Le Belle Macchine d'Italia 2008

The idea of a vacation can be intimidating to most because of the planning that's required to make it a successful getaway. Hotel reservations, plane tickets/car rental (if necessary), what to do, what to wear, how much will it all really cost - before you're through thinking about where to go, you want a vacation from thinking about a vacation! But every once in a while, there comes an event that makes all of the decisions for you. For me, this year, that event was the 2008 Le Belle Macchine d'Italia concorso and Pocono Raceway track event. The Belle Macchine d'Italia is a three-day event that involves a Concorso d'Eleganza and two days of speeding apexing hairpinning drive-it-like-you-stole-it track fun.


Perhaps that alone doesn't sound like much of a vacation to you, so combine it with three nights at the beautiful Skytop Lodge in scenic and secluded Skytop, Pennsylvania. Now we're getting somewhere. The Skytop ain't no Holiday Inn-style hotel either. When I say lodge, I mean golf course, pool, five-star accommodations on 2,500 lush acres, promoting sublime relaxation amid a serene landscape of Skytop Lake and West Mountain. The Concorso d'Eleganza is the only part of the event that's open to the public, so even if you have no interest in going to the track - or leaving the resort - you can still enjoy a wonderful car show during your stay.


The Belle Macchine d'Italia literally means beautiful Italian machines. And that's exactly what's on display. More than just Ferraris and Lamborghinis, attendees get a chance to see rare, odd, and obscure Italian automobiles like the Maserati Birdcage, Lancia Scorpion, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Super, Iso Rivolta, Bizzarrini 5300 GT, DeTomaso Pantera and Mangusta, Fiats, and motorcycles from manufacturers such as Ducati, Moto Guzzi, and Bimota. The weather was perfect, too. Not excrutiatingly hot, not overcast and looming, and no rain - well, at least not on Saturday.



Sunday and Monday were the track days. If you've ever been to Pocono, then you know it's one of the cleanest and most beautifully laid-out tracks in the country. The infield is easy to navigate, the accommodations are - oh, who cares about the accommodations? You want to hear about the cars on the track, I know! Lamborghini was the dominant presence at the Concorso on Saturday. But when track time rolled around, Ferrari was rolling deep. The number of F355 Challenge cars outnumbered Lamborghini's new Gallardo Superleggera - and sounded much better, too! But the coup de grace was the Maserati MC 12 Corsa. Liveried in Batmobile black, the stealthy Corsa - both audibly and visually - made a mockery of everything else in attendance. The acceleration, the downshifts, and the presence of the Maserati stole the show.


But there's no surprise there. Every aspect of the three-day weekend was something to behold. From the lodge, to the cars that showed up, to the sights and sounds at the track, the 2008 Le Belle Macchine d'Italia was a great addition to the list of Ferrari events this year. If more events were like this one, I'd go on vacation every weekend!