I've always wanted to say that and have it be for real. Now I can. Steffan Schulz's movie, Rebirth Of A Legend, The Story of La Carrera Panamericana, staring Lucky (My car) and yours truly, Gary Faules, won 1st Runner Up for Best Sports Documentary at the 2010 Official Action on Film 2010 Awards in Los Angeles.
Congratulations to my producor, Steffan Shultz, for an outstanding production!!! And a special thank you to the entire crew of Team California's Best Racing for the an outstanding job, your dedication and perseverance. After all, it wasn't easy trying to keep up with me while I was doing 150 miles per hour through the middle of Mexico all the way from Guatemala back to the United States, let alone get it on film. Also to my navigator Jon Emerson for all he has done to help make this all a reality. Last of all to my wonderful son Will Faules who I could not have done without. I love you.
Besides all the hustle and bustle and red tape Steffan had to deal with there were many distractions that he had to deal with. Take this one for example as Steffan is hard at work trying to shoot his production. (And this was after he had only been in Mexico for 30 minutes.)
As of March 21, 2010 Ayrton Senna would have been fifty years old. The following tribute to his is one of the best about one of the best drivers you'll ever see. Happy Birthday Ayrton!
For those who are wondering why I am bringing him up on a LCP site there is a special reason why. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHY and be sure to listen to my friend Jo Ramirez.
This is one of my favorite photos of the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana. It was taken by Johnny Tipler at the start of a speed stage on Mil Cumbre, a day I will long remember especially sice we won that stage. Yesterday I was telling Johnny besides loving the photo and what it means to me another thing I find interesting is that in the movie, La Carrera Panamericana - Rebirth Of A Legend, there is a scene where you can actually see Johnny shooting this exact photo which is easy to pick out because of the large dead tree in the background.
This is Johnny's reply...
"Yes that was pretty amazing. Around that time, not only did a flock of sheep wander across the road, but a timber truck lumbered out of the forest and came up the hill just ahead of where you are in the pic, he figured out something abnormal was going on and thankfully pulled on to the grass at the side!"
WOW! I sure am glad I didn't know all that. I have no doubt that had I known it would have created some sort of hesitation in the corners to come... "Are there any more trucks. Did they get the road closed properly. How many damn sheep are in these mountains? I wonder how much damage a sheep will cause to my suspension if I don't lift?" The bottom line is just keep your foot to the floor and don't lift.
Sure enough Johnny sent the photos to prove it. LOL. Thanks Johnny. You're the best!
If you ever doubt for a second that LCP participants don't get preferential treatment while taking part in LCP have a look at the following video but while you're watching it keep in mind this is'nt the exception to the rule... This is the norm just the way all LCP teams are treated. You can almost go anywhere or do anything and they welcome you with open arms.
The man shaking my hand in this photo was the top Federally in all of Mexico and clearly very well respected by everyone everywhere we went. As he shook my hand at the start of the last high speed stage of the final day he told us what a pleasure it was to have us racing in his country. WHAT? A pleasure to have us racing in his country??? Here was a man who for 7 days had helped us break every single motor vehicle known to man kind and then he made us promise we come and do it all over again.
Have you ever taken a wrong turn on the freeway and then realize not only is it the wrong way but you don't have a clue how far into the wrong direction it will take you before you will be able to find a place to get turned around? Well that's exactly what happened one day to Jon and I during the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana. After realizing we had taken a turn onto a different freeway which Jon assumed was the wrong one I just pulled off to the side of the freeway. As soon as we saw one of the Federallys who was traveling with the LCP cars we flagged him down. To make matters worse the Federally didn't know either but he knew how to find out and within a few seconds he pulled over a local police officer and told him we were in a hurry and needed directions. As bad luck would have it we were now on the wrong freeway and it was a LONG way to turn around but as good luck would have it the Federally smiled and said, "FOLLOW ME!" With that he turned on his flashing lights and we began backing up on the freeway and kept on backing right on up the on ramp in oncoming traffic until we got back to the freeway which would take us the right direction. If that wasn't cool enough then the Federally kept his lights on stopping traffic until there was an opening for us to pull out into traffic. As soon as were were back on the freeway the Federally gave us an escort thru traffic flashing lights and all that got faster and faster as we went on our merry way. VIVA MEXICO!
One of several high speed stages on the last day of the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana as Gary Faules and Jon Emerson attempt to make up some time to make sure they get on the podium...
During the entire 7 days of hard racing over 2000 miles through Mexico during the grueling world famous 2007 La Carrera Panamericana driver Gary Faules and navigator Jon Emerson had only one minor incident. Petty impressive considering this was their first LCP event on roads neither had ever seen before. The car didn't get the name Lucky by chance. The night before at the drivers meeting teams were advised by the president of LCP, "Do not, try to win this stage." Watch what happens a few seconds after Jon tells Gary, "Use all the road." By the way, Gary and Jon won this stage.
For many years the Mil Cumbres stage of the world famous La Carrera Panamericana has been reveled as the most dangerous stage of the entire race and and in the process has claimed not only many cars but tragically it has taken many lives as well; So many in fact that after Gary Faules and Jon Emerson won that stage during the 2007 LCP it has since been removed from the event. DO NOT let the sound on this video fool you since it is only being heard through the mic on Jon and Gary's helmets, these guys are seriously hauling the mail. Gary and Jon show how a good working relationship between driver and navigator are paramount thus giving each other the confidence each other can feed off of.
For the record, when Jon loses his place in the log book for a second or two I had to laugh and when all was said and done this was the only time during the entire race that it happened and he was flawless. Since the LCP Studebaker's are known for being built on tube frame chassis with Nascar Winston Cup engines that are capable of doing 200 miles per hour it was exceptionally rewarding to pass one even if it was between him and a donkey.
The greeting that La Carrera Panamericana participants are given as they enter every single little village or major city in Mexico is simply overwhelming and there can not be enough said to thank the citizens of Mexico for their awesome hospitality and generosity.
Here are some short segments as we enter the beautiful city of Tehuacan Mexico.
What a wonderful evening Mari Chris, Jon and I had as the city of Martinez welcomed us with open arms at the sold out showings of the world premier showing of the movie about my race car Lucky and Team California's Best involvment. Lucky was parked right in front of the theater and I was extremely happy with being able to hear everyone reactions during the movie. Afterwards Jon and I were invited up on stage for a Q&A session which put me right in my element. Afterwards I enjoyed signing autographs and taking pictures with so many wonderful people and new found fans of Lucky. My wife couldn't believe how many ladies asked where Will was. LOL.
I would like to thank Steffan Schulz, owner of Strange Media for making this all come to be as a result of his amazing eye and many talents.
Local filmmaker to show three shorts at Campbell Theatre Event might be first annual film festival in Martinez.
By Greta Mart
Staff Reporter January 14, 2010
Move over, Telluride and Sundance. This coming Saturday at the Campbell Theater, the Martinez Inaugural Film Festival commences with two world-premiers and a six-minute science fiction short.
Martinez filmmaker Steffan Schultz led the effort to bring a festival celebrating the cinematographic arts to the area. He met with Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cynthia Murdough earlier in the month to pitch his vision of an annual multi-day event, and the two agreed to collaborate on this weekend’s trial run.
“I love the idea of an ongoing Martinez Film Festival, and this is a great chance to test the waters,” said Murdough.
“There are no film festivals in the East Bay besides Oakland and Livermore, and I just though we need something like this in Martinez,” Schultz said this week. “The biggest issue [with instituting film festivals] is the venue and infrastructure, and when the Campbell Theater was offered, it was perfect.”
Starting at 5 p.m., Saturday’s festival features three films made by Schultz, Rebirth of a Legend, Lorelei and Tracker.
“Taking place from 1950 to 1954, La Carrera Panamericana is considered by contemporaries as the most dangerous car race in history, and my documentary chronicles California’s best racing team leading up to and competing in the modern day incarnation,” said Schultz, describing a 2000-mile, 7-day journey to Central Mexico. He added that the cast and crew of the documentary will be on hand to answer questions, and the racing car featured in the film, a 1965 Shelby GT350 Mustang entitled “Lucky,” will be parked outside.
Lorelei is loosely based on a poem written by German write Heinrich Heine, and Tracker envisions a Earth ravaged by global warming and ‘uncontrolled corporate pollutants.’
Tickets for the festival cost $7; due to limited seating, tickets at the door are not guaranteed and prospective attendees are encouraged to call the Chamber at 228-2345 to reserve seats.
Gazette readers were introduced to Schultz last April when he screened his documentary entitled Hovsgol Nuur: Diving in the land of Chingis Kahn, a 48-minute film that followed a team of international scientists as they explored the environmental significance of two giant lakes on the Mongolian/Siberian border - 85-mile-long Lake Hovsgol, which provides 70 percent of Mongolia’s fresh water, and Russia’s Lake Baikal, the deepest and oldest lake in the world.
Please join us for the World Premiere of "Rebirth of a Legend - The Story of La Carrera Panamericana"
This event is one night only and seating is limited. Meet the cast and crew and see "Lucky" the 1965 Mustang Shelby that participated in this historic road rally through the heart of central Mexico.
Also playing are Tracker and Lorelei, two short films by Strange Media.
DATE: January 16th TIME: 5:00pm (Doors) 5:30pm (Curtain) Cost - $7 LOCATION: Campbell Theater 636 Ward Street Martinez, CA
Some times it just doesn't pay to be a bad boy. I had quite a laugh this evening when a reader posted a comment about the La Carrera Panamericana photo gallery found on radio station XHNOE-FM STEREO 9 which is he Official Radio Station for La Carrera Panamericana and has been since the late 80's. You can view some great shots at the finish arch in Nuevo Larado going back as far as 2002 by CLICKING HERE.
There is also a very complete gallery from 2009 by CLICKING HERE.
I was excited to see there was a gallery from 2007 so I clicked on it and sure enough there was a photo of Jon and I receiving our medals from the awards girls. But when I clicked to enlarge the photo you could see me poking the gal in the belly button with my finger. LOL
And I mean this with the utmost respect but sometimes one man's destiny can have either an adverse or a positive effect on another man's destiny. So with that in mind read along as I explain myself....
Without a doubt the most exciting recollections I have of the entire 2007 La Carerra Panamericana was the day Jon and I won what is and always has been the undisputed most dangerous stage of the entire race... Mil Cumbres. Not only did we win that stage but even after being told by veterans that because it was so challenging and dangerous we should not expect to pass any cars unless they crashed. But not only did we dominate that stage of the race but in fact we passed two very fast cars.
It was while coming into a very fast corner that Lucky's tail end swung out as far as it could go and removed one of those white cement bumpers that line much of Mexico's highways. To our left was a cliff with no guard rail and thousands of feet down and to our right was a solid rock wall. Due to the angle we were sliding and the speed it was obvious that if I lifted we would have most certainly bounced off the rock wall and gone over the cliff.
Lucky's Mil Cumbre battle scar worn with honor
Jon hung on and I stepped on the loud pedal as hard as I could. A soon as the tail end began to come back to me we heard the WHAM as Lucky's right rear quarter slammed the cement marker but in a split second the horsepower really paid off as the car straightened out. Without skipping a beat Jon says, "Nice save. Ok, Right 1." I'm here to tell you THAT was exciting!
As if it were only yesterday I remember every detail of that adrenaline rush stage and all that took place. With that in mind you can only imagine how excited I was tonight when I stumbled upon a friend's site which I have never before, seen only to find a photo he had taken of Jon and I in Lucky passing a Studebaker from a much faster class right in the middle of Mil Cumbre! What a treasure this is for us and had it not been for Terry's misfortune more than likely they would not have had time to shoot this awesome shot. HOW DAMN COOL IS THAT!!!
CLICK HERE and enjoy a fantastic site about Terry Sayther's #401 BMW that has to be the most beautiful car that I have personally seen running in LCP. WARNING... There is a LOT to see and read including some great photos and videos about Terry's adventures during three years of LCP in this car but sadly it suffered a terrible crash during 2007. I was so focused and busy with the entire race and even though I was around this car both before and after it's wreck I never knew one of my friends, Bill Arnold, was the co-piloto until I returned back to California. The sad remains were parked next to us at a service stop that evening and once again served those skeptics with a reminder by proving LCP is indeed a race and NOT just another rally.
The main staging area for the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana was behind the Eduardo Vasconcelos Stadium in Oaxaca opened in 1950 and was named after Eduardo Vasconcelos, who was Governor of Oaxaca from 1947 to 1950. This was the meeting place for anyone who competed. It was a very exciting place for many of us especially us first timers and it was here that for the first time it really began to sink in that something big was about to happen. This is where we began to notice some of the cars and drivers we had been reading about for the last two years and a place were we would make new friends that will last a lifetime.
This is a very special never before seen slide taken right in front of the Oaxaca stadium at the start finish line during the 1954 LCP. Thank you to the estate of the late Frank C Ruppert brother of our good friend Frank J Ruppert. Anyone who was there in 2007 will really enjoy this simply because at the time we were there. It's hard to believe but it was MILES to the nearest empty lot and business's filled the streets as far as you could see. Obviously long before this photo was taken as there is NOTHING around the stadium them. If you look closly to the left of the soilder you can see one of the Lincoln team members wearing their blue team jacket.
CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Here it is today.
This was home for a couple days where we could park our rigs and begin any unfinished prep work and so on. We were required to take a brief physical or sorts and basically if you could get a helmet on your head you passed.
This was where we gathered to get in line to get all the required goodies including registration papers, license, LCP jackets, hats and T-shirts and so on and I was the first person in line which I found out later really reaped it's rewards. Afterwards you could get in line to get your car scrutinized by the tech inspectors and this is where teams really learned the importance of getting their early and being prepared. This line for some lasted two whole days and in several cases some teams had to return more than once with corrections or changes to their cars to meet tech requirements as well as helmets and racing suits.
This also the place you finally get to see the route book for the very first time.
Cars lined up for tech inspection for two days.
After your car met the approval of strict tech inspection you were sent to have the required decals installed by an entire team of guys who really knew what they were doing and did an awesome job.
One thing I enjoyed was all the colorful graffiti that was on the walls. I was told that they welcome it and I was glad they did.
I found this video from the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana today and I remember that moment in time as if it was just 10 minutes ago. This was the morning we were about to qualify Lucky for the starting positions for the start of the 20th anniversary running of the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana. For me it was the very moment that would bring everything to it's fullest fruition in light of all we had prepared for over the last two years. This was do or die.
Everything seemed to be at the ready and we were as ready as we could get or at least that's what I thought until the split second that Jon said something to the tune of, "Holy crap, those cars are moving fast. We better get our ass's in the car and buckled up right now." As I got in and began buckling up it began to sink in that we had never been in a situation where we had to rush to get ready. As soon as we climbed in and began trying to reach our seat belts, get our communications devices plugged in and tested, have the route book in hand and so on it immediately sunk in that from now on we really needed to start getting prepared much sooner.
In retrospect I really have to laugh because if you watch the video I was almost ready when it dawned on me I didn't know where to stick my window net. Now normally all I would have had to do was call someone over and ask for a hand lining it up. So here I was with my full face helmet muffling my voice while trying to yell loud enough over the sound of other race cars and waving my hand to get someones attention to come over and help me. That's when Jon comes over the intercom and says, "Don't forget they speak Spanish here."
In a last second attempt I was able to get the window net up, gloves on, engine fired up and ready to go and everything worked out just fine or so I thought. That's when I realized I had left my steering wheel on top of the car. The good news was not only did Lucky perform flawlessly but in fact Jon and I were very proud of our performance not to mention greatful for the lesson learned which was you can NEVER get ready too soon. So if you are planning your first La Carrera Panamericana my advice to you is add this to your list of things to practice. Make sure you know where to lay your gloves so you can reach them after you fasten your helmet straps, get the window net in place "by yourself" and so on and do this long before you get to Mexico so that everything you do is second nature.
The only reason I say it's new is simply because I have never seen this one before. It's always extreamly satisfying to find a photo or better yet a video three years later. Enjoy.
Besides the fact that spring has officially begun which means the leafs are bursting, the flowers are blooming, the animals are... well, never mind, I think you get the general idea.... It's the beginning of the spring racing season here in California and there is nothing more exciting than racing this time of year. Everything is green, cars are new, drivers and teams are excited to try out new machinery and more. To make things all the better, this time of year can bring the added excitement of rain showers right in the middle of a race.
Regarding the first race of this spring season was no exception and even better was that Team California's Best made me damn proud today and if it's excitement everyone was looking for at Infineon Raceway this weekend they got their moneys worth that's for sure.
This was the debut weekend for team mate Jon Emerson's SE30 BMW and an impressive one it was at that. What I found most exciting about Jon's new ride was the fact that between Jon and Will this car was completed in almost record time and is without a doubt the most beautifully detailed SE30 car on the planet earth. For those of you who didn't already know, Jon's middle name is "Detail".
But as impressive as the build was, both in detail and quality, what I found even more spectacular was this car went from Jon's garage onto a trailer straight to the track and never even saw so much as a lap around a city block. After it came off the trailer this morning it went straight onto the race track. Just as I arrived at the track Jon had just come off the track after a warm up lap and had one small fuel and coolant leak which a small repair and all ready for qualifying.
With less than an hour before qualifying we began to hear raindrops on top of the canopy. Oh crap! Like Jon said, "I'm not afraid to drive my brand new car in the rain..... It's some of those other drivers that scares the B-Jesus out of me."
If there's one thing Jon and Will enjoy the hell out of it's racing in the rain and boy could I tell you some stories. Just let me say this... when it starts raining and you look into either one of their eyes you see something akin to Jack Nicholson's face in the movie, The Shining, when he says, "Heeeere's Johnny!" CLICK HERE to see what I mean. Later today I overheard Jon and another driver arm-chair racing when Jon told him, "The rain and lots of traffic are my best friends." Almost as if it was planned, no sooner than qualifying began so did the rain but when it was all over, Will had set a new SE30 lap record (even though it was wet) and Jon's new toy had performed absolutely perfect and qualifyied him in 8th. Don't forget, Jon hasnt even been behind a wheel for some time.
Since the main heat race wasn't until 5:00 in the afternoon there was plenty of time to just enjoy seeing old friends and hanging out. I even drove over to the esses and took a two hour nap ocassionally looking up to watch the Star Mazda formula guys battle it out for a while. Then it was time for the big event of the day as the SE30 BMW's took the track and let me tell you there was a bunch of beautiful looking cars too. Even the high dollar Porches with their whale tails looked bland by comparison. What was interesting about this race was one lap some of the sections of track would be soaked with rain and two laps later those sections would be dry but others would be wet. For the entire race the drivers never knew from one lap to the next what the next corner would be let alone the line.
Here are a couple short videos of the race.
On the very first lap as the large pack of SE30 BMW's came into turn 4 a car got got sideways and then collected by another car and it was every man for himself. Will was just ahead of it all and Jon did an awesome job of getting through the whole maze and moved up a few spots. By the time Will had reached the bottom of 6 he was well in the lead. As the race progressed Will kept opening up his lead and Jon kept picking off cars on his way to the front of the pack. It's important to know there are four seperate clases of race cars running at the same time some of which are Porsches, Miatas, and others but even that didnt stop Jon and Will of doing so well that not only did they catch up with the tail end of their own class but in fact lapped some them as well. And this was on a WET racetrack... Simply a spectacular site to watch.
Jon smiling while waiting in impound.
When all was said and done two of Californis's Best Team drivers stood on the podium. Will with a first and Jon with third. How awesome is that for the first day of spring?
This photo was taken for our good friend Gary from Canada at THE GARAGE to show him how to drive past a cone WITHOUT killing it.
I hate to say it but I'm still living the awesome memory of 2007 when my good friend and teammate Jon and my son and I ran the 20th anniversary La Carrera Panamericana. Not only did we finish but in fact we accomplished something I have never heard of any other team doing in their first attempt... we finished in the top 8 overall.
Not only are we extremely satisfied with our achievement but the friends we made along the way are a bonus that is as rich and rewarding as any treasure ever found in the Sierra Madres. It was exciting, adventuresome, rewarding and there are more than 10,000 more adjectives that couldn't possibly describe it all. But what I can tell you is once you have been there you will never forget it, regardless of the outcome. Fortunately, for Jon, Will and myself it's one we will not soon want to forget. What does the future hold in store for us now? I'm not sure but it most certainly holds the dream of returning and knowing what to expect rest assured next time we won't be holding it back to 80 percent.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Today, one of my new La Carrera Panamericana friends sent me the best possible New Years gift anyone could have sent. Johnny Tipler, author of the "LA CARRERA PANAMERICANA 'The World's Greatest Road Race'" sent me some photos from across the pond of Jon and I tearing up some memorable highways with Lucky the GT350R in Mexico. I can't begin to thank him enough let alone try to remove the smile from my face. Every time I see these I find myself strapped in Lucky's seat and can feel all that awesome power and handling all over again as if it was only minutes ago. Thanks Johnny!
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