Shelby American Automotive Club – Motor City Region Volume 29, Issue 4 Shelby Life October 2004 Inside this issue: President’s Corner: SAAC 29, 2004 National Shelby GingerMan Open Track 2 Membership Report 2 Club Convention SAAC 29 4 By Tom Greene Northwoods Region 9 evening was an even more mov- Waterford Open Track 10 Jeff Burgy ing, albeit personal, event. I Mid Ohio Open Track 11 speaking at talked for several minutes with the SAAC Bernie Kretschmer. Bernie is Mustang Alley 12 29 banquet the man who was responsible for about the building every single R model Rolling Sculpture 14 Bordinat ever turned out by Shelby Ameri- Eyes on Design 16 Cobra and can. I got his autograph on that Cougar II famous photo (OK, it’s famous to Kiwanis Car Shows 18 prototype all true Shelby fanatics) of the cars seven R models in the shop at Swap & Sell 19 once and tried to figure out which guy working on the cars Betki’s Diagnosis 21 was Bernie (hey, it was over 40 Financial Report 22 years ago, and we all change in For those of us who are me m- something new this year. He 40 years). This prompted Meeting Minutes 23 Bernie to explain that this was bers of the SAAC National had come “back home” to Ford Events Calendar Last club, and went to the dinner at Motor Company. His affiliation the only time that he didn’t work the national convention, we with Ford obviously goes back to on the cars, because to set up had a fantastic time and were meeting with the B.O.D. at Ford the photo, the photographer privy to some of the best talks before getting that first 260 en- added in the guys from the GT40 it has been my pleasure ever gine shipped to his shop in Cali- side of the garage and had eve- 2004 Club Officers ryone wearing white shop coats. at the convention. fornia to create the first Cobra, and you could tell from his voice, Bernie was wearing his typical · President: Tom Greene Our own Jeff Burgy presented and his sincerity, he was very jeans that day, and true to his (248) 449-7374 “go get it done” approach, in- [email protected] the story of the missing Bordi- glad to be back in partnership · Secretary: Kurt Fredrickson nat Cobra – along with a bit of with the blue oval folks. I am stead of getting into the picture, (734) 427-2449 he climbed a ladder and moved [email protected] insight on Jeff himself, which I betting that the group of SAAC- · Treasurer: Craig Shefferly didn’t know, and I’ve known MCR member/Ford employee an air hose out of the field of the (248) 698-8825 picture, and then held the ladder [email protected] Jeff for well over 20 years – and retiree enthusiasts is very · for the photographer to stand on Events: Gary Roys read Jeff’s story elsewhere in happy that Carroll Shelby came (248) 879 0835 this issue. Rick Kopec was back to Ford. I am part of that so everyone else could be im- [email protected] even better than usual with group, and I am so proud I could mortalized. I have the names of · Adertising: Joan Karas (734) 675-2375 humorous stories about his nearly pop that the most effec- several of the people who were [email protected] early days as a reporter, Chris tive group in history has now in the photo written on the back · Competition: Darius Rudis (313) 248-7402 Theodore entertained us with been reunited. of the photo. Bernie also drives [email protected] stories about bringing up a an R-model (no. 61B) he re- · Membership: Rich Tweedle cently built for himself – and who (586) 791-0279 couple flowers, Petunia and As great as the speakers of the [email protected] Daisy – and then the man, ole evening were, and they were better to build an R-model clone · National News: Jeff Burgy than the man who built every (248) 366-3090 Shel hisself, came up and not simply fantastic, and as good as [email protected] only was he his normal, enter- it was to be around a whole one of them for Shelby Ameri- · Web Master: Dean Ricci taining – no a better term is room of died-in-the-wool Shelby can???? What a genuinely nice [email protected] entrancing self, but he had enthusiasts, the highlight of my · Editor: Mike Nyberg (248) 969-1157 (Continued on page 3) [email protected] Page 2 Shelby Life 2004 GingerMan Open Track Event by Darius Rudis (drudis@dariusrudis. com) There were no real incidents re- The SAAC-Motor City Region held ported at the track, and Rob made the "Hot Laps at GingerMan" as sure we got MORE than enough part of their annual Opentrack track time. We had 7(?) track ses- events in beautiful South Haven, sions, and the end of the day, there Michigan. The event was held were only a handful of cars out on Monday July 26, 2004 following the track. Everyone was either out a busy and large SVT event Satur- of gas / tires / brakes / or just en- day and Sunday. Excellent ergy to keep running. We all en- weather, and enough vehicles in joyed the sounds of cars roaring by, The white “Novice’ Group lined up at the Ginger- attendance to make the break even and maybe a few tires squeeling, Man staging area, ready to enter the track point for the event. even seeing someone recovering from a 4-off, and the memories that Ouch! Others (Bill) took pity Registration went "ok", as I was still keep us coming back to this excel- on us who's Mustangs weren’t waking up having crawled out of my lent adventure. Thanks to all those there, and were foolish “Excellent tent for the 3rd morning in a row… who helped, and especially to all enough to let ME driver their Many pitched in to get the tech in- weather and the drivers that used their heads, car. Other novices decided to spections and handled it very well, enough and proceeded to exit the track in a register under the wrong run and didn’t really seem to have any safe manner. group, and got run-over by the vehicles in issues. After the drivers meeting, faster guys. Later, I reas- attendance out went the Red Group, while I [Here is where I poke fun] Some of signed them to the proper gave a Classroom Session for the us (Gene) decided that helping with group. A few token Porsche to make the novices. Throughout that morning, tech, and students, and driving cars were there, only to show break even the Red Group drivers assisted in wasn’t enough. So he decided to that if you spend lots of point for the riding/instructi ng a large number of look/work on his engine after every money, you can keep up with novices to the track. Thank you! session, until realizing that the Cobras. ;) event.” he finally broke #7 & #8 pistons. Membership Report by Rich Tweedle SAAC-MCR Membership Status Newest members as of September 30, 2004 Jeff & Ani Niffin, Michael Ardrey, John & Rhonda Wright, Bill Sulek, Paul & Karen Bridgewater, Tom & Sally Houck, Julian Woon,Tom & Vicki Celani and Greg Bowlby Renew your member- ship now and enjoy the club fellowship and benefits. We currently have 135 members. Volume 29, Issue 4 Page 3 ’04 GingerMan Open Track Event (Continued from page 2) Jeff Niffin in his 2003 Mustang Mach1 Racer on the Christopher Duffy’s 1992 5.0L Mustang LX enter- GingerMan straightaway entering Turn #1 ing the GingerMan Race Track Jeff Lapante’s 1986 Mustang Convertible about to The yellow “Advanced” Group ready to enter enter Turn #1 at GingerMan the GingerMan Race Track President’s Corner (Continued from page 1) man. One of his quotes was that deal than the B plan GT350s on Carroll tried to make all the guys the resale lot for under $3k each who made the cars possible, who worked at Shelby American way back in 67. Thank you to all those of you rich men, but they all passed on who made the Shelby club come the opportunity. You see, it All told, the national convention to life, and Thank you to each of seems that there were three is a near-religious experience for you who additionally kept the Daytona coupes sitting out be- the true Shelby enthusiast, and I club going over the years, for it hind the shop, and he could have wouldn’t have missed it for the would have been easy to have bought them for $6,000. Now it world – the additional experi- not expended the effort to do so. isn’t clear whether that was $6k ences were simply added bo- And thank you to each of you for all three, or was $6k for each nuses. who made the most recent na- one – but in Bernie’s words, they tional convention come to life, were just used race cars and I know this message won’t get to and Thank you Carroll Shelby who would want to pay that all those to whom I want to ex- for creation of the cars with much for them? Can you imag- press this thought, but …….. which I have had a nearly life- ine, there was an even better Thank you for all those of you long love affair. Page 4 Shelby Life SAAC-29 – the Year of the Cobra Prototyes by Jeff Burgy SAAC 29 took place over the Fourth ager in high school, and I began a of July weekend at Michigan Speed- fairly concerted effort to find these way in Jackson, Michigan.