Space City Panteras' Texas World Speedway track event #2
Space City Panteras of Houston organized their second track event on February 5-6 at Texas World Speedway near College Station, TX. John Taphorn did the honors of organizing the even this time. We had a total of 6 Panteras on the track and some other Pantera Club members join us with other cars since their Panteras were in various states of purchase, rebuild or restoration.
Dennis "Mad Dog" Antenucci joined us again from California. His 'Itbewild' that burned to the ground at Silver State is being reborn, but the 'Phoenix' had not yet arisen so he drove Gray's street car!
The track event was hosted by Space City Panteras of Houston and the Lone Star Porsche Club. Instructors from the Porsche Club were available for all the drivers if needed. My instructor was a big guy... I had to remove my passenger seat so he could get in the car! Excellent help though... I learned a lot again! Most of all? Not fearing Turn #1 so much. I had a 'run-in' with it back in 1995 and memories die hard.
There were four 'run groups' again based loosely on experience with the Green and Blue groups running with instructors. Green group was for drivers who had no track experience, Blue group was for those who had some experience, Yellow was for those who had more experience and White was for the very experienced. Some of us ended up in lower classes due to the upper groups being full, but we still had fun passing the Porsche contingency!
Let's see.... Who ran on the track?
Mad Dog ran in the Green group driving Gray Gregory's silver street car which had just gotten back from Pantera Performance Center. Gray said he was very pleased with the fact that everything worked and all you had to do was drive!
Tom Upton brought his new dedicated race car and his dedicated mechanic!
Yours truly, Kirby Schrader, was on the track with the just installed EFI. Lots of tweaking on the computer that weekend!
David Bell joined us for his first ever track event. He'd just purchased Jack Tunnell's car and had owned the car a whole two weeks before taking it out on the track. David has his own story to tell. Check out David's story.
Gray Gregory also brought his recently purchased race car. John Taphorn has dubbed it the 'Saturn V' and when John took it out for a few laps, he managed to spin it multiple times (everyone lost count...)! Add that to his record breaking spin in his own car with Steve Donegan as passenger. Let's see... Nice work John!
As just mentioned, John Taphorn had his car at the event. It was a little 'bent' after being hit by a truck in the bank's parking lot, but that didn't stop John! A 2x4 and some special body work prepared John's car for the weekend!
In fact, let John tell his side of the story!
"Wow, The 2.9 mile Texas World Speedway road course is awesome. The new section intimidated the heck out of me. I played lead obstacle in my run group on Saturday as I learned the terrain.Thankfully on Sunday, I started to find the groove and carry some speed so I could stay in front of cars with half the horsepower.
Big thanks to all that attended the event and made it so enjoyable."
The participants included:
1) Kirby Schrader, Houston - With an instructor so huge he had to remove the passenger seat so the instructor could sit in the car!
2) Gray Gregory, Houston - Driving the beast, that no one tamed, as well as his clean silver '72
3) Tom Upton, Houston 2400#s and 600+HP. Engine held together as driver got faster!
4) Dennis Antenucci - California - Confirmed his adoration for the 2.9 mile layout
6) David and Marilyn Bell, Houston - From new to seasoned P-owner in just two weeks!!
7) John Taphorn - The spinmeister - a total of 1260 degrees
8) Steve Donegan, California - The only spectator to get a ride AND be driven on the course backwards!
9) Jack Tunnell w/ Robin - Fastest dually on the track
10) John Haas - Visiting with his blue Pantera
11) Allen and Marylynne Brown - (w/o Cobra) Cheering on the P-cars
12) Michael Frazier w/ Delores, Reinspired to put his Pantera together.
13) Richard Greenblum (w/ Pantera GTS)
14) John Holmes, all the way from North Carolina
15) Zack Zinter #6667, Part of the David Bell crew team and Sunday corner worker - Thanks Zack!
16) Martin Machin w/daughters - David Bell's ignition specialist
17) Dennis Coffin - Ready to lend a hand where ever needed. Thanks Dennis!!
18) Jim Narum - Space City member that partied till late with us at the Outback and then drove all the way back to Houston! The Ironman award!
19) Bill Bitner (w/out Red '73) Thanks Bill for helping me reset my valve lash!
20) Rick Inserra (w/Yellow '71) An original beauty!
21) Don Franck - Joined pre race festvities and the Mad Dog/Donegan welcoming committee at Dinner Thurs.
22) Bill Borello - Space City President, Also joined pre race festvities and the Mad Dog/Donegan welcoming committee at Dinner Thurs.
More than 25 people joined us to celebrate these cars and forge new friendships in Texas. Lots of stories to be told. Sorry others couldn't be there. While a few minor gremlins crept up on a few of the cars. No significant failures and everyone that drove up was able to drive back.
We had a total of 22 people get together at the Outback Steakhouse on Saturday night. Mad Dog presented Gray Gregory with the 'Ironman Award' for his last Silver State attendance. Drove his car to Nevada and then joined Team Pantera Racing for the event.
Jack Tunnel came down from Dallas with his girlfriend Robin and his Dodge 'dually'. Soon after this event, he bought a GT5 that he's setting up for vintage racing.
For the rest of the pictures, you'll find them here