Racing Icons at Monterey | FerrariChat

Racing Icons at Monterey

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by BartonWorkman, Aug 25, 2018.

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  1. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
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    Some of the most legendary racing names of our time gathered at The Quail
    event yesterday.

    Left to right: Scott Pruett, Emanuele Pirro, Dario Franchitti, Hurley Haywood,
    David Hobbs, Sir Jackie Stewart, Tom Kristensen, Lyn St. James and Derek Bell.

    Courtesy of Instagram @Emanuele Pirro

    BHW
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
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  2. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    What a distinguished (and distinguished looking) group.
     
  3. BartonWorkman

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    22 Le Mans victories there if I remember correctly.

    BHW
     
  4. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    I will tell you my experience at the Monterey Historics in the 90's. It's not a story about me, but about how times have changed.

    Many of you know I owned an Auto repair garage in the late 80's to late 90's. About half of our business was Vintage racing restoration and racing. I had one very wealthy customer who loved vintage racing and we would prep his Cooper T-56 Mk 2 Formula jr car for him each year for the event. One year, he was invited to go on a tour of New Zealand. I didn't go but my partner went - and they ran vintage racing events in 3 major cities. The owner of the car became great friends with Denny Hulme (yes, the Formula one champion who was, as many of you know, still a pro driver down under). The owner invited (well, paid for), Denny to come to the Monterey event and drive his T-56 in the event.

    I don't know today if its the same but in those days, we had a practice session on Thursday. The only people there on that day were people in the event. Almost no spectators or press. It was my favorite day because in the off periods, I could roam around mingling like no spectators ever could. That was about the only benefit as racing in the event was pretty much a pressure cooker for most of us the entire weekend.

    Well, Denny goes out in practice and drives the wheels off the car. What amazing talent. The car runs faster around Laguna Seca faster than it ever had by 5 seconds. He comes in and asks for a tire pressure change in the real tires. So I get out my portable air tank and my gauge, stoop over and do my best to find the pressure he wants while he's looking over my shoulder. Suddenly, I hear two people yell out "Denny!". The two people start talking to him but I'm still concentrating on what I'm doing. Then I look up -- it's Jackie Stewart and Jack Brabham making jokes with Denny as they laugh up a storm standing right over me. Now, to say Jackie Stewart had always been my idle would be an understatement.

    Another year, instead of the event being about a marque, it was a tribute Juan Manuel Fangio who, despite his age, was there. His good friend Pedro Rodriguez was also with him. My business partner was from Argentina and of course, Fangio to him was like Babe Ruth, Arnold Palmer, and Bart Starr rolled into one-- and then multiply that times 1000.

    Mercedes brought his winning GP silver arrow W196 and Fangio actually drove it around the Laguna Seca track. He drove it right past me and looked fantastic in his old school racing helmet even in his old age. Its hard to imagine what people felt that day -- everyone had such respect for him. After the racing event on Sunday, there used to be an awards type ceremony which was really only for the crews and drivers -- no spectators. Most of the crews never attended because we were busy packing up to get out before midnight on Sunday. But that time, we did go. And Fangio and Rodriguez spoke to the drivers and thanked everyone for remembering them and inviting them. They were humble, grateful, and very happy. And the drivers there were simply in awe, knowing this might be the last time we ever saw Fangio in a race car again.

    Today, Monterey seems very commercialized and more about gazzilionaires over paying for over restored cars. There was only one auction on a Friday night and even that was not such a big deal. In those days -- Monterey seemed more about the history of the sport, to marvel at the machinery made by hand instead of computer, and the idea of celebrating what drivers did before the cars were plastered with advertising labels and more valuable being licensed into video games.

    I haven't been back since the mid 90's when I would drive either my Alfa Spider or my Dino from LA. But I think if I went back today, I would be disappointed. Sometimes you cannot go back.
     
  5. Jack-the-lad

    Jack-the-lad Six Time F1 World Champ
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    Good story, Bob. Yes, Monterey in the 20th century was quite different than it is now. I recall there were really only three events of note...Monterey Historics, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Rick Cole Auctions. At least, when we used to go, that was it. Now it's just too crowded, too commercial and the prices of certain events aren't merely expensive, they're insultingly so. I guess if I was in the business and I could write it off I'd go, but as it is, we just go to Goodwood instead.

    Tally ho!:D
     
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  6. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    Terrific story but Pedro died in 1971. Perhaps you are thinking of someone else?
     
  7. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Well, you are right about that. My faded memory I guess!
     
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  8. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    I went to Laguna Seca on Thursday to watch practice/qualifying and to wander the pits. During the CanAm session in the afternoon one of the UOP Shadows(both were driven aggressively and were the fastest cars on the track)got airborne at high speed into Turn 1 and cartwheeled at least 6 times. Clean-up was extensive and the EMTs were in no particular hurry to transport the driver to hospital. The track announcers said nothing after mentioning the accident and I couldn't find anything about it in local media. Does anyone know the story?
     
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  9. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    One of the "rules" use to be that accidents were forbidden and aggressive driving would be black flagged. Most of any incidents I saw were from mechanical or driver error which only involved one car. If I driver was seen as driving a little crazy, they pulled him into the pits immediately and gave him a real talking to. If you wanted to be invited back you followed the rules.

    Any car leaking any fluid was also black flagged. Of course no anti-freeze was allowed. Just water or a heat dispersal additive. Scrutineering was difficult also. They went over the cars very aggressively pointing out the smallest of issues.

    I sure hope they are OK. Vintage racing can be very dangerous if there is an accident.
     
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  10. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    #10 Nembo1777, Aug 28, 2018
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2018
    Most likely Froilan Gonzalez, I spoke to him the year he was there in I think 1994, he was very gracious and then I ran into him again at LAX on the Monday.

    I also recall seeing Denny Hulme in the paddock at Laguna must have been a year or so before passed.

    Completely agree with the opening post, I really don't feel like going to Monterey anymore, too many people who are not there for the right reasons, crazy event prices, other events appeal much more.
    One year I was sneaking in to the concours lawn at Pebble through the bushes and nearly banged heads with a bald chap doing same...it was none other than Sir Stirling! We had spoken the day before at Concorso Italiano so we just laughed:) no doubt he had a VIP pass and I had a media pass but it was an unwatched short cut:) I am sure it has barbed wire fences and watchtowers with armed guards now...almost.
     
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  11. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    ^ Yes you are correct. Denny passed away about a year or 2 after that event.
     
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  12. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Stirling Moss sneaking into a concours? How unlikely is that?
     
  13. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    All you had to do was lower your head and there was a gap that wasn't going to dirty your jacket and as I wrote he had a VIP pass no doubt it was just a shortcut where you did not have to wait in line to get onto the lawn. I think it was 1998 so 20 years ago.
     
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  14. Ney

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    Yes. Kirt Bennett of RM Motorsports out of Wixom MI was driving Shadow DN2 and the car blew over after the checked flag at the second hump on the straight at 162 mph. He did 1 3/4 back flips and then went end over end 3 or 4 times. The front of the car was badly damaged as were Kirts feet. Other then his feet, he is fine. He was stabilized and fitted with external fixators and will be flown back to Michigan for further surgery. His brother Craig Bennett had a very bad crash in the DN4 Shadow two years ago at Road Atlanta. Updates on Kirt's condition are at the RM Motorsports facebook page (link below).

    https://www.facebook.com/UOPShadowTribute2016/?fb_dtsg_ag=Adx8vKHQOHlHwO-2bXaj0dPrCaeiTkzXnelvO6BaD41q7w%3AAdwQ_hip1xFnTDnPrabvOwHrmT12p6r_38oE_TIxYBVAEQ
    https://www.facebook.com/RMMotorsportsInc/?fb_dtsg_ag=Adx8vKHQOHlHwO-2bXaj0dPrCaeiTkzXnelvO6BaD41q7w%3AAdwQ_hip1xFnTDnPrabvOwHrmT12p6r_38oE_TIxYBVAEQ
     
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  15. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    Many thanks, I am greatly relieved to hear that it wasn't worse.
     
  16. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    God speed to him for recovery, that is scary, I want to test drive a Can Am car eventually for an article, Elkhart would be perfect but to shunt in one is not good...
    I recall June 89 at Brands Hatch watching a historic meeting a flying start with 40 Can Ams on slicks...and it started raining almost immediately...pandemonium but nobody really hurt though I think one guy was stuck in his tub for a while in a pool of that nasty fuel...
     
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  17. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

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    I still have a lot of fun every Monterey Car Week. I’ve been going for 20 years. The same old experiences are still out there, but they are nearly smothered by the huge circus that Car Week has become.

    The new mentality of cars as an “asset class” has really changed things. The auctions are bigger news than the racing. And the marketing everywhere of “fantasy” cars; nobody buys Paganis to race against Koenigseggs at their local ad hoc track. And the ticket prices; wow.

    The Mayor told some anecdotes, so I will tell one of mine: a few years ago, Pierre-Henri Raphanel was there in his racing suit on “pin-up model” duty shortly after he broke the record for the fastest road legal car in the Veyron. A queue of people, wait your turn, go up stand beside him and the Veyron SS, smile and have a friend shoot a photo. He was so relieved when I came up and didn’t ask the standard questions that we had a long laugh-filled chat for over 20 minutes. A nice guy and a wonderful moment. These moments still happen at Car Week.

    The races at Laguna Seca are still pure. Yeah, it’s more crowded now, but you can still mingle with the owners, drivers and mechanics the same old way. You can still stroll the paddock and stick your nose into everything. In the past, like now, you needed to show discretion and courtesy, but the opportunities are still all there. And there are lots of “little guys” with cool weird old race cars that they fix themselves and got invited and can’t really believe they are there.
     
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  18. Ky1e

    Ky1e Formula 3

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    Mayor Bob you talked about "the good old days" when it was about racing and history... then talk about how it was forbidden to drive fast on a track, if you wanted to be invited back you followed the rules. Sounds like some stuck up wusses to me -- guys who like to talk about cars, look at cars, and worship cars more than use them for what they are meant for (both back then and now).
     
  19. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    No they drove fast. A lot of these drivers were not pro-drivers but enthusiasts. You get into a vintage race car and go around the Carousel and see if anyone would call you "wussey". Almost no crash protection, poor brakes of the period, skinny tires, etc. The biggest safety changes were fuel cells and seat belts along with modern helmets. Any crash in a tube frame car could be fatal and that could be the end of vintage racing.

    Vintage racing is not about winning. It's a rolling museum. You respect the car and the guy next to you in his piece of history.

    And what I mean is that if they were doing an aggressive pass on someone, they could be talked to. If they were just being nutcases, they could be black flagged-- but that was rare and usually a first time attendant.

    Most of the people I knew who vintage raced then were in the late 50's and early 60's and came back every year. Not your usual 18 year old "hot head". You have to be pretty wealthy or do a lot of your own wrenching to go vintage racing at that level.
     
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  20. Ky1e

    Ky1e Formula 3

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    Ok fair enough.
     
  21. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    At Monterey in 2004 I watched a race just for Ferrari 250 GTOs and SWBs. There must have been 30 cars in the race. Even back then the value of these cars was already astronomical. And yet, these guys RACED! No taking it easy - they drove the cars the way Enzo had intended. Fortunately there was no serious damage to any of them, but I guess the old adage applies: if you can afford the car, you can afford to repair it.
     
  22. Brian A

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    And, there is the Stirling Moss (?) quote to the effect of, "your car may be worth a million dollars, but I can't do a million dollars of damage to it."

    Having said that, if you have an accident of any sort you are banned from racing there the next year. ... Which makes it a bit embarassing for the likes of Ludwig Willisch (CEO of BMW North America) who crashed their famous 1975 3.0 CSL "Batmobile" a few years ago.

    Regarding the Ferrari 250 GTOs, Jon Shirley climbed out of his one year and told the crowd to feel free to jump in for a photograph. We all lined up like giggling school girls to wait our turn.
     
  23. velocetwo

    velocetwo F1 World Champ

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    It's still fun.My dad took me to the first event and I have gone every year except the year my mom passed away, yes it's different but all the great cars are there. Now I get to pass this experience down to my sons who look in awe at all the cars and racers. Every year I find the Monterey week exciting and packed with interesting people and cars. Just when you though you have seen it all there's a car, person or event that blows your mind. Viva Monterey Week !
     
  24. Nembo1777

    Nembo1777 F1 World Champ
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    I am sure you are right an thank God some of the genuine spirit persists. Raphanel is a great guy, very funny. A few quick ones not to go off topic too much. I met him a few times in 1987 when he was in F3000 at Onyx, mentioned I was in Formula Ford, very much a kid compared to a guy at the door of F1 and he said "I'll see you in turn one soon then."
    As a young man he was an ambulance driver and he got his knuckles rapped when they realized he used the siren even when the ambulance was empty a a free pass to blast country roads:)
    In F3000 that year he was team mate with the very fast but somewhat moody Stefano Modena. I lived in Silverstone for 3 years when racing in the Uk so would see all sorts of activity on track. One day the Onyx team had its awning setup in the paddock, was testing. I arrive and there is PHR next to his car...and then I see Modena's car sitting there next to it, it has had a huge rear end hit, massive damage and Modena is nowhere to be seen, I ask him if he is not oo shaken up and he answers: "Oh him, he's shaken up all the time anyway."
     
  25. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    That's my kind of Ferrari owner! It makes me laugh at the owners of "common" Ferraris who refuse to let anyone else sit in their car. I particularly like to let kids sit in the 328, to get the sort of experience I never had the chance to have myself.
     

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