Monterey Historic August 2006

Friday
We hit the track at 8:00am after a fine continental breakfast at the San Dollar Inn. We start to nut and bolt the car and everything is looking pretty good. At 9:30am we start to get the car final prep and we fill it up with Methanol. Hmm what is that dripping under the tank? Methanol! CRAP! Another hairline crack has appears exactly where the one had sprung the week prior. So thinking on our feet we drain the fuel below the line and hope Dad does not run out of fuel. We push him to grid. and what a grid 5 formula III cars. Charles McCabes MK IX and MK XIII, Ian Gordon's Mk VI, Richard Utley's JBS, Tom Franges MK XI, and John Street's Staride. We push Dad off and away he goes. He turns some very smart laps out pacing many of the 500's.

Dad comes in and we Immediately drain the tank and look for someone to weld the crack, we consider driving it back to Fremont to weld in the garage but decide that is not ideal. We try calling Bruce Terry who has done a lot of aluminum repair for us but cannot contact him soon Jimmy Domingo has a lead. Right as we are about to take of to one welder Bruce walks across our pits. Bruce has a better idea. He has a friend with a radiator shop in town with two tanks he can weld it and check for holes. So off the tank goes to the shop. We are cleaning up the car when I take of the side panel that is now not simply coated with the standard engine oil but with a load of bright blue Redline shockproof gear oil :(. I look at the transmission to see where it is coming from and can see it plain an clear the filler cap has gone missing. Rule one of 500's if it ain't safety wired or locktited it will fall off.

So first we walk the pits then we realize that we are odd men out everyone else has Norton boxes and we have the Burman 7r box. Then I call home, Mom can you bring down the spare gearbox and a filler cap off the Matchless. After a few more calls to help her locate the parts she is off down for the evening. That night we are joined by the second leg of our crew. Jamey (brother in law and team pilot), Aimee (lovely and supportive wife), Chloe (oldest daughter) and Ella (youngest daughter). Trevor is off to pick up his children of the weekend and will be in tonight as well. The gear box parts have shown up and so has the tank. It took them three tries to get all the leaks but it is rock solid and both transmission caps fit perfectly.

Saturday
Saturday the big day. Dad goes out for the morning session. We come to help Rodney smith start Charles car and Charles is still trying to fix the MK XIII, Charles is off in the MK XIII to determine what is wrong with it. We have a heck of a time getting the MK XIII to start it has a much taller gear which makes it hard to push so we start it with Charles starter and push him up to speed before he engages the gear Trevor tumbles to the ground in a elegant manner and Rodney is off.

Dad is having a great run he is the second fastest 500 out this session. but he goes off a bit is turn 6. Every thing is fine on the car though and back he comes into the pits. Dad gets out of the car and says the that session was worth all the hard work! BIG BIG SMILE!. We are so excited! We check over the car and no major issues it look great we think we may be too rich but we are playing it safe.

Next we take off the roll-bar and prepare for Mr. Bob Wenz our star of the weekend. We capture Bob and prepare the set of pads we have brought to fit him in the car. Bob gets in and instant grin ear to ear.

We get just the right combination of cushions an then we swap stories and wait for the Cooper parade. We grid the cars and put Bob next to his old racing buddy Bob Korst. The two Bob's used to be the terrors of the north when they raced their MK X's together. There they sit side by side smiling ear to ear. Bob Wenz in his old MK X and Korst in his old Type 52.

We push start Bob and like magic he is off. Boy that was so amazing to see and it made our weekend again. Bob is smiling. He drives that car around each lap his smile just as wide.

Then they come in. Bob brings it in smiling again! We are so excited to see him drive the thing and to have such fun. Again Bob is the real deal and sharp as a tack, racer to the bone, and the nicest guy you could ever meet.

We do a quick wipe down nut and bolt check and prep the car placing back the rollbar and removing the pads. We notice some race repairs we need to make then move the car to grid. Dad looks nervous. I think the off in 6 has got him more anxious than usual. We have all the 500's lined up and it looks great. John Streets has organized a second grid for just the 500's as it should be. What an amazing site.

We get all the cars out on grid and they come around all in formation. Skip Street's waves the signal as the come up the front straight and they are off. Skip immediately takes off to hunt down as many formula juniors as possible. He does an amazing job as usual, Skip it a n ex-formula vee national champion and has raced in everything from the Staride to the Barber Dodge pro series. Next is Charles McCabe so dedicated that he single handedly crewed two of these beast and attempted a motor change in between practice and the race. Then Richard Utley in the JBS, then Dad in the Mk X. Dad is making ground on the JBS but the JBS seems to pull him on the straights we cannot figure out why. Soon Dad Passes Richard but on a straight Richard pulls by him. Then the next lap coming into turn 10 he pass richard again but on the front straight the JBS scoots by. We think it is the jetting to fat. Then disaster strikes someone has laid down a ton of oil. Three cars are off. I look up to turn 9 to see if I can see Dad soon I see him and the JBS nose to tail. They are both safe. The Track goes to all yellow and is finished. Jimmy Domingo has honored the Cooper Mark with an amazing run-away win in his beautiful t59. Skip has managed to pass several Formula Juniors in the Staride to win the battle of the 500's.

We come into the pits and gather the cars for another special event the Harry Morrow trophy. Doug Stokes of AutoBooks has decided to honor Harry by starting an award for the best car representing the spirit of the 500 class. This year it went to John Streets and his amazing Staride. This car is amazing considering it was built in 1952. All the 500 drivers pose for pictures and John gives great speech. It was great to see such a collection of 500's at Monterey and stateside.

Well we made it ! Great race. Only one more event to complete the weekend the Cooper Race Car parade on Sunday. We check the car for tomorrow and notice a serious problem and one that likely attributed to Dad's poor straight line speed. The brake pad on the rear has disappeared forcing the caliper sideways jamming the rotor to the aluminum caliper body. This has deposited some aluminum on the rotor and made a mess of the caliper. We are not happy with the quality of the brake lining application. This is likely why Dad was so slow on the straights. We decide the remove the caliper completely and just run with front brakes tomorrow. Dad tells me that I am driving! I have been having problems with my big feet in the car and did not bring my racing shoes. I hope I fit.

Sunday
We get the car set up and pits in tip top shape to display the car. Then we check all the key bolts etc. We change the jets and fill the car. We enjoy a great lunch put on by Karol Andrews and the Cooper Car Club. Soon it is my turn to hit the track. We are gridded waiting for the start I try and find first. Trev and Dad Push bump lump pa nothing. Again BUMP LUMP PAAAA!!! Nothing CRAP!. Trev finds first, then BUMP LUMP Bop Bop Bop off! I turn the corner and join the parade. No helmet just a lap belt and sunglasses. The motor is running great and my late start lets me run it out really good. This is my first time on the track in the car. the vibration everywhere is amazing on your feet, your back and especially on your hands.Everything shakes on this car and your eyeballs too. it is great driving the car I learn the shift pattern and how the brakes come on you really need to stomp on the brakes to get heat into them. I think we have to hard of a pad. going harder and harder into the corners I notice the suspension moving it is something completely crazy to watch it twists and shakes and hunts. The car steers much heavier than you would think. Our car has more caster than most and you can feel it. The car is very neutral I never push it hard enough to find under or over-steer. It is still great fun and boy the exhaust note is fantastic! Smiling ear to ear I get three great laps and a ton of thumbs ups from the crowd. What great fun the 500's are!

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