CARRERAS NEWS -- CHI EXPRESS DEADLINE

Carreras News

Holiday Edition 2013

**CHIHUAHUA EXPRESS DEADLINE

Several racers have already taken advantage of the $250 USD discount on the Chihuahua Express entry fee by paying their fee in December.  The deadline is December 31, but if your check for $2500 USD is in the mail by then, it will be warmly received.  On January 1, the fee goes up $250.  The fee for the Express Tour, a regularity rally, is $1250.

Rooms at the four-star Soberano Hotel remain $165 USD (tax and service included) a night for a single (one king bed) or double (two queen beds).  Registration, tech, and all driver’s meeting will all be held at this hotel, located high on a hill in the modern, western suburbs of Chihuahua City.   Most racers will spend five nights at the Soberano, checking in Wednesday, April 2, and checking out on Monday, April 7.  Registration and tech begin Sept. 2 at 10:00 AM.

**SCHEDULE FOR THE EXPRESS

Again this year, on Thursday morning April 3, the cars in full competition will run an optional “pre-qualification” stage of 12 KM to help determine the starting order on Friday.  This stage is run on part of the original Pan Am Highway used in 1950-1954 for that historic race.  It is just about the only piece of the original highway left from Chihuahua City to Ciudad Juarez.  The ceremonial start of the race will be that evening at a plaza near the hotel.  A drivers’ meeting will follow.

On Friday the cars will race northwest over several low mountain ranges to the city of Madera, stop for lunch and service, and then race the same stages back toward Chihuahua City.  The first stage in the morning and last stage in the afternoon, a 22 KM run though the first mountain range, is one of the true challenges of the event for cars and drivers.

On Saturday the event heads southwest to the majestic Copper Canyon, a major tourist attraction in this part of Mexico and the world.  The cars will end the morning’s run at the actual rim of the canyon, where lunch will be served.  The stages back down from the canyon are another test of the cars (brakes) and drivers (patience).

Sunday takes the cars through the desert 145 miles to Ojinaga, across from Presidio, Texas.  It’s a short day, but the stages are very fast.  Several stages will be run up and over mountain ranges.  It is a day that favors big-bore cars.

**TRANSPORT TO CHIHUAHUA CITY

Chihuahua City is only 240 miles south of El Paso, Texas and a mere145 miles from Presidio, Texas.  By comparison, it is around 960 miles from Mexico City.  The roads in the part of Mexico are excellent, primarily because there’s not a lot of rain.  Being sparsely populated, there are also very few villages in the area with the scourge of Mexican rally drivers – speed bumps (topes).

On Tuesday, April 1 a convoy will convene in El Paso and cross the border the next morning April 2 at Santa Teresa, New Mexico, which is next door to El Paso.  This route bypasses the city of Juarez completely.  From Santa Teresa to Chihuahua City there is only one town of any size along the entire route.

Chihuahua City has a modern international airport and excellent, first-class (luxury) express bus service to Juarez-El Paso.

During the race the cars in competition and the Tour will be assisted by a virtual army of state police, local police, and EMT personnel.

Worried about your safety?  Take comfort in the fact that in 26 years of international rallies in Mexico or longer, including the Pan Am, Border Challenge, and Express, there has been not one incident of violence directed at a competitor.  Just keep your eyes on the road and not on the impressive landscapes along the race route!

For an entry form or a detailed FAQ about the Express, just hit your reply button.  More info is also available at www.chihuahuaexpress.com.  The Express is part of the Silver State Challenge Classic.  www.sscc.us

**RESULTS OF LA CARRERA 2013

A report on how los norteamericanos (Canadians and Americans) did in the event has been posted on www.panamrace.com.  Here is a short version.

Defending LCP Champion Gabriel Perez (MX) successively defended his title by beating his countryman Emiliano Velazquez in another Turismo Mayor car by a comfortable 3:34.  American favorite Doug Mockett had tire and mechanical problems on Days 1 and 2, and quickly fell out of contention, ending in 19th overall. 

Congratulations to the class winners from North America:

1.       Paul Hladky (USA), driving a smart race, was the highest American finisher in fifth overall and first in his class, Turismo Production. Adrian Gerrits was his able co-piloto.

2.       Renée Brinkerhoff (USA), driving probably the neatest looking car in the entire race finished first in Sports Menor in her Porsche 356.   Americans swept all three top places in this class. 

3.       Conrad Stevenson and Nelson Chan (USA) emerged as the winners of Historic A Plus. But Martin Lauber (USA) has request a review of the results in this class.

4.       Carson Scheller and daughter Lauren (USA) repeated once again as champs of the Original Pan Am class, finishing 25^th overall.  It was Carson´s 4^th win, with three second place finishes, and never a DNF in seven tries.

Honorable mentions

Taz Harvey, driving his new Datsun Z car, finished 8^th overall but a disappointing 2d in Historic B, losing to a Porsche 911 from Mexico. 

Rene Rodriquez (MX) and the Vance Stewart boys (USA), from TBZ Racing, won third place again in Turismo Mayor in their Ford, “El Jefe,” also significantly improving their overall standing from last year, too. 

Christian Reichardt (USA) had to leave the race early, but his partner Dan Roche (Canada), and A. J. Schwitenberg  finished in second in Original Pan Am and 54^th overall in their Lincoln.

Neville Sonner and Dawson Tanner (USA) took second in Sports Menor in their Porsche 356, followed by Rob Curry and Rickey Shaw in third, also in a 356. 

Ray Stevenson and Paul Fruchbom (USA), team driving, put their Porsche 911 in 20^th place overall and 7^th in class, a very creditable outcome for rookies.  Walt Sikes and Gordon Walton (USA), in their beautiful 911, followed in 30^th spot overall, up from 52d last year. 

Other class winners included Mexican Xavier Lamadrid in Historic C (a.k.a., the “Mustang race”) and finished 7^th overall.   Jack Rogers and C.J. Strupp (USA), who suffered nagging mechanical problems, were the highest American finishers in this class. 

The LT Special, a Chevy Chevelle chassis with a Mexican fiberglass sports-car body, was finally hauled out of storage to win Sports Mayor again in the hands of piloto Adrian Stephens (GB) and co-piloto Sam Burg (USA).

Of the 84 cars that actually started the race on Day 1, only 62 were running on the last day, including 21 from the U.S. and Canada out of 28 entries.  There were several off-road “excursions,” but no serious injuries were reported.

With the exception of the misadventures some tardy racers and support crews had in entering  Mexico City, most North American competitors seemed highly pleased with the event this year.  The Organizers got high marks for making improvements in the drivers’ meetings and delivering the timing results. 

**PAN AM CARS AT ROAD AMERICA, 2014

Pan Am cars have been invited to two events at Road America, the famous track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, about three hours north of Chicago.  The first event is “The Hawk with Brian Redman,” July 18-20.  Since this is the 50^th anniversary of the Mustang, it will be the featured car, so while all Carrera cars are invited, Carrera Mustangs have a special invitation.  This may be the greatest assembly of racing Mustangs in America.  Usually, nearly 500 cars participate in The Hawk.  Because Road America is over four miles long, so there is room there for a big herd of ‘Stangs.

The second event is the “VSCDA Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival” at Road America September12-14.  VSCDA is a vintage race organization in the Mid-West.

**PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILLCLIMB

Registration for this famous event is open on line until January 31.  www.PPIHC.com  Because the road up the mountain is all paved now, the event is over-subscribed, which means some people who will sign up will receive “regret” notices in February.  Although past vintage champion Doug Mockett does not plan to return to the event this year, we expect several Pan Am cars to be there, including Mustangs from Todd Landon’s shop. Todd’s Mustangs are rentable for The Hawk, Pikes Peak, and even Bonneville in August.  Other rental cars at available from two shops in San Miguel de Allende,  Mexico – Mats Hammarlund Racing and Euro-Latino Racing.   Our Pan Am cars are very popular in this event.

Happy Holidays to all!

Gerie Bledsoe

North American Coordinator

La Carrera Panamericana and Chihuahua Express

www.panamrace.com+1-650-525-9190

USPS address:

220 N Zapata Hwy Ste 11 Pmb68B

Laredo, TX  78043

Chihuahua Express Reminder

Season Greetings from chilly Chicago!  This the season to be jolly and perhaps save a little money, too.

 

The entry fee for the 2014 Chihuahua Express is $2500 USD until the end of this month, when it increases to $2750.  Rooms at the Soberano remain $165 USD per night, double or single.  An entry application is attached to this email. I also attached the usual FAQ.

 

We have already had several North Americans sign up for full competition and for the Express Rally Tour.

 

You may send me a check to my Laredo address (see below) or deposit the funds in Chacho's account at Bank of America.

 

The event will include the "pre-qualification" stage on Thursday morning, April 3 along one of the last remaining stretches of the original Panamerican Highway in Chihuahua, which used by the original Pan Am race in 1950-1954.  It's about 10 minute drive north from the Soberano.

 

Thursday at 18:00 hours, we will have the ceremonial,  but mandatory start at "Plaza El Palomar," 15 minutes from the hotel, which will be followed by the Drivers' Meeting and Dinner at the Soberano at 21:00 hours.

 

Please let Chacho or me know you hotel needs:

 

    number of rooms

    single (one king) or double (two queens)

    check-in date

    check-out date

    smoking or non-smoking

     

Again, a convoy will leave northern El Paso on Wednesday morning, April 2, for the 240 mile drive down to Chihuahua City from Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

 

Next week I should be able to send you a copy of the rules for 2014, which seem to have only a few modest changes.

 

If you have any questions, please let me know.

 

Gerie

Report on 2014 Pan Am

Results of LCP 2013

Defending LCP Champion Gabriel Perez (MX) successively defended his title by beating his countryman Emiliano Velazquez in another Turismo Mayor car by a comfortable 3:34.  The pre-race favorite for many Mexicans, Guillermo ” Memo” Rojas, Jr., a professional driver in American sports car events, finished a disappointing third, more than 13 minutes behind the leader because of a crash on day one that cost him dearly.  After the race, Memo was quoted as saying, “I´ll be baaaaaaaaaaaack!”

American favorite Doug Mockett had tire and mechanical problems on Days 1 and 2, and quickly fell out of contention, ending in 19th overall.    His co-piloto and reigning queen of the LCP, Angelica Fuentes, was all smiles in Zacatecas but remained disappointed.  You can be sure that this team will also return in fine form.

Congratulations to the class winners from North America:

1.       Paul Hladky, driving a smart race, was the highest American finisher in fifth overall and first in his class, Turismo Production. Adrian Gerrits was his able co-piloto.

2.       Renée Brinkerhoff, from Denver, driving probably the neatest looking car in the entire race…made entirely of steel…finished first in Sports Menor in her Porsche 356.   This was her second race behind the wheel, but first one as a full-time driver.  She even experienced an “off” when she hit an oil spill on Day 6, resulting in a few “rally marks” on her neat little car.  Renée was ably assisted by her Mexican co-piloto Roberto Mendoza.  Americans swept all three top places in this class.  Renée may be the first woman driver from any country to mount the podium, and is certainly the first to win her class, according to Eduardo Leon, the race’s organizer.

3.       Conrad Stevenson and Nelson Chan emerged as the winners of Historic A Plus when class leader Martin Lauder´s “Taxi Perdido” pulled up lame early on Day 7.   Many considered Conrad’s red Alfa to be the sexiest car in the event with its Sophia Loren curves.  See more below about recent developments in this class.

4.       Carson Scheller and his daughter Lauren repeated once again as champs of the Original Pan Am class and 25^th overall.  It was Carson´s 4^th win, with three second place finishes, and never a DNF in seven tries.  Awesome!

Honorable mentions.

Taz Harvey, driving his new Datsun Z car, finished 8^th overall but a disappointing 2d in Historic B, losing to a Porsche 911 from Mexico.    Last year in his Datsun 510, he and navigator Rudy Vajdak had finished 8^th overall but 1^st in Historic A Plus.   Reportedly, Taz had the usual problems sorting out a new car during the race.  When this car gets sorted out, it will finish much higher in the rankings.

Rene Rodriquez and the Vance Stewart boys, from TBZ Racing, won third place again in Turismo Mayor in their Ford, “El Jefe,” also significantly improving their overall standing, too.  They enjoyed major support from sibling cheer leader Kristin, who was unable to experience the cockpit this year because of the rule limiting a car to three drivers.  Vance Stewart III, apparently emerged as the hot shoe in the family.

Christian Reichardt had to leave the race early, but his partner Dan Roche, and A. J. Schwitenberg  finished in second in Original Pan Am and 54^th overall in their Lincoln.    After doing so well the first few days, the only other car, a Chrysler Hemi, driven by David Buchanan, in this class was put it on the trailer by bad oil pump.

More cars are needed in Original Pan Am.

Father and son team Douglas Hampson finished third in Historic C Plus and 49^th overall in their Volvo, and reportedly have adventures to remember in the wild, too-fast transit stages.

Neville Sonner and Dawson Tanner took second in Sports Menor in their Porsche 356, followed by Rob Curry and Rickey Shaw also in a 356.  They, too, experience an “off¨ on Day 6 in the oil spill, and had the dubious distinction of being pulled out of the ditch by the same fellow who helped them out the last time they had an “ooops.”

Ray Stevenson and Paul Fruchbom, team drivers, put their Porsche 911 in 20^th place overall and 7^th in class, a very creditable outcome for rookies.  Ray says, I was just getting started! 

 Walt Sikes and Gordon Walton, in their beautiful 911, followed in 30^th spot overall, up from 52 last year.  Walt looked good on YouTube managing to avoid a spin on Day 6 on that oil slick stage that collected the two 356s and totaled an Alfa.

Other class winners included Mexican Xavier Lamadrid in Historic C (the “Mustang race”) and finished 7^th overall.   The other two top spots in that class went to Europeans, leaving people thinking, what´s wrong with our North American pony cars?   Jack Rogers and C.J. Strupp, who suffered nagging mechanical problems, were the highest American finishers in this class. 

The only Chevy in the Historic C class, a ’65 Nova SS, driven by Canadians John and Chrislana Gregory, finished 35^th and 9^th in class, after suffering steering problems much of the way.  Fortunately they found a part in a “yonke” (junkyard) in San Miguel de Allende that helped somewhat.

Ian Swan and his wife Val from Australia finished 4^th in Historic C and 18^th overall in a Todd Landon-prepared Mustang.  Landon prepared four Mustangs, his personal best, for the folks from Down Under.  Results for the team of four cars, as you might expect, were mixed.

The LT Special, a Chevy Chevelle chassis with a Mexican fiberglass sports-car body, was finally hauled out of storage to win Sports Mayor again in the hands of Adrian Stephens (GB) and Sam Burg (USA).  They finished 55^th overall, the only car to finish in their class.  But they looked sporty!  Sam also has driven that car to the podium in the past.

Miles Jones and Bob Gehlen, who had their share of mechanical adversity, always looked dapper, and rolled across the finish line in their daily-driver Mustang, finishing in 57^th position overall.  Really, Miles drives this same car to work each day…..sans roll cage.

Jake Shuttlesworth, who led the Coyote Convoy across the Columbia Bridge this year, and navigator Gil Stuart finished in 42d overall, up eleven places from last year.  Jake plans a comeback in Original Pan Am.

In the final unreported class, Historic A, first place went to Roger Furrer and Julian Pitts (Swiss lads) in their baby blue Triumph TR4.  Furrer should be given a Spirit of Carrera award for driving his car most of the way from Houston, Texas to Veracruz with the Coyote Convoy and back to Houston after the race.

Of the twenty-six entries from the U.S. and Canada, seven did not finish because of crashes or mechanical failures:  Martin Lauber (his DNF is under review), Richard Bailey, Kaming Ko, John Daniels, Chip Fudge, David Buchanan, and Chris Ebertz.  The Alberto Bazan father and son team had to withdraw their quick BWM 2002 in Morelia because of a family emergency.

Martin Lauber informs me that he actually finished the final day way down on power, but for some reason, his results were not included in the final tally.  Stay tuned.  Martin ran a great race and it was disappointing to see his car having problems at the end of the race.  Sometimes corrections are made in the final results published on the official web site.

Northern American LCP coordinator, Gerie Bledsoe and his co-piloto, Fernando Garcia, “El Zorro the Younger,” finished 41st in a “new” silver ’53 Studebaker fabricated by Frank Oliveto in Richmond, California.   Dubbed “The Silver Fox,” it was sidelined for two days after tarry gravel ate its power steering hose on Day 1, ultimately ruining the p/s pump, and increasing the steering ratio from 16:1 to 3:1.  After one day of trying to be a 600 pound gorilla behind the wheel, Bledsoe tossed in the towel until a small pump off a Jeep was modified to work two days later. As it stands now, the Silver Fox is slated go to vintage events in the Midwest next season to promote rallying in Mexico.

Of the 84 cars that actually started the race on Day 1, only 62 were running on the last day.  There were several off-road excursions, but no serious injury was reported.  Reportedly, four or five cars failed to start, for whatever reason. Last year race had over 100 entries.  Some believe that the significant increase over the past few years in the entry fee has caused diminishing returns.

With the exception of the misadventures some racers and support crews had in entering and exiting Mexico City later in the evening, most North American competitors seemed highly pleased with the event this year.  Apart from some problems with missing hotel reservations, the Organizers got high marks for improvement in the drivers’ meetings and timing results.  The lower number of cars probably made the event run smoother, as well, one competitor noted.  On the other hand, most of us would vote not to run speed stages on fresh tarmac and have a little more time in the transit stages.

Finally, we missed a lot of old friends, like Stewart and Linda Robertson, Bill Shanahan, Tom Overbaugh, Steve Waldman, Kevin Kelley, Tony and Lee-Ann Streslzow (rumored to have survived the Peking to Paris), and Marcia Duncan Blas one of the event´s greatest supporters, to name just a few.  We hope to see them all back next year.

Gerie Bledsoe

Evanston, Illinois

December 2013