So, while searching for some accounting records from the event preparation for the taxman, I came upon the story that SAAC asked me to write about the event. I gave them full permission to edit, modify, etc. the article to fit their needs in the SHELBY AMERICAN magazine. They did use a few of the same words, but in a very different order. here is what I sent them:
60th Ford GT Reunion in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
It all started innocently with a post on GT0s.com “Is there going to be a 60th reunion event and if so, where and when?” Having attended two GT reunions, 1989 at Watkins Glen and 2009 at Road America with a GT40, I was excited to find out and attend. The problem? There was no event scheduled. Now back in 2014 when the GT’s 50th was coming up I proposed a reunion, but where? With help and a suggestion from Dennis Olthoff, a Major Domo in the GT40 vintage racing world, we looked at Virginia International Raceway as a venue. Unfortunately, the timing was late, the cost was excessive and the lack of a single hotel to be headquarters sank that reunion.
Now nine years later when the question came up online, I offered to take another shot at an event. Again, costs worked against allowing average people to participate, i.e. those without a million-dollar car and a bankroll to match. It was Ron McCall, a well-known Pantera guy who asked “Hey, why not piggyback with the PVGP like SAAC did for the 2023 Convention?” Ding, the lightbulb went off and a couple of quick calls to the PVGP organizers resulted in an agreement in a couple of days. Ok, we have a venue and a date, now what? Well as the SAAC people know, holding an event like this is a major undertaking. Suddenly I oversaw promotion, organization and execution. While SAAC has an experienced crew of people who have done this multiple times, I didn’t.
It was decided early on that this was a “GT Reunion”, not just a “GT40” event so 2005/06 cars and the new Ford GT were invited to attend. We also welcomed accurate, Ford powered replicas so several ERAs, CAVs, RCRs and other replicas we in attendance.
When we announced the event location and date we didn’t know the timing of the SAAC 49 Convention, when it was announced we lamented the overlap but as we were tied to the Pitt Race dates with PVGP we couldn’t change and SAAC was already contracted to NJMP, etc.
The concept for the event was to make the cars accessible to all attendees, have an event that offered different things for different wants and most of all be fun, memorable event.
The PVGP staff (Dan DelBianco and others) helped immensely to guide and help put this together. Bernie Martin from the PVGP offered to help in locating and contracting for the hotel. The help and direction form the PVGP people was outstanding, and we leaned on their experience in organizing such an event. Many thanks to all the PVGP people and volunteers. We chose the Marriott Pittsburgh North in Cranberry due to the capabilities of the hotel, the large secure parking and a room cost that was reasonable.
Now all we had to do was get cars and people to attend. The word went out online, GT40s.com, the SAAC Forum, Ford GT Forum, Club Cobra, etc. The network was spreading the word and inquiries came in via the web addresses we had secured.
We started looking for exhibitors and sponsors to help defray the costs with the goal of making the direct entry costs low. We first secured Safir GT40 Spares, Ltd. Who hold the trade dress and trademark rights to “GT40” as Ford had never registered the trademarks and Peter Thorpe from Safir in the UK claimed them when he began building the “GT40 MK V” in the 80s. Safir displayed a new special, “Safir GT40 MK I” to mark the anniversary of Safir. Superformance LLC, who has the current GT40s built under license from Safir, also signed on as a title sponsor. Things were building momentum.
We were looking for an “in-kind” sponsorship from an auto carrier to move some “Star Cars” to the event; an agreement was made via a contact from the PVGP who used them as sponsor for some events had he had run. So, we were bringing in Allen Grant’s Lola MK 6, Harley Cluxton’s Mirage M1, Drew Serb’s “J” car and some others. Until a couple weeks before the event when we were confirming the addresses for collection we were told “the owner changed his mind”. We scrambled to find a replacement, but time was short and events such as Pebble Beach were encroaching on the dates so without the budget to just “stroke a check” for the transportation we lost some of our prime display cars.
Our biggest disappointment was that Ford and some of the museums with cars had no interest in participating, we were given numerous excuses, so we went in other directions.
We gained several other exhibitors that helped defray the costs, Riley Kar-Kraft brought the new build J20 GT MK IV to display, Croftgate USA displayed and demonstrated their line of detailing products, Downforce Motorsports signed on and revealed two unique Superformance GT40s at the event. Several other Superformance dealers also displayed, Time Machines Motorsports, Cobra Performance, Hillbank Motorsports; some other dealers attended without bringing cars.
Other exhibitors included ZF Heritage Motorsports group who are now providing new transaxles and parts, GOX USA who are importing a GT monocoque and parts from Sweden and some guy named Kress who apparently a lot of people know and sells a lot of T Shirts and parts. Tom Kirkham came with Hi Tech Legends incredible new “1967 GT500” that drew a lot of attention.
The reunion featured “touring laps” on Friday and Sunday that allowed cars on track with passengers at a “paced” (wink, wink) speed with full open track laps on Saturday. A highpoint of the event is the PVGP “Charity Laps” where people pay a $60.00 contribution to the charities the PVGP supports to get a lap of the 2.8 mile track. There was no shortage of GT owners ready to get some laps in and raise money. It was “elbows out” for people to get to certain cars, Ben Levy’s P1030 road coupe, Fran Kress’s ERA MK II Roadster, Jim Dolan’s J MK IV and a lot of other cars. We raised a lot of money over the three days and could have filled cars all day long if the vintage racing didn’t get in the way.
Friday evening had dinner and a presentation at the Marriott. The hotel provided a one-hour free beer and wine reception before the dinner, the dinner was some of the best banquet food we have had, and the desserts got rave reviews.
At the Marriott we had an “Art Room” which had automotive artists displaying their works, selling prints and taking commissions. The artists included Gary Dausch, a well-known motorsports artist who did the cover for the Indy 500 100th anniversary program. Gary did three new works, P1015 the Miles/Ruby car in the pits at LeMans in ’66, P1049 with Grady Davis, the “original Gulf GT40” and J5, the 67 LeMans winner. Also attending was Julio Cesar Caetano who did the event poster and T Shirt artwork for us. Julio came from Brazil to show his works. Steve Bowden came from Maine with his artworks. All artists had new, unshown works that were revealed at the event. Amalgam Models showed their 1/8 scale GT P1075 model as well as the 1/18 scale versions; honey I shrunk the car!
The artists were also set up in a tent at the track next to the event office trailer and many saw and purchased their works.
The after-dinner program featured speakers and videos. The presentation started with an 11-minute video from David Hobbs who had signed on to be our “Master of Ceremonies, Honorary Race Director and ‘Bon Vivant’” for the event. A last-minute family medical emergency prevented his attendance, but he relayed some GT40 race stories from his days driving for the JWA GT team and offered his regrets.
A reveal at the banquet of a new Alan Mann livery GT MK I from Downforce was followed by a GT history presentation by historian Mike Teske assisted by several original GT program members, Richie Barsz, John Wanderer, Wayne Ferrens and others.
Noted GT40 author John S. Allen traveled from France to take in the event and announce his part of the upcoming four-volume GT40 books is completed, and the first volume is in printing.
Saturday saw a large crowd of spectators enjoying both the cars and the weather which while was Pittsburgh hot and humid, it was dry and clear. Saturday also brought the optional catered Barbeque lunch under the tent where good food was interspersed with bench racing, stories and lies.
Sunday was filled with vintage racing, touring laps, charity laps and the highpoint, the “All GT Feature Race” in the afternoon. Unfortunately, two racers who entered both had family issues that prevented their appearance, so the field lost two starters. Brian Dolan won in the MK IV, Dennis Olthoff was second in Dan Long’s GT MK II and the rest of the field diced for position….or so I am told, I didn’t see any of it. In fact, I only saw the action at the charity laps as I helped load people in and out of GTs, a skill that many who have never crawled into a 40” high car do not possess. Such is the burden of the guy running things (right Kopec?).
Over 90 GTs of all models attended, most of whom participated in some track action. Over 200 people registered to attend via our website plus the thousands that came as PVGP spectators and were treated to fabulous cars, interesting people and a first-class facility.
So, after all this I have learned what it takes to put on such an undertaking; I now have skills that I will never use again under threats of bodily harm from Karen, my wife, who was instrumental in making this reunion go off reasonably smoothly.
We hope all who attended had a great time.
