SAAC Nashville report

chip · 05-26-03, 08:57 AM

Went up Friday, arrived in the afternoon. Held at the new nashville SuperSpeedway.

Great weather Fri and Sat: rained Sunday. Left at noon to get home to my 'honey dew list"

HUNDREDS of cars including 7 GT40 reps. 2 CAV (garage queens) one ERA,1 Roaring Fourty (on the track) and another beautiful red of unknown mfg that way out on the track at every chance INCLUDING the rain.

The track is BRAND NEW NASCAR track with a road rae cource in the center similar to Daytona. Spend some good time up on part of the oval before diving ito the infield section,. Track all planned SE of NAsville with purpose built highway leading to/from. COvered garages, plenty of pit area and many concrete padded RV hookups (inside the track: these are used no doubt for the race teams but wee available to us).

Basically a track event, as it should be with car shows worked in.

Mr. Shelby was there singing items for $50 a pop!

LOTS of GT350's, seriously track/street prepared cars (daily drivers with full roll cages) and many original cobras.

Had "suvivor" Cobras that were originalbut restored with originl owners, restored with second owners, and one beautiful original urestored owned by the same man since new: Trailered it himself from California!

If we did do a gettogether, I would suggest we "piggy back" onto something like this: Let someone else do all the arrangements. We could have easily had room for our own area including trailers. MUCHO track time withfull saftey services (wrecker/ambulance/fire crews/emts). Bet you they would even allow us our own designated time on the track!

I'm ready! cb

chip · 05-26-03, 08:59 AM

Bill from Snennville GA was here. Spent time together. I would like to hear his impression of the event.

Brian · 05-26-03, 03:33 PM

I heard that the red car was a GTD. If he (or she!)is a forum member it would be nice for them to come forward and chat up their experiences.

Brian

Bill Musarra · 05-26-03, 11:37 PM

Had a great time there. Joe Fienburg(?) was there with his CAV and pushing it like there was no tomorrow ( HA!). Seriously it was a great event. Carol Shelby was there sighning autographs to any and everything including car chassis'. They were runnining classesrom the beginner to pro classes. I only remember 5 GT's there. One was the RF that Gordon Levy had, which blew three (3)radiator hoses on different runs. (jrcarnut ownes the car) a nother stoy another time) a red GTD from Virginia, Greg I think and his wife Carolina Prononced Car-o-lin- a. You would remember her. Just kidding Greg. But he was wanting some track time and he had Yokahama's on seventeen inch Image wheels,and knew they were speed rated, so he was out there from a drizle to a flat out rain doing at least 120 to 130 on the front straights and passing a 350 mustang at will. I think he built the car in 95 or 96 and has one killer dash. Also has a Tilton pump on the trans axel ( G50-2 I think ) with return line(s) that spray each gear and the ring geat. Was turning some great times. His wife has some videos of him on the front straights passing everything in sight. ( If you have been to a SAAC event you have to signal the driver behind you how to pass, whether on the right or left. he had one signal on th right and the next on the left, which he did without any trouble.
Dennis ??? from My Classic Car was there and we tried to get him to do a piece on the GT40's that were there but he didn't make it. the guy from Power TV was there doing intro as well. don"t know when they will be aired or if any GT's will be in it. There was a sharp ERA from 96 there with webers that was really nice and was on the set with the intro to Power TV ( don't know if it was in the shot or not). Met some grat people there and a lot about how people set up there cars. Ron and you guys from the Southeast, you missed a great event. Met some guys there that had more money than common sense. one guy owns about 800 tractor trailers not to mention two original Gt40s and numerous other priceless cars. You dealers missed an oportunity, as there are a lot of cobra guys that are ready to move up to the gt40s. The CAV dealers and sub dealers scored some good contacts at the meet.
I don't have a web site up yet but I had a 128mb chip that is full ( 140 0f 166) including some video time. Don"t know how that part came out as it was my first time using that function.
got some shots of a "real ZF", a couple of Panteras, 2003 Saleens, True Aluminum cobras, Carol Shelby, Datona Coupe as well as some neat paint schemes. Anyone interested????
Bill

Gary Gibbs · 05-27-03, 12:03 PM

I also had a great time at the event and it was nice to meet some of you in person. Our area was well attended, and it was good to get the cars out where people could see the monocoque CAV. The two cars we had were from Joe, and the Michigan dealer (David Wagner). I took Davids car out on the street for a spin and had a blast. Nothing like webbers at full song right behind your head. Would have loved to have it on the track. When my demonstrator is complete (after $transaxle$ is purchased) I will be more then ready for some serious track time. I did get to take the rental 6 cylinder, automatic Mustang with S-rated tires out for about an hour of track time. Really enjoyed it. On Sunday there was rain and only about 5 of us took to the track. Was great as I rarely had anyone in the way, etc.

Only two GT40s were on the track. The GTD and an RF. I am not sure what the problems were with the RF, but I am sure they will get them sorted. I think they and trouble with purging the cooling system, and then they must have had a clutch or engine go on the last run they made.

The red GTD ran like a train and is owned by a friend named Rick Merz. This is the GTD I mentioned on the forum a few months ago that had the G50 and lived in my area. Very nice and sorted car. He was up to 140 on the front depending on traffic, etc. When I hit the track sunday in the rain I thought I would blend on and follow him a bit. I could keep up about 2 corners and then he just left me behind. He did keep complaining that he had to much HP [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img].

I did spend some time closely following a guy on Saturday in a Series 1 who did not realize he was supposed to point by faster cars. Come to find out it was Lenny Kravitz who had just bought the Series 1.

All in all it was a great event.

[ May 27, 2003: Message edited by: Gary Gibbs ]

ToyCollector · 05-27-03, 02:06 PM

"Met some guys there that had more money than common sense. one guy owns about 800 tractor trailers not to mention two original Gt40s and numerous other priceless cars. "

Was there a pearlescent white GT40 there? Was this one guy from Alabama by any chance? I know of a gentleman from there who I met at an HSR event who just bought a real GT-40. He is one of the coutry's better known collectors (Patrick Ryan I believe his name is).

[ May 27, 2003: Message edited by: ToyCollector ]

[ May 27, 2003: Message edited by: ToyCollector ]

Gary Gibbs · 05-27-03, 02:13 PM

The GT40s were:
1.) CAV #6, Black, 302 with webbers owned by dealer David Wagner/Barry Smith
2.) CAV #8, Blue 302 owned by Joe Feinburg.
3.) RF #?, Blue with white stripes, 302 Motec Multiport EFI, owner ?
4.) ERA #?, Dark blue ??
5.) GTD #?, Red with 392W webbers and G50 owned by Rick Merz.

[ May 27, 2003: Message edited by: Gary Gibbs ]

Robert Logan · 05-27-03, 06:54 PM

I spoke with the owner of the car yesterday and he explained what had happened to me.

The car was fully prepared for the meet and the all the water hoses examined as routine. There were three "Gates" hoses let go, all the same make and model as it were and they split down the middle. The car ran very well apart from that and was turning out very good times ,so much so that it was running in class A on the second day. I spent about 20 minutes on the phone and nothing to do with an engine or gearbox letting go was mentioned. The owner said that his driver was particularily happy with the handeling of the car (it was his first drive) and we discussed some alterations to suspension set up that Gordon Levy had used when Bonderant drove the car.

Best wishes,

Robert

ToyCollector · 05-28-03, 12:09 AM

Gary,

Thanks for the reply. Your post made a light bulb go off in my head. With so few REAL (YES REAL) Shelbys or GT40s there, shouldn't SAAC be concerned/ashamed/worried? Why own the real thing, if none of your colleagues show up? Glad I didn't pay extra for a real CSX!!

Is it just a GT350/500 club now?????

Awaiting my Kirkham,

TC

Gary Gibbs · 05-28-03, 08:49 AM

TC
I have been wondering the same thing for a few years. Sometimes there is better attendance by original cars (all cars are real [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ). I think the attendance at SAAC-27 (Fontana, CA) was good for example. We will see what the future holds.