ALMS Family Showcase weekend
The three-day event will be heavy on Porsche content with the display in the Atlanta backyard of Porsche Cars North America headquarters. So it comes as no surprise that American Porsche factory racer Patrick Long will be on hand to participate in a number of activities at the High.
On Saturday (April 24), kids can be photographed with the cars, design their own race car and submit that design for a chance to win tickets for the family to Petit Le Mans, Oct. 2 at Road Atlanta. Long will provide periodic informal “chats" on the plaza explaining not only the heritage of Porsche’s race and street cars – including several seen in “The Allure of the Automobile" exhibition – but also the relevancy of racing to customer cars, an attribute for which the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n is renowned.
One of Porsche’s finest also will be on display – the Porsche RS Spyder prototype that dominated the American Le Mans Series from 2006-2008 with three LMP2 championships and 10 overall victories during the period in the Series. Porsche built just 11 of the prototypes and seven of them raced in the American Le Mans Series.
Long will also attend an exclusive “Green Flag" VIP reception Friday evening at The High Museum’s Table 1280.
The other race cars on the High’s piazza include a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB and a 1959 Lister Jaguar. Both cars will participate at Road Atlanta on April 30-May 2 at “The Mitty", a weekend of racing by the Historic Sportscar Racing Association that showcases race cars from decades past.
About The Allure of the Automobile
The Allure of the Automobile – on view at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, through June 20, 2010 – presents 18 of the world’s rarest and most brilliantly conceived cars ranging from the 1930s to the mid-1960s, including masterpieces by Bugatti, Duesenberg, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Ferrari. These cars combine state-of-the-art engineering, meticulous craftsmanship and groundbreaking design to create works of “rolling sculpture." The 18 automobiles include one-of-a-kind, custom-built designs that incorporate remarkable advances in automotive styling and engineering. The exhibition traces the evolution of the motorcar, examining the contrasts between European and American design, the influence of decorative arts and design and the significant changes in automotive styling and engineering both before and after World War II. The featured automobiles have also won awards at prestigious world events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, broken records on racetracks and were previously owned by noted car enthusiasts such as Hollywood legends Clark Gable and Steve McQueen. For more information about the exhibition, visit www.high.org/autos.