Full grids and spectators in abundance for Mitty’s 40th Anniversary 2017

Beautifully preserved, the Walter Mitty racing weekend, April 21-23, has never been relegated and rarely obscured. The legacy of a group of Atlanta road racing enthusiasts who conceived the idea in the mid-nineteen-seventies, the Mitty resurrects our memories of racing’s bygone charms.

Run by the HSR (Historic Sportscar Racing, Ltd) and celebrating its fortieth consecutive year of action at Road Atlanta, this year’s event remained eminently appealing. Why? Because, it’s a delight not only to admire the cars that grace Road Atlanta’s ancient landscapes but also for the hospitality of the organizers, who try their very best to make the event memorable. And it was – just terrific.

This year, Porsche was the featured marque (over 75 competing) and appropriately the event’s grand marshal was Hurley Haywood. Haywood is a congenial man whose equanimity rarely deserts him but, perhaps more importantly, he reveals thoughts from an orderly mind – sufficiently prodigious they will nourish any racing enthusiast who’s interested in improving his race craft. His association with Porsche began more than 45 years ago; during that time he’s driven the Stuttgart marque to victory five times at Daytona, three times at Le Mans, and twice at Sebring.

An automotive festival sponsored by Hagerty and Classic Motorsports magazine, this year’s event enjoyed mixed weather. On Saturday during our visit the sun blazed bright and hot – not the most conducive conditions for great photography. Still, despite the intense mid-day light, we hope you enjoy some of the action featured below.

Group 5, April 22

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The Mitty 40th Anniversary 2017.

Groups 7 & 11, April 22

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The Mitty 40th Anniversary 2017.

In the paddocks

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