!

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