NE Region member Jordan F (son of Steve F) has been working on a mini-documentary for several months now that captures “the why” of what we do here at GTM. His film “Hooked” – which debuted in Rochester, NY on 12/15 – will give you those feels! Filmed on location at Watkins Glen during the Animal House 3 weekend, its a great homage to racing, and we’re proud of his work! CONGRATULATIONS JORDAN!!!
Did you enjoy this film? … Leave your comments for Jordan below!
On a recent European vacation to Spain, a rental car was a “must have” for part of the trip and therefore I decided to reserve a “compact car” in advance. As I waited at the rental counter, I was fully expecting something VW Golf-ish in size for whatever keys were handed me. After all the typing, printing, signing, and so forth was completed, I was handed the keys to a Peugeot and several thoughts immediately flashed through my mind. Ooo… my first French car! Darn I wanted a Seat. Maybe it’ll be like a 208! Hmm, I hope its comfy enough for 4 adults with 4 carry-on luggage!
The Peugeot 208 it was not, instead it was a Peugeot 5008 – excuse me, a what? – Well, an SUV (no up-charge you say? – why of course I’ll have some, muchas gracias!). For a little perspective, the 5008 competes against other SUVs including the VW Tiguan, Jeep Cherokee, and Subaru Forester.
I was really debating whether it would be interesting to review the Peugeot 5008, a vehicle no one will ever see in the United States… but given the recent announcement of a potential FCA and Peugeot merger, the timing may be just right…
Having an SUV turned out to be quite useful as my trip was with 7 other people, and the 2nd car in our caravan was a Seat Arona FR, #spoileralert – it could not fit 4 carry-on pieces of luggage. The 5008 could have fit all 8 (eh, 6 easily). So after some luggage rebalancing the world was right again, and the extended test drive could begin.
Let’s start with the stats: The particular 5008 I rented was a second generation which comes in several engine/transmission configurations. Two gasoline variants of the PureTech engine, either a 1.2L inline 3-cylinder paired with a 5- or 6-speed manual transmission or a 1.6L inline 4-cylinder paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The two diesel variants use the BlueHDi engine as either a 1.5L inline-4 or 2.0L inline-4. Mine was the 6-speed manual 1.6L gasoline variant. Based on my research, this version should have had approximately 177 lb-ft of torque and 163 bhp.
The Peugeot 5008 was surprisingly luxurious feeling inside – or maybe not surprisingly? I really had no idea what to expect. The ride was smooth and quiet, but I will say the positioning of the driver’s seat relative to the pedals was slightly uncomfortable for my stature. Perhaps I could have spent more time manipulating the seat positioning to find a more optimal leg angle for myself, but at the end of the day I opted for the #sendit method of problem solving.
You got me Peugeot… what’s up with this Tach? – Being quite accustomed to the tachometer positioned on the left side and speedometer on the right, its natural for one to pause when the reverse of what you know is thrust upon you. No big deal – #adaptable; But what actually made me double take was the reverse numbering of the tachometer! And this isn’t “the under sweep” of early Porsche 924/944s like the one Matt Y reviewed earlier this year… instead of a clockwise 0 to redline sweep, its a counter clockwise sweep (below). Perhaps it’s a French thing? Je ne sais pas…
Cornering – with respect to turns, being the prudent person I sometimes am, I was never about to throw this SUV into any of the mountain twisties, but under “normal” driving the suspension remained composed and no one was left reaching for the sickness bags stowed under their tray tables. My test included a mixture of highway and mountain roads, both paved and unpaved. In my opinion, the 5008 handled all the situations quite well. During the “off-road” segments of the adventure (I would have destroyed my personal car on such a road – #lowrider) the suspension provided a ride that was neither overly soft nor overly rigid, comme Boucle d’or dirait – que c’était juste! (as Goldilock’s would say – it was just right!)
As mentioned earlier, the 5008 was probably boasting a modest 177 lb-ft of torque and 163 bhp. At this point you are probably laughing, thinking – mon Dieu, this behemoth probably couldn’t get out of its own way going downhill. Au contraire mon amis! – Best I could find online is that the various 5008 models can range between 3000 to 3900 lbs curb weight, with this model likely being around the 3300-lbs mark. If that’s correct, wow! – I’m still quite beside myself that an SUV could weigh so little, and still feel so solid (disclaimer: I don’t drive many SUVs). Admittedly, it’s svelte figure is probably aided by it being FWD and not AWD. Nonetheless, given its weight, I now understand why despite the “modest” torque and horsepower, it didn’t feel like an airplane was being dragged behind it. Driver be wary – like most modern cars, if you aren’t keeping your eye on the speedo you better be looking out for the red & blue, because you’ll get into trouble quick enough.
All-in-all the Peugeot 5008 was a great vacation vehicle to lug around friends and luggage, particularly through the country-side – up and down hills, over gravel and dirt, and into and around pot holes. I personally wouldn’t want one while living in any European city given its size – nothing bigger than a Fiat 500 please… But maybe if that merger does go through, it could find a wide open home on this side of the ocean.
Every fall my company has an annual charity drive which has been accompanied by side events such as a charity golf tournament or remote control car races. This year the activities expanded beyond the traditional golf outing to include such events as bowling… but more importantly … a go-kart endurance race! There are various charities that are part of the annual drive, but this particular event was supporting the United Way of Greater Houston.
When the email first came across my inbox (a couple months ago), I was immediately intrigued. The details were extremely vague, and the best I got from it was it’s a 5-person team enduro… how long of a race?…no idea. I didn’t sign up immediately, but instead went about my day-to-day. Knowing my hobby is Motorsports, a friend pinged me to see if I’d be interested in setting up a team. My response: “I suppose… I could be easily persuaded.”
Fast forward several weeks, I got another team invite from a gentleman I met a few years back at a training seminar (he actually introduced me to a local NASA racer that I met up with at a few HPDEs). Per his note to me: “I remember clearly that you race cars, so you would be a ringer.” Before committing to that team, I circled back with my friend to see if they found any additional bodies to form a team, but unfortunately work commitments came up and they were no longer going to be able to participate.
Okay, next! The second team prospect ended up falling through as well at the 11th hour (on the last day of registration – which was the Friday I arrived at the Fall Finale at VIR). I hemmed and hawed to myself while sitting paddock side waiting for the GTM crew to be let in to the ACNA event. I knew full well you could sign up as an individual, the event description said you would just be randomly paired with another group. So, at the absolute 11th hour — post-Oak Tree Tavern dinner — I signed up for the enduro!
Two days before the event a roster was sent out with all the teams. I found my name, but didn’t recognize the names of any of my team mates. Time to meet new people!
On the day of the event, the weather decided to keep theme with VIR – cold, cold, cold. The Houston area actually had a bit of a cold snap in the days leading up to the event. Overnight temperatures dropped to 32 degrees, and the daytime high was only going to hit 45 at best, for about 5 min, while the sun remained hidden behind clouds. Yay… outdoor karting in the cold! Amusingly, the event start time was actually pushed by about 45 minutes due to the cold weather. (Side note: yes.. many Northerners may not consider these temperatures to be “that cold,”, but trust me… this is definitely considered cold for Houstonians!)
Coming straight off VIR weekend and still remembering how cold it was while cocooned in a metal shell, I donned my cold gear base layers before heading out the door. Upon arriving, I checked in and quickly noticed the facility was setup for the festivity with lunch and decorations.
Two gentleman even got into the spirit of things, donning Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr outfits from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby! Shake and bake!
Despite only arriving a little before the Heat 2 designated start time, I was still early enough to catch the Heat 1 briefing on how the event would be run. All the entrants had been divided into 2 heats with about 12 teams per heat and each team had a maximum of 5 people. The heat would last 45 minutes and it was up to the individual team to decide how long each member drove as long as 4 pit stops were completed. In other words 4 people could have each done 1 lap, and the 5th person driven the whole session. Being early, there was still time to watch most of Heat 1 before it was time to brief Heat 2. I still hadn’t found my team yet, but had looked the gentlemen up in my work Outlook directory and lucked out that 2 of them had a picture in their profile. I wandered around the room until I found some similar looking gentlemen and introduced myself. Right on the first try! We all quickly came to find out that man #5 was a no show, so we were down to a 4-person team. Not so bad really, just meant we’d have 1 awkward pit stop.
After the formalities of Hi, My name is… and nice to meet you, the next question was have you done this before? I was the only person with prior karting experience (ohh, this is gonna be fun), but 2 of the 3 other gentleman did have some limited HPDE experience (okay, at least there’s that!) I decided to sit back and let everyone else decide our lineup/pit strategy/etc, as I wasn’t necessarily feeling too optimistic about the overall outcome. In the end the method we chose was very scientific… and went from largest to smallest person, HA!, which meant I was last to drive.
Despite having only 4 of 5 team members, we were still going to be required to execute 4 pit stops. The strategy we chose was that the first driver out would immediately pit in after completing 1 lap. Initially I thought this was going to be very strange, I mean on the one hand who cares.. it has to be done at some point. First lap proved not to be an entirely bad idea, given everyone else was still getting used to the track and spinning out on lap 2, which meant even though we immediately lost several lap positions it probably wasn’t as bad as it could have been in the middle of a hot session. Driver 1 (who didn’t have any racing experience) did fairly decently, with a best time of 47.764. Mind you faster times were in the 45.xxx seconds. He had a few spin outs but recovered quickly and even moved up several positions in overall laps.
Laps for drivers 2 and 3 were pretty uneventful and best times for those drivers were 48.664 and 48.873, respectively. As I headed into my stint, the fastest lap time to beat was a 45.5xx. But we weren’t racing for lap times, instead, number of laps… and we were, I believe, still 2 or 3 laps down from the leader. #sadpanda
Needless to say, I wasn’t too worried about it… in the sense of: well, it’ll be what it is, I’m just gonna go have fun. #sendit. Not until after the race, when I read the time sheet for the first time did I find out I came out of the gate with a first lap 1.45 seconds faster than my next fastest teammate!
Given the limited time I had to make a run for it, my number one priority was to immediately focus and understand the lap as quick as possible. It didn’t take long to figure out where the #mustdriveflatout parts were and were the lift parts were. I was actually able to use my HPDE experience to compare some of the turns on this track to ones I knew overly well, like the double apexes of “Old Ram” and “the Hook” at Shenandoah Circuit. Ignoring the first part of the turn set you up perfectly for the 2nd apex. #nailedit
I straightened out the esses by flying across the curbing. And the hairpin was really the only corner to lift, or jab the brakes to help rotate the kart. I was flying through the session, passing folks inside, outside, basically anywhere I could find space. I even dive bombed somebody – unintentionally – you might question me after replaying the video.
But from the driver’s perspective it seemed like he was fading out and I could grab the inside line if grip would hold. #fullsend
The checkered flag finally dropped, and I eased off the throttle through my last lap. I pulled into the pit and was a bit surprised that I was the first kart coming in! Well, maybe this is a good sign! I stepped out of the kart to people clapping and cheering for me as I walked across pit lane. My teammates were saying “you won!” adrenaline still high from the session, I was a little confused. Won? Really? I looked up at the electronic scoreboard, and darn if it wasn’t true. I recovered the lost laps for the team and came in with a best lap that was 1.8 seconds faster than the next team! My final lap for the day was a 45.359, the second fastest lap time of either session. A racer in Heat 1 bested me by 0.7 seconds, moving me to 2nd place overall between the two heats. Not too shabby if I do say so myself!
In the end, I’m really glad I went. It was great to get back in a kart again, and it was a nice way to chase the VIR weekend, but more importantly it was Motorsports for a good cause!
Here’s how the final leaderboard panned out:
Wait, wait, wait… back that go-kart up! You said you came in 2nd overall, but you got crushed by 5 seconds by that time of 40.343 seconds!! And so it would seem, but not all is as it seems. I SADLY missed what happened, but was informed by eye witness account, that the kart driver who placed that time…well… let’s just say #vikingline. Apparently it saves 5 seconds!
I never thought I’d see the day we’d own a Hybrid. My wife has been through two VW TDI’s and was very much a fan of the mileage and the torque that the TDIs afforded her. But as our family grew and needs changed, not to mention #dieselgate, my wife was forced to give up her cherished “mom mobile” (a 2013 Jetta SportWagon TDI) in favor of a SUV. To say that she is picky about her cars is probably an understatement. I’ll just say that nothing is off the table but there are many columns and tabs in her spreadsheet.
For the longest time she thought she was going to be stuck with the gas guzzling Cadillac SRX she’d chosen to replace her wagon, until a glimmer of hope arose in the guise of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Not one to be an early adopter, she wanted to wait and do her research and talk to some Pacifica owners about their experiences. She learned that with any new technology: never buy during the first year (because of bugs and recalls). Plus, I think she delayed her purchase in part because she was still coming to terms with #vanlife.
Remember how I mentioned “first impressions” earlier? – Outside the impressive speed of the Tesla 3, the interior was like stepping into an IKEA showroom… Very sleek, modern, and clean. At first you’re like “wow, that’s cool, oh man, check that out… how clever!” – then you start to realize, don’t touch anything because it might tarnish or break immediately! There’s no other way to say this: “the Tesla 3 feels cheap” – rental base-model Toyotas have more substance. Call me biased, but I am used to a certain level of “bank vault quality” having been primarily exposed to older German vehicles. Overall the Tesla does a really good job of packing it all in an attractive way and “blinding you with science” with all the gizmos and gadgets.
As much as I love petrol cars, I will say that I am starting to feel like the folks that were holding on to and fighting for Gas Lamps to remain in service as the Light Bulb was being invented – which is as near a perfect an analogy as you can make during this transition in automotive history.
#vorsprungdurchtechnik “progress through technology”.
During GTM Cannonball Run 2019, we actually drove very close to Talledega Superspeedway in Alabama, but it wasn’t really a good time to stop and check out the track or the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. During a more recent road trip, Chrissy and I were going to again be driving right past it, and this time we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stop by and check things out. It was only a 30 minute detour from our best possible route, and it was the Thursday before the NASCAR race at the track, so that just made it all the more interesting.
I know one of the first criticisms people might have is that the museum is billing itself as an “International” hall of fame, but is based at a track that only hosts NASCAR races, sort of like Major League Baseball calling it the World Series when all the teams are in North America. That said, the elected members of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame come from many forms of motor sports. (Click on the image below to expand).
Opening in 1990, the inaugural class was chosen from from an initial list of 50 possible names. There are of course NASCAR names on that list such as Lee Petty and Bill France, Sr., but other inductees that lend credence to its name as an international, multi-disciplinary, museum include Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Mickey Thompson, and Dan Gurney. (Harry Gant’s Skoal Oldsmobile, below).
All of that said, unless you are a NASCAR fan, there aren’t many cars that will interest you at the museum. There is the Hall of fame wall, the trophies for each inducted member, and a few odd-ball cars here and there (like the SCCA VW Golf pictured below; front splitter reads: “it’s not a car, it’s a volkswagen” – LOL), but most of the cars are Stock Cars or somehow related to stock car racing. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very historic stock cars in the museum, including ones that are little more than a pile of scrap, so for a NASCAR fan it can be a fun trip down memory lane, just don’t expect to see F1 and Indy cars throughout the museum.
While we were there, we took the opportunity to take the track tour, which is really just a ride around the facility and the track in the back of a tram. Since it was leading into NASCAR weekend, though, that meant Talledega was very alive with staff setting up for the weekend, campers and fans all over the place, and a very impressive inspection going on around the top of the walls. The truck driving along the top of the wall for inspection looked like it was defying gravity. The banking at Talledega is 33 degrees in the turns, and the truck was only moving around 2 mph, so it looked like it was going to fall down on top of us.
Being a NASCAR fan, I really enjoyed the trip and enjoyed the up close and personal look at NASCAR vehicles through the generations. Seeing the old Buick, Pontiac and Oldsmobile stock cars brought back memories from when I watched NASCAR as a kid. I wish there was more international flare to the selection of vehicles on display at the museum (like the Barber Motorsports Museum we visited early this year), but given that it is located at a NASCAR track, I imagine they are catering to their primary audience. The thing that shocked me most about the museum is that it is the only one I have been to that is completely devoid of a gift shop. You can’t even buy a post-card to commemorate the visit. The trip even gave me an idea for a future article so expect to see a few more photos from the museum at a later date, but for now, I will leave you with one of the actual cars from Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. #iwannadrivefast
The Antique Auto Club of America holds its East Coast (National) event at it’s headquarters in Hershey, PA every year in October. This event has been happening for many decades and is an extravaganza of everything about the automobile from a gigantic swap meet to a high-end auction culminating in a car show of epic proportion. I had the honor of being invited as a guest of GTM member Allen R who brought his 1937 Cadillac Coupe to show in the Historic Preservation class as well as to participate in the swap meet.
Arriving on Tuesday afternoon, we first made the rounds of the swap meet grounds to locate our vending spots. To call the swap meet enormous would be an understatement – it covers the entirety of the Giant Center parking lot (see cover photo) with vendors selling anything from mild to wild. If you want a supercharger for a 1936 Graham, it’s out there, along with enough parts to build a Model T. There is enough memorabilia to fill several hundred tractor trailers with signs, toys and even vintage clothing!! It’s difficult to see the entire swap meet even with a scooter in a very full day.
Resetting on Wednesday morning, the swap meet started off a bit slowly as participants were starting to arrive. The most fascinating part of the event is the worldwide draw – I spoke with attendees from France, Spain, Norway, Sweden, German and more. It was fascinating to see how the automobile has such an international appeal. As the swap meet closed for the day, we returned to the Hershey Lodge which would be the site for the RM-Sotherby’s auction on Thursday and Friday evenings. We took the opportunity to preview the auction cars, many of which were fully restored although some were very well preserved and several being either ultra rare or impeccably restored. Among the well preserved was a 1914 Buick that wasn’t flashy but very clean and original in appearance. Of the impeccably restored was a bright red 1931 Cadillac dual-cowl Phaeton with the venerable V-16 – talk about stunning!!
Thursday was a bit busier as the weekend neared. Many clubs that are associated with the AACA hold their annual meeting at the East Coast National and the Oakland Club is no exception. GTM’s venerable Allen R is a member and volunteered to put on a tour in May 2020. This tour will be similar to the CCCA (Classic Car Club of America) tour in May 2019 although more relaxed partly due to older and slower cars.
After the day’s Swap Meet activities was the first evening of the RM Auction which was quite an eye opener. RM Auction provides bidders with booklets of all the items (cars and memorabilia) in each evening’s auction in addition to the previous evening preview. Having watched auctions but never having attended one live, it wasn’t nearly as frantic as those shown on TV. It is amusing to watch the bidder calling out numbers and gently cajoling bidders to spend their money – $50,000 – do I hear $55,000? $50,000, now $55,000. You sir – you’ll be out if you don’t bid – $55,000 to buy this beautiful Geo Metro Convertible. $50,000 is the current bid – going once, going twice at $50,000. Anyone? SOLD for $50,000
Friday is likely the busiest day for the Swap Meet but after having staffed our spaces for 2 days, I wanted to look around so Allen and I shared the time and also left the booth in the hands of our kind and gracious neighbors. I took advantage of the show to buy some tools and some new tie-downs for my trailer – the prices are very reasonable and it’s amazing just what kinds of “stuff” is available. No, the tools aren’t Snap-On – but for my needs, the price was good and they work just fine! I then took the opportunity to walk the Car Coral filled with “used cars” that spanned the gambit.
Remembering that the majority of this show is antiques, cars over 25 years old, most of the cars in the Car Coral were newer antiques – ’60s and ’70s cars. My tastes are a bit eclectic and I found myself drawn to the 1976 Sedan de Ville in bright white with a white leather interior – some folks also looking at the car seemed a bit concerned when I commented that I liked the car because it was easy to put dead bodies in the trunk without having to remove the legs. The one vehicle I wanted to take home was a 1965 GMC C10 truck – nicely repainted but not overly restored to the point that it would become a garage queen.
The Friday night auction was the “big show” with the high dollar cars interspersed throughout the night. Unlike the first night, Allen was more antsy than usual and beat me into the room. I found a seat and recorded sales amounts but didn’t see anything too exciting. As I stood up to leave, I ran into two friends of Allen’s – Norm and Sherrie who are business partners in a car collection and a vintage race team based in Reading, PA. I joined them and we started a rolling commentary on the events which we are glad was NOT captured on tape. I learned quite a lot from them about antiques and the importance of color and appearance at an auction. Several cars that we saw sold well below estimates which we attributed partly to color choice –
For example, a 1914 Buick (above) that we’d seen in the preview was very nice but very plain in black with black wheels. When it crossed the block, it brought a lackluster response even though it was an early car in what appeared to be either un-restored or lightly restored condition.
The V-16 Cadillac Phaeton (above) was estimated to sell for $1m and it was certainly exciting to watch the bidding as it ultimately sold for ~$1.2M!!
Then there was the infamous Marmon coupe that Allen STILL regrets not buying. The irony is that neither of us remembered seeing it in the previews but the days were LONG and we were certainly tired.
Saturday was Show Day for the event. We were up early to drive to the field – en route, we passed a fellow we’d met earlier, John M who was DRIVING his 1906 curved-dash Oldsmobile the 3 miles to the field. It isn’t fast but it was interesting to watch him steer the car with a TILLER. The show field was also immense with an interesting mix of “antique” cars. We were on Avenue 14 where the Preservation cars were parked. It’s fascinating to see the progression of the automobile from the brass-era to the pre-war to the ’50s to muscle cars and into the ’70s (yuk) and ’80s. While I enjoy “things with wheels,” – I’m not much of a Q-tipper and virtually every vehicle here was spotless and “perfect”. As a Miata owner, it was more than amusing to see a couple proudly displaying their 1990 Piñata with 40K miles that looked like it never left the showroom – I understand the concept, I just prefer to play with my cars rather than polish them with a diaper.
The AACA maintains a museum in Hershey, PA – this could certainly be a tour destination if there is interest from the GTM community.
At first I thought Mountain Region member Allen R was going on about the hunt for some absurd rodent on his property – something not uncommon out in his part of the world.
But he wasn’t talking about a “Marmot“ (seen above) – which undoubtedly you’ve heard more about than the long forgotten automobile manufacturer: Marmon. It turns out the brand “Marmon” is quite special in the Classic Motorsports world. Marmon Motor Company founded by Howard C. Marmon based out of Indianapolis, Indiana was a leading manufacturer that took on the likes of luxury brands like: Packard, Cadillac, Lincoln and Pierce-Arrow from 1903-1933.
Marmon was unlike other brands at the time because they weren’t following the same heavy-weight lux-o-boat formula as their competitors, but rather, building aluminum engined + aluminum-alloy bodied sedans and… race cars. Unique to the Marmon platform was a smaller, lighter but powerful inline 6-cylinder engine, whereas other brands used inline-8 cylinder and V12s engines.
Where Marmon excelled in engineering, they were quite stodgy and unimaginative in their naming convention. Back then you didn’t have cool names like Scirocco, Countach, Testarossa… Marmon named their models in most cases by the amount of horsepower they produced, ie: the Marmon 34 made a whopping 34-hp (although bench tests showed they could produce up to 75-hp with proper tuning). And because the Marmon weighed nearly “half a ton” less (that’s 1000# for those not doing the math) than other vehicles in its class, it was “quick” and also touted fuel efficiency numbers of 14 MPG! Marmon owners often joked that they had the perfect getaway vehicle for bootlegging (during prohibition) because they were very difficult to catch.
Not only were the Marmon’s quick, but they handled better than most of their rivals because on an innovative chassis design, whereby the overall ride height was lowered to just shy of 21″ and with a molded floor pan welded over the frame which required less structural pieces to create rigidity. Some newspaper articles reviewing the Marmon (when they were new) made a point to show off the “lowness” of the vehicles. One could say Marmon’s were America’s first “low-rider.”
It so happens earlier this year, at the Hershey Historic Swap Meet an annual AACA event (now in its 62nd year), he and fellow classic car enthusiasts had an opportunity to bid on a 1921 Marmon restored as a replica of the 1921 Indy 500 Pace Car (celebrating the 10th anniversary of the race) – See the listing on RM Sotherby’s website for details.
This particular Marmon up for auction would have been a chance for Allen to add a historic “race car” to his growing collection.
And just like Bill Murray’s character trying to catch the gopher in “Caddy Shack“, it looks like this whascally-marmon slipped through his fingers yet again. #betterlucknexttime.
…of course you didn’t. Neither did I! #knowingishalfthebattle #neverstoplearning.
There are so many men and women that we have lost over the years: Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt, Jim Clark, Peter Brock, John Lingenfelter … the list continues. Many other Motorsports organizations have written and will write about those heroes today. But this year I am choosing to write about someone lesser known for his Motorsports accomplishments and more for his acting and the tragic story surrounding his death. Today we take a moment to remember the race car driver and actor: James Dean.
James Dean was an accomplished actor and American heart-throb, his most popular films being East of Eden and Rebel without a Cause. But did you know that he was also an avid Motorsports enthusiast and amateur race car driver? He owned many motorcycles and sports cars, including a Triumph Tiger T110 and Porsche 356 speedster. He started competing in the Spring of 1955, earning first place in the novice class in his first race at the Palm Springs Road Races (and second place in the main event). He also raced in Bakersfield and Santa Barbara, California through May of 1955. With his early successes in those amateur races he set his sights on competing on a bigger scale and was set to race in Salinas, California on the October 1st weekend of that year with his new Porsche 550 Spyder.
James purchased a Porsche 550 Spyder in anticipation of the Salinas race (Fun Fact: he also purchased a Ford Country Squire to tow the little Porsche, and an open trailer). The car was named “Little Bastard” after a nickname bestowed upon Dean from his friend Bill Hickman -OR- rumor has it *he* was called “Little Bastard” by a former studio president who was angry at him once, hmm?!
The origins of the name are a bit fuzzy. Either way, On September 30, 1955, one day before his next scheduled race, James Dean and his 550 Spyder, as well as Porsche factory mechanic Rolf Wutherich, were breaking in the car and making changes in preparation for the race. (Fun Fact: before the crash, Dean was pulled over and given a citation for speeding!). They were traveling from Los Angeles to Salinas with a few other friends following in another car. At around 5:45 pm at the intersection of U.S. Route 466 (now SR 46) and Route 41, a 1950 Ford Tudor, was crossing the intersection turning left onto Rt.41 in front of the actor’s convoy. James Dean was unable to stop and T-boned the unsuspecting Ford. Wutherich was ejected from the car and sustained serious injuries, while Dean was trapped inside, breaking his neck and killing him almost instantly at the age of 24. It is noted that the driver of the Ford Tudor suffered only minor injuries.
It’s a sad and tragic story. Who knows what his racing career could have been had he made it to the races in Salina the next day, would he have won? Would he have given up on acting all together and jumped head first into racing for the rest of his career? – Many other actors have flirted with racing: Steve McQueen, Patrick Dempsey, Michael Fassbender, Paul Newman, to name a few. Allegedly, Dean’s dream was to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Had the crash not happened, maybe we wouldn’t be speaking about James Dean the actor, but rather James Dean the Indy 500 winner. Unfortunately we will never know. All we do know is that a young talented life was taken from us way too soon and the Motorsports history books are at a loss without him. For an in-depth review of Dean be sure to check out this documentary (below).
It is theorized that James Dean’s death was not his own fault, but rather that of the car. It is also said that this particular Porsche 550 Spyder has it’s own dark and unsettling past. Legend has it that someone building Dean’s 550 died during the construction of the vehicle at the Porsche factory and their soul “haunted” the vehicle after its completion. Check out more of that particular part of the story, through this “unsolved mysteries” clip (below). #happyhalloween
A few other creepy factoids … well, mostly tall tales, gossip and legends, but!
I am not sure how many of these stories are folklore and how many are accurate, but whatever the case, there were definitely other powers at work the day James Dean died. But in the end, it’s important that we do highlight one important aspect that is missing from the Dean story: SAFETY. A lot of engineering and thought has gone into vehicle design since 1955 to keep drivers and passengers as safe as possible on the roads. And even more research and development has gone into racing cars, to make sure we lose our heroes to old age, rather than faulty or insufficient equipment. And that’s why organizations like the Motorsport Safety Foundation – which GTM proudly partners with – is part of a such a crucial movement in today’s age of motor racing, to continue the work that was laid out by racing greats like Sir Jackie Stewart who challenged the system and advocated for “Safety First” and “Drivers Rights.” Let’s keep up that good work and remember to honor our fallen heroes.
For a complete listing of drivers from all disciplines who lost their lives behind the wheel of a race car, be sure to check out this webpage and take a moment to remember them, or get to know them better (via sites like wikipedia). Always remember #safetyfirst #neverstoplearning.
For many of us on the east coast, the weather is already starting to turn, leaves are slowly changing and the Motorsports season is quickly approaching its crescendo. Soon the holiday craze will set in and many of us won’t think about our cars until the final weeks of the spring thaw. RUSToration shows are a great way to spend some of your hibernation hours. Though they might not get you off the couch to brave the ice box better known as your garage, they just might be enough to keep you mentally engaged and motivated throughout the deep freeze. And after some extensive research, we’ve compiled a list of the top RUSToration shows you should watch during the off season…
A GTM favorite, Roadkill** chronicles the adventures of Freiburger & Finnegan as they convert cars we would consider “junkers” into stunt cars, long distance cannonballers or all out racers. If you like “MacGyvering”, Roadkill is definitely the show for you. More importantly, if you end up binge watching all of Roadkill, you can always check other shows associated with Roadkill like: Junkyard Gold, Engine Masters, Hot Rod Garage, Roadkill Garage, etc.
Available on: Youtube, Motortrend, Motortrend Go (formerly Velocity)
**Check out Dan S review of Roadkill from earlier this year. #bestdayofworkever!
Rust Valley Restorers (RVR) follows Rust Bros owner Mike Hall’s attempt to restore and sell the over 400 cars he’s amassed over his lifetime. The show takes place on-site at Mike’s property along the Trans-Canada highway in whats known as “rust valley” nestled in the Rocky Mountains region of central British Columbia. At 62 years old, Mike (above:center) with the help of his son Connor (above:right) and best friend Avery (above:left) has decided he needs to thin the herd of his “metallic hallucinations” – a task that is nearly at a point of costing him more than its worth. This show is a diamond in the rough to say the least, but that’s part of it’s charm. #letterkenny.
Available on: Netflix
**Check out the Rust Valley Restorers: Season 2 review.
Car Masters** follows Mark Towle and his Temecula, California based team at Gotham Garage’s new business venture: start with a $1000 vehicle and build something worth trading for another vehicle, build, repeat, trade, until finally having a vehicle worth $100k+ dollars – or what they refer to as “the 6 figure pay day.” – unlike other RUSToration shows, this series is cumulative which keeps you more engaged as you track the team’s overall progress.
Available on: Netflix
**Check out the review of Car Masters: Rust to Riches from 2019. Season 2 Review from 2020.
Set in the heart of Las Vegas, Danny “the Count” Koker and the team from Counts Kustoms don’t settle for anything less than #fullsend on any of their builds. Arguably as flashy as the city they’re based in, the builds can range from mild-to-wild. Cars, Choppers… pretty much anything on wheels. Although the show can feel a bit “produced” from time-to-time, it still gets our vote since it set the stage for shows like: Detroit Steel, Big Easy Motors, and others that follow a similar format. In the end, the work is really good and nothing stops this team from creating unique one-offs for all types of vehicles and customers. #sendit
Available on: History Channel
Set in Britain’s industrial north, Goblin Works Garage (GWG) is the only show in this bunch that takes place in Europe focusing on the #restomod of modern European classics. Each episode has a center piece vehicle: MINI 1275 GT, E30 BMW, Volvo 245, Porsche 944, to name a few. While working on the featured vehicle of the week, they also attempt a second (maybe less important build) which is usually a motorcycle. Each episode has a different objective: turn a cheap used car into an a drift car, bagged show car, sleeper-dragster, track-day (hpde) bomber, etc., and then find a buyer. Since the show is currently airing season 2, it hasn’t quite hit it’s stride making the chemistry of the GWG team a bit awkward. Despite not having the charm of other shows – the work is top notch! – but the GWG team takes some getting used to. Admittedly, we’ve learned and adopted a couple of techniques from watching GWG for our own #restomod projects.
Available on: Motortrend, Motortrend Go (formerly Velocity)
Garage Squad is the car worlds version of HGTV’s Extreme Home Makeover. The Garage Squad’s mission is to seek out unfinished project cars and get them across their long awaited finish line on behalf of the owners. If you’re into home renovation shows, this is the RUSToration show for you. The big reveal is often very emotional and gives you those “feels.” – Garage Squad is definitely a show you can share with your significant other especially if they’re not a petrol-head.
Available on: Motortrend, Motortrend Go (formerly Velocity)
Salvage Hunters: Car Classics (SHCC) is actually a spin-off of famed British antiques dealer Drew Pritchard’s show “Salvage Hunters”. SHCC has a slower pace than many of the other RUSToration shows on this list, but Drew’s keen eye for design sets this show apart from the rest. Many times cars are chosen not for their significance or pedigree but rather what Drew can conjure up, to expand upon a key element in the the vehicle’s design that speaks to him artistically. All projects are kept within a budget, but the work is overall superb.
Available on: Motortrend, Motortrend Go (formerly Velocity)
Here’s a list of RUSToration shows you can check out for yourself on all the major providers:
#neverstoplearning
I grew up with a father (GTM member Romano C) who was and will always be very passionate about cars. Naturally I was drawn to all things that had a motor. I went from watching NASCAR every Sunday to being my fathers pit-crew for his weekend RC races. Then I purchased my first car, a black 1984 Chevy Camaro when I was 17.
Developing my skills as a driver was something I became passionate about. Any chance I had I’d practice being smooth with my acceleration & steering and learned to feel what my car was doing. This hard work was all in hopes that I would be an amazing race car driver one day. However, as you may have guessed, that’s not exactly how things turned out. Going to college for 6 years then straight to a full time job made things difficult. And I had very little to no money.
I found another way to embrace the world of racing, or at least get a taste for what it could be like, through motorcycles! My first time ever on a motorcycle was a two-up with my now husband. It was the most freeing yet equally terrifying thing I had ever experienced. Yet after each ride it left me wanting more. The adrenaline rush became something I looked forward too.
However, being the oldest daughter, and yes we can put emphasis on the ‘daughter’ part, still no money and a mother who would lose her mind it if she even knew I thought about buying a motorcycle made it damn near impossible for me to be apart of the two wheel world. If I couldn’t afford to be out there driving I need to be out there riding.
After being my husbands backpack for many years I finally got my own bike. I started with my husbands 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R fully built and ready for the track (above). As a novice new rider it was a heavy bike full of power and my feet barely skimmed the ground.
Even with those obstacles and people nervous I couldn’t handle the bike, I had a husband who knew I could do it. Instead I used all of obstacles to my advantage. My first lesson was in braking. Not being able to reach the ground so easily taught me the importance gradually applying the brakes when coming to a stop so that I wouldn’t upset the suspension and risk falling over. Over time my smooth braking off the track translated to smooth trail braking later on as I progressed as a rider!
Being a women in the motorcycle or even car world has its pros and cons. Fast forward 5 years, add a new bike (2015 Kawasaki ZX6R as seen in purple) and more seat time on and off track have given me so much. What I have gained from riding (regardless of gender) is a life full of passion, adrenaline and excitement from here on out!
More to come, keep the shiny side up. ~Alicia.
