Motor Club Magazine - Volume 6 by Monticello Motor Club

V O L UM E 6 | M OT O R C L U B MAGAZINE

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2017 SEASON

MMC MEMBER CHALLENGE, POWERED BY MONTREIGN TWO GROUPS: SPORTSCARS (CLASSES BASED ON HP/WEIGHT RATIO) & LITES (RADICALS, OPEN-COCKPIT CARS, OPEN-WHEEL CARS, ETC.) POINTS AWARDED TOWARD YEAR-END CHAMPIONSHIP TWO SPRINT RACES PER DAY (ONE RACE PER GROUP)

2ND ANNUAL

SAT., MAY 6 SAT., JUNE 10 SAT., JULY 8 SAT., AUG. 5 SAT., SEPT. 9

Concours d'Elegance

FRI., OCT. 6 – SUN., OCT. 8

INVITATIONAL ENDURANCE RACES ENDURANCE FORMAT WITH TWO OR MORE DRIVERS PER CAR MINIMUM OF ONE MMC MEMBER PER CAR RACING GUESTS WELCOME

QUEALLY MAZDA CLASSIC, POWERED BY HWI (FORMERLY QUEALLY MIATA CLASSIC)

SAT., MAY 20 SAT., OCT. 14

OPEN TO ALL GENERATIONS OF MIATAS & MX-5 CARS NO POINTS AWARDED TOWARD YEAR-END CHAMPIONSHIP

FRI., APRIL 28 FRI., MAY 12 FRI., MAY 26 FRI., JUNE 2 SUN., JUNE 18

PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA NATIONAL RACE THURS., JULY 13 (TEST & TUNE DAY)

FRI., JULY 14 – SUN., JULY 16 (NATIONAL PORSCHE RACE & PORSCHE GT4 CUP CHAMPIONSHIP RACE)

(FATHER’S DAY)

FRI., JUNE 30 SUN., JULY 23 SUN., AUG. 13

HALLOWEEN FUN RACE SAT., OCT. 28

(PRO-AM)

FRI., SEPT. 1 SUN., SEPT. 24

MMC EXCLUSIVE: PORSCHE WINTER DRIVING EXPERIENCE IN QUEBEC SAT., FEB. 11 – WED., FEB. 15

MMC MAZDA CHALLENGE OPEN TO ALL GENERATIONS OF MIATAS & MX-5 CARS POINTS AWARDED TOWARD YEAR-END CHAMPIONSHIP TWO 20-MINUTE SPRINT RACES PER DAY

MMC WINTER DRIVING SAT., JAN. 28 SAT., FEB. 25

SUN., JUNE 25 SUN., JULY 30 SUN., AUG. 27 SUN., OCT. 1

MEMBER MEETING WED., MARCH 8

(90-MINUTE ENDURANCE RACE WITH 10-MINUTE PIT)

(LOCATION TBD)

Welcome to Motor Club Magazine, the bi-annual publication created for members of Monticello Motor Club. Our team of designers, writers, photographers, and editors deliver content tailored to an audience of motorsports enthusiasts. The content of Motor Club Magazine is the intellectual property of Monticello Motor Club and/or the respective advertising entities, and is protected by copyright laws. No content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, transmitted, displayed, or otherwise exploited in any manner without the express prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Jessica Gardner Holly Covart Suzanne Forni

Monticello Motor Club 855.MMC.CLUB www.monticellomotorclub.com

CONTRIBUTORS Holly Covart Jessica Gardner Mary Jo Gardner Johanna Geissler Jenna Hiatt Molly McCoy Valerie McCutchen Matthew O’Sullivan Ari Straus Alex Wolenski

PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Bloom Gerard Brown Dave Burnett (Cover) Ken Gabrielsen Chris Ramirez Suzanne Schubert Chris Szczypala PRINTING Allied Printing Services, Inc.

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DRIVER’S SEAT ARI

STRAUS

CEO & MANAGING PARTNER MONTICELLO MOTOR CLUB

CARpe Diem. Those words say it all: Seize the day. That’s what Monticello Motor Club provides – the opportunity to really live. It’s what has drawn 400+ members to us, and what keeps them coming back to the tarmac season after season. Many come from just a few hours away, while others come from distant states and, yes, even faraway countries. Some join with pro racing experience, while others (more than half, actually) have joined MMC without ever having driven on a race track before.

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In terms of backgrounds, our members run the gamut. Many are in the finance business. We also have a few dozen physicians, several serial entrepreneurs and founders of well-known brands, and a handful of famous athletes and actors. Some come alone, some with business colleagues, and others with friends and family. Many families bring their teenagers – some as young as 13 – to drive real racecars on MMC’s track so they can master driving skills that will make them safer drivers on the road. Our membership is unique and diverse, but in reality, we’re simply a collection of people who love cars, driving, and spending time with likeminded people.

We really enjoy the stories our members have about what brought them to MMC. These stories are all interesting. Some are inspirational. What they all have in common is a shared bond that runs deeper than motorsports enthusiasm: a desire to live life without speed limits – real or metaphorical. There’s David, who was a workaholic before receiving a kidney transplant (donated by his mother) that saved his life. Now fully recovered, he’s turning fast laps in a formula Mazda racecar on MMC’s private race track. Brian is another great story. He joined MMC after a nasty battle with cancer that ended in major facial reconstruction surgery. His passion shifted from motorcycles to driving his Porsche Turbo at MMC, a new hobby he shares with his two children.

Amy (featured in our last issue) came to MMC in search of a new challenge that would provide the same sort of mental focus, excitement, and camaraderie she enjoyed through triathlons before cancer got in the way. She found it in high-performance automotive driving at MMC. Greg, one of our newer members, brings to mind a line from Steven King’s Shawshank Redemption: “Get busy living or get busy dying.” Greg has a disease that kills most before their teenage years. Greg refused to be defined by his cystic fibrosis, and has spent his whole life chasing the rush that comes from pushing his personal limits. Not even a recent double-lung transplant was able to keep him down. He joined MMC only a handful of months after

getting out of the hospital. You can read more about him and his amazing family in this issue. But no one embodied the heart of MMC more than Dominick. After 40 years of hard work, and starting every day at 4:30 a.m., he treated himself to a few high-performance cars. Then he visited MMC, where he discovered that owning doesn’t mean experiencing. So four years ago, Dominick became an MMC member. At the Club, Dominick not only learned to drive his cars the way they were meant to be driven, but also got to enjoy precious time with his wife, daughter, and new friends. Dom would often drive a session, get out of his car with an enormous smile, and simply utter, “You know, I can’t believe I’m doing this. It just doesn’t get any better.”

Dom’s huge personality and sense of humor drew groups of members together, and his lunch table was usually overcrowded and full of boisterous laughter. Dominick passed away in October of this year. Shortly after, his wife thanked us for providing Dom with some of the best days of his life. We were honored and humbled. Nothing could have warmed our hearts more. Dom was one of the kindest, gentlest, and funniest human beings around, and made our lives – and the lives of his fellow members – better. Godspeed, Dominick, and may we all live by your example: Carpe Diem.

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CONTENTS V O L U M E

32 MONTICELLO MOTOR CLUB WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS TO ITS FAMILY

33 JUST GOING FAST WON’T GET YOU FAR

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: 2017 SEASON

FLEET SPOTLIGHT: 100TH 2016 GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP RACECAR EVER PRODUCED JOINS MMC FLEET

VACHERON CONSTANTIN: OFFICIAL TIMEPIECE OF MONTICELLO MOTOR CLUB

8 CHRIS OHMACHT: THE CONTEMPLATIVE COMPETITOR

12 JUSTIN PISCITELL: CHASING A DREAM

17 OPTIMISM TAKES FLIGHT WITH WINGS AIR HELICOPTERS

19 MMC SETS THE STAGE

22 LADY ELOISE’S LUNGS KEEP COAKLEYS ON COURSE

25 FANTASTIC FOUR TAKES MMC BY STORM

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28 MMC’S CROSSOVER KID HITS THE U.S. RACING SCENE LIKE AN OLD PRO

34 FROM PEKING TO PARIS: A BIG YELLOW CAR ADVENTURE

42 MIRA L.: QUIET COMMITMENT

50 BETHEL WOODS: A DECADE OF PEACE, LOVE & MUSIC

54 MMC’S OWN AUTOMOTIVE ARTIST: MICHAEL WEYANDT

56 MMC HOLIDAY LIVING: A LITTLE TASTE

56 MMC HOLIDAY GIVING: MMC PRO SHOP

57 MMC MYTHS DEBUNKED

SOCIAL SCENE: MMC’S PRO-AM GAINS TRACTION

46 SOCIAL SCENE: MMC MEMBERS DOMINATE PCA ON HOME TRACK

47 SEINFELD’S BRUMOS PORSCHE STAYS IN THE MMC FAMILY

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Chris Ohmacht

THE CONTEMPLATIVE COMPETITOR A few short years ago, 50-year-old Chris Ohmacht would have said he wasn’t really “into” cars. He didn’t fix them, collect them, race them… nothing. A former high school and college football player, the New Jersey investment management executive was more into what most would consider traditional sports. And then Chris got behind the wheel of a high-performance car at Monticello Motor Club at the behest of his close friend, MMC member Justin Raphael. “The adrenaline rush; the sights and the sounds; the way the car felt; I was hooked,” Chris recalled. “It was sensory overload. It was so stimulating.” Chris spoke to his wife Linda that very night about becoming a member of MMC. She was supportive, of course; but then, neither one of them really knew what he was getting into. “Frankly, I thought it was something I’d do in my street car from time to time, and then come home,” said Chris, who joined MMC as a Silver member in 2014. “That’s not really what happened.” Instead, Chris found himself returning to the asphalt over and over as his passion for high-speed driving grew. During his first season, Chris bought a race-built Porsche Cayman, upgraded his membership from Silver to Gold (giving him nearly unlimited access to MMC’s track), and participated in an MMC racing school.

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“That was my first experience with wheelto-wheel racing; having other cars on the track adds a whole other dimension to driving,” Chris said. “The racecraft and the strategy – how to set up and execute a pass, how to navigate traffic – create so many layers of excitement.” Just a year after graduating from MMC’s racing school, Chris had become a regular in MMC’s member races, earning several podium finishes in both the Queally Miata Classic and the Performance Flight Challenge championship series. By the close of 2015, Chris was already looking for his next challenge. MMC helped him find it in the SCCA Pro Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup professional series as a member of the McCumbee McAleer Racing team, co-owned by Mazda MX-5 Cup champion (2012), Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge ST champion (2015), and MMC Professional Driving Coach Stevan McAleer. Of course, Chris could have picked a less challenging route, one that would have provided him more opportunity to earn podium finishes, but that isn’t Chris’s nature. His passion is driven by his continual quest for learning, improvement, and pushing his personal limits. He gets more satisfaction from knowing that he’s competing against a strong field, even if that means he finishes at the back of the pack. “I’m gradually improving and working my way up against some of the best racers in the country, and that’s very satisfying,” Chris said. “It’s about pushing myself to get a little bit better every day. It’s how I’ve always been: grind it out and move the ball forward inch by inch. That’s what really makes me tick.”

“THE ADRENALINE RUSH; THE SIGHTS AND THE SOUNDS; THE WAY THE CAR FELT; I WAS HOOKED.”

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“Hotel Fauchère is a tasteful addition to a growing category of hostelry: the destination inn. Its impeccable décor (chic and eclectic), food, art collection (Hudson River School oils) and history underscore its appeal.” — CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER

16 guest rooms with marble bathrooms, Frette linens and Kiehl’s amenities 30 miles from Monticello Motor Club · 75 miles from New York City 130 miles from Philadelphia BAR LOUIS: Open daily for lunch and dinner The DELMONICO ROOM: Open Thur – Sun and holidays PATISSERIE FAUCHÈRE and BADEA & SOUL DAY SPA: Open daily FAUCHÈRE MEETING CENTER: For perfect off-site meetings IN MILFORD: Boutiques, galleries, The Columns Museum, Grey Towers National Historic Site, Delaware Water Gap National Park (hiking, biking, wildlife, and spectacular waterfalls) HOTEL FAUCHÈRE / RELAIS & CHATEAUX · 401 BROAD STREET MILFORD, PA 18337 · HOTELFAUCHERE.COM · 570.409.1212 10

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MONTICELLO MOTOR CLUB

Fleet Spotlight

2016 GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP RACECAR • • • • • •

0-60 mph in 5.8 sec Top speed of 129 mph 2.0L 4-cylinder engine 155-hp Sealed 6-speed manual Curb weight: 2,100 lb

100TH 2016 GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP RACECAR EVER PRODUCED JOINS MMC FLEET Earlier this year, Monticello Motor Club welcomed to its fleet of high-performance vehicles the 100th 2016 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup racecar ever produced.

a race team made up exclusively of MMC members, all of whom compete in the SCCA Pro Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup, presented by BFGoodrich Tires.

The MX-5 has quickly become a favorite among MMC’s exclusive membership. In fact, 20 MMC members have already taken delivery of their own MX-5 Cup cars, and many have raced them in MMC’s newest race series, the Mazda Challenge.

“MMC is an incubator for driving enthusiasts who wish to fulfill their dream of competing in a professional racing series. The MX-5 Cup car is the ideal vehicle for aspiring racers,” said Ari Straus, MMC’s CEO and managing partner. “We’re so pleased to include the Mazda MX-5 Cup racecar in our ever-growing fleet of vehicles available to members and select guests for use on our private 4.1-mile track.”

In addition, MMC has partnered with McCumbee McAleer Racing, sponsored by ModSpace Motorsports, to foster

Monticello Motor Club’s fleet of high-performance cars and karts grows with every season, providing more options for members to rent for use on MMC’s 4.1-mile track or its 0.6-mile karting track.

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CHASING A DREAM J U S T I N

P I S C I T E L L

MANY ASPIRING RACECAR DRIVERS WOULD SWEAR THAT JUSTIN PISCITELL HAS MADE IT. He earns a solid living as a paid driving coach for many professional racing team drivers, and is a highly-sought instructor at Monticello Motor Club. In addition, he’s the go-to “super sub” for a handful of professional racing teams at IMSA events around the country, thanks to his breakneck pace behind the wheel. Add to that a beautiful and brilliant girlfriend, a dog he adores, and a brand new house, and most would think Justin has it all.

He’s lucky, and he knows it. Admittedly, Justin wants more. He wants to be on top of the podium as a professional racecar driver, representing one of the top race teams in the country. It’s what he dreamed about as a kid, and he’s got the skills behind the wheel to make it happen.

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Justin reflects on his successes and struggles in motorsports thus far, and why he continues to fight for his place at the top of the podium.

You’ve had a great run in your racing career thus far. How did you get involved in the first place? My third word was “car”. I was always obsessed with cars. My best friend, Matt Ferris, competed in karting events. I used to watch him, but my mom and my stepdad wouldn’t ever let me drive. They didn’t want me to get hurt. Right after I got my driver’s license, I got a huge ticket – 96 in a 45, but I was really going a lot faster – and my dad said, “Well, if you’re going to be that stupid, you should at least know what you’re doing behind the wheel.” He signed us up for a 2-day Skip Barber driving school, and I absorbed every minute of it. I can still tell you the name of every instructor from that weekend. Then we did a high-performance weekend – a reward from my father for going six months without a ticket – and an instructor told my dad, “Get that kid into a real racing program.” It moved pretty quickly from there.

You were considered quite the phenom out of the gate, racking up big wins in Skip Barber right away. Within a year or two, you were driving in MX-5 Cup races. One article at the time called yours “one of the shortest resumes ever for someone who will be making the jump to profes-

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sional motorsports”. How did you cross over into a professional driving series?

Why go to races where you aren’t going to drive?

At the end of 2008, I won the MAZDASPEED Shootout, and the prize was to spend the 2009 racing season competing in the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup with Alara Racing. That was a big year. I took a third-place podium finish in my very first professional race. I was named Rookie of the Year and came in third in the points overall.

I love coaching, but racing was – and still is – the priority. I always want to spend time around the track, and you never know when you might get a chance to fill a seat for a team in a race.

A year later, I was second in the points, with 10 out of 11 top-four finishes. That was also the year I got to race in the Grand-Am Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. I even set a new track record in Qualifying at Watkins Glen.

It’s a push to reach a goal; there’s nothing else that’s more important. My girlfriend grew up in a racing family; she knows the deal.

How did any of that lead to coaching? Back in 2011, I was going to night school and working in a garage. After class, I drove overnight to be at a race that I didn’t think I would even be able to drive in. I ran into a former Alara teammate and one of his friends. I didn’t get to drive, but I ended up helping these two guys all weekend. At the end of the weekend, they handed me a check. I tried to turn it down, but they essentially offered to hire me as a coach for the rest of the season. That grew into DAMG Racing, LLC, where we focus on instruction with the use of video and data analysis. We coach drivers from the novice to professional level.

Even when I don’t get a seat, I always put in the time to talk to the right people to figure out how to make it.

It looks like that approach has worked out for you, especially over the last two years. You’ve earned quite the reputation as the “super sub” driver for a growing number of racing teams.

the challenge of the whole thing. I do my homework, and make sure I’m ready to go – both physically and mentally.

I’ve been really lucky to hook up with outstanding teams, and they have been very supportive. Even when I’m coaching other drivers at a race, I try to make sure I am available and prepared. You don’t know where that one opportunity is going to come from.

Last year I was able to get a seat in all 10 races for two different teams – Alara Racing and Murillo Racing – in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. I drove three different cars, and had some really strong results. All told, I earned five poles and two other front-row starts, four podiums, and held first, second, or third position in the majority of the races.

Sometimes I don’t know I’m driving until a few days before the race. Other times it’s even less notice, but that just adds to

This year started out the same way: Daytona, Sebring, and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with Alara; (Mazda

Raceway) Laguna Seca and Lime Rock with Murillo; Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta with RS1 Racing. Three teams; three cars; two different race series. When I got to the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this year, I thought I’d just be coaching. I ended up driving in the Battery Tender Global MX-5 Cup race for Alara. I was the only one to turn a lap time of under 1:35 the whole weekend. That was my debut in Global MX-5, and I set the track record and qualified first place for both races. That was cool.

In August, you were tapped by CJ Wilson Racing to fill in for Tyler McQuarrie for Round 7 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at Road America. Team Manager Andris Laivins even said at the time, “There is a pretty short list of drivers who have the right combination of CTSCC experience, attitude, and speed that we would just drop into our program.” What happened? There were a lot of big names in the field, and I was very interested to see if I would be competitive with these guys. I knew what a great opportunity that was for me. It was a real chance for CJ Wilson Racing to see what I could do. It was a new car and a new class for me, but after a few laps before the race, I was feeling good. I felt like I had connected with the car, and I was confident about my chances. My co-driver, (MMC member and CJ Wilson Racing team member) Till Bechtolsheimer, had just finished his first lap when he got

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caught up in someone else’s accident and ended up on his roof.

But I think of myself more as semi-pro. I’m not quite there yet.

I remember sitting on one of the pit karts and everyone was on the radio to make sure Till was ok. That was the most important thing, obviously. But as soon as it was confirmed that he was fine, they all turned at once to look directly at me. They knew what that race meant to me. That was a real disappointment.

My best friend, Stevan McAleer (2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge ST champion, 2012 Mazda MX-5 Cup champion; fellow instructor at MMC) is a real pro. He’s “made it” in my eyes, and he fought to earn it.

I couldn’t dwell on it, though. I still had to coach other drivers that weekend.

You’re coaching, racing, running DAMG Racing… what more do you hope to get out of the business? What’s next? It isn’t common knowledge, but most drivers competing in a race are not making money. They’re either breaking even or paying out of pocket to be there. Most would say I’m a pro driver because I actually do make a living from racing. I coach, I drive, and I walk away after a race weekend with more money in my pocket than I arrived with.

I can look at his journey and know that his was a lot longer than mine, but I think I can easily say that I want it just as bad, and I’m willing to fight as hard. I really think that if I can get a solid season in with a team, I’ll be able to show what I can do. My chance will come. In the meantime, I’m just happy to be a part of the racing world. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.

NAME: JUSTIN PISCITELL D.O.B: 06/03/1989 HOMETOWN: PATTERSON, NEW YORK

2016 CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTSCAR CHALLENGE ST (2 RACES WITH MURILLO RACING; 2 RACES WITH ALARA RACING; 2 RACES WITH RS1 RACING) BATTERY TENDER GLOBAL MX-5 CUP (1 RACE WITH ALARA RACING) 2015 CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTSCAR CHALLENGE ST (2 RACES WITH MURILLO RACING; 8 RACES WITH ALARA RACING) 2014 CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTSCAR CHALLENGE ST (1 RACE WITH MURILLO RACING, 1 RACE WITH RACERS EDGE) 2013 CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTSCAR CHALLENGE ST (2 RACES WITH MURILLO RACING) 2011 CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTSCAR CHALLENGE ST (4 RACES WITH MURILLO RACING) 2010 2ND PLACE OVERALL IN MX-5 CUP CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTSCAR CHALLENGE ST (2 RACES WITH MER RACING) 2009 MX-5 CUP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 3RD PLACE OVERALL IN MX-5 CUP 2008 SKIP BARBER WINTER SERIES MX-5 MAZDASPEED CHALLENGE CHAMPION SKIP BARBER SUMMER SERIES MX-5 MAZDASPEED CHALLENGE CHAMPION SKIP BARBER SUMMER SERIES MX-5 MAZDASPEED CHALLENGE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR MAZDASPEED SHOOTOUT WINNER 2007 1ST PLACE FINISH IN SKIP BARBER EASTERN SERIES SEASON FINALE

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OPTIMISM TAKES FLIGHT WITH

t isn’t work if you love it. Javier Diaz, the founder of Wings Air Helicopters, definitely loves flying.

It’s that passion that prompted Colombian-born Diaz to abandon his career in banking, and develop Wings Air instead. The Westchester County-based company started as a flight school in 2002, but has since grown to include charter services, tours, and aerial photography/film production. “My Latin roots make me very optimistic. I was doggedly determined to do what I knew would make me happy at heart, regardless of any doubts,” Diaz said. “It took a lot of work, but I finally transitioned from banking to flying, and I’ve never looked back.” Wings Air’s fleet includes top-of-the-line charter and training helicopters, which fly an average of 3,500 hours per year without incident. Its charter clients include several high-profile executives and sports stars, all of whom benefit from a flexible, efficient, and luxurious way to travel to a number of popular destinations throughout the northeast. Wings Air regularly chauffeurs clients to the Hamptons, Atlantic City, and yes, Monticello Motor Club (only a 25-minute flight from New York City and Westchester).

Wings Air’s tours include flying over many prominent landmarks in New York City and the Hudson Valley region. The company even offers an option for an in-air marriage proposal. “It’s a happy and rewarding business,” said Diaz. “Most people using our services are flying somewhere fun.” Wings Air enjoys an outstanding safety record, and has earned multiple Operator Safety Awards from Helicopter Association International. It is also the only company in the New York area to have received a gold certification from Wyvern for production missions. Its pilots have worked with all the major studios, including Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, Fox, Summit Entertainment, Discovery Channel, and BBC. You can find Wings Air footage in big-budget films like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Expendables, Elysium, Fast & Furious 7, and the upcoming films Fast 8 and Patriots Day. “Our goal at Wings Air Helicopters is always to provide the kind of personalized service and attention that a client wouldn’t get anywhere else,” Diaz said. “We’re unique, that’s for sure.”

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MEDIA MARVELED BY FORD’S HOT HATCH Auto journalists were invited to MMC to try out Ford’s new 350-horsepower "hot hatch" Focus RS on MMC’s track. This new performance hatchback is changing the landscape of the rally racing world with its 2.3L EcoBoost engine and unique “drift mode,” an industry first. Members of the media were invited to experience the RS on the North Course, through skid pad drifting exercises, on public roads, and through hot laps with Ben Collins, once the mysterious “Stig” from Top Gear, the wildly popular BBC car show.

MMC SETS THE STAGE VOLVO TECHS TEST LIMITS Volvo brought roughly 60 of its technicians to MMC to explore the limits of Volvo’s newest models (V60 Polestar, S60 T5, S60 T6 R, S60 TS, S80 T5, V60 CCR, V60 T5, XC90) throughout the course of an MMC Team Challenge. The Volvo Polestar (Volvo’s performance model) impressed with true track prowess. Stations included LaunchN-Stop, North Course, Karting, Autocross, and a demonstration of Volvo Parking Assist. Participants were Volvo employees from around the country who took top honors in a month-long competition.

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CHEVY’S ON-THE-TRACK TRAINING MMC hosted more than 2,000 Chevy employees over five days for on-thetrack training in the manufacturer’s Camaro, Malibu, and Cruze. Roughly 200 to 225 employees per session (two sessions per day) learned about the cars through a series of on-track exercises, including the Camaro Acceleration Test, Malibu & Competitor Autocross, North Course (Camaro), Cruze & Malibu Lead Follows, and Cruze & Competitor Lead Follows.

OWNERS SET THEIR MCLARENS FREE MMC was pleased to host a driving event with McLaren Long Island, where some of McLaren’s best customers enjoyed private instruction in their own cars. McLaren guests also drove a variety of different models, including the MP4-12C, 650S, the recently released 570S, and a limited-production 675LT Spider.

FERRARI OWNERS SAMPLE MMC Wide World Ferrari invited several of its top-tier customers to visit MMC for an afternoon of track driving and instruction. Ferrari’s guests brought a variety of different models to the track, including the F12, 355, 430 California T, and FF models.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER TEAM GETS READY FOR CURTAIN Roughly 50 of Jaguar Land Rover’s employees and partners gained some first-hand knowledge about the manufacturer’s newest models at MMC in preparation for the ever-important automotive trade show circuit. Participants were able to test the F-TYPE, XE, XF, F-PACE, Range Rover, RR Sport, LR4, Discovery Sport, and Evoque on MMC’s off-road course and at various stations, including North Course, Skid Pad Figure 8s, Mushroom Autocross, and 66 Connector Launch & Drive. 20

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Riesentรถter

Stuttgart Challenge

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Lady Eloise’s Lungs KEEP COAKLEYS ON COURSE

n the early 1970s, those diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a progressive lung disease, weren’t expected to live past their teens. They didn’t go to college, get married, or have a family. Evidently, 44-year-old Greg Coakley never got the memo. Greg was diagnosed with the genetic disease when he was just a year old. The doctors told Greg’s mom that her youngest son wasn’t likely to live to see his sixth birthday. When Greg was 11, the doctors told his mother

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that if he survived into his 20s, he’d have to contend with serious limitations. A single mother of four boys, Greg’s mom wasn’t interested in the statistics or the what-ifs. She sent Greg outside to play instead, cystic fibrosis be damned. “All four of us boys were thrill-seekers. We did some really crazy things together as kids,” Greg recalled. “My mother pushed for that. She kept me active to keep me healthy.” It was a strategy that worked for Greg for decades. He and his brothers grew up racing

ATVs and dirt bikes. You name it, and those boys probably did it. Greg carried that adventurous nature with him throughout college and into adulthood.

Washington Bridge and thought about the nameless, faceless woman whose lungs saved his life. How did she look? What was she like? How did she sound?

It is the foundation on which he’s built his family, to include his kids, 13-year-old Brooke and 10-year-old Brent, and his wife, Lisa.

Over time, Greg imagined a whole persona around his new lungs. In his mind, their owner was a petite woman, slightly older, who worked in a diner. Greg had a little cough now; maybe she was a smoker. Her name, he eventually decided, was Lady Eloise.

“I had always been a patient with cystic fibrosis, not a cystic fibrosis patient, and I honestly spent very little time thinking or worrying about it,” he said. Greg’s active lifestyle, which includes a 5-day-a-week fitness schedule, worked well to keep the disease at bay. And then three years ago, Greg’s life-long strategy stopped working. More specifically, Greg’s lungs stopped working. “I remember telling my doctor that Lisa and I had plans to go away for a ‘date’ weekend,” Greg said. “The doctor replied, ‘You’re not really understanding; things are not so good’.” Less than a month later, on Aug. 15, 2013, Greg was the recipient of two donor lungs that saved his life. _______________ Altogether, Greg spent 52 days in New York Presbyterian, an institution that Greg calls “miraculous”.

“I don’t think of them simply as lungs or an organ, but rather as their own entity,” Greg said. “I respect and love Lady Eloise for what she has given me.” _______________ Life. That’s what Lady Eloise gave not only to Greg, but to all four of the Coakleys. Her lungs kept the team together, and gave them all a renewed sense of appreciation for the adrenaline-filled life they are blessed to lead. If it goes fast, pushes the limits, and/or creates a challenge, the entire Coakley clan is in.

Together.

Through much of that time, Greg stared out of his hospital room window at the George

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Excerpts from Greg Coakley’s open letter to the family of his organ donor:

I wanted to write this letter and share my story with you, not only to share my deepest heartfelt emotion, but also so that you know and believe that your loved one did not lose her life in vain. She literally gave life, not just to me, but potentially to many other organ recipients. ••• I can only begin to imagine what opportunity and potential greatness will come from the second chances that she now has provided, not just to me, but to the other recipients of her generosity. ••• As you read this letter, I know that you are someone who called her ‘Mother’ or ‘Daughter,’ ‘Wife’ or ‘Sister,’ ‘Cousin’ or ‘Friend.’ Of course, I do not know her given name, but to me, and to my friends and family, she is a Hero. ••• I hope that you are able to find peace in the knowledge that your loved one lives on in me, my children, and my extended family. Her legacy is eternal. I will forever feel her greatness. Not a day will go by that I don’t reflect on how fortunate I am to have her with me.

Read the complete letter by visiting www.lungtransplantproject.org/2063-2/.

THE LUNG TRANSPLANT PROJECT Supporting Life, Breath & Breakthroughs The Lung Transplant Project was founded by a group of grateful patients and their family members – including Greg and Lisa Coakley – from New York Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia University Medical Center to create the education and awareness needed to raise donations for ongoing transplant research. The goal is to decrease the time spent on lung transplant waiting lists and increase long-term survival rates. Visit www.lungtransplantproject.org to learn more or donate today.

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FANTASTIC FOUR T A K E S M M C B Y S T O R M

eam Coakley wasn’t looking for a new playground.

This crew of adventurers already had a pretty full dance card, with their jet skis and a 35-foot Scout 350 LXF luxury fishing boat named Lady Eloise. But that was before they discovered Monticello Motor Club last spring. Greg, an orthodontist and craniofacial specialist in Little Silver, N.J., was the first to fall. He visited MMC to play on track with his friend, MMC member Miguel Damian, with whom he had gone racing elsewhere in the past. Still, he didn’t expect to love MMC, which he now calls the Ritz Carlton of racing, nearly as much as he did. Not long after, Greg reserved a driving lesson at MMC for his wife, Lisa. “I wanted her to feel what I felt,” Greg said. “Her sense of adventure is great; I knew she’d love it.” Greg was right. “I started in my husband’s Audi S6, and then moved to a Cayman,” said Lisa, who had no track experience at all before that day. “Once I was in the Cayman, you couldn’t get me out of it.” On their next visit, Greg and Lisa brought their kids, 13-year-old Brooke and 10-yearold Brent, along.

A few laps for Brent on the karting track and a private lesson for Brooke in one of MMC’s Mazda Miata racecars on the main track, and they were hooked too. As soon as the lesson was over, Brooke was texting all of her friends about it. One unanimous vote later, the Coakleys had officially decided to bring their family into the MMC family. _______________ Each one of the Coakleys has their own “favorite” at MMC. Brent is basking in the newfound freedom of tearing up the 0.6-mile karting track in his Sodi kart. "Karts 7 and 2 are the fastest," he said. Still, he struggles to keep his speed up through the corners. “If you’re going too fast, you’ll skid out on a corner,” he said. “You don’t use brakes if you want to win,” Brooke replied, sounding more like an old pro than a novice. “As long as you hit the apex, there’s no reason to brake.” Her little brother rolled his eyes in reply. Brooke splits her affection between the karting track and the main track, where she’s learning to master the basics of track driving.

half-pipe on her skateboard at three, and wakeboarding at six. Brent’s favorite is kneeboarding, and they both love racing around in rough waters on their jet skis. This past summer, though, the jet skis stayed tucked away in favor of some on-land adventures. “Everything we do, we do as a family. These kids have lived the lives of seasoned travelers,” Greg said. “Now all they talk about is coming here to MMC.” Meanwhile, Lisa and Greg are getting in hours of lapping time on MMC’s track as they hone their high-performance driving skills. This dynamic duo isn’t hard to spot as they wind their way around MMC’s track. They drive matching white his-and-hers Porsche Caymans, his with matte dark gray rims and the vanity plate, LUNG1; hers with pink rims, and a plate that reads LUNG2. Most days, the whole family comes together on the karting track for some good-natured family racing. That’s when the competition really heats up. “Dad put me into a wall to win,” Brent complained about one particularly dramatic finish. “I don’t hold affectionately.

back,”

Greg

replied

She and her brother are old hands at new challenges. Brooke was dropping into a

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OFFICIAL TIMEPIECE OF MONTICELLO MOTOR CLUB

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Vacheron Constantin has recently been named the Official Timepiece of Monticello Motor Club, solidifying a relationship that has been two years in the making. To celebrate the occasion, the Geneva watchmaker created an updated version of the HISTORIQUES American 1921, originally introduced by Vacheron in 2008. The update – an homage to MMC’s color palette of red and black – includes a grained slate-colored dial, gold arabic numerals, and a red-accented sub-seconds counter. There is also an option to add a red-accented black leather strap. The collection of only 15 individually numbered watches was revealed earlier this year during an invitation-only cocktail event on the rooftop

of the NoMad Hotel in New York City. Under the shadow of the Empire State Building, MMC members and their guests were treated to a bespoke whiskey tasting experience, which included a custom Vacheron Constantin whiskey blend. A month earlier, Vacheron hosted a client/press appreciation event at MMC, where guests were flown by Wings Air Helicopters (also an MMC partner) from New York City for a day of driving on MMC’s 4.1-mile track. Those are two of the unique luxury experiences this prestigious partnership affords both Vacheron clients and MMC members, all of whom are united by their love of exceptional quality and their respect for high-precision mechanics.

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MMC’s

CROSSOVER KID Hits The U.S. Racing Scene Like An Old Pro

onticello Motor Club member and UK native Till Bechtolsheimer has had a longtime love affair with vintage racing. He’s into it all: the cars, the races, the drivers. His first vintage car was a 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT. His current collection includes a 1950 Allard J2, a 1962 Ecurie Ecosse Tojeiro-Buick, a 1964 MGB Roadster, and a 1984 Mini Metro Turbo. And those are just the ones he races at events across Europe. Even his move to the states in 2011 didn’t dampen his passion. He often flies back to Europe to run his cherished classics in some of Europe’s most well-known legends events, like the Silverstone Classic and Goodwood Revival in England and the Spa 6 Hours in Belgium.

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Still, the challenge of maintaining an exclusive, long-distance relationship with vintage racing eventually started to wear on Till. He felt like he was spending more time flying over the Atlantic than he did on the track. Late last year, he decided it was time to explore a new love – modern pro racing – that was a little closer to his new home. “Because my racing was on the vintage side and all in Europe, I didn’t know anyone in the states who raced on the modern pro circuit,” Till said. “I didn’t have any connections with teams or any idea where to start.” Till found the ideal matchmaker with Monticello Motor Club, just 90 minutes from his New York City home. Not only did it offer an incredible track

and outstanding facilities, it also provided just the right contacts for Till to gain entry into the world of professional racecar driving. “I think the nice thing about a setup like MMC is that there are a lot of members looking to get different experiences out of racing,” Till said. “I have been able to get great advice and direction about different types of racing and what series to get involved in. It has been pretty helpful.” It was at MMC that Till connected with Marc Miller, a professional racecar driver for CJ Wilson Racing and an instructor who has worked with MMC members since 2010. After driving with Till on MMC’s track, Miller invited his new friend to participate in two test days for CJ Wilson Racing. Not long after, Till was suiting up to drive CJ Wilson’s #35 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport in the 2016 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge as co-driver to racing pro Tyler McQuarrie.

_______________

Till’s debut at Sebring International Raceway in March was packed with firsts: his first time on Sebring’s track; his first time behind the wheel of a GT4 racecar; his first time ever driving on slicks. Yet Till’s inexperience didn’t show, and he and Tyler came in a respectable fourth place. The pair did even better in their next two CTSCC races, earning a third-place finish at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and a second-place finish at Watkins Glen International. Although they only competed in six of the 10 races, Till and Tyler were still able to finish seventh in the standings at the close of the series. “I was lucky to get in with a great team who really pushed me. I really enjoyed that aspect,” Till said. “When I compared myself against other gentleman drivers, I was really happy with the progress I made with each race.” “I’ve got a ways to go, but next year I want to be able to put in the same lap times as the full-time pro drivers on a consistent basis,” Till added.

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Even with his lofty goals set for next season, Till has no plans to leave his vintage roots behind. In fact, Till flew back to Europe throughout the season to compete in various races, including the Monaco Grand Prix Historique. “I took first in class, and third place overall at Monaco, and that was big for me,” Till said. “Standing on the famous podium at Monaco is something really special. I was ecstatic.”

_______________

It turns out that modern racing in the new world and vintage racing in the old country aren’t as different as one might think. Of course, modern cars are easier to drive and aren’t prone to nearly as many mechanical problems as decades-old racecars. But, Till learned that techniques behind the wheel during a race are nearly identical. “I incorrectly assumed that because I was in a modern car, I could drive more aggressively and that would make me go faster,” Till said. “I realized pretty quickly that the approach in both types of cars – the philosophy of driving – is the same. You’ve got to be smooth, relaxed, and accurate.” Monticello Motor Club has created an ideal middle ground for Till, a place where he can practice and play in whatever car – new or old – he wants. It was the opportunity to play that prompted him to add a 2016 MX-5 Cup car to his otherwise historic collection. “It’s a great value-for-money car that I could have some fun with, and let my friends use without worrying about it getting damaged,” Till said. “It drives a lot like my MGB; I was surprised. It’s very easy to jump in and go, and it doesn’t do anything nasty to you.” Till would know. About five minutes after laying eyes on his MX-5 for the very first time, Till was sitting on the grid at MMC waiting for the Queally Miata Classic Pro-Am, a members-only race, to begin. A few hours later, he was celebrating his first- and fourth-place finishes in the first two of three sprints. In the third sprint, well… “We were in third when we ran out of fuel,” Till admitted sheepishly.

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“My granddad’s company (German department store chain Massa) at the time sponsored the Mini Metro in 1984 when it raced in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft). My dad (Wilfried Bechtolsheimer) ran the racing program back then. When the car came up for sale a year ago, I had to have it. It still has the family company livery on it,” Till said.

“It’s an iconic livery; they only made one car like it. I thought it would be a fun way to tip my cap to the vintage world,” Till said about his 2016 MX-5 Cup car, which he had wrapped to match the classic Porsche 917/20 “Pink Pig” (a unique [and arguably pig-shaped] one-off design that caused a sensation at Le Mans in 1971).

TILL BECHTOLSHEIMER • Age: 34 • Profession: Co-Founder/CEO of Arosa Capital Management • Residence: New York, New York • Hometown: Ampney St. Peter, United Kingdom • Education: Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin (Bachelor of Arts in Economics with Philosophy)

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MONTICELLO MOTOR CLUB WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS* TO ITS FAMILY 01

BRENT SHAWN COAKLEY

BROOKE MICHELLE COAKLEY

LISA ANN COAKLEY

Occupation: 4th Grader Residence: Manasquan, NJ Exotic Vehicles I Own: Trek RX bike, Razor E300 scooter Prior Track Experience: None (“Before MMC, I only got to drive fast with my dad.”) Joined MMC Because: “I feel lucky to drive a kart, and I love to go fast.” Favorite MMC Moment: “Beating my entire family on the karting track.” Favorite Track Car: Karts

Occupation: Retired from finance; Coakley family manager Residence: Manasquan, NJ Exotic Vehicles I Own: Porsche Cayman S, Range Rover Sport, APR Modified Audi S6 Prior Track Experience: None Joined MMC Because: “I immediately fell in love with the high-end amenities and fast-driving lifestyle. It feels so good out on the track!” Favorite MMC Moment: “When Paul Queally invited me to ride in his Miata, only to wind up as his passenger in one of his Miata races.” Favorite Track Car: Porsche Cayman S (the only one on the track with hot pink rims)

MICHAEL ROTHKOPF

FRANÇOIS MALLETTE

HAMBURG TANG JR.

Occupation: Physician; Morristown Medical Center Residence: North Caldwell, NJ Exotic Vehicles I Own: 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S (previously owned 1992 BMW 850i, 1967 Triumph TR4A) Prior Track Experience: None Joined MMC Because: “I've been a ‘car guy’ since I was a kid. I grew up on a farm and was driving an old Mercury station wagon on a dirt oval long before I could legally get on the road. I love driving and there is no better place to drive than the 4.1-mile track at MMC.” Favorite MMC Moment: “Qualifying with Ben Haymann as my instructor.” Favorite Track Car: 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S 32

8th Grader Manasquan, NJ Electra Cruiser 3-Speed None (“My first time at MMC was my first time ever driving a car.”) Joined MMC Because: “I love the feeling I have when I drive.” Favorite MMC Moment: “Having the opportunity to drive on the track and hitting my first perfect apex.” Favorite Track Car: Mazda Miata Occupation: Residence: Exotic Vehicles I Own: Prior Track Experience:

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Occupation: Strategy Consultant, Head of Private Equity Practice; L.E.K. Consulting LLC Residence: Wellesley, MA Exotic Vehicles I Own: None (“I aspire to own my own one day.”) Prior Track Experience: None Joined MMC Because: “I enjoy the combination of speed and precision required to find a precise line around the track. MMC is a standout facility that made it comfortable to become a member.” Favorite MMC Moment: “Getting the chicane turns to flow smoothly after many, many attempts.” Favorite Track Car: Porsche Cayman PDK

Occupation: Asset Manager; GIA Partners, LLC Residence: New York, NY Exotic Vehicles I Own: BMW Prior Track Experience: None Joined MMC Because: “After my first time at MMC, my wife said I had a smile on my face that she hadn’t seen in a long time! This is my chance to fulfill my desire to get into amateur racing and someday introduce my children to racing/ better driving.” Favorite MMC Moment: “Introducing my son to karting.” Favorite Track Car: “It’s a toss-up between the M3 and the Audi R8. I would love to try a Radical!”

BY AL DELATTRE MONTICELLO MOTOR CLUB MEMBER MILLER MOTORCARS RACING TEAM MEMBER; FERRARI CHALLENGE

April 16, 2012. It’s a day I’ll remember forever. I was in the pits at Sonoma Raceway (then called Infineon Raceway) with my friend and coach, Monticello Motor Club VP of Motorsports Nick Longhi. There I was, standing next to a real racecar – MY racecar – with an IMSA racing license in my pocket. I was the real deal. I just knew it. And then it hit me; I didn’t know how to drive. Really drive. It didn’t matter that I’d been a car nut for 40-odd years, or that I was 16 years into my track and racing “career”. It didn’t matter that I had owned a mix of very fast street cars and a Porsche Turbo racecar that nearly killed me, or that I had gone through countless driver education track days. It didn’t even matter that I had a really cool paint job on my helmet.

I still had no idea how to go fast. Really fast. Sure, the “less brake, more throttle” rule still applied, and damned if I couldn’t power-slide my Porsche on command, but real driving skill? Nope. Having my brain a few seconds ahead of the car? Not a chance. It was a hard realization. Still, it was at that moment I committed to learning the craft of racing through a series of rules Nick likes to call “The Process”. But before I was ready to learn, I had to learn to forget. I had to consciously focus on changing habits that I thought were good, but were completely screwing me up, and I had to be comfortable enough to take coaching from people who could outdrive me with two flat tires. Surprisingly enough, I also had to convince myself to approach driving with the same standards I did in my professional life.

3. AVOID BEING PERFECT. Driving a perfect lap is aspirational; knowing what perfect looks like is critical.

04 GREGORY SHAWN COAKLEY Occupation: Craniofacial Orthodontist, Cleft Lip & Palate Specialist; Two River Orthodontics Residence: Manasquan, NJ Exotic Vehicles I Own: Porsche Cayman S, Range Rover Sport, APR Modified Audi S6 Prior Track Experience: Nominal Joined MMC Because: “To escape the daily rigors of life and focus solely on my love of speed and the mastery of my machine.” Favorite MMC Moment: “Watching my wife, son, and daughter fall in love with driving.” Favorite Track Car: Porsche Cayman S

08 MICHAEL WARING Occupation: Vice President, Corporate Tax; Wyndham Worldwide Residence: Mt. Olive, NJ Exotic Vehicles I Own: 2015 Porsche 911 GT3 Prior Track Experience: None Joined MMC Because: “The lure of the track, and the members I had previously met.” Favorite MMC Moment: “Every time has been great, but the red velvet cake for my birthday was pretty good.” Favorite Track Car: “My GT3, for now...”

1. FIND A GREAT COACH. Sure, trophies and championships look great on a resume, but they don't always translate into helping others with racecraft. Finding a great driving instructor can be hard. There are a lot of people who can drive fast; there are only a handful who also know and understand what is going on underneath them. Find someone from the latter category. Remember that it’s not about how fast THEY drive; it’s all about how good a driver they help YOU become. Also, don’t forget that the chemistry between you and a coach really does matter. 2. MAKE EVERY LAP COUNT. If you read the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, you’ll learn the difference between high achievers and everyone else. Of course, we all know that practice is key. But it’s actually your level of focus while you’re practicing that creates real breakthroughs. Have the discipline to make every lap count. If you’re not seeing progress in nearly every session, then you’re probably wasting your time. Prepare before going out. Drive as well as you can. Come in and debrief. Focus on only a few things until you’ve mastered them, and then move on down the list.

Try to avoid learning to drive fast; focus instead on learning how to anticipate and prevent mistakes, and then how to recover and adapt to a mistake when it does happen. It’s a mindset shift for most of us. 4. LEARN HOW TO FLOAT. The trick is to understand what the car is doing, and what you are doing to it, by mentally “floating above it” so that you can observe yourself and the car. The motions of driving (pedals, steering, shifting) are one thing; knowing how each influences what the car does, how it feels, and what you can do proactively and reactively, is the real key. Eventually, you learn to do it without even thinking about it. 5. OBSERVE, BUT DON’T COPY. Just because someone else takes Monticello Motor Club’s Kryptos at full throttle doesn’t mean you should. Avoid the inclination to emulate how other people drive. However, you should know how to observe, and then understand why others make the on-track choices that they do. From there, you can incorporate what you’ve learned into how you manage your own car through certain turns.

Over the last few years, this process has dramatically changed my approach to driving, regardless of whether I am in a GT racecar, a street car, or a spec Miata. MMC has been instrumental in my advancement by affording me something most drivers – amateurs or professionals – don’t have, and that is access. At MMC, I’ve enjoyed almost limitless access to one of the best private road courses in the country. *List not all inclusive

It was important to me that I become a good driver – fast, smooth, safe, and competitive – and with the help of “The Process”, my coach, and MMC’s track, I think that’s the reputation I’ve earned. V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

FROM PEKING TO PARIS:

A Big Yellow Car Adventure

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“IT’S INTENSE AND IT’S DANGEROUS; THE NAVIGATION IS VERY CRUCIAL BECAUSE YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK AND MISTAKES CAN BE COSTLY...”

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he first time Monticello Motor Club member Joe Robillard had ever heard of the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge – a grueling 36-day endurance rally covering 8,510 miles across 11 countries in a pre-war automobile – was nearly two years ago when he caught a special about it on BBC. Joe’s 23-year-old daughter, Jaya, who was watching the special with him, was mildly intrigued in a “Why the heck would anyone do that?” sort of way. Joe was already texting his buddy, Matt Peckham, to get him on board. Two days later, both men were signed up for the 2016 Peking to Paris trip. It didn’t matter that they were both in their fifties, or that neither had any rally experience. They were undaunted by the knowledge that neither knew a thing about what sort of car would survive a trip like that. “Not knowing never stopped us before,” Joe said. “The size of the adventure was really intriguing; big and long and difficult. It sounded really exciting.” In fact, the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, which traverses some of the world’s toughest terrain, is considered one of the longest, most difficult driving challenges for vintage and classic cars. The competition among teams can be intense as participants race to reach specific checkpoints each day, stopping along the way to engage in various speed challenges. The team with the lowest score at the finish line wins. Matt and Joe knew they needed war horses with the right balance of durability and speed to make it through. With the help of the experts at Rally Preparation Services in the UK, they settled on two heavily modified 1939 Chevrolet coupes – one yellow and one burgundy. Joe and his girlfriend, Alzbetka Katuscakova, took command of the yellow car, while Matt and his 20-year-old son, John Peckham, claimed the burgundy car. Each vehicle was loaded with roughly 200 pounds of spare parts and tools (roadside auto repairs were a near daily occurrence) and enough camping gear to get them through several nights in Mongolia, where hotels were non-existent. “It’s intense and it’s dangerous; the navigation is very crucial because you’re on the clock and mistakes can be costly,” Matt said. “The fatigue level is very high. We’d average about nine hours a day in the car for a total of more than 300 hours.” Of the 107 cars that started the trip, only 85 made it the whole way. Of those, only 35 earned gold medals. A gold medal means that a team met all the requirements of the rally on their own power. Both Joe's and Matt’s teams earned gold.

PEKING TO PARIS MOTOR CHALLENGE • 13,695 kilometers (8,510 miles) • 107 teams • 36 days • 11 countries

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“This trip was nothing like we expected; it was a lot more challenging,” Joe said. “It was just more: more fun, more bruising, more immersive, more difficult, and so much more rewarding.”

DAY

INTO MONGOLIA Location: Near Undurshireet, Mongolia

Along the way, we had three “test sections”. These are races against the clock. In the first 10 minutes of the first one, in a moment of enthusiasm, I broke the rear suspension. We were passing a car that started ahead of us (one per minute) and an unseen gully lurked. KaBam! I broke the car. The pin that goes through the leaf spring had been sheered off and the axle was free to slide back. After some significant disassembly, and a lot of banging away, Matt and I got the wheel about halfway back to where it started. Better.

DAY

THE WORST DAY Location: Somewhere in Mongolia

Cars broke. One caught on fire. Tires flattened. Electrical systems quit. It was hours and hours of bone-jarring driving, only to arrive at camp to a long fuel truck queue… The Mongolians are wonderful people, but not great transportation engineers… Bumpity, bumpity, thumpity, crunch. The poor car. I thought windows would pop out. I thought wheels would come off… A second water crossing, a knee-deep stream killed the car again.

EXCERPTS FROM JOE ROBILLARD’S CAPTAIN’S (B)LOG

AND SO IT BEGINS… I will read this someday after the finish, and grin at my ignorance of what lay ahead, knowing so much that the writer didn’t. What I do know now is that whatever it is, it’s big, complicated, exhilarating, and frustrating. And it is, by definition, unknowable at this point. That’s what adventure is all about. As Thomas Fuller, the 17th-Century writer, said, “If an ass goes traveling, he’ll not come home a horse.” While that is certainly true, he may come home a better ass.

DAY

LAST FULL DAY IN MONGOLIA

It is hard to convey the emptiness of Mongolia. The 1.5 million people who do not live in Ulaan Baatar are spread out over an area essentially equal to Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. It’s hard to find a human… Consider that roughly that many people live in Manhattan’s 33 square miles.

DAY

WORK WORK WORK Location: Rest day in Novosibirsk, Russia

We spent most of the day working on the car. Our friend Martin flew in from Rally Preparation Service in England, bearing parts. He checked through something like 325 pounds of parts for all the cars RPS was supporting. He was extraordinarily helpful to us and some other teams. V O L UM E 6 | M O TOR C L U B MAGAZINE

DAY

ASIA INTO EUROPE Location: Chusovoy, Russia; Perm, Russia

Today we start the second half of our journey. 17 days behind us… 17 to go… a completely unexpected welcome by the wonderful people of Chusovoy… Smiles, applause, a few high-fives out the window. It was quite overwhelming. After a steep descent, women in traditional costumes shoved gifts in the windows… Not to be outdone, the city of Perm welcomed us to the hotel parking lot with an inflatable arch, an enthusiastic announcer, and a recorded drumroll, complete with cymbal crash.

DAY

A LONG DAY TO KAZAN Location: Russia

Then the bad pavement ended and a road began that the Mongolians would be embarrassed by… Slow speed caused massive jarring hits. Medium speed caused massive jarring hits. High speed caused massive jarring hits. The dust made visibility minimal at times, hiding the worst of the holes… I was feeling pretty low… until I saw the McDonald’s next door…

DAY

DAY 22 Location: Russia

We are up to 17th overall and 6th in our class. The second stat is the most amazing to me… We have managed to work our way up to the top six, mostly through disaster avoidance… Onward.

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DAY

INTO SLOVAKIA

Might we finally have a day without rain? Yes! Might we finally have a day with zero mechanical concerns? No!… A number of other cars were struggling in the hilly area and safety was a real issue. A Ford Escort managed to take out two trees, get on its side, and catch fire.

DAY

DAY 31 Location: Slovenia

Left, right, left, right. Up, down, up, down. All day. A driver’s delight… The tests took advantage of the hills and when we were not climbing, those hills were fast and treacherous. Many times, unexpectedly sharp corners frightened us.

TRACK TIME Location: Russia is huge. Fact.

The first event was a threelap time trial (test) at the Moscow Ring… Speeds approached “jogging”, and despite our efforts to get good lap times, it all looked a bit like an elephant dance. Great fun, big smiles…

DAY

ACROSS BELARUS

We had more tests in the afternoon, and a repair to the ground wire on the navigation instruments solved the problem of the blinking gauges. How a small nut could vibrate loose after 10,000 rough kilometers is a mystery to me. V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

DAY

THROUGH THE ALPS TO GLAMOROUS ST. MORITZ Location: Switzerland

No roads should have been built here. The switchbacks are endless, tight, and exhausting. Up and up goes the road. There are places where walking would be difficult… The engineering and construction are amazing. The effort is amazing. The driving is terrifying… No guardrail, no anything… No road like this exists or would be allowed in the U.S. In Europe, it’s up to the individual. See that cliff? Don’t fall. Actually, they don’t even point out the cliff.

DAY

LAST DAY IN THE ALPS Location: Switzerland

Ta-da! That was the Alps. Now, just drive to Lausanne, Reims, and Paris. The sense of relief was palpable, and the finish tangible… The old car was making various bad sounds, the shifting was getting clunkier, and anything could break at any time.

Read more about Joe’s Great Rally Adventures by visiting www.bigyellowcarsadventures.com.

MO TO R CLU B MAGAZ INE | V OLU M E 6

DAY

PARIS...

THE RESULTS

Location: France Today was the last day of this incredible journey… We had done it. We had driven a 77-year-old car something close to 9,000 miles, and very little of it on motorways. Some of it was not even on roads. It was a winding, complicated, massive journey. It will take some time to digest it all.

We have been warned of the emotional low that often follows the Peking to Paris Rally. Regular life just can’t match the incessant excitement, pressure, and adventure. Nonetheless, I am not concerned. Life is wonderful, and there is far too much to do. In fact, it’s time to start planning the next rally… in the spring… in Scotland. How cool is that? “Now, bring me that horizon.”

V O L UM E 5 |

#41 Joe Robillard/Alzbetka Katuscakova • Motorcar: 1939 Chevrolet Coupe • Class: Vintageant category for pre-1941 model types • Overall Pos.: 13 • Class Pos.: 6 • Medal Status: Gold #43 Matt Peckham/John Peckham • Motorcar: 1939 Chevrolet Coupe • Class: Vintageant category for pre-1941 model types • Overall Pos.: 7 • Class Pos.: 4 • Medal Status: Gold V O L UM E 6 | M O T O R C L U B MAGAZINE

M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

Mira L.

QUIET COMMITMENT

Fourteen-year-old Mira carries calm demeanor that belies her the perfect counterbalance to Albert, a Hungarian immigrant vibrates with natural intensity.

with her a age. She is her father, who nearly

She seems to understand him, and often answers his pace with a quiet acceptance of her own. She knows that’s how he does most things – full speed ahead.

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Mira wasn’t even surprised when her father, a Founding member at Monticello Motor Club, went ahead and bought two Sodi karts – one for him and one for Mira – in 2014 when he heard that MMC was opening a karting track on site. The ribbon cutting was months away, and he hadn’t discussed the idea with Mira yet, but he didn’t want to wait. This was his chance to get his only daughter involved in something he loved. “That’s how he got me; he took a gamble that I’d love it, and he was right,” she says now. Since then, the pair has spent three straight driving seasons together at MMC.

“THAT’S HOW HE GOT ME; HE TOOK A GAMBLE THAT I’D LOVE IT, AND HE WAS RIGHT.”

and Ben says she’s made incredible strides. Albert is visibly proud of her progress. Sometimes it’s hard for him though, having his own blood behind the wheel. His anxiety level seems to rise in time with the uptick of the speedometer. He wants her to excel. He wants her to slow down. Albert monitors her progress closely from pit row, his heavily accented voice offering quiet words of critique when she comes off the track. She maintains a serious expression as she listens, cataloging the data for her next run. Albert’s getting instruction in the Miata as well. He wants them to learn together, and the tiny momentum car is a big change from the super cars Albert typically favors.

Each one has marked a new milestone for Mira. She started with the Sodi karts, then moved up to the faster Rotex karts, and then, most recently, graduated to driving a Miata on MMC’s 4.1-mile track. With each phase, her father’s response has been nearly the same. He buys the necessary equipment for himself and his daughter, and arranges for a full instructional program so that they both have all of the tools they need to do it right. He isn’t interested in doing anything in half measures. Theirs isn’t an outwardly jovial relationship, but one built on quiet moments and a healthy respect for process, education, and control. He believes that the more education you

have about the process, the more control you can have over the outcomes. It’s how he lives, and how he shows her how much he values the time they share. Most fathers and daughters don’t have these opportunities; these two are equally committed to making the most of them. This was Mira’s first season in a full-size car on MMC’s main track, and Albert made sure she’s getting professional instruction. He wants her to learn proper technique. MMC Pro Instructor Ben Haymann is Mira’s favorite; he seems to have an endless well of patience. She takes her instruction seriously,

He doesn’t want his daughter to be a racecar driver; he wants her to be a safe driver. He knows that high-performance driving cultivates a heightened sense of situational awareness. He wants her to know how to control the car on the road. Mira eventually wants to learn to drive her dad’s yellow 2002 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. It’s special, she says, because that was the same year she was born. Before that, though, she wants to race in the Queally Mazda Classic with her dad, even if it’s just in the right seat to start. “My wife says no way,” he says, giving a little shake of his head. Mira says nothing, just gives him a small patient smile. V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

MMC’S PRO-AM GAINS TRACTION S O C I A L

S C E N E

For the second season in a row, Monticello Motor Club hosted its Queally Miata Classic Pro-Am, which paired MMC amateurs with professional racecar drivers for three rounds of light-hearted on-track racing action. This fast-paced event attracted 20 different teams, nearly double the participants from last year’s inaugural event.

(from left) Bob B., MMC's Tyler Cooke, Dave S., Michael M., Ed H., Larry S., MMC’s Paul Queally, MMC’s Justin Piscitell, Lewis L., MMC’s Stevan McAleer

(from left) Dwight M. & MMC’s Jason Lare

Chuck G.

(from left) Larry S. & MMC’s Justin Piscitell

(from left) MMC’s Stevan McAleer, Lewis L. & MMC's Tyler Cooke

Jessica T.

PRO-AM TEAMS AM | PRO

AM | PRO

Joseph Y. | Alex Wolenski

Michael M. | Dave S.

Jacob A. | Marc Cefalo

Lewis L. | Bob B.

Steve J. | Ari Straus

David F. | Jacob Solomon

Jessica T. | Eric Filgueiras

Mike W. | Ben Haymann

Chuck G. | Aurora S.

Dwight M. | Jason Lare

Justin T. | Ron C.

Paul Queally | Stevan McAleer

Dennis P. | Chris O.

Ed H. | Tyler Cooke

Larry S. | Justin Piscitell

Simon A.

Christopher W. | Al Dimisko

Glenn S.

Lewis B. | Robby Foley

Till B. | Tim Paul

MO TO R CLU B MAGAZ INE | V OLU M E 6

Glenn S.

(from left) Ron C. & MMC's Al Dimisko

(from left) Lewis B. & MMC's Robby Foley

(from left) David F. & MMC’s Jacob Solomon

(from left) Mike W. & MMC’s Ben Haymann

(from left) MMC's Tyler Cooke & Ed H.

(from left) Aurora S., Steve J., MMC’s Paul Queally & MMC’s Ari Straus

RACE RESULTS

SPRINT I

SPRINT II

SPRINT III

1st - Dennis P. | Chris O.

1st - Till B. | Tim Paul

1st - Dennis P. | Chris O.

2nd - Steve J. | Ari Straus

2nd - Dennis P. | Chris O.

2nd - Paul Queally | Stevan McAleer

3rd - Till B. | Tim Paul

3rd - Paul Queally | Stevan McAleer

3rd - Mike W. | Ben Haymann

V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

MMC MEMBERS DOMINATE PCA ON HOME TRACK S O C I A L

S C E N E

Monticello Motor Club welcomed 87 racers to its track earlier this year for the Riesentöter Stuttgart Challenge, presented by Porsche of Conshohocken. Dozens of MMC members showed off their racecraft, and absolutely dominated the competition.

Charlie C.

Dan F.

(from left) Roland K. & Dan F.

(from left) John U., Carlos G. & Jason M.

MMC MEMBER RACE RESULTS SPRINT F Class 2nd - Alex Wolenski G Class 2nd - Ron T. I Class 1st - Todd P. 3rd - Brian B. GTB1 Class 1st - Carlos G. 2nd - John U. Jason M. (3rd from left), Speedsport Tuning’s Spencer Cox (4th from left), Carlos G. (3rd from right), Todd P. (2nd from right), John U. (far right) & guests

GTB2 Class 1st - Charlie C. GTB3 Class 1st - Jack M. 2nd - Roland K.

Bob K.

WORKER'S CHOICE Todd P. Leslie S. Spencer Cox Alex Wolenski ENDUROS GTB1 Class 1st - John U. 2nd - Bob & John K. 3rd - Carlos G. GTB3 Class 1st - Jack M. 2nd - Roland K. GTC4 Class 1st - Spencer Cox 2nd - George T.

GTC3 Class 2nd - Dan F.

GT1 Class 1st - Leslie S. 1st - Todd P.

GTC4 Class 1st - Spencer Cox 2nd - George T.

F Class 3rd - Alex Wolenski & Dan F. G Class 1st - Ron T.

OVERALL 1 Jack M. st

(from left) DeMan Motorsports’ Rick DeMan, John K., John F. & Lucio D.

MO TO R CLU B MAGAZ INE | V OLU M E 6

MMC’s Alex Wolenski

2nd John U.

3rd Spencer Cox

SEINFELD’S BRUMOS PORSCHE STAYS IN THE MMC FAMILY

onticello Motor Club Co-Founder and Partner Paul Queally has strict requirements when growing his already impressive car collection. Each vehicle must be notably rare, unique, and very high quality. His latest addition – the 2012 Brumos Commemorative Edition Porsche 911 GT3 4.0 Cup car – definitely meets those standards. The car is one of only five that were meticulously prepared by Porsche Motorsport North America to match the unique and exact specifications and capabilities used by Brumos Racing for the previous year's assault on the Grand-Am Championship. It marked the first time that Porsche Motorsport North America offered a special limited edition of a racecar, and was part of the final five North American-spec GT3 Cup cars imported to North America. But the real attraction to Queally was its owner, veteran comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld is one of Monticello Motor Club’s Founding members, and performed at MMC’s gala launch event at Cipriani in New York City in 2008. He purchased the Brumos Commemorative Edition Porsche directly from Brumos Porsche in 2012, and

has put less than two hours of driving time on it since then. “The auction was the first time any one of the Brumos Commemorative Edition Porsches has come up for public sale,” said Matt Peckham, who is responsible for the management, maintenance, and expansion of Queally’s vehicle collection. “This car is so rare and so unique, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It’s already been sent to Monticello Motor Club, and Paul can’t wait to get it out on the track.” Each of the five Grand-Am cars boasts the same red and blue stripes on Carrera White paint and livery – decals, stickers, etc. – that the Brumos 911 wore to capture team, driver, and manufacturer titles in what some have called the most memorable comeback races ever. The names of champions Andrew Davis and Leh Keen are even above the driver's side door. The car was one of 18 consignments from Seinfeld’s private collection that were sold by Gooding & Company at the Amelia Island Auction at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation in March 2016. In total, the sale of Seinfeld’s cars achieved $22 million, with seven of the vehicles bringing seven-figure results.

V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

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2012 BRUMOS COMMEMORATIVE EDITION PORSCHE 911 GT3 4.0 CUP CAR  4.0L 3,996cc DOHC Flat-6 engine  Motec engine management system  450-hp at 8,000 rpm  6-speed sequential transaxle  4-wheel ceramic composite disc brakes  Fully independent suspension with coil-over shock absorbers

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49 49

Decade A

OF PEACE, LOVE & MUSIC

It’s been 10 years since Bethel Woods Center for the Arts brought the music back to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm and the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival, located just 15 minutes from Monticello Motor Club. That first year, the non-profit organization welcomed a respectable 57,098 visitors. By the close of the 2015 season, that number had ballooned to an astounding 287,219 visitors. Bethel Woods continues to recapture the magic of the legendary site it occupies, and annually ranks among the top amphitheaters around the world. The Museum at Bethel Woods is quickly becoming known as a thought leader in exploring the lessons of the '60s, and the Conservatory (opened in 2013) has been instrumental in growing Bethel Woods’ youth and teen educational and outreach programming. Throughout it all, Bethel Woods has stayed true to its mission of inspiring, educating, and empowering individuals through Peace, Love, and Music. Here’s to the next 10 years…

2008

The Museum at Bethel Woods opens, and is recognized by the New York Times, Good Morning America, The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post as the premier '60s cultural exploration center. The Event Gallery opens, and the Pavilion stage welcomes the Jonas Brothers, Bethel Woods’ first-ever sold-out concert.

2006

Founded by Alan Gerry, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts officially opens to “inspire generations through peace, love, and music” and to provide culturally diverse education and entertainment.

• • • • •

• 57,098 Visitors • 8 Concerts

2007

The number and range of musical genres expands with the addition of country music legends like Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and up-and-coming country music stars like Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift. Classical performances are introduced with the arrival of The New York Philharmonic and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. • 85,882 Visitors • 16 Concerts

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206,622 Visitors 26 Concerts 8 Event Gallery Shows 5 Community & Education Events 8 Harvest Festivals

“WE BUILT BETHEL WOODS TO CREATE A BETTER PLACE FOR PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY AND REGION TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.”

ALAN GERRY, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN

2010

The first Holiday Market is held at Bethel Woods. The half-scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall is installed at what Carlos Santana calls “Ground Zero for peace and love”. The Pavilion at Bethel Woods is ranked 39th among worldwide amphitheaters, and is nominated as 2010’s Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue by Pollstar Magazine. • • • • • • • •

227,538 Visitors 26 Concerts 6 Event Gallery Shows 30 Community & Education Events 7 Harvest Festivals 8 Fall Films 2 World Stage Cultural Performances 3 Museum Special Exhibits

2009

Bethel Woods celebrates Woodstock’s 40th anniversary. The Museum is honored with a Themed Entertainment Association Award for international excellence in the creation and production of compelling places and experiences, as well as Creativity & Commerce: Print magazine’s International Business Graphics Prize for six digital interactive exhibits. Bethel Woods serves more than 60 schools and 2,000 participants from five states. • • • • • • •

202,140 Visitors 19 Concerts 3 Event Gallery Shows 20 Community & Education Events 7 Harvest Festivals 3 Speaker Series Presentations 3 Fall Films

2011

The first Wine Festival, One World Culture Concert Series, and Leadership Summit are held at Bethel Woods. Tickets for Sir Elton John sell out in 53 minutes. AKRF, Inc. reports that Bethel Woods generates the equivalent of 150 full-time jobs, creating $8.26 million in salaries ($5.83 million in Sullivan County). • • • • • • •

253,236 Visitors 30 Concerts 7 Event Gallery Shows 6 Harvest Festivals 16 Film & Speaker Series 7 World Stage Cultural Performances 3 Museum Special Exhibits V O L UM E 6 | M O T O R C L U B MAGAZINE

2013

The Conservatory at Bethel Woods opens to support Bethel Woods’ mission of expanding its educational and outreach programming for individuals and families. The first Craft Beer Festival welcomes 25 regional breweries, food vendors, and live music. Original Woodstock performer Richie Havens’ ashes are spread as a final resting place at the Woodstock site. • • • • • •

248,700 Visitors 41 Concerts 20 Event Gallery Shows 52 Community & Education Events 9 Festivals & Special Events 4 Museum Special Exhibits

2014

2012

The first Wine Fundraising Dinner is introduced at Bethel Woods. Bethel Woods becomes a stand-alone 501(c)(3) public charity and establishes an independent Board of Trustees. Joe Cocker returns to perform for his Woodstock audience, and artists like Jason Aldean and Yo-Yo Ma make debut performances. • • • • • • •

202,315 Visitors 27 Concerts 10 Event Gallery Shows 8 Festivals & Special Events 11 Film & Speaker Series 7 World Stage Cultural Performances 4 Museum Special Exhibits

James Taylor and Jimmy Buffett make their debut at Bethel Woods. Mysteryland, the world’s longest running electronic dance music event, brings 40,000 new fans to Bethel Woods. In a tribute to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Museum presents Speak Truth To Power. Project: Identity is established with the goal of inspiring creative expression for area teens. • 296,331 Visitors (including 40,374 Mysteryland attendees) • 42 Concerts • 19 Event Gallery Shows • 48 Community & Education Events • 8 Festivals • 5 Museum Special Exhibits

2015

Bethel Woods reaches nearly 30,000 children, teens, and families through its education, community outreach, and museum programs thanks to collaborations with artists, scholars, and community professionals. The Museum hosts a special exhibition, Threads: Connecting the '60s and Modern Rockwear, drawn from the collection of Andy Hilfiger. Monticello Motor Club hosts a racing fundraiser and delivers $21,000. The annual Wine Pairing Dinner collects an impressive $132,500. • • • • •

287,219 Visitors (including 45,449 Mysteryland attendees) 32 Concerts 43 Community & Education Events 10 Festivals & Special Events 3 Museum Special Exhibits

Board of Trustees: Alan Gerry, Chairman, MMC Member Darlene Fedun Kathy Frommer Jeffrey Gerson Ronald Greenberg Paul Guenther Nick LaHowchic Steve Marton D.W. Porter Stuart Salenger, MMC Member Ari Straus, MMC Managing Partner/CEO Keith Suehnholz, MMC Member Mike Watkins, MMC Member

SOURCE: Bethel Woods Report to the Community, FisherMears 52

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V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

MMC'S OWN AUTOMOTIVE ARTIST

MICHAEL WEYANDT It doesn’t really start with a plan. Monticello Motor Club Service Technician Michael Weyandt just collects a few old car parts and begins to create. Where others might use a brush or clay to express themselves, Michael uses a blowtorch and some solder. He sees beyond where the parts formerly fit, and gives them the freedom to become something entirely different. Michael’s creations have an unusual and industrial, almost steampunk beauty to them. Whether functional (like the lamp he designed), anthropomorphic, or abstract, there’s something unexpectedly lovely about his process. And the result is often a one-of-a-kind sculpture that embodies the art of upcycling.

MO TO R CLU B MAGAZ INE | V OLU M E 6

F R O M

T H E

A R T I S T ’ S

E Y E



"The table is made up of bearings from old Miata transmissions and other Miata parts. The three pistons are from my old Mustang.”



“The smaller guy is made out of a Miata shifter, a piston I pulled out of a weed wacker, and some random bolts that were lying around. The bigger guy is made out of a main shaft, sway bar links, and gear selectors from a transmission, all from Miatas. There’s also a piston from a boat that I sold. The impact gun is just a socket with a hex key welded into it. The tire is a balancer off of a Miata rear differential.”



“The lamp is made out of a differential we pulled from a Radical SR3.”



“This one I started when I worked at the Department of Transportation. It’s made up of two cable pulleys and a bunch of steel that we had lying around. It’s still a work in progress.”

V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

MMC HOLIDAY

LIVING

MMC Executive Chef John Perruna, a former restaurant owner and a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, and his sous-chef, Doug Giese, are diligent in their efforts to maintain the standard of fine cuisine and custom catering for which Monticello Motor Club has become known. John’s special gift is his uncanny ability to recall each member’s favorite dish, and he welcomes most with a simple question: “The usual?” Each morning, members are greeted with coffee and a selection of fresh pastries and bagels. Lunch is usually served buffet-style with a wide selection of ever-changing dishes, followed by John’s famous warm chocolate chip cookies. Later in the afternoon, cheese platters are put out for members and their guests to enjoy as they’re wrapping up their final track laps.

MMC HOLIDAY

GIVING

Womens/Mens Nike Pullover • • • • •

Embroidered MMC emblem on front (left breast) Embroidered MMC track map outline on back (lower right) Polyester/cotton blend Available in dark gray/black or light gray/dark gray Men’s & women’s sizes available (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL & 4XL available through special order)

$98 each

To place an order or for more information, please call 845.796.7223 or email proshop@monticellomotorclub.com.

MO TO R CLU B MAGAZ INE | V OLU M E 6

STUFFED LEG OF LAMB INGREDIENTS • 5 lb trimmed and boned leg of lamb, butterflied • 4 Tbsp olive oil • 6 garlic cloves, minced • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped • 1/2 cup pistachios, whole • 5 oz baby spinach leaves, whole • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

BREADCRUMB MIXTURE • 2 Tbsp olive oil • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs • 1/3 cup parsley, coarsely chopped • 1/4 stick whole butter • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS • Warm 2 Tbsp of the olive oil and 1/4 stick of whole butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, rosemary, pistachios, panko breadcrumbs, and parsley. Toast until fragrant and beginning to brown.

myths MMC

DEBUNKED

• Spread the lamb out flat, fat-side down. Gently pound it to an even, 1-inch thickness. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of the salt and the 1/2 tsp of pepper. Spread evenly with the bread crumb mixture, fresh spinach, and pistachios. Starting from one side, roll up the lamb with the filling inside so that it maintains the shape of the leg. Tie with butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals. Season the outside with the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt. • Wipe out the sauté pan and add the remaining 4 Tbsp of olive oil. Place the pan over high heat and allow it to get hot. Place the lamb in the pan and sear it on all sides until golden brown all over (about two minutes per side). Transfer the lamb to a roasting pan and roast until the internal temperature registers 135 degrees (about 1 hour 15 minutes). Remove to a cutting board and rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. • Serve the sliced lamb with fresh steamed vegetables, roasted potatoes, and pan gravy.

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Monticello Motor Club Chief Operating Officer Alex Wolenski addresses some common myths and misconceptions about becoming a member at MMC.

myth:

I WON’T FIT IN WITH MMC’S MEMBERSHIP.

FACT: All of our members, regardless of differing backgrounds, professions, or age groups, have one thing in common: they are all auto enthusiasts who embrace the driving experience as a way to push their personal limits. At MMC, we make that possible in a safer, controlled environment so that members can experience real high-performance driving.

V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

myth:

I DON’T WANT TO GIVE UP TIME WITH MY FAMILY ON THE WEEKENDS.

I’LL GET BORED DRIVING MY EXOTIC ON THE TRACK OVER AND OVER. OR I DON’T WANT TO BEAT UP MY EXOTICS ON THE TRACK.

myth:

FACT: Spend a day at Monticello Motor Club, and you’ll notice many couples and families. You’ll see a parent and child learning racing techniques together in one of our driving schools, or racing side by side in our private race series.

FACT: MMC maintains a large fleet of rental vehicles ranging from street cars for novice members to race-prepared cars for more advanced driving or wheel-to-wheel competition. Kart rentals are also available.

Teens as young as 13 can drive actual racecars on the track (after learning all of the necessary skills, of course), and become better, safer drivers, even before they have an actual license.

Some members utilize MMC's rental fleet for variety, while others value the arrive-and-drive convenience of no downtime, maintenance, transport, fuel, or storage costs.

MMC also has a full-service karting facility that includes a 0.6-mile karting track. Those as young as six enjoy karting with friends or parents, and our Family Karting Challenge races are quickly growing in popularity.

We offer a variety of Fleet Access Plans, which provide members and their guests access to our fleet for a fraction of normal daily rental rates.

Furthermore, the new Montreign Resort Casino, just five minutes from MMC, is scheduled to open in March of 2018. In addition to its 80,000-squarefoot casino, Montreign will also provide a variety of family activities, including an indoor waterpark, several dining options, and much more.

I DON’T WANT THE HASSLE/ EXPENSE OF HAVING TO TRANSPORT, STORE, OR MAINTAIN MY VEHICLES FOR USE AT MMC.

myth:

FACT: MMC offers vehicle storage, private, climate-controlled garages, and arrive-and-drive vehicle maintenance programs. We also have a service center operated by some of the best technicians in the business.

I CAN’T AFFORD A $125,000 INITIATION FEE.

myth:

I HAVE VERY LIMITED FREE TIME; I WON’T GET VALUE FROM MY MEMBERSHIP INVESTMENT.

FACT: MMC offers several membership levels that vary in price and track access. Our lowest-cost individual membership level, Bronze, is just $45,000 and includes 10 member days each year. We also have Corporate and Family membership opportunities. Family memberships provide the best value and flexibility for three or more immediate family members.

I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT TRACK DRIVING; I’LL EMBARRASS MYSELF IN FRONT OF MORE EXPERIENCED MEMBERS.

myth:

FACT: Prior to joining, half of our members had no track experience whatsoever; a quarter had only a handful of days attending manufacturer-led experiences; the rest had beginner- to intermediate-level experience garnered from public race track events or 2- to 3-day racing schools. Only a handful of members had prior amateur or professional racing experience. MMC offers both racing schools and private coaching with one of our professional driving instructors; either can help you quickly acclimate to on-track driving.

myth:

I HAVE TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN RACING TO BECOME A MEMBER.

FACT: While some of our members do race in our member racing series, and/or go on to race in amateur and professional series, many choose to enjoy the track’s social aspect, off-site and on-site member events, and its family atmosphere. A day at MMC may include catching up with fellow members and spending some time perfecting track driving skills.

MO TO R CLU B MAGAZ INE | V OLU M E 6

myth:

I NEED TO SPEND MONEY ON A RACECAR OR DEDICATED TRACK CAR TO ENJOY MMC’S TRACK.

FACT: While quite a few of our members have dedicated cars for the track, many drive in their street cars. As long as your car can pass a safety tech inspection, practically any car can be driven on the track.

V O L UM E 6 | M O TO R C L U B MAGAZINE

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