___________________

Carroll Shelby

As we remember Carroll Shelby, we offer two short vignettes. The first is written by Eric Davison, who wrote about the trials and tribulations of the Shelby Series 1 in his book “Snake Bit”. It is below in full.

The second remembrance, Carroll Shelby and the OSCA was written by Carl Goodwin, author of “They Started in MGs” includes rare shots of Shelby. [Ed.]
___________________

I was fortunate. Carroll Shelby called me his friend.

I really didn’t get to know him personally until the late 90’s when I became involved in the project that became known as the Shelby Series 1. It was a tough program and there was a lot that could go wrong and did. I hung in there and I guess that he appreciated that fact.

That program ended and I retired to Florida in 2002. Every so often the phone would ring. My wife, Mary, would answer the phone and a raspy old voice would croak “Hi ya, honey, is Eric around?”

I would pick up the phone in awe of the fact that he would call. The message was always a short one. “Just checkin’ up on ya and letting you know that I love ya.”

I love you too, Carroll and I will miss you.

Eric Davison
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By Roberto Motta

Photos courtesy of Ferrari and Porsche AG-Media-Press

Spa Francorchamps –

After a break of two months, the FIA World Endurance Championship was back in action during the weekend of May 4-5 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

For the second round of the series, the AF Corse entered four cars, two in the GTE AM class (Perazzini, Cioci and Griffin, who also compete in the Le Mans series).

Kaufmann Aguas Vickers-Ferrari was a Waltrip entry.

The second car, in the GTE AM class, technically managed by AF Corse, was the Michael Waltrip Racing, entry, driven by Kauffman, Aguas and Vickers, who have extensive experience in GT racing and NASCAR. The two entries in the PRO GTE class were for Fisichella- Bruni and Andrea Bertolini-OlivierBeretta, the recent winner in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Also taking part were the Ferraris of Luxury Racing (Frederic Makowiecki and Jaime Melo) and Krohn Racing, (Rugolo-Jonsson)who have the task of accumulating points for the Constructors’ title.

In practice, drivers and teams struggled with the settings best suited to the track. Practice was held under a leaden sky and threatening rain. On race day, despite the forecast of bad weather, the fascinating circuit of Spa-Francorchamps attracted an impressive crowd that stretched along the entire route of the track.

Perazzini, Griffin, Cioci Ferrari experiences the rain at Spa.

But the rain came and made the track slippery causing several offs. One of the cars involved in an accident was the Ferrari 458 (# 61) Kauffman, Aguas and Vickers, forced to abandon the race before the start. Fortunately, the rain ended and the “6 Hours of Spa” got underway at 14.30 on Saturday.

Porsche and Ferrari engaged in a fierce battle on the track. Eventually the Porsche of Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz won the GTE Pro class with a lead of just 6 tenths of a second over the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella-Bruni.

The Melo-Makowiecki Ferrari at speed.

Frederic Makowiecki and Jaime Melo had an aggressive race and, after losing the first position, finished in third, followed by the second AF Corse car headed by Andrea Bertolini and Olivier Beretta. Plus, it was a good result for Ferrari Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Marco Cioci and Matt Griffin, who finished the race in third place in the class-GTE AM.

The next round of the championship takes place on the track of Le Mans, June 16 to 24 hours.

In Italian

FIA WEC: PORSCHE WINS, FERRARI IS SECOND BY ONLY 6 TENTHS
By Roberto Motta
photos courtesy of Ferrari-Media and Porsche AG-Press

Spa Francorchamps – Dopo una pausa di due mesi, il FIA World Endurance Championship è tornato in azione durante il week-end del 4-5 maggio sul circuito di Spa-Francorchamps,
(circuito che ospita anche l’appuntamento belga del campionato F1).
Per il secondo round di questa serie, l’AF Corse ha iscritto quattro vetture; due nella classe GTE PRO e due nella classe GTE AM.

Le auto iscritte nella classe GTE PRO sono affidate agli equipaggi Fisichella-Bruni e Andrea Bertolini-OlivierBeretta, recenti vincitore nella 12 Ore di Sebring.
Mentre, le vetture iscritte nella classe GTE AM, sono affidate ai debuttanti Perazzini, Cioci e Griffin, che competono anche nella Le Mans series.
La seconda vettura, gestita tecnicamente da AF Corse, è in realtà seguita in collaborazione con Michael Waltrip Racing, e affidata ai piloti Kauffman, Aguas e Vickers, piloti con una grande esperienza in gare GT e NASCAR.

Alla competizione hanno preso parte anche le Ferrari del Luxury Racing e del Racing Krohn, che hanno anche il compito di accumulare punti per il titolo Costruttori.
Dopo le prove libere, con piloti e team alle prese con le regolazioni più adatte alla pista, le squadre hanno avuto a disposizione 20 minuti per le qualifiche ufficiali, qualifiche che si sono svolte sotto un cielo plumbeo e minaccioso.

Il giorno della gara, nonostante la previsione di maltempo, l’affascinante circuito di Spa-Francorchamps ha richiamato una folla impressionante che si distende lungo tutto il tracciato della pista.

Tutti gli equipaggi hanno affrontato il warm-up sotto la pioggia battente che ha reso la pista scivolosa e causato diverse uscite di strada.

Una delle vetture coinvolte in un incidente è stata la Ferrari 458 (# 61) di Kauffman, Aguas e Vickers, gestita dalla AF Corse, costretta poi ad abbandonare la gara prima della partenza, perché i meccanici non sono riusciti a ripararla. Fortunatamente, la pioggia è cessata e la “6 ore di Spa” ha preso il via alle 14,30 del Sabato.

Alla partenza, la Ferrari di Makowieckie e Melo conquista la ledearship davanti alla Felbermayr-Proton Porsche e alla Ferrari della AF Corse. Dopo una appassionante lotta tra la Ferrari e la Porsche, verso la fine della gara, la Ferrari, condotta da Melo, è scivolata fuori pista, lasciando la prima posizione alla Porsche di Marc Lieb e Richard Lietz, e la seconda alla Ferrari AF Corse di Fisichella-Bruni.

Porsche e Ferrari sono state impegnate in una dura battaglie in pista, e alla fine la Porsche di Marc Lieb e Richard Lietz ha vinto la classe GTE PRO con un vantaggio di soli 6 decimi di secondo sulla rossa Ferrarri di Giancarlo Fisichella e Gianmaria Bruni, campioni in carica nelle series LMS e ILMC.

Da sottolineare che Bruni, a corto di carburante, è stato costretto ad una strategia di gara più attenta che non gli ha permesso di attaccare definitivamente la rivale Porsche.
La Ferrari iscritta del Luxury Racing per Frederic Makowiecki e Jaime Melo, ha condotto una gara d’attacco e, dopo aver perso la prima posizione, ha concluso in terza posizione, seguita dalla seconda auto del AF Corse affidata ad Andrea Bertolini e Olivier Beretta.
Buon risultato anche per la Ferrari di Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Matt Griffin e Marco Cioci, che ha concluso la gara al terzo posto nella classe GTE-AM.

Il prossimo appuntamento del campionato si svolge sulla pista di Le Mans, il 16 giugno per la 24 Ore.

World Cup Manufacturers GTE class (Pro and Am)
1. Porsche, 68 points
Ferrari, 68
3. Chevrolet, 30

Team Trophy GTE Pro class
1. AF Corse, Ferrari , 44 points
2. Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche, 43
3. Aston Martin Racing, Aston Martin, 15

Team Trophy GTE Am class
1. Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche, 50 points
2. Labre Competition, Chevrolet, 26
3. AF Corse-Waltrip , Ferrari, 12

Image Courtesy Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial

By Phillipe Defechereux

East Coast F1 circuit all set to “Come Alive” in June 2013

Stories, rumors and gossip are all put to bed. It is real and here is the up-to-date story straight from those making it happen.

First we can confirm that developments for the “Grand Prix of America,” to be staged on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River directly across from Manhattan, are already well along. All the federal, state and local authorities involved approved the plans and logistics on October 15, 2011, with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie beaming in acquiescence during the televised press announcement. This feat was made possible by a triumvirate of top-level American promoters and investors highlighted below. All were pleased with the ten-year contract they secured from Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Management (FOM), backed by the FIA.

The Hermann Tilke-designed 3.2 mile course, winding through a tight and fast-weaving belt of hilly urban streets, has been laid out. Since January, a dedicated President, Tom Cotter ( more about him shortly) has been heading a team to get everything from road engineering to sponsorships, public relations, event marketing, logistics and security ready for the inaugural event. It is now scheduled to take place in June 2013, the weekend immediately following the Grand Prix of Canada. Twin GP Weekend travel and attendance packages will be offered.

Overhead situation map of the new circuit (traced in blue) on the New Jersey bank of the Hudson River. In the lower right corner, Manhattan’s West Side. In the middle, the Hudson River.

A brief review of the “long march” toward a Grand Prix of New York, which spanned almost three decades, is in order. A long-held fancy of Bernie Ecclestone and countless F1 fans in the U.S. and around the world, bringing it to life proved a long and difficult path.

How could the dramatic skyline of Manhattan not be a part of this most prestigious sport and pinnacle of motor racing? F1 has long appropriated as its settings the glamorous cityscape of Monaco, the misty cone of Mount Fuji, the heated sprawl of Sao Paulo, plus a half-dozen famous and gloried circuits in many European countries. More recently, aggressively upcoming metropolises such as Shanghai, Istanbul and Abu Dhabi eagerly rolled out the red carpet for the privilege of hosting their own F1 event, at $200 million or more for their “from scratch” venues.

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So, why not New York, which a majority of its inhabitants unabashedly claim is “the Center of the Universe?” Manhattan, of course, along with the city’s other four boroughs and the adjacent New Jersey townships across the Hudson River, together form a crowded, hectic, bustling metropolitan beehive known as the “city that never sleeps.”

But any attempt to bring a large part of the Big Apple’s business to a halt for four days on account of a little-known racing series proved, well, a fantasy. Over three decades, many venues were proposed by F1 honchos, including Central Park! None were approved and the public interest was nil. Little wonder as New York City has no car racing tradition, and a few years back, the borough of Staten Island summarily rejected NASCAR’s millions.

Then in 2008, Singapore burst into the Formula 1 calendar, drawing immediate praise from the 500+ million fans around the world who watch F1 races. The wealthy Asian city-state is an island itself, featuring a dense, skyscraper-and-bridges urban environment of great allure and spectacular views. It seemed like the “New York of the East.”

Singapore's skyline towers over the illuminated F1 track and Marina Bay.

This spurred a renewed search for a suitable venue close to the Manhattan skyline the following year, with a new tool: Google Earth. No need for a helicopter: just a Mac and you can fly over and zoom in anywhere in the whole metropolitan area, crossing county and state lines unimpeded. That is indeed how the new (and at first unlikely site) was contemplated.

Three leading individuals took that initiative, with Ecclestone’s support. First, Leo Hindery, Jr., is a highly successful executive and political activist with a passion for racing. He is a New Yorker, as at ease leading the affairs of large media or financial companies as he is driving a Porsche GT3 to a class win at the Le Mans. He is now the rightful New Jersey race promoter and director.

Second, Howard Augustine “Humpy” Wheeler, from North Carolina, is widely recognized as one of the best promoters of motor racing in America, largely responsible for the zooming popularity of NASCAR over 25 years in general, and of the Charlotte Motor Speedway in particular. In 2008, he founded The Wheeler Company, a consulting firm specializing mostly in motorsports, including Formula 1. He was and remains a consultant to Hindery on the “Grand Prix of America” search and long term development.

A third party joined this brain trust when the New Jersey side of the Hudson River came into sharp focus: Roseland Properties, owners of the Port Imperial site, which consists of 350 acres of riverfront land featuring large, high-end residential and commercial buildings, a marina and a ferry terminal, all directly adjacent to and part of the planned circuit. Through a newly created company called Port Imperial Racing Association, the project gained a major and enthusiastic investor.

Once inspected closely, the Port Imperial Circuit, as it will be called, seems well suited for the Formula 1 series. Both urban and hilly, it blends sweeping near straights with challenging corners and an elevation change of 157 ft. It features near vertical cliffs (“palisades”) within the uninhabited inner circuit, and sits by the easily accessible west bank of the Hudson River. The start-finish line and paddocks will be near the New York Waterway ferry terminal while the upper section of the track runs through two urban townships, Weehawken and West New York.

The entire Port Imperial Circuit (beige tracing). Here, left is south and right is north. Across on the Manhattan side, it spans roughly from West 31st Street to West 80th Street. The Paddock and pit lane are in red; the Port Imperial building complex is along the Hudson River.

The promoters have called their forthcoming circuit “a blend of Monaco and Spa…” There is a bit of poetic license here. The Port Imperial Circuit will bear little likeness to the glorious architecture of Monte Carlo, or to the steep, haunting hills of the Belgian Ardennes. However, it bears some valid similarities with Monaco’s long, wavy and uphill initial stretch (“Rascasse” to “Casino”), as does its final, sweeping “maximum speed” segment (“Portier” to “Tabac”) descending gently back to the marina; 220 mph expected there in New Jersey. Both Monaco and Spa also feature a tight hairpin (“Grand Hotel” and “La Source”), as well as a sharp ninety-degree corner at maximum elevation leading into a steep descent (“Mirabeau” and “Les Combes”).

Tom Cotter.

Once the deal was officially sealed and broadcast last October, Wheeler asked Cotter to lead the project to completion. After accepting the job, Cotter told Autoweek: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity; the chance to make racing history does not come along often.” And now, along with COO Dennis Robinson – former CEO of NJ Sports and Expositions – plus a team of 20 people, he is at work turning a promising pumpkin into an imperial coach.

One can objectively deem the “Grand Prix of America” venue as very promising. And the Manhattan skyline so close to the east offers both a breathtaking backdrop as well as an alluring promise for pre and post-race celebrations for the expected 110,000 spectators, teams, drivers and organizers.

Track layout and elevation. It appears very fast. Courtesy Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial

In fact, the promoters are planning a “Formula 1 Week” in Manhattan, preceding the Sunday of the Grand Prix. Fashion shows, a concours d’elégance and car auctions could be part of the menu. This would be a great draw and definitely awaken Manhattanites and the city’s many giant media companies to the power and first-class draw of Formula 1.

This should also help the investors recoup part of the sizable and yearly FOM/FIA sanctioning fee said to be in the $25 million range, plus their own costs. They are indeed responsible for all Grand Prix-related expenses, including road repaving, paddock and pit lane facilities (already under construction), safety barriers placement, security and rapid post-race clean-up. Using existing roads rather than an entirely new infrastructure at least is a big cost-saver by F1 standards. The State of New Jersey is contributing precious goodwill, but no subsidies. Instead, it expects a yearly windfall of some $100 million in extra economic activity.

And so here we are. Formula 1 was brought to America by the people of Watkins Glen, New York in 1961 and that lasted for 20 years. It was a different, less complex era. After the Glen’s sunset F1 race in 1980, the Formula 1 slowly transformed itself into the world’s biggest global TV draw, after soccer. Many other US venues, from Long Beach to Las Vegas, Phoenix and Indianapolis, tried and failed to ride the wave and kindle a vivid interest for it with American racing fans. The lack of participating and successful American drivers since Mario Andretti did not help.

Ariel view of pit and paddock area in Port Imperial.Courtesy Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial

Another key reason for this aloofness is that U.S. television networks have too little inkling of the global magnitude of Formula 1 due to its tiny audience in North America. The Superbowl reached 110 million households this January. Last year, Formula 1 averaged less than a quarter of a million viewers per race in the U.S. However, the fact that Formula 1, over its season of 20 races in 18 countries, draws between 80 and 250 million viewers worldwide per race – depending on the venue – with a cumulative audience of about half a billion viewers over the season, should be enough to get more of their attention and promotional funding. A race right across the river from their top-floor windows, preceded by a glamorous “Formula 1 Week” of high-star-power events on their magic island, might just be what will finally let them see the light.

This, just as America is going to bat again for Formula 1. November 2012 will see the thriving and attractive city of Austin, Texas, make a new attempt with a freshly built track that will bear some intriguing resemblance to the Spa circuit. It looks quite exciting and Austin has a prosperous, high-tech population with seemingly perfect demographics for F1. Let us hope that the capital of Texas will start moving that viewership needle visibly.

And then next year, remarkably, Formula 1 will come back to its historical roots in North America: the north East Coast and New York State, or more correctly just a short ferry ride across the Hudson from Manhattan. We say that is a favorable omen.

Grand Prix of Barcelona, fifth of the 2012 season, on Sunday May 13. Yet another constructor and driver won the race: Maldonado in his Williams, seen here on the far left.

Since the this year’s season started with a bang – five different winning drivers and constructors over the first five races – we have another positive omen and possibly a real boost for first “Grand Prix of America” in 2013. With the team that is in place, and a location ideal for Formula 1 to have a maximum impact on American racing fans, there is solid hope. And should the organizers also have a promising young American driver on the grid, the global racing blogosphere would go wild.