CARRERAS NEWS - RACE REPORT 2012

Carreras News

December 2012

**CHIHUAHUA EXPRESS, APRIL 19-21
**PAN AM REGISTRATION – FEBRUARY
**RAISING FUNDS FOR LUPITA
**TRIBUTE TO JOHN FITCH
**PAN AM 2012 - OFFICIAL REPORT
**CLASSIFIEDS
--MEXICAN COLA-COLA BUICK FOR SALE

--NEW ‘54 STUDEBAKER FOR SALE



**CHIHUAHUA EXPRESS , APRIL 19-21

North American and European participation in the Chihuahua Express is on the increase, given the number of entries received and requests for information. Several drivers from the U.S. are even signing up for the Express Rally Tour, a time/distance event.


The deadline for the early entry discount has been continued until December 31. It will be $2250 USD until all the mail is received after the holidays.


There is evidence that the violence associated with the drug wars in Mexico is on the decline, perhaps because of the installation of the new president of Mexico, and that, regardless, folks north of the border are learning that this violence has had no adverse impact on racing in Mexico.


A new bulletin entitled “Driving the Chihuahua Express – Advice for Rookies” is available on request. It describes what it is like to compete in this stage rally across the mountains of north-central Mexico.

**PAN AM REGISTRATION – FEBRUARY


Nothing has been posted on the official web site yet about the dates of next year’s Pan Am race. Normally, it starts the last Friday in October and end seven days later. That would be October 25-November 2, 2013. It could also be the preceding week.


Also nothing has been posted about when entries may be submitted. Last year, registration opened on the official web site in mid-February.


North American (U.S. and Canada) rookies should fill out a pre-registration form and send photos of their car and its roll cage to the North American Coordinator for review prior to February. Final approval will be made by the Chief Inspector for the event. Returning veterans who are entering a new car should also send photos of the car and its roll cage to the Coordinator in January.


If you need diagrams and advice about constructing a proper cage for the Pan Am (and the Chihuahua Express) please ask the North American Coordinator. Again, the final decision about cages and other safety equipment is made during inspection at the events.


A current racing license in the U.S. or Europe is expected but not required. All entrants should have appropriate experience or training.


**RAISING FUNDS FOR LUPITA


The Friends of Lupita (Amigos de Guadalupe Hernandez) want to thank all who contributed to her trust fund during the Pan Am. Contributions came in a variety of ways this year. Stewart and Linda Robertson started the ball rolling with a generous cash contribution, which was followed by one from Todd Landon (“Mustangs to Go”).

Walter Sikes donated a batch of decals for the cars, which were sold with other donated items before the race. $330 was collected in sales. Finally, a special CARRERA CARS SALE edition of this newsletter raised over $1000, with major contributions coming from Lars Stugemo, Rich Morrison, and Paul Hladky. Another anonymous donor contributed $300 in early December.

Contributions may be sent to “Amigos de Lupita”
c/o Doug Mockett, P.O. Box 3333, Manhattan Bch, CA, 90266.


**TRIBUTE TO JOHN FITCH

As most of you know by now, Pan Am legend John Fitch passed away recently. Fitch was the only American driver hired by Mercedes for the Pan Am. After the Pan Am, he had a significant racing career in the U.S. and Europe, and went on to make many other contributions to motor sports and driving safety.

A absolutely great collection of vintage photos honoring Fitch can been seen at http://www.sportscardigest.com/john-fitch-a-pictorial-remembrance/?awt_l=I5rwA&awt_m=JNZbn.yC7us.C0

Indeed this is one of the best collections of photos I have ever seen.

Fitch was extensively interviewed for the most recent DVD on the original Pan Am by producer-director Stephen Mitchell. It is available on DVD for $22.00 from Interfund http://www.interfund.biz/carrerapan/.



**PAN AM 2012 - REPORT

The 25th running of La Carrera Panamericana is in the books. Congratulations to Gabriel Perez and Ignacio Rodriguez who piloted their beautiful white Studebaker to a decisive victory.

North Americans in the top ten included: Doug Mockett and Angelica Fuentes (3d), Stewart and Linda Robertson (5th) and Taz Harvey and Rudy Vajdak (8th).

For a variety of reasons, this Pan Am was exceptional. Instead of starting in the traditional city of Tuxtla Gutierrez or Oaxaca, the organizers ultimately decided to start in Veracruz, Mexico’s major port city on the Gulf of Mexico. This is the third time in recent memory the rally has started there.

The good news was: the event had the use of the new convention center in Veracruz, the World Trade Center, and the air conditioning was appreciated by all. Registration and tech always goes a lot easier when the air temp is less than 90 degrees F.

The rest of the route was pretty routine for the veterans, but maybe a little intimidating for rookies, and the event had a lot of rookies this year, especially from Mexico. Experienced navigators, like Fernando Garcia and Angelica Fuentes, spent a lot of time mentoring the new co-pilotos along the way.

From Veracruz the race went to Oaxaca for the first night. The racing was excellent and the welcome in Oaxaca was enthusiastic as usual. Unfortunately, a co-piloto in a Mexican car, Javier Davalos, was killed on the second speed stage when his car crashed. According to one of the event’s doctors he perished because he was not wearing his safety belts properly. His brother was driving the car. Our condolences go to the entire family.

From Oaxaca, the event followed the original Pan Am highway down to Tehuacán for the traditional fiesta in the town square. It seems that half of the city’s population shows up. After an hour signing autographs and kissing babes of all ages, the cars headed to Puebla for the night. There were also large crowds in Puebla, but they were more subdued, lacking the excitement in Tehuacán.

From Puebla the cars made a long transit in the early morning to the state of Queretaro, where they ran speed stages in the Sierra Gorda. The first speed stage was a new one to most Carrera veterans, and the results were spectacular (see Legal below). After a night in Queretaro the race moved on to the mountain road called Mil Cumbres in Michoacán and the lovely colonial city of Morelia the next evening. As usual, the Zocalo and cathedral in Morelia were spectacular.

From Morelia, the cars zipped up Mil Cumbres again, and turned north toward the state and city of Guanajuato for the second time in so many years. At last report, no cars got lost (for long) in the maze of tunnels under this unique capital city. Again, the speed stages over the mountain from Guanajuato to Dolores Hidalgo seemed popular with the racers, who headed toward the industrial city of San Luís Potosí (SLP) for the evening. The contrast between SLP and Guanajuato is significant. SLP is located on a plain, without many hills for racing, while Guanajuato, a university town, is located in a deep mountain valley, along the course of a river.

From SLP the race jogged back to the state of Aguascalientes to run up and down the stage called La Congoja, before heading north to La Bufa and the finish line in Zacatecas.

In addition to the racing fatality on the first day, an American racer from Alaska, Brock “Coach” Weidner, suffered a fatal heart attack on the final day. Fortunately, he had just pulled over at a closed part of the highway in a speed stage when he collapsed at the wheel. Our sympathy goes to his co-driver, Alicia Dunning, friends, and family. Brock was neither married nor had children, but will be missed by his friends and clients up north.

As has become the custom, each race car crew stopped at the finish line’s arch in Zacatecas to dance on the roof so they could douse each other with cheap champagne, beer, or some other sticky beverage. The poor drivers at the end of the line had to wait hours to cross the finish line. Clearly, the crews seemed happy with the event and pleased to have finished.
(This account was edited and approved by the Pana Organizing Committee.)

**REFLECTIONS ON RACING IN MEXICO

The people, the colonial cities, good friends, and the landscape of Mexico never disappoint. The crowds that came out to see the Pan Am cars in sweaty Veracruz were significant, and absolutely huge in the beautiful zocalo of Oaxaca and especially Tehucán, where it is estimated that at least one-third of the population lines the streets and packs the historic center to greet the “Pana.” Only in this city is a seventy-year old gringo driver capable of provoking real swoons from fifty-year old women and a sixteen year-old girls simply by touching their hands and saying, “hola” with a smile, while trying to drive with the other hand into the packed main square.

During the day the Pan Am cars pass long lines of trucks, busses, and cars waiting patiently for race to pass so they can reach their destination. In all cases we are greeted with applause, “V” signs, and thumbs up; nary a one-finger salute. Entries into the cities are always exciting when the police wave us wildly through intersections or show off how fast they can ride their motorcycles while looking pack at the line of race cars behind them. And then there are the children with their big brown precious eyes, taking it all in, as their parents line them up to take photos with the “brave pilotos and co-pilotos.”

Women crew members are especially sought out for photos and smiles of admiration and we can only hope that these impressions, memories, and photos will encourage some of these girls to consider alternative careers as they mature.

How many photos and videos were taken with cell phones in the seven days as we passed through big cities and one-burro villages? Fifty gazillion?

And finally there are our fellow competitors who--once the initial adrenalin rush wears off --are quickly bonded together as friends, at least racing buddies, by their mutual quest simply to survive and to cross the finish line, given the pain and suffering experienced along the way, such as the two tragic deaths.

Walking down the street in Zacatecas as the cars are still creeping through the final arch most veterans realize that, while the cars and racing is the reason we are together, it is the profound mutual experience as humans and the friendships that we will remember and treasure most as the years pass.


**CLASSIFIEDS

‘54 Studebaker Commander. A Beautiful New Car.

355 cubic inch Chevrolet, full roller motor, Tremec wide ratio 5 speed. Winters Champ rear end w/ Diamond posi locker. 6 sets of gears. 355 Gears installed. Diff. cooler. Speedway Engineering sway bars, front and rear. Full floater hubs on 4 wheels, 5 on 5. Nascar front suspension. Extra arms, spindles, bearings, heims. Wilwood Superlight XL brakes, Accubrake system, balance gauges, spare Coleman rotors. H and R radiator. Ohlin coilovers. Spare springs. Fuel Safe cell, 22 gallon. Appleton Rack, MSD ignition, cockpit timing adjust. 2012 belts, and seats, nets, fire bottle, chrome(!) cockpit bottle. 2 complete sets, 10 Toyo Tires and 10 wheels. Build Pictures on request. New car, never raced. $80,000 USD.

Contact:  Frank @systemsmechanical.com 415-720-1482. Rolling perfection. Richmond, California.

N.B. This is an exceptional opportunity – a solid, safe, fast car, at a rock bottom price. You cannot duplicate this car and the pride of workmanship for the asking price. Besides that, it’s really sexy. The car may be seen at the Chihuahua Express in April. Buy it now and race it at the Express. Special instruction in getting the most out of the car will be provided by the builder.



Next:

Coca-Cola Pan Am Buick – this is a replica of the Mexican ‘54 Buicks that ran in the original Pan Am. It is reported to be a good driver and easy to update for the Pan Am, Original Pan Am class. Located in Monterey, California. $24,000 USD/BO. Contact Steve Dole at cashblankets@gmail.com. Go to www.Bringatrailer.com for details about the car.

The car was recently used the model for a run of 100,000 die cast models, so you can have it in two sizes. A model comes with the original, too. You are bound to be popular among the Mexicans in this car, which celebrates part of their racing history.



©Gerie Bledsoe 2012
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico

CARRERAS NEWS -- SPECIAL EDITION

Carreras News

October 2012


**Pan Am Entries

**Chihuahua Express, April 19-21, 2013

**Rally Patrio - A Report

**Coyote Convoy and Car Show

**Classifieds

**Legal BS

**Contact Info


**Pan Am Entries

At last count there were 47 entries from Mexico, 30 from Europe, 30 from North America (U.S-Canada), and three or four from other countries. (Some of the national flags posted on the official web site are hard to identify.) This is the first time, at least in my fourteen years in the race, the European entries have equaled or exceeded entries from North America. Unfortunately, four or five gringos withdrew this year

Why the drop in U.S.-Canadian numbers? I assume it’s a combination of the bad news about the narco wars in Mexico—totally exaggerated by Fox News – and the economy. Europe does not get the same slant of the news, it seems. We also have very few rookies from north of the border, another bad sign for the future.

Of course, it is difficult to classify the origins of some entries, too. One car comes from the U.S. but the driver is a German national and his beautiful co-piloto is a Mexican national. They have homes both in Mexico and Texas. Move them to the European or Mexican column and North America falls behind Europe.

**Chihuahua Express, April 19-21, 2013

Entries and interest in the Chihuahua Express seem to up this year. The word is getting out that it’s a truly great event:

--more racing for the dollar (3 days, 1000 miles) Discount of $250.
--modern and classic cars with classes for Pan Am cars
--great roads and scenic country
--close to the U.S. (only 145 miles away)
--drivers meetings start on time – with daily results
--same hotel every night
--a race organizer who appreciates your business
If you are interested in running the event or just participating in the Express Tour (driving the same roads in your regular car), please ask me put you on the Express mailing list. I will also send you a three-page FAQ brochure.

Cost? $2250 USD entry free until November 1. Then it goes to $2400. Hotel accommodations are additional. Rooms at the HQ hotel, the luxury Soberano Hotel, are $165 per night pre-paid, tax included. The Express Tour is $1200, plus hotels. Training in stage-rally timing is provided. For more details, go to www.chihuahuaexpress.com.

**Rally Patrio

On September 22, my co-piloto, Fernando, and I participated for the second year in the Rally Patrio, which is staged in Morelia, one of the Pan Am cities. This rally counts in the Mexican National Rally Championship, so the competition was keen.

After tech and registration on Friday afternoon, the thirty-six cars ran a speed stage around the fairgrounds in Morelia – two cars at a time. It was a hoot, as no one knew where they were going, except perhaps for the locals. After that fiasco, we finally sat down for dinner at 12:30 AM. Yes, in the morning!

On Saturday, we ran speed stages up and down Mil Cumbres in the morning, returned to the main square in Morelia for service and lunch, and then ran up and down the mountain again. It’s amazing how much faster one can go the second time up and back! Whee! Coming downhill in the afternoon, we were 8th and 6th overall.

Of course, there were the usual vicissitudes (yep, that’s a SAT word) of racing on Mil Cumbres, including: one speed stage being canceled when wood choppers felled a big tree across the road; a big cow herd walking down the middle of the road; a pony or two on the shoulder, and a fast chicken darting across the highway.

Furthermore, the slower cars in the congo line, like us, got hit with heavy rain and fog in two stages – fog so thick our speed dropped to 30 MPH at two points on the way up. But the last runs of the afternoon were clear and fast. BTW, the roads on Mil Cumbres are in good shape, but it all depends on how much rain falls on the mountain between now and October 22-23 and what the wood choppers decide to cut.

Thanks to the organizers for a great event and a special shout out to the tech inspector from the Mexican National Rally Commission who took the time to ding us for “improper placement” of our sponsor decals. Why are some guys in power like that?

Anyway, in our stock Subaru WRX we finished 12th of 36 cars, enjoyed our time in Morelia, and had uneventful ride back home in San Miguel de Allende.


**Coyote Convoy and Car Show

This is the 11th year of the Coyote Convoy. I started the convoy in 2002 as a mutual comfort society for the long drive down to Tuxtla Gutierrez. Since then, we have not lost a car.

The convoy will assemble in Laredo, Texas, Thursday, October 11 and cross the border on October 12 for the 550 mile trip to San Miguel de Allende. On Sunday, twenty or more Pan Am cars will be displayed in the main square of town to raise funds for charity. A special party is planned for hotel Matilda on Saturday night, as well, and maybe a surprise after that.

The convoy will then finish the 400 mile drive to Veracruz on Monday, October 15. Registration and inspection do not open until Tuesday at 10 AM and there are assigned parking places, so there is no reason to rush down there. Participation in the convoy is open to anyone with an interest in the Pan Am.

**Classifieds

I am pleased to announce that the Alfa Romero advertised in Carreras News sold in two days. That was the car made specially for Sophia Loren. Congratulations, Frank!

I also had a report that the white, hard-top ’53 Studebaker advertised here a couple of months ago also sold. That was a good deal, too.

And the ’54 Studebaker that I advertised sold for considerably more on eBay than I was asking. The new owner, from California, plans to restore it as stock.

Overall, it has been difficult to sell some of the more expensive Pan Am cars for anywhere near the asking price, because it has become more difficult to get into the race. Why spend $85 KB on a car that might end up sitting in the garage?

Clearly, cars that have run and finished the event, without crashing out, are more valuable than newly minted cars.

**LEGAL STUFF

As you probably know, motorcar racing is dangerous and speed rallies in Mexico can be addictive.

**CONTACT INFORMATION

It’s getting late, but I still can help resolve some problems. I do not, however, do marriage counseling between drivers and co-drivers. Onward!

Gerie Bledsoe

+1-525-650-9190

Carreras News, September 2012

For Sale

Carreras News

September, 2012

                                                         Happy Independence Day Mexico!

**THE PROFESSIONALS ARE COMING!

The evolution of the Pan Am continues this year with three or four more pro drivers from Europe showing up to run in an amateur event. Does it add luster to the event, discourage amateurs, or both? Given the level of talent being recruited, maybe the rank amateurs should be flattered to be allowed to race with these guys. Maybe it should be known as a “pro-am”?

Kenny Brack from Sweden (car #110) raced 59 races and won 5 races in CART including the Indy 500 in 2000-2002 before a near fatal crash ended his Indy car career. Now he races in less dangerous events, including the X Games.

Stefan Johannson, another Swede, also shows up on some LCP entry lists. He participated in Formula One in 1980, then 1983-91, driving for Ferrari, McClaren, or other teams in a total of 79 races. He finished on the podium 12 times.

Of course, there is Jochen Mass, from Germany, another former Formula One driver, who nursed a Mustang with a bad cylinder to a top ten finish last year. This may be his year to capture Historic C and be a contender for the overall podium. One wonders if the organizers will list him among the top five finishers. Jochen is a true believer in the Carrera ethos.

Jonkheer Gijsbert van Lennep (say that after three margaritas) will be racing the “State of Art” Porsche 356 in Original Pan Am. He had eight Formula One races, and raced LeMans for seven years, serving as a co-driver with some more well-known drivers, including Jacky Ickx. He also won the British sports car championship one year.

Michel Jourdain (Mexico), who won the Carrera two years ago, is listed as a competitor on the official web site; however, his participation may be pending sponsorship. Jourdain qualified for the Indy 500 this year, finishing in the top twenty. He has been active in the IRL, CART (1997-2004), and NASCAR Busch series. In 2011 he won the Chihuahua Express, and was the presumptive favorite to win the Pan Am last October, However, he blew his engine the first day and had a couple of off-road excursions while trying to catch the leaders.


Ricardo Triviño, the controversial winner of the Pan Am last year by a whopping four seconds, is not expected to return to the event this year because he is participating in the World Rally Championship in Italy at the same time as the Pan Am.
American favorite Doug Mockett and his co-piloto Angélica Fuentes will return this year after a disappointing trip to the Targa Tazmania. Mockett and Fuentes even missed defending their vintage record at the Pikes Peak Hill International Climb, because it was postponed due to a forest fire near Colorado Springs in June. Instead, Mockett raced at Laguna Seca on August 12 and 19. This may be Mockett’s year.

Off hand, I know of no driver from the US or Canada who has raced professionally. A few, however, have raced at the higher levels of amateur racing, but most of us are only experienced in SCCA regional racing. In fact, some of our regulars have only raced in the Pan Am and Chihuahua Express.


**COYOTE CONVOY PLANS

This is the 11th year of the Coyote Convoy. The convoy will assemble in Laredo Thursday, October 11 and cross the border on October 12 for the 550 mile trip to San Miguel de Allende. On Sunday, twenty or more Pan Am cars will be displayed in the main square of town to raise funds for charity. The convoy will then finish the 400 mile drive to Veracruz on Monday, October 15. Participation in the convoy is open to anyone with an interest in the Pan Am.

**PAN AM TOUR AVAILABLE

Do you have family or friends who want to follow and watch the Pan Am this year? If so, there may be seats available on the Pan Am Tour hosted by Rosa Maria Mondragon, the former public relations director of the event. Rosa Maria or “Rous” has even participated in the “Pana” as a co-piloto, and has been offering this tour for several years.

Because of the format of this race and the speed it moves across the country, it is imperative that you have a driver or guide who knows how to get your friends close to the action.

Contact “Rous” at racecarmedia@yahoo.com.mx.


**NEW FILM ON THE ORIGINAL PAN AM

As some of you may remember, a few years ago several boxes of 16 mm color film on the original Pan Am were found in a garage in Los Angeles. The film was taken by the crew of Ray Crawford, a WWII fighter pilot “ace,” who owned a chain of grocery stores in LA and raced all five years in the original Pan Am. In the race’s last year (1954), as a non-factory entry, he won the trophy for fastest American sedan in his “hot rod” Lincoln. I even showed some of the film in Tuxtla at the driver’s meeting.

About 15 hours of useable film was loaned by the Crawford family to the Kellogg Auto Archives in LA for restoration, and was eventually turned over to a movie maker to turn into a feature length documentary, “Carrera Panamericana de Mexico,” with long interviews with people like John Fitch, who drove for in the original race for Mercedes.

Now it is available on DVD for $22.00 from Interfund http://www.interfund.biz/carrerapan/. You can order it from there web site. You can also order the movie’s poster. Snippets can be seen on YouTube.

The producer of the film, Stephen Mitchell and his partner attended the Carreras Fiesta in Carmel in August and donated a copy of the DVD in a silent auction to Lupita Hernandez, the Mexican nurse who lost both legs at the hip in a Carrera accident in 2003.

**CHIHUAHUA EXPRESS, APRIL 19-21, 2012

The next Express is scheduled for the weekend of April 19-20 in Chihuahua City, Mexico. It will three days of challenging racing over 1000 miles of paved, excellent roads, with about 300 miles of speed stages.

The registration fee is $2400 USD, but there will a discount 0F $250 if paid by November. Entry fees are refundable until January.

Accommodations at the luxury Soberano Hotel in Chihuahua are $165 per night extra. Most racers stay from Wednesday through Sunday nights, a total of five night. Other, less expensive Mexican and U.S. chain hotels are close by.

The event is open to modern and classic cars. Turbo and supercharged cars are permitted. Pan Am cars will race in their respective classes. A class of Spec E30 BMWs is expected to participate.

Don’t want to put a six-point cage in your C Jag or Maybach? OK, you may also enroll in the Express Rally Tour for a much lower fee and see this beautiful country.

All things considered, this event is clearly more bang for your buck than any other event in the world. Driving these roads, across these impressive landscapes at any decent speed, is just plain fun.

If you are interested, please request the three-page brochure about the Express by hitting the reply button, and go to the official web site, www.chihuahuaexpress.com.

The Express is highly recommended for competitors who want to learn how to run a stage rally in Mexico before the LCP in October, since both events use the same rules. Also, the Express offers an excellent opportunity to test new cars at speed, on a twisty Mexican road. It also will take only a week or less of your time.

After all, we get to return to the same hotel each night and sleep in the same bed. No hunting for the hotel or driver’s meeting each night, or toting suitcases across town. What could be sweeter?

Chihuahua City is 250 miles south of El Paso and only 145 miles from Presidio, Texas. A convoy will drive down from El Paso on April 17.

What are you waiting for?


**MERCEDES -- TESTS ORIGINAL 300 SL IN WIND TUNNEL

http://www.sportscardigest.com/historic-mercedes-benz-measured-in-wind-tunnel/?awt_l=DSppY&awt_m=InBqbxMpfus.C0

Michael Sharp brought this item to my attention. It’s about current wind tunnel testing of vintage 300SL Mercedes. Go to the end of the article and check other sites dealing with the Original Panamericana.

**FOR THE “PANA” FREAK WHO HAS EVERYTHING

In 1954 a young photographer went to Mexico to “shoot” the Pan Am. That photographer’s name was Boyd Harnell. Harnell’s photos of Ak Miller’ car, “Caballo de Hierro” (Iron Horse), are famous.

Unlike many of the news photographers, who stationed themselves at the start and finish lines, Boyd would drive out along the route to take photos of the cars actually racing, especially around corners. He was one of the first photographers to use a motor driven camera. Thus he could take a whole series of shots of a car entering and exiting the apex. Today his famous series of photos of Phil Hill driving a factory Ferrari around a corner in the Mexican mountains 1954 hangs in the Pedersen auto museum in Los Angeles and other museums, signed by Phil Hill, too. It’s for sale at $7,800. It’s printed on the highest quality photographic paper that will last 400 years.

If you buy it, Harnell will donate $1000 to the Lupita Hernandez fund, the Mexican nurse who lost both legs in a Carrera accident in 2003.

**CLASSIFIEDS

1962 Alfa Giulietta. This car was made for Sophia Loren, who selected the color.

Spider Serial Number 171597 Original Engine rebuilt 2008. 350 miles since rebuild.

New brakes, shocks, top, seats, carpet, suspension links, battery. New Pirelli Tires.

New Webber carb, new alternator. Have all of the old parts for the purist.

Car is not perfect but close. Shows well. Richmond, CA $22,000 (a steal)

Call Frank at 415-720-1482

[NB: I have seen but not driven this car. It looks great, and how cool is it that Sophia Loren wiggled her sweet fanny into the bucket seats? It’s fully documented as her car and appears in one of her movies. Please do not make a LCP car out of it. I will cry. Gerie]

The "Sarmiento" car. A well known and multiple Carrera Panamericana winner. Not a newly build car but an original Studebaker chassis. Competitive and well prepared. A top-5 finisher in the right hands. Meets the latest Carrera regulations and is in excellent condition.

The car resides in Mexico and is ideal for Chihuahua Express and/or Carrera Panamericana 2012! (See photo below.) Contact info:

RMD Bvba, contact Marc Devis, Belgium, Tel: +32/ (0) 475 422790 Email: salesinfo@rmd.be

Coca-Cola Pan Am Buick – this is a replica of the Mexican ‘54 Buicks that ran in the original Pan Am. It is reported to be a good driver and easy to update for the Pan Am, Original Pan Am class. Located in Monterey, California. $24,000 USD/BO. Contact Steve Dole at cashblanket@gmail.com. Go to www.Bringatrailer.com for details about the car.

The car was recently used the model for a run of 100,000 die cast models, so you can have it in two sizes. A model comes with the original, too.

**LEGAL

Yes, as you probably know, racing is dangerous and the Carrera can be addictive.

**CONTACT INFORMATION

Gerie Bledsoe, Coordinator
La Carrera Panamericana and Chihuahua Express

USPO address: 220 N. Zapata Hwy Ste 11
PMB 68B
Laredo, TX 78043

1-650-525-9190 (Home office)
1-650-867-9488 (mobile, only in US)
Number in Mexico +52-415-185-8470

Email: gbledso@aol.com

www.panamrace.com
www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx
www.chihuahuaexpress.com

Carrera car number: Chevy II, Nova, #395, Historic C (1999-2011)

Carrera Office, Mexico City 1-310-860-6959 (dial as a U.S. number)

Email info@lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx

CARRERA NEWS - JULY 4TH

FOR SALE

CARRERA NEWS


JULY 1 2012



**FIESTA MONTEREY
**PAN AM NEWS
**CHIHUAHUA EXPRESS NEWS
**RALLY DE VOLCANES
**COYOTE CONVOY AND CAR SHOW
**LA CARRERA PRE-RACE TOUR
**SMA CLASSIC MOTORSPORTS WEEK
**LIST OF COMPETITORS
**LEGAL FINE PRINT




**FIESTA MONTEREY – AUGUST 18

The 6th Annual Carrera Fiesta will be held in Carmel, California on August 18, 2012 from 5:00-8:00PM, at the Baja Cantina just outside of Carmel, the same place as last year and the year before. Drinking and kicking tires will go on for a while after the formal ending. Our gracious host is Bill Hemmer.

Please let Bill know if you plan to attend. Pay for your tickets ahead of time, too. This is one cool event. I won’t miss it.

**PAN AM NEWS

Very little news is being made available about the 25th anniversary edition of the Pan Am. As noted before, the organizers decided to start the race in the non-traditional city of Veracruz, which disappointed some people and included San Luis de Potosi on the route.

Rumor has it that the cars will be prepared and inspected in the Veracruz Convention Center, and that the event will not stop for service in San Miguel de Allende. Other than those rumors, there’s little more to report.

The entries have finally been posted on the official web site. It says the 2012 rules are also there, but they would not download to my computer.

There are 32 entries from the U.S. and Canada. A couple of those may not be able to make it, however. These days, I am lucky if they allow me thirty.

**CHIHUAHUA EXPRESS NEWS

Congratulations have been pouring in to Chacho Medina’s office in Mexico City about the last Chihuahua Express. The overall winner of the event, Eduardo Henkel (BMW M3), was absolutely euphoric about the event, the roads, the timing, and the high level of security.

The date next year will be April 12-13-14 (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) OR THE NEXT WEEKEND. Unfortunately, Chacho cannot pick the same week each year because it may conflict with the Easter holidays in Mexico.

**RALLY DE VOLCANES

During course of the year, there are numerous stage rallies in Mexico. If you hold a FMAD license you may participate in any of them. In some rallies like the recent Rally de Volcanes in May a special class for Pan Am cars is included.

The Rally de Volcanes was a great event. Beautiful town (Tapalpa, Jalisco), great people, and great roads. We had time to socialize, see the sites, and relax, unlike some other events where you are always on the go or working on your car. Most importantly, it seemed that the organizers appreciated all who signed up.

Some Americans and Europeans are leaving their Pan Am cars down here at a shop in Mexico and flying down to use them for these rallies and for the big show in October.

**COYOTE CONVOY AND SAN MIGUEL CAR SHOW

At this point we do not have a firm date for when the Coyote Convoy will leave Laredo for the drive down to San Miguel de Allende. The date will be as early as October 11 or as late as October 13. It depends on how the convoy comes across the border: (1) with tourist permits, as we have done for 12 years, or (2) by using the services of a Mexican Customs (Aduanas) agent (broker) as the Race Director of the Pan Am has proposed.

Personally, I like the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) because the document can be obtained via the Internet before you leave home, and they only cost $65 dollars. At the border, they cost only $35 or so. Of course, if you drive into Mexico with a TIP you still need to stop at the border to obtain a tourist visa since the TIP is only good if you have a tourist visa. So, if you get the TIP by the Internet, you also must stop at the border and get a visa.

The organizers of the event said they wanted all the racecars to come into Mexico through a Customs Agent because of real or imagined problems with the company that provides the third-party liability insurance for the event. I have been assured by others that this is a non-issue. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon.


The Pan Am Car Show in San Miguel de Allende, which we held for four years, is back on again due to popular demand, and the fact that the Pan am will not stop in San Miguel, as it did last year. Another factor is – it’s a much shorter, one-day drive to Veracruz on Monday; there’ll be no overnight in Oaxaca going down there.


My preferred schedule for the Convoy is:

Thursday, October 11 – meet in Laredo 6:30 PM, Residence Inn by Marriott, Lost Oak Rd.

Friday, October 12 – cross the border at 7:00 AM, arrive San Miguel around 6:00 PM

Saturday, October 13 – R and R in San Miguel (maybe tour two or three speed stages to Guanajuato)

Sunday, October 14 – Pan Am Car Show, main square, San Miguel from 10:00 AM—4:00 PM

Monday, October 15 – drive to Veracruz 8:00 AM--3:00 PM

The Convoy is open to spectators and others with an interest in the event. Each competitor is responsible under the rules for getting his car safely to the start of the race. The race organization does not endorse or support the convoy, the stop in San Miguel, or other aspects of the Convoy.

**CARRERA TOUR

Racing down in Mexico is a mystery for some North Americans and Europeans who have never visited the country. It takes a while to adjust to the altitude – over 2000 meters, the food, the roads, the culture, and a stage rally, Mexican style. To help people adjust, I started the Carrera Tour last year. By all reports, the participants enjoyed their visit to San Miguel last September.

Why San Miguel? Most importantly, it’s a very safe town, and a major tourist destination in the world. It’s really unlike any in Mexico, because of the blend of Norther American, European, and Mexican cultures. Also you can walk anywhere in town 15 minutes, or take a cab for $2.

Iin 25 minutes we can tour three of the best speed stages of the Pan Am, plus the city of Guanajuato where some competitors got hopelessly lost last year in the tunnels under the city. We will also check out some speed stages near Queretaro.

SMA is a world-class tourist destination, a place that women in particular love. Quaint hotels, boutiques, great restaurants, art galleries, spas by the dozens, inexpensive prices, and other things chics really dig. For the guys, we have two shops that build and support cars for the Pan Am, NASCAR, and other rallys. SMA also offers some neat saloons, along with 24 churches for the more pious.

**SMA CLASSIC MOTORSPORTS WEEK

Speaking of San Miguel, we are close to announcing a week of motorsports and car shows in San Miguel for July 2013.

**LIST OF COMPETITORS

A list of U.S. and Canadian competitors will be sent to those on the CARRERA DRIVER email list. If you want a copy, let me know. You can also find it on the official web site: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/.

**CLASSIFIEDS

ISO Co-Driver for 2012 Pan Am. Experienced driver needs a funded co-driver for this year’s Pan Am. I have participated in the past 13 Pan Am races and know my way around. I need a co-driver who wants to have fun, without risking life and limb. Rally experience is preferred but not essential. The perfect candidate should not be too tall, too heavy, or too square. Listening to my Pan Am stories and jokes is required. A decision must be made soon. Contact me at 650-525-9190 or gbledso@aol.com.

’54 Studebaker Champion. Original, un-cut, rust-free car. 12 volt electrical system, new brakes, master-cylinder, etc. Chevy 350 V8 with 700R automatic transmission with overdrive. Engine was just overhauled. $900 in new Cragar rims and Bridgestone tires. Rear axle from 62-63 Hawk GT with posi-traction. I did not have the heart to turn such a nice car into a Pan Am racer. Located in Northern California. Buy it for what I have invested: $12,980. Free delivery possible outside of California.

’53 Studebaker. The "Sarmiento" car, a well known and multiple Carrera Panamericana winner. Not a newly build car but an original Studebaker chassis. Competitive and well prepared car. A top-5 finisher in the right hands. Meets the latest Carrera regulations and is in excellent condition.

The car resides in Mexico and is ideal for Chihuahua Express and/or Carrera Panamericana 2012!

Contact info:

RMD Bvba

Marc Devis
Belgium
Tel: +32/ (0) 475 422790 Email: salesinfo@rmd.be

Coca Cola Pam Am Buick – this is a replica of the 1954 Buicks that ran in the original Pan Am. It is reported to be a good driver and easy to update for the Pan Am, Original Pan Am. Located in Monterey, California. $24,000 USD.

Clyde Morter – (Illinois) is looking for a ride as co-piloto in LCP 2012 and is willing to share some expenses. His brother, Guy, is also looking for a paid job as a tow truck driver or mechanic. Both have Pan Am experience.

Ray Stephens – (Arizona) is looking for a funded driver for his Porsche 911 in this year’s Pan Am. Ray has participateb twice in the Chihuahua Express but his driver could not make the Pan Am this year. A highly experienced navigator may be available, too.

For email addresses and phone numbers, please contact me.


**LEGAL FINE PRINT

The views expressed in CARRERA NEWS are those of the author and may not (probably don’t) represent the views of the organizers of any event in Mexico. The author is a competitor in both of the main events, and any advice he offers may be considered to possibly constitute a conflict of interest.

All forms of motor sports are inherently dangerous, and road racing in Mexico is no exception. The Pan Am and the Chihuahua Express are long, hard endurance races at high speeds mostly along mountain roads. Mechanical failures are common, accidents not uncommon, and serious injury and even death are quite possible. Addiction to this type of racing is also possible.

Cars should be carefully prepared, with an emphasis on safety (brakes, seat belts, roll cage, etc.), and driven prudently. Drivers and navigators should remember that the most important goal of this event is to finish. Unless you finish, nothing else counts.

Gerie Bledsoe
San Miguel de Allende

THE NEW CARRERA NEWS

**PAN AM 2012 – NORTH AMERICAN ENTRIES UP
**PHOTOS OF 1954 PAN AM “DISCOVERED”
**RALLY TOUR, SAN MIGUEL, SEPT. 5-9, 2012
**CARRERA FIESTA – MONTEREY HISTORICS – AUG. 18
**CHIHUAHUA EXPRESS – NEWS COVERAGE
**RALLY NOTES
**MEXICO – A SAFE PLACE TO VISIT
**CLASSIFIEDS
**CARRERA NEWS – A CHANGE IN FOCUS
**CONTACT INFORMATION
**PAN AM 2012 – NORTH AMERICAN ENTRIES UP


**PAN AM 2012 – NORTH AMERICAN ENTRIES UP

For the fourth straight year La Carrera Panamericana is over-subscribed, and according to them, the Leon family is expecting the same in 2013. Thirty-five competitors will come from U.S. and Canada this year, but the big growth has come primarily from Mexico.

Want to participate next year? Do not plan to enter a Porsche 911, Mustang, or Falcon under less you are a NBF of the owner. Best choices are: Ferrari, Alfa, Maserati, Aston Martin, or something more exotic. Have your entry ready by February 1, 2013.

Twice I have asked the Carrera Office via email when the entries for 2012 will be posted on the official website, but have received no response. There is a rumor, for example, that registration, plus prep and inspection of the car will be held in the Convention Center in Veracruz. Again, no response.


**PHOTOS OF 1954 PAN AM “DISCOVERED”


In 1954 a young photographer, Boyd Harnell, went to Mexico to “shoot” the Pan Am. Unlike many of the Mexican news photographers, who stationed themselves at the start and finish lines each day, Boyd would drive is Olds 98 out along the route to take photos of the cars actually racing. He was also the first photographer to use a motor-driven camera, one salvaged from a German WW II fighter plane. Thus he could take a series of shots of a car rounding a corner. Today his famous photos of Phil Hill and Richie Ginter driving a factory Ferrari around a corner in the Mexican mountains hangs in four museums, including the Nethercutt auto museum in Los Angeles. This series, properly mounted and autographed by Hill, has sold for as much as $13,000.

Boyd went on to an outstanding career in photo-journalism in the U.S. and eventually Japan, where he has lived and worked for the past thirty years. Most recently, he was largely responsible for exposing the massacre of dolphins along the coast of Japan, which led to the making of the award-winning film, “The Cove,” and two Genius Awards from the U.S. Humane Society.

Boyd has graciously agreed to make some of his photos available to readers of CARRERA NEWS. He will print them by hand on the highest quality photographic paper, guaranteed to last a lifetime. Here are two great action shots in low resolution: the famous Caballo de Hierro of Acton “Ak” Miller and a Ford racing at the limit. Ak Miller was the builder and piloto of the Caballo de Hierro (Iron Horse), perhaps the most popular car to run the original Pan Am. The Mexicans loved the car because it was made out of parts from a “yonke,” and called it “La Ensalada,” the salad. Here's Ak and Boyd at a ceremony honoring him and a replica of his car at the NHRA Museum in Pomona a few years ago.

If you want to see Harnell's photos for a possible purchase, please let me know.

**MONTEREY HISTORICS –SIXTH ANNUAL CARRERA FIESTA

The sixth annual Pan Am “Fiesta” will be held on August 18, 2012, 4:00-8:00 PM in Carmel, California at the Baja Cantina again. Last year nearly one hundred people attended. Participants are urged to bring their Carrera cars, or other collectibles, to display.

In addition, our Carmel host, Bill Hemmer, and others will be entering their Carrera cars in the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concourse on August 14, 10:00-3:00 on Ocean View Avenue in Carmel.

**RALLY TOUR, SEPTEMBER 5-9.

For the second year a “Rally Tour” is being offered in San Miguel de Allende. The tour is designed to introduce “rookies” to Mexico and to stage rallying “a la Mexicana.” It is also open to veterans. This year the tour is scheduled over a weekend, September 5-9.

Assuming eight-to-ten participants, the cost will be $495 USD per person. Participants will make their own airline and reservations. They may pick their hotels from a recommended list that includes super luxury to business class, or even an upscale B & B. A lot of detailed information about all the options here in this wonderful area will be provided.

Of all the cities in central Mexico, San Miguel de Allende is probably the safest and most visitor-friendly. It is a small city, so you can walk almost anywhere. It has many excellent restaurants, with a variety of national cuisines; art galleries, design center, spas, and other attractions, including two shops that build racecars. Condé Naste magazine picked SMA as one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world.

The tour will visit the city of Guanajuato and explore the underground labyrinth of roads where several Pan Am cars got lost last year.

Nearby airports include: Leon-Guanajuato (BJX), Queretaro, Morelia, and San Luis de Potosi. There are regular shuttles to and from BJX, the nearest airport, and Mexico City, which is 180 miles away.

If you are interested in the Pre-Rally Tour, please ask for the details and testimonials from last year’s participants. All proceeds go to the charity, Mujers en Cambio, an organization that provides scholarships to disadvantaged young Mexican women from the countryside.

**CHIHUAHUA EXPRESS – NEWS COVERAGE

The 7th Chihuahua Express has received coverage in several U.S. and European publications, including the British Historic Motor Racing News, AUTO D´EPOCA (Italy), and the Vintage Racing League.

A new campaign is being launched this year to build participation in this great event from the U.S. and Canada. Next year’s Chihuahua Express is planned for April 12-13-14, 2013.

**RACING NOTES

Mats Hammarlund Racing had two cars entered last weekend in the Mexican NASCAR series for V6 cars, which is analogous to the Nationwide Series in the U.S. One of his cars crashed early in the race but one finished third. Felicidades!.....Racing folks and car fabricators in SMA are planning motorsports week next summer, July 1-7 for vintage and modern cars, plus motorcycles and solar-powered cars….Pan Am Champ Doug Mockett shipped his ‘54 Olds “down under” for the Targa Tasmania only to discover it rains a lot this time of the year in that part of the world. Doug and his co-piloto Angelica Fuentes, hampered by the lack of windshield wipers, missed a #3 left and the rest of the race. Mockett reported that car was in pretty bad shape, but that the Targa had a nifty electronic timing system….The guys that run Euro-Latino Racing here in SMA are working on a racing tour in Argentina with special cars based on U.S. chassis from the 1930s…..Like to ride a motorcycle? Some guys are planning to follow LCP this year on their bikes….Don’t want to ride a moto? Then sail your yacht to Veracruz with Bill Beilharz, former LCP Champ…..Want to rent a car for LCP? Prices in San Miguel range from $15,000 to $50,000 depending on how fast you want to go and how much support service is provided…..of course, if you break it, you pay to fix it……RIP Carroll Shelby, you were the guy many of us wanted to be – a skilled driver and accomplished car fabricator, and not the least, a humanitarian.

**MEXICO = A SAFE PLACE TO VISIT, RACE, AND LIVE

The U.S. Travel Editor of “Lonely Planet,” a travel information service recently explained in his blog why it is safe to visit Mexico, pointing out that some places in Mexico are a lot safer than many cities and some tourist destinations in the U.S.

U.S. tourism to Mexico, about 5.3 million visitors last year, was down about 3% primarily because of the economy and disturbing drug cartel news from Mexico. There are signs that the trend is turning around, especially among couples with no children.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blog/2012/04/30/are-americans-safer-in-mexico-than-at-home/

In my 15 years of racing in Mexico I never experienced or seen any act of violence toward any competitor. Now my wife and I live in Mexico and enjoy it thoroughly every day.

**CLASSIFIEDS


Studebaker Turismo Production

’53 Studebaker Champion HT. All the right stuff. 425 HP 305 C.I. SBC with 220 cc iron heads. Roller rocker cam. 2” DOM/Cro-moly sixteen-point cage. Dual ignition, Jerico four-speed. Tilton clutch. Full floater 9” rear end. NASCAR and Wilwood brakes. Sweet steering. Olin shocks. Fuel Safe 22 gal cell. TerraTrip. Intercom. Finished first in LCP qualifying in 2007. One of the best deals out there. Only $45,000. Contact Roger at habich@precor.com



Studebaker "Sarmiento"

The "Juan Carlos Sarmiento" car, a well known, multiple Carrera Panamericana winner. Not a newly build car, but an original Studebaker chassis. A competitive and well-prepared car that is a top-five finisher. Meets the latest Carrera regulations and is in excellent condition.

The car resides in Mexico and is ideal for La Carrera Panamericana 2012 or the Chihuahua Express 2013!

Contact info: RMD Bvba
Marc Devis
Belgium
Tel: +32/ (0) 475 422790

Email: salesinfo@rmd.be



**CARRERA NEWS - REVISED

CARRERA NEWS is a blog and e-newsletter covering rallying, racing, and related activities in Mexico and in other countries, primarily the U.S. It is not the official publication of the Organizing Committee of the Carrera Panamericana or any other rally organization. The opinions herein are the author’s only.

The purpose of this publication is not to encourage participation in any particular event, but simply to present information and insights that might prove useful to readers who are interested in participating in any of these events.

The author may be a competitor in some of these same events, so a conflict of interest situation may exist.

All readers should understand that auto racing, including stage rallies in Mexico, is inherently dangerous, and can lead to serious injury, death, dismemberment, bankruptcy, divorce, and/or lifelong addiction.



© Gerie Bledsoe

San Miguel de Allende, GTO
Mexico
May, 2012

LA CARRERA PANAMERICANA, 1950-2012

Ack Miller's, Caballo de Hierro

La Carrera Panamericana, the Mexican Road Race, was originally a five-day automobile race on public highways that covered 2000 miles across Mexico in 1950-1954. It was considered the most difficult, dangerous, and exciting auto race in the world, especially when compared to similar events in Europe, like the Mille Miglia, Le Mans, and the Nűrburgring.

The Mexican government, headed by President Miguel Aleman, who had a deep personal interest in the Carrera, wanted to publicize the completion of the Pan-American Highway across their county. The government hoped that tourists and business would follow the new highway system into the interior of Mexico and perhaps to its beautiful beaches.

In its first year the Pan Am race was limited to stock American sedans, which were ultimately joined by two specially prepared Alfa Romeo “family sedans.” The Mexican government wanted to demonstrate that a family car could be driven to and from Mexico safely.

The first event enrolled 132 entries. Of these, fifty-nine were from the United States, mostly from Texas and California. The entrants included many amateur drivers from the U.S., Mexico, and other countries who participated just for the adventure. In 1950 Mexico was a strange and mysterious country for most Americans, even those who lived along the border.

The U.S. entries also included professional racers, such as the founder of NASCAR, Bill France, and a few of his top drivers, like Curtis Turner. The “good-old boys” were joined by a bevy of well-known American racers, including champions of the two oldest races in the U.S., Indianapolis and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Entries from Europe and South America completed the field, which included a taxi driver from Mexico City, an official entry by the Mexican Army, and assorted playboy and playgirl aristocrats. There was also world-class talent from Italy, namely Felice Bonetto and Piero Taruffi. The very name of the latter, who won the race in 1951 and competed in every "Pana," would become part of Mexican automotive folklore.

Only a few modifications were allowed to the cars in 1950, such as heavier springs and shock absorbers, plus a larger gas tank installed in the back seat area. Roll bars were not required, and seat belts and helmets were only recommended. Crashes were common as pumped-up drivers, both amateurs and professionals, quickly exceeded their car’s capabilities and crashed with alacrity. The rate of attrition was frightening. Only fifty-two cars finished the event.

Because the American Automobile Association (AAA), the largest and most influential auto racing organization in the U.S., helped the Mexican government and (Mexican) National Automobile Association (ANA) establish the event by reviewing the rules and recruiting competitors from the AAA’s six hundred licensed race car drivers. Most of the professionals were motivated by the generous prize money, not the trip into the interior of Mexico.

The first Pan Am race was won by a relatively unknown “piloto,” a twenty-year-old from Oregon, Hershel McGriff. McGriff was driving a 1950 Oldsmobile “Rocket” 88 that cost $1800, running on white-wall tires he picked up for $12. His victory earned him $17,533 dollars, a huge sum in 1950.  McGriff would go on to a successful, if brief, career in NASCAR. He would return to racing later in life and currently holds the record for the oldest driver to start a NASCAR sanctioned event at age 82.

The first race started in Ciudad Juarez, across the Rio Grande River from El Paso, Texas, and ended in El Ocotol, Chiapas, Mexico, next to the border with Guatemala. The next four races (1951-1954) were run from Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas, to Ciudad Juarez, primarily because there were no hotels or support service in the village of El Ocotol (now Cuauthémoc), and importantly, so the American teams would be closer to home when they finished the race in their flogged automobiles.

In 1951 the rules for the Pan Am allowed more modifications to the cars, especially the engines. The high altitudes in Mexico (up to 10,000 feet) reduced the power of an internal combustion engine by a third or more, making it difficult to climb the mountains with zest. Thus in 1951 some American V8s sported four carburetors, high compression heads, and other speed equipment. Helmets were required for the first time, and more roll bars and seat belts could be seen. 1951 was also marked by the appearance of a team of Ferrari 212 coupes or “sedanettes” (four seats) from Italy. The cars weighed about half the weight of an American sedan and produced significantly more horsepower per pound than American cars. They were also driven by road-race champions. The other Italian manufacturers, Lancia and Alfa Romero, were also in the race.

The Ferraris finished in the top two positions (Taruffi and Ascari), followed by eight American sedans, led by Bill Stirling in a hot Chrysler Saratoga.

 For the 1952 race, the cars were divided into two classes: sport cars and stock. A Mercedes 300 SL won the sports class, while the new “hot rod” Lincolns dominated the stock class, as they did NASCAR. The rules for the American cars were tightened, basically moving them back to stock.

By 1953 the race was open to just about any car with a gasoline engine, and it also became an event that counted toward the world sports car championship. Instead of two classes, the event now had four classes of cars -- based on the size of their engine: large sedans, small sedans, large sports cars, and small sports cars. European manufacturers were anxious to open up the U.S. market, and a victory in Mexico was considered an important step. Most manufactures sent teams to show off their products, with the exception of Jaguar.

Juan Manuel Fangio, arguably the greatest race car driver ever, won the 1953 event in a Lancia D-24. In doing so, he never collected a prize for winning one of the daily “legs,” but his overall performance for the five days was enough to win the championship by six minutes. Fangio simply knew how to take care of his equipment.

Porsche made its racing debut in the Pan Am in 1952. The following year, the Porsche 356s and 550s swept their class. Their success in 1953 would mean that most Porsche 911s in future years would be known as Carreras. The other great German company, Volkswagen, was also well represented but the podium eluded its drivers, but the all the "bugs" cars finished the race.

In 1954, the last year of this great motoring event, Ferrari returned to the top of the podium with a monster car, a 375 Plus, capable of speeds up to 180 MPH, driven by Umberto Maglioli. American hero Phil Hill and his co-driver Richie Ginther finished a close second in a Ferrari 340MM with much less horsepower.

 Ray Crawford, a privateer from Los Angeles who participated in all five original races, won the “big stock” class in a Lincoln when the factory’s entries faltered. Crawford's victory proved once again that good fortune plays a big role in the outcome of an endurance race.

A Dodge Hemi won the new “small stock” class, while Porsche and Alfa Romero won their respective classes. Carole Shelby, another American auto hero, managed to crash his Austin Healey early in the event, and the famous hybrid “special,” the “Iron Horse” of Ackton “Ack” Miller finished fifth overall behind four Ferraris. Miller was also one of the founding fathers of the National Hot Rod Association.

The Mexican government canceled the Pan Am in 1955. There were many reasons for this decision. The government had succeeded in its original goal of showing people around the world that their country would be driven across, safely in a family sedan. Also, there was the enormous expense. Not only did the government offer generous cash prizes to the winners, but the Mexican Army and countless city officials were deployed along the entire route to provide security, including keeping stray animals off the road. The Mexican government was not exactly rolling in the pesos in these years, and there was a change in the leadership of the government in 1953, with different priorities.

As the race developed, the cars got much faster, and there were more accidents and fatalities. In 1950, McGriff averaged 78 MPH; by 1954, the winning Ferrari averaged 108 MPH. A total of twenty-six fatalities, among drivers and (mostly) spectators, were recorded in the five years of the race. Editorialists in leading Mexican newspapers started to question the race’s usefulness.

All of these factors contributed to the cancellation of the event permanently in 1955. There were also serious accidents in other open-road races, especially in Europe, during this period. The deaths of seventy-nine spectators in the 1955 Le Mans was a huge blow to auto sports. Most open-road races would soon be closed or reconfigured to protect spectators.

Regardless of the reasons for its demise, La Carrera Panamericana had a significant impact on Mexico. It helped the country move into the 20th century in a variety of ways, and it created a strong auto and auto-racing culture that continues into the 21st century. The tradition it established was the foundation for its revival twenty-four years later.

THE SPIRIT OF LA CARRERA REVIVED

 In 1988 a group of Mexican and American auto enthusiasts came up with the idea of reviving La Carrera Panamericana, reportedly over beers in Ensenada. According to folklore, the Mexican contingent, led by Eduardo Leon, succeeded in selling the concept to the Mexican Ministry of Tourism as a “caravan” of vintage cars to honor and celebrate the original event and promote tourism in Mexico. His friend and American partner, Loyal “Tio” Truesdale, one of the most colorful figures in the history of the event, promoted the new “Mexican Road Race” in the United States from its founding to 2002.

By 1988 it was impossible to race all day through the center of cities along the original route, so the new Pan Am was organized as a “stage rally.” In a stage rally, the cars do not race full speed for the entire “leg” or day, as they did in the original Pan Am. Each of the seven days was divided into two types of driving stages: (1) transit stages, driving in regular traffic from city to city, and from special stage to special stage, and (2) special or speed stages, which meant racing at full speed against the clock over closed highways seven or eight times a day.

In the speed stages, which are run on paved, secondary highways, mostly through the mountains, the cars are lined up and started in 30 second intervals. The cars are timed as they run the stages – normally from 5 to 12 miles in length. At the end of the day, the top finishers, those with the lowest elapsed times, are given medals or trophies in the nine or ten classes. At the end of the event, larger trophies are handed out by class and to the top-ten overall finishers. There are no cash prizes, only bragging rights, as “Tio” Loyal liked to say.

 Each car must have a driver and a navigator at all times, and it must follow a route set forth in a massive Route Book. Almost every turn and intersection is noted for the entire seven days of the event. All turns, especially in the speed stages, are rated on a scale of difficulty from 0-5. The latter designation usually means the corner faces a 500 foot drop into a ravine -- with or without a guard rail.

 The “Pana” remains enormously popular in Mexico. At least two million spectators see the race each year, while another thirty million are estimated to see television coverage. In cities along the route, thousands of spectators line the streets and fill the plazas to touch a Pan Am car, get a driver’s autograph, or take a photo with their cell-phone’s camera.

The modern Pan Am remains, like its precursor, a long, dangerous race. Initially, it started in Tuxtla Gutierrez, down in the jungles of Chiapas, like the original event. However, the end of the race was moved to Nuevo Laredo, across the river from Laredo, Texas. This was done to avoid the long straight (boring and dangerous) highways from Zacatecas to Chihuahua and on to Ciudad Juarez. In the past few years, the event has ended in Zacatecas because of problems along the border. The starting city has occasionally been changed for a variety of reasons to cities like Veracruz, Oaxaca, and the Pacific resort of Huatulco.

This year – 2012 – the modern Carrera will celebrate its 25th anniversary. It is doubtful that few, if any, of the original organizers back in 1988 thought it would endure so long. After a few lean years following 9/11, the event has filled the grid (100+ cars) for the past four years, and now is being more selective about entries. It has also seen more professional drivers and teams participating.

The trade mark "La Carrera Panamericana" is owned by Eduardo Leon, who holds the title of President Emeritus, and his family, which comprises the Organizing Committee, which has offices in Mexico City. Call 1-310-860-6959 or visit http:///http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ for more information. The event also has representatives in several European countries; check the web site for their contact information.

The Pan Am’s "coordinator” in North America (Canada and the U.S.) since 2002 is Gerie Bledsoe. He has competed in the event since 1999, winning his class Historic “C” (American V8, 1955-1968) in 2002, and each year organizes the “Coyote Convoy” of racecars and tow vehicles from Laredo, Texas –via San Miguel de Allende – to the start of the race. He also publishes CARRERA NEWS and CARRERA DRIVER, email newsletters sent to more than 1600 subscribers around the world. For more information go to http:///www.panamrace.com , call 1-650-525-9190, or email gbledso@aol.com.

Gerie Bledsoe
San Miguel de Allende Mexico
April, 2012

Durango Deuce Dos #395

The Sixth Annual Chihuahua Express

The 6th Chihuahua Express: The Official Report

The sixth Chihuahua Express will go into the record books as another great success.

As usual, the weather was excellent (dry, sunny, little wind), the route superb, and the competition exciting. Again, there were no serious accidents or injuries.

Above all, public safety – police, ambulances, and tow trucks – was excellent. Registration and tech were well organized and smooth.

A special dinner downtown for all participants on Thursday night worked well because the charter buses were on time. The Organizer, Chacho Medina, should be congratulated on a plan for the event and a staff that worked efficiently.

Twenty-three cars were entered into full competition. Of these, thirteen were from the U.S. and Canada, two from Europe, and the rest from Mexico. Another eight or nine cars participated in the Express Tour Rally. Mexican participation in the event was down in part because of the Pope’s visit to Leon the same weekend.

BMW Mexico was the main sponsor of the event.

The race was ultimately won by a fully-prepared, five-liter BMW M3 crewed by Eduardo Henkel and Sergio Puente, which perhaps is only fitting given the event’s primary sponsor. Reportedly the Federales clocked Henkel at 338 KPH (206 MPH) on one stage the last day!

This year we missed seeing some of the top Express pilotos and co-pilotos like Doug Mockett and Angelica Fuentes, and last year’s winner, Michel Jourdain. Mockett’s car was on its way to the Targa Tazmania, and Jourdain was in the U.S. reportedly trying to earn a ride in the Indy 500.

Historic “C” (V8 cars, 1955-1968), a Pan Am class, was the largest group in the Express -- with six entries. Of those, five were still running at the end of the race. The top Historic “C” car, a yellow Ford Falcon, driven by Christian Dumolin from Belgium, finished 3d overall, a new high for Historic “C” cars in the Express.

Dumolin also finished first in Historic “C,” followed by John ”Chip” and Taylor Fudge (Mustang), and Gerie Bledsoe and “El Fer” Garcia (Chevy II Nova).

There were four “low-boy” ’53-54 Studebakers in the event, and three Porsche 911s.

Stuart and Linda Robertson, Paul Hladky and Adolfo Bagnarello, and Gunter Sundag and (esposa) Barbara Hernandez showed up in their magnificent Studes. Stuart and Linda were racing alone in Turismo Mayor (up to 366 c.i.), while Gunter and Barbara, and Paul and Adolfo were matched up in Turismo Production (up to 305 c.i.). These classes are for cars manufactured 1940-1954, the same era as the original Pan Am race (1950-1954), but are heavily modified.

Another ’54 Studebaker, with a crew from Belgium, was the only entry in the “Unlmited” class. After running a close 2d to Henkel the first day, they found the bottom of a ravine on day #2 near the Copper Canyon and were out of the competition. The crew was fine, and the car was recovered banged up but intact.


The biggest surprise of the weekend, perhaps, was the performance turned in by Paul Hladky (Wyoming) in his bright yellow Studebaker. After struggling through the Carrera last October in a ’64 Corvette, Paul bought Jerry Churchill’s prize-winning Turismo Mayor Studebaker and had it prepared by Jamie Hamm’s shop in Michigan. Paul decided to “take it easy,” he said, by using a 302 Chevy engine, instead of the full 366 c. i. motor allowed in a Turismo Mayor car.

Paul finished in 2d place overall, about ten minutes behind Henkel in the BMW, but over five minutes ahead of the Historic “C” car in third place. Paul was so fast that the inspectors planned to measure his engine’s displacement after the race, the only car so honored. This was only Paul’s third stage rally, too.

A question about Turismo Production cars was thus was raised: given the recent changes in the Pan Am rules, which the Express follows for Pan Am cars, what is the difference between a Turismo Mayor car and a Turismo Production car?

Chief Inspector Victor Perez reportedly ruled that the only difference was the size of the engine (305 vs. 366 c.i.) and transmissions (4 speeds vs. 5 speeds). This was seen as bad news for those who have built a Turismo Production car in the past few years.

Notable accomplishments of the weekend included:

Taz Harvey (Northern California), driving a Datsun 510, finished fourth overall, and first in class (Less than 2.4 liter, non-turbo), besting many cars, new and old, with much greater horsepower. Taz, a Nissan and Mazda dealer and experienced racer, may have a problem showing off his many trophies with BMW printed all over them. Apparently, his new navigator, Francisco Rivera, was able to hang on and guide the bullet in the right direction.

Stewart Robertson and his navigator-spouse, Linda (Vancouver) finished 6th overall in their beautiful TM Studebaker.

John Magnuson and Seth Scally (Southern California), crewing a non-turbo Mazda RX-8 with only 1.3 liters, finished a very respectable 7th overall, over five minutes ahead of his nearest competitor, Steve Waldman (Nevada), in a Mitshubishi Evo. Steve took second in the Less than 2.4 liter turbo class, and chalked up another top-ten finish. John finished 2d in the 2.4-4.6 liter class, following the winning M3.

Steve Waldman and his wife Gail are also the organizers of the Nevada Open Road Challenge and the Silver State Classic Challenge, the 90 mile open-road races, in Nevada during May and September of each year. For more info go to www.sscc.us. Points earned in the Express are counted toward the international trophy offered by the SSCC.

In addition to the winning BMW, the top Mexican finishers were Arturo Mora and his son Arturo, Jr. in a VW running in the Less than 2.4 liter turbo class. They finished 5th overall and 1st in class, and would have finished higher if not for a blown rear tire at the beginning of a stage late on Sunday. They finished the stage on three tires and a battered rim, and estimated they had lost about two minutes.

John “Chip” Fudge and his navigator-son, Taylor, (Oklahoma) overcame minor engine hiccups to finish 2d in Historic C and 9th overall.

John Gregory and his navigator-son, Jake, (Vancouver) put up some excellent times in their ’65 Chevy II Nova SS, but unfortunately they lost a throwout bearing the second day during the morning’s transit to the Copper Canyon. On Sunday, they re-joined the race to finish 2d in Historic “C” for the day.

John “Jack” Rogers and his navigator, Carolyn Strupp, (Indiana) finished 13th overall and 4th in “C.” Jack is the proud owner of several records at Bonneville, too. Carolyn’s husband also helps to keep Jack’s car running right.

Racing as the only Original Pan Am car, but having a great time, were David Buchanan and Raffi Najjarian (Northern California) in their beautiful ’54 Chrysler hemi. They finished all the speed stages -- with class -- and ended up in 15th overall.

And, finally, it is always heartwarming to see the extent of cooperation among the competitors and their support crews who literally work with other crews to keep all the cars running as long as possible. Some of these crews have been coming down to this race for years, and have made many good friends among the other service crews.

Now the not so good news.

Paul Fruchbom and his experienced co-piloto, Karen Janakowski, (Southern California) rolled their Porsche 911 on the second day. Both are OK. Karen was participating in her first rally in Mexico, but she’s is a veteran of many rallies in the U.S., so we hope to see her back.

The other Porsches also had problems. The fastest one, driven by a Mexican crew, crashed the third day. The third 911 was having intermittent electrical problems. The car had only two speeds – very fast (80+ MPH) or very slow (15 MPH), with not much in between.

Kaming Ko and Stafford Galen (Southern California) could not keep their Dodge Dart running for much of the race, but they had a good time regardless. Their race engine was not delivered on time, so they rebuilt a block from the local “yonke” overnight and headed down to Mexico. They gave it the “old college try.” When this car is all sorted out, Kaming Ko, a very experienced racer, will have the car in the top ten in a future Express.

Stafford’s daughter, Katie, and her friend, Ryan Rust, participated in the Express Tour, where they learned a lot about rallying Mexican-style in their Subaru STI. They plan to be back in full competition next year.

Last but not least is my old friend Helge Theiss-Nyland, and his navigator, Marcos Davis (Northern California). They lost their fan and water pump belts on the first day, which toasted the engine in their beautiful TM Studebaker. That’s a real pity, because they were also not able to make the Carrera last year either.

Of course, we missed many old friends and competitors who for one reason or another did not join us this year. However, several new, handsome faces were noted among the competitors, included singer Ana Gabriela Peralta driving the black ’50 TM Ford in only her third race.

The Question of the Hour

How do we get more racers to participate in the Chihuahua Express? This event deserves more support from the racing communities, especially in the Southwestern United States.

How do we get racers from the U.S. and Canada, in particular, to understand that the most dangerous thing about racing in Mexico is the racing, and not the drug cartels battling over turf along the borders?

Every year 19 million tourists visit Mexico, and if they stay out of druggie bars, the biggest danger is sun burn. Obviously, there are places in almost all American cities that should not be visited in the evenings without a SWAT team in tow.

Now it is time for each one of us to recruit just one more person to join us next year. Is that too much to ask to keep this race going?

In some cases we only need to convince spouses that it OK for us to visit Mexico.

After visiting Mexico for 13 years to race and play the tourist, and then living here in central Mexico for the last 14 months, I have not witnessed a single act of violence against a norteamericano or anyone else racing in Mexico. Certainly, the security in Chihuahua this year was extraordinary, but I would feel comfortable racing in Chihuahua without any armed guards along the route. We only need the cooperation of the local traffic police to make these rallies work well.

North Americans and Europeans should also be aware that there are another ten or more stage rallies in Mexico open to their participation each year. The only requirement to enter is the F.M.A.D. (FEMADAC) racing license we bought for the Express and use for the Pan Am.

Here’s an idea: instead of towing your car home after each race, leave it at a shop in San Miguel de Allende, like Mats Hammarlund’s or Euro Latino Racing, and fly down to race it in one or more of these rallies a year. It’s easy and economical! You may also rent a rally car from these shops, as well.

It is a great race. Plan now to join us next year!


Gerie Bledsoe
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico
April 4, 2012