Horse Tales August 2013 - Ferrari Club of America

Transcription

Horse Tales August 2013 - Ferrari Club of America
Concorso
FERRARI & FRIENDS
Horse Tales
volume 14
issue 3
September 2014
Page 1 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Lime Rock Diary — Part I
2014 FCA National Meet
Page 2 | Horse Tales | June 2014
volume 14 issue 3 september 2014
Contents
Page 10
Page 10: Concorso Ferrari & Friends
Page 17: Lime Rock Diary—Part I
Page 24: 2014 FCA National Meet
2014 FCA National Meet — Page 24
Lime Rock Diary — Part I
Horse Tales
Concorso Ferrari & Friends
Page 17
From L-R: Ken Goldman, Gary Hiniker and Andrew Bass.
Regulars
Pg. 4: Club Business
Pg. 6: From the Regional Director/Editor
Pg. 8: Events Calendar
Cover photo:: Frank Anigbo
Page 3 | Horse Tales | June 2014
club
Business
policies
advertising
Horse Tales (“HT”) is copyright of the non-profit Ferrari Club of America New
England Region (herein referred to as either FCA/NER or the “Club”) and cannot be reproduced or photocopied in whole or in part other than for individual
personal use. Its purpose is to deliver information of interest to Club members.
The Club and it’s publishers do not warrant the accuracy of editorial content or
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warrant or verify claims of our advertisements. Advertisers agree to indemnify
and hold Club harmless from any claims, damage or expense resulting from
printing or publishing any advertisement. Club further reserves the right to refuse to publish advertisements that are not Club related.
Rates include 4 consecutive issues. For information
contact Gary Hiniker ([email protected])
submissions
publication schedule & deadlines
2014 rates
Back Cover
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The Club encourages members to contribute material on a variety of Ferrari
related topics. Material submitted for publication is subject to revision and/or
rejection at the publisher’s sole discretion, is published without compensation
and cannot be returned. Only material or manuscripts from the original writer or
copyright permission articles will be considered for publication. Submission of
original material constitutes a perpetual, non-exclusive license for Club to print
and/or reproduce in any manner, and for any purpose, said material. Send all
submissions to HT Editor Frank Anigbo ([email protected]).
HT is published four times a year. Months of publication and deadlines:
club officers
address & e-mail changes
Regional Director
Suzanne Hiniker ([email protected])
Treasurer
Secretary
Membership Chair
Chief Judge
Advertising Chair
Horse Tales Editor
Andrew Baldassarre ([email protected])
Bob LaRosa ([email protected])
Charlie Vest ([email protected])
Peter G. Lombardo ([email protected])
Gary Hiniker ([email protected])
Frank Anigbo ([email protected])
state chapter presidents
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont
Mike Odierna ([email protected])
Glenn Farrell ([email protected])
Gary Hiniker ([email protected])
Craig Rief ([email protected])
Barry Lundgren ([email protected])
Ian Wyatt ([email protected])
issue
deadline
March
June
September
December
February 15
May 15
August 15
November 15
FCA/NER
c/o Charlie Vest, Membership Chair
339 Chimneysweep Hill Road Glastonbury, CT 06033
or via email: ([email protected])
officially sanctioned events
Have an idea for an event? Want to help with an
event? Contact Regional Director Suzanne Hiniker
via email: ([email protected]).
Only events approved by the RD and listed either in
HT or on the Club’s web site are officially sanctioned
FCA/NER events. Any other event purporting to be a
Club event and not listed on our calendar is not sanctioned and as such the Club has no affiliation whatsoever with and thus can not be held liable for any donations made to such unsanctioned events.
visit us on the web
www.fca-newengland.org
HT is created using a PC running Microsoft Publisher.
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Postage paid in Bedford, MA.
the ferrari club of america
FCA/NER is the New England Region of The Ferrari Club of America covering Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island and Vermont. The Ferrari Club of America, incorporated in 1962 and recognized by Ferrari S.p.A has 16 regions
throughout North America, and 32 chapters within these regions putting on events. For membership information visit FCA on the web
at www.ferrariclubofamerica.com or call 800.328.0444 | mailing address: Ferrari Club of America PO Box 720597 Atlanta, GA 30358.
Page 4 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Page 5 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Connecticut
from the
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont
Regional Director
I hope you’ve had a wonderful and healthy summer! We have a full calendar of New England events
this fall, something for everyone. So attend at least one event and meet your fellow Ferrari enthusiasts. Join us for a drive to the Alden Sherman Classic in Weston CT with special FCA parking, watch
the Ferrari Cup Match at Myopia Polo in Hamilton MA, listen to special guest speaker Jim Glickenhaus at Miller Motorcars in Greenwich CT, attend the 13 th annual Maine Event Weekend in York ME,
have a lunch and tour at Automotive Restoration in Stratford CT, and take in a food-filled USGP
viewing at Ferrari of New England in Norwood MA.
Check the club calendar www.fca-newengland.org for exact dates and more details. Check the calendar
regularly we have more fun happenings in the works. Give us a shout if you have an event idea or
would like to volunteer. I hope to see you soon.
Warmly,
Suzy
Suzy Hiniker, Regional Director
from the
Editor
Summer may be over for kids heading back
to school, but not for us grown-ups, not for
as long as the sun is shining and shorts and
T-shirts can still be worn outdoors. And
not until we run out of events on page 8 of
this newsletter, no, summer is definitely not
over and there’s lots of driving yet to do.
Well, I finally did — attend a track event, that is. My first (real) one
and what a thing of infinite beauty it was. I present to you my tale
of it on this pages — starting on page 17, with loads of pictures
and commentary. But this is only part 1 of the story — and it ended quite well. Part 2, on the other hand, well, let’s just say there
was quite a bit of heart-attack-inducing drama. First things first,
read my account of Day-1 of the 2-day Lime Rock event held in
July, then wait for the dramatic conclusion in the December ediThis edition of Horse Tales, however, is the tion of Horse Tales.
last you will receive while the thermometer
still reads cruising speeds. And what a sum- Until the salt trucks show up, keep enjoying summer.
mer edition it is — filled with photographs
Have a story you think others will enjoy reading, send it to HT as
of some of the best that summer has to
we always need content to make this publication work. Please send
offer the Ferrari driver in New England.
your submission to [email protected].
In this edition of HT, we recap June’s Concorso Ferrari & Friends,
— Frank Anigbo, Editor, Horse Tales
the biggest and most amazing we have had to date. We not only
got Peter Sach’s delectable 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 that once
belonged to racing great, Tazio Nuvolari, we also got the positively
smashing P4/5 of Jim Glickenhaus, amongst so many amazing
exotica from our beloved Italy.
Page 6 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Page 7 | Horse Tales | June 2014
calendar of
Events
for more details and continuously updated information: www.fca-newengland.org
www.empirestateregion.com | www.fcacanadaeast.org

January 22-26, 2014: (non-FCA) Cavallino Classic 23 at The
Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, FL

August 22-24, 2014: (non-FCA)DREAM Ride and Cruise

February 13, 2014: North End Winter Dinner

September 14, 2014: Garden State Ferrari Fall Festival,
Florham. NJ

February 22, 2014: Private tour of Paul Russell & Company,
contact Gary at [email protected]

September 21, 2014: The Alden Sherman Classic, Weston,
CT

March 9, 2014: F1 Boston Karting event, Braintree, MA


March 29, 2014: Annual Dinner at the Hartford Golf Club,
West Hartford, CT with guest speaker Bob Varsha
September 28, 2014: Myopia Polo Club — The Ferrari Cup,
South Hamilton, MA

June 07, 2014: (non-FCA) Grand Prix in Montreal weekend
–come join our group
October 11, 2014: Miller Motorcars with guest speaker Jim
Glickenhaus, Greenwich, CT

June 11-15, 2014: Ferrari Club of America 2014 International Annual Meet in Leesburg, VA
October 17-19, 2014: The Annual FCA/NER Maine Event,
York, ME

June 29, 2014: The 14th Annual FCA-NER Concorso Ferrari
and Friends, West Hartford, CT
November 1, 2014: Automotive Restoration Inc. Lunch and
Tour, Stratford, CT

November 2, 2014: US Grand Prix viewing party at Ferrari
of New England, Norwood, MA




July 18-19, 2014: Track Event-Lime Rock Park
Page 8 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Page 9 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Concorso Ferrari & Friends
Among 170 other Italian exotica, a very tasty line up of Ferraris in West
Hartford Center, West Hartford, CT.
By Andrew Baldassarre, Co-Chair Concorso Ferrari and Friends
T
he 14th annual Concorso Ferrari
and Friends, to benefit the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC), began early Sunday
morning June 29, 2014 as Committee members rolled onto LaSalle Road in West Hartford Center to set up around 6 am. The
weather was perfect and cars began to arrive
around 8.30 am for the coveted Kid’s Parade which was lining up in the Webster
Bank Lot under the direction of Concorso
Chairmen emeritus, Charlie Vest. By 10 am
the street was buzzing with cars and people
as a lucky 40 Parade Cars left the center
escorted by West Hartford Motorcycle Police and Cruisers on their way to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Special Care
center in Farmington to pick up their patient
passengers. This entourage of Ferrari,
Lamborghini, Maserati, Fiat and chase cars
was greeted by excited Kids and their families. Horns were honking and engines were
Page 10 | Horse Tales | June 2014
revving but the best part of that moment
was seeing the ear to ear smiles on the Kid’s
faces! Meanwhile back in West Hartford
Center crowds were gathered, awaiting the
return of the Parade. LaSalle Road had become an avenue of display cars and excited
people for the returning Parade cars creating
a buzz that has become unique to Concorso. CCMC passengers were dropped
off on the red carpet in front of the stage as
D.J Mike Simonetta announced each
one. Alfonso, the Italian Ambassador, made
them honorary Italian Citizens with a special
medal, and then a group photo with Dr.
Ferd Ferrer from CCMC, Miss USA Erin
Brady, and the CT Husky Mascot was
snapped. It was surely one of the best parts
of the day for those in attendance.
vorite part of the day. This year was significant as fundraising efforts surpassed expectations thanks to our major supporting
sponsors; Buzzuto’s Home Town Foundation, Harvest Properties, Red Line Restoration , Miller Motor Cars, Valenti Fiat and
Maserati, New Country Mercedes and
BMW, DSO Manufacturing, Joe Capasso /
Universal Preservation, and the Law Offices
of Cohen, Burns, Hard and Paul. Special
thanks to all of our individual sponsors that
are too numerous to mention and Challenge
Car Sponsor, John Tirrell from IFS, together they made it possible for Concorso cumulative donations to surpass the $1,000,000
mark to Connecticut Children’s Medical
Center over our 14 year history. This year
Concorso Ferrari and Friends generated
over $100,000 in donations and sponsorParade excitement was followed by the Con- ships making it our best fundraising year
corso Committee’s check presentation to
yet! Following this milestone event lunch
the CCMC which is unquestionably my fawas served for patient families at Avert Res-
Best of Show winner, a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Zagato Spyder that once
belonged to Grand Prix driver Tazio Nuvolari. Current owner, Peter Sachs of
Greenwich, Connecticut, drove it the hour and half distance to the show.
A 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC — presented by Redline
Restoration, Black Rock, CT.
Kid’s Choice Award winner, a 2003 Maserati M/C 12 owned by Joseph Capasso of Glastonbury, CT.
Page 11 | Horse Tales | June 2014
1961 Maserati 3500 GT Sebring, presented by Redline
Restoration, Black Rock, CT.
Page 12 | Horse Tales | June 2014
1967 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2, presented by Black Horse
Garage, Bridgeport, CT.
CCMC Kid’s Choice Award - Year/Make - Model – Presenter/Owner
2003 Maserati M/C 12 – Owned by Joseph Capasso, Glastonbury
CT
Werner Pfister “Mister Ferrari Award” from Miller Motor
Cars of Greenwich CT
Oldest highest mileage original Ferrari presented by Steve Daley of
Miller Motor Cars
1973 Ferrari: 365 GTB/4 (Daytona) – Owned by Andrew Baldassarre , Bloomfield CT
CLASS AWARDS
CONCORSO FERRARI AND FRIENDS 2014
FERRARI’s - Year/Make - Model – Presenter/Owner
1962 Ferrari: 250 GTE – owned by Gary and Suzy Hiniker, Bedford MA
1971 Ferrari : 365 GTC/4 – owned by Mark Malkowski, Avon MA
1994 Ferrari : 512 TR – owned by James Schimmel, Ridgewood NJ
A 1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider presented by Michael and Kathy
LAMBORGHINI – Year/Make - Model – Presenter/Owner
Davios of Stamford, CT.
1978 Lamborghini: Countach LP 400s – owned by Peter Karam,
Woodbury CT
MAJOR AWARDS
CONCORSO FERRARI AND FRIENDS 2014 –
Best in Show – Year/Make - Model – Owner
1933 Alfa Romeo: 8C 2300 Zagato Spyder – Owner Peter Sachs,
Greenwich CT
Automobiles of Exceptional Merit - Year/Make - Model –
Presenter/Owner
1985 Lamborghini : Countach 5000 – owned by Peter Rolling,
Southington CT
1989 Lamborghini : Countach Anniversary – owned by Peter Charest, Ellington CT
ALFA ROMEO - Year/Make - Model – Presenter/Owner
1959 Alfa Romeo: Giulietta Sprint –Owned by Bob Cess, Litchfield CT
Oldest to Newest
1966 Alfa Romeo: 1600 Guilia Spider – Owned by Marc Palmieri,
Hamden CT
1937 Bugatti : Type 57 SC – Presented by Redline Restoration,
Black Rock CT
1967 Alfa Romeo: Duetto Spider – Owned by Michael and Kathy
Davias, Stamford CT
1961 Maserati : 3500 GT Sebring – Presented by Redline Restoration, Black Rock CT
MASERATI - Year/Make - Model – Presenter/Owner
1967 Lamborghini: 400 GT 2+2 – Presented by Black Horse Garage, Bridgeport CT
2005 Ferrari: P4/P5 by Pininfarina – Owned by James Glickenhaus, New York NY
1968 Maserati Mexico – owned by Herb Williamson, Marlborough
CT
2008 Maserati Quattroporte- owned by Oliver and Sheila Cromwell,
Bronxville NY
2005 Ferrari: Superamerica - Owned by Mark Malkowski, Avon
CT
Joseph Namnoun Judge’s Award Award for Best Restoration
1961 Maserati: 3500 GT Vignale Spyder –Presented by Redline
Restorations, Black Rock, CT
Verified by Chief Judge Joseph Namnoun; Submitted by
Andrew Baldassarre, Event Co-chair , June 30, 2014
1978 Lamborghini Countach LP 400 of Peter Karam,
Woodbury, CT.
1959 Alfa Romeo Giullietta Sprint, presented by Bob Cess,
Litchfield, CT.
A 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 (Daytona) owned by Andrew Baldassarre of Bloomfield, CT.
Page 14 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Winner of the Joseph Namnoun Judge’s Award for Best Restoration, a 1961
Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spyder, presented by Redline Restoration, Black Rock,
CT.
Peter Sachs of Greenwich, CT, chats with event co-chair, Andrew Baldassarre.
Pre-Concorso dinner Saturday evening at Treva Restaurant, West Hartford Center, hosted by
Robin Vidito and Doreen Tarasico of CCMC.
Peter Lombardo entertains Axel Anigbo at Treva Restaurant.
in the morning sporting a smile behind the
wheel. Redline Restoration also received a
number of awards for automobiles of exceptional merit and the Judge’s award for best
restoration for a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT
Vignale Spyder, a fabulously handsome and
sharp automobile. Redline also displayed an
award winning and brilliantly restored 1937
Bugatti Type 57 SC and 1961 Maserati 3500
GT Sebring. Other automobiles of exceptional merit included Jim Glickenhaus’s one
taurant on LaSalle Road and a VIP lunch
of a kind 2005 Ferrari P4/P5, which attractfor Concorso Registrants and Sponsors was ed a lot of attention in the Supercar Corral,
and a 2005 Ferrari SuperAmerica owned by
held at Ristorante Bricco’s.
Mark Malkowski, a local collector from
Mid-afternoon trophies were awarded by
Avon with a growing collection of fine FerChief Judge Joseph Namnoun, with Best of raris. Our friends from Blackhorse Garage
Show going to Peter Sachs for his sparkling in Bridgeport drove three vintage machines
1933 Alfa Romeo 8c/2300 Zagato Spyder, a to Concorso, one being a sweet Lamborremarkable car with a racing provenance
ghini 400 GT which also received an award
that is truly spectacular. This Alfa was no
for an automobile of exceptional merit.
trailer Queen, more like a King of the road,
as we saw Peter arrive from Greenwich early It was a banner event all the way around
Page 15 | Horse Tales | June 2014
with a little something for everyone. Throughout the day, an estimated
12,000 admiring enthusiasts came to view
170 Italian machines, a Concorso attendance
record for both cars and people. A fitting
end to the day included a 15 minute “spin”
in an Italian exotic which is more like a hot
lap at Lime Rock for 10 lucky winners of
our ride raffle. What else can be said except;
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, to Tim
Prete my Co-Chair and the Concorso Committee, our sponsors, our friends at CCMC,
and all of you for making the event a resounding success and a ton of fun.
Next year is already in the works when the
outstanding and technologically advanced
LaFerrari will be our featured automobile!
Please mark your calendar for the 15 anniversary of Concorso Ferrari and Friends on
LaSalle Road West Hartford CT to be held
on Sunday June 28, 2015. See you all next
year!
Page 16 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Lime Rock Diary, Part I
By Frank Anigbo; photos by Frank Anigbo (above photo by Dom Miliano)
E
very once in a while you do
something that would appropriately be described as totally
awesome! My first proper track
event at Lime Rock this past July was just
one of those rare things.
I had been to Lime Rock several
times before – years ago to attend what was
then called the BMW Vintage Festival, and
one time with the New England Alfa Romeo Club. I even drove on the track with
the Alfa club but at a decidedly slow pace. I
knew a track event with the Ferrari club
would be very different from that first and
only time on the track – as it is with just
about everything thing I have done with the
Ferrari club, in comparison to the genteel
nature of the Alfa group. With no real experience to draw from, not even as a spectator
at a track event such as I was about to attend, I did not know what to expect. This
would have to be one of those things I just
had to trust I can maybe handle and come
out whole at the end. Besides, our Suzy Hiniker had told me that Lime Rock was a good
track for my vintage (meaning, relatively
slow) carbureted 308 GTB given the shortness of the track and its relentless series of
corners. To put it in perspective, I would
have been comprehensively trashed by newer and more powerful cars had I turned up
Page 17 | Horse Tales | June 2014
at Watkins Glen with its long and fast
straights a few months before. Fate had
been with me then and got me so ill that I
had to miss the Glen. Not so this time. I
was quite well and fresh out of excuses, so
off to Lime Rock I went.
and content; nothing to worry about at all.
Did you ever read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tale of The Hound of the Baskervilles? Me neither, but I do remember
that on the cover is a picture of what appears to be a lunatic dog with glowing eyes,
It was a two-day track event orga- or perhaps it was a raving mad wolf with
nized by the Empire State region and run on lots of teeth, coming at you, in a forest so
a Friday and Saturday. I left my home on
dense with fog you had no hope of seeing
Cape Cod early afternoon on Thursday and the beast until it was upon you. Well, that’s
made the leisurely drive to the Berkshires
the sort of fog I woke up to at 5:30 AM on
region of Western Massachusetts, and on
Saturday morning, and a renewed sense of
along very pretty countryside roads to my
doom. Gary Hiniker wanted to get to the
hotel in Lakeville, Connecticut. Gary and
track by 6:45 AM (he apparently always does
Suzy Hiniker were already at the hotel wait- this sort of thing with worrying regularity –
ing for me and Andrew Bass.
wake up too early, that is) so I had to be
ready by 6:30.
An hour or so to freshen up and all
four of us piled into the Hiniker’s truck in
Unlike me who needed emotional
search of a suitable Italian restaurants in a
support for my first track event, Andrew
nearby town. Dinner together gave me the
Bass opted to sleep in until he really needed
opportunity to ask a lot of questions about to go to the track for his 9:20 AM first run. I
the next day as my companions had attend- on the other hand, all bleary-eyed, followed
ed many track events in the past. I went to
Gary and a disgruntled Suzy to Lime Rock
bed that night feeling much more relaxed
Park… or more precisely, the locked gate to
than I had felt all day. Participants will be
the entrance. The time was 6:30 AM and
broken into groups and I would be driving there was only one other vehicle – a truck
with other people just as terrified as me, so I towing a trailer -- in front of us.
had nothing to worry about. If we all agree
By the time the gate opened at 7:00
to keep it to a crawl we should all be able to
AM there was a small queue of sports cars
go home at the end of Saturday quite happy
and trailers with race cars. I followed the
6:30 AM. Gary Hiniker, happy as a piglet in you know what..
The early morning queue at Lime Rock, waiting for the 7:00 AM opening of the track.
A Ferrari 330 GTC driver arrives to spectate? Or
perhaps jump into a waiting track-only car.
Suzy Hiniker, FCA/NER Regional Director, prepares
for action.
Hinikers to their claimed paddock area and
trailer which they had deposited at the track
the day before. The fog had become less
dense but the sense of imminent doom lingered quite strongly.
There’s just something about an
empty race track that is quite frightening if
you’ve never driven at speed on one before.
It reminded me of a grotto with a pool
whose waters were so dark and still you
Page 18 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Gary Hiniker, Massachusetts Chapter President, tends the 360 Challenge racer he is to share with Suzy. That’s
my ride in the background.
were sure a sinister creature watched from
just below the surface, waiting patiently for
the first knucklehead youngster who’s mistaken prudence for cowardice to jump right
in. Boarding school, 1977, and I did not
make the first jump but I still get nightmares
over it. Looking at an empty Lime Rock
track draped in fog conjured the same feelings from way back then.
But on a bright side, oh, the cars in
the paddock! All manner of Porsche 911s,
from street cars to dedicated race cars. Ferraris from 355 Challenge cars to the latest
458 Challenge. Lotus – an Elise spec racer
and an Exige. And Bob Coates of the Empire Region brought along his 1974 365 BB
Competizione. And the noises, oh, the noises!
Evan Cygler of Miller Motorsports Racing with Bob
Coates of the FCA Empire State Region.
The Team Pilota paddock area with all manner of Challenge racers.
Friday morning driver’s meeting at Lime Rock.
I heard a joke at the track that Ferrari events always manage to never run according to schedule; while Porsche on the
other hand is always so precise you could set
your watch by it. The good thing about running late is that it relieves you of time to
worry about empty tracks, Baskerville
hounds, and dark pools in grottos.
A Porsche Cayman S queues up behind a Porsche 911 (964 series) at the Miller
Motorcars Racing technical inspection tent.
something AM which included a reading of
the basic rules – the point-by signal for passing, run groups, flags and what they mean,
yada, yada, yada. Then muffled cars were let
out onto the track for the first time under a
full-course yellow, which meant no passing
of any kind. This was a 20-minute exploratory run that was especially beneficial to the
GREEN GROUP (instructor-carrying novWe started with tech inspections
ices) to which I was a member. It allowed
conducted by Miller Motorcars Racing, then
me to get comfortable with my instructor,
an obligatory driver’s meeting at eight-
Page 19 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Porsche club member and seasoned racer,
Dr. Greg Dean, to see the track from a driver’s perspective, get educated on parts of the
track to be especially careful on, the correct
racing line, size up other drivers, lower my
heart rate.
A mandatory 30 minutes of class
time followed at 9:30 AM for the GREEN
GROUP in which we got educated on the
basic physics of driving fast safely, what to
do if you get into an accident, being courte-
I finally got my first chance to
drive at speed at 10:40 AM. Each group –
GREEN/WHITE, BLUE and RED (in
order of experience level) – got a 20 minute
session, waited 40 minutes then went out
again, all day long until the end of the day at
5:00 PM.
The Stig’s other African Cousin!
ous to other drivers, knowing when to stop
as most track day accidents happen late in
the day when you have become physically
and mentally exhausted. All the while I am
listening to the banshee wails and frenetic
screams of RED GROUP unmuffled cars
getting on with the day.
Page 20 | Horse Tales | June 2014
my biggest worry was tripping up a driver
behind me, so I compensated by pointing
anyone within a sniff of my exhaust, by –
which meant they could go ahead and pass
me on the side I was pointing.
The 40 minute down-time after
each 20-minute run was a welcome respite
As would be expected of a first
because it allowed me to discuss the session
timer, my first session was one of caution. I with my instructor and reflect on what I did
drove fast where I knew I could drive fast
wrong and where I most needed to improve.
and backed off wherever I was unsure. Most Then it’s out again at 11:40 for another 20of the time I felt lost, as in I don’t really
minute session and I immediately impleknow where on the track I am, except when mented my first change: unless you are three
on the front straight. Having a galactically
car lengths and closing, I will not point you
bad sense of direction did not help. There
by. That solved the issue I had on my first
was a lot going on all at once: listening to
run where I pointed people by but had to
my instructor via a 2-way radio in our helslow to a crawl to allow them to catch up.
mets, watching my mirrors when I didn’t
That one change alone caused massive imhave a corner coming up fast – which was
provement with much else, it made me realrare at Lime Rock, forgetting to downshift
ize that I could go much faster because I did
because I am hard on the brakes while judg- not need to worry so much about many of
ing the apex of the next bend while keeping the cars behind me. Besides, there were
an eye on the F430 right on my rear bump- only two places GREEN drivers were aler. I was braking much too soon at the aplowed to pass (front and back straight) so I
proach to the first corner after the front
could concentrate on driving well everystraight. I wanted to follow the instruction
where else.
of my guide but in that case he was wrong, I
With new sessions came faster and
needed to add my own instinct and sense of
better driving. I had a relatively underpowwhat was correct for my car and my experiered car in the 1977 308 GTB but I was
ence as a long-time operator of cars, while
catching more powerful cars and getting
not blatantly ignoring advice or doing anypointed by, especially in the tighter sections
thing to cause him to fear for his safety. But
The 1974 365 BB Competizione of Bob Coates, Empire State Region.
Andrew Baldassarre turned up in his beautiful 1973 365 GTB/4 Daytona to cheer
fellow FCA members.
Joe Capasso of Team Pilota awaits his next run with the
RED group, Team Pilota paddock.
of the track. I was still not getting the hang
of the double-apex Big Bend corner at the
end of the front straight and almost always
nearly ran out of road each time, but I more
than made up for it everywhere else, so
much so that my instructor used the words
“aggressively fast” to describe my driving
style and asked to promote me to the noinstructor-required WHITE GROUP. No
one had ever called me aggressive before. I
kind of liked it. I think, however, that a
more accurate description of my driving
toward the end of the day would be a newbie comprehensively drenched in the Red
Mist; that thing that makes drivers throw
caution to the wind and drive as though it
was a race that needed to be won in a few
short laps. The promotion request was rejected because of an incident that followed a
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The very impressive Team Pilota set up, run by IFS, a small Ferrari specialist shop with
a very big footprint.
similar early promotion. That was alright by
me.
aware of what I needed to improve. As is
often the case for perplexing problems with
simple solutions, I was sure that I would
figure it out early the next day. My guess was
that my instructor and I had not found the
most effective language with which to communicate; he often spoke in technical terms
and I am more of a visual person.
I voluntarily ended my first day
after my group’s 3:40 PM run because I
recognized I was getting increasingly sloppy
with my apexes and less willing to commit
to taking corners at the devil-may-care
speeds of earlier runs. This was a two-day
event, I reasoned to myself, there was no
This is cool, way cool, I thought to
need to insist on the very last run of the first myself as I drove out of Lime Rock and
headed back to the hotel for a shower,
day.
change of clothes and serious consideration
My day ended quite well. I was
to dinner.
very pleased with my progress in every aspect of my driving, except for that darned
In PART II of Lime Rock Diary, the Baskerville hound
pounces early and delivers a good bite. Plus, two very
double-apex first corner. At least I was
fast drivers give me a lesson in the meaning of speed.
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2014 FCA National Meet
Above: Andrew Bass with his Ferrari 550 Maranello.
By Suzy Hiniker
T
he 2014 FCA Meet was held at
the charming Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, VA this past
June, hosted by the MidAtlantic Region. A fun crew from New
England attended and met up with old and
new FCA friends from all over the country.
Four days of events comprised of a spirited
rally through the Virginia and West Virginia
countryside, track time at Summit Point
(Driver’s Ed, parade laps), a Mercato of
various vendors, lunches and dinners, seminars, and a lovely Concorso at Creighton
Farms golf course. The theme this year was Gary Grainger with his 458 Italia Spyder.
‘Celebrating the Redheads’ which paid spe-
Jeff Jones and his 550 Maranello.
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Sandra and Ken Goldman with their 599.
cial tribute to the two eras of the Testa Rossa and Testarossa of which there were a
fantastic gathering, plus many other vintage
to new model Ferraris. More pictures at
http://fca-mar-photos.smugmug.com/2014
-Annual-Meet .
New England Region-FCA is organizing a
Passport Auto Transport hauler directly to
and from next year’s overlapping Pebble
Beach Week/FCA Meet (Aug 13-19, 2015).
The host hotel will be the Hyatt Resort in
Monterey, CA. Contact MA Chapter Pres
Gary Hiniker [email protected] for more
info.
Mike Odierna and Mieko Tarni with their 458 Italia.
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P1 Motorcars, new, state of the art facility (above), more than 25
years of Ferrari and supercar experience. Our offerings include all
major and minor service, detailing with high end coating, alignment,
balancing tire service, performance upgrades clear bra, radar and
stereo upgrades and enclosed flatbed service, available.
**FCA NE members, mention this add for 10% off major service from November-January**
Page 26 | Horse Tales | June 2014
Save the Dates!
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance / FCA National Monterey
August 13-19, 2015
The 2015 FCA International Meet will coincide with and immediately follow the Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance during Monterey’s Classic Car Week, August 2015. Come for some or come for all of the events
which will include tours, track, rallies, concourso and socials. Join us!
NER-FCA is arranging direct auto shipping to and from New England with Passport Auto Transport. For
more information contact MA Chapter president Gary Hiniker [email protected].
Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Vintage Jaguar, Porsche
Cars Wanted, Any Condition
Ferrari parts, literature, tools, manuals wanted
Please Call 860-350-1140 or email [email protected]
Finder’s Fees Paid
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3 Martha Lane
Phone: 860-350-1140
Gaylordsville, CT 06755
Fax: 860-350-1148
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