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REMEMBERED Lloyd Ruby 2015 Corvette Z06 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1
ISSUE 1014
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ROAD TRIP The Mohawk Trail EVENTS Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Goodwood Revival TUDOR United SportsCar Championship DIGITAL MAGAZINE • NO APP NEEDED • For Your Smartphone, Tablet and Computer
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CONTENTS 1014 Car Guy Magazine 8
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THE MOHAWK TRAIL32 VERMONT
NEW HAMPSHIRE MASSACHUSETTS
7
5 2
6
Charlemont
NEW
YORK
Williamstown
8
4
3
1
Orange 2
Shelburne
Greenfield
To Boston
2
1
French King Bridge
2
Old Deerfield
3
Bridge of Flowers
4
Hail to the Sunrise
5
Hairpin Turn
6
Williams College
7
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
8
Mount Greylock, 3,491 Feet
Boston
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04 Publishers Note 06 Masthead 08 Lloyd Ruby 18 2014 Pebble Beach 26 Car Guy Snapshots 28 2015 Corvette Z06 30 2015 Ram Power Wagon 32 Road Trip 40 World Premiere Flying Car 44 Essentials 46 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 50 Goodwood Revival 58 United SportsCar Championship 58
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s a Car Guy I’ve always enjoyed learning about drivers, builders and visionaries of days past. In this issue we remember another Texan from not too long ago, race driver Lloyd Ruby. Noted as the greatest driver never to win Indy, writer Harold Pace takes us through the story of this interesting man with the yellow straw hat. Two of my favorite events Pebble Beach and Goodwood are covered in this issue. I’ve been to Pebble Beach a few times a number of years ago and I’m looking forward to going back perhaps next year. I mention Goodwood as a favorite even though I’ve never been. How can that be? I just know that Goodwood would completely capture my imagination and launch my car passion to the next level. I cannot wait to attend, even with the consideration of dipping into my retirement funds in order to make this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Well there it is, my next “bucket list” item has been determined. We also head to the Road to Atlanta for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship coverage. We have my four current picks to add to my garage someday - the 2015 Corvette Z06, 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1, 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon and ha, a flying car! We have them all here in this issue. Have a great time with this issue, please pass the word along about our new independent magazine, website AND check out our YouTube Channel with “The Car Guy Show!” Sincerely, Tim Miller tim@carguymagazine.com
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the publisher’s note
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PROUDLY CREATED IN THE GRAND OLD U.S.A. View FREE digital editions on your smartphone, tablet and computer at www.carguymagazine.com. All advertising is subject to publisher approval before acceptance. Car Guy Magazine reserves the right to refuse any ad for any reason. Advertiser’s warrant and represent that the descriptions of the products and services advertised are true in all respects. Car Guy Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Car Guy Magazine, Madwest Media, LLC, its officers, directors, employees and agents make no recommendations as to the purchase or sale of any product, service, or other items. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Car Guy Magazine. Car Guy Magazine™ , The Car Guy Show™ and A Kick in the Asphalt™ are trademarks of Madwest Media, LLC. Copyright ©2014 All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital copying and distributing, in whole
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or in part, is expressly forbidden except by written permission of the publisher.
Wichita Falls is a small, rustic Texas city, just south of the Oklahoma border. Lloyd Ruby has lived there, but for a brief sojourn in Houston, all his life. That is, when he wasn’t driving the wheels of everything from motorcycles to midgets, Ford GTs to Watson roadsters, Maseratis to Smokey’s Camaro replica and NASCAR stockers to Lotus Formula One cars. In short, he has raced everything on wheels, and done it very well, indeed. We met up with Ruby at the Rock Inn in Wichita Falls. It isn’t named for the type of music played there (for that is country-western) but for the stone facade on the tiny, time-worn structure. Inside, a group of long-time friends are preparing for a feast. Most are wearing Stetsons and boots, not for effect but for shade from the searing Texas sun and for tromping through mud while inspecting their oil leases and cattle ranches.
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WORDS HAROLD PACE PHOTOS INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY CarGuyMagazine.com
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he Rock Inn serves no food (just ice-cold beer) so the group has brought their own roast chicken, mashed potatoes, white bread and gravy they have cooked on a faded yellow stove in their “clubhouse,” a converted repair garage a few blocks away. Once everyone has settled down with a paper plate and a drink or two, the fun begins. Tall tales, hunting stories and a form of gin rummy with unintelligible rules explode into life. The ringleader of this rowdy group is a tall man in his late 70s wearing a grey hat and a large silver belt buckle. Everyone in the dimly-lit Rock Inn knows him, although outsiders could be excused for not recognizing one of the top American racing drivers of the 1950s to the 1970s, Lloyd Ruby. Ruby is a quiet man with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, born in Wichita Falls on January 12, 1928. When he was 17 he started racing Harley Davidsons and Indians on the dirt tracks that dotted Texas and Oklahoma. He did well, winning much-needed prize money. His father owned a repair shop which paid the bills, but left no spare change for hobbies. Ruby quickly progressed to midget racing, which was blossoming in the late 1940s. His first car was a homebuilt with a Ford V8 60 engine owned by local businessmen Abe and Meyer Raben. Ruby remembers his first drive in an Offy midget, “I lucked out. The first time we ran it was in San Antonio. It was the championship down there, and I accidentally won it.”
He did well enough to progress to other teams, eventually landing a ride with Bob Nowicke, who ran a body shop in Chicago. Nowicke plugged Ruby into a Kurtis-Offy and he responded by winning 91 races and three championships in 1948 and 1949. “We’d run every night, sometimes twice on Sundays,” Ruby recalls, “He (Nowicke) would just turn me loose with it. I’d run Indianapolis on Friday night, then I’d tow to Chicago late that night. He had a garage, and I’d pull in and go to a bedroom in his office and go to bed. By the time I woke up he and his brother would have the car completely stripped down and they’d put in a fresh engine every week. We’d run there in Chicago on Saturday night, then Sunday I’d take off again.” Ruby towed and maintained the car himself on the road. Midget racing paid good money, and Ruby ranged from dirt tracks in Dallas to a board track in New York (and all tracks in between). He began wearing a yellow straw Resistrol cowboy hat which became his trademark. A stint in the Army hampered his career from 1950 to 1952, but he came back with a vengeance, winning Oklahoma City Fairgrounds championships in 1950, 1955 and 1956. He spent time in Florida, where there was a lucrative midget circuit, traveling and sharing lodging with another struggling Texan named A.J. Foyt. “If I was doing good and he wasn’t, I’d loan him money. If A.J. was doCarGuyMagazine.com
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ing good, he’d loan me some.” But by that time the era of the midgets was ebbing, and Ruby began to look for other venues. He tried sprints and stock cars, but a chance offer of a sports car ride changed his fortunes for the better. Bobby Burns was a Wichita Falls businessman with a shiny new Maserati 150S he wanted to race at Sebring in 1957. His mechanic convinced him that Ruby was the driver he needed. Few start their road racing careers with a paid ride at Sebring in a Maserati, but Ruby was up to the task. Unfortunately, the Maserati wasn’t
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and expired early. Ruby’s growing reputation brought him to the attention of Ebb Rose, a Houston trucking company executive who owned a stable of midgets and was racing Corvettes and exotica in SCCA races. Ruby went to work for Rose and began racing Rose’s midgets in USAC events. In 1958 USAC started a professional road racing series and Rose entered Ruby in a Maserati 300S. In 1959 Rose added a 450S to the stable and Ruby manhandled it to second in the championship. The big 450S broke at Nassau,
He tried sprints and stock cars, but a chance offer of a sports car ride changed his fortunes for the better.
At Laguna Seca in 1962 Ruby won one heat and finished a close second overall to Roger Penske’s Zerex special. He finished third in the USAC championship that year.
and Ruby finished the race in a 5.7-liter Maserati owned by Jim Hall and Carroll Shelby. Ruby later raced a 450S for Chattanooga, Tennessee bottling tycoon J. Frank Harrison. In 1961, Harrison upgraded his stable with a Lotus 18 Formula 1 car and in 1962 a Lotus 19 with a two-liter Climax. Ruby quickly acclimated to the mid-engined cars although he was a doubter at first. “I looked at that little old thing (the 19), and I thought, it might run through them turns but wait till I get to that straightaway! I was wrong there, too. That little
old thing would run!” At Laguna Seca in 1962 Ruby won one heat and finished a close second overall to Roger Penske’s Zerex special. He finished third in the USAC championship that year. In 1963 a Ford 289 replaced the Climax and a one-off body was made. Ruby drove it to a win in the Kent USRRC race. “It was a more powerful engine, but I wouldn’t say it was any faster. It messed up the balance of the car,” Ruby recalls.
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The Lotus 19 took him to Watkins Glen for the 1961 United States Grand Prix. It was his first and only exposure to F1 racing, and if he didn’t set the world on fire, he didn’t embarrass himself either. After qualifying last on the grid, he worked his way up to 11th before a magneto drive failed. In 1963 he took the Lotus 18 to a USAC race at Trenton, where he put it on the pole, much to the consternation of the roadster drivers present. In the race he was battling for the lead with A.J. Foyt when the fragile Lotus gearbox let him down. Ruby’s performances in the Maseratis brought him to the attention of yet another Texan, Carroll Shelby, who was gathering a driving team for the Ford GT effort. He needed a teammate for the brilliant but prickly Ken Miles. Team members called them “the odd
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couple,” as Ruby was a laid-back and affable as Miles was intense and sarcastic. Much to everyone’s surprise, the two of them hit it off both on the track and off, becoming close friends as well as a formidable driving team. “We liked the car set up the same way,” says Ruby, “The only thing I told him was, if it starts raining, get your helmet! I didn’t like rain, and he could run faster than anyone in the rain.” The payoff came in 1965, when they captured the Daytona 2000km race in a Ford GT-40. The next season they were back in the new 427-powered Mk.II, and Miles and Ruby again conquered Daytona (now a 24-hour race) then squeaked into a win at Sebring in the one-off Ford GT-40 X-1 roadster. The death of Miles in a testing accident was a blow to Ruby, who still speaks in reverential terms of his former codriver. In 1967 Ruby paired with Foyt to take second at Sebring, but at Daytona the Mk.II he
shared with Dennis Hulme fell victim to gearbox woes. At Le Mans he and Hulme were in a new Mk.IV, but an accident put them out. Ruby was not sorry to have it over. “Of all the tracks I have run on, Le Mans was my least favorite. You’re going down that long straight, we were hitting 220 mph, and you run into a fog bank and you can’t see a damn thing. And about half the field is little cars that won’t go 100 mph and you’re afraid you’re going to hit one of them in the fog, but if you lift someone is going to get you in the rear.” Although Ruby was spending most of his time on his Champ Car program, in 1968 he drove a Mercury Cougar to victory in the Paul Revere 250, a USAC road racing event at Daytona. At Sebring that year he was teamed with Al Unser in Smokey Yunicks’ “Camaro.” This silhouette racer had been declared vehicle
non grata by the SCCA Trans-Am techies, but the FIA regs were more lenient. Yunick wanted to take a poke at the Penske Camaro piloted by Mark Donahue that had gobbled up all comers in the Trans-Am. The Yunick Camaro didn’t handle as well, but it had a LOT more power and the two had a spirited race until Ruby retired with a blown engine. Although Ruby also put in wheel time in Trans-Am and stock cars, his first love had become the Indianapolis 500. He loved the track, eventually putting in over 75,000 miles race and test miles. His first year was 1960, when he drove a new Watson-Offy for colorful team owner J.C. Agajanian. “A.J. Watson was the kind of guy who could put on a white shirt and pants, pick out his tools, crawl under a car and fix everything without ever getting dirty,” recalls Ruby with a grin.“He had a blackboard on the wall of his shop at Indy, and if you needed some part and he wasn’t there, you dug around until you found one and wrote it on the board.”
Ruby made the most of his opportunity by running as high as third and finishing seventh after running out of fuel with eleven laps to go. “After running there, Indianapolis became my favorite track,” Ruby says. He drove a series of Watsons (and briefly an Epperly) the next three years, and in 1964 he made his reputation with a fine third place finish behind Foyt and Roger Ward (a scoring error may have deprived Ruby of second place). In 1965 he joined the rear-engined brigade with a Halibrand-Ford, but the engine let go while he was running in the top five. Dan Gurney snapped Ruby up for his 1966 Eagle effort, and he was the fastest qualifier on the team. For the first time Ruby lead the Indy 500, but a cam failed late in the race. Ruby then began driving cars built by his mechanic, Dave Laycock, and entered by his friend Gene White. In 1968 Ruby had the race in the bag with nine laps to go when the coil went dead, dropping him to fifth. Ruby often
was in the lead, but mechanical maladies intervened each time. An unusual race modification proved terminal in 1973, when they were running a turbocharged Offy.“ Laycock and I would always start the race by taking all the instruments off. If you lost oil pressure you would have to be looking right at the gauge when it happened to shut it off in time. And you might have a gauge go out and you’d be spraying oil out. So we just took them all out.” Ruby didn’t have time to look at them anyway, as he shifted by sound and track position, not by watching the tach. But the turbocharged engine was so much faster that Ruby over-reved the engine and broke four valves. Ruby recalls,“That car was really quick. We won Phoenix with it. Boy, when that blower came in, you’d better have it straight!” Probably Ruby’s finest car was the works McLaren he drove in 1975, teamed with 1974 winner, Texan Johnny Rutherford. The team was having teething trouble and were unable
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to sort the cars out until Ruby convinced the McLaren tech crew to let him set up the car, at which point they became dominant. Unfortunately, the Ruby luck struck again. A mechanic started the engine on race morning as a final check, but forgot to shut off the fuel system afterwards. Methanol drained into the cylinders and washed down the rings and bores. Although the problem was caught before race time, the damage was done and Ruby was out on lap seven. In 1976 and 1977 Ruby ran second-string cars with nothing to show for it. The next year Gene White made arrangements to buy Danny Ongias’ backup car from the Vels-Parnelli Jones team, but before they could take delivery “OnTheGas” destroyed it in a testing accident. Vels offered another chassis, but ran out of engines before race day. White asked Ruby what to do next, and he replied “Why don’t we just quit.” Getting out of racing wasn’t easy the first year or so, but eventually Ruby became involved in oil drilling and had plenty to keep himself busy in Wichita Falls, with Peggy, his wife of 52 years, his children John and Mary Ann who live nearby, frequent golf games with old racing friends like Parnelli Jones and, of course, the gang at the “clubhouse.” He has made two exceptions to his retirement. In 1993 he participated in the Fast Masters, a Jaguar PR fiasco involving the televised destruction of a pack of Jaguar XJ-220s by retired racers over the age of 50. Ruby, then 65, was making a run at Bob Bondurant in a heat race when the two cars touched, then spun off the track with terminal results. Bondurant was furious, but an unfazed Ruby was convinced he had added to the spectator interest! In 2003 a similar event was put on at Texas Motor Speedway, but this time the cars provided were small-scale replicas of Indy roadsters powered by motorcycle engines. Ruby finished third, showing that the touch is still there. Meanwhile, the chicken is frying and the beer is cold. For Lloyd Ruby, life was good.
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Lloyd Ruby “the greatest driver never to win the Indy 500” died at the age of 81 on March 23, 2009 in Wichita Falls, Texas.
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1954 Ferrari 375MM
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Pebble beach 2014 PHOTOS Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance WORDS Charles Fleming and David Undercoffler, LA Times
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1954 Ferrari 375 MM originally built for Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini was named best of show at the 64th Annual Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, concluding the Monterey-area gathering of the world’s most exotic and expensive automobiles. Jon Shirley of Medina, Wash., owner of the winning silver Ferrari, ac-
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cepted the award from host Jay Leno, himself a car collector and a longtime Concours participant. The car started life as a convertible, but was converted into a coupe in 1955 for the director, Shirley said. After buying it in 1995, Shirley spent nearly two years researching and restoring the car -- then he did it again after it “got beat up” in road rallies. “The styling is very, very special,” Shirley said. “I love to drive the car, and
it’s a very powerful car and all original underneath.” The car had been in pieces for a quarter century before Shirley bought it. A former Microsoft president and board member, Shirley is an avid collector whose garage contains dozens of Ferraris and other Italian marques. The winning entrant, which took a first in class and Luigi Chinetti award at the 1995 Concours, is one of only five remaining road-worthy 375 MMs.
The car was also competing this year in the Ferrari Grand Touring class, going up against six other classics built from 1951 to 1967. The judges generally favor older, prewar cars. Until this year, only six times in 64 years has the award gone to a car built after 1939. Last year the top prize was taken by a 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria. Shirley was proud to join the elite group of winners with postwar cars. “There’s always a chance,” he said, despite the history of older cars winning. “It’s great. It’s wonderful.” The win caps a Ferrari-centric Monterey Car Week. On Thursday, a
Ferrari GTO sold for $38 million and became the most expensive car ever sold at auction. On Saturday, a Ferrari GTB/C Speciale sold for $26.4 million to become the fourth most-expensive car ever sold that way. Said to attract as many as 15,000 spectators each year to the tiny, tony seaside village, the Concours d’Elegance also attracts the world’s most exclusive automakers. Through an entire week of automotive excess and car-related conspicuous consumption, banners and booths for Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati, Bentley, McLaren and other top brands dot the wooded landscape and line the borders of the
area’s many private golf courses. Manufacturers use the accumulated population of wealthy car fanciers to unveil new concept cars and new retail models. Then, on Sunday, those same wealthy car fanciers compete for prizes -- an annual ritual at which Leno has poked fun. “It’s a wonderful event where a millionaire can compete with a billionaire -- and win!” Leno said during a recent interview with The Times. “Only in America!” It’s an elegant affair. Men in straw hats and women in pearls stroll among the magnificent machines. Joking about the Concours de-
Jon Shirley won the best of show at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe
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mographics, Leno said while hosting the awards ceremonies, “You know, I saw something I’ve never seen before at Pebble Beach -- an old rich white guy! It was so weird.” Following Leno’s cues, award winners are directed by judges in blue blazers and ties by Rolex to a stage, where they receive their prizes from a woman in a flowing, cream-colored dress. As an olive 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 took its prize for best postwar preservation, retired F1 racing legend Jackie Stewart hopped out of the passenger seat, dressed in his customary loud plaid pants -- with matching newsboy cap.
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Cars compete in 21 categories, including Prewar Sports Racing and Postwar Preservation, for first-, second- and third-place honors. There are also brand-specific categories, such as Rolls-Royce Phantom Postwar and Ferrari Testa Rossa 250, which this year had 20 entrants, as well as obscure niches like the French Cup award, for the “most significant car of French origin,” and the Gran Turismo Trophy, for the car that “most deserves to be recreated for the Gran Turismo game series.” For those in competition, the day had started early. Long before dawn, the faithful came to gather in the darkness on
the 18th green of the legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links and wait for the arrival of the vintage automobiles. On a cool, calm morning, dressed in dark blazers and baseball caps, the most fanatic of the collector-car crowd stood by the sea, having paid $250 for the privilege of drinking predawn coffee from paper cups and waiting on the storied course. Some had come as early as 4 a.m., the first of a crowd that would grow to 600 before the sun began to rise and the cars began to roll. When they did, it was to a burst of cheers, applause and flashbulbs, as the first car in the private parade — a 1910 American Underslung Trav-
eler Toy Tonneau — rolled onto the grassy field. “They’re beautiful, but they’re not cars anymore,” said one enthusiast who asked to remain anonymous. “They’re just ... possessions.” The 1910 American would go on to compete in the Antique category, one of dozens of collectible niches as specific as Early Steam Cars, Prewar Preservation and even Eastern European Motorcycles. All 200 or so of the classic cars would also be eligible for the best of show award. Tom Goyne had driven from Denver in a pickup truck, hauling his 1902 White Model B Stanhope Steamer.
Dressed in a period “duster,” Goyne said he had purchased the antique car eight years ago and performed almost all of the restoration work himself. It was not his first Concours. He had come in 1958, 1960 and 1962 with a classic Packard, and again in 2009 with a 1910 White steamer. Keeping a car like his requires considerable attention, he said, plus a duster to keep the engine oil from splashing on your clothes. “You have to work at it,” he said. “These are really messy cars.” Reprinted with permission by The LA TImes, written by Charles Fleming and David Undercoffler CarGuyMagazine.com
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We have a broad range of officially “I look forward to meeting you at our licensed automotive apparel, hats new store in Plano on Preston Road and driving shoes made by the likes of Ferrari, BMW, Shelby and Mopar just south of the George Bush Tollway.� to name a just few. Thanks, We also offer the most trusted brands in car care products, such as Joel Lomax, Owner Platinum Car Collectibles Mothers, Meguiars and Griots Ga19177 Preston Rd. Ste 188 rage. Dallas, Texas 75252 469 644-7520 joel@platinumcars.com
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CAR GUY SNAPSHOTS PHOTOS Nerces Mavelian
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Submit your favorite artistic “car guy snapshot” for publication to tim@carguymagazine.com
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New eight-speed automatic enables 2.95-sec. 0-60 time, 10.95-sec. quarter-mile
T
he performance of the all-new, 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 establishes it as one of the most capable vehicles on the market – and one of the few to achieve sub-3-second 0-60 performance and a sub-11-second quarter-mile time. “The Corvette has long been known as America’s sports car,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors’ executive vice president, Global Product Development. “With the capability of the new Z06 rivaling the best performance cars in the world, we will also be America’s Supercar.” The Corvette Z06 accelerates from a rest to 60 mph in only 2.95 seconds when equipped with the all-new, available eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission – and achieves it in 3.2 seconds with the standard seven-speed manual transmission. A quarter-mile sprint takes just 10.95 seconds with the eightspeed automatic and 11.2 seconds with the seven-speed manual. With both versions, the Corvette Z06 hits 127 mph at the end of the quarter-mile. When it comes to braking performance, the Z06 can stop from 60 mph in only 99.6 feet. That’s the best braking performance of any production car GM has ever tested.
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2015 Corvette Z06 Rocks!
Additionally, the Corvette Z06 achieves 1.2 g in lateral acceleration compared with the Corvette’s previous best 1.13 g. The new Z06 is also the fastest production car ever tested at GM’s 2.9-mile Milford Road Course, beating the record set by the Corvette ZR1 by a full second.
It is the fastest production car ever tested at GM’s 2.9-mile Milford Road Course
package available on the Corvette Z06, which delivers the most downforce of any production car GM has ever tested. “The defining aspect of driving the Z06 is seamless integration of All test results were achieved power, technology and aerodywith Z06 coupes fitted with the Z07 namics,” said Tadge Juechter, CorPerformance package, which adds vette chief engineer. “As a result, Brembo carbon ceramic brake ro- the Z06 delivers ferocious accelerators and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tion, tenacious handling, and hightires. The Z07 package also features speed stability that few cars can the most aggressive aerodynamic match.”
It is the first Corvette Z06 with a supercharged engine – SAE certified at 650 horsepower and 650 lbft of torque – and the first with an available eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. Performance-enhancing Magnetic Ride Control and Performance Traction Management are standard, and the award-winning, industry-first Performance Data Recorder is available. The 2015 Corvette Z06 coupe goes on sale in in early 2015 priced at $78,995, while the Z06 convertible goes on sale in the second quarter, priced at $83,995. CarGuyMagazine.com
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2015 RAM 2500 POWER WAGON PHOTO TIMOTHY MILLER
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A TRULY IMPRESSIVE VEHICLE
R
am’s Power Wagon is actually what you get when a regular heavy-duty pickup truck is upgraded for some serious off-road challenges. The Power Wagon version of the Ram 2500 truck has established itself as a proper hard-working machine designed for the most difficult terrains. A lifted suspension, off-road tires and a front winch are the features that set it apart from a normal Crew Cab. Of course, except for the conscpicuous exterior, this sort of vehicle requires a bigger and more powerful engine as well. The 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon boasts a brand new powertrain under its hood. The last year’s 5.7-liter V8 will be replaced by a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, the same type of engine found in a Dodge Charger SRT8. The 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon will have 410 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque at its disposal, which is considerably higher than last year’s 383 hp and 400 lb-ft. The transmission will stay the same six-speed automatic. The top speed of the new Power Wagon is 85.6 mph, while the acceleration from 0 to 60 mph takes 8.5 seconds. The all-new suspension comes 2 inches higher than usual, with Bilstein shock absorbers. The standard 17-inch wheels get 33-inch off-
road tires. With 14.5 inches of ground clearance, the Power Wagon will be able to enter 30 inches of standing water, which is a quite impressive capability. Also, the towing capacity will reach an outstanding 11,000 pounds. The interior of the 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon will be no different from any other 2500 model, and that means it’s going to be one of the best in the segment. The cabin design of the Ram’s trucks is certainly one of the most impressive, with high-quality materials and plenty of rear-seat space. Also, the optional 8.4-inch touchscreen outdoes the competition by far, and the infotainment package is quite decent. The 2015 Ram 2500 Power Wagon is truly an impressive vehicle, in the sense that it combines the practicality that comes with a pickup truck, the power of a sports car engine and the off-roading capabilities that can be matched only by the most rugged off-road SUVs. The new Power Wagon will hit the showrooms by the end of the year, with a starting price of around $46,000.
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ROAD TRIP Introducing the first scenic highway in the United States: The Mohawk Trail in northwestern Massachusetts. This sixty-three mile ribbon of scenery was designated a scenic tourist route by the Massachusetts legislature and dedicated October 22, 1914. Like the Natchez Trace Parkway, it was originally an Indian footpath used for trading, hunting and socializing. For centuries this trail was in the remote wilderness and only wide enough for the travelers to walk singlefile. With westward migration of settlers, the trail was widened and routes were altered to accommodate the evolution of transportation from feet to horses to carts to cars. With the advent of the automobile, the route was paved and dedicated, and the rush was on to see magnificent mountain scenery, flaming autumn foliage, historic towns and kitschy tourist attractions. Popping up to accommodate the new mobile generation exploring this Berkshire Mountain area were cute one-room cabins for the weary to rest and myriad food stands where the hungry could eat. After all, a sixty-three mile road took a little longer to travel at ten miles an hour. Traveling the road today from Orange to Williamstown, considered the east and west terminus of the Mohawk Trail, is similar to exploring historic Route 66. You have to suspend the urge to just complete the trip and become the adventurous stop-and-explore kind of driver. When you drive this road, you are driving into American history, and there is a lot more to see besides beautiful countryside. Routes 2 and 2-A roughly follow the old Indian path. Stay on Route 2-A and you will be rewarded with the scenic beauty that attracted the early tourists, as well as remnants of a lifestyle that vanished long ago. Route 2-A is the road to drive to go back in time: Back to the turbulent times of the early Colonial period. Back to the American Revolution. Back to the age of industrialization; and back to the birth of the automobile. We begin the tour just outside Orange where you can still see the Art Deco roadside diner formerly known as the White Drum. It was built in 1934 and, unlike many of the other enterprises along the trail, this one is still in business.
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As you travel west, you cross the 782-foot steel arched French King Bridge, which was built in 1932 to cross the Connecticut River. A plaque at the end of the bridge informs the reader that the bridge was constructed with genuine Bethlehem steel. Try finding that on a new steel structure today! The bridge is named for French King Rock, a large rock in the center of the river. According to local legend, a French flag was planted on this rock during the French and Indian War, claiming the territory for the King of France. After crossing the bridge, you enter Greenfield, where the original east-west Mohawk Trail is Main Street through downtown Greenfield. South of Greenfield is Deerfield, which was settled by English farmers in 1669 and is called “the gem of rural New England.” Deerfield is now a national historic landmark and reminds one of Williamsburg, VA. As you leave Greenfield and continue west, the terrain becomes more mountainous and the true beauty of the Mohawk Trail begins. Along this section, many establishments were built for tourists, and many still exist. One common attraction along the trail is the multiple-story observation tower. It was built in 1923 as part of the multiple-attraction genre that was popular at the time. The names of businesses had to be exotic to make these attractions exciting to draw in the crowds, so when this observation tower was completed, it was called “Longue Vue.” As you enter the towns along the trail, you’ll encounter signs stating what year the town was incorporated. Shelbourne, a Victorian-era town, was incorporated in 1768 and still bears a close resemblance to its early days. The Shelbourne Hotel, which was built prior to the advent of the automobile, is still functioning - but is now the Keystone Market. The Sweet Heart restaurant, which evolved in 1915 from an idea of selling small hearts of pure sugar to the passing motorist, is presently undergoing renovation and plans to again start serving the hungry travelers who desire an alternative to fast food. The most unusual and famous attraction is the old abandoned trolley bridge that crosses the Deerfield River and once connected the towns of Shelbourne and Buckland. The local garden clubs began planting flowers along the active trolley bridge in 1919 as a memorial to World War I. Around 1926 the trolley service was discontinued and the Shelbourne Falls Women’s Club brought in eighty loads of loam, several tons of fertilizer and planted over 500 varieties of flowers and plants which grow in soil ranging from two to nine feet deep. This pedestrian-only bridge offers appealing views of the Deerfield River and the towns on either side. On a more modern note, the largest supplier of Corvair parts in the U.S. is right outside of Shelbourne. Clark’s Corvair Parts, Inc., started by Cal and Joan Clark out of their house in January 1973, had only 150 parts in their first catalog. In their eight buildings manned by twenty-five employees just off the Mohawk Trail, they now have over 12,000 part numbers in their catalog. So, if you need it, they have it. Between Shelbourne and Charlemont, the Mohawk Trail is pure vintage Americana, maximizing Indian arts, crafts and lore. The Big Indian shop is your classic souvenir shop, which has been in the same family since the 1930s. The twenty-eight-foot-tall rainbow-colored wooden Indian standing in front of the shop was erected for all travelers to see as
WORDS TED GLOVER PHOTOS BILL KEESE
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they approached a flat portion of the Mohawk Trail. Since this part of the trail afforded higher speeds, the store owners wanted “something the people could see before their momentum carried them right by.” The Charlemont Inn dates back to 1787 and is the last existing traditional country inn on the Mohawk Trail. With only a dozen rooms, plan your trip accordingly. From the start of the automobile era, many families realized they could make money by renting out rooms in their homes. According to the Historic Auto Trail Guide, residents entered the tourist home business, usually by giving the old place a new name (such as “The Elms”), parking cars in the barn, and hanging one or more signs in the front yard advertising “rooms” or “meals.” As the ability to cover greater distances at greater speeds progressed, and hotels began to spring up along the trail, all of these early tourist homes have re-
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Rivers cut through the area, and towns are built on the rivers.
verted back to private residences. As you proceed west and start to climb the eastern slope of the Hoosac Mountains, you will pass Mohawk Park. Located in this park is one of the most famous statues along the trail. It is a bronze statue of a Mohawk Indian erected in 1932 facing east to the Deerfield River with both arms reaching to the heavens. This elegant sculpture is called “Hail to the Sunrise” and commemorates the Mohawk Indian. The land was donated by the owners of the Mohawk Park Cabins as a means of attracting more overnight travelers. The initial cabins had a plain appearance, however, the Hansel-and-Gretel cottages built later were quite quaint. Six of these cottages still remain today and are still actually in use. As you proceed you come upon “Deadman’s Curve,” where poor brakes and a little too much speed resulted in many fatal accidents as cars and trucks careened into the rocky ravine. There are CarGuyMagazine.com
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Flowers adorn this pedestrian bridge in Shelbourne Falls.
signs today to warn motorists of this curve, but modern automobiles don’t have the failings of the early horseless carriages and the curve is now far more interesting due to its history than to the thrill of taking it with no brakes. Along this part of the trail are many observation towers promising a four-state view, many souvenir shops with the must-have item for the folks back home, and many cabin-style hotels still looking for guests. Once you get past the summit, you proceed down the western slope, which has been described by its promoters as “America’s Switzerland.” As you descend toward North Adams, you arrive at the Famous Hairpin Turn. This has been a must-stop for travelers since the 1920s. At this dramatic turn — which is one of the most popular postcard views of the Mohawk Trail — your ubiquitous observation tower was erected along with the Hairpin Turn tourist shop. This was not just a tourist facility,
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but it was the only tourist shop offering free water for the many overheated engines struggling to make the summit. One of the last remaining buildings of this tourist complex is the still-operating Golden Eagle restaurant. This building was turned ninety degrees and relocated back away from the curve to avoid the crashing cars and trucks, which had a tendency to end up it the front of the shop. The western terminus of the Mohawk Trail is Williamstown established as a plantation in 1753. Williamstown is home to Williams College and The Clark. The Clark is The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. It is a world-renowned art museum and research center with one of the largest collections of French Impressionist paintings in the world. A pretty side trip out of Williamstown is the small winding road to the top of 3,500 foot Mount Greylock. At the summit is the Veterans
Memorial Tower in remembrance of the casualties of all wars. On clear days you can see not only the Berkshires, but New Hampshire and New York as well. Many people associate the Mohawk Trail with the fall foliage season but it’s more. It is American history with a palate of changing colors with the seasons. When you tour the trail, relax and take your time. Enjoy the road and what the towns have to offer. Stop and climb an observation tower. Buy some dorky souvenir. Eat at some roadside stand that ma and pop started in 1915. Walk down the street in Deerfield and wonder what it was like to live in that colonial period. There are not many places in America where you can get in a nice car and drive back to 1669, watching history change along the drive. You can do this on the Mohawk Trail and you don’t need a DeLorean and plutonium to do it.
WATCH THE VIDEOS! CLICK THE WEBLINKS! WWW.RICHTURKPHOTOS.COM
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THE MOHAWK TRAIL VERMONT
NEW HAMPSHIRE MASSACHUSETTS
7
5 2
6
Charlemont
NEW
YORK
Williamstown
8
4
3
1
Orange 2
Shelburne
Greenfield
To Boston
2
1
French King Bridge
2
Old Deerfield
3
Bridge of Flowers
4
Hail to the Sunrise
5
Hairpin Turn
6
Williams College
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Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute
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Mount Greylock, 3,491 Feet
Boston
Information Centers
Online Information
Adams Visitor Center, Adams
www.mohawktrail.com
Upper Pioneer Visitor Center, Greenfield
www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/mhwk.htm
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World Premiere: New Prototype of the Flying Car AeroMobil Lands at the Pioneers Festival in Vienna VIENNA, October 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/
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T
he "Flying Roadster" AeroMobil 3.0 - will be unveiled in Vienna during the Pioneers Festival on 29th of October 2014. The new unique prototype is going to be physically displayed for the first time to a public audience, and combines the qualities of supercars and light sports aircrafts. The Pioneers Festival at the Imperial Palace Vienna (Oct 29 - 30) has an international reputation as the place
where future technologies and science meet entrepreneurship with over 2500 participating opinion leaders and over 600 attending high tech start-ups. "At Pioneers we cannot imagine a single piece of technology that is a better representation of the future other than the flying car," says Juergen Furian, Co-Founder of Pioneers. "We want to make personal transportation exciting, more efficient and sustainable. With ever more cars on the roads and ever more crowded
airports, travelling is no longer what it used to be," says Stefan Klein, CoFounder and CTO of AeroMobil. "We are very excited about the world premiere of our new prototype. Having seen enthusiastic reactions of the global engineering and design community, we accelerated the prototyping process. A lot of effort went into our new creation that marks a whole new era in personal transportation," says Juraj Vaculik, CoFounder and CEO of AeroMobil.
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BRM & Project Motorsports
BRM Chronographes Americas is kicking off a season of speed with Derek DeBoer, driver and founder of Project Motorsports. As a brand ambassador for BRM Americas, DeBoer will take the luxury label along for the ride as he competes in the Pirelli World Challenge, GT4 Challenge, the IMSA Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge, and in 2015, the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship. Piloting an Aston Martin GT4 as part of the TRG-AMR team, DeBoer counts BRM Americas among his sponsors, alongside companies including Pirata Della Strada and Black Rider Holdings. In recognition of
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the ongoing collaboration, DeBoer has also partnered with the French watchmaker to release a bespoke, cobranded timepiece. The customized V6-44-SA celebrates the passion for performance that defines both companies, and the face, set in a black PVD case, bears the Project Motorsports imprint. Each of the 50 watches included in the limited-edition series retails for $6,800, and fast-acting collectors can purchase the mechanically advanced model through Project Motorsports, Signature MSAP and select BRM Americas’ U.S. retailers.
Just bought a new Corvette? Or, you just love them? Come join us! Lone Star Corvette Club
is dedicated to the Corvette lifestyle and the people that own them. Our Club slogan says it all:
Good Friends…Great Cars! Founded in 1983, the Club now enjoys over 1,100 members, each with his or her own story to tell of how they found that perfect ‘Vette. LSCC offers just about any activity an owner of America’s Sports Car could want: Road Trips Day Trips Garage Tours Drag Racing Open Road Racing Autocross NCRS Car Shows Displays and Parades For 26 years, our signature annual event has been the Lone Star Corvette Classic, now held each May at Texas Motor Speedway The Club meets on the second Saturday of each month at various locations around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. We would love to have you join us at a meeting; dates and locations are on our website: www.LoneStarCorvetteClub.com. While you’re on our website, take a look at the latest issue of our award-winning online newsletter. Just click on the Newsletter button and enjoy!
Lone Star Good Friends, Great Cars
Corvette Club Revving Fun, Friendship and Charity - Since 1983
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Essentials Griots Garage Speed Shine
Mooneyes T-Shirt
Perfect between washes, a quick mist and light toweling removes dust and other foreign residue, leaving behind a brilliant surface. A great way to enhance color and extend the life of your base wax or sealant.
Mooneyes products and logos are an indelible part of Hot Rod nostalgia, easily recognizable to gearheads band novices alike. Enjoy this shirt which features the MOON Eyeball logo with California in script below.
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WEBLINK https://platinumcars.com/content/mooneyes-california-moon-t-shirt
California Car Duster Works like magic! The traditional, classic wood handle, and heavy duty mophead are preferred by car show entrants and enthusiasts across the world. Easy to use and includes a carrying case. WEBLINK http://platinumcars.com/content/california-car-duster-wood-handle
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Ferrari T-Shirts
Quick Shine
Ferrari captures it all within every stitch, racing inspired color schemes and subtle soft fabric. Ferrari shirts are engineered just for you.
Great for dust, smudges, fingerprints, bugs, and bird droppings, Golden Shine Quick Shine creates a mirrorperfect finish and helps repel dust by reducing static cling on paint surfaces. You won’t be disappointed.
WEBLINK http://platinumcars.com/manufacture/ferrari?page=1
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Ford GT40 Took Europe by surprise and beat Ferrari to the finish, the 1966 Ford GT40 Mark II. Own this die-cast model piece of automotive history today. WEBLINK https://platinumcars.com/ brand/shelby-collectibles
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Streetside Classic’s HOT PICK of the Month!
M
ustang fans, this is how you do it right. Take the bestlooking Mustang of them all, paint it Calypso Coral, give it a burly 351-inch small block and an overdrive transmission, then go have some fun. Showing only 564 shake-down miles since it was completed, this is an extremely high-quality resto-mod that’s ready to cruise or show at any level. It’s hard to tell from photos, but this is one of those rare cars that’s even nicer in person than it looks. There’s got to be $1520,000 wrapped up in the paint job alone and it shows. The Calypso Coral paint is
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1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1
just the right shade and the bodywork is excellent in every way. The Mach 1 was arguably the best-looking Mustang of all time, and with upgrades like the Shaker hood, chin spoiler, and rear wing, it certainly looks the part of a high-performance pony. Special Mach 1 pieces like the rocker panel moldings are beautifully finished and the blacked out stripe treatment with ‘351’ callouts is expertly applied. Chrome bumpers sparkle against the bright orange paint and all the stainless trim has been polished up to look great. This is a really impressive car! The interior has been fully restored to stock specs as well, complete with black Comfort-Weave buckets and a fold-down rear seat for practicality. Looking inside, you’d be hard-pressed to see any of the modifications, and it looks quite
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stock right down to the woodgrained steering wheel. This is a factory A/C car, so the system was retained and rebuilt and even the original shifter still looks original (more on that in a moment). Crisply restored gauges show vivid markings and bright, clear lenses, and there’s an accessory column-mounted tachometer that’s a period-perfect upgrade. The workmanship is show-quality throughout and there are almost no signs of use or wear anywhere inside this Mustang and even the clock is fully functional. An AM/FM stereo radio fits neatly in the original radio’s slot and doesn’t even look that out of place until you really get close and examine it, which is the entire point of this car. The trunk is also correctly finished with reproduction mats and a very clean look. The engine is a balanced and blueprinted 351 cubic inch Cleveland V8, which means it loves to rev and pulls like a freight train. It’s pretty correct under the hood, with a proper Shaker hood scoop, Ford Blue paint on the major components, and
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1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 a set of attractive finned valve covers that are period-perfect. Upgrades include an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor, MSD ignition system, and a slightly larger cam to give it a bit of a lope at idle. The engine bay is nicely detailed with lots of correct features, right down to a reproduction battery. Long-tube headers and a stainless exhaust system with X-pipe give it a spectacular sound and with an AOD 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission, this car is an effortless cruiser, particularly with 3.30 gears in the 9-inch rear end. The suspension was lowered to give it just the right stance and those Magnum 500 wheels are arguably the best-looking design of the period. Beautifully built and ferociously fast, this is a car that nails the resto-mod movement: stock looks, improved performance, and lots of comfort. Call today! This vehicle is located in the Streetside Classic’s Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas showroom. For more information call (817) 764-8000 or toll free (855) 877-2707.
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PEOPLE ARE THE EVENT!
Goodwood Revival
A
ccording to Lord March, founder and host of the Goodwood Revival: “The people are the event.” This is not to be interpreted too literally – the venue and the cars are key components. They are the catalysts, the clear enablers; without them there would be no racing. Yet the human component is significant. It is more than a veneer, it is an integral part of the event. The decision to turn an airfield perimeter road into a racetrack was born of a passion for motorsport. The cars that raced on the circuit in the 1940s, 50s and 60s came from the designer’s pen, rather than computer models. The founding of the Revival in 1998 stemmed from a deep-seated desire to celebrate a golden period in motorsport. Lukas Huni of Switzerland has been coming to the Revival for many years. Just ahead of competing in an enthralling RAC TT Celebration in a Ferrari 330 GTO, he eloquently gave his opinion on why the event works: “Not only is it a good track to race on and perfect for [classic] cars, it is a historic circuit with real tradition and heritage. The atmosphere, the way everyone is involved and is looked after by Lord March and his team, is also very special.” Fellow competitor
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WATCH THE VIDEOS! CLICK THE WEBLINKS!
Simon Hadfield, Rolex Driver of the Meeting in 2013, racing the Aston Martin Project 212, says he senses a palpable transformation when he arrives each year: “When you walk through the gates, everything changes. It is natural rather than applied. Dressing up is not out of place and those people not making an effort stand out. There is a courtesy and friendship I don’t see at other events.” The Goodwood Revival celebrates all things from 1948 to 1966, the active years of the circuit. 2014 paid particular homage to the Jaguar D-Type and Maserati 250F, both from the mid-1950s, both celebrating their 60th anniversary. Even so, there was a feeling that this year the Sixties, particularly 1964, were central to everyone’s thinking. 1964 was the year The Beatles took the #1 spot in the US Chart for the first time heralding the “British Invasion”; the year the US passed its landmark Civil Rights Act; and, the year the first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line - an historical footnote acknowledged by this year’s the Shelby Cup. It is also the year John Young “Jackie” Stewart was ‘discovered’ at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The 1960s were an unforgettable period. Culturally, socially, scientifically, the world was fast-paced and fast-changing. The clouds of the Second World War were finally beginning to lift, people looking forward rather than back. Fashion was loud and colourful, pop was no longer just a drink, and motorcars were showing form could still lead function. In CarGuyMagazine.com
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motorsport one driver entered the arena who would stand head and shoulders above the rest not just for his driving skill, but his human touch. A driver born for an era when away from the glamour “politesse” still mattered: Sir Jackie Stewart OBE. Among the tributes at the 2014 Revival, the one paid to Stewart stood out. Lord March explained: “Each year we choose a Goodwood hero, not just a mere celebrity but a star of huge achievement a genuine motor racing warrior as the subject of our very special driver tribute. Jackie was the driver against whom all others were measured and who measured themselves. He truly transcended his sport to become a global super star. His trademark cap and sunglasses made him instantly recognisable anywhere on earth.” A triple World Champion (’69, ’71 and ’73) and Rolex Testimonee since 1968, Sir Jackie’s emergence on the international motor racing stage was meteoric. Raw speed, courage and determination put him at the forefront of a sport where the line between success and disaster was the finest imaginable. In acknowledging how fast he rose to prominence, Stewart is quick to recognize the influence of others and how human interaction could shape his experience: “My career was like a rocket ship, almost too fast. Suddenly I was driving Formula 3 then I was being asked to drive Formula 2, then Formula 1 all in the same year. I was driving widely different cars: open wheelers, touring cars, GT, sports car. It was a great education. Not only
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WATCH THE VIDEOS! CLICK THE WEBLINKS!
did I have to drive, I learnt to work with different team managers, different engineers, different mechanics, learning a whole lot about human relations.” Stewart’s life has been defined by success at the highest level, and he built his career on values he has held close throughout: dedication, commitment and loyalty. His fiftyyear marriage to his wife Helen is evidence enough of this in his personal life. In professional terms, his forty-five year relationship with Rolex sets him apart. And in motor-racing circles, he was the example. Ken Tyrrell, who invited Jackie to Goodwood in 1964 to test drive the Cooper-BMC T72, offered him his first professional contract. Stewart would drive for Tyrrell-managed or owned teams for his entire professional career. Alan Stait and Neil Davis who were the mechanics on the Cooper, worked with Jackie until his retirement in 1973. Just as Lord March identifies people as being critical to the Goodwood Revival’s success, Stewart learnt quickly that he needed to get the best out of everybody, and to shape a common goal: “My mechanics were better at what they did than I was at what I did. My record of 27 wins out of 99 Grand Prix is nearly one out of three. The only reason that happened was because to finish first, first you must finish.” Some 24 cars driven by Stewart were present at the Revival, including the Cooper and two of his F1® championshipwinning cars: the Matra MS-80 from 1969 and the Tyrrell-Cosworth 006 from 1973. CarGuyMagazine.com
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Davis was on hand over the weekend to help Stewart in and out of the vehicles he would drive in the parade laps. His respect and loyalty to Stewart is as strong today as it was from the outset: “[Jackie] was unbelievable. He was so smooth, and easy on the car. He had an aura about him, you could tell he knew what he was doing, what he wanted. Straightaway we could tell he was a different man to the normal run. We did our utmost to do everything the best, to make sure the cars were safe and as well-prepared as could be.” Davis, too, is marked out for his belief in relationships. Joining Tyrrell in 1960 he left in 1998, when he retired. According to Hadfield, motorsport of the 1960s forced close bonds: “We tend to remember all the very best of that period, viewing it through rose tinted spectacles. The bits that were gruesome we gloss over. It was frankly dangerous to be a driver. There was a two in three chance you would not survive. The result was a greater element of skill, a greater element of inter-personal relationship.” Davis describes the racing team of the ‘60s as a family. Stewart agrees: “The culture was different. It was a tight group of people. Closer, more respectful, deep friendships.” That sense of community spread beyond individual teams. There was little secrecy. A naïve or innocent sense that everyone was in it together and, even if competitors, together they could do better, as Davis explains: “If another team needed to borrow something they would stop by the
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pits and ask. If Jackie had something to discuss with another driver he would hop out of the car and chat.” Davis and Stewart see that same spirit of camaraderie at Goodwood today. It is reflected in the drivers, the mechanics, and the spectators. According to Stewart it emanates from the core: “Nobody has done anything like Lord March has done here. The style, the details, everything has been done so beautifully. He’s captured the atmosphere of the period and encouraged others to do so too. It’s a great achievement.” For Davis it is just like stepping back in time, particularly how everyone interacts, cooperating, sharing the highs and lows. Rolex has been involved with the Goodwood Revival since 2003. There are clear parallels with its own philosophies in the respect for tradition and the past. There are also parallels in the celebration of heroes and role models like Sir Jackie Stewart, the conduct and respectfulness of drivers, teams and spectators throughout the weekend. As Hadfield correctly points out, the 1960s were not entirely rose-tinted, but the parts that were have been truly captured by the atmosphere of the Revival. While everyone attending loves to talk about the cars – and why not with vintage Aston Martins, Ferraris, Cobras, Mustangs, Jaguars, Bugattis, Maseratis seemingly at every turn in the paddock – the Goodwood Revival is very definitely about people: those who raced and who still race, the mechanics of yesterday and today, the fans from the past and the spectators of the present. CarGuyMagazine.com
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Grand Finale for Inaugural Season 2014 TUDOR
United SportsCar Championship
WATCH THE VIDEOS! CLICK THE WEBLINKS! 58 CarGuyMagazine.com
Grid Walk Lets Fans Get Up Close to Drivers and Cars PHOTO Stephan Cooper
B
raselton, Georgia. October 6, 2014 – From the weather – the Georgia Chamber of Commerce couldn’t have custom-designed a more perfect crisp, clear, early fall day – to the drama-filled competition, it was a fitting finale to the inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
The 13-race championship concluded this past weekend at Road Atlanta with the Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda, a ten hour timed endurance test in which 54 teams (11 in Prototype, 11 in Prototype Challenge, 21 in GT Daytona and 11 in GT Le Mans) put it all on the line in hopes of making it into the history books with a win of the season-ending race. Fans in the tens of thousands turned out for the spectacle, taking advantage of the opportunity to see the racing machines up close and rubbing elbows with drivers during the grid walk. With the green flag waving at 11:15 a.m., and the race concluding at 9:15 p.m., the drivers
would have to adapt to the changing sunlight throughout the day as eye fatigue became just one more piece of the physical challenge their bodies had to endure. Temperatures in the high 60s, along with a 12 mph WNW breeze gusting up to 19 mph, had its own impact on how the cars and drivers performed while traversing Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile, 12-turn, road course. In the end, as with all endurance races, strategy – and some good fortune – was key to staying in contention. By the time eight hours had elapsed, there had been a dozen full course cautions and 14 cars were out of the race. With roughly eight min-
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utes remaining, the youngest driver in the race, 19-year-old American driver Sean Rayhall of Georgia, fresh off back-to-back wins in the Prototype Challenge class driving the #25 8Star Motorsports ORECA FLM09 Chevrolet, went off course in the esses, putting the track under yellow for the final time in the race. The course was back to green with six and a half minutes left on the clock. Taking the checkered flag as the overall winner was Jordan Taylor in the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP. Taylor, with co-driver, and brother, Ricky Taylor, are the first Americanborn drivers to win Petit Le Mans. The brothers shared the driving duties for their father’s team with Monaco’s Max Angelelli. The win was the second class win and second overall win for Jordan Taylor; and first class win and first overall win for Angelelli. “We’ve always heard about this race,” said Jordan Taylor, referencing his father’s win of the first Petit Le Mans in 1998. “He always talks so highly about it. He puts it up with Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring. It’s definitely cool to do it with Max in the car. It’s nice to close the season off with a win and in a dominant fashion; it’s definitely good momentum going into the off-season. The last two races we’ve had the car to beat so we’re looking forward to next season.” Following Taylor across the line was Brazilian driver Christian Fittipaldi,
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Start of the final race of the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship PHOTO Stephan Cooper
Max Angelelli, Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor win Prototype class Petit Le Mans PHOTO Stephan Cooper
#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP leads the pack at Road Atlanta PHOTO Stephan Cooper
who won his first TUDOR United Sports Car Championship pole in the Prototype class at Road Atlanta. Consistent performance during the season – no finish worse than sixth, and wins at Daytona, Indianapolis and Road America – secured Fittipaldi, and co-driver Joao Barbosa of Portugal, the win of the driver championship in the Prototype class. Dutch driver Renger van der Zande took the win in Prototype Challenge class, at the wheel of the #8 Starworks Motorsports ORECA FLM 09, for his third class, and first overall, win. The class driver’s championship went to Colin Braun and Jon Bennett who won at Daytona, Sebring, Kansa and Watkins Glen in the #54 CORE autosport ORECA FLM09. German driver Christopher Haase earned his first class win (GT Daytona) in the #48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS that he co-drives with British driver Matthew Bell and American Bryce Miller. The GTD driver’s championship was won by American driver Dane Cameron, pilot of the #94 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4, after wins at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen, Road America and Virginia International Raceway. “It’s just an amazing feeling to not only get my first sports car championship, but to get it in the inaugural year of the TUDOR championship and to be the first person is even more
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special,” said Cameron. “In the unified series and in GTD, it’s a great series and championship to do that. To be the first to do that is even more special.” The extremely competitive GT Le Mans class was remarkable in that no driver repeated as pole winner during the 2014 season. The class win went to German driver Wolf Henzler at the wheel of the #17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR. For Henzler and his co-drivers, American Bryan Sellers and Germany’s Marco Holzer, this was their first class win. Despite holding the lead in the GTLM driver’s championship standings, the driving team of Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer, who were fresh off a win at Circuit of the Americas in the #93 SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT, were split up, with the Canadian Wittmer driving the SRT Motorsports’ #91 car, in order to better the odds of a championship win. “Definitely the feeling is quite extraordinary,” said Wittmer about winning the GTLM driver’s championship. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I think I had tears in my eyes for about half an hour there on the timing stand. To be honest, to be crowned champion in the TUSCC for the first time is special. It showcases just how great the championship really is. It showcases how competitive our class is. To be honest, I’m a bit upside down on emotions due to the fact that Jonathan can’t be sitting beside me. He deserves it just
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as much as I do. We worked all season to be in this type of position to get a point lead. Strategically we got split for Petit, which makes sense, because one of us did win. We had the SRT Viper right up there at the top of the charts. It’s quite exhilarating to fight against world class drivers and top teams. Here we are, we can only hope to do it again in 2015.” More information on the race, including live scoring, is available at imsa.com
“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I think I had tears in my eyes for about half an hour there on the timing stand. To be honest, to be crowned champion in the TUSCC for the first time is special...”
The extremely competitive GT Le Mans class was remarkable in that no driver repeated as pole winner during the 2014 season.
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