Vintage cars run new track

Nick Fanelli can tell at a glance all the things that have changed at the Hutchinson Island race course since he last raced there in 1997.

The grandstands in the middle of the course are gone, and trees have grown tall inside the track, which means drivers no longer can see all the way across it, Fanelli said.

What makes his recall amazing was that he was pointing out the changes while navigating the course in a Porsche Carrera at speeds hitting 110 mph.

Those speeds, however, are nothing out of the ordinary for Fanelli.

"For me, it's not that big of a deal, because the car feels so good doing it," he said.

Fanelli finished either 19th or 21st -- he can't remember-- in the 1997 Dixie Crystals Grand Prix, the first and only race held on the Hutchinson Island road course, just north of Savannah.

This week, he was back in Georgia as a member of the Porsche Sport Driving School team to take gearheads around the race course during the Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance & Motoring Festival.

Previously, Concours had held its Thursday and Friday racing days at Roebling Road Raceway in Bloomingdale, Ga.

There was nothing wrong with that track, but it was a bit out of the way for many race fans, said Carolyn Vanagel, Concours' executive director.

"(Hutchinson Island) is easier to find," she said. "It's easier for folks from Hilton Head to get to."

Bob Craig, director of race events for Concours, said the Hutchinson Island location offers a lot of amenities for spectators, from the Westin Savannah Harbor resort next door to downtown Savannah just a short ferry ride away.

The drivers are excited about the new track, which is considered both faster and more technically demanding than Roebling.

"We just need to get some rubber on the road and get some of the dirt off the road," said Craig of the new track.

After two days of racing in Georgia, the focus of the Concours moves to Honey Horn on Hilton Head Island for the car auction and best-of-show car competition.

Even with a tight economy, Vanagel is predicting attendance at this year's festival will set a record. About 11,500 people attended Concours in 2007, making it the second largest event on the island behind the Verizon Heritage.

This year, attendance should be between 12,000 and 15,000, Vanagel said.

"We've been pretty darn lucky that advance ticket sales are way up," she said.