Pacific Northwest Historics - Pacific Raceway Seattle, WA

[dougie]

Race season opener for me a few weeks back at Seattle Pacific Raceway. I battled mechincal issues all weekend, nothing too major but I couldn't get the fix done at the track. A highlight of the PNW Historics was seeing one of my favorite factory built Healey racers. This 1965 Sebring Sprite is one of the few "open" cars campiagn by the "works". Bought a few years back by Seattle wireless billionaire Bruce McCaw. He and his brother Craig have one of the largest Ferrari collections in the world. Bruce started racing Austin Healeys in the early 60's and I think still has a soft spot for them. He paid "pocket change", 60K for this one about 10 years ago.






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[bbh]

2 great looking cars, your 100/6MM (no. 414) race car and the Sebring Sprite.

Both look in excellent condition.

[frankenhealey]

I'd like that sort of 'pocket change'

[dougie]

This is always fun event drawing racers from all over the West Coast and Canada. I didn't have enough time to sort my car as much as I would have liked before the race weekend, so problems came up. Here's a video from a mate of mine racing an Austin Healey Sprite. I'm on the pole in the second race about 3.50 minutes in, overheating issues put me out about halfway through. It's a challenging track with plenty of elevation changes.

[dougie]

We had the 2023 Pacific NW Historics last weekend at Seattle, Washington's Pacific Raceway. My '57 #414 ran well most of the 3-day event finishing 14 in a 45 car grid. I just about got taken out out by a TVR who put a wheel off down the front straight at maximum speed. He spun, hit the left wall, then the back across the track and hit the right wall, then back into the middle of the track, tires, doors, hood, all parts spread across the track. A motor oiling problem kept me out of the final race.

[bbh]

Looks like you were incredibly lucky to miss the TVR as it came back off the barrier. The TVR looks much less fortunate and is going to need some serious attention.

[dougie]

Yes, it was very unfortunate. The TVR was a factory LeMans car and had raced at Sebring back in the day. I don't know how bad the chassis was damage, but the body looked like a write-off.