The 2014 Walter Mitty at Road Atlanta.

Road Atlanta race circuit is the spiritual home of the Walter Mitty. An annual adventure, it has been this way since the mid-1970s, when a group of Atlanta enthusiasts organized an occasion that is now the largest and oldest event for Historic race cars on the East Coast.

Over the years the “Mitty” has become as much a state of mind, pardon the pun, as a race, and as you drive through north Georgia its approaching awareness puts you in the atmosphere that can only be the Walter Mitty. A favorite point in the season, it’s a reward for those who enjoy historically interesting racing cars.

Sponsored by Classic Motorsports magazine and Hagerty, the insurance people, the Mitty typically attracts 250 to 400 competitors. Though both competitors and spectators alike enjoy the festive atmosphere—and why not for there’s almost unfettered freedom to roam—it’s the diversity of cars that put the icing on the cake. Ranging from the nineteen-fifties MGA that might reach 120mph to a modern-day Audi R8 with speeds approaching 240mph, the cars present delightfully striking contrasts. Here in the following sequence of photographs is a brief display carrying some of the most vivid memories of this year’s Walter Mitty.

Click on an image to enlarge and view the series.