BARONE'S C&CM

Valerie Thompson is a woman after my own heart. At the age of 32, the Tacoma, Washington, native bought a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and the world would never be the same. A need for speed propelled her into the world of motorcycle drag racing. Suddenly comfortable at over 200 mph, she pushed further into Land Speed Record attempts. In March of 2018 at the age of 51, she became the world’s fastest woman on two-wheels by going 328 mph in a motorcycle streamliner. Only days later she had a horrific crash at 363 mph, sliding for nearly a mile on an Australian dry lake bed, but luckily walked away. This March, she’ll be returning to Lake Gairdner in Southern Australia to attempt new speed records on four wheels piloting the Treit & Davenport Target 550 Streamliner at two premier land speed racing events. Her goals include breaking the 415.867 mph class World record for a four-wheel blown fuel streamliner powered by a piston engine. As a woman in the predominantly male-...

Last August, I had the great pleasure to meet Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Chief Judge Emeritus Ed Gilbertson. Ed has been involved in the classic car and motorcycle hobby for over 40 years, and still serves on the very prestigious Pebble Beach Concours Selection Committee. He also serves as the Chief Judge Emeritus for the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic and the Ferrari Club of America, as well as having been the Chief Judge for the Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours. To say he knows his stuff is an understatement. When Ed began judging the Ferrari Club of America Concours in 1985, he found the judging criteria inconsistent from meet to meet. That led to the adoption of scoring sheets and the 100-point system, a formal standard he continues to champion as Chairman of his group the International Chief Judge Advisory Group ( icjag.org ). For those not familiar with concours protocol, the judging duties are usually split between Chief Judges and Class Judges. Th...

I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to Amelia Island, Florida, for the 2019 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, meeting with friends and collector car industry leaders in what has become the premier concours east of the Mississippi. A weeklong schedule of parties and seminars culminated in a warm and sunny show-day event, and I couldn’t resist snapping some photographs of some of my favorite cars on the lawn of the Ritz-Carlton. Take a look and see if you agree with my choices! Don and Carol Murray brought this gorgeous 1956 Ferrari 250GT Speciale from Laguna Beach, California. One of four prototypes built, this example was first owned by a Mr. Nassi; a director for Fiat and member of the Agnelli family. Built as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” this demure Ferrari features a competition-style engine tuned to TDF specifications and was raced at the Nurburgring in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. Lionel and Karen Bessudo brought this 1953 Jaguar XK120 FHC all the way f...

Scott Utter of European Motorcar Studio shares the merits of this 1974 Lamborghini Espada with me at the Scottsdale Jet Center reception during Arizona Car Week.   My week began by hosting with a fundraiser for the RPM Foundation with president Diane Fitzgerald (left). My friendship with IndyCar racer Lyn St. James (right) inspired me to make a multi-year financial commitment to the foundation in her honor. Two of my good friends and traveling companions, Jim and Sandi Weder, who share my passion for fantastic cars. We connected through the Ferrari Club ofAmerica – Desert Region , and attended the Monaco Grand Prix in 2016. This replica Porsche 917 sports racer was a standout favorite of the week. Tagging along with the RPM Foundation students at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, and witnessing the power of mentorship firsthand. My Sophia had plenty of company from her cousins down the road in Maranello. Sometimes the week ...

One of the lessons I learned at the track was the importance of vision. Look at the path you want your car to take. Turn your head and focus your eyes on where you want to go. Amazingly, it worked every time in the slalom, autocross, track laps and even everyday driving. But what if you can’t see where you want to go? A few weeks ago, while on a drive with the Ferrari Club ( Desert Region ), we encountered thick fog; a rather rare driving condition here in Central Arizona. We slowed down and cautiously navigated through the mist, and it was a big topic of conversation when we reached our lunch destination. I was recounting this adventure to Lyn St. James , a friend and 2-time winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona, winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring, and veteran of the 24 Hour of Le Mans endurance race.   I asked her, “How do you drive in really difficult conditions when you can barely see the road ahead?” She replied, “Follow the yellow line!”   Of course, that made to...

I had the chance to meet up with Lou Costabile of My Car Story on New Year’s Eve.  We had a chat about my car, Sophia. You can find it here: 2016 Maserati GranTurismo Sport in Black & Engine Sound on My Car Story with Lou Costabile I mention the Ferrari Club of America – Desert Region and the FCA 2019 Annual Experience which will be in Scottsdale Arizona. If you have a Ferrari and haven’t already joined, you should! May you have a happy and prosperous new year.

In all aspects of my life, I strive to be the best. Whether it’s my career as a Financial Advisor or my personal time as a car enthusiast, I always try to apply the hard-learned lessons of others to improve my practice. So, when it came to maximizing the enjoyment of Sophia – the pet name for my 2016 Maserati Gran Turismo Sport – I sought out the advice of experts. I’m fortunate to call former IndyCar racer Lyn St. James a friend, and she encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and re-learn the basics of driving. Lyn’s career has been an inspiration in many ways – besides being one of the few women to participate at racing’s highest level, she did so in mid-life, winning the 1992 IndyCar Rookie of the Year award at the age of 45. Lyn still races cars but finds a lot of enjoyment from passing on her knowledge to novice drivers and encouraging vocational education in the automotive restoration fields through her role as an ambassador for the non-profit RPM Foundation.   I...