Do not go gentle into that good night

I seems like only a week ago that we decided to go run the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana. Then it seems as if it were only a couple days ago that we were in some strange hotel in Texas meeting up with the Coyote Convoy and the next minute we were in Laredo Texas crossing the border into Mexico. But the best part of all is it seems like only an hour ago Jon, Will and I were crossing the border back into the United States. It seems as if it were only moments ago that we were hauling ass down some section of road as fast as Lucky our GT350 could go all the while passing Federalies and large crowds of spectators that lined the highways everywhere we went. I can still smell the air of the long beautiful transit sections and the spectacular views of the Sierra Madras, the long flat cactus flats and each and every one of those amazing little villages and everything in between.

I feel so much excitement for those who will be going for the first time and no matter how much they may have felt the excitement of racing they are in for the treat of their racing life. There will be roads that they will carve through that are more exciting than any race course. There will be cliffs, canyons with unforgiving drop offs, curves, corners and then there will be the unexpected. They will be telling themselves to take a breath as they realize they haven't done so since they passed that last car on a blind corner. To say the adventure before them will be exciting is like saying there is sand in the Sahara. And just like sand in the Sahara the excitement of this once in a lifetime journey will seem never ending.

For those who have been, they know exactly what I am feeling. For those who are thinking about doing it, all of us are shouting "DO IT!" because we know there is no racing experience in the world that can captivate one's inner soul like this one will. The closer we get to the 2008 La Carrera the more I feel my heart palpitate and seem to skip a beat. Then I begin to feel an emptiness knowing Jon, Will and I will not be attending this year. There is an old saying about gentleman who have been to Africa on hunting safari that suggest that it somehow changes a man. Having been on just such an adventure as well as having run the La Carrera, I must agree it''s so very true. But to those who dare to live the dream, I challenge you to read Dylan Thomas work of "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" and while it may all seem melodramatic to you at first, trust me when I tell you that your love of racing will change before you return from Mexico.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Think the 12 Hours of Sebring is tough?

While this might not win any friends over that love Sebring and LeMans type racing the true reality is not a single one of those cars that ran this years 12 Hours of Sebring would have even finished the first day of La Carrera Panamericana. The first set of topes (speed bumps) would have taken out their suspension, exhaust, body work and possibly a few pairs of boxer shorts to boot. Granted, these are two types of racing but when you hear them talk about how tough their teams and equipment are there really needs to be an understanding as to what tough really is.

Team Peugeot learned a lesson that many before them have had the displeasure of experiencing. It was the realization that just because you might have a fast car ( in fact they set the fastest lap for the entire race) but fast isn't all that's required to win a lengthy endurance race. In fact, fast can be an "Achilles Heel" during an endurance race. A simple hydraulic problem put them in the pits for a deadly 45 minutes. Building a car that can not only take the abuse both the drivers and the road conditions dish out is an art unto it's self but having the knowledge to do so is one unto itself.

At this level, all the drivers are pretty much on a level playing field so there is really no advantage. On the other hand it's important to use their known abilities as best can be done. Some drivers make better starters than others while some do a better job finishing. Some perform better at night driving with the blinding lights in their rearview mirrors and then again some have the ability to make a car dance on a rain soaked track like a ballerina on her tiptoes. Once again, these are simply tools that better enable the team stratigist to bring it home.

Speaking of strategy, what I love about this years 12 Hours of Sebring is the amount of strategy that was paramount to those teams who won. The entire race is more like an advanced game of chess than a race. Team strategist have to tell a driver when to back off, or speed up. Then they have to keep in mind that all the other teams are watching them as much as they are their own cars. In this years final hour teams were left wondering if their car could possibly finish the race with the amount of fuel they had. If they back off just a tad they might make it and would not have to stop. On the other hand, if they back off knowing they can't, they might make the other teams believe it is them that is in trouble and cause them to make a mistake. On the flip side of that game is telling your driver to speed up which might make other teams think you can make it and they can't. You only need to make them make a single mistake in judgment and everyone one of them knows the other team are playing these games. It's not the fastest car that wins, it's the best chess master wins.

The thermostat just got turned up....

One of the things I like best about La Carrera Panamericana is that when you race in it nobody will ever be able to say, "Yeah but it was just a bunch of old foggy CEO types that didn't know what they were doing." The fact of the matter is, many of the finest drivers from around the world have traditionaly ran this event. Anyone that has ever run La Carrera Panamericana can rest assured they are part of some of the proudest racing history ever written and it just keeps on repeating it's self.

If there is one thing I have learned regarding endurance racing it is that you should never assume someone can win just because he's been racing for many years, or because his car cost a lot more than yours, or any of a thousand more reasons. Endurance races like the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, Le Mans, Sebring and La Carrera Panamericana lend themselves to more drama than any Hollywood producer could ever imagine. What makes me such an authority on this? Been there done that. Along with car preparation and lots of it not to mention the best team of endurance drivers ever assembled Team California's Best Racing has racked up more wins than any other team over a number of years.

Any endurance team worth their salt understands the importance of taking NOTHING for granted and then uses all their strengths and abilities to overcome whatever adversities gets thrown in their face. I have seen some teams dominate a race so bad that at times it seemed as if there was no possible way they could ever lose but then "IT" happens. It can be any number of things. IT can be a an engine letting go. IT can be some unexpected thing like a tire blowing out or another car loosing control and the list is IT is indeed endless. I remember one year in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill when my son has just crossed the finish line after 25 hours or hard driving when the whole wheel fell off his car and then again I have seen cars come to a complete halt only yards before taking the checkered flag.

This years La Carrera Panamericana will indeed be an exciting one and from the looks of this years line up it's one none of us will want to miss. One of the teams that is signed up in the Turismo Mayor class is none other than Swedish champion Stig Blomqvist and copiloto Ana Goni from Venezuela. Sure I have my favorites with Doug Mockett and Angelica Fuentes at the top of that list but if I was a betting man (and I am) I would be a bit worried about Blomqvist resume.

Stig Blomqvist (born July 29, 1946) is a Swedish rally driver. Blomqvist won the Swedish Rally several times, and was the 1984 World Rally Champion.

Stig Blomqvist acquired his driving licence at the age of 18, and immediately took 2nd place in a 1964 local rally event near the Swedish town of Karlstad, behind the wheel of a Saab 96. He proceeded to drive with the Saab team, and achieved his first international victory at the 1971 British RAC Rally.

He won the Swedish Rally in 1971 (Saab 96 V4), 1972 (Saab 96V V4), 1973 (Saab 96 V4), 1977 (Saab 99 EMS) and 1979 (Saab 99 Turbo). He won the 1976 Boucles de Spa Rally, in the Saab 99 EMS. His long-time association with Saab ended when the Saab Sport department hung up their spurs, in 1982 but he had enjoyed much success with the team. In 1971 alone, he started 16 rallies and scored 11 wins.


Blomqvist driving a Quattro at the 2007 Race of Champions.He continued with top performances with Lancia and Talbot Sunbeam Lotus and, in the early 1980s, he became one of the first to drive a four-wheel drive rally car, with an Audi Quattro. Competing alongside such other rally greats as Walter Röhrl, Markku Alén, Michèle Mouton and Hannu Mikkola, he achieved five victories in 1984, becoming the World Rally Champion.

His rally career was at its peak during the Group B rally car era of the mid-1980s, when he excelled with the Nissan, Ford and Peugeot teams. In the 1990s he used his experience of two-wheel drive cars and helped the Škoda Motorsport team to develop the Felicia Kit Car. During a guest appearance at the 1996 Rally of Great Britain, the 50-year-old veteran finished 3rd overall with a Skoda Felicia Kit Car 1,6.

In 2001, Stig Blomqvist, together with co-driver Ana Goni, competed in the World Rally Championship with a group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, finishing in 5th place overall in the 2001 FIA group N classification.

WARNING; LONG LIST.



Track record

Saab 99 Turbo used by Stig Blomqvist
1967
Swedish Rally, 9th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver L Blomqvist

1968
Swedish Rally, 9th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver B Reinicke

1969
Swedish Rally, 8th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver B Moreus

1970
Swedish Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Bo Reinecke

1971
RAC Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
Hankiralli, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
1000 Lakes Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
Safari Rally, 13th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
Double Swedish Rally Champion, class R and class T gr 2.

1972
Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
RAC Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz

1973
Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
Cyprus Rally, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Arne Hertz
Swedish Rally Champion.

1974
Arctic Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
RAC Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
1000 Lakes, 4th, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
Swedish Rally Champion

1975
Swedish Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
Arctic Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
Swedish Rally Champion

1976
Boucles de Spa Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 EMS, co-driver Hans Sylvan
Swedish Rally, 2nd, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván
RAC Rally, 2nd, Saab 99 EMS, co-driver Hans Sylván
Swedish Rally Champion

1977
Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 EMS, co-driver Hans Sylván
Finnish Hankiralli, 1st, SAAB 96 V4, co-driver Hans Sylván

1978
Swedish Rally, 4th, Lancia Stratos, co-driver Hans Sylván
Canadian Rallye Pistons les Wapitis, 1st, SAAB 99 EMS
Californian La Jornada Trabajosa Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 EMS, co-driver John Buffum
Canadian Baie des Chaleurs, 2nd, SAAB 99 EMS
Swedish Rally Champion

1979
Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
South Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo
British Mintex International Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Circuit of Ireland, 6th, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
International Welsh Rally, 8th, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
British TV Rally Sprint, 2nd, SAAB 99 turbo
Ulster Rally, 3rd, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
10th place in World Rally Championship

1980
South Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo
Swedish Rally, 2nd, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Boucles des Spa, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Costa Smeralda, 2nd, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Polar Bergslags Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Nord, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Badarsvängen, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
British TV Texaco Rallysprint, 3rd, SAAB 99 turbo
Swedish Rally Champion

1981
South Swedish Rally, 2nd, SAAB 99 turbo
RAC Rally, 3rd, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Swedish Rally, 5th, SAAB 99 turbo, co-driver Björn Cederberg
1000 Lakes, 8th, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, co-driver Björn Cederberg

1982
Swedish Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
San Remo Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
South Swedish Rally, 1st, SAAB 99 turbo
1000 Lakes, 2nd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
RAC Rally, 8th, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, co-driver Björn Cederberg
4th place in WRC
Swedish Rally Champion
Swedish HillClimb Champion.

1983
RAC Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Scottish Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Ulster Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Swedish Rally, 2nd, Audi 80 Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Argentina, 2nd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
1000 Lakes, 2nd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Monte Carlo, 3rd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Acropolis, 3rd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
4th place in WRC
Swedish Rallycross Champion, Audi Quattro
Swedish HillClimb Champion, Audi Quattro
British Rally Champion

1984
Swedish Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Acropolis, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
New Zeeland Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Argentina, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Ivory Coast, 1st, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Monte Carlo, 2nd, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
1000 Lakes, 4th, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Corsica, 5th, Audi Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
1st place in WRC - World Rally Champion

1985
Swedish Rally, 2nd, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Acropolis, 2nd, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
1000 Lakes, 2nd, Audi Sport Quattro S1, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Monte Carlo, 4th, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Rally Portugal, 4th, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
New Zealand Rally, 4th, Audi Sport Quattro, co-driver Björn Cederberg
2nd place in WRC

1986
Hong Kong-Beijing Rally, 1st, Audi Quattro
South Swedish Rally, 1st, Ford RS200
Rally Argentine, 3rd, Peugeot 205 T16 E2, co-driver Bruno Berglund
1000 Lakes, 4th, Peugeot 205 T16 E2, co-driver Bruno Berglund

1987
RAC Rally, 2nd, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Bruno Berglund
1000 Lakes, 3rd, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Bruno Berglund
Swedish Rally, 6th, Ford Sierra XR 4x4, co-driver Bruno Berglund
7th place in WRC
Swedish HillClimb Champion, Ford RS200

1988
Swedish Rally, 2nd, Ford Sierra XR 4x4, co-driver Benny Melander
Rally Mille Miglia, 2nd, Ford Sierra Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
Rally Portugal, 5th, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
1000 Lakes, 5th, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
RAC Rally, 6th, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
San Remo Rally, 7th, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
4th place in WRC
Swedish HillClimb Champion, Ford RS200.

1989
Race of Champions, Nürburgring, 1st
Safari Rally, 3rd, VW Golf GTi 16V, co-driver Björn Cederberg
Swedish Rally, 5th, Audi 200 Quattro, co-driver Benny Melander
Swedish HillClimb Champion, Ford RS200

1990
Race of Champions, Barcelona, 1st
British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), Donington Race, 2nd, Ford Sierra RS500
Swedish Touring Car Champion, Ford Sierra RS500

1991
Safari Rally, 5th, Nissan Sunny GTI-R 4WD, co-driver Benny Melander
1000 Lakes, 8th, Nissan Sunny GTI-R 4WD, co-driver Benny Melander
Swedish Touring Car Championship, 1st Anderstorp, Ford Sierra RS500

1992
Swedish Rally, 1st Nissan Sunny GTI-R 4WD, co-driver Benny Melander
Charrington's Historic RAC Rally, 8th, Mini-Cooper S

1993
Historic RAC Rally, 7th, Porsche 911
Swedish HillClimb Champion

1994
South Swedish Rally, 2nd, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
Race of Champions, Gran Canaria, 2nd
Swedish Rally, 3rd, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
RAC Rally, 4th, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
Swedish Rally Champion, Ford Escort RS Cosworth

1995
South Swedish Rally, 3rd, Ford Escort Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
Swedish Rally, 7th, Ford Escort Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
RAC Rally, 21st, Skoda Felicia Kit Car, co-driver Benny Melander

1996
RAC Rally, 3rd, 1st in F2, Skoda Felicia Kit Car 1.6, co-driver Benny Melander
Safari Rally, 7th, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
Swedish Rally, 8th, Ford Escort Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander

1997
Race of Champions Classic, Gran Canaria, 2nd
Pirelli International Rally, 3rd, 1st in class, Skoda Felicia, co-driver Benny Melander
Manx International Rally, 8th, Skoda Felicia Kit Car 1.6, co-driver B Melander
South Swedish Rally, 9th, Mitsubishi Lancer RS Evo III, co-driver Lindberg
Swedish Rally, 10th, Ford Escort Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
Swedish Touring Car Championship, 5th, Ford Mondeo

1998
Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC), 13th, Ford Mondeo WSR

1999
Rallye dos Acores, 10th, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Benny Melander
Group N Rally Masters Argentina, 1st
Maine Forest Rally, USA, 1st, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, co-driver Lance Smith

2000
London-Sydney Marathon, 1st, Ford Capri Perana V8, co-driver Ben Rainsford
Irish Rally Summit 2000, 4th, Subaru Impreza, co-driver Mark Crowe

2001
RAC Rally, 16th, 4th grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goni
Swedish Rally, 18th, 3rd grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goni
Rally Catalunya, 21st, 3rd grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goni
New Zealand, 21st, 4th grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goni
1000 Lakes, 22nd, Skoda Octavia WRC E2, co-driver Ana Goni
Rally Australia, 23rd, 7th grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goni
San Remo Rally, 30th, 4th grN, Mitsubishi Carisma GT-N, co-driver Ana Goni
Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, Co, USA, 2nd unlimited, Ford RS200

2002
Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, Co, USA, 4th overall, 2nd unlimited, Ford RS200
Rally Acropolis, 17th, Skoda Octavia WRC Evo 2, co-driver Ana Goni

2004
Roger Albert Clark Rally, UK. This rally inaugurated in 2004 is intended to be a recreation of the R.A.C. Rally of old - 4 days of rallying over some of the most famous stages in northern England and Scotland. Stig Blomqvist with co-driver Ana Goni won this event in their Ford Escort Mk II RS
Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, Co, USA, 1st unlimited (unofficial results)

2005
Oregon Trail Rally, 1st, 2003 Subaru STi WRX, co-driver Ana Goni
Susquehannock Trail ProRally, 3rd, 1st grN, 2003 Subaru Impreza, co-driver Pauline Gullick
Roger Albert Clark Rally, 2nd, Escort Mk II RS

2007
East African Safari Classic Rally. Blomqvist has been entered in a Ford Escort Mark 1, with co-driver Ana Goni.

To fail while daring greatly

During the Rolex Vintage Festival 2007 back at Lime Rock there was a lot of beautiful cars and judged by these before and after photos it was pretty exciting too. I have to tell you that as much as it hurts me to see a photo of a great looking car like this one I applaud the owner. While seeing these cars sit in some car show or doing some parade laps might help some folks get their jollies, it doesn't do a damn thing for me. Just imagine twenty years form now as we listen in to two old guys talk about the days gone by...

Sam Said, "Did I ever tell you about the beautiful GT350 that you could eat off of the undercarriage and the wonderful times we had towing it to car shows?"

George said, "I don't recall that. But did I ever tell you about the GT350 that we used to race every weekend. You sure as hell couldn't eat off of that thing for all the grease and grime. You should have seen that car the day I spun and crashed while doing 120 miles per hour at Lime Rock. Now THAT was beautiful!"

Theodore Roosevelt said, "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out where the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood. At best, he knows the triumph of high achievement; if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

It never ceases to amaze me...

What a small world this is. This weekend my son Will spent the weekend as race director at a NASA event at Thunderhill Raceway. Will wears many hats when fulfilling the title of race director. Besides his duty as director he's also responsible for making sure everything runs like a well oiled machine within the Miata Series such and helps out with the tech inspections and so on. During a weekend event he meets lots of regulars and many newbies as well. From time to time his duties require him to deal with "issues" that arise on the track and are then brought back to mandatory driver's meetings where they are sternly dealt with. Most of the time the issues are minor infractions, this weekend they were more stern than some.

On a good note, Will had the distinct pleasure of running into a couple who ran last years La Carrera Panamericana with us!!! IT was none other than Che and Cairenn Voigt who drove the #282 Green Volvo and finished second in Historica A class. But wait... when talking about what a small world this is you can only imagine ours and their surprise when Will told them the race car they just bought used to belong to none other than Jon Emerson or Co-Piloto and fellow teammate! So not only did they have their green Volvo but their new purple pro sedan that Jon raced under the YAHOO sponsorship. What a treat since we take all our cars, old and new very much to heart.

On a less than happy note, Brandon the son of Roger Kraus, the owner os Roger Kraus Racing whom is one hell of a hotshoe himself, was involved in a terrible crash today which required him to be cut from his race car and then flown to the hospital by helicopter. Brandon and Roger take care of all our front end alignments and corner weighting. From what I heard Brandon used a good quality RACETECH seat like the ones we have in Lucky as well as other good quality safety equipment. The high grade wrap around seat combined with good quality seat belts and a very well built rollcage more than likely saved Brandon's life after what was reported as a very bad crash. Besides some possible broken ribs and other injuries my biggest concern for Brandon are the reports I got about glass in both of his eyes. Team California's Best would like to offer our sincere best wishes for a quick and speedy recovery to Brandon. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Tribute to those hot rod Lincolns

Anyone who ever loved Lincolns can almost certainly sing you the lyrics to the song "HOT ROD LINCOLN!. As a matter of fact I heard that song on the radio while in Mexico for last years La Carrera Panamericana more than a few times and I am positive I will hear it plenty more in the years to come. Unfortunately it will not be sang by Charlie Ryan, the guy who built a Model A Ford with a V-12 Lincoln engine then wrote a song about it since sadly he has passed away February 16th in Spokane, Washington at the age of 92. Charlie wrote the song "Hot Rod Lincoln" and it made the charts back in the 50's.

I am proud to report that some friends of mine had heard of the Hot Rod Lincoln sitting in the back of Charlie's barn in Graham, WA (where he was living at the time). It hadn't been driven in a long time and looked pretty rough. Bob Davidson who is the pin stripper for the North American Eagle land speed project of which I am a member, and a couple other hot rod friends, dragged it out of its dusty hibernation that it had been resting in for so many years and began the task of bringing it back to life. They finished it in time for Charlie and his wife, Ruthie, to drive it to Salem, Oregon for the Northwest Nationals before he passed away.

A 50th anniversary show is being planned to honor Charlie and the Hot Rod Lincoln for April 25th, 2008 at the Kent Stage in Kent, Ohio. Asleep at the Wheel and Commander Cody, who have had hits with "Hot Rod Lincoln" have been booked for the show.

God's speed Charlie.

You can visit Charlie's site for some great history by CLICKING HERE.

The beautiful Lincoln above was driven by Tom Overbaugh and co piloted by Jim Feeney in the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana.

Minutes NOT DAYS are counting down

I see the Chihuahua is filled up and there are many familiar names and a bunch of new ones as well which should make it a lot of fun. Many will be testing their rides and working out communication systems as they prepare for the world famous La Carrera Panamericana.

Speaking of La Carrera Panamericana, a word to the wise... while many might look and see there are still 231 days left and feel there is plenty of time to get ready my advice is don't be fooled. These last months will go by so fast they will seem more like weeks than months. Do NOT use a timeline that ends near the time you are supposed to leave. Plan on having EVERYTHING" completely finished, loaded and on the trailer at least a month before you plan on leaving. Trust me, there will be some last minute details that always pop up and present themselves at the last minute.