VIPs at SAAC-36
We often say "it's not the cars, it's the people" when we talk about the appeal of our hobby. At SAAC-36, it is about both!. When you attend a SAAC National Convention, you know you are among like-minded fans of Ford and Shelby muscle from around the globe. Each year, SAAC assembles a group of VIPs to make the experience even more special, and this year is no exception.
The VIPs at SAAC don't just appear at a podium one night and then take off for the airport; they are enjoying the activities just like all of us. You can find them in the Paddock or the garages, or along the Pit Wall, watching the action. You can meet and chat with them during the day.
This year, we have a very interesting group:
We all know and love Pete Brock...he’s going to be at SAAC-36 as one of our special VIP guests and the keynote speaker after dinner on Saturday night. We won’t attempt to list his resume entries here; we don’t have enough space. Suffice it to say that you won’t hear him talk about Daytona Coupes, GT350 stripes, Cobra nose badges, the Lang Cooper or even the BRE Datsuns. He will be discussing the future— which is almost here right now—and how it relates to performance, high horsepower and wide tires. You’ll hear things you’ve never heard before and they will change your perspective about sports cars, handling and tire technology. We’re knocking on the door of $5-a-gallon gas and when it opens this will be one of the things behind it. And you will have heard about it first, at SAAC-36.
At Friday evening’s Welcoming Mixer we usually have a VIP table where our guests can sign autographs, talk to convention attendees and sit for photographs. If you’ve ever had a question for someone who worked at Shelby American or raced one of these cars, this is your chance.
We’re going to have to get an extra-long table this year:
Lew Spencer was the top Morgan driver on the West Coast in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Shelby tapped him to be a Cobra team driver. When he wasn’t driving a comp roadster or Daytona Coupe he was Shelby’s competition director and became the Trans-Am team manager.
Chuck Cantwell was Shelby American’s GT350 project engineer. He oversaw production as well as the race shop from 1965 through 1967. Last year he became a ‘66 GT350 owner and is making up for lost time by putting as many miles on 6S796 as he can. He’s driving this car from his home in Southeastern Pennsylvania to VIR. He’s got confidence in his car.
He ought to: he oversaw the building of it.
Tom Yeager was a long-time SCCA racer in the 1960s. He took delivery of the first customer GT350 R-Model. In 1966 he switched to a Mustang notchback and won the first Trans-Am race for Ford at VIR. His old car will be there so it will be a reunion for him. Think he’ll take a few laps? Try to keep him away. He is an active vintage racer.
Jerry Schwarz worked as a fabricator and race mechanic at Shelby
American. He had a hand in building every R-Model and Mustang notchback racer.
Bernie Kretzschmar worked right next to Schwarz on the R-Models and Notchbacks. Every race car was track-tested before it was delivered: Cantwell usually drove and Kretzschmar turned the wrenches.
The name Holman-Moody is synonymous with Ford performance. The Charlotte, North Carolina company is nothing short of a legend. John Holman’s son Lee Holman runs the company today and they have a lot of projects running at full speed. One is a continuation GT40 MK II. Lee was at LeMans in 1966 with the H-M contingent of the Ford team. He’ll be driving one of the new cars on the track as well as a restored ‘63 H-M NASCAR Galaxie that was driven by Fireball Roberts.
That’s the short list of VIPs. The convention will probably attract a few more names you’ll recognize as Memorial Day gets closer.
See you at SAAC-36