DeTomaso Mailing List: April 2000, Message #223

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Dear Mr. Wyss,

Your, "De Tomaso Racers, The Gang That Can't Shoot Straight?", editorial =
is an affront to De Tomaso owners and racers, the SSCC road race event, =
De Tomaso Modena S.p.A., Vietnam Veterans and AutoWeek.=20

While many have come to expect some misinformation from the automotive =
media regarding De Tomaso automobiles and De Tomaso racing, I have not.  =
And I definitely have not come to expect a editorial from PI which was =
at best inaccurate and at worst insulting to many De Tomaso racers.  You =
obviously are not a De Tomaso racer and you sir, obviously do not =
understand what it means to be a  De Tomaso racer.  I can not speak to =
the articles in Briton's Thoroughbred & Classic Car or the Mangusta that =
ended up on its roof but I can speak to the AutoWeek article with first =
hand knowledge because I was that Californian you referred to in your =
editorial. =20

As a automotive journalist you obviously understand that any race car =
that crosses a finish line on fire or ends up on its roof is  going to =
be considered by many to be breaking  news.  But, here's where I begin =
to have some problem with the spin and smoke and mirrors of your =
editorial.  In the same paragraph that you mention the AutoWeek article =
you also spin the fact that PI mentioned that the same California driver =
was a Vietnam veteran and then you write about a helicopter full of =
bullet holes and dering-do all of which was totally inaccurate and at =
worst insulting to this reader and other Vietnam veterans.  I, was that =
California driver.

You go on to suggest, no, you actually go on to state and I quote,  "the =
AutoWeek readers got the impression that the people who race Pantera's =
will try anything" end of quote. What AutoWeek readers are you referring =
to sir?   When AutoWeek and other automotive publications publish a =
story that shows a Corvette, a Viper, or a Porsche on fire or upside =
down do you actually believe the readers get the impression that the =
owner's of those same cars will in your words, "try anything"? Please!

And your so called "recovery" from the articles as you so inaccurately =
reported totally ignores the fact that the De Tomaso marque and vintage =
Pantera's have got more favorable media attention (long overdue) in the =
last year then in the last 25 years.  Your comments about the De Tomaso =
marque lacking pedigree or regarding Mr. De Tomaso or, as you refered to =
him as the "mad inventor lacking a engineering degree", also insults Mr. =
De Tomaso and many designers who have made significant contributions to =
design throughout automotive history.  =20

In the Silver State Classic (SSCC) road race series which is part of a =
sanctioned international road race event, safety is and has always been =
rule number one.  And safety among Team Pantera Racing members has =
always been and always will continue to be "rule number one".  These =
sanctioned road race events have an incredible safety record and the =
safety record of Team Pantera Racing is excellent.  As in any racing =
there is a element of danger in road racing and as I mentioned in the PI =
article last summer that same danger is also the attraction.  In the =
SSCC road race series the only two accidents in 11 years that De Tomaso =
Pantera's have had are those that were in the fastest or Unlimited =
Division speeds and they are very rare indeed when compared to both Team =
Pantera Racing and the SSCC events safety record.=20

I know and consider Pete Lyons, the senior editor of AutoWeek a =
professional automotive writer, a friend of De Tomaso automobiles and of =
Team Pantera Racing.  The only "spin" (your words) that came out of Pete =
Lyons article is the "spin" in your very vivid imagination.  As I sit =
here today, If I did not consider your editorial to be of your own =
personal opinion I would cancel my subscription to PI today.  However, =
it is out of respect for the excellent even handed job that David and =
Linda Adler have performed as the publishers and editors that I not =
cancal my PI subscrption and write this editorial response.=20

Sincerely,

Dennis Antenucci, National President
Pantera Owner's Club of America and Team Pantera Racing

cc:    David Adler, PI
         A. De Tomaso, De Tomaso Modena, S.p.A. =20
        Pete Lyons, AutoWeek
        Mike Drew, POCA
        Steve Waldman, SSCC
        =20

   =20
=20

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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>Dear Mr.=20
Wyss,</FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>Your, =
"<STRONG>De=20
Tomaso Racers, The Gang That Can't Shoot Straight</U>?", =
editorial=20
is an affront to De Tomaso owners and racers, the SSCC road race event, =
De=20
Tomaso Modena S.p.A., Vietnam Veterans and <STRONG>AutoWeek.=20
</FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>While many =
have come to=20
expect some misinformation from the automotive media regarding De Tomaso =

automobiles and De Tomaso racing, I have not.  And I definitely =
have not=20
come to expect a editorial from <STRONG>PI which was at best =
inaccurate=20
and at worst insulting to many De Tomaso racers.  You obviously are =
not a=20
De Tomaso racer and you sir, obviously do not understand what it means =
to be=20
a  De Tomaso racer.  I can not speak to the articles in =
Briton's=20
<STRONG>Thoroughbred & Classic Car or the Mangusta that =
ended up on=20
its roof but I can speak to the <STRONG>AutoWeek article with =
first=20
hand knowledge because I was that Californian you referred to in your=20
editorial.  </FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>As a =
automotive=20
journalist you obviously understand that any race car that crosses a =
finish line=20
on fire or ends up on its roof is  going to be considered by many =
to be=20
breaking  news.  But, here's where I begin to have some =
problem with=20
the spin and smoke and mirrors of your editorial.  In the same =
paragraph=20
that you mention the <STRONG>AutoWeek article you also spin the =
fact=20
that <STRONG>PI mentioned that the same California driver was a =
Vietnam=20
veteran and then you write about a helicopter full of bullet holes and =
dering-do=20
all of which was totally inaccurate and at worst insulting to this =
reader and=20
other Vietnam veterans.  I, was that California=20
driver.</FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>You go on =
to suggest, no,=20
you actually go on to state and I quote,  "the =
<STRONG>AutoWeek=20
</STRONG>readers got the impression that the people who race Pantera's =
will try=20
anything" end of quote. What <STRONG>AutoWeek readers are =
you=20
referring to sir?   When <STRONG>AutoWeek and other=20
automotive publications publish a story that shows a Corvette, a Viper, =
or a=20
Porsche on fire or upside down do you actually believe the readers get =
the=20
impression that the owner's of those same cars will in your words, =
"try=20
anything"? Please!</FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>And your so called=20
"recovery" from the articles as you so inaccurately reported =
totally=20
ignores the fact that the De Tomaso marque and vintage Pantera's have =
got more=20
favorable media attention (long overdue) in the last year then in the =
last 25=20
years.  Your comments about the De Tomaso marque lacking pedigree =
or=20
regarding Mr. De Tomaso or, as you refered to him as the "mad =
inventor=20
lacking a engineering degree", also insults Mr. De Tomaso and many=20
designers who have made significant contributions to design throughout=20
automotive history.   </FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>In the =
Silver State=20
Classic (SSCC) road race series which is part of a sanctioned =
international road=20
race event, safety is and has always been rule number one.  =
<STRONG>And=20
safety among Team Pantera Racing members has always been and always will =

continue to be</STRONG> "rule number=20
one"</U>.  These sanctioned road race events have an=20
incredible safety record and the safety record of Team Pantera Racing is =

excellent.  As in any racing there is a element of danger in road =
racing=20
and as I mentioned in the PI article last summer that same danger is =
also the=20
attraction.  In the SSCC road race series the only two accidents in =
11=20
years that De Tomaso Pantera's have had are those that were in the =
fastest or=20
Unlimited Division speeds and they are very rare indeed when compared to =
both=20
Team Pantera Racing and the SSCC events safety record.=20
</FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>I know and =
consider Pete=20
Lyons, the senior editor of <STRONG>AutoWeek a professional =
automotive=20
writer, a friend of De Tomaso automobiles and of Team Pantera =
Racing.  The=20
only "spin" (your words) that came out of Pete Lyons article =
is the=20
"spin" in your very vivid imagination.  As I sit here =
today, If I=20
did not consider your editorial to be of your own personal opinion I =
would=20
cancel my subscription to <STRONG>PI today.  However, it =
is out of=20
respect for the excellent even handed job that David and Linda Adler =
have=20
performed as the publishers and editors that I not cancal my PI =
subscrption and=20
write this editorial response. </FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>
<DIV> 
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV> 
<DIV>cc:    David=20
Adler, PI</STRONG>
<DIV>         A. De =
Tomaso, De=20
Tomaso Modena, S.p.A.  </STRONG>
<DIV>        Pete Lyons,=20
AutoWeek</STRONG>
<DIV>        Mike =
Drew,=20
POCA</FONT>
<DIV>        Steve =
Waldman,=20
SSCC</FONT>
<DIV> 
<DIV>  =
</STRONG>
<DIV>

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