Photos by Kristin Steer
The Race of Gentlemen, “an automotive carnival celebrating American racing heritage,” came to Grover Beach for two days Oct. 15 -16, just in time for the drought to break on the Central Coast.
After five years rallying in New Jersey, the vintage drag racers came to the West Coast for the first time. While there was no race on Sunday, the family-friendly spectacle started off with an old school motorcycle show celebrate the traditions of a time when, “men hand built pre-WWII automobiles in backyards and garages, then tested them on flat, hard sand beaches.”
Eras on display were primarily 1905-1940 models – i.e. pre-WII chassis and engines, as well as period-correct, hand-fabricated parts.