GTP: 1992 Mazda RX-792P In-Car Video, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Spend 20 minutes atop the incredible fire-breathing 4-rotor Mazda RX-792P IMSA GTP car during practice at the Monterey Historics, August 14th, 2009.

Courtesy of Mazda.

GTP: 1992 Mazda RX-792P In-Car Video, Laguna Seca from GrandTouringPrototype.com on Vimeo.

GTP: Sounds Of Laguna Seca IMSA GTP, 1987

What happens when a 16-year-old Marshall Pruett drives down to Laguna Seca to watch the 1987 IMSA GTP race with a camera in one hand and a tape recorder in the other?

First, he takes a bunch of photos that range from blurry to overexposed. Second, he fashions a hook out of a coat hanger to suspend his tape recorder from the fence on the outside of turn 2, then captures some of the most delightful sounding racing cars he’s ever heard.

More than twenty years later, and with that cassette tape somehow managing to remain intact, I transferred the audio to my laptop, cleaned it up as best I could, and posted it below.

The warbling sound at the beginning of the tape is accurate — it’s a driver pumping the brakes to warm them up, hence the engine note rising and falling. From there, the first big HOLY %$!* burst of sound (at 00:41) is a Group 44 Jaguar XJR-7 streaking by at full chat.

I don’t know all of the physics and mechanics behind it, but the Group 44 V-12 engines had a completely different sound than the TWR V-12s. The XJR-9s and 12s had more bass — they had equal parts Motown Soul and Memphis funk coming from their exhausts.

Group 44’s had more treble and lived at a higher register — they were operatic in the tinny heights they reached. I still grin today whenever I hear this tape.

Take a listen and experience the Jags, Porsche 962, Buick and Chevy turbos, a Ford V-8, and variety of Pontiac and Mazda-powered Lights cars as they sounded back in 1987.

GTP: 1987 Sounds of Laguna Seca from GrandTouringPrototype.com on Vimeo.

GTP: Porsche Photo Retrospective

With Porsche serving as the featured marque for this weekend’s 36th annual Monterey Historics event, we’ve assembled 270 photos in three different photo galleries of the German constructor’s finest prototypes.

A special thanks goes out to Porsche Cars North America and Dyson Racing for their photo contributions.

(To see the full-sized images in each gallery, click the icon at the bottom right on the menu bar.)

GTP: 1987 IMSA Yearbook

Relive the 1987 IMSA season through the excellent yearbook the series once produced.

Look for more IMSA yearbooks to reappear here soon.

(To see the full-sized images in each gallery, click the icon at the bottom right on the menu bar.)

GTP: Gary Horrocks’ IMSA Photo Gallery

A collection of photos from sportscar journalist Gary Horrocks.

For more of Gary’s work, visit DailySportsCar.com

(To see the full-sized images, click the icon at the far right of the menu bar below)

Gary can be reached at gdsbrrocks@msn.com

GTP: Chevy Intrepid GTP Photo Gallery

Photos of the Pratt & Miller-built Chevy Intrepid GTP car.

(To see the full-sized images, click the icon at the far right of the menu bar below)

GTP: TWR Jaguar 1990 IMSA Press Kit

TWR Jaguar’s 1990 IMSA GTP press kit.

(To see the full-sized images, click the icon at the far right of the menu bar below)

GTP: Marshall Pruett’s IMSA Photo Gallery

A variety of photos taken by GrandTouringPrototype.com’s Marshall Pruett.

(To see the full-sized images, click the icon at the far right of the menu bar below)

GTP: Dyson Racing Retrospective Photo Gallery

Enjoy an in-depth pictorial history of the Dyson Racing team’s tenure in the IMSA series.

Courtesy of Dyson Racing.

(To see the full-sized images, click the icon at the far right of the menu bar below)

GTP: Porsche GTP and Group C Photo Gallery

Enjoy a variety of photos featuring Porsche prototypes, drivers and personalities from the GTP and Group C era.

Courtesy of Porsche Cars North America

(To see the full-sized images, click the icon at the far right of the menu bar below)

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