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The Coronado Speed Festival 2010 took place September 25-26 at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California.


Known as the “Race at the Base”, the 13th annual Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival featured more than 200 historic automobiles racing on the spectator-friendly 1.44-mile course constructed in mere days on the runways and taxiways of the military base. The track is set against the stunning backdrop of San Diego Bay. Overall, nine different race groups took to the racetrack, each divided according to make, age and horsepower.

The 2010 races celebrated the rich heritage of Shelby American cars, including the legendary Cobra, the result of Carroll Shelby’s bid to build world’s fastest production car. In addition to the Shelbys, other notable entries included Scooter Patrick racing a 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster that he originally drove in the 1960s. Patrick holds numerous championship victory titles, including the 1968 American Road Race of Champions National Championship title, driving a Porsche, and victory at the final Can-Am race at Road America in 1974 in a McLaren.

Racing is often a family affair, and Al Arciero has certainly followed in his father’s footsteps. Arciero hails from motorsports royalty: his father, Frank Arciero Sr., formed his first auto-racing team in 1957, and his teams have included some of the best drivers in the history of Indy car racing, among them Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney and Michael Andretti. Al Arciero raced in Group One with his 1959 Lister Chevrolet.

The Fleet Week Coronado Speed Festival is first and foremost an event that pays tribute to and honors the men and women of the military. The festival offered free admission for active duty military and their dependents. The event also offered an open paddock, a car club exhibit featuring more than 1,200 cars, a stunning array of military static displays, ship tours, command displays, flyovers, a vendor midway and live music.