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Originally Posted by Brent Mills
I have been thinking of doing this for quite some time and finally figured it was time to just get it started. I've always wanted to say thanks to the man but never really had the avenue to do so...Figured this would be a good way of doing it. Hope you enjoy participating and reading what others think as well. Enjoy!
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Carroll Shelby tribute thread rules of engagement:
It was probably 1962, I was 16 years old and a diehard NHRA drag racing fan and occassional racer at San Fernando Drag Strip located in the San Fernando valley area of Los Angeles. I had just seen Dyno Don Nicholson win the SS title at the Winternationals in his ' 62 bubbletop BelAire 409. Life was good and life was Chevrolet...nothing else. Then it happened, I glanced in the window of Ralph Williams Ford on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks California and saw this small, round little roadster. A new shape to me, so I turned around and parked my 1956 Chevrolet two door sedan, 283ci, 4 speed "racer" and decided to have a look. My life changed that day and its never been the same. I could go on and on about the chances I had along life's highway to buy a Cobra, but everyone else has similar stories...my income never quite got up to the needed level to buy one and when it got close once or twice, I never pulled the trigger. I got sidlined into GT-350's and trying to buy one of those 'cause they were affordable. I never got one of those either but was soooo close on several occassions....you know how that goes....and ended up buying a really, really nice Tiger. The Tiger was neat but I always felt like the red-headed step child at the SAAC meetings at Galpin Ford, so I sold it and drifted back into Chevrolets and street rods. I never lost my love for the original 289 Cobra tho and recently I had the good fortune to buy an ERA FIA car. Its just the most damn fun I've ever had in a car and while I've owned a number of head-turners in my time, this car takes the cake. Young dad's with their little sons stop and point and whisper to them, other drivers stop and stare, others give the thumbs-up, its amazing.
I could go on and on, but I will sum up my love for Mr. Shelby and his wonderful creation with a short story featuring my son....it was 1984 at the SAAC convention in Anaheim, California and it was the night time panel discussion featuring Shelby and several of the key players from back in the day. They were seated up on stage in a large meeting room with hundreds of chairs. In the crowd was my wife, myself and my son....or so I thought. We took our seats and I then noticed that my son, 8 years old at the time, was not next to me in his seat ! I became very concerned and started to panic a bit when my wife said...."honey, look, up on stage, its Eric". Sure enough, he had made his way down to the stage, gone up and walked behind the speakers and was in the process of tapping CS on the shoulder. It was hysterical. Shelby kind of half turned around looking from side to side then finally looked down and saw my son. Words were exchanged between the legend and the lad, a small scrap of paper was exchanged and the young boy turned and made his way off stage and back to his seat. He has, to this day, that autograph and remembers every moment of the adventure. What a hoot.
So to Mr. Shelby, from Chris and Eric Allen, thanks for the memories and thanks for being you....you have changed the world.