The Corkscrew Hillclimb: Racing up through the famed corner.

The Corkscrew Hillclimb, held as part of Laguna Seca’s historic celebration since 2022, welcomed a can’t miss melting pot of racers, fans and cars. This year’s highlights? The showing of not one but two electric prototypes, the 2022 McMurtry Spéirling and the 2024 Drako GTE, as well as an unexpected appearance of a brand-new Case IH Steiger 620 Quadtrac tractor. You read right, a tractor.

Leading up to the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca event, fans were expecting nothing less than lightspeed from the Spéirling after the initial test drive with Formula 1 and IndyCar driver Max Chilton behind the wheel.

The previous record of 34.69 seconds, set by Chris Locke in his 1976 Lotus Type 77 Formula 1 car, was shattered by Chilton with a time of 21.958 seconds. However, some fans note that comparing the two records is challenging as the starting point in 2023 was “slightly further back,” per the official release.

But what was going on right behind? An intense battle for second place, with Martin Lauber, in the 1967 Ford Falcon, beating out 2022 Ferrari SF90 driver Christine Sloss by 0.818 seconds.

Comments

Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/14/24 12:59 p.m.

Another event to add to my must-do list. Way cool.

metallitubby New Reader
8/14/24 1:26 p.m.

The tractor won my heart.

Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/14/24 1:50 p.m.

In reply to metallitubby :

I know, right? I had to include a pic.

Paris Van Gorder Associate editor
8/14/24 2:57 p.m.

Other tractor companies punching the air right now cause they aren't as cool

Colin Wood Associate Editor
8/14/24 3:44 p.m.

Just hopped over to YouTube to see if there were any videos of the Case in action.

YouTube did not disappoint:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ISwnmXIfxYI?rel=0

codrus (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
8/14/24 3:50 p.m.

Paris Van Gorder said:
Other tractor companies punching the air right now cause they aren't as cool

Like Porsche? :)

Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/14/24 4:06 p.m.

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:
Paris Van Gorder said:
Other tractor companies punching the air right now cause they aren't as cool

Like Porsche? :)

And Lamborghini.

And Ford.

Now I want to see a tractor pull at the Historics. Especially if someone brings a steam beast.

kb58 UltraDork
8/14/24 5:36 p.m.

At a trackday event there, I suggested running it in reverse and was told that they don't do that. Oh well.

That's got to be kinda sketchy flying up to the top only to end up weighing nothing and having to turn...

Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/14/24 5:52 p.m.

In reply to kb58 :

I think it's only ever been done (officially) as the hillclimb, and even then it's only a partial section. Basically, from the start line to T7 or so. There may be runoff questions about going down to T2 from there.

Although you just know that someone's done it.

Pete. (l33t FS) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/14/24 8:01 p.m.

kb58 said:
At a trackday event there, I suggested running it in reverse and was told that they don't do that. Oh well.

That's got to be kinda sketchy flying up to the top only to end up weighing nothing and having to turn...

Is it as sketchy as jumping down a blind corner and landing on the left front suspension?

One of my favorite track day war stories was a Fox body Mustang, back when they were still new cars, flexing so much at the bottom that the hood unlatched. The latch is just a hook that grabs a hole in the hood, and the core support shifted enough that it unhooked.

(Some people say this is a good reason for hood pins. I say it's a good reason to mount the swaybar under the middle of the car where the firewall is, instead of at the front where nothing is)