DeTomaso Mailing List: December 97, Message #102

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From: "Charles F Engles Jr." <engles@qns.com> Subject: Re: Mid-west track event Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 21:33:47 +0000
OK Mike, here goes: I was a member of the Mid Am Shelby Group Board of Directors and have been to the Hallett event many times. The following is a cold hearted objective review of the Shelby Mid Am Event. Good news: The road course is only 45 miles away from the Tulsa hotel headquarters. The drag strip is only a few minutes away in town in Tulsa. They have had two days at Hallet occasionally in the past. They have had one driver's school taught by Rick Titus plus other Ford luminaries. Hallett is steadily being repaired and upgraded and is much better than the first time I was there in 1988. Bad news: The Shelby organization at the track is still, ahem, improving. Also improving is their ability to maintain discipline on the track. They are not yet up to the standards of the local Porsche club in my opinion. Hallett is certainly not the Poconos nor is it the "old" track at Vegas. Compared to them, it is a relatively narrow track up hill and dale with fewer opportunities for passing. It certainly stresses brakes and does not permit the Panteras to really utilize the upper reaches of the engine and transmission. The track is in the middle of nowhere. 45 miles out and 45 miles back. The closest city is Tulsa. My suggestion is that Hallett is not yet ready for Prime Time and unless it could be had for a song then it is not the best choice for a bunch of Panteras. I would suggest either the Heartland track at Topeka or the Fort Worth NASCAR track if it ever opens up to club racing. Heartland is supposed to be a very nice road course, supposed to have all the amenities and is located in Topeka, which is not a major metropolitan area, but is a darn sight bigger than Jennings, Oklahoma and better able to handle our crowd ( I think). One anecdote: Dennis Quella was here last summer with his tube frame racer.(check with him as to his opinion and assessment) Dennis said that it would take a fifteen minute track session to get his slicks up to sticky temperatures then he would go out in the fast group and use'em at speed. Also for comparison note that Dennis is no slouch, his car and set up are pretty serious, but at Hallett his car was not the fastest (hard to believe I know, but true). FWIW, Chuck Engles ---------- > From: Mike Drew <mikeldrew@hotmail.com> > To: Multiple recipients of list <detomaso@realbig.com> > Subject: Mid-west track event > Date: Sunday, December 07, 1997 9:28 PM > > Mad Dog writes: > > I think it was David D. who first suggested we try and ride onto a > Shelby > like event where we'd be welcome and save dollars to boot. So, if you > guys in the midwest are REALLY serious you need to get on it. > Mad Dog, IRA > > ---------- > > Just read in Mustangs & Fords the date for the annual Mid-America Shelby > meet in Tulsa, OK featuring a day of open-track at Hallet, and a day of > drag racing. It's in June sometime, around the 14th? > > Chuck Engles goes to this just about every year. Care to shed some more > light on it? > > (BTW, this was one of three or four 'must-do' events according to the > magazine.) > > Mike (writing from Base Operations at No-Hope Pope AFB, at 3:00 a.m.) > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

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