BARONE'S C&CM

  On May 12th I participated in Women’s Day at Scottsdale Maserati .  I was to discuss my great enthusiasm for the marque and how I’ve loved all my Maseratis.  Well, when I got up to speak, I was totally caught unaware… it was a ruse to get me to come to the event (which I helped organize).  The dealership presented me with this beautiful crystal piece engraved with the Maserati Logo and name and says, “Honorary Brand Ambassador Award”, “In recognition of knowledge and commitment to increase brand awareness among women”.   To say the least this is a very meaningful recognition especially since I really do love my Maseratis. My first Maserati led me to join the Ferrari Club 9 years ago which is a fun part of my life.  I continue to make so many wonderful friends.    Investment Advisory Services offered through Mutual Advisors, LLC DBA Biltmore Advisors, an SEC registered investment advisor.  

  Rob Mains is a photographer based out of the Phoenix area with a great eye for shooting cars. We caught up with Rob at one of the valley’s biggest and best Cars & Coffee events at Alpio’s in Troon. The show is from 7am-10am the second Saturday of each month, but as you can see from the photos, good parking spots close to the coffee are filled before sunrise. Rob’s interest in shooting cars goes back a long time. “Performance-oriented mechanical art seems to be in my DNA.   As a kid, I always liked having a car, airplane or boat in my pictures, and that hasn’t changed much over the years.   I appreciate the personal drive and high-quality craftsmanship that it took to create the classic cars, as well as modern exotics.   Although I prefer race-designed autos, I can always find a certain beauty in any vehicle, from hot-rods and motorcycles to trucks,” Mains explained. “One of my joys in photography is sharing time with an automobile’s ‘human family,’ and learning...

  Recently, I bought a new set of tires for Francesca, my Maserati GranTurismo Sport. Nothing is more important on a high-performance vehicle than good tires and brakes, and equally important is having a trusted relationship with a qualified professional. Your life is literally in their hands. Which is why I took Francesca over to my friend Ryan Castro of Discount Tire on Camelback Road in Phoenix. Although Discount Tire is one of the country’s largest tire and wheel retailers, the company is headquartered right here in Scottsdale, and I feel takes that extra bit of care with local customers. Ryan advised a new set of OEM Pirelli P-Zero with a 187-mph “Y” speed rating to accommodate Francesca’s –ahem – upper performance limits. He explained that the high silica inner liner and wide longitudinal grooves help in wet driving conditions while maintaining comfort. With our rainy season upon us here in Arizona, his advice was a great reassurance. As a 25-year customer of Discou...

  Eight-time land speed record holder Valerie Thompson and her sponsor Barby Barone are teammates in the truest sense of the word. Each helps the other in their mutual quest for excellence. Barone and other sponsors make it possible for Thompson to compete by underwriting some of her expenses in salt flat streamliner car and motorcycle racing. Thompson in turn helps Barone’s personal financial advisory firm, Biltmore Advisors, reach its goal of visibility in the world of motorsports through signage on the vehicles and team uniforms. In the case of Thompson – the World’s Fastest Woman on Two Wheels – the goal is nothing less than shattering the current land speed record of 376 mph for a streamliner motorcycle. But the sponsorship is only the beginning of this rewarding relationship, as both women draw inspiration and motivation from one another. “I’m totally impressed with who she is as a person, and the complete mastery of skills she exhibits. This sport is fraught with da...

  Irish-American racer Derek Daly quickly ascended to the heights of automotive road racing, but not without his fair share of hardship. Sustaining a 17-year professional career in racing is a feat unto itself, but bouncing back from numerous life-threatening crashes required an inner commitment and strength of vision that forges champions. For Daly, it all started at the age of 12 when he spied a racecar hauler marked “Sydney Taylor Racing” around the corner from his father’s vegetable stand in suburban Dublin. The elder Daly noted his son’s interest, and arranged with the lorry driver to give him a look at the Brabham BT-8 inside. It’s likely this car was chassis #SC-6-64, which had been successfully driven by Denny Hulme throughout 1964 before heading to Ireland for the Leinster Trophy and Phoenix Park races in July of 1965. Young Derek was completely gobsmacked by the sight of the Brabham, and his father followed up by taking him to the races that weekend, cementing in him a ...

  Well, I thought it was about time I introduced myself. My name is Francesca, and I am Sophia’s younger sister. I arrived on the scene this summer, and like Sophia, I am a spectacular Maserati GranTurismo Sport. I have the same technical specifications, I’m super-fast and sound amazing. I do look quite different than Sophia.   Whereas Sophia had a very flashy red leather interior and shiny black exterior, I have a completely different look! My exterior is Granito Grigio and my interior is Cuio which is a totally elegant camel color.   I do think I’m quite sophisticated. Barby agrees, and several of her friends say they like me better than Sophia!   Well, this is not a “one is better than the other” situation. Although related, we are different. Think of two sisters in the same family – one with a slightly more outgoing personality, and the other a bit more refined and somewhat restrained. As a matter fact, Barby has said that she actually drives slightly slo...

  Last Saturday we went to Sean Conyers’ last local race of the season out at Arizona Speedway in San Tan Valley, AZ. Exciting down to the very last turn, Sean grabbed the win in his main event race. Congratulations Sean! Not only was it my first dirt track race, my assistant Jennifer and her family were there. Autographs and Halloween treats were just the beginning for her grandsons Brayden and Ben, who got to chat with Sean and check out his ModLite car close up… both claimed it was the highlight of the night! Barby presented Sean with another sponsorship check. We look forward to a great season next year. You can follow Sean here: facebook.com/seanconyersracing       The Barone’s Cars & Capital Markets Crew, from left to right: Brayden, Sean, Ben, Barby, Steve and Jennifer #seanconyers114 #racing #dirttrack #dirttrackracing #modified Investment Advisory Services offered through Mutual Advisors, LLC DBA Biltmore Advisors, an SEC registere...