R&G Summary

[Buzz]

We need RESULTS! Last year everyone seemed so tight lipped about who won what that it really left me wondering. What about the Ugly Dragons? Did they kick Cobra butt or did the snakes bite their tails off? How did Hersh do in his GT40? Did Dave Salkowski break through the 10sec barrier? Do Cobras still rule? Any truth to the rumour that Ken Miles was driving a team car owned by JFK and Elvis?

[kountzecobra]

I hope we get a full report. I sure wanted to go and watch, but ran into a couple of problems at the last minute.

[Paul Gillespie]

I came out from Arizona with Hershal. Hershal place 3rd in Autocross in his class(street small block, the largest class), 5th or 6th on the road couse and broke 1st gear on his second run on the dragstrip. Also Hershal tried a new proto-type air brake on the road course practice on Friday, he forgot to fasten the rear clip and at about 110mph the rear clip open, broke the safety cable. All and all the car faired very well, it bent up some backets, bent the hooks on the safety cable, and did some minor fiberglass and paint damage. We had it together the next morning. The blue GT-40 ran in the small-block prepared class and got Top Dog in the prepared class and 1st place sm. block perparedcal, in the road course it didn't run in the autocross or in thr drags. There where a couple Cobra the ran in the 10's and one of them was running a V-6.

The Dragonsnakes didn't do jack, Autocross was embarrasing missed cones, missed turns, real problems. They did a little better on the roadcourse but not much. On the dragstrip I don't think any of them made it into the quick 8, and during the bracket race I was helping Hersh load the GT-40. The cars where a bunch of hot air, but at least they showed up to run. Maybe next year.

GT-40's did well 3rd in the autocross, 1st in the roadcourse and 1 car made it to the quick 8 , Factory Five did very well overall, Shell Valley won some and Backdraft a Pro-class car the did well.

I'm sure as people get home they will post more stuff, I'll try to post some pics when I get home, I'm still in St.Louis.

I highly recommend this event, it was at alot of fun, I hope to be able to make it next yaer.

[scottj]

To add to what Paul said re: roadcourse times-

Fastest time on the roadcourse was a 1:07 by Martin in the Pro BB Backdraft factory car. He easily out ran the rest of the Pro BB cars who's times ranged from 1:14 on up. The Pro SB cars gave him a run with low times ranging from 1:08 to 1:12.

1st Place Pro Power adder was Bonadio in the Dio with, I believe, a 1:12.

Like Paul said, I think the blue Roaring 40's car was 1st Place in Prepped SB and Top Dog Prepped, with a 1:12. 1st in Prepped BB and 2nd in Top Dog Prepped was a first time roadcourse driver in a Vette suspended E-M, with a 1:13.

I think Beltcher (spelling?) was Top Dog and 1st Place BB Pure Street in a Superformance at 1:13.

I'll note that all of the BB class winners were actually big small blocks.

Scott

[Tom T.]

I hear the CanAm Exotics car did very well (the Lola T60 influenced car).

TT

[scottj]

Not 100% sure, but I think the red one ran a 1:10 in Prepped Power Adder.

[Buzz]

Great stuff, guys! Sorry to hear about the minor damage to Hershel's ride. Sounds like it gave a good account of itself though. I'm not too surprised to hear that the Dragons didn't fare as well as expected. Judging by the size and construction, I personally don't see how they can be as light as they claim and they are simply too new to be well sorted enough to upset some of the seasoned Cobra/driver combinations out there. Maybe next time boys.

[RICK LAKE]

BUZZ Go easy on those dragons Buzz. They drove 2 of those cars out to race 1,300 miles. They only have ZZ4 motors in them. Next year may be a whole new game. Pete Tork runs a BIG small block Donovan in his cobra and runs 10.80's in the 1/4 and 4 or 5 in the other classes and he's 70's something. I would not wanted to ran him 19 years ago. Bob Self is in his 60's and the same. The OLD MAN RACING TEAM can run with the best. Maybe next year you can come out and play?? The Dio ran a 10.1 in the 1/4 on the bottle with a 355 motor. 150 pills in it. I don't own a Dragon but I know they will burn down the house next year. We will see. Go Easy on them. Your not racing?? The cobras get a stronger bunch to race against every year, Dio's, Dragons, Lolas,Super sevens, GT-40s. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, and sometimes we pray for HELP. Rick Lake

[wtcobra]

John Gyann's new Lola was fantastic and performed very well. John was 2nd in Autocross and 1st in Roadcourse in the Prepared Class Small Block. John was 2nd in Small Block in the Pro Class Road Course competition. John's son Greg was 1st in Auto Cross and Roadcourse in the Small Block Street competition, as well as Top Dog in Street Roadcourse and Auto Cross. John was also Top Dog in the Prepared Road Course competition. Once John gets the cars fully sorted out they will be even better, as John is always working to make his cars better in every way. John is a first class act to deal with in addition to producing a fine automobile.
wtcobra.

[Buzz]

Rick, like I said maybe next time. You say maybe next year. Close enough to qualify as agreement in my book. I'm not so sure about your points re: Pete with the Donovan in his Cobra(?) and the OLD MAN RACING TEAM.
As for me not racing, I ASSume you mean to imply that I don't qualify to comment on R&G because I didn't haul my car across the ocean and halfway across the continent to race. Well, I'll let you use your imagination for my response to that.

I admire your reputed skill on the racetrack - maybe if I "come out to play" next year you'll give me some pointers and let me take your car for a few hot laps on the road course and see if I can qualify to participate in all racing talk. Hell, I just might impress you enough to be an honorary member of Club Cranky. Yeah...now that's something for me to aspire to!

[decooney]

Who if anyone produces or will produce the full, final, detailed report on the results in each category for this event?

- Wait til Kit Car comes out?

I'd enjoy reading about the different Cobra MFGs and the variety of cars that showed up? e.g. Street perf tire (if any) ERA, SPF, FFR, Unique Cobras on the Road Coarse and 1/4 mile? Did any Listers show up this year?

Thanks.

[Jamo]

Well, Maybe that's just ol Hoishul's way of tipping his hat to history...

According to the recent issue of Vintage Motorsport, there was a bit of a dispute between Shelby and Holman-Moody in '67 when they each ran two Mark IVs. Seems ol Shel wanted them damn rear clips hinged at the front to prevent it ripping loose at speed, but H-M wanted it hinged at the back, and they won the arguement.

Well....McLaren was taking one of Shelby's Mark IVs down the Mulsanne at 225 when that doggone rear clip decided to come unbuckled, and she flew off "like a leaf in a hurricane". McLaren grabbed the body part and drove real slow into the pits, where some good ol racer's tape fastened it down tight. Ferrari complained cuz the rear hinge assembly had now been removed, and argued that it still needed to be "hinged open" per da rules.

Seems ol Shel gave up his leather belt, which they looped around some rear tubes to make a hinge, and off McLaren went into the night.

No report of ol Shel losing his pants.

[snakeeyes]

Jamo,

That car is now owned by a member of the www.gt40s.com forum, who drives it regularly--on the street. It is the cover car for the latest issue of Vintage Motorsport. I got to meet Jim, the car's owner, at Monterey; a great guy who enjoys sharing his car's significant history with others. He showed me the dent in the monocoque where an angry McLaren slammed his helmet down after pulling off the Mulsanne! Neat stuff--

Bob

[Jamo]

Yup, that's the issue I read. McLaren's dent and the Gurney bubble....all on one freeking car. Who woulda thunk.

[CowtownCobra]

I read the same VM article. What a history in that one car, and the owner has driven it 20,000 miles on the street!

How much might that car be worth?

[snakeeyes]

Sorry if this thread has gone OT. At least we're still talking Fords, I guess.

There is a thread right now on the GT40 forum I referenced, discussing the values of the various MkIV cars. The owner of J-6--the Bruce McLaren car--is of the opinion that J-5, which is the Gurney/Foyt winning car from the '67 Le Mans race, has a value on the order of $20 million. He states his reasons in that thread eloquently, and I won't try to repeat them here, but that is his opinion. He is also quick to point out that he does not figure the value of his car to be anywhere near that much. I can't add much more than that, except that real, live MkIV's are thin on the ground, are the only product of the GT40 project that were truly designed and built at Ford, by Ford, and are a huge part of America's Le Mans heritage. GT40 s/n 1075, the two-time Le Mans winner of '68 and '69, reportedly sold for something like $10M a while back. Whatever they're worth, it'll have to be a winning lottery ticket before I could join that club--IF any were for sale.

Bob

[decooney]

Buzz,
Seems this one took a detour. or derailed I should say...

I too hope to learn about the R&G results and details.

[Jamo]

Don't worry, Hershal appreciates a good hijack.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

[COBRA427]

Scott is way too modest about his great showing at R & G.

He walked away with 4 trophies including 1st place in prepped road course, and 2nd place in autocross, and that was the very first time in his life that he had ever driven a car in that type of competition.
Kit Car magazine will also be doing a feature article on his awesome Cobra.

Great job Scotty !!
Ed

[RACERAL]

I found these pictures on www.FFCOBRA.com
http://members3.clubphoto.com/tom254...70/guest.phtml