What's great about a video of the 2008 LCP like this one is that it just goes to show that during an international race like La Carrera Panamericana you don't have to speak the same language to understand what a great time everyone is having.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Showing posts with label 2008 La Carrera Panamericana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008 La Carrera Panamericana. Show all posts
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Saturday, December 06, 2008
If You Like La Carrera Panamericana Photos...
1999 Photo courtesy of Clément Marin
Today I got a note from Clément Marin from Paris France telling me about his new 2008 La Carrera Panamericana book and from the looks of it I think it's going to be a nice addition to my coffee table.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PORTFOLIO
Clément wrote;
Dear Panamericana enthusiasts,
After 10 years of taking pictures of the most exotic and extrem road race in Mexico, I decided to make a book of the 2008 edition. You will not find historic data, neither results nor palmares in this book: THIS IS ALL ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY! The introduction is by 7 time winner Pierre De Thoisy. 88 pages.
Hope you enjoy !
Best regards
Clément Marin
Thursday, December 04, 2008
La Carrera Panamericana... No Race for Old Men
Hershel McGriff signs Ron Lee's 1955 Kurtis
To say Ron Lee and his beautiful wife are car buffs would be like saying there is sand on the beach. Without a doubt one of the most exciting private car collections I have seen was the day I spent at Ron Lee's home but as is the case with any collection, there is always one that stands out for one reason or another. In this case it was Ron's beautiful 55 Kurtis. Not only is this car beautiful but to know the historical significance and the players involved with it's involvement in La Carrera Panamericana is worth a read all by it's self. To learn more about Ron's Kurtis CLICK HERE.
Ron and his wife being serenaded during dinner at the Panamericana Gala in San Miguel de Allende.
In my opinion I must say I am so happy that Ron took this car to this years La Carrera Panamericana. Speaking from personal experience I can tell you I have met so many pussies (for lack of a better word) that unlike Ron and myself have unique cars but are afraid to get them dirty let alone push them to the limit. In the mean time in Ron's own words, here is his personal account of his recent adventure in the 2008 La Carrera Panamericana.
Photo courtesy of Go Fast Energy Drink
Well we did it -- it was less than successful, but a lot of fun. Very nice people both in the race, supporting it and particularly in Mexico. What a beautiful country!
We towed the Kurtis for eight days (two nights in San Miguel de Allende – my favorite city in Mexico). The worst night towing was the night we arrived in Laredo Texas. We had dinner; we were supposed to cross the border (walking) for permits at 9:00 PM and left about 10:00 PM. We stood in line for three and one half hours and got to bed at 1:45 AM. We then got up that morning at 4:45 for an early departure! The road south to Coatzacaolcos is really, really, bad. Potholes eighteen inches deep, two to three feet wide. Some even had candles around them to show the way to heaven! Tolls run about twenty dollars a pop and we must have hit at least ten. Gail does a yeoman’s job driving. Yikes, I am too old for this!
Photo courtesy of Coop
We arrive Wednesday in Tuxtla Gutierrez (abut sixty miles north of Guatemala) for our first day. Got our car checked for technical inspection, etc. No problems. We did our first day of driving the next day (qualifying and came in, I think, 57th out of 106 entries – no big deal as we were taking it easy). The next day we finished, again I think, in 27th place finishing in Oaxaca, my next favorite city. Not too bad for an old car with vintage suspension and a relatively small engine.
The next day was the worst and our last (the race is seven days long). We were driving to Mexico City. We were on sort of sketchy roads, like Angles Crest but much worse surfaces. A beautiful Sunbeam Tiger went off the road and tumbled down about 45 feet and totaled the car. A very nice 350 Mustang “pranged” a large rock and totaled it – shortened by about three feet! No one hurt at this time. I got the tail out way too far but recovered. In the process my left leg began to cramp, which caused me to coast about a half a mile down the road. Then my left hand cramped to the point I had to pry it off the wheel with my right hand. The car was not running too well. I thought we got a bad load of gas or the altitude was taking its toll. It turned out my alternator died (brand new Delco Remy 100 amps) and we were miss firing. We stumbled into Tehuacan at about noon, which had a fiesta going for our all our benefit.
Man! We couldn’t run the radiator fans so the heat was building – 220, 240, 250! We ended up guided by the police into the front of a very large concert stage, which had speakers larger than the Hollywood bowl! We were supposed to be there for sixty minutes but we were stuck “dead in the water”. It was the loudest music I ever heard and went on with eight young beautiful Mexican girls dancing for three and one half hours non-stop!!!!! There were at least five thousand Mexicans having a very nice and noisy fiesta in a very small zocollo (square). They treated us like “rock stars! Signing autographs, pictures with everyone, beers floating through the place like water.
Photo courtesy of Coop
At this time my co-pilot Jack is not looking too good. He threw up and then turned the color of grey concrete and started to fade. I took him to get some food but it wasn’t working. We found a doctor and pharmacy and got him some medicine for his diabetes that he left in the support truck that went ahead to Mexico City. Next, two very nice young men helped us out who were with a local car club. They telephoned an automotive electrical guy who took us to his shop and replaced the alternator, starter solenoid and brackets. Jack, my co-pilot went ahead with Gerie Bledsoe (North American Co-0rdinator) who was kind enough to stay with us. We headed for Mexico City.
Photo courtesy of Coop
At this time it is about 7:00 PM and getting dark. We violated the one rule everyone said to hold - - “don’t drive in Mexico at night ” and particularly in Mexico City. We were running north from Puebla, maybe a hundred miles, which takes you from about five thousand feet to over ten thousand before entering a city of 20 million. The Kurtis is running pretty good as it is cool and damp. Pretty soon it is more than damp - - it is raining fairly hard! I have no side windows, no windshield wipers, the RainX is taken over by bugs, my vents are open and the rain is filling my left shoe and coming in on my glasses! This is while we are exceeding sixty and trying to follow a truck and trailer not to get lost! It was brutal!
We arrive safe at about mid-night. I am exhausted, Jack is totally out of it and I just want to sleep. I make an executive decision. Let’s go home!
Photo courtesy of Coop
We did. Jack took about three days to recoup. We had a great time - - probably won’t do it again, but have no regrets.
Beautiful country, nice people, good camaraderie and a lot of fun!
No race for old men. (Even though a number were pretty old – my hat is off to those that finished!)
Monday, November 10, 2008
La Carrera - Day Two As Seen Through The Eyes Of Bill Beilharz
The Public Relations day
We got up to a new day in Oaxaca. The race started here last year so I had some idea of the layout of the town.
We/I had a scare as we drove to the zocalo to start the day's leg. We pulled up to a stop light next to a new Chevy Suburban with tinted windows. Just then a pickup loaded with Special Police pulls up behind us and 5/6 guys jump out to point M-16s at the Suburban. Another pickup pulls in front to block both of us and 5/6 more uniformed police jump out to do the same. I was scared that a shootout was going to occur with us trapped right there. As quick as they arrived they determined who was in the Suburban, jumped back in the pickups and sped away - much to my relief. Jorge and I said only a few words about it but I'm pretty sure the only guy more worried than I was, was whoever was in that Suburban. What I am convinced of is that the Mexican government is serious about wiping out the Narco elements in Mexico.
With Jorge's navigation skills and my driving, we started the long climb from 5th place back to the lead. The day's racing ended just after noon with a huge party at the Zacalo de Tehuacan. Each year it seems to get bigger as more companies compete for your attention with dancing girls, loud music and free beer. I can't speak for everyone, but after an hour of this fiesta I was no longer in racing form.
We started the long transit to Mexico City. I wondered how it was going to go, driving into one of the worlds largest cities during rush hour. No worries, we had our own Federal police escort into the center of town and they even diverted traffic off of most of the roads we were on. I had thought the crowd in Tehuacan was big but it was dwarfed by the people of Mexico City. We were parked in the front and when I looked back towards the other cars; the mass of people filled the street for several blocks. GRW Racing Wear had sponsored us with some great looking crew shirts and a bunch of give away team caps. I decided to give some away to the crowd - bad idea with so many people around. I was soon pinned against the trunk as the crowd surged towards me. I had left the car in neutral and it started to roll forward with the weight of the crowd. I got out of this by throwing the hats high in the air away from me and the car. After that, I sat on the curb and let Jorge handle the crowd.
We stayed at the Camino Real that night. Most of the cities in Mexico have a Camino Real hotel and it's usually "the" place to stay. I was one of the late entries so we weren't always in the best hotels. This was great, it was close to the starting arch and had an indoor parking garage that we could use to service the car(s). The only complaint I had about the hotel was that it was huge! It must have been a 200 yard hike from the elevator to our rooms and the hallway still went on farther than I wanted to know.
Tony stayed to service the race car while Kent took a cab in search of parts to fix the front brakes on the Excursion. The front rotors were warped when we started the trip but the guys said that by the time they got to the hotel there were no front brakes at all. I hung around and pretended to be of use until I got too tired and went upstairs. Tony and Kent prepped the car, patched the Excursion, and continued to build good will for the team by offering advice and assistance to the other teams. They both thought it was funny that, because we were in the lead, everyone assumed we knew what we were doing. Even though these guys are still in their early 20's they each have about 15 years racing experience. I told them: "Don't sell yourselves short. The knowledge you take for granted is still a mystery to most of these other guys". I can't say it enough: Jorge and I would not have won this race without Kent and Tony crewing for us.
We got up to a new day in Oaxaca. The race started here last year so I had some idea of the layout of the town.
We/I had a scare as we drove to the zocalo to start the day's leg. We pulled up to a stop light next to a new Chevy Suburban with tinted windows. Just then a pickup loaded with Special Police pulls up behind us and 5/6 guys jump out to point M-16s at the Suburban. Another pickup pulls in front to block both of us and 5/6 more uniformed police jump out to do the same. I was scared that a shootout was going to occur with us trapped right there. As quick as they arrived they determined who was in the Suburban, jumped back in the pickups and sped away - much to my relief. Jorge and I said only a few words about it but I'm pretty sure the only guy more worried than I was, was whoever was in that Suburban. What I am convinced of is that the Mexican government is serious about wiping out the Narco elements in Mexico.
With Jorge's navigation skills and my driving, we started the long climb from 5th place back to the lead. The day's racing ended just after noon with a huge party at the Zacalo de Tehuacan. Each year it seems to get bigger as more companies compete for your attention with dancing girls, loud music and free beer. I can't speak for everyone, but after an hour of this fiesta I was no longer in racing form.
We started the long transit to Mexico City. I wondered how it was going to go, driving into one of the worlds largest cities during rush hour. No worries, we had our own Federal police escort into the center of town and they even diverted traffic off of most of the roads we were on. I had thought the crowd in Tehuacan was big but it was dwarfed by the people of Mexico City. We were parked in the front and when I looked back towards the other cars; the mass of people filled the street for several blocks. GRW Racing Wear had sponsored us with some great looking crew shirts and a bunch of give away team caps. I decided to give some away to the crowd - bad idea with so many people around. I was soon pinned against the trunk as the crowd surged towards me. I had left the car in neutral and it started to roll forward with the weight of the crowd. I got out of this by throwing the hats high in the air away from me and the car. After that, I sat on the curb and let Jorge handle the crowd.
We stayed at the Camino Real that night. Most of the cities in Mexico have a Camino Real hotel and it's usually "the" place to stay. I was one of the late entries so we weren't always in the best hotels. This was great, it was close to the starting arch and had an indoor parking garage that we could use to service the car(s). The only complaint I had about the hotel was that it was huge! It must have been a 200 yard hike from the elevator to our rooms and the hallway still went on farther than I wanted to know.
Tony stayed to service the race car while Kent took a cab in search of parts to fix the front brakes on the Excursion. The front rotors were warped when we started the trip but the guys said that by the time they got to the hotel there were no front brakes at all. I hung around and pretended to be of use until I got too tired and went upstairs. Tony and Kent prepped the car, patched the Excursion, and continued to build good will for the team by offering advice and assistance to the other teams. They both thought it was funny that, because we were in the lead, everyone assumed we knew what we were doing. Even though these guys are still in their early 20's they each have about 15 years racing experience. I told them: "Don't sell yourselves short. The knowledge you take for granted is still a mystery to most of these other guys". I can't say it enough: Jorge and I would not have won this race without Kent and Tony crewing for us.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Ride Along With #420 Mercedes Benz
Ride along and see how the road looks through the windshield of the #420 Mercedes Benz in the Original Panam Class piloted by Benjamin De La Pena and co-piloted by Patrico De La Pena of Mexico. They finished 64th overall and 6th in class. I enjoy the teamwork as the co-piloto knew exactly what his piloto stuck out his hand for his glove to be removed. For those of you who have never raced in this race, this section of road is a very safe one simply because for most of it there are guard rails, something you don't normally see.
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Original PanAm Class
When you get right down to it, how much more rewarding can it be than to win the Original PanAm class in the world famous La Carrera Panamericana? Afterall, this is the class that started the whole enchilada some 58 years ago. These cars have so many restrictions which do not allow teams to use any late model technology and they are forced to drive them in exactly the same manner as they did back in the 50's. Anyone who have ever built and raced cars with any success will find this simply amazing.
My hat is off to all the Original Pan Am competitors that dared challenge La Carrera Panamercana but I am especially honored to know and to have raced with Carson Scheller and his team. Congratulations on a very special win. I am sure a lot of the legends are looking down and smiling at Carson this day and when you consider he beat a world class F1 driver in the process I am sure Juan Fangio would be especially proud.
Final Day 6 Results WOW!
Click Here For Final Day 6 Results
The last day of racing has brought about some amazing finishesin various classes. There are so many amazing stories behind all of these cars and classes, many of which I would like to know more about. It's impossible to write about all the victory and defeats from thousands of miles away but we all know there has to be so many amazing stories to be told. So take time to find your favorite piloto and co -pilotos on these results and see where there have been and how they did.
Random results;
#110 Stig Blomquist wins last day.
#133 Doug Mockett and Angelica Fuentes wins 2nd place.
Even though he blows his engine #114 Lars Stugemo still finishes in 5th place.
#351 Bern Langewiesche wins 1st place in Historic C by 2 seconds. (Tyzack's 6 second penelty cost him 1st place.)
The amazing battle for 3rd place in Historic C was incredible but the #388 of Bill Shanahan beat out #370 of Marc Davis by a mere 2 seconds!!
#205 Sam Burg wins Sport Mayor
#405 Jan Lammers wins 1st place in Original Panam and # 433 Carson Scheller takes 22nd and #422 of Richard Morrison takes 3rd. I wonder if Gerie Bledsoe was helping pilot this car since I know he filled in for a couple days? I will find out more on that later.
#152 Richard Clark wins 1st place in Spot Menor.
#290 Richard Bailey wins 1st place in Historic A Plus 3 seconds ahead of #280 Ulrich Lanius.
#309 Brian DeVries wins Historic B.
#277 Lars Hroiss wins Historic A.
In what has been a great battle going back and forth between #299 of Francisco Ortiz and #288 of Joe Brubaker, #299 wins 6th place and #299 wins 8th place.
The last day of racing has brought about some amazing finishesin various classes. There are so many amazing stories behind all of these cars and classes, many of which I would like to know more about. It's impossible to write about all the victory and defeats from thousands of miles away but we all know there has to be so many amazing stories to be told. So take time to find your favorite piloto and co -pilotos on these results and see where there have been and how they did.
Random results;
#110 Stig Blomquist wins last day.
#133 Doug Mockett and Angelica Fuentes wins 2nd place.
Even though he blows his engine #114 Lars Stugemo still finishes in 5th place.
#351 Bern Langewiesche wins 1st place in Historic C by 2 seconds. (Tyzack's 6 second penelty cost him 1st place.)
The amazing battle for 3rd place in Historic C was incredible but the #388 of Bill Shanahan beat out #370 of Marc Davis by a mere 2 seconds!!
#205 Sam Burg wins Sport Mayor
#405 Jan Lammers wins 1st place in Original Panam and # 433 Carson Scheller takes 22nd and #422 of Richard Morrison takes 3rd. I wonder if Gerie Bledsoe was helping pilot this car since I know he filled in for a couple days? I will find out more on that later.
#152 Richard Clark wins 1st place in Spot Menor.
#290 Richard Bailey wins 1st place in Historic A Plus 3 seconds ahead of #280 Ulrich Lanius.
#309 Brian DeVries wins Historic B.
#277 Lars Hroiss wins Historic A.
In what has been a great battle going back and forth between #299 of Francisco Ortiz and #288 of Joe Brubaker, #299 wins 6th place and #299 wins 8th place.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Keep On Keepin On
Even the front runners can't stay out of the grapse of danger as seen here by the overall winning #108 Studebaker of Bill Beilharz.
#109 does a little dance with the devil.
Must have hit some ice.
Photos Courtesy Of Coop
#109 does a little dance with the devil.
Must have hit some ice.
Photos Courtesy Of Coop
Bad Luck Report Begins
I just got a message from fellow 2007 LCP racer Karl Scheible that Lars Stugemo piloto of Studebaker #114 is out having suffered from a blown engine. Yesterday Lars finished 3rd in Turismo Mayor Class and 4th overall. Tough luck for one of the nicest racers anyone could ever wish to meet.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GO FAST ENERGY DRINKS
PHOTO COURTESY OF GO FAST ENERGY DRINKS
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Another Very Exciting Battle in Original PaAm
One of the battles I have been really enjoying is between my good friend Carson Scheller and F1 driver Jan Lammers.
We first met Carson during the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana and have been friends ever since and have stayed in touch as well as seeing each other once in a while at various get-togethers. Besides the likable personality another reason I like Carson so much is when he races he's there to win come hell or high water. Gotta like a guy with that attitude.
One of the drivers who is trying to teach Carson how it's done is Jan Lammers. Here's a small piece of Jan's resume... He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and is the seatholder of the Dutch A1 Grand Prix team. After winning the 1978 European Formula 3 Championship he
began his F1 career. In 1982 he tried IndyCar racing before turning to sports car racing. In 1988, Lammers, together with Andy Wallace and Johnny Dumfries, wrote history at Le Mans. In a Jaguar he drove 13 out of the 24 hours, and beat the Porsche team who had remained unbeaten since 1982. Lammers and the team managed to finish first despite a broken gearbox. It was the first victory for Jaguar since 1957. For this feat he received the title Honorary Member of the BRDC a title rarely awarded to non-British residents. Enzo Ferrari and Juan Manuel Fangio have also received the award. In 1990 Lammers won the 24 Hours of Daytona driving a Jaguar XJR-12 along with Davy Jones and Andy Wallace.
The next time you read where someone has written that the La Carrera Panamericana is just a bunch of fat old CEO types do me a favor and send me a note so I can contact them.
Anyway, here's Carson driving his beautiful Ford Victoria #433 and co piloted by Shields Richardson battling against world class Formula One driver Jan Lammers in a beautiful, nibble footed #405 Porsche and a battle it's been. Jan has taken 1st in class numerous days but as any good endurance racer knows it's all about consistency and consistency has been Carson's middle name for the last 6 days. All he has to do tomorrow is maintain. Take care of his car, don't be stupid and make mistakes and pray there are no donkys and he'll bring home 1st place.
Oh by the way, did I mention that Lammers co-piloto is a rockstar and has been to stunt driving school among other things? No kidding. (I wonder what Shields has done lately? LOL)
We first met Carson during the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana and have been friends ever since and have stayed in touch as well as seeing each other once in a while at various get-togethers. Besides the likable personality another reason I like Carson so much is when he races he's there to win come hell or high water. Gotta like a guy with that attitude.
One of the drivers who is trying to teach Carson how it's done is Jan Lammers. Here's a small piece of Jan's resume... He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and is the seatholder of the Dutch A1 Grand Prix team. After winning the 1978 European Formula 3 Championship he
began his F1 career. In 1982 he tried IndyCar racing before turning to sports car racing. In 1988, Lammers, together with Andy Wallace and Johnny Dumfries, wrote history at Le Mans. In a Jaguar he drove 13 out of the 24 hours, and beat the Porsche team who had remained unbeaten since 1982. Lammers and the team managed to finish first despite a broken gearbox. It was the first victory for Jaguar since 1957. For this feat he received the title Honorary Member of the BRDC a title rarely awarded to non-British residents. Enzo Ferrari and Juan Manuel Fangio have also received the award. In 1990 Lammers won the 24 Hours of Daytona driving a Jaguar XJR-12 along with Davy Jones and Andy Wallace.
The next time you read where someone has written that the La Carrera Panamericana is just a bunch of fat old CEO types do me a favor and send me a note so I can contact them.
Anyway, here's Carson driving his beautiful Ford Victoria #433 and co piloted by Shields Richardson battling against world class Formula One driver Jan Lammers in a beautiful, nibble footed #405 Porsche and a battle it's been. Jan has taken 1st in class numerous days but as any good endurance racer knows it's all about consistency and consistency has been Carson's middle name for the last 6 days. All he has to do tomorrow is maintain. Take care of his car, don't be stupid and make mistakes and pray there are no donkys and he'll bring home 1st place.
Oh by the way, did I mention that Lammers co-piloto is a rockstar and has been to stunt driving school among other things? No kidding. (I wonder what Shields has done lately? LOL)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Results For Day 4
It looks like all my calls to contacts in Mexico got the results issue well in hand. Thank you to each of you.
CLICK HERE for the latest and most current results for Day 4.
The overall results for yesterday;
1st Place #108 piloto Bill Beilharz
2nd Place #110 piloto Stig Blomqvist
3rd Place #10 piloto Jorge Pedrero
4th Place #133 piloto Doug Mockett
Historic C;
1st Place # piloto Richard Tyzack
2nd Place # piloto Marc Davis
3rd Place # piloto Bill Shanahan
Historic B;
1st Place #335 piloto Ricardo Serrador
2nd Place #309 piloto Brian DeVries
3rd Place #333 piloto Emilio Jean
Historic A;
1st Place #264 piloto Sebastian Bleekemolen
2nd Place #277 piloto Lars Kroiss
3rd Place #263 piloto Tom Boes (After a crash they are on the podium!!!)
Historic A Plus;
1st Place #280 piloto Ulrich Lanius
2nd Place #290 piloto Richard Bailey
3rd Place #257 piloto Jo Ramirez
Last year Richard's engine blew and this year he's doing awesome including being in 2nd place ahead of world famous Jo Ramirez. CLICK HERE for more about Jo Ramirez.
This photo courtesy of Go Fast.
Sport Menor;
1st Place #152 piloto Richard Clark
2nd Place #153 piloto Bob Gett
3rd Place #157 piloto Martin Philippe
Sport Mayor;
1st Place #212 piloto Byron DeFoor
2nd Place #205 piloto Sam Burg
3rd Place #219 piloto Alfredo Roth
Original Pan Am;
1st Place #405 piloto Jan Lammers
2nd Place #322 piloto Carson Scheller
3rd Place #425 piloto John Gregory
What a go Carson and John!!!
37 out of 107 cars are not running or did not finish yesterday 12 of them are in the coveted Historic C Class. WOW, That's high attrition!
My good friend Marcia reported some other news part of which was VERY exciting news for me. My buddies who crashed early on day 3 are back in the race! Not only are they back in but as the results show they even finished on the podium!!! Be sure to check out her story about the Federally that high centered his squad car. LOL. CLICK HERE
Random notes from Marcia's site include;
#423 the big Hemi blew engines on day one. (Gary's Footnote, I know the guy who owned and sold this beautiful car and from what I have read it sold for over $50,000 and the engine was supposedly built buy one of the top hemi engine builders around. Although it won it's class several years ago it just goes to show, being beautiful doesn't mean it can win races in La Carrera Panamericana.)
Yellow Porsche zooming around in the parking lot of the Tuxtla airport waiting for the qualifying line to disperse, blew his transmission on day 0.
88 Orange Volvo – trailered in – back in race day 2.
(I don't know which car this is?) 273 Ford – radiator and rock greeted each other, back in race das 2.
375 Green Sunbeam – Day 1 - where the rippled concrete met the asphalt with water trickling across, no traction wheels slightly turned, created a uncontrollable situation and they went off the road over the edge, hitting a boulder and flipping end over end on the way down. Both pilot and co-pilot OK. Overheard pilot saying, “it’s good the top came off, made for an easy exit!” Witnesses to the account said it sounded like an elephant was coming through the woods.
145 Cadillac – ball joint collapsed onto the subframe causing loss of control. They missed a left turn and headed straight into a boulder – no body damage. Back in race day 2.
263 White Volvo – broke down waited hours and hours for pick up. Back in race day 3.
278 Mercedes – veggie oil powered – clutch problems. We stopped to give them a trailer ride. They said they were waiting on their service crew. We haven't seen them back in the race…, yet.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF COOP
CLICK HERE for the latest and most current results for Day 4.
The overall results for yesterday;
1st Place #108 piloto Bill Beilharz
2nd Place #110 piloto Stig Blomqvist
3rd Place #10 piloto Jorge Pedrero
4th Place #133 piloto Doug Mockett
Historic C;
1st Place # piloto Richard Tyzack
2nd Place # piloto Marc Davis
3rd Place # piloto Bill Shanahan
Historic B;
1st Place #335 piloto Ricardo Serrador
2nd Place #309 piloto Brian DeVries
3rd Place #333 piloto Emilio Jean
Historic A;
1st Place #264 piloto Sebastian Bleekemolen
2nd Place #277 piloto Lars Kroiss
3rd Place #263 piloto Tom Boes (After a crash they are on the podium!!!)
Historic A Plus;
1st Place #280 piloto Ulrich Lanius
2nd Place #290 piloto Richard Bailey
3rd Place #257 piloto Jo Ramirez
Last year Richard's engine blew and this year he's doing awesome including being in 2nd place ahead of world famous Jo Ramirez. CLICK HERE for more about Jo Ramirez.
This photo courtesy of Go Fast.
Sport Menor;
1st Place #152 piloto Richard Clark
2nd Place #153 piloto Bob Gett
3rd Place #157 piloto Martin Philippe
Sport Mayor;
1st Place #212 piloto Byron DeFoor
2nd Place #205 piloto Sam Burg
3rd Place #219 piloto Alfredo Roth
Original Pan Am;
1st Place #405 piloto Jan Lammers
2nd Place #322 piloto Carson Scheller
3rd Place #425 piloto John Gregory
What a go Carson and John!!!
37 out of 107 cars are not running or did not finish yesterday 12 of them are in the coveted Historic C Class. WOW, That's high attrition!
My good friend Marcia reported some other news part of which was VERY exciting news for me. My buddies who crashed early on day 3 are back in the race! Not only are they back in but as the results show they even finished on the podium!!! Be sure to check out her story about the Federally that high centered his squad car. LOL. CLICK HERE
Random notes from Marcia's site include;
#423 the big Hemi blew engines on day one. (Gary's Footnote, I know the guy who owned and sold this beautiful car and from what I have read it sold for over $50,000 and the engine was supposedly built buy one of the top hemi engine builders around. Although it won it's class several years ago it just goes to show, being beautiful doesn't mean it can win races in La Carrera Panamericana.)
Yellow Porsche zooming around in the parking lot of the Tuxtla airport waiting for the qualifying line to disperse, blew his transmission on day 0.
88 Orange Volvo – trailered in – back in race day 2.
(I don't know which car this is?) 273 Ford – radiator and rock greeted each other, back in race das 2.
375 Green Sunbeam – Day 1 - where the rippled concrete met the asphalt with water trickling across, no traction wheels slightly turned, created a uncontrollable situation and they went off the road over the edge, hitting a boulder and flipping end over end on the way down. Both pilot and co-pilot OK. Overheard pilot saying, “it’s good the top came off, made for an easy exit!” Witnesses to the account said it sounded like an elephant was coming through the woods.
145 Cadillac – ball joint collapsed onto the subframe causing loss of control. They missed a left turn and headed straight into a boulder – no body damage. Back in race day 2.
263 White Volvo – broke down waited hours and hours for pick up. Back in race day 3.
278 Mercedes – veggie oil powered – clutch problems. We stopped to give them a trailer ride. They said they were waiting on their service crew. We haven't seen them back in the race…, yet.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF COOP
Apple Farmer Team Report
A big thanks to Phil Singher editor of VClassics Motorsport who sent in the following update on the Apple Farmer Team in #290 Volvo piloted by Richard Bailey and co-piloted by Nate Wilson.
Howdy,
Thanks for blogging La Carrera 2008 -- you're the best source of what's
going on I've come across, sketchy though it is. Here's a bit more for you:
Just got off the phone with Richard Bailey, and they've missed a stage
due to clutch problems -- not the clutch itself, but a broken rod in the
actuating mechanism. I think they know how to fix it now, and should be
back in the running soon. Previous problems were with the urethane upper
control arm bushings, which were apparently melting from header heat on
one side -- after two sets of those, they put in stock rubber bushings,
which seem to be holding up fine.
PHOTO COURTESY OF COOP
Monday, October 27, 2008
Gerie Bldesoe.... A Class Act
I have seen so many racers act like wimps every time they are faced with an obstacle but one man you will never see acting that way is Gerie Bledsoe. Gerie hasn't had a stellar trip. Before he left his back was killing him and the drive from California to the south of Mexico didn't exactly help any either. Then his engine blows up on his brand new race car and he still don't whine about. The next thing I hear is he's helping out several other teams. But now I see him back in a race car with that big "Let's go get'em" smile of his. Makes me happy to see him on the road to recovery Bledsoe style.
Stig Blomqvist Update
I just found out that WRC World Champion Stig Blomvquist blew his engine in the #110 Studebaker on day 1 and they have either repaired or replaced it and they say he is now climbing fast to the front again. Like I said, with what little information is coming out of Mexico it's hard to know what's going on. On the other hand if he blew his engine and if that caused him to miss some stages I don't know how it's possible that he could possibly get back into it.
EDIT: I just recieved another note saying Stig was in fact running yesterday and the information about Stig blowing an engine was second hand information from another photographer. So your guess is as good as mine at this point.
Photos courtesy of GO FAST.
EDIT: I just recieved another note saying Stig was in fact running yesterday and the information about Stig blowing an engine was second hand information from another photographer. So your guess is as good as mine at this point.
Photos courtesy of GO FAST.
GO FAST Photos
Thank you to our friend Tach'O from GO FAST ENERGY DRINKS we can enjoy the following photos all of which can be enlarged simply by clicking on them.
Doug Mockett and Angelica Fuentes getting a good start from the arch.
#381 piloted by Eugen Viehof and co-pilot Dennis DeLaughter
Our very good friend Stewart and Linda Robertson in #120 Studebaker.
Wanna know why they call it "Mockett's Rocket"? Look at Doug Mockett's #133 really leaning on Gabriel Torres's #1 raer bumber. What a race!
#51 Studebaker of Carlos Castillo Fregoso with some room to open'er up!
Time to take a well deserved break.
Enrique Bardasano of Mexico in #129 Studebaker screaming, "Tires don't fail me now!"
#290 Apple Dumpling Gang as we nicknamed them last year makes it to another arch.
This one just broke my heart. Over the last two years I have become good friends with George Sullivan and Tom Boes who really have done an awesome job of building their Volvo. There are no finer gentleman racers than these two gents. Judgeing by the photo and some personal experience with this type of "agriculturel driving" things don't look very bad and so I am hoping they can get right back into it.
Doug Mockett and Angelica Fuentes getting a good start from the arch.
#381 piloted by Eugen Viehof and co-pilot Dennis DeLaughter
Our very good friend Stewart and Linda Robertson in #120 Studebaker.
Wanna know why they call it "Mockett's Rocket"? Look at Doug Mockett's #133 really leaning on Gabriel Torres's #1 raer bumber. What a race!
#51 Studebaker of Carlos Castillo Fregoso with some room to open'er up!
Time to take a well deserved break.
Enrique Bardasano of Mexico in #129 Studebaker screaming, "Tires don't fail me now!"
#290 Apple Dumpling Gang as we nicknamed them last year makes it to another arch.
This one just broke my heart. Over the last two years I have become good friends with George Sullivan and Tom Boes who really have done an awesome job of building their Volvo. There are no finer gentleman racers than these two gents. Judgeing by the photo and some personal experience with this type of "agriculturel driving" things don't look very bad and so I am hoping they can get right back into it.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Even The Best Made Plans....
Racing can be and is a very challenging sport but the La Carrera Panamericana takes it to an all new level, one that is well documented for allowing drivers to get comfortable for just a split second before it jumps out of hiding and bites you square on the ass. The good news is in these cases the drivers escaped with their lives.
Many thanks to Coop for the use of these self explanatory photos.
The first photo thanks to Michael Emery of Lucha Libre Racing is the bridge mentioned by the #278 Merceded Benz Bio Fuel team that took out their clutch pedal assembly.
The #88 Volvo piloted by David Gussack from the U.S.A.
This was what the #375 Sunbeam Tiger piloted by Miles Jones looked like when I last saw it in San Miguel de Allende.
This is what it looked like yesterday.
This is what it looks like now.
Many thanks to Coop for the use of these self explanatory photos.
The first photo thanks to Michael Emery of Lucha Libre Racing is the bridge mentioned by the #278 Merceded Benz Bio Fuel team that took out their clutch pedal assembly.
The #88 Volvo piloted by David Gussack from the U.S.A.
This was what the #375 Sunbeam Tiger piloted by Miles Jones looked like when I last saw it in San Miguel de Allende.
This is what it looked like yesterday.
This is what it looks like now.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Bringing A Knife To Gun Fight?
One of the unique race cars that traveled with the Coyote Convoy that I saw in San Miguel de Allende was car #278 a 1959 Mercedes 190D running in Historic A from SOL SHINE ALTERNATIVES. To say these two young guys are innovative and outgoing would be putting it mildly. I spent some time talking about the car with Piloto Chris Moncrief and Co-Piloto Mike Devine. Considering their experience it has been a rough haul so far as you can read on their blog but I intend to keep an eye on them and wish them luck to boot.
Oh, and did I forget to mention it runs on used cooking/vegetable oil? That's right, they are the very first team to race while using alternative fuel. Since all cars racing in La Carrera Panamericana are required to use PEMEX brand gas, prior to the race they had to obtain permission from race organizers and make their own arrangements to have each hotel they stay at to save their used cooking oil from that day. I wonder what they would do if they ran out? How do you tell a Spanish speaking tow truck driver, "Take me to the nearest McDonalds so I can get gas?" Even if he does understand them he might just hand them a bottle of Beeno.
At the end of day one they were siting in 80th place. Not bad at all.
This is the heater exchange used to warm up the oil. I suppose if they get stuck in traffic they could always make some fries.
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