(Newport, RI) Racing legend and television analyst David Hobbs will join the star-studded line-up of the William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. Concours d’Elegance at the Newport Mansions, July 27 to 29, 2007. Hobbs will be on hand to introduce Lifetime Achievement Award winners Sir Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney, who will be honored at a Racing Legends Dinner on Friday night, July 27 at the historic seaside Vanderbilt estate, The Breakers. The weekend celebration of all things automotive will include legendary drivers, competition cars, and grand classics from all eras up to 1970. The festivities will be hosted by The Preservation Society […]
(Newport, RI) Racing legend and television analyst David Hobbs will join the star-studded line-up of the William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. Concours d’Elegance at the Newport Mansions, July 27 to 29, 2007. Hobbs will be on hand to introduce Lifetime Achievement Award winners Sir Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney, who will be honored at a Racing Legends Dinner on Friday night, July 27 at the historic seaside Vanderbilt estate, The Breakers.
The weekend celebration of all things automotive will include legendary drivers, competition cars, and grand classics from all eras up to 1970. The festivities will be hosted by The Preservation Society of Newport County, one of the nation’s largest private custodians of National Historic Landmarks, including The Breakers (1895), Marble House (1892) and Chateau-sur-Mer (1852) which will be the sites of the various Concours events.
“I’m very excited to be coming to Newport to help honor my old friends, and to experience such an elegant event in this luxurious and historic setting,” said Hobbs.
David Hobbs had a 30 year international driving career, including sports cars, touring cars, Indy cars, IMSA and Formula One. In 1971, he won the Formula 5000 championship, and in 1983 was the winner of the Trans-Am Series championship. He made 20 starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, achieving a best finish of third on three separate occasions. He also competed in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. He currently works as a Formula One commentator for the SPEED Channel.
In addition to attending the Concours itself, Hobbs will introduce Sir Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney at the Racing Legends Dinner on July 27, where they will each be awarded the first annual William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Awards for their contributions to motor sports. He is also expected to attend the Saturday night Black and White Ball at Marble House, the childhood summer home of “Willie K,” as he was known. The Honorary Chair of the weekend is Debi Rahal.
The weekend will begin on Friday, July 27 with a Tour d’Elegance along the scenic roadways of Aquidneck Island. The Concours exhibits will be open from 1 pm to 6 pm on the grounds of Chateau-sur-Mer and The Breakers. The Concours will continue on Saturday and Sunday, with the awards ceremony taking place on Sunday afternoon at Chateau-sur-Mer. Exhibition and judged classes will include some of the finest automobiles from all eras up to 1970, with special emphasis on cars from between the World Wars. In addition to those classes, a racing legends exhibition class of competition cars with demonstrated racing history will be on display throughout the weekend at The Breakers.
General admission to the Concours (grounds only) is $25 for adults, $5 for children 6-17. For more information, and additional ticket packages, visit www.VanderbiltConcours.org.
The proceeds of the weekend benefit The Preservation Society of Newport County, a non-profit educational organization accredited by the American Association of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties—seven of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.
