Pain, Trains and Automobiles - Report from the Santa Paula Ride and Drive

Pain, Trains and Automobiles. That could summarize the wonderful day many members experienced in Santa Paula at the event organized by Mark Dees.

The pain was seeing Stan Fox crash into the wall on the first lap of the Indy 500, causing the entire front of his car from the dash forward to break off and leaving his legs exposed as he flew through the air. Ouch! We wish him the best.

Of course, there was the added pain of seeing the finish of the race be mired in controversy when the leader of the race, Scott Goodyear, was black flagged for passing the pace car on a restart with only 9 laps to go. Is it just me or are the rule books detracting from the thrill of racing? Either way, Villeneuve drove a great race, coming back from a 2 lap penalty himself, and all the tifosi where glad to see a Villeneuve in the winner's circle again.

The trains aspect of the day was represented by the two train cars located at the old train depot in Santa Paula. They provided a nice historical backdrop for the event.

Oldtimer Ed Niles hoists a beer alongside friends Drew Kelley and Judd Goldfeder.

Of course, you all know about the automobiles. Ferraris were there in many shapes, sizes, and colors. On the V-12 front we had Michael Yedor's red 250GT Lusso, Judd Goldfeder's silver 330 GTC, a red 330 GT 2+2, Cy Yedor's blue 365 GTC/4, Jeff Littrell's red 365 GTC/4, and a green 456 GT that stopped by for a while in the afternoon. Flat 12s were represented by Claudio Szyszkowski's red 512 BB and Tom Brockmiller's silver 512 TR. V8s included Marshall Lieb's gold 308 GT4, a mondial cabriolet, and many 308s and 328s, all red.

After munching breakfast while watching the race on a big screen TV in the hotel across from the depot , everyone enjoyed a great lunch barbecued right there on site. The Club is truly indebted to Mark Dees for all the planning he put into this event - it came off without a hitch.

The inside of the train depot as everyone enjoyed lunch. Hi Tom!

Lucky for us, Marshall Lieb wasn't arrested for selling merchandise from the trunk of his Ferrari. He has been working on creating regalia for sale at the upcoming Rodeo Drive event and was willing to exchange cash for FCA Southwest Region shirts from many of the members who were there. Also lucky for us, no one's eye sight was permanently damaged when Murray Cogan bared his chest for all to see as he tried on his new attire.

Marshall Lieb collects money as he sells FCA wares from the trunk of his Ferrari.

Around 2:00 or so a half dozen of the Ferraris participated in a drive through Ojai to take the scenic route home. This was one of those events that offered something for everyone: racing, eating, socializing, history, relaxing, and driving. Hopefully we'll see you next time.

---