February 2006
Fluid
Tech Session was
held to make those yearly changes.
Adlers of Pantera Intl kindly funded the event with Motul T-shirts,
stickers and two cases of brake fluid.
Hot dogs with fixings were the lunch special as we prepped for Las
Vegas. Contact me if you’d like to
arrange for another session to change your fluids.
San
Juan Capistrano CARe show was more than I expected with over 300 cars. Two TPOC members drew many crowds as both the Motts and Westburgs
held the banner high amongst classics and big buck customs. Do plan to join this show next year in
support of animals (I mean the furry type).
Palm
Desert Run was canceled due to lack of
interest. Perhaps a reschedule is in
order. Let us know.
Dragon
Foundation
continues its planning of the “Running of the Beasts” event in support of
animals. This day long show begins at
Crystal Cove, runs to Santa Fe with a surprise along the way, ending at the
show and Party. Speak to Carol Ann
Michelle CAMichelle@DragonFoundation.org for details and to volunteer for
this worthy cause.
Reminders: from rkunishige@hotmail.com
? Car Museum Rick Flores hosting.
Feb
25-26 San Diego Big 3 Show
Qualcomm Stadium.
Mar 4-5 Willow
Springs Open Track featuring Panteras and Ferraris---Jim Saxton 626
285-2024. This TPOC event is on the
fastest track in the West. It is often
seen on Speed TV for car testing. Why
not test your ride where the pros test?
This event is for pro and novice alike classed in 4 groups.
Mar 5 Pomona
Show & Swap Fairplex $8 admin $7 parking? 714
538-7091ww.pomonaswapmeet.com.
Mar
8 TPOC Mtg 7PM
Mimi’s 18461 Brookhurst & Ellis FV. Bring your
pics.
Mar
10-11 Temecula Rock N
Rod 951 325-7100
drifterpat@msn.com.
Apr
7-9 LB Grand Prix
CART racing at its best www.longbeachgp.com.
Apr
12 TPOC Mtg 7PM
Mimi’s 18461 Brookhurst & Ellis FV. Bring your
suggestions.
May 3-7 POCA Las Vegas
Fun Rally & Car Display at Orleans Hotel. Kent & Sandi Snyder 626 966-0890.
May 10 TPOC Mtg 7PM
Mimi’s 18461 Brookhurst & Ellis FV. Bring your
car.
May
18-21 ORR Nevada Open Road Race (SilverState), Ely Nevada Contact
Dennis Antenucci 714 962-9754.
Jun
14 TPOC Mtg 7PM
Mimi’s 18461 Brookhurst & Ellis FV. Bring your
stories.
Jun 15-17 ORR La Carrera Road Race,
Ensenada, Mexico Contact Dennis Antenucci 714 962-9754.
Jul 12 TPOC Mtg 7PM
Mimi’s 18461 Brookhurst & Ellis FV. Bring your
associate.
Aug 18-19 Concorso Italiano & PI’s Laguna Seca
Historics sign up early.
Aug 26 TPOC BBQ
Ron & Gayle Huff.
Sep 14-17 ORR Silver Road Race, Ely, Nevada Contact Dennis
Antenucci 714 962-9754.
Nov 4-5 Willow
Springs Open Track featuring Panteras and Ferraris---Jim Saxton 626
285-2024. This TPOC event is on the
fastest track in the West. It is often
seen on Speed TV for car testing. Why
not test your ride where the pros test?
This event is for pro and novice alike classed in 4 groups.
Dec 3 or 10 TPOC Christmas Party Gayle
Huff & Bob Singer.
Sign up now for Willow Springs, Las Vegas,
and Monterey!
Write an article of your own and submit it to Mike Drew, Jack Deryke, or Dave Adler.
Please send any changes to
Judy McCartney at jpoca2@hotmail.com ‘cause we’re considering sending a TPOC
roster to you. Check your phone
numbers, email address and most importantly your associate’s name. Oops, it’s not listed but we do want it for
our database anyway. Then tell us what info you’d like to
include or exclude in the roster to all our club members.
Go Big or Go Home
The Silver State Open Road
Race
May 18-21, 2006
On May 21st I expect to have one of the
largest if not the largest Pantera race teams at the Silver State Nevada Open
Road Race (ORR) that we have ever had since ORR began in 1989. Right now Team Pantera Racing is estimated
at 19 entries all driving Pantera’s.
The only other TPOC member besides me planning to run against the hordes
of Corvettes, Porsche’s, Ferrari’s and other high priced machinery is Dennis
“Webers” Daley. I’d like to see some
more TPOC members join us so here’s a little history if YOU are interested.
We are the only vintage team with cars over 25 years
old that have managed to start and finish more than 5 classic cars in a
sanctioned ORR anyplace in the world.
We’ve done it several times most recently starting and finishing 10
Panteras at the Texas Big Bend ORR in 2005.
Again in 1998 we had 14 Pantera entries which is still a record for a single
marque. I completed 31 of 34 ORRs
between 1997 and 2005. There isn’t
anything special about my Pantera other than my 1999 record finish while the
car was on fire. Seriously, my Pantera
has finished all but 2 ORRs entered.
Since rebuilding the Pantera after that fire, it has started and
finished almost all the ORRs I participated in including the famous Mexican La
Carrera.
What I consider much more of an achievement is that
90% of the guys and one gal (Laurie Basile completed two) who finished ORRs in
Panteras since its 1989 beginnings have done so in your basic street
Pantera. Exceptions are Junior Wilson,
Bobby Byers, Charlie Puckett and Gary Hall’s Big Red. The overwhelming majority of Panteras were just well maintained
Pantera weekend drivers averaging 95-110 MPH classes.
It is a surprisingly safe event. We’ve never had a car go off course except
in the two fastest speed divisions.
Other than Junior’s fastest 200+ mph runs, no one has ever gone off road
or had an accident.
Junior won the Unlimited Division at the Silver
State Open Road Race (ORR) in 1995. He
averaged 177 mph running a highly modified 1972 Pantera hitting speeds in
excess of 206 mph in the straights.
Junior’s triumph wasn’t running the fastest unlimited division speed average
ever achieved over the infamous and venerable Nevada 2-lane public roadway but
it certainly is the fastest anyone in a Pantera has ever driven. Junior continued to run 2 to 3 ORR’s in
Nevada each year for the next 8 years retiring in 1997.
Fastest average speed at Silver State’s 90 mile
2-lane course through 2000 belonged to an 18 year old driver named R.J.
Gottelieb. RJ ran a contested 192 Mph
average in 1989. It was arguably the
fastest speed average anyone had ever driven any car on any 2-lane road
anywhere in the world. Ultimately and
unfortunately, the record was stripped in 1995 after someone decided to use GPS
to measure the course. What they found
was the 90-mile course was really 86 miles!
On May 21, 2000, a former professional NASCAR driver named Chuck Shafer
running a well-prepared Winston cup racecar finally broke the 200 MPH speed
averaging a blistering 207.
So why should YOU consider going? First, it is just one hell of a weekend long
party that is a lot of fun. Second,
where else can you run your Pantera or Mangusta at triple digit speeds over a
real road for 90 miles and not get a ticket?
Third, the camaraderie among the Pantera group is second to none and
while almost no one in a Pantera ever has a mechanical problem when they do the
entire team pitches in the fix and makes certain everyone is ready to run on
Sunday. Fourth, there is a 1-mile
shootout the day before the ORR. Right
now the current 1-mile record is 188 mph set by Jerry Mall in a modified Dodge
Viper. I am hoping to break that record
in May. So even if your not interested
in running the full ORR you can still sign up for the One-Mile Shoot-out or do
both. And finally as I suggested
before, you don’t have to go 150 or 200 or more miles per hour to have fun at
this event. Simply select a slower
class of 85-110 mph for starters.
It is a major media blast and you will have a great time guaranteed. If you are interested in joining us please let me know. So, give me a call! Dennis “Mad Dawg” Antenucci 626-796-3800 Ext. 116.