Monterey Historics

Randy Klein · #1 (**permalink**) 08-15-2001, 11:58 PM

I'm planning to be at the historics both Saturday and Sunday. Stan Ambrozy and I are meeting there Saturday as are John and Jackie Brooks on Sunday.

Are any others of you in the Bay Area Planning to come down too? If so where do you want to meet?

I will have my phone with me; so please call if you find yourself there and want to get together?

All the best,

stickanddice · #2 (**permalink**) 08-16-2001, 12:16 AM

Randy,

I'm heading to the Historic Races on Saturday. Unfortunately I have some pressing issues on Sunday and won't be attending that day.

I'm new to the whole Cobra scene but would like to think of myself as a car enthusiast. After researching potential projects, I have tentatively placed my interests in a Cobra or Daytona Coupe.

What do you guys have planned? Seeing as to how this is not a private post I'm assuming this is an open invite to any fellow enthusiast? Otherwise please let me know if I just rudely invited myself to your function! I won't take offense!

Cheers,
Taek

Randy Klein · #3 (**permalink**) 08-16-2001, 10:28 AM

Taek,

This is one of the many good parts of this site, meeting other enthusiasts, both old and new. I look forward to meeting you there at about 10A on Saturday at the information booth near the Tire Bridge. The information booth is on the paddock side of the facility near the Skip Barber Racing School building. I will be wearing my tan Cobra cap with pins on it and a Cobra shirt of some kind, probably blue denim.

Monster · #4 (**permalink**) 08-16-2001, 03:14 PM

Randy,
I'll be down there through the weekend with my P1800es as part of the Volvo 40 year celebration. We will be at turn 2 I believe. I hope you and Stan and, anyone else for that matter, will stop by.

see ya,
Mike 'monster'
(I'll be the guy in the Cobra hat with a volvo pin)

cobra · #5 (**permalink**) 08-17-2001, 10:19 AM

Randy Klein

Please don't forget to bring one digital camera to Laguna Seca.........

Unfortunaltey I can't go to the Historic Races because it's a little far from my home.

I wish you a lot of fun

Walter Kreuchi

Jon Miller · #6 (**permalink**) 08-17-2001, 12:58 PM

I was going to go to the Concours at Pebble beach.......That was until I opened todays "Drive" section and found that the snobs had doubled ticket prices to $100, and the charity event is by advanced ticket sales only.....it seems that they don't want a "huge croud standing around at the entrance".

I'll be at the races on Sunday.

-Jon

Tom T. · #7 (**permalink**) 08-17-2001, 01:42 PM

Randy,

Someday I'll actually get down there. Are you going to MiniNats?

TT

stickanddice · #8 (**permalink**) 08-17-2001, 04:34 PM

$100 for Pebble Beach may sound like a rip off, but after really looking at what you can see and/or be a part of, it's quite a bargain.

Bentley is the featured marque.
A whole new class is added, in which restoration is not allowed and emphasis is in preservation (pre-war vehicles only apparently).
Mercedes is celebrating 100 years and I'm sure that is going to be something special.
More important to this Club, Ford Motor Co. will be celebrating 100 years of racing!
For Italophiles, there is the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari and Pininfarina collaboration.
And you also have a smattering of concept cars as usual.

Also, keep in mind that all the great cars you're going to see in the Historics are headed over to Pebble Beach afterwards!

Taek

Randy Klein · #9 (**permalink**) 08-23-2001, 02:19 PM

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Monterey Historic races were a real delight. Both Saturday and Sunday had a lot going on. I took pictures and will post some of them once I get the CD back from the developer!

Bentley, as you can read in 'sticanddice's' post, was the featured marquee this year. It was a site to see them parade around the whole circuit with their owners, some dressed in clothing of the periods of their cars, and to see their display (pics later).

However there were two more racing events that stole my breath:

First was the group including the Cobras, Ferraris, XKE, some Mustang GT350's and Corvettes. There was the Blue Cobra, #?, in first that was passed by the red Ferrari. The Red Ferrari stayed in first place over the blue Cobra until about the middle of the race when a red #22 (I think) Cobra 427S/C, driven by Mac Archer (sp.?) came up through the pack, passed the blue Cobra and began to dog the rear of the first place Ferrari, about 4-5 car lengths back. They stayed this way with the Cobra passing at least once, then loosing its first place to the Ferrari for a second, through the subsequent turns.

As the two raced down through the corkscrew and through turns 9 and 10, virtually side by side, the Cobra held to the left of the Ferrari. As the two reached the last turn, 11, the Cobra stayed inside the Ferrari, braked late, smoked the tires and entered the turn slower. The two came out of turn 11 side by side. The Ferrari stabilized first, accelerated and began to pull ahead of the Cobra as the two headed for the checkered flag. Then as the Ferrari had moved about 30% up on the Cobra, and looked as if it would pull ahead for the win, Mac Archer's red Cobra seemed to explode with speed and simply shoot ahead of the Ferrari to a substantial lead as it passed the checkered in 1st place! OH WOW!! I'm still celebrating!

Later that day, I went to the paddock and found the car. The mechanic was there; so we talked about the previous day's race. He was busy, but was proud of the outcome...no kidding! As I walked away, past the Edlebrock Cars, I looked at two gentlemen talking near one of Edlebrock's cars. The fellow looked like Parnelli Jones. But I thought, "NO WAY", Parnelli wouldn't come to this venue. I told a friend and fellow CC member, John Brooks, and we even speculated as to whether or not Parnelli was alive or well enough to be at an event like this.

Later the next day, during the last featured race of the Trans AM cars, as the driver's names were announced, I heard the names of George Follmer and.....yep....Parnelli Jones! YESSSS! Parnelli drove an aggressive race in an orange Boss 302 Mustang, #15, and came in second to an AMC Javeline driven by Follmer. It was a site to see the two of them race together. After the race we walked down to the paddock again, found Parnelli (I saw his name sewn on his racing suit) and I complemented him on how enjoyable it was to watch him race. His reply was simply "thank you." Now that I have met and talked to one of my racing heroes, life seems more complete!

I wish all of you who wanted to be there could have seen this spectacle. There are other Historics throughout the world like this one; so I hope all of you other Cobra-compulsives like myself, will go to at least one. I suggest checking the schedule to find when the Cobras, or other cars of interest to you, are running. Sometimes it's on Saturday while other times it's on Sunday, normally in the 2 to 4 PM time window.

All the best, folks!

Monster · #10 (**permalink**) 08-23-2001, 04:25 PM

Randy,
you forgot to mention the highlight of the event was that beautifully restored green 1972 P1800es

sorry I couldn't resist.............

Mike 'monster'

Randy Klein · #11 (**permalink**) 08-23-2001, 08:03 PM

OOPS, I am sorry all over the place...and I have a Volvo 1800 too! No excuses from me, just CRS! The Volvos there were just beautiful and also went around the track on Sunday....I even took pictures of them!

Thanks for jarring my memory, Mike

All the best,

Mark Morrison · #12 (**permalink**) 08-23-2001, 11:54 PM

Hi Randy,
That was quite a week of spectacular cars and racing. I,m a crewman on two of the trans-am cars. Number 72 a red camaro and number 67 a white camaro both from central oregon.We arrived on thursday and was able to enjoy the hole week alongwith all the car auctions. It truly was a treat to watch parnelli and follmer going at it,body contact and all.Did you happen to see the new car that Vic Edelblock bought.A Beautiful red and black Bud Moore Mustang for 300 large.I work on this camaros and vetts but i,m a FORD man a heart. Wish I could have meet you and Turk there and shot the sh#$.My Mid-states cobra just went to the body shop last week,millennium yellow,cant wait to see how it turns out. Glad you had a good time cant wait to see it on speedvision.

Cheers

Bill Kesner · #13 (**permalink**) 08-24-2001, 12:43 AM

Hi Guys,

Anyone stop by Shelby's booth? I had my newly completed Cobra(blue without a stripe) in their booth. Finish Line MotorSports and Shelby transported the car to the Historics, and set it up in their display all 3-days. My 1st drive of the car was leaving Monterey Sunday afternoon, and heading home to San Francsico. Had my buddy video taping the drive home. Got to finally meet Carroll, and he graciously signed my dash for me. What a weekend! Did the Italiano Concours in Carmel Friday, and watched the RM Auction Saturday night. Saw a 1966 427 SC Cobra sell for $410,000.

Will have to hook up with you guys if your still doing the Saturday breakfast meetings, now that I finally have my car.

Randy Klein · #14 (**permalink**) 08-24-2001, 05:44 PM

RE: "Did you happen to see the new car that Vic Edelblock bought.A Beautiful red and black Bud Moore Mustang for 300 large."

Hi Mark,
I sure did see the Bud Moore Mustang. I was blown away when I heard what it went for....a Mustang, albeit a special one. Now Mustangs are selling for Cobra Prices. I also saw the bent fenders on both Parnelli's and Follmer's cars. Those guys were a hoot to watch race like that. Good luck on your Midstates. I look forward to seeing you crusin' round in it.

Bill K.---I sure did go by the Shelby booth and lusted after the cars I saw there. I remember seeing a polished aluminum bodied car, but not a solid blue one. Now that you have yours, please come to our Cobra Breakfasts when you can. Perhaps I could meet you somewhere along HWY 92 and take it across the bay to the breakfast one morning? Let me know when you want to go (except this one 'cause I'll be at the Mini Nats at Sears Point).

All the best, gentlemen....