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The SHELBY AMERICAN
SAAC-40 photographers: Jeff Burgy, Bob
Cassling, Chris Dugan, Bob Garland, John
Guyer, Greg Kolasa, Rick Kopec, Peter
Larkin, Larry Lutes, David Maffucci
Kopec found the podium and gave
a brief history of the club’s early years,
detailing how and where it came from
and like everyone else, wondering
where it might go. Ron Richards pro-
vided a history of Cobras and then in-
vited a couple of younger Cobra and
Shelby enthusiasts up on stage to ask
them a few questions about Cobra his-
tory. They passed with flying colors.
The purpose of this was to explain
that SAAC would need to educate the
younger generation of enthusiasts if it
was to continue.
The keynote speaker was Peter
Brock. He has been one of the club’s
biggest supporters since the very be-
ginning. Brock was fresh from attend-
ing the Monterey Motorsports
Reunion’s 50th Anniversary of the
GT350. He noted SAAC’s role in har-
nessing and maintaining the enthusi-
asm for Cobras and Shelby Mustangs
over the past forty years which re-
sulted in events like the 50th anniver-
sary commemoration on Monterey. His
comments were well received and in-
spiring.
Finally, it was time for the part of
the program that was eagerly awaited
by the owners of the concours cars
parked beyond the dining tables: the
announcentment of the award win-
ners. SAAC’s concours is acknowl-
edged as one of the most thorough and
demanding competition in the entire
hobby. In fact, the standards are so
high it is rare that a car is restored by
an owner in his own garage. Profes-
sionals who specialize in concours
restorations have become the rule
rather then the exception. The owners
merely write the checks, and they
have plenty of zeroes in them.
You have to keep your eyes open at a convention or you might pass right by a car with
an unusually interesting history. Like 6S499. Richard Klein of Yorktown Heights, New
York is the original owner and he and wife P.K. have driven the car to 22 SAAC conven-
tions. It was originally purchased to compete in SCCA rallyes and won several national
events. They were SCCA Northeast Division champions from 1966 to 1971.
Everyone cleared out of the Kala-
hari on Saturday and headed to the
track. Cars for the popular vote car
show began arriving at 8 a.m. The
schedule called for voting between 10
a.m. and noon. As soon as the ballots
were counted and the trophies were
handed out the convention began
wrapping up. But for those who didn’t
want the weekend to be over the Indy-
Cars were practicing on the Tri-Oval
and the SVRA’s racing groups were
qualifying on the track’s Southeast
Course.
Fall 2015 281