GOING PLACES: Barrett-Jackson visits Sonoma Valley with Bentley

December 13, 2019
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

In 1919, W.O. Bentley built his first car – the product of a passion for materials and fine craftsmanship that has defined Bentley over the company’s first 100 years. Barrett-Jackson was honored to partner with Bentley Motors to celebrate their Centenary, traveling with them across the country to find out just what makes Bentley the most sought-after luxury car brand in the world.

Aerial view of the Sonoma Raceway.

First stop: California Wine Country

Visitors from around the globe flock to Sonoma Valley to sample fine wines, dine in world-renowned restaurants and relax in the lush Northern California countryside. For automotive enthusiasts there is yet another attraction: the venerated Sonoma Raceway, which is celebrating 50 years of racing excellence in 2019.

On June 7-9, 2019, the racing world’s eyes were on Sonoma for Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge America Series, with a 19-car field featuring GT3 machinery from the world’s top marques – including Bentley – and drivers representing 10 nations.

Since the time of Bentley’s five victories at Le Mans in the 1920s, and a sixth in 2003, the marque has been a force in the world of auto racing. In fact, the company was founded with a race car: After World War I, W.O. Bentley set about crafting an innovative and powerful racing engine inspired by the aluminum pistons he had been using in motorcycles for several years, resulting in the Bentley 3-Litre, which finished fourth in the first-ever running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Behind the wheel of those early racing Bentleys were men who became known as the Bentley Boys – always ready for a race, a challenge or a glass of champagne. They inspired an entire generation of Bentley drivers and admirers with their passion for driving and deep love of a challenge.

Today, that racing legacy lives on with the Continental GT3 race car. W.O. Bentley promised always to build a “good car, fast car, best in its class,” and the GT3 has lived up to that promise. The second-generation GT3 race car was developed in tandem with the Continental GT road car. It utilizes a mostly aluminum structure to deliver a much lighter, race-ready weight, with a race-proven 4.0-liter Bentley twin-turbo V8 engine.

Bentley Americas President & CEO Christophe Georges.

“Taking a road car and using it for racing really demonstrates our inner abilities to perform well,” said Christophe Georges, president and CEO of Bentley Motors, Inc. (the regional office for Bentley Motors in the Americas), who was on hand for the Sonoma race. “When making a comparison between our new GT and the GT we have on the track … sometimes the road car is even faster. We believe the blend of luxury and performance we are offering is totally unique.”

The multi-championship-winning team K-PAX Racing joined forces with Bentley beginning with the 2018 motorsport season, and continues to impress, collecting multiple podiums and victories along the way, with the “new” Bentley Boys – Alvaro Parente, Andy Soucek, Rodrigo Baptista and Max Soult – behind the wheel.

After the event at their home track of Sonoma, where they captured three podium spots (second and third on Saturday, third on Sunday), K-PAX Racing continues to lead the Team Championship, a title it is defending from 2018.

An added attraction for Bentley fans and enthusiasts during the Sonoma Raceway event was a parade of new and historic Bentleys, some 30 cars spanning the hundred years of the company’s existence, which made their way around the famed racetrack, creating a beautiful spectacle for all.

Enjoy the video and gallery below with highlights from Barrett-Jackson and Bentley in Sonoma.