– La CARRERA PANAMERICANA XII –

Way long overdue, our 12th edition of this iconic grueling road race took place on August 16, 2021 at The Ring. Entries readied their models on the freshly paved highway littered with empty Coca-Cola bottles. Every town drag would be lined with curious bystanders… sometimes in awkward places… but hey – the great north american road race will go on!!!

The grid was set as follows:

SP:

• SP15: #56 Porsche 550 Spyder driven by Jaroslav Juhan
• T: #18, 1950, Ford 6, Fred Steinbroner (DNF)
• T: #119, 1950 race, 49 Ford 6, Emilio Portez Madina (DNF – over time limit)
• SP: 1952 – #10 Porsche 356 Super (Alfonso de Hohenlohe) [52SP010-1AT]
• TE1.9: 1954 – #261 Volkswagen 1200 (Alfonso de Hohenlohe) [54SP261-1AT]
• SP16: 1953 – #153 Porsche 356 SL (Suhr/Contreras) WITHDRAWN

SP+:

• SP+15: 1954 – Ferrari 750 Monza (El Marques Alfonso de Portago) [54SP002-1AT]
• SP15: 1954 – Porsche 550 Spyder (Fernando Segura) [54SP058-1AT]

Porsche (3), Ford (2), Ferrari (1) & Volkswagen (1) were represented!

Race Start Order:

1. SP: (SP) #10, 1952 Porsche 356 Super, Alfonso de Hohenlohe;
2. SP: (T) #18, 1950, Ford 6, Fred Steinbroner;
3. SP: (TE1.9) #261, 1954 Volkswagen 1200, Alfonso de Hohenlohe;
4. SP: (SP15) #56, Porsche 550 Spyder driven by Jaroslav Juhan;
5. SP+: (SP+15) #2, 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, El Marques Alfonso de Portago;
6. SP: (T) #119, 1950 race, 49 Ford 6, Emilio Portez Madina;
7. SP+: (SP15) #58, 1954 Porsche 550 Spyder, Fernando Segura;
8. SP: (SP15) #56, Porsche 550 Spyder driven by Jaroslav Juhan;
9. SP: (T) #119, 1950 race, 49 Ford 6, Emilio Portez Madina;
10. SP: (SP15) #56, Porsche 550 Spyder driven by Jaroslav Juhan.

Only the best result for any model run multiple times would be used in final results. Every model would run two heats in the Green & Red lanes, forced to circumnavigate the track maintenance vehicle lapping in the Yellow lane. No ultra wide maintenance trailer in sight! Any contact that de-slotted the maintenance vehicle would result in a black flag shown to that model for the balance of the heat… and so the green flag finally fell with each competitor burning out on the freshly paved Mexican tarmac as the maintenance vehicle eased away struggling just to keep up!

The Race:

Participants may have been exhausted but importantly there was no significant contact with the track maintenance vehicle that resulted in a penalty… in fact there were very few offs at all… a little argie-bargie perhaps, but that’s racing!!!

Final Race Results:

Overall Race Results:

1. SP+: (SP15) #58, 1954 Porsche 550 Spyder, Fernando Segura – 75 Laps (7.954 ext.) (best of 1 attempt);
2. SP+: (SP+15) #2, 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, El Marques Alfonso de Portago – 72 (11.007) (best of 1);
3. SP: (TE1.9) #261, 1954 Volkswagen 1200, Alfonso de Hohenlohe – 68 (13.104) (best of 1);
4. SP: (T) #18, 1950, Ford 6, Fred Steinbroner – 67 (9.169) (best of 1);
5. SP: (T) #119, 1950 race, 49 Ford 6, Emilio Portez Madina – 66 (4.333) (best of 2);
6. SP: (SP) #10, 1952 Porsche 356 Super, Alfonso de Hohenlohe – 65 (0.988) (best of 1);
7. SP: (SP15) #56, Porsche 550 Spyder driven by Jaroslav Juhan – 65 (9.310) (best of 3).

SP+ Race Results:

1. SP+: (SP15) #58, 1954 Porsche 550 Spyder, Fernando Segura – 75 Laps (7.954 ext.);
2. SP+: (SP+15) #2, 1954 Ferrari 750 Monza, El Marques Alfonso de Portago – 72 (11.007);

SP Race Results:

1. SP: (TE1.9) #261, 1954 Volkswagen 1200, Alfonso de Hohenlohe – 68 (13.104);
2. SP: (T) #18, 1950, Ford 6, Fred Steinbroner – 67 (9.169);
3. SP: (T) #119, 1950 race, 49 Ford 6, Emilio Portez Madina – 66 (4.333);
4. SP: (SP) #10, 1952 Porsche 356 Super, Alfonso de Hohenlohe – 65 (0.988);
5. SP: (SP15) #56, Porsche 550 Spyder driven by Jaroslav Juhan – 65 (9.310).

SP T Results:

1. SP: (T) #18, 1950, Ford 6, Fred Steinbroner – 67 (9.169);
2. SP: (T) #119, 1950 race, 49 Ford 6, Emilio Portez Madina – 66 (4.333);

SP TE1.9 Results:

1. SP: (TE1.9) #261, 1954 Volkswagen 1200, Alfonso de Hohenlohe – 68 (13.104);

SP SP Results:

1. SP: (SP) #10, 1952 Porsche 356 Super, Alfonso de Hohenlohe – 65 (0.988);

SP SP15 Results:

1. SP: (SP15) #56, Porsche 550 Spyder driven by Jaroslav Juhan – 65 (9.310).

Cheers to MiA and to Ken for holding their breath long enough not to have to wear a mask while we raced!