Ferrari Market Letter on Crescent Classic

Some Ferraris ARE driven!


Coverage of the 5th Annual Crescent Classic Rally

by Chad Ensz Ferrari Market Letter



Nestled in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas is a gem of an event. This is the meeting point of a group of Ferrari owners who actually drive their cars with spirit and passion, as proper sports cars should be driven.


As found on the Crescent Classic's website www.crescentclassicrally.com, we learn that although it's a Ferrari event, registration has been opened up to also include a select group of unique automobiles other than those born in Maranello. While the majority of cars attending still carry a prancing horse on the hood, Lamborghinis, Vipers, Corvettes (even a world-class performing ZR1 participated), Porsche, Lotus, Mercedes, BMW, Aston Martin, Bentley, Maserati, a Ford GT40 recreation, Nissan GT-R, Pontiac GTO (essentially an left-hand drive Australian Holden Monaro with a detuned Corvette engine) and a Miata were all present and accounted for this years festivities.


Still, the majority of 2010 participants drove Ferraris, running from a handsome 250 GTE to the latest 458 Italia. This was a full parking lot of "sporty" or "enthusiast" cars that anyone car enthusiast would drool over! Best of all -- this is not a car show -- ALL of these cars were driven and pushed, including some to their mechanical limits!
Every event needs a home, and the Crescent Classic's name comes from the Crescent Hotel. At a cost of less than $300,000, the Crescent Hotel opened in 1886 and was touted as America's most luxurious resort hotel. This hotel has always been one to experience, with everything from the 18-inch thick walls created from white river limestone to the location atop a mountain overlooking the town of Eureka Springs.


After successfully serving the carriage set during the Victorian years, the Crescent Hotel became well known nationally. Unfortunately, the success and prosperity once in excess gave way to economic challenges and the Great Depression.
The Crescent was once even a hospital. At a time when the hotel faced rough economic challenges, a man named Norman Baker bought the hotel in 1937, forming a hospital to cure cancer without surgery. Sadly, his many riches came at the expense of cancer patients looking for hope. Worse, they were looking for a cure that he was unable to provide. Baker was run out of Iowa for defrauding cancer sufferers, and two years after purchasing the Crescent authorities caught up with him again. The Crescent would no longer be his home; he'd now be forced to spend his time in a penitentiary.

As the Crescent hotel went through these many transformations -- it even served as a college -- but it became best known as "haunted." The stories are many, with even the current staff each have an interesting experience they are glad to share. Further strengthening its reputation, the Crescent Hotel hosted the Sci-Fi Channel's "Ghost Hunters," who investigated these strange occurrences.

My father and I can gladly say that we had no paranormal experiences during our stay. At some point on my travels I lost my iPhone charger, however. Could I have been a victim of a ghost who dabbles in the high tech?

Currently the Crescent hotel is owned by Elise Roenigk. She has overseen operations since 1997, and Elise's laid-back, down-to-earth presence makes this hotel unique. As the Crescent Classic founder Chris Parr stated, "Anyone can do NEW; how many can do the Crescent Hotel?" The best thing about the owner is she welcomes us "car folks" with open arms and even participates in the rally! You see, Elise drives a Lotus Elise.


Roenigk also owns the War Eagle Mill and Bridge, a water powered wheelhouse mill known for its stone grinding of grains. This site was the stopping point on the second day of the rally, where we all enjoyed a Southern breakfast. Roenigk enjoys preserving spaces for the public to enjoy versus private ventures; we are all the richer for this.

Even with a wonderful setting for the Crescent Classic Rally, it still needs a fearless leader willing to put a lot work and resources together to make the magic happen. The caretaker of this event is Parr. With the help of fellow Ferrari owners, friends, Ferrari of Denver and FerrariChat.com, Parr has put together a great event. Moreover, the relationships that he forms during his rally are sincere. Nothing could provide more evidence of this than his treatment of -- not only the celebrity guest -- but the lowly Ferrari Market Letter employee. I believe each Crescent Classic is an emotional journey for Parr, and this passion makes the event all the better.

One goal for this particular event is to keep the participants ALL on equal footing, which is not an easy task. Ferraris are arguably the sexiest cars on the planet. Ferraris are panache embodied as are many of their owners. One can buy a Ferrari because of the love of the marquee, but one cannot buy a Ferrari that is not noticed. All passionate owners of these cars do develop a Ferrari lifestyle and are passionate about their cars. This passion can create some interesting personalities and from that cliques within the Ferrari family. Parr doesn't want to see the group of Ferrari owners who seek status with their Ferraris' Parr wants down-to-earth Ferrari drivers. Again, the Crescent Classic Rally is where Ferraris are driven. So leave the fashion show at home and bring your jeans and driving shoes.
It is important to point out that I have -- a few times -- fallen victim to this Ferrari phenomenon of social ranking. This situation is at times exasperated by my ride -- an affordable sports car -- a Corvette. I cannot nor desire to compete financially with most Ferraristi. This social ranking can take place at events where it is stressed to be casual, yet a fashion show breaks out leaving those who took the word "casual" seriously to re-evaluate their now uncomfortable underdressed status. I've learned that casual means a step up from casual and black suit means tuxedo at many events. Parr caught me wearing a nice pair of khakis and was not afraid to point out my faux pas. At this event, casual means casual. After attending his event I do understand the importance of keeping the fashion show away from the Crescent Classic. I will however say to Parr, "Jeans don't breathe man, it's well over 100 degrees in these cars, so can shorts be implemented?" Otherwise, if I'm lucky enough to be invited back to cover this wonderful event; I'll bring more jeans, Chris!

At previous Crescent Classics, Jack Thomas brought his 375 America Pininfarina Coupe Speciale S/N 0355, a special design commissioned by Gianni Agnelli (president of Fiat). This unique Ferrari featured high, square-mouth fins on the rear deck and a transparent panel in the roof. S/N 0355 was prominently displayed in front of the Crescent Hotel for the event.


This year my family was honored when Parr asked that my Dad's car be displayed. My father bought a 1964 Fuel Injected "Fuelie" Corvette Roadster brand new and never sold it. It has since been restored and scored a 99.6 within the Corvette judging ranks (NCRS and Bloomington Gold). It's not the financial or collectable equal of the 375 America, but a great car that comes with a great story. My father was so proud that the Ferraristi would come by and admire his car and ask questions. Thanks for asking us to bring it, Chris. Also, having my Dad's car there on display meant my Dad would be there and participate as my navigator in the rally, which was more special to me than the respect showed for his car.


The first night featured the Ferrari of Denver reception. This was a nice evening, with a dinner and basic introduction or heads-up for the events that await us. We must part company and get to bed though; the mandatory driver's meeting was at 8 a.m.
As morning always does, it came earlier than desired. A shower was followed by collecting all of the rallying essentials, sunscreen if in convertible mode, water, GPS, cell phone, credit cards, and by al means the route maps. We placed all of these items in the Crecent Classic supplied travel bag and grabbed some breakfast off the buffet line while hearing the rundown at the driver's meeting.

At this driver's meeting, the basics were covered regarding respecting the local law enforcement, watching out for the unexpected around tight bends and on the other side of blind hills and the always famous "don't drive beyond your limits." What was not ordinary was Parr's comedic relief. It is entertaining to hear him speak, and more comments were made about him being funny than the actual rally until we got to the parking lot. Then it was all about the cars again.


The first route on this day's Ferrari of Denver rally was the "Pig Trail." Rumors persist that the pig trail was named for the windy road's similarity to a pig's curvy tail. Other lore claims the meandering nature of the route reminds one of a trail carved in the woods by wild pigs. The reality is the fact that for many years this was the main road to Fayetteville -- home of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks -- from the rest of the state. Since Arkansas is not blessed with any major professional sports teams, the Razorback faithful encompass the entire state and come from every corner to support their only significant sports team.


There were, unfortunately, not many opportunities to stretch our car's legs on this run. Between groups of Harley-Davidsons and logging trucks that cannot seem to negotiate any of these windy roads at more than 5 miles an hour, one could pull their hair out in frustration. The logging trucks seemed courteous enough to pull over and let the string of high-performance cars go. The bikers are a different story all together.

You'd think a line of red and yellow Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Corvettes cattle jammed behind a group of "we own the road" motorcycles would be a big enough clue to pull over and let the train of horsepower go by. Well, not so much, and my respect for those two-wheeled guys has taken a huge hit. Either way the views were spectacular, and there were a few opportunities to "get-on-it," which most of the participants did. There was a country store/gas station waiting at the base of the Pig Trail. We all pulled over to fill up, get snacks/drinks or simply stretch our legs. All the while, Parr frantically affixed a sticker on each car as a badge of courage for we have conquered the famous Pig trail.


Next stop is the oldest and largest winery in mid-America. Wiederkehr has been involved in the wine business since 1880. The highlight was the retired underground wine cellar converted into a cozy restaurant. Lunch in a dark and cool underground cellar was the perfect contrast from being in the cars. My Rueben sandwich was great, and with a full "tummy" it was time to get back on the road. Next we tackled the "Ozarkbahn," paying tribute to the Ozark Mountains and the German Autobahn. This road was nothing like the Autobahn, but there were plenty of chances to run deep into a corner and drive hard off the apex, and that alone, was absolute greatness. There was minimal traffic to deal with, so a yellow F355 and my Corvette had a ball chasing each other back to the hotel.


Dinner would offer the chance to meet a racing legend, Derek Bell. For those who are not familiar, he is a five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona and a two-time world champion sports car racer. Bell has raced for the Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren factory teams and pent his time behind the microphone speaking of his days at Ferrari and what it was like filming one of the best racing movies of all time -- "LeMans" with Steve McQueen.


After speaking to all of us "wannabe" racers, this real racer allowed for a quick question-and-answer session. Since the Ferrari Market Letter asked a few questions, I will save his spoken word for a future issue as there was some real verbal "gold" there. After dinner most retired to their comfortable beds as rest sounded oh-so appealing. It is of an interesting note that this night saw many fewer "takers" on the fourth floor bar as the previous night. Hard driving can take it out of a man, and this is proof -- once and for all -- that racing drivers are athletes.


Saturday morning brought us the FerrariChat.com rally. This was announced as a new rally to a new location. With such a successful event already in place it takes a bit of adventurous courage to add a completely new route, but this was hands down an absolute winner. There were long winding roads with elevation changes, and fast corners "or sweepers" mixed with hairpin turns in their purest sense. This was all you could ask for plus beautiful views of a seemingly untouched gorgeous landscape. This day -- and specifically this route -- turned out to be the highlight of the event. Well done all!

Before the real driving was performed ,we met at the aforementioned War Eagle Mill for a country breakfast. We'd have all eaten much quicker if we knew the fun that awaited us on the next leg, but the social aspect is also what makes this event so satisfying.




With the participants filing out of the mill, I decided to pair up with a nice couple driving a yellow F355. As we aggressively pushed forward we actually caught the group ahead of us. At this exact moment the real driving began. Without question the best part of the best day was upon us when we caught that 575 Maranello, 360 and F355. This gaggle of cars proceeded to lay it on the line and we all drove somewhere around 9-½ tenths. At a point or two the group must have reached ten-tenths (which in racing terms is "all-out" with nothing left on the line)! None of the cars in this pack could get away from the other and like a train, we were stuck together hitting redlines and "getting all of the good out of our cars." It was times like this that I missed my Lingenfelter Z06 with a roll bar mounted camera. Few car videos on YouTube could match this intensity that was on display. Luckily for our cramped hands, sweaty palms, and clinched sphincters a peaceful lunch interrupted our skirmish. We all met in a small-town restaurant that served great food and offered about anything you could imagine. The menu was like a book, the atmosphere was small-town America, and the company was enjoyable. What a banner day!


Realizing how much the last run took out of us and our cars, a small group agreed to drive spiritedly but sans any of the extreme intensity experienced earlier. Heck, I decided to turn the air conditioner on and enjoy the run back to the hotel. On this final leg I actually had a chance to see and take in the beautiful countryside. To much of our surprise, that area of our great country was truly breathtaking.


What's left after a great, great, great day of driving? What else but a Renaissance party. The organizers arranged for a bus to transport us -- in full renaissance garb -- to a modern castle overlooking Table Rock Lake. Food, drink, dancing, socializing and even a pair of fire juggling entertainers awaited our arrival. When the evening was over, it was announced that the route taken earlier in the day would be repeated next year to the cheers of everyone in attendance. It was also during these announcements that it became obvious to us all how much this event and the people meant to Parr. Well done, Chris!

The final activity was a Sunday morning gathering to watch the Formula One race. This was a perfect way to end the event -- but even with the best of intentions to attend -- it just didn't happen for us. My father and I slept in, which was a nice change for us and frankly well deserved. I say well deserved because at the end of all of this, I drove around 2,500 miles in six days. Yes, I was worn out. But I plan to do it again next year if possible!


All of the Ferrari Market Letter subscribers should look into attending next year as well if for no other reason than just to see a rare sight -- Ferraris actually being driven and enjoyed!