I will be attending a La Carrera Panamericana Fiesta in a couple weeks for a BBQ with many other veteran drivers, navigators and fans who have competed in this historical event. Also on hand will be La Carrera Presidente Eduardo Leon and his wife Monica Grossmann, who I have had the distinct pleasure of getting to know while competing in last year’s La Carrera Panamericana. Besides a few original La Carrera cars that will be on hand, we will also be treated to a very special private race car selection owned by Ron Lee, which will include one of two ’55 Kurtis GT coupes, and a ’32 Indy car, plus many beautiful hot rod creations.

I asked a good friend of mine, Paul Chenard, if he could whip up a little something special to share with everyone at this rare get together. Paul blew my mind when he sent me this awesome painting of the 1953 World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who won the La Carrera Panamericana for Lancia without winning one daily leg of the seven day event–his accumulated time over the entire event was significantly lower than his nearest competitor. He knew how to pace himself and conserve his equipment when others were slowed by mechanical problems. This amazing tribute not only says a lot about Juan Fangio but also about anyone who has ever completed La Carrera Panamericana. For those of you who are interested in race history but may not have heard of Juan Fangio, do a search on him and get ready to be blown away. For that matter be sure to learn more about the historical La Carrera Panamericana which is considered by the race world to be one of the top two most grueling races in the world second only to the Mille Miglia. 

Paul has recently completed a limited edition series that captures the essence of the era of machinery used in Grand Prix cars, which boasted magnificent engines that were also mechanical works of art. You can see this series after the jump.

Continue reading "Automotive Art: in the Eyes of the Beholder" »

When I first began driving as a teenager, I really wasn’t bothered by the price of gas, primarily because like most country boys raised on a ranch we had our own gas pump. I had actually driven for almost a year before I ever had to pay for a tank of gas. I recall a couple of cute gals from my high school cruising around with me on a Friday afternoon when we all decided it would be cool to drive over to a nearby town and check out the sites. Before we got ready to leave I asked, "Since it’s about fifteen miles over there, how much gas will it take us to get there and back? Do I have enough?" The gals didn’t know any more than I did so we pulled into a gas station to ask a friend. He asked me how much cash I had and after looking in my ash tray where I kept my money I found about six dollars. I remember him saying. "Six bucks! That’s enough to drive all the way across Oregon and back." Continue reading…

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