Quote Sheet: Legends of Motorsports Debut Event
What People Are Saying About Their First Legends of Motorsports Experien
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 25, 2010) – Legends of Motorsports, a Bobby Rahal Signature Event, received a wealth of positive feedback following its first event at Barber Motorsports Park, May 21 – 23. Listed below is a collection of what participants had to say about their experience:
Mario Andretti (World famous racing icon; only driver to win the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and a Formula One World Championship):
“I feel very privileged to be invited to attend this event. This series has legs and I think we’ll look back with fondness on the very first one. I am honored to be a part of this weekend.”
Doc Bundy (Former professional race car driver who raced for Ford, Porsche, Jaguar and Lotus factory teams; a class winner at both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona 24 Hours):
“Anyone that knows anything about vintage racing, knows that Goodwood is the pinnacle of Vintage; it the THE event in the whole world. This series has the potential to represent that level, eventually, in this country. We won’t have to go to England and drive on the other side of the road to be a part of that. This could be a traveling Goodwood show.
“It’s pretty obvious that this event is setup almost like a pro series in that it’s attractive to corporate. Be it a manufacturer or a corporation, but a top 10 company out there that would like an entertainment place. This is the perfect venue for that. There’s enough things going on here and I can see potential for more things at these events that tie to sponsors and manufacturers. Much like Goodwood, that is the model.
“It’s unique that there’s so much entertainment. Whenever there’s a break in-between cars on track there’s a band playing. I don’t know of any other venue that offers something like that, event at the pro level. I see so much potential here for things that can happen in and around the racing.”
Bob Earl (Former professional driver with wins at the Daytona 24 Hours and 12 Hours of Sebring; former Formula Ford National Champion and only American to win the Macau Grand Prix):
“What they’re [Legends of Motorsports] trying to do with this series is bring the quality up. There’s a lot of historic events out there that have a lot of cars, but they’re not cars that spectators are going to remember. They’re not the Formula One Cars, Can-Am Cars, Trans-Am cars of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. A lot of people look at those cars and say ‘that’s what got me interested in the sport.’ “Then, you go to tracks like Watkins Glen or Sebring, tracks that have history, and it’s going to draw people out. What they’re trying to do is the right thing in my mind. They’re trying to get quality and history involved.
“It’s like what I heard Peter Stoneberg (Legends of Motorsports co-founder and CEO) saying to someone else earlier, watching the cars run, instead of in parade or museum, is what people really want to see. It’s one thing to look at it, it’s another thing to hear it. These cars are phenomenal with the sounds they make. It inspires all of us and brings back good memories. You know the ‘build it and they will come’ idea? That’s what this is.”
Jeff Fuller (Spectator):
“I just returned from the inaugural event at Barber Motorsport Park and I have to say it was one of the best days of racing I've ever had. I took my seven year old son with me and we had a great father-son day. He's a racing fanatic and surprisingly is interested in the history of the sport. He was THRILLED to actually see in person, some of the cars that he's only seen in books or on his video games.“
“We got to have our picture taken with Mr. Rahal and even though he was busy getting his car ready he was extremely gracious. Thanks to everyone involved for putting on such an amazing event. I told my friends that seeing such historic cars once again "raced in anger" was a thrill that no other motorsport event can offer.
“We look forward to attending more of these events.”
Chris Locke (Entered 1965 Lotus 23B in USRRC and 1978 Lotus 79 in Historic Grand Prix):
“Other than the rain on Friday, what’s not to love? I found the Barber track to be a surprising gem. From beginning to end the event had it all. It’s been a great event and in many ways a big step up in terms of presentation and quality.”
Bud Moeller (Entered 1979 Ensign N-179 in Historic Grand Prix):
“What I saw at the first Legends of Motorsports event reminded me a little like the evolution of a brand-new car. Clearly, the series’ organizers have been listening, observing and paying attention to detail. The result was a very well-presented product at an amazing venue.
“I experienced a lot of great things, far more than expected. The hospitality paddock was an excellent addition and something we’re not used to seeing on a regular basis. It was a great place to relax and socialize and definitely added to the weekend.
“In addition to the quality of the Barber Motorsports facility, and certainly including their museum, there was also the overall presentation of the Legends event itself. The Saturday night charity gala featuring Mario Andretti and Bob Varsha was absolutely top-shelf. Then, to have Mario join Bobby Rahal at the track on Sunday was really cool. Having traveled to and participated in many historic races for decades, I can honestly say that those kinds of elements really make these events rewarding to the participants.
“The Barber race track itself far exceeded my expectations. I found it both fun and legitimately challenging. When you combine the fine circuit and the wonderful hospitality we all experienced, I’d say that anyone who doesn’t come out to Barber next time around is really missing the boat.”
Carol Moeller (Wife of Bud Moeller):
“I had just a fantastic time at my first Legends of Motorsports weekend. It seemed like every element was first-class. The trackside hospitality for participants was excellent. It seems like everyone I talked to truly enjoyed themselves at this race weekend. The Saturday night Gala gave all of us an excuse to get dressed up. For me, that was a bit of a treat. I found Mario Andretti to be charming and fascinating and Bob Varsha was really great as emcee. Really fun, and definitely can’t wait for the next Legends event.”
Robert Newman Jr. (Entered 1974 Porsche 910 in IMSA GT):
“You [Bobby Rahal] said in the drivers' meeting ‘nothing’s perfect,’ well from this participant's viewpoint the weekend was perfect.”
Dave Olson (Entered 1974 Vels Parnelli F1 in Historic Grand Prix and 1964 Lotus 23C in USRRC Sports Cars):
“I found the Barber race track to be challenging, technical…. and fun. Certainly, would want to see the car counts get higher. That takes a little time and I’m sure it will happen. For me, the Legends of Motorsports concept is great. They got a lot of big things and little things right and it all added up.
“It strikes me that the Legends guys are approaching this with a solid business mind-set, and that’s good. That links well with us as participants as many of us come from successful business backgrounds ourselves. I don’t know how others feel, but I’m not opposed to giving series sponsors the ability to come before us and, within limits, promote themselves.
“I love racing these cars and wouldn’t give it up for anything.”
Pete Racely (Owner, Sports Racing, Inc.):
“The track time is big, but there’s also a lot of little things. You can come over to the Paddock Club for breakfast or lunch and that really helps with the crew. Or yesterday [during Friday practice], if you got rained out, no problem, they’ll slot you in with another group. People really appreciate that. Also, the fact that they’re [Legends of Motorsports] a little selective in who they allow to enter.
“It’s all about enjoyment and making sure the competitors are having a good time. From a crew standpoint, everything is very streamlined. Some other series have issues and here there are no issues. You get your hard card for the season and you’re done.”
Peter Read (Entered 1974 Lola T-294 in 2-Liter Sports Cars):
“First of all, this is a wonderful track. It’s a lot like “heaven can wait,” in that if there were race car drivers waiting to get into heaven, they’d wait here.
“This event is made to honor the car as opposed to featuring winning. It’s about the sportsmanship and appreciating the cars, respecting them, and also about sharing that with people that are interested. It’s a very open and friendly environment that’s been created. I think the series really anticipated our needs because it was put together by people who race.
“The upcoming tracks have reputations for being of similar high quality. I’m excited to go try those tracks with this kind of support and this kind of a packaged program. I would encourage more drivers to come and enjoy something like this because of how it’s organized and who organized it.”
Bob Varsha (SPEED TV Commentator; host of The SPEED Report):
“We’re witnessing the beginning of something very new and potentially very beneficial for fans of motorsports. Legends of Motorsports, A Bobby Rahal Signature Event, brings together some of the great cars of racing history in a format, where not only can their owners drive and enjoy them the way they were meant to be enjoyed, but for spectators and fans to come see these cars up close, the cars that they perhaps watched their heroes race decades ago.
“Last night at the Legends of Motorsports event, I had the opportunity of interviewing Mario Andretti, perhaps the greatest driver of all time. He talked about having driven some of these cars and driven in the great events in the racing world and the opportunity to see these cars back on track again and talk with the fans and relive the memories. When I asked him what goes through his mind when he sees these cars lined up at an event like Legends of Motorsports, he told me ‘nostalgia.’”
The next Legends of Motorsports Event will take place June 11 – 13 at Watkins Glen International.
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About Legends of Motorsports:
Legends of Motorsports is a premium race series owned by Historic Motorsports Productions LLC (‘HMP’). Specifically, Legends of Motorsports is an annual series of premium historic racing events and related lifestyle experiences staged at historic North American venues. Based in Zionsville, Indiana, HMP’s principal owners are racers and businessmen Bobby Rahal, Peter Stoneberg and Zak Brown. Additional equity investors in HMP include Spire Capital Partners and Just Marketing International, which provides comprehensive strategy, marketing, public relations, and event logistics services to the venture. For more information, please visit Legends of Motorsports on the web at www.legendsofmotorsports.com or by calling (317) 344-1998.
