[DeTomaso] Fwd: WILLOW SPRINGS REPORT

Asa Jay Laughton asajay at asajay.com
Sun Mar 4 22:57:16 EST 2012


>From the Mad Dog himself (who's not currently receiving email from the 
forum):

Jim & Shari Saxton's West Coast Racing Event (previously known as the 
Ferrari/Pantera Clubs joint event) was a blast yesterday.

A real bargain for $145 for one day or $215 for two days. I could hardly 
believe there is a photo of 20 Pantera's and their owners on the wall in 
the cafeteria....in the photo the Pantera's are  all lined up on the 
track from 20 years ago....I don't know who the drivers were because all 
of them were young skinny guys with hair....someone told me the guy 
standing next to the black Pantera was me and that the black Pantera 
next to me was mine but that could not of been me because that guy in 
the photo had hair....lots of hair! ;-]>

Okay, Willow, if you haven't been there before has a great 2.5 mile 
9-turn course with elevation changes and two long front and rear 
straights...a great track for a Pantera. Yea, for that little money Jim 
& Sheri'strack event is a allota bang for the buck.

It was the first track event that I ran in Socal in 1992 after  I moved 
to Huntington Beach from SF. Sheri  always puts on a big lunch at no 
additional cost and she spent allot of time just wondering around 
checking with drivers all day if they needed anything or had any 
problems....They offered me their garage....they asked me several times 
if I needed anything.....Yea I know I look like I need help.....and 
do.....but seriously Sheri is the Track Mom of all track moms.....and it 
was her chocolate chip cookies that helped. ;-]>

Bill Nelson is still the same kick ass Race/Safety Director for Jim and 
Sheri ....and Bill is a major asset to that event....He is pro-active on 
everything without being in the way....but if you need him he will not 
ever hesitate to do his job. And he does his job well... They have the 
same driving instructor's available at no additional  cost and most of 
them have been up there at Willow Springs for 20+ years. And most of the 
Ferrari club guys are still going except now most of them are all 
driving something else....okay there were about a half a dozen Ferrari's 
but nothing vintage. All great enthusiasts and very loyal to Jim's event.

There are the usual race groups (Green/Novice - or those with limited 
open track experience, then yellow and blue for those with varying 
experience.... and red being the full race group.  On Saturday there 
looked to be about 50-60+ cars which worked out to 5 separate 20 minute 
run sessions....all runs went off without a hitch yesterday.

A couple cars broke but no Pantera's, accidents, or fires!  And when 
someone did break they quickly cleared the track and cleaned up any oil 
or debris... and then got the cars running again quickly.  All the 
course workers were experienced and did their jobs...... Lots of new 
young drivers (yea everyone younger then 64 is young to me) with the 
usual late model fast production cars.

Lots of emphasis  on everyone just being safe first and having a good 
time second....and that hasn't changed in 20 years.... no trophy's or 
prize money......just go have fun....The Shelby Club was well 
represented with vintage Shelby's and we had  two Pantera's running 
yesterday.  A Pantera owner from San Diego named Scott Bill who  also 
brought his son who also raced the same Pantera....I got my yaya's out 
running my Pantera and nothing broke all day so after 4 runs I was happy 
to put it on the trailer at the end of the day. Engine oil and water 
temps never were a problem.  And the only thing that broke was the hand 
winch on my trailer...again thanks again to Russ Fulps and Dick Drenske 
who set the engine and Pantera up. I need to adapt a kid to drive the 
Pantera faster. ;-]>

Dave & Linda Adler brought up a cup car as did Jeff Maxwell and Dale 
Ericksen....we had several Pantera owners with out Pantera's who just 
  came up to hang out and watch the cars run or help Jim & Sheri with 
registration....and it was great seeing all of them too....I know I am 
leaving someone out here but Portagese Rod Kunishe, Art "Firefigher" 
Stephens, Bill "B-52" Harris were all there Saturday....and it was great 
to hang with them....but it would have been allot more fun if we had 
seen more Panteras run. . .At lest half a dozen other guys came up and 
introduced themselves to me whispering they also had Pantera's but they 
were in the garage! ;-]>  HAH!  Okay there is a lot of other stuff to do 
in Southern California when its 72F outside so I get it....okay maybe I 
don't!  Anyway we all had fun....As Dale said, the Pantera racers always 
seemed to just have MORE fun!  I can't remember that far back so I don't 
know ;-]>

Still, Scott's Pantera ran like a scalded monkey all day Saturday. He 
and his son are great enthusiasts and he takes some (okay allot) of 
ribbing for his LS1 Vette engine....and does it all with a big 
smile....but there is no argument for success as Scott's bow tie powered 
Pantera ran great and he and his son both had a smile on their faces the 
entire day. . .someone is gonna copy me (again) on what a sin it is that 
someone has put a Mopar or Chevy engine in a Pantera but frankly I don't 
care. Long as you don't put a Windsor in the Pantera everything is good 
;-]> All I know for sure was I saw Scott driving his Pantera around the 
course blowing the doors off everything it passed and trust me the other 
drivers did not care what that Pantera was running for power.

Jim and Sheri's events are always in November and May (?) but if you are 
in SoCal, Nevada or Arizona you really (before you are dead or forget 
you have a Pantera in the garage need to come out and stretch its and 
your legs instead of driving your Toyota or Mustang not that I have 
anything against Toyota's or Mustangs....... or Mike's Sirraco II ;-]>

Okay I should be ready for Phoenix in April and Silverstate in 
September.  Off to Australia in May for work but I should be back in 
Sept for the 25th Anniversary of the Silver State.

Good Times!

Mad Dawg Antenucci
Team Pantera Racing
"No One Gets Out Alive"
<www.teamPanteraRacing.com>

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