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Any Vintage racing gatherings?

Discussion in 'California & Nevada (Northern)' started by Bowers, Dec 26, 2007.

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  1. Bowers

    Bowers Karting

    Sep 27, 2007
    242
    San Jose
    Full Name:
    Bowers
    #1 Bowers, Dec 26, 2007
    Hello all. Merry Christmas.

    Is there a gathering of classic Ferraris anytime during the year in or near by the San Jose area. As it turns out my girlfriend’s grandfather was a racer. In the mid 60’s he had an AC Shelby Cobra and raced in an amateur league. He has a picture of him coming out of the corkscrew at Laguna in the Cobra signed by Mr. Shelby. He gave up on racing and went back to active duty at the start of the Vietnam War, he was never able to get up the funds to start racing again and just focused on raising a family. He learned of my Ferrari passion this Christmas and opened up about his racing history and love for the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s era racecars.

    I would like to take him to a gathering of vintage Ferraris but don’t know when, if ever, there’s a meeting. I know about the historic races at Infinion raceway a couple times a year but that’s a long drive for grandpa.

    Is there anything closer that any one knows about?
     
  2. lukek

    lukek Formula 3

    May 2, 2003
    2,085
    San Francisco
    Full Name:
    LK
    #2 lukek, Dec 26, 2007
    you want the Wine Country Classic (Infineon). It should work well, as would the vintage racing events in Monterrey in August (Seca)
    http://www.winecountryclassic.com/
     
  3. 289FIA_Cobra

    289FIA_Cobra Karting

    Sep 6, 2007
    101
    #3 289FIA_Cobra, Dec 26, 2007
    Bowers:
    I think it's rather neat your father raced the "real" Cobra's. If he's ever interested in looking at "replica's", tell him there's a regular gathering of replica's in Livermore every Saturday morning ( 7:30 - 10 except this Saturday since it's looking rather wet.) We also get together (smaller crowd) at Baji's Cafe in Mountain View on the 1st and 3rd Sat. mornings. I almost ALWAYS attend the Santana Row gathering of exotic hardware. Sometimes some old 911's and Ferrari's show but nothing if firm there.
    I don't know if he's like Carroll Shelby himself and despises the replica industry; if so, I understand if he doens't want to.

    I know it's not related to your question but I bet he could tell a lot of tales of what it was like to race these machines and I think a lot of the replica owners would really love to hear about his adventures as well (I'd pay for both your breakfasts if you showed up.)
     
  4. Bowers

    Bowers Karting

    Sep 27, 2007
    242
    San Jose
    Full Name:
    Bowers
    #4 Bowers, Dec 27, 2007
    289,

    Thank you for your offer. It is very generous of you. The problem is it’s not my dad. It’s my girlfriend’s grandfather. He will be 82 this year and time has NOT been good to him. Last night I sat down with him to find out more about his racing past. It turns out he was not a driver. He was a mechanic, and worked on a number of now “vintage” racecars. He personally loved the cobra; apparently he worked on one in particular for a number of years. Anyways he got the chance to drive it around Laguna. So it is a picture of him driving and it’s signed by Shelby, but he was not a driver.

    I apologize for posting without knowing all the facts first. You have to understand he is old and very hard to understand. While he speaks clearly he doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. For example I asked him how the weather was and he started to tell me about meeting Frank Sinatra but ended the same sentence with the weather in Paris 1945. It’s because of this he is treaty badly by many people, including his own children. I have a respect for the older crowd because they do have good stories, and often no one to tell them to. This (vintage racecars) is the first thing he has ever mentioned having an interest in that I could relate to.

    I just want to take him out to see some old cars and let him ramble; I want to be there to listen. Livermore is probably too far for a single trip, but Mountain View is doable. I have tried to get him to come out to Santana Row a couple of time but he wanted to finish the paper first…

    What time of day are you usually at the café?
     
  5. 289FIA_Cobra

    289FIA_Cobra Karting

    Sep 6, 2007
    101
    #5 289FIA_Cobra, Dec 27, 2007
    We typically gather around 7:30-8:00 (Livermore does too but it would mean getting on the road by 6:45AM!
    If weather permits, next Saturday, Jan. 5th we would meet if no rain.

    I agree that the Monterey Historics would be the best venue as well as the Concourse d'Elegance in Palo Alto for next year.

    On a side note, Canepa Design in Scotts Valley is primarily a Porche shop but upon touring the facility, Bruce Canepa will work on anything to do with race cars and high performance cars. If you can get a tour, it'd be worth it for him to look at things like the 917-10 twin turbo CAN-AM cars they have in the showroom along with "the" original S0-CAL Hot Rod that started it all, Grantelli's 50's Indy Car, Rusty Wallaces "Miller" car, and if he takes you to the back room (cars in waiting to be worked on), there are a ton of other cars from a 67 GT500 to a 2006 Hummer.

    When we went to the actual working area, he had about 6 959's being retrofitted with newer designed turbo's, his own 427 "Steet" Cobra (no a replica), a Ferrari Dayona I believe, a torn down Mazda GTP, and another vintage Mustang. If it wasn't for the commute, I'd work there as a mail boy just to look at all the rare and exotic hardware all mixed under one roof. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew Bruce.
     
  6. Bowers

    Bowers Karting

    Sep 27, 2007
    242
    San Jose
    Full Name:
    Bowers
    #6 Bowers, Dec 28, 2007
    Thank you your info. It’s been very helpful.

    I will try for the Historic races at Laguna and the wine classics at Infineon. (I usually go to these anyways). The Palo Alto concourse should be exactly what I was looking for.

    On a side note I try to find out about the various car shows and gatherings going on in different places locally but always seem to find out about them with a week to spare, is there a series of sites or publications I am not aware of that lists upcoming events?
     
  7. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,152
    Bay Area Calif.
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #7 ferraridriver, Dec 30, 2007
    Take a look at CRSG. http://www.csrgracing.org/

    We are a northern Calif bunch of amateur racers racing cars of his ear.

    Every one is very friendly and willing to talk about the cars.

    Your girlfriend's father might well meet someone he used to race with.

    I race with them, and I raced in the 60's
     
  8. alexx

    alexx Rookie

    Mar 25, 2006
    20
    Verdi, NV
    Full Name:
    Alex Evans
    #8 alexx, Dec 30, 2007
    If you can make it to Reno with him, he would love the Western States Cobra Bash, May 15-18 at the Nugget. Check out their website, wscb.com for details. Last year over two hundred Shelby cars real and replica were there. There is also a track day at the Reno-Fernley race track. Most real Cobras you'll probably ever get to see in one place close to your home.
     

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