Special Breed - Jaguar Clubs of North America

The
Special Breed
Club Member Copy - $3.00 value
Newsletter of Wisconsin Jaguars Ltd. auto club
Volume XXX V- Number 2
March / April 2015
COVER PHOTO - Page 12
Featured in this issue:
3 -- Upcoming Event : Our Club Potluck
4 – History Repeats Itself at Road America
7 -- New Member Update
9 -- Detroit Auto Show 2015
11 – 2015 Cat Calendar
12 – Chicago Auto Show 2015
ZOO LIAISON
Jackie Healy
(262) 542-8277
NORTH CENTRAL REGION - NC47
FORMED: 1981
INCORPORATED: 1983
PRESIDENT
Richard Diercksmeier
president
@wisconsinjaguars.org
VICE-PRESIDENT
Michael Schultz
vicepresident
@wisonsinjaguars.org
CHIEF JUDGE
John Boswell II
H (414) 764-9391
Concours
@wisconsinjaguars.org
WEBMASTER
Dick Diercksmeier
H (262) 798-1060
webmaster
@wisconsinjaguars.org
SECRETARY
Mark O’Meara
secretary
@wisconsinjaguars.org
DEALER LIAISON
Karen Diercksmeier
Steve Macek
TREASURER
Karen (Corbett) Diercksmeier
H (262) 798-1060
treasurer
@wisconsinjaguars.org
MEMBERSHIP
Sandy Block
H (414) 352-1953
membership
@wisconsinjaguars.org
NEWSLETTER EDITORS
Karen and Dick
Diercksmeier
editor
@wisconsinjaguars.org
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Karen Diercksmeier
The opinions expressed in The Special Breed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the club, officers or editors.
Mentions of commercial businesses in articles are provided for informational purposes and are not to be construed as endorsements.
Personal classified ads can be placed in this publication. Contact the editors for details.
The editors reserve the right to edit all material submitted for publication in The Special Breed.
President’s Rant by Dick Diercksmeier
Howdy,
Well ……… first of all, this part is directed to those of us who aren’t
“snow-birds” and don’t run to Florida or Arizona at the first sign
of cold (sissies). I don’t know about you, but this weather has
started to mess with my mind. If it’s sunny out and above 0° I’m starting to think “spring”.
I know, I know …. Having been born and raised here I probably lead a sheltered life.
On to other things car related and the like. One of my “numerous” (bucket list) dreams,
which list seems to continue to grow, has been to see the Reno Air races. The problem with
me doing it this year is that its dates directly conflict with our club’s hosting of the JCNA
Challenge Championship (2015 CC), at Elkhart Lake and Road America. Sept. 16th - 20th.
So ……. Just wanted to give you some perspective on the 2015 CC. I believe it’s a
“Bucket List” event. If you’re “into” Jaguars, and vintage sports cars, this is the one event
you don’t want to miss.
A registration form is available at our website
www.WisconsinJaguars.org. If you’d like to attend and are also willing to volunteer for some
specific activity, let John Boswell (414) 840-1317 know. I believe volunteers will be
receiving some special perk for their efforts.
I hope to see a bunch of Jags at the Potluck dinner at the Korneli’s on April 11th. Be sure to
contact Deb this month.
2 - The Special Breed
Upcoming Event:
WJL
POTLUCK
&
GARAGE TOUR
WHEN: SATURDAY, APRIL 11TH
AT:
THE HOME OF MIKE & DEB KORNELI
6236 GILBERT CIRCLE, WEST BEND, WI 53095
The club will supply the main dish and beverages.
EVERYONE, BRING A *DISH TO PASS
*A dish should serve 15-20 people.
RSVP: NO later than Monday, April 6th.
[email protected] or
call: (262) 629-5314
Please let us know what you plan to bring or ask for suggestions.
See our NEW garage, finished projects, projects in process and projects yet to
come.
We’re hoping for warmer
weather, green grass, and your
Jaguars in our driveway!
Well, maybe that’s pushing it.
March / April 2015 - 3
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
By Mike Korneli
The birth of sports car racing was spawned from the
GI’s return from WWII. While in Europe they were
exposed to light weight sporty cars that just didn’t
exist in the United States. So when they got home
they started to import them. In just a few years the
Sports Car Club of America was formed and racing
began.
It would only seem logical that given the
population centers of the east coast and west coast
that you would find strong racing interests in those
areas. So how did a little village in southeastern
Wisconsin become an international race destination?
Elkhart Lake was a tourist destination with many
people throughout the Midwest arriving by train. After
WWII tourism was down. The Chicago region SCCA
was looking for a place to run a race on public roads.
After a lot of searching they thought the area around
Elkhart Lake would work well. Two of those SCCA
people were, Fred Wacker and Jim Kimberly, high
profile businessmen who knew how to get things
done. They went to local business owners in the area
and pitched the idea of a race. Everyone was on
board and hoped to revive the tourism industry. The
first race was July 23rd 1950. The first race was very
much a Chicago region event. There were five races.
The cars were divided into over and under 1500 cc.
There were races for novice and experienced drivers.
The event was a success with over 5,000 spectators.
The 1951 race was heavily promoted by SCCA
throughout the U.S. The race track course was
enlarged to 6.5 miles from the 1950 track which was
3.5 miles long. The event was now two days long with
a concours, rally and street dance on Saturday and
races on Sunday.
The rally started from different locations
throughout the U.S.
Check points were set up and more points were
awarded for a greater distance from Elkhart Lake.
4- The Special Breed
The overall winner was Morgan Sinclaire who drove
his Allard from Santa Monica California, a total driving
distance of 2,241 miles at 41 miles per hour. Second
place went to R.H. Riecken who drove his Ford from
Cambridge Massachusetts. He drove 1,195 miles at
39 mph. The third place went to Paul Dillion from
Babylon New York. He drove his MG-TD 994 miles at
35 mph. At this time there was not a network of
interstate highways to make life easy. There certainly
was not an Allard or MG dealer in every town. It was
quite an adventure.
The races brought in 98 entrants for 1951. Like
the rally cars most of the race cars were driven to
Elkhart Lake, raced, and driven home. There were
three scheduled races. The first race was for novices.
The race was won by Roger Wing from Bethesda
Maryland driving an XK120 Jaguar. Maybe after
driving that far to get to the event he should not have
been considered a novice. Second place went to
Frank Bott driving Dave Garroway’s Jaguar SS-100.
The second race was to be a ladies race. Bad
weather was coming in so they cancelled that race to
make time for the main feature. The feature race was
30 laps. The race was won by John Fitch driving a
Cunningham.
This car (shown above) was driven from Florida to
Elkhart Lake. Michael Graham driving an Allard came
in second. The “Silverstone” Jaguars finished third
and fourth. These were actually the factory LTW2 and
LTW3. These cars were built in case the C-types were
not ready for LeMans. They actually came in first and
second in their class. Phil Hill beat out Jorge
Malbrand, from Argentina, for the top Jaguar.
The 1951 event brought an estimated 50,000
spectators. The promoters built on the success of
1951 to make the 1952 event even bigger. It would
now be three days. It was now called the Elkhart
Lake International Road Race and Monte Carlo Rally.
The competition of the rally and concours was held on
Friday.
(continued on page 5)
(Continued from page 4)
The overall winner of the rally was Dorothy Dickinson,
driving an MG-TC from Long Beach, California. She
truly deserved that win. The second place award for
“Best Performance by a car under 1500cc’s” went to
a team of ladies from Los Angeles, California, driving
an MG-TD.
The 1952 event was a huge success.
The
spectator count was estimated at over 100,000
people. The population of the Village of Elkhart Lake
was less than 1000. For that weekend in September
it was the center of the racing world. Due to safety
concerns open road racing was banned and a new era
of racing would begin, but not until 1955.
You may think that you missed your chance to
experience those glory years. You would be wrong!
The 2015 JCNA Challenge Championship will be held
September 16th – 20th 2015 in Elkhart Lake with
many activities at the Road America race track.
Saturday was the Sheldon Cup race. This feature
race was for cars of 1950 cc to 4000 cc. It was Phil
Hill who drove the Jaguar C-Type to a win. This would
be the first win in North America. Phil Walter drove a
Ferrari to second place. Third place went to George
Weaver driving another C-Type.
The Saturday
concours saw winners such as a 1909 Hup mobile,
1919 Loco mobile and a 1928 Mercedes Benz
Phaeton.
Sunday first race was the Kimberly Cup. This was
for cars under 1950cc. This race saw over 20 MG’s
enter. It was the Osca of Bill Spears that took the
checkered flag. Second and third places were taken
by Porsches. The big race for the day was the Elkhart
Lake Cup. This race was open to all cars no matter
the displacement. The race was 201.5 miles in
length. Once again it was John Fitch in a Cunningham
that won the race. This year it was an all Cunningham
podium.
Out-powered, the two Jaguar C-Types
finished fourth and fifth.
The Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association is
welcoming the Challenge Championship to the 30th
Anniversary of the Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival, a
nationally recognized vintage race festival that brings
in almost 300 race teams.
Test your skills at the slalom on Thursday
while racers are honing their own skills on the track.
You will be able to prep your car for the Friday
concours and watch the races at the same time. The
concours will take place at one of the best viewing
spots at the track. The rally will traverse the beautiful
(continued on page 7)
March / April 2015 - 5
6- The Special Breed
(continued from page 5)
rolling hills of the Kettle Moraine. It will talk place on
Saturday morning. There has never been a Challenge
Championship like this and there will never be again.
Two major events, one location, Road America,
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin!
Sunday will be a full day of racing. The Jaguar feature
race will be right after lunch. Before the main feature
there will be a Jaguar parade lap for all street cars
and also any race cars that are not racing.
Look for more updates at our club website: www.wisconsin
jaguars.org.
New Member Update
Tod & Wendy Willson Illinois Jaguar Club ,joining us
Evanston, IL 60202
in Wisconsin!
PH: (H) 847-866-8464 Cell (847) 733-9322
[email protected]
’53 Xk120m OTS BRG
Welcome to WJL!
That should be enough to get you planning to
attend. This event will offer much more. There will be
lunch time touring on the track both Saturday and
Sunday. Do you want a ride in a pace car for one of
the races? How about a ride in a race car? Let us
know. The 24th annual Road Course Reenactment will
happen Saturday afternoon. This is a police escort of
the original road course. This is open to all race cars
and street cars. The reenactment will stop on Lake
Street in the village. Lake Street was part of the
original road course. The street will be shut down for
a car show. As that show ends the Gather on the
Green concours begins on the back lawn of the
Osthoff Resort.
Spring at the Zoo !
Visit Stella and her
Cub Francisco .
Consider a visit to the Milwaukee County Zoo for
an afternoon enjoying our jaguars in the Florence
Mila Borchert Big Cat Country. Stella hangs out
with her five-month old male cub Francisco in the
indoor exhibit until 2:30 p.m. Then both can be
viewed via web camera at www.viewtv.com . The
webcam is live 24 hours.
Hours:
January & February Monday-Friday: 9:30 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m.
March 1 through May 22, 2015 Daily 9 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.
This is an invitation only concours and you’re invited.
At the end of the concours is the VSCDA banquet.
Contact K. Diercksmeier if you would like to use
one of our two Zoo Passes. Each provides free
parking for one vehicle and zoo admission for
eight people. Call to reserve a pass. Allow a
week to receive the pass; another four days to
return it in a stamped return envelope.
March / April 2015- 7
8 - The Special Breed
REINA INTL. AUTO
Service Specialists In: Import/Domestic Vehicles & Body Repair/ Italian & Other import
Motorcyle/Scooter Parts, Service & Body Repair
JAGUAR DIAGNOSTICS SPECIALISTS
FROM CLASSIC MODELS TO NEW!
IGNAZIO REINA
4050 N. 128TH ST. Brookfield
[email protected]
Detroit Auto Show 2015
As we left the annual kickoff party of the Detroit
Auto Show charity gala, we all walked over to dinner
and after parties. I realized there were a lot of
vehicles that I would really enjoy owning. That has
not always been the case. At times there are a few
new innovative or exciting cars that are intriguing,
or several cars that are interesting, but not that I
would “want” them. But this year was different;
there were some fantastic cars that, at the very
least, I would like some track time in!
Let’s start with what was by far the most talked
about car leading up to the event and the most
crowded display…the new Ford GT.
It looks
fantastic from every angle, but since the back is
what most people will see, it may be the best view.
The rocket ship look of the two center exhaust
pipes and the outer hollow taillights make it look
like it is just about ready to hit the afterburners for
takeoff. I love that they equipped it with the race
proven 600 hp V6. The GT was originally about the
best technology at the time when it went to
LeMans, so I think it is fitting it keeps up with the
times. Speaking of which, Ford is planning to race
this beautiful new machine. While in the Ford
booth, we saw the new Shelby R Mustang for sale
for the track-minded. The F150 was awarded North
America Truck of the Year and well deserved too. It
could be a tow vehicle in my future.
A stop to take Carrol’s picture with the Michelin
Man, and over then to GM. The new Cadillacs just
beg to be driven. Tons of powers in a luxury sedan
have those lapping tracks faster than the best from
Europe. A cruise over to Chrysler land and the new
program for Viper promises any car custom painted
in any color and trimmed to your taste in just three
months. That is fast turnaround for such a promise.
ROBERTO REINA
262-781-4077
I have to admit that I have contemplated a Viper a
few times and one could easily find a parking place
in my garage. They also had a great display for a
wide variety of Dodge Challengers. While it is not
my personal pick, the range of options and
aftermarket factory performance parts they had on
display will allow it to be personalized for anybody
in the market for one. I have driven some of these
at the proving grounds, and they will put a smile on
your face.
After our group ogled over the Porsche display,
we went over to the much anticipated Alfa Romeo
booth. Wow; that 4C is gorgeous! It has very lively
performance and the sound of the exhaust
stimulates emotions while melting the brain. They
also had a great display of their heritage with 1967
33 Stradale (very cool), and 1957 and 1932 Grand
Prix cars (very, very cool)!
The cute sports car award would definably go to
the Mini Roadster. With its light blue metallic paint
and 1950’s retro windscreen and fin, it just looked
fun…probably the way the original MGA grabbed
people in its day.
Finally a walk over to Jaguar and much to our
delight, the F-Type roadster was promoting the
new… (imagine a drum roll)…manual transmission!!
(continued on page 12)
March / April 2015 - 9
Treasurer’s Report
th
2002Jaguar X-Type AWD
th
January 6 , 2015 to February 28 , 2015
January 6, 2015
Checking Account Balance
$
6,564.46
MMkt Interest $ 2.34
TOTAL:
$
825.00
TOTAL:
$
3,374.79
RECEIPTS
EXPENDITURES
February 28, 2015
Checking Account Balance
Money Market
CLUB FUNDS
$ 4,014.67
$ 13,961.67
$ 17,976.34
Accounts Payable
CAMPAIGN Feed A Jaguar
Current Balance for 2015+ $ 1,450.00
Respectfully submitted by Treasurer, Karen Diercksmeier,
March 1, 2015. Please contact Karen at
[email protected] for a detailed report.
Order your Jaguar club Name Badges!
Wisconsin Jaguars Ltd. will provide individual name
badges to new and veteran members for a nominal fee of
$10 per badge.
►Please mail a check for $10 for each
badge, payable to WJL to:
WJL-Sandy Block, Membership
8043 North Poplar Drive
Fox Point, WI 53217-2922
(414) 352-1953 or [email protected]
Please PRINT each name clearly as you wish it to appear
on the name badge.
Indicate one:
□ Pin Back
□ Magnet Back
Lucas Joke
•
-contributed by Jim Mickowski
The three-position Lucas switch--DIM,
FLICKER and OFF
10 – The Special Breed
Automatic, 83,860
Miles, Exterior:
Athracite, Interior
Charcoal. Certified
Pre-Owned.
$8,995
2005 Maserati Spyder
Cambiocorsa 90th Anniversary
21 of 90 Production
Anniversary Blue
Metallic on Blue
Leather Seats,
Carbon Fiber, LOW
10K miles,
$55,995
As a way of honoring the landmark, a special limitededition model of the Spyder was introduced with production limited to just 90 units. It was officially
presented in September 2004 at the Paris motor show, in
the same month as the celebrations were taking place.
The sportier look of the GranSport Spyder was
anticipated by the adoption of new front and rear
bumpers, together with more pronounced sill covers.
This version also featured lightweight carbon-fiber rear
roll-hoop fairings inlayed with attractive polyester
strands embedded into the weave. Finished exclusively
th
in the specific Blu Anniversary livery, the Spyder 90
Anniversary sported exclusive design features including
distinctive oval Trident logos on the front wings, paying
homage to the 250F driven by Fangio in the 1957 Formula
1 World Championship.
REINA INTERNATIONAL AUTO
12730 West Capitol Drive
Brookfield, WI 53005
(262) 781-3336
http://www.reinaintlauto.com
2015 Cat Calendar
For Current Club NEWS and LINKS
JCNA NOW OFFERS A TOLL-FREE PHONE
NUMBER TO PROVIDE MEMBERS WITH A TECH
HOTLINE. DIAL 1-888-258-2524.
PRESS 3 for the tech hotline.
Visit www.wisconsinjaguars.org
NEW from JCNA: A tool loan program! Several Jaguar
car collectors have agreed to allow JCNA to hold and
use their car tools. Visit:
http://www.jcna.com/shop/tools.php for details.
Membership Dues for 2015 are now $65. Please remit.
July or
August
?
SUMMER PICNIC
TBA
July
16th19th
THE HAWK CHALLENGE
WITH BRIAN REDMAN
HELD AT ROAD AMERICA
April
11th
Saturday
WJL
CLUB POTLUCK
HOST: MIKE & DEB KORNELI
DETAILS ON PAGE 3
August
MILWAUKEE MASTERPIECE
22-23
John Boswell will provide
details.
May
17th
Sunday
FOX VALLEY ROAD & TRACK
CLASSIC TOUR
ROY FINE’S ROAD TOUR TO
BENEFIT MS
September
16-20
2015 JCNA
CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIIP
DETAILS ON PAGE 4, 5, &7
June
21st
Sunday
BRITISH CAR FIELD DAY
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
November
?
ANNUAL MEETING
AND
DINNER
TBA
Wisconsin Jaguars Ltd. is an auto club where enthusiasts come together to share their
love of the marque and camaraderie. You do not have to own a Jaguar to be a member.
Dues are $60 per year. By joining WJL you are automatically a member of the national
association, JCNA. Please contact our Membership Chairperson, Sandy Block, for
information or an application.
(414) 352-1953
[email protected]
January 2015- 11
(continued from page 9)
Yeah! Hurray! Upon sitting in the car, the pedal
arrangement is quite good for heel-toe work. At
threshold breaking the height of the brake pedal is
perfect to heel the throttle. An extra inch on the gas
pedal would have helped, but in general, the pedal
arrangement is quite good; not just tossed in without
some thought. The R version on display looked
fantastic and now it will be as entertaining as it looks.
fender benders to complete roll-overs, stretched out
over maybe a mile. Fortunately we were in the “local
lanes”, separated from the accident by a concrete
wall. I heard there were no fatalities, fortunately.
The main reason I go to this show every year is to
see the “concept/maybe future model” cars. You can
look at the magazine photos, but NOTHING beats
viewing them in person. Unfortunately Milwaukee’s
show almost never gets these concepts to display.
For me, it all came down to just two models. The
Toyota FT-1, above, and the Ford GT, below.
Overall, the total industry is doing great and it is fun to
see exciting products in addition to the cars for the
masses.
-Carl Jensen, WJL member
Cover Photo
We can see endless photos of new Jaguars on the
covers of current car magazines. And they are
gorgeous. But how often do you get a chance to gaze
upon a beauty like this. I did back in March, 2012, in
Chandler, AZ. It’s the 1935 SS-90 Jaguar owned by
Rufus Coburn of Austin, TX. Do a search on the
Internet if you want to learn more about this rare
model. Here’s a link. HINT: use the underscore
character between “hmn_feature”.
http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2012/04/01
/hmn_feature3.html
Chicago Auto Show 2015
The Chicago show bills itself as the “Nation’s largest
auto show” and, after walking the entire place, I
believe it. To put it in perspective, Chrysler fits in a
mini drag strip to run “Hellcat” test runs and Jeep had
a mini all-terrain mountain climbing course for their
SUV’s. Toyota also had a test track. This is all inside
McCormick Place. On to the cars………
Wait a minute …… before I get to them, the most
exciting part of the day was when our tour bus, in a
“local traffic” lane on the Edens, slowly drove by a 38
car pileup, in the south-bound “express lanes”, just
North of the Loop. We’re talking everything from mild
12 – The Special Breed
The Ford GT wins, hands down. And ….. you know
we’ve reached a new millennium when an actual
planned production model, the 2016 Ford, looks
sleeker, and may be faster, than most concept cars.
That Ford reminds me of the Jaguar XJ220 from the
early 1990’s. I would love to drive both and compare.
Getting back to “practical choices”, my favorite Jag is
the F-Type R Coupe. Styling echoes of Aston-Martin,
Ferrari, Maserati, and, of course, the E-Type.
- Dick Diercksmeier, co-editor