[DeTomaso] Postcard from Belgium--onboard video at SpaItalia

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

Hi guys,

It took 11 hours (!!!!) to upload, but I finally got a video from SpaItalia 
loaded on Youtube.

I was fortunate enough to catch a ride with Henrik Svensson in his black 
'71 Pantera #1477 (ex-Junior Wilson) for the 'touring' laps of the track.   
The open track was divided into two groups; the Scuderia group ran with 
helmets, unlimited passing etc. while the 'touring' group was run behind a pace 
car.   The rules were passed out to everyone--no helmets required, no passing, 
etc.   However, the rules were issued in French and nobody reads French, so 
consequently the rules were summarily ignored. :>)

Henrik's Pantera had some issues.   For unknown reasons, it had been 
bending pushrods whenever he ran it over 5500 rpm, and as he had a very long drive 
home, he arbitrarily limited himself to 4000 rpm.   Also, his throttle 
cable started sticking open (he'd have to stick his toe under the pedal and lift 
it up to get the engine back below 3000 rpm or so), and a sticky throttle 
on an engine that might grenade (or at least break) if it revved even 
remotely high, is a bad combination.   So consequently he really took it easy, 
pushing a bit in the corners but mostly just enjoying the drive.

We spent most of the session following Tomas Gunnersson, whose Pantera was 
suffering from absolutely nothing, except a Swede behind the wheel.   So we 
toured at a decidedly Swedish pace, even getting our doors blown off by a 
Fiat 500 (really!).

Eventually Henrik had enough, and he dug down deep and found some Norwegian 
inside of him.   The throttle was pressed, Tomas was left in the dust...and 
then the video ends, at 10 minutes exactly.

Look for Roland Jackel driving his customer's beautiful white Vallelunga; 
this is one of the three Fissore-built aluminum-bodied prototypes (the 
remaining 50-odd Vallelungas were bodied by Ghia, in fiberglass).

Sound quality isn't great, and occasionally there is some bounce in the 
video.   I was filming this by holding a normal digital camera against the back 
side of the windscreen, resting my knuckles against the glass to stabilize 
it.   Next time you're in your Pantera, belt yourself in, then stretch out 
and hold your knuckles against the windshield about halfway up--and do that 
for ten minutes.   You'll find your arms will be burning in no time!   I had 
to take a break a few times, but the video quality was then so poor that I 
reached up right away to stablize it again.

Enjoy! :>)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js7ciQNqYNI

Mike

P.S.   Lest you think I'm kidding about Swede Speed, let it be known that 
one convoy of several very nice and presumably very fast Panteras drove to 
Spa all the way from Sweden, some two full days, and they proudly told me they 
never exceeded 100 km/hr, which is 62 mph! (Except on the unlimited speed 
autobahns, the speed limit is 130 km/hour!)   Meanwhile, the Norwegians 
mentioned a long autobahn run they made at 280 kph (which is 174 mph, much more 
like it!)