Letters and News

GIRARD-PERREGAUX/WASHINGTON FERRARI SWEEPS CHAMPIONSHIPS!

A winning season for Ferrari and Ferrari/Maserati of Washington. Congratulations from VeloceToday! Credit: PhotosByJuha.com

DAYTONA BEACH, FL, NOVEMBER 1. It was a clean sweep for the #33 Girard-Perregaux / Market Scan / Scuderia Ferrari of Washington team at the Champions Weekend, the GrandAm season finale. The team won the GT Team Championship, drivers Cort Wagner and Brent Martini tied for the GT Drivers Championship, and by winning the GT race the team gave Ferrari its first GT Manufacturers Championship ever in North America. The win also tied the GT record of five consecutive wins set by the team during the 2002 season.

This is the second year for the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington to race in the GrandAm series, and they've produced impressive results. In those two years they've been virtually unbeatable, with team and driver championships both years.
David Seibert

Coming Up

The 308 project is reported in virtually real time. Garage queen now awaiting final gaskets and new water pump.

We'll have more details on 308 maintenance coming up in next week's edition of VT. In the meantime, I might make mention of two items on brakes and cleanup: First, later 308 suspensions were coated with cosmoline. Removing it is tough, and it is there for a reason, so think before you make the decision to remove the layer of protection. Second, I found that the inner front brake hose connections and fittings were very difficult to access. This old sailor had to learn a few new swear words, but it can be done with normal tools. In time.

A 106
We have included this letter because we would like to hear again from Mr. Bouzanquet. Our return emails were not accepted. Is there anyone who can get in touch with Mr. Bouzanquet for us? We would indeed like a story about his car.

Dear Peter
I like velocetoday, its a good way to have "overseas news".! As promised in my morning-mail I am sending you a picture of my A 106 during le "Tour de France Auto" this year. If you want more info about Alpine A106, I am now a specialist after a full year of complete restoration.... On the other hand, I like vintage racing and will probably be again next year in 'Le Mans historic' & 'Tour auto' If you are interested by anything on this, let me know?
Best regards
Jean-françois Bouzanquet

Mr. Bouzanquet's A 106 - looking much better than the one found on the schoolbus.

Comments -
I'm a French young man ( 19 years ) and I love Alpine A 106, can you help me? I saw the photo with the A 106 over the bus. Can you tell me where this photo was taken? Can you send me that photograph please?
Thank you,
Fred

Fred, can you help us find Jean-françois? Both readers wanted to know where the Alpine on the bus was located. I can say that it can be found in the Eastern peninsula of the state of Virginia.

Words we like to read
Guys: This is just to compliment you and express my opinion that you have what may be the very best internet site for road race enthusiasts, car collectors, F-1 followers and vintage race / vintage race car lovers. (That's me for the past 50 years.)
MANY thanks.
Mickey Mishne

Thanks for the words, Mickey, and we’ll be doing a bit more on vintage racing in the near future.

Dino lines
I always enjoy thoughtful commentary on Italian coachwork. Often writers cannot articulate their perception of the aesthetic merits of a car so Mr.Conklin's precise description of the 246 Dino lines was appreciated. My own opinion differs. I find the Dino's competing concave and convex curves create too much "action" so that the car lacks cohesiveness. There isn't enough flow if I can use this term to create an overall gestalt which I think distinguishes if not detracts from much of Pinninfarina's work. On the other hand Mr. Conklin's appreciation has given me something to think about.
Jeff Cole

Rethinking the Dino - are the lines too busy?

Jeff, we appreciate your comments. Staring at our Dino the other day, I thought about your comments and tend to agree. Gets kinda busy for such a small car. I think the prototype was cleaner, but far less practical. Nonetheless, I’m still hopelessly in love.

Mugello F1 Drive?
Enjoyed the story re: Mugelo by Alessandro Gerelli. Do you have any information on how I might be able to partake in that event? My interest would be to drive an F1 Ferrari. I have racing experience and also maybe too much body mass. Any help would be very nice. Keep up the good work.
Thanks,
John Annis

Ouch!
Finally, we include this letter because, frankly, we are unable to help our reader. Perhaps there are other readers who have or are experiencing the same problem as Mr. ---. If so, let us know.

I have not received a readable copy of Veloce Today since 8/20/03. The HTML mess you see below (copy of text with html coding) is what I have been subjected to! I HAVE REQUESTED HELP TWICE BEFORE and on the second occasion was summarily informed that this was my second request for help! DUH! Maybe that's because I've received NO help. Kindly contain your condescending remarks, I assure you that, if pressed, mine will be considerably more biting. Further, kindly stop telling me that your technical people have looked into the issue... there is no evidence that they have and I will not be mollified by such comments. It appears to me that YOU have changed the formatting of the magazine and made it incomprehensible to my system. (I simply refuse to work my way through a ton of HTML tags to try to figure out what the actual content might be.) If you cannot either help me find the problem in MY setup, or correct YOURS, I will be forced to discontinue my subscription to Veloce Today. I have reached the end of my patience.
Thomas I. Geiger