September 1999
September Monthly Meeting
On Tuesday September 14th we had our monthly Stamtisch in Kernersville.
Steve Karapetian drove his Ferrari 308 GT4 , we had two new faces from Graham, the Snows,
driving their Ferrari 348ts, John Hauser drove his Healey Tim and Susan
Simmons drove their Alfa Romeo, Bill Craig drove his Porsche, Pearce Clarkson
drove his Porsche, Blake Frazier drove his Z and Steven Jones his Eclipse.
John Harrill is busy with his return to college and has his Alfa restoration
on hold. We had about 16 in attendance.
Time and Susan Simmons shared their brochures and pictures from their
August 27th trip to the Italian concours in Carmel Valley coupled with an
Italian festival featuring Italian food, music, cars, and other vendors. They
shared pictures from the Rick Cole auction as well as Saturday’s historic
races at Laguna Seca featuring cars of the 1930s - 1950s. Tim and Susan
spoke with Phil Hill and obtained several autographs for the members while
attending a party hosted by Phil Hill that night. Sunday they spent at the
Pebble Beach concours and then the Christie’s Auction.
We are trying to organize another fall overnighter through the mountains
similar to the Balsam Mountain Inn trip last October. If you are interested
please call John Hauser at 336 777 0688. If you are more interested in a
drive that starts Saturday morning that runs to Saluda and then to
Waynesville and up to hot Springs and then down to Asheville and back to the
start in Winston Salem Saturday night please let us know! We are aiming for
late October!
Alfa Romeo Extravaganza
On Saturday Spetember 18th Jim Clarkson in his Alfa Romeo 164, Bill Craig in his Alfa
Romeo Spyder and John Hauser in his Healey headed to Raleigh/Durham for the
annual Alfa Romeo Extravaganza. We missed the Tech Session at Krause and
England but arrived early for the Concours held at the Weddles’s Home
beautifully situated on a wooded hillside. There were 25 cars and about 57
people in attendance. Bill Craig and Jim Clarkson both won their concours
classes after both taking second place last year.
The green healey was a bit conspicuous until the red Fiat X19, the
Yellow Fiat Brava, the black BMW Z3, and the blue ex Charles Calkins now
Peter Krause Ferrari 308 Mondial appeared. Steve Barney should have been
present. For years he has been giving Peter a hard time for fixing and
racing others Ferrari’s but not owning one himself! congratulations go out to
Peter Krause for having found this fine car. We will miss seeing it at our
monthly gatherings here in the Triad.
The Concours was followed by an Alfa Romeo Art exhibit and a terrific
banguet under the trees of the Weddle’s Forest. On the menu was Lasagna,
Salad, french bread, terrific wine, pasta salad and a large selection of
deserts. What a wonderful day with great weather, fellowship and Italian
cusine! Sunday was the rally which was run by Bruce Sharer. If you have not
yet made an Extravaganza you must mark your 2000 Calendar for September and
join the drive east with us!
The next Mid Atlantic Alfa Romeo Tour will be the annual Wine Tour out
of Charlottesville which Dave Morris and Jim Salerno organize each year. We
will be joining them again so mark your calendar for April.
We have a new Web Address!
You can now get to our homepage at the address http://www.geocities.com/corsarossa/. A little easier to remember than /MotorCity/Track/2690, right? The old address will still work, however.
Thor Mirchandani
Zooming in a Healey
Early on a Friday morning I was up and off for a solo run under the
stars anticipating a great drive to meet my friends already in the mountains
in the western Carolinas. I threw my bag in the Healey and zoomed west
from Winston Salem towards the foothills of the Carolinas between Greenville
and Black Mountain at 6am. I arrived in Black Mountain at 8am for Coffee at
the outdoor cafe in the center of town with a cool and splendid view of the
7 sisters (peaks) surounding the town from above. Then I took the time to
fill the car with gas to balance it and I reset the tire pressures for a
splendid ride due south down the twisting Highway 9 from Black Mountain to
the Rosenmaier Hotel at Lake Lure and Chimney Rock. From there I headed
south west through the Apple Country of Edneyville and on to Hendersonville
on Highway 64. I reached Saluda at 9am. Saluda is an Old Railroad town at
the top of the longest railway grade on the east coast measuring 3 miles
long. It is a wonderful sleepy southern town. There I met Steve and Monti
Bealey and Isabelle Boeddinghaus my old rock climbing partners. I parked
the Healey for Friday and Saturday to enjoy hiking as well as swimming in the
rivers and under the numerous waterfalls in the North Carolina and South
Carolina Foothills.
They neither take credit cards in Saluda nor do they rush about. The
children play in the streets and vehicles automatically slow down as they
enter town anticipating the children on skateboards, roller skates and
bicycles even at night. Hound dogs trot about in the town that even hosts
its own Coon Dog Days each July! Half the town either owns a dog , plays a
musical instrument or has has a pleasant story to tell. I did not meet the
other half of the town but they are surely as friendly.
on Sunday morning 25 BMW Z3s rolled into saluda to visit the Purple
Onion for breakfast. The BMW group was part of a 450 car Z3 festival in
Greenville South Carolina. I learned the road I had run on earlier that
morning was on the factory road test route. After some pictures of the train
passing through Saluda with all the Z3s about and one happy Healey, it was
time for Sunday’s spirited ride up through the western reaches of the old
north state.
Sunday I was a passenger and my friend Isabelle Boeddinghaus visiting
from the autobahns and alpine roads of Germany was at the wheel. This girl
can drive! We went north on highway 176 to highway 64 and past
Hendersonville up to Brevard where we entered the Pisgah National Forrest and
sliced along Highway 276 up high only to stop for Slidding Rock Falls and
Looking Glass Falls for a quick obligatory dip into the water. The ride was
quick and spectacular amongst the hairpin turns and the rise and fall of the
elevation. We ended up in Waynesville to walk about and visit the Mast
General Store. We drove scenic 207 north up through Trust and up to Hot
Springs restort following the French Broad River. Hot Springs is nestled
between two branches of the French Broad River on the North Carolina and
Tennessee line. Here we swam in the French Broad and then jumped into the
historic Hot Springs Waters for a medicinal treat. We then passed various
wild life including Turkeys, Skunks and Deer and headed south on highway 25
to Asheville. There we visited Hannah Flanigans Irish Pub on Biltmore Avenue.
Isabelle then returned the keys and stayed with Steve and Monti.
I drive then steered the Healey through downtown Asheville to the
Super Highway and into the crisp evening air. By the time I passed Blaack
Mountain I encountered the intermittent rain I would see the rest of my
glorius ride east. With the top down going down the mountains in the dark
from Asheville, I drove quickish thinking of my self as Stirling Moss in his
C type Jaquar at Lemans in 1953.I pulled into the West End in record time
with the top down and a fine mist on my rag wool sweater and the inside of my
windscreen. What a spectacular weekend in a Healey. Have you dirven ,
really driven your sports car lately? See you at the European Car Festival
on October 9th and be sure to drive the tour! Safety Fast.
Corsa Rossa’s European Car Festival Update!
When? October 9th 1999
Where? Historic Reynolda House, Village and Gardens, Winston-salem, NC
Our annual European Car Festival which began as an Italian Festival for
the Italian olympic team in July of 1996 with 60 Italian cars on display
evolved into a European Car Festival in October of 1998 with 120 cars.
Given the pleasant response to last year’s festival we have the Southeast
Region of the Ferrari Club holding their fall concours at the show. Also in
response to our choosing this year to honor Phil Hill one of the United
States’ most famous racing drivers this year, Brown Fox Books has donated 22
copies of Phil Hill: Yankee Champion to the awards for the 22 classes.
Buy this book!
For those of you who do not have a copy of the book you can order one
from Mark Godfrey at Brown Fox books at 1 800 450 7949. The book traces
Phil hill’s career from his early midget racing days in California, to the
Carera Panamerican Road Race to LeMans and his 1961 Gran Prix championship
win with Ferrari. This 6X9 inch hardback has an extensive index and 114
beautiful and exciting images. The cost is $39.50 and $4.50 for shipping.
We will have John Hauser’s current and Jack O’Brien’s 1961 edition on display at our May
11th meeting. At the Festival there will be several copies available for sale.
Furthermore, the Louis Klemantaski collection has made available several black and white original photographs of the Champion, and the cars he drove so successfully. The prints will be displayed at the festival. Louis Klemantaski is known as the most significant motor sports photographer to date, and Corsa Rossa is proud to be able to show his work to the public. Our thanks go out to the Klemantaski collection for this unique opportunity.
The Reynolda Village a unique setting for the festival in that it offers beautiful
and historic Reynolda House, the Art Museum, and Reynolda Gardens. Reynolda Village, the former support buildings and Dairy for the
Reynolda Estate, is set up in the traditional layout of an English country
village. The village offers restaurants such as the Blackhorse Cafe,
Reynolda Village Soda Shop, the Village Tavern and the Vineyards, all with
outdoor seating. The shops contain everything from clothes, sportswear,
antiques, books, music, toys, gourmet cookware and fine foods to jewelry and
much more. Verily, the village has something for everyone!
We are contemplating a tour instead of a rally after the show this year
and would like your input. We had 26 cars drive the rally and many more
request a driving tour encompassing the mountains around Hanging Rock and
pilot Mountain State Parks outside of town coupled with a drive through of
historic Bethania, Bethabra and old Salem. If you are new to the area and
Corsa Rossa, for more information on last years show including registration,
awards and photographs Click Here!
The show is open to all European cars including Ferraris, Maseratis and
Lancias from Italy to BMW, Porsche and Mercedes of Germany, to Aston Martin, Jaguar,
MG and Lotus from Britain, and many, many others. There will be both competition and road cars on
display.
Registration will begin at 10am and end at 12 noon. All European cars
are invited to participate and will be parked according to their
manufacturer. There are twentytwo manufacturer classes and those cars not
fitting into one of these twenty classes will be placed in the special
interest class. Additional classes may be added prior to the show depending
on preregistration. Registration is $10 per car and there will be special
commemorative T-shirts on sale. A dash plaque will be given to each
registered car. Awards will be presented to a car in each marque, which will
be selected by that marque’s sponsor. There is no Festival admission to the public. Admission to Reynolda House will be
free to registrants and children under 12 . Admission will be half price to
all others.
Corsa Rossa would like to thank Messrs. Steve Barney and Troy Winkelman of Foreign Cars Italia in Greensboro, NC for their enthusiastic support of our European Car Festival.
For information on the Festival call either Steve Karapetian at 336
766 1785 or Thor Mirchandani at 336 773 1008.
Or fill out a registration form.
