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!)

Mustangs Out Of Race

So far today both of the Gary Jones Mustangs are out One of them was in a three-car pileup this morning. Too bad, both were beautifully prepared, brand new cars and the maroon #363 piloted by Bob Summerour and co-pilot Bud Feldkamp was in 3rd in Historic C Class on day 3 and 18th overall. Yesterday he was 6th in class and 20th overall. The other Gary Jones Motorsports Mustang #357 piloted by Jerry Loftin and co-pilot Gary Jones is also crashed. Yesterday they were in 7th in Historic C and 22nd overall after having moved up from 10th in Historic C and 59th overall. All for not it seems.


Car #357 Courtesty of Go Fast

Car #363 Courtesty of Coop

I asked Coop about his ride when he was co-piloto in Ron Lee's Kurtis and he said, "The Kurtis was very cool, and very cold!" and he also said he saw Todd Landon re-welding a rear shock mount on the Falcon at the servicio today.


PHOTO COURTESY OF COOP

Some Interesting La Carrera History

Since there has been so much interest in Ron Lee's 55 Kurtis GT coupe and people asking for some history on the car I thought it would make fro some great reading. The history on this beautiful car is as rich as it gets with regards to who owned it, what it was intended for and how it came to be.

Of course, the car got it's roots from the legendary race car builder, Frank Kurtis who had first-place finishes at Indy from 1950-1955. Better yet Kurtis cars finished one two three in 1951 and took the top 11 spots in 1952 and top 13 in 1953. Kurtis tried to build street machines but didn't do too well. From 1948 to 1949 he built 22 sports cars. Frank tried selling the 500KK, 500S and 500M series which were based on the successful Indy 500 Roadster chassis he designed. It is believed that something like 18 of 500M roadsters were built with about six known to be on the road today. He built fewer than 30 of the 500S cycle-fendered roadsters, like those that Bill Stroppe raced.

World famous auto customizer George Barris got his hands on one of cars from Frank Kurtis himself to see what he could do with it after it had been raced for a while. Since it was a little worse for wear Barris drove the car over to the world renown Mickey Thompson to work it over and whip it back into road worthy shape. While it was at Mickey's shop without asking permission Mickey and his crew made their own mold of the car. Later Mickey made not one but two castings of the car which they planned to race in the 1955 La Carrera Panamericana. Just about the time Mickey got the two cars built there was an announcement made that the La Carrera Panamericana would not be run in 1955 as a result of so many deaths not only in La Carrera Panamericana but in another crash that is know today as the single worst crash in the history of auto racing in which a Mercedes killed 82 people and 76 were maimed for life.

It was made worse by the fact that the car/engine/wheels was built of magnesium and the fire could not be put out with water. Not only did Mercedes withdraw from the race but they discontinued all racing for a bunch of years before returning. 27 people had died during the first five years of the La Carrera Panamericana, giving it one of the highest mortality rates per race in the history of motorsport.

It's interesting to learn how many things were effected by these two racing events.

Ron Lee's Curtis was restored in the early 90's and raced in La Carrera Panamericana in 1991. It currently has a Lincoln V8.



In my oppinion there is nothing more beautiful than a beautiful car with fresh dirt and grime on it having just come home from a race. (Well, mabey second.)

La Carrera Fiesta a Huge Success

Ron and his wife and Cosmo the family guard dog.


After a relaxing six hour drive with Michael Emery of Lucha Libre Racing and Gerie Bledso we arrived on time at Ron Lee's home in Pasadena. The weather was perfect, the food great, everyone had a great time and the cars were fantastic... what else could anyone ask for? Our gracious host was Ron Lee and his beautiful wife who made sure everyone had a great time. The only problem I had with the whole affair was I could not get everyone to turn their back when I was trying to stuff one of Ron's cars in my duffel bag.

For many of us it was a great time just being able to reacquaint ourselves with friends that we had met at the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana while others who have been friends for years shared experiences with us about past La Carrera Panamericanas.



Eduardo Leon and Gary with Ron's 55 Kurtis GT coupe which was originally built to run La Carrera Panamericana. Notice Leon's grand daughter in the driver's seat. Leon and Ron were heard arguing if she was going to be Piloto or Co-piloto.

Another special treat was getting to spend one on one time with Eduardo Leon, the president of La Carrera Panamericana as well as his beautiful wife and their two daughters. There was lots of talk about past and future La Carrera adventures but it was also a time to meet families and others with interest in La Carrera as well and of course there was lots of beautiful cars to admire.

During the evening Gerie Bledso took time to thank Ron and his wife for having us all over and assured Ron that none of us has spilt guacamole on any of his cars however an apology was in order for the drool left on many of them. And drool we did. Ron has a unique car collection, one that any automotive enthusiast would be proud to have. On a personal note one thing I enjoyed about Ron is that his cars are not trailer queens stored in some place that prevents them for being enjoyed. No sir, Ron's cars are used for what they were intended to be used for... Rode hard and put away wet. It's apparent these cars get lots of love and attention but it's also great to know they are not driven at parade lap speed. From what I saw I don't think the word "Parade" is in Ron's vocabulary.

I hope you will enjoy the photos of just a few of Ron's cars and I would like to take the time to personally thank Ron and his wife for a wonderful evening had by all.



Gerie Bledso with Ruth and Chris "Coop" Cooper.




Gary and Bret Haller




Colin Herrick, Gary Faules and Kevin Jones recent Chihuahua Champion.




Father & Son team Colin and Eric Herrick ham it up with Gary




Sam Burg asking Gary why he's wearing sunglasses at 8PM.



President Eduardo Leon and grand daughter Stephanie admiring Paul Chenard's latest work. He truly loved it.



This is the car Ron Lee is presently building to race in this year's La Carrera Panamericana. (No joke)













OK, so since there are three photos of this car by now you probably have figured out which car I was trying to steal.











As I posted these photos I realized none of them can do justice to their beauty, their lines, workmanship by craftsmen not to mention you should have heard them when they were started up. I still have goose bumps. Gerie Blesdo is planing some more La Carrera Fiestas possibly one at Laguna Seca during the Monterey Historics. If you can find time to get to one of these family get-together's it will be a day you won't soon forget. There were many others I had the opportunity of meeting and I look forward to seeing each of you again. A few others in attendance were Eddie Marrazito, Marshall Chabot, Dara Herrick, Jack Heydorff, Monica Leon-Grossmann, Andrea Leon-Grossmann, Dyana Marlett, Tom Hollfelder, John McKain, Jane Park, and please accept my apologies for those I did not mention since I am great when it comes to remembering cars and beautiful women but terrible names.

La Carrera Fiesta... May 9 2008

Tommorrow Gerie Bledso, Michael Emery of Monark Racing and myself are heading south to attend the Carrera Fiesta at the home and garages of Ron Lee, in South Pasadena. There we will meet up with other Carreraistas and good friends for what will surely be an awesome gathering accompanied with liquid libation and food. I am happy to report Carrera President Eduardo Leon and his wife Monica Grossmann from Mexico City will also be on hand. Besides other La Carrera cars that will be attending Ron has a great collection of race cars and hot rods that we are all looking forward to enjoying.

I am curious to see who tells bigger stories, the fisherman or the racers but either way I am sure this will be a great way for racing friends to reminisce great memories and discuss future events. Word has it that Gerie and some friends are also working on a little reunion at the Monterey Historics on August 16 at a site near Laguna Seca. If you have never taken part in the Monterey Historics trust me when I tell you this is a must do so mark it down on your calendar.

La Carrera Car Featured in Hot Rod Magazine

In this month's edition of HOT ROD there is a very good article on Ron Lee's one of only two ever made 55 Kurtis GT coupe which was originally built to run La Carrera Panamericana. Equally as interesting as the car is the well written history of how this car came to be and the famous playes whom were involved. Along with others, this car will be on display at next month's CARRERA FIESTA in Los Angeles.