FROM THE EDITOR A
L E T T E R
B Y D U S T I N T R OYA N
Everything broke. It was like an avalanche of things that need to get fixed or repaired or thrown out. First the 1977 F-250, then the sprinkler valves, then the shower valves and the hose bib on the side of the house. The refrigerator went out, my goodness I just can’t catch a break. The garden hose “popped,” the key fob to my Excursion broke and I lost the key, I am not joking, everything is falling apart...bit by bit. I know I am forgetting a few things, I mentioned the shower valves, bought new ones put them in, they work. In any event, in a couple weeks we are going to redo that bathroom and shower so...fixing it was almost irrelevant, but it needed to be fixed. And then the drip, drip, drip of the hose bib and the sprinkler valves. Both not rocket science to fix, but just time and money. I'll tell you what, it is incredible how fast money goes. Drip, drip, drip, spend, spend spend. Last time I redid some plumbing, I put separate cut-offs for the sprinklers so I can shut off the water to them and not the house. Pretty smart, come to think of it, not my idea, but we still did it. So, I can temporarily keep the sprinkler valves from leaking. Ah, I forgot to mention that it is time to replace two batteries in my wife’s diesel truck. It cranks and starts, but I can tell that be batteries are getting a bit weak. I love diesel trucks, but, you buy batteries in pairs and you buy the best you can afford. At least it is an easy fix. In any event, I put my battery jumper in her truck just in case… The F-250 is back on the road and it was just the oil pump, not an engine. I am really happy about that one. Man, if I had to pull an engine out, I would have been pretty cranky. The truck is running great, just need to adjust the timing a bit and it should be good for a long while (I hope). The last couple of weeks I have been going crazy trying to fix everything I can. I think that spring cleaning has kicked in or that since I cut back on espresso I am actually sleeping, but I want everything to work as intended. We are getting into BBQ season, and I want the to clean up the messes I have created at the house, including the garage and get everything as orderly as possible. My messes were killing me!
In the last letter from the editor, I mentioned fixing my wife’s 1969 Fastback. Well, I got it done. The new steering rack is in and the car drives like a dream. The horn works, turn signals works, and I cleaned up the interior a bit. A few more trim pieces need to be purchased and some adjusting of the coil-over suspension and...drumroll, I am calling it done. I will have finally finished a project. Finally. The car is great looking, drives like a new car and is safe. In a year or so, I'll do the last thing it needs which is new air conditioning, but for now, it is done. I can close a chapter and start to focus on my Camaro. I finished a project. I laugh as I write that. Thank God. We have a car that we can truly be proud of, that shows well, drives well and my wife looks great in. Any place we drive it, we can be proud of it. That may sound silly, talking that way about an object, but it has truly been a journey. I think we have had that car about thirteen years. I bought it when we had just been dating for a short period of time and here we are now with two kids. I was at shop the other day with a car and a young guy started asking me about it...how long it took to build, told him thirteen years. I think he was in shock. It surely wasn’t done in two weeks how they do it on TV. Of course the project changed course a few times, I never intended to redo and upgrade the entire suspension, engine, trans, brakes and rear-end. The goal was to just (just) paint it, upgrade the brakes for safety and the wheels for looks and call it a day. But, things happen and you end up doing a ton of work. It is a slippery slope playing with cars. Sometimes you just end up going bigger than expected. A lot of hard work, sacrifice, money and help from a lot of friends and her Fastback is done. I can tell you that I have learned so much working on cars and when I went to repair any of the aforementioned items that recently broke, I have a lot more confidence working on them since I started playing with cars. Confidence is important. Now there are things I pay people to do and truth be told, if I had the cash, I might just pay a shop to do everything and go surf; I opted to have a friend finish off the steering rack. I am having another friend redo the bathroom. There is the old adage, time is money, so knowing when to be stubborn and knowing when to throw in the towel is also important. So I guess I am going through my spring cleaning of sorts. Fixing everything, organizing everything, finished one car and onto the next. It feels good. There are a ton of old, used Mustang parts I can get rid of and close a chapter. Now, it will be driving and enjoying the fruits of our labors with our
kids in the Fastback and the beach air as we cruise down PCH. A lot of time, effort and money, but, in a few weeks we will be cruising to Malibu with the kids in the 69 Fastback making memories and it will have all been worth it. Never quit. Dustin
drivenworld ISSUE 137 NOV/DEC 2021 EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dustin Troyan ART DIRECTOR Staff COPY EDITOR Heather Troyan DESIGN Connected Media Group CONTRIBUTORS Dustin Troyan Mark Llewellyn Gwen Banta Tory Herald Steve Valline Steve Geldman Tommy Huth Hot Rod Jay Santos Ken Latka Richard Morey Richard Kratz
ADVERTISING / MARKETING dustin@connectedmediagroup.com (818) 516-5053
www.drivenworld.com
www.connectedmediagroup.com www.supercarsunday.com
Driven World Magazine is published twelve times per year by Connected Media Group LLC. It is distributed at upscale locations and events all over California. It is also available online and distributed electronically to highnet-worth individuals as well as members of the car community at large. All rights reserved. Driven World and Supercar Sunday are registered trademarks of Connected Media Group LLC. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or any other materials or advertisements herein may be reproduced without permission of copyright owner. Driven World Magazine and Connected Media Group LLC, do not take responsibility for the claims provided herein. Connected Media Group LLC, Driven World Magazine, and its affiliates, contributors, writers, editors, and publisher accept no responsibility for the errors or omissions with information and/or advertisements contained herein. Connected Media Group LLC does not assume liability for any products or services advertised herein and assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers or editorial information.
“Imagine the perfect drinking water found in nature, tumbling down rocky mountain streams and rivers, flowing through pristine subterranean aquifers, chilled, pure and delicious.”
On the Cover: Lavaggio Greg Grudt
Springfest Car Show 2018
Past Events The 2019 Classic Auto Show The Classic Auto Show (CAS) is a car person’s delight. This year’s CAS was held March 16-17, 2019 at their new location, the Orange County Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. This year’s Grand Marshall was comedian, radio and television personality Adam Carolla who cut the ribbon early Saturday morning, officially opening the doors for spectators to enjoy the estimated 2,000 vehicles that were on display both in-
side and outside the buildings of the sprawling facility. Some of the vehicles included rarely seen, museum quality classics, celebrity builds, as well as and hundreds of vintage and modern rides from dozens of the top car clubs in Southern California. Whether it was hot rods, low riders, sports cars, race cars, American muscle or foreign marks, the Classic Auto Show has become one of the major automotive events in the United States.
ARTICLE BY Ken Latka
Photos by Ken Latka and Richard Morey
Features such as Restoration Row offered enthusiasts the opportunity to learn the latest techniques to get their build up and running. There were pin-striping demonstrations with master striper Johnny Martinez and other special attractions, including “40 Shades of Green” (a collection of green vehicles to commemorate the St. Patrick’s Day weekend on which the event was held). The organizers also introduced a new “Classic Truck Tailgate Party” with a
variety of vintage pickup trucks, set amidst a family-friendly atmosphere with live bands. To top it off, one of the most sensory overload features was the addition of several vintage, nitro burning top fuel dragsters that performed live push starts thanks to former NHRA Director of Competition Steve Gibbs and his team at Nitro Revival. While the cars were the stars, the Classic Auto Show also attracts many celebrities from the automo-
tive world. This year attendees got to experience meet and greets with Bogi from “All Girls Garage”; Wayne Carini from “Chasing Classic Cars”; metal fabricator, Land Speed Record Holder and television personality Jessi Combs; Mike Finnegan from “Roadkill”; Dave Kindig from “Bitchin Rides”; Christy Lee from “All Girls Garage”; iconic racecar driver Lyn St. James; the First Lady of Motorsports and Miss Hurst Shifter Linda Vaughn; Mopar Guru
Mark Worman from “Graveyard Cars” and many more. The Classic Auto Show continues to be a fantastic addition to the Southern California car show scene, and if you have the chance to attend in 2020, make certain you put it on your calendar.
A Knights Tale Article by Hot Rod Jay Santos Photos by Hot Rod Jay Santos Instagram: 30_Rat
A person's character is not defined by what they take, but by what they can give. As I stated in my last article, everybody has a story. This is one of them…11 years ago, a very meticulous man named Bob Knight was searching for a rust free 1957 Chevy Bel Air. The 57 is one of the most sought after of the Tri Five Chevy’s. Often referred to as “The Dream Car”, car enthusiasts can search for decades just to find the right one. Fortunately, after only one
decade of looking, Bob found just what he was after. Having one when he was 18, he’s definitely no stranger to them. His dream was to recreate the car he used to drag race back in the day at Famoso Drag strip in Bakersfield where he was well known as “The Hawk”. For his 12th grade graduation, his dad gave him a 57 as a gift. His dad made him promise that if he did give him one, that after he graduated, he wouldn’t just take it and leave town. Well, needless
to say, Bob did exactly what his dad was hoping he wouldn’t do. In 1958, immediately after graduation, he left Austin Texas and moved to California. To say that Bob was a talented man would be a complete understatement. From playing football, weight lifting, being a gym trainer to working at Rockwell as an engineer, he somehow found time to develop multiple items that we still use today. As an engineer, not only did he invent parts
for multiple space shuttles, he also invented the tools to make the parts! Who does this? I’ll tell you who does this, The Hawk! Since Bob was into cars, it was a no brainer that he would start to develop parts for his dragster. On one particular day, he was trying to get into his dragster and discovered that because of his consistent joy of eating he gained some weight. After many attempts to slide into the driver’s seat, his frustration grew into curiosity. He realized that the steering wheel was too close to his stomach. “Did the steering wheel get larger, or was it just me?” Frustrated, he decided to invent what we now know as the “dragster” steering wheel. His original cardboard template turned into one made of magnesium and walnut grips in a pyramid shape. At the drag strip, the steering wheel became so popular, that he applied for a patent. Since then, he‘s sold over 600 of them all custom made. His most notable user was the Smirnoff Top Fuel Alcohol Dragster. Being a hobby bicyclist, he also developed many lightweight aluminum parts for the bikes he owned. Some of them were developed specifically for The U.S. Olympic Bicycle racing team. They tested his parts on the team’s bikes at the infamous Balboa bike-racing track. Now that I’ve given you a picture of Bob, lets get back to the 57 shall we? Once Bob found the car, he knew it would take a lot of work to get it to where it needed to be. Luckily, with all his knowledge and skills he developed as an engineer, he was able to fabricate a lot of the parts that he used on it. He spent countless hours working on it, but unfortunately in 2017 he passed away. Now fate has a funny way of working out. Bobs family knew of the car but had no idea where all the paperwork was or the keys for it. Enter Bob’s good friend John. He had the box that contained everything about the car build, paperwork and keys. After some time trying to get a hold of Bob’s family members, John was able to get a hold of Bob’s son Brett. He gave Brett the box that contained everything about the car, and as Brett puts it, “This is what lit the fire!” And now the story begins: On one particular morning, I was with my good friend Barry “The Hat" Buchanan taking photos of a car we just finished building. It was a beautiful custom early 50's Chevy convertible that we called “The Gray Bomber”. I brought along my hot rod “The 30 Rat" for some background eye candy and we parked them near the Panavision building in Warner Center. As usual, a lot of the cars that were passing by either honked or slowed down to look at our hot rods. We were about 10 minutes in when all of a sudden this truck pulls up and parks by us. This guy gets out and starts talking to us about how cool the cars are. He introduces himself and tells us his name. “I’m Brett Knight but my friends call me Tigger, like the tiger in Winnie the Pooh!” Barry and I look at each other with a smile and say “ok”. We introduced ourselves and started talking about our cars. He then proceeds to tell us about his dad's 57 Chevy that he's just starting to rebuild. He asks us if we know where to find parts for it as well as a shop that could put it all together. He explains to us he’s already spent a large amount of money and how expensive it is to get it back together. Barry and I look at each other and without saying a single word we just smile. Muscle cars and hot rods are expensive to own and build. Not only that, we’ve just met this guy and he's telling us about this incredible build that he's taken on. How many times have all of us listened to someone you don't even know, tell you about this awesome car that they have and
you never ever see it? We’ve all been there, but there’s something about Tigger that I find interesting. He’s extremely intense to put it mildly, but his passion about his “Phantom” car is undeniable. We tell him about Supercar Sunday and that he should go and check it out. He says he will and before he gets into his truck and drives away, he notices that our cars have a “Rock n’ Roll Hot Rods” car club plaque mounted on them. He asks us about the plaques and we tell
him about the car club that were in. He announces proudly, “When I finish my Chevy, I want to be a member! Barry and I look at each other and both say, “ok!” Since that first day we met him, Tigger started attending Supercar Sunday regularly. As we all know, the car community is a tight knit group and everybody pretty much knows everybody. Sure enough, Tigger would run into his dad's old friends at Supercar Sunday! Each time we would
see and talk to him, he would update us on what’s been done to the Chevy. On some occasions he would even bring a custom part to show us and tell us of all the research he had been doing on the paint or a specific engine part. As we got to know him better and better, we realized that Tigger is a cool guy, and he really is rebuilding his Dad's old Chevy! With all his plans set, Tigger entrusted George of “G’s Collision and Restoration in Chatsworth with the complete build. A 383 Stroker mated to a Tremec 5 speed transmission powers the 57. Everything was powdercoated black to show off the incredible purple finish. It took 6 months to get the color just right. Custom parts and finishing are everywhere on the car. Every time you see it, something else pops out at you. With its wicked rear stance, you know that this 57
Chevy gasser is all business. When Tigger first drove it to Supercar Sunday, everyone was flabbergasted. It was incredibly beautiful and the crowd around it was endless. Beaming and glowing like a kid with his first ice cream, Tigger finalized his dad’s dream of finishing the car. It was awesome! Of course I held up my promise and welcomed Tigger into Rock n’ Roll Hot Rods car club with a plaque and t-shirt. Well done Tigger, well done. Now you would think that it’s a happy ending and I would love to end it here. Everyone hold on to your seats! Let me tell you what happened 2 months after the completion of the 57. Tigger was hit by a guy making a u-turn on Mulholland. He was driving to a meeting for work to show off “The Hawk”. As he was cruising in the early morning a guy pulled out right in front of him trying to make a u turn. The front passenger side was destroyed and Brett sustained massive injuries such as a broken collarbone, chipped hip-bone, bulged disc and a shattered wrist. I remember seeing him for the first time after the accident. He had been a no show at
Supercar Sunday for months. It was devastating listening to him describe what had happened and hearing about his injuries. But even though he was hurting emotionally and physically, he vowed to rebuild “The Hawk”. Fortunately, the damage was isolated to the right front body as well as the frame. Presently, he’s in the process of working out the details to rebuild the damaged 57. To keep himself busy while he’s recovering and waiting for all the insurance money, he went out and bought another muscle car. It’s a beau-
tiful 1970 SS Chevy Chevelle with countless custom parts. I’m sure all of you that attend Supercar Sunday have seen and admired it. As I stated earlier in the article, “everybody has a story”. Some people even have more than one story. Bob Knights story didn’t end when Tigger was involved in the accident; it’s just now beginning a new chapter with Tigger.
Los Angeles based Bliss Car Wash today announced the Orange County launch of its Bliss car wash brand, an eco-friendly chain of car washes sensitive to water usage and environmental factors. In a ribboncutting ceremony yesterday with local Placentia officials, CEO and Founder David Delrahim pledged to donate a new fresh-water well to the nonprofit, Wells Bring Hope, each time he opens a new car wash. The Placentia car wash, at 600 N. Rose
Drive, is the first in a line of many car washes expected to open under the Bliss brand name in California. The brand is founded by Delrahim, a California businessman and philanthropist. Delrahim and the Bliss company chose to work with the nonprofit, Wells Bring Hope because of its mission of drilling wells to bring safe water to rural villages in Niger, West Africa. “Fresh water is a precious resource, especially here in South-
ern California. While our business practices at Bliss are set with water conservation in mind, our giving practices are geared toward helping people who badly need fresh water just to live,” said Delrahim. “We are grateful to David Delrahim, who is helping us with our critical mission to save lives and empower people by bridging the gap between clean water and healthy living in Niger, West Africa,” said Barbara Goldberg, Founder and President of Wells Bring Hope.
The Bliss car wash model was conceived by David Delrahim, who is passionate about the environment and water conservation. The new Bliss car washes use technology that constantly monitors fresh water usage, using 68 percent reclaimed water. The company also only uses cleaning products that are biodegradable and utilizes low-energy consuming machinery. David Delrahim is a Los Angeles based businessman and philanthropist and has nearly three decades
of experience in the car wash industry. Water's crucial role in accomplishing the world’s development goals is widely recognized. Africa faces endemic poverty, food insecurity and pervasive underdevelopment, with almost all countries lacking the human, economic and institutional capacities to effectively develop and manage their water resources sustainably. David is passionate about changing communities for the better and creating economic opportunities for the people of Niger by connecting them to clean potable water. About Bliss Car Wash Bliss Car Wash offers premium unlimited wash memberships at a great value. We are a refreshing car wash experience because we ensure that your car is cleaned responsibly, using cleaning products that are bio-
degradable and safe for the environment. We are water warriors, so we fight to protect it at every turn and closely monitor our usage. About Wells Bring Hope Wells Bring Hope is a 501(c)3 that was founded in March 2008 by Barbara Goldberg. To date, it has funded 568 wells and transformed the lives of over ½ million people with safe water in Niger, West Africa, the poorest country in the world. Wells Bring Hope partners with World Vision (WV), one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world for its well drilling and maintenance.
www.blisscarwash.com
Past Events The Sixth Annual Benedict Castle Concours
Story and Photos b y Tommy Huth
On March 31, 2019, Crossroads Car Show presented the sixth Annual Benedict Castle Concours. The automobiles were placed on the beautiful grounds surrounding the historic Benedict Castle of Riverside, California. The
Castle is the headquarters home of Teen Challenge. They deal with the restoration of men's lives to find a pathway and freedom from drugs and alcohol through their comprehensive Christian faith-based solutions. The shows donations
provide 100% of it's funds to this campus and its 140 students. The Concours was a marvelous array of historic and contemporary cars: Vintage, Exotic, Hot rod and new customs. The show was a huge success!
Cars & Couples Article & Photos by Marissa DeRosa Campbell
I can’t believe it’s July and all the amazing jam packed fun weeks and weekends we have been fortunate enough to share with beautiful car people and couples over the last month! Doug always says “car people are the best people,” and month by month as we journey along in this world of car enthusiasts together, this absolutely rings true. What I love most about being a car couple is there is ALWAYS an event around the bend. I am finding living this way together keeps our car dreams alive, fresh, sparks massive creativity within, and deeper connections with others. I mean how many times do we hear or have we told ourselves, “Man, that car is my dream!” Or what about the line we hear from so many super people, “This car is a dream I’ve had since I was a teen.” Well, in my humble opinion, the events and the people keep the dreams alive. What’s happening for us as we drift from week to week cruising to different cities along the California Coast is that we’re becoming more inspired to create and live out more of our dreams in the car world. It’s like anything you are passionate about, when you get out there and change it up and are present and grateful for the experience, magic happens. Either the person, the car, the inspiration, the idea, or sometimes just the feeling of self-love living in the moment of surrounding yourself around a bunch of heal and toe drivers and tripping out as you engage in conversation with them, thinking to yourself, “did that really happen?’ So this last month we are grateful for many of those experiences week after week, and realizing how blessed all of us are in California to have so many awesome car events and people right at our fingertips to launch into. We like to fuel our dreams with a combo of neighborhood events, people and cars mixed in with brand new experiences all across California to keep us connected and forever grateful for where we live. We have our favorites which are local and true to us, and part of our immediate car community we love being a part of and the friendships run deep. It’s cool to see those that come from all over the world pop in and enjoy what we have in our own backyard. Keeps us in a constant place of gratitude over this amazing car culture and for where we live. Our Sunday favorites that are local and true to us and part of our immediate community, the Balboa Car Show coined as “The World’s Largest Small Car Show,” which happens every week on Sundays in Orange County, and then of course, the world famous “Super Car Sunday” in Los Angeles. Our favorite once a month car event is hands down, Malibu Wheels & Waves, every second Sunday of the month. In a given month in our journey with cars as a couple, we then like to venture out a little further and explore some new roads. The sprinkle of keeping it fresh in the car world this month have been awesome car enthusiast events invitations to the Highway Earth Car Show in Franklin Canyon Park, and the Steve McQueen Car Show and Commerative Dinner themed from the movie “Bullitt.” We are so grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of both. Friendships launched with different people around beautiful, fun, different cars is what it’s all about. Hearing people’s personal journey and how cars are weaved into creating the life of their dreams, steeped in love, creativity and passion and with elements of giving back is what true California Dreaming, Cars & Couples is all about. Life at full throttle is about keeping your dreams alive. Super car enthusiast people get out there and show up in the car world for the experience of it all and for the inspiration. Take the month to get out there and experience a new event, give back or give in. And don’t forget to drive healthy because beautiful cars, couples, people and California is waiting for you.
RoadStr App
Article & Photos by Stephen Kneubuehl
We’ve all been there. You just purchased your long-awaited car, the one you’ve been dreaming of for years, that one you’ve been saving towards, that you’ve aligned your personal goals towards acquiring. You head to the dealer, or the private seller, or the auction where you’ve purchased it, or maybe the garage where you’ve built it. You take the keys and the excitement builds in your chest as you open the car door and get in. You grasp the steering wheel, turn on the engine, and drive off into the sun. You push it hard, or for some of us, gently care for it and not dare leave a scratch. It’s a moment and feeling you don’t want to let go of. You want to drive that passion forward, share it with friends, and find others who held a similar feeling. But after a few congratulations from friends and some photos shared on Instagram, where do you turn to next? The RoadStr app was built to drive that same passion and level of excitement forward. It creates genuine connections in local communities, bringing new ways of interacting that
aren’t available on other apps or platforms. Spontaneous meetups, events and groups discovery, and high-quality car content come together in one unique place, on a social networking platform built 100% for car enthusiasts with a beautiful and simple design. And best of all, it enables real connections between real people like you and me. One of the most exciting features of the app, called RoadSharing, allows users to share their vehicle and location information in real-time on an integrated map. With a simple notification or a quick glance, users can see whether their friends, fellow group members, or the local RoadStr community are willing to meetup or are going for a drive nearby. Ad-hoc meetups can be created through a simple RoadSharing request process, and more participants can join on the fly. Cruising local routes, meeting club members, or making new friends who share a common passion was never so easy. The map feature is further enhanced with nearby events taking
place in the upcoming days, and with quality local automotive businesses waiting to be discovered. RoadStr raises the standard even further through its high-quality content generated by its users, groups, and businesses, all packaged in an easily discoverable manner through automatic suggestions tailored to your interests and favorite car brands. And it’s all encapsulated in a beautiful, simple, and familiar design. The idea for the app stemmed from the lack of a robust and comprehensive social platform focused on the auto enthusiast community. Currently as auto enthusiasts, we have to visit multiple websites, check out YouTube videos, join chats on various platforms, find events by word-ofmouth, and post on complicated forums often without any local emphasis, making it difficult and time-consuming to follow your favorite auto topics or to meet other enthusiasts. Generic platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer plenty of methods to share, but they lack the depth of features like
groups, events, and spontaneous meetups that bring us together as auto enthusiasts in the real world. “The auto enthusiast community is a very social group”, said Alberto Moreno, Co-Founder and CEO of RoadStr. “The best moments often occur in person, when randomly spotting your favorite car on the street, at local auto shows, or getting a coffee with your local car club” RoadStr is free and was just launched for iPhone and Android devices. You can download the app today and start driving your passion forward. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play: RoadStr – For Car Enthusiasts Website: www.roadstr.io Email: hello@roadstr.io Instagram: @roadstr_app
Past Events
A Steal of a Deal at the Price of Admission Photos by Steve Geldman, Image Photo Motorsports @ImagePhotoMotorsports It’s seems interesting how many people are neck-deep in gas thirsty automotive spirit, rarely miss an opportunity to attend a Cars & Coffee yet have never been to a racetrack or years since their last race event. Folks, you have no idea what you’re missing. That slight scent of petrol in the air, the sound of mega horsepowered roaring engines and the overall vibe of being around others with the same passion of automotive racing, well, there is simply nothing else like it. If you want to hang with a menagerie of adrenaline junkies whose only cure is octane, then racing events are for you! If you have kids and want them to share your automotive excitement, that’s one more reason to spend the day at the track. One of our finest tracks in Southern California, Fontana’s Auto Speedway (formally California Speedway) is only 75 minutes (with light traffic) from Woodland Hills. This venue is not to be confused, as it often is, with Pomona’s Auto Club Raceway. Auto Club Speedway’s track site was originally the Kaiser Steel Mill, built in 1942, during the height of WWII. The mill was instrumental in producing steel for our U.S. warships. Being an inland location, the site was chosen as it was out of range of offshore Japanese warships. Kaiser Steel went BK in 1983 and the property stood silent for years. Roger Penske entered the picture with an idea to create a track similar to his Michigan International Speedway. The rest of that story is now history. The track opened in 1997 and has catered to a host of race events such as NASCAR, CART and AMA (motorcycling). The Auto Club Speedway is among the most
modern circuits in America and has the distinction of holding the world closed-circuit speed record, with an average lap speed of more than 240 mph. The 18th annual California Festival of Speed (CFoS) was held at Auto Club Speedway March 29th to 31st. This 3-day annual
event is hosted by Zone 8 of the Porsche Club of America, with support and participation from the Porsche Owners Club (POC). The event is the biggest Porsche event in the Southwest. Besides the many racing events throughout each of the 3 days, static vehicle displays featured both 356 and 914 Porsche
model Timelines, a swap meet where rare Porsche parts are often discovered and procured, a Vendor Row offering T-Shirts, model cars and of course automotive accessories. Plus, beverage and food trucks a plenty. The event will repeat again next year and will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm during its 3-day run. Oh, how thick should you pack your wallet? Not too much as IT’S FREE! Yes race fans, free. A $15 parking fee ($10 if you are a PCA/POC member). Minors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. A steal of a deal at the price of admission! To obtain future updates for the 2020 CFoS, visit http://www. zone8.org/events/speedfestival.php or http://www.autoclubspeedway. com
MoBetter MOPAR Performance
The third generation (Gen III) Mopar HEMI engine was introduced in 2003 as an option for Dodge RAM trucks (now just named RAM). Two years later it became available in LX platform cars—Dodge Charger and Magnum and Chrysler 300. The new generation of HEMI engine features very high-power output which starts with cylinder heads that flow prodigious amounts of air. The valve train is very stable thanks to the incorporation of rocker arm shafts and the bottom end features a deep skirt block and
cross bolted main caps to provide an extremely strong engine block. The engines have come in a variety of sizes ranging from 5.7L to 6.1L, 6.2L and 6.4L. While the stock levels of horsepower available from these engines since their introduction range from “fun and giggles” levels to “Hang on!” Demon levels, to all true muscle fanatics, there’s always room for more. More power. More torque. “Hang on!” power not enough for you? Do you crave “MOPAR Mayhem” power levels?
Well, if you’re looking to up your game under your hood, read on to learn about the best modern HEMI engine builder in the country, Better Built Performance. Understand that when we say Better Built Performance is the best HEMI engine builder, we’re not saying that based on press releases or marketing materials. We know because we’ve had them build us not one, but two high performance engines that proved to be strong as anvils while producing extreme levels of horsepower.
Better Built Performance is based in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Their team has extensive experience in building MOPAR engines for the street, street/track, and pure racing engines. The builders have a purebred pedigree that a Kentucky Derby race winning horse would envy. Consider for a moment Better Built Performance’s experience in NASCAR racing. Here is an environment so competitive that grams of weight and fractional horsepower improvements can mean the difference between winning and losing. A NAS-
Story & photos by Richard Kratz
CAR Cup engine displaces 358 cubic inches and produces around 850 naturally aspirated horsepower. To get that kind of power from a small block requires revving the engine to nearly 10,000 rpm and running at wide open throttle 90% or more of the time. But it’s not enough to just squeeze more than 2.3 horsepower from every cubic inch of the engine at extreme RPM, a Cup engine has to hold together and survive while running at WOT at almost 10,000 RPM for hour and after hour of racing. It’s not enough to make extreme
power, a NASCAR engine must have rugged durability while making this power under conditions that are trying to tear the engine apart every second that it’s running. It’s easy to make an engine that produces a lot of horsepower…for a short period of time. Likewise, it’s easy to make an engine that is very durable…as long as it’s not making a lot of power. But to make a ton of power, pushing every internal component to the razor’s edge of weight reduction while being subject to extreme RPM and load and to make that engine reliable and
durable enough to do this for hour after hour in a 500-mile race, well that is what separates the contenders from the champions. Now consider Better Built Performance’s Chris Martin, engine builder extraordinaire, who personally built all of the motors for Dodge’s four truck teams in the then Craftsmen Truck series in 2004 and 2005. Dodge won the championship those two years in a row with engines built by Chris and the boys who work at Better Built Performance. One year the engines the Better Built Performance workers made accomplished something remarkable. Dodge ran four race trucks for the full series of 26 races. One engine per truck per race. The engines that Chris Martin and team built not only won the championship, but also not one of the 104 engines they built failed during a race that year. ‘Nuff said. The first engine we had this crew build for us was for a street/strip Dodge. The supercharged engine produced north of 750 horsepower at the crank, yes, more horsepower than you get from a Hellcat. It was smooth as glass on the street, and became a race winner on the drag strip. We tortured that engine and it never complained. It was fast and consistent enough on the track that we won some big races and not once, but twice earned second place in the Premier Street Car Association’s Pro class. To place in the top two of a year’s championship racing series requires more than just lots of power, it requires durability and consistency over many races throughout all kinds of conditions. Chris and the rest of the team at Better Built Performance gave us that in spades. And note that we said this was a street/strip car. We put over 18,000 street miles on this engine, literally getting groceries, driving hundreds of miles to get to various race tracks where we’d change tires, race, and then drive home. But wait, as they say on television, “There’s more.” We didn’t just drive the car to races, we pulled a trailer weighing close to 2,000 pounds loaded with jacks, tools, race fuel, race wheels and tires, spare parts, pit gear, generator, air compressor, etc. And that’s not counting the luggage, computers, and stocked coolers we had in the car itself. And we did this over and over again for two full years. We’re
pretty sure you do not want to try this in a new Hellcat. Going up the Baker grade on Interstate 5 heading to Las Vegas is tough on vehicles in the summer, 110 degree heat and an 8% grade. Our heavily loaded car with trailer passed many ordinary passenger cars parked on the side overheating. Not only did the Better Built Performance guy’s engine never let us down, once we got to Vegas, we’d go lots of rounds and earn victories and championship points. But as all gearheads know, fast is great, but faster is even better. When we decided to make a step up to faster classes with a more powerful engine, we didn’t hesitate to trust the Better Built Performance crew for engine number two. Before building our new engine, Better Built Performance tore down our existing engine. They say the proof is in the pudding, we don’t about the pudding part, but for us proof was in the torn down engine’s condition. After disassembling and cleaning the engine parts, Chris inspected everything. After nearly 1,000 hard passes down the drag strip, and 18,000 hard street miles pulling a heavy load in all conditions, Chris pronounced our engine still good as new. All clearances were not only within spec, but still right where Chris put them when he built the engine. If we weren’t building a bigger new engine, Chris told us that we could just put our engine back together and run it for another 1,000 passes and tens of thousands of street miles. Like we said earlier, power and durability, it doesn’t get better than that. The second engine that the crew built for us is a monster. A 426 ci (7.0L) supercharged Gen III HEMI. Brand new, the engine dyno’d at 908 HP @ 6700 RPM and 871 lb ft @ 3900 RPM. That’s big, big torque down low and yeah, 908 horsepower is getting serious. And this was before fine tuning the engine down at the track, tweaking the tune and getting the engine settled in. This engine had some big parts to spin, a full race TH400 transmission and a very heavy Ford 9” Pro gear differential. While working on a new belt configuration we ran the car on a
chassis dyno and threw down exactly 800.5 rwhp. But when we finally got to the track and started serious tuning, the engine had a lot more in it. When you drag race competitively there is a lot of data to gather and calculating to do. For data, among other things you need to know precise weight, temperature, humidity, grains of moisture, adjusted density altitude, stickiness of the track. You
also need to know how much power you’re making. Every track has its own conditions that change all day long. For handicap ET racing, whether bracket, NHRA stock or superstock, etc., you need to calculate exactly how fast your car is about to run, down the hundredth of a second. If you have all of the other data, but you don’t have a precise handle on your power output,
you’re racing blind. We use a specialty calculator program to input all of the numbers from a time slip plus all of the weather parameters which then produces an adjusted, real world horsepower number for us. Give us a couple of practice laps and we get a handle on exactly how the car is about to run. As is to be expected, the more we tuned and ran the car, the faster it
got. We consistently ran laps on the drag strip that calculated out to 980+ horsepower at the crankshaft. And we hammered on this engine, lap after lap, year after year. It’s still running strong to this day. Which tells us two things, Better Built Performance can easily build you a 1,000 horsepower engine if you want one. In fact they routinely build 1,000 HP Hellcat motors, you
About Better Build Performance. Located in Rocky Mount, Virginia, Better Built Performance is a team of performance part specialist with a long back ground of building cars. Being from Franklin County, the Moonshine Capital, we learned how to make cars not only fast but reliable as well. Inside of the 12,000 sqft facility you will find the right tools and people neccessary to get the job done. There is an engine shop with well over 30yrs of experience assembling championship winning and record setting engines. can order one from their website. It won’t only make 1,000 HP, it will Also an installation shop capable of anything from exhaust to be smooth and fit for daily driving. full blown back half race cars. Our Technicians have the abilAnd they can build that engine to ity, knowledge, equipment, and experience to get the job done last and last. Of course, they can also correctly. build you a 600 HP engine or even an engine making well more than 1,000 540-384-0682 horsepower. And that engine will live www.betterbuiltperformance.com/home up to the name of the company, sales@bbpengines.com Better Built Performance.
Genetics of Need-for-Speed Agoura Hills Teen Attracted to the Track Scene Sometimes it’s just not our fault that we are car crazy! Agoura Hills CA resident Justin Crawford is not even close as a first-generation competitive driver. At only 17, he had already participated in Autocrosses and a Driver's Education program with The Porsche Club of America at various courses, including Laguna Seca. His current racing wheels is a Triple Yellow 2015 Roush Mustang
GT. Crawford’s father, Glenn, author of this article, also competes with his Arctic Silver Metallic 2009 Porsche Cayman S. Crawford’s grandparents, Ron and Phyllis, successfully raced numerous 356 and 550 Porsches in the 1960’s. Plus if that is not enough, Crawford’s great-great grandfather, William Lee Peeler, was a mechanic, racer and promoter in Corona, CA in the early 1900’s. Wow, how is that for
Article by Glenn Crawford Photos by Steve Geldman, Image Photo Motorsports @ImagePhotoMotorsports
racing genetics?! Crawford’s Mustang GT is a six-speed manual, 5.0 Liter naturally aspirated V-8 and delivers a very fun 435 hp with 400 ft-lbs of torque. The Roush tuned suspension and a little aero work help keep it mostly stuck to the ground. However, this is not where his vision stops. Due to the realization that good fast cars are expensive, Crawford is planning on attending the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin-Madison, which is home to this country’s number 2 undergraduate real estate program,
just may enable Crawford to build an empire someday. At that point of time he’ll likely be looking for wheels such as a Koenigsegg Agera RS!
Luxury Meets Eco-Friendly in Today's Homes Our individual tastes and lifestyle choices are often reflected in our home decorating decisions. As the world moves forward in environmental consciousness, many people are searching for natural, eco-friendly products to aid them in creating sustainable homes. It is projected that the market for green materials will increase to 80+ Billion over the next several years, so we’d like to highlight several popular environmentallyfriendly materials that can be incorporated into your home’s design: Wood Re-claimed wood and old wood are very sustainable choices for cabinets, wood flooring or cladding. To locate
wood that is guaranteed to be sustainably sourced and, ideally, sourced locally, google the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Bamboo and Cork Cork has always been a staple in the green world, and both bamboo and cork are classified as ‘rapidly renewable materials.’ They grow quickly so that once harvested, they replenish naturally and swiftly. Hemp Hemp is one of the fastest growing plants in the world and requires few pesticides or herbicides. As a result, hemp is a leading resource for envi-
(323) 252 1700 (310) 985 2719 Connecting the Worlds of Real Estate www.LosAngelesLuxuryHomesForSale.com
ronmentally friendly, colorful textile furnishings including sofas, curtains, bedding and pillowcases. Linen, wool, jute and organic, unbleached cotton are also excellent eco-friendly choices. Glass Glass is ideal for kitchen surfaces, tables and tiles because it is resistant to scratches and quite versatile. Glass is also one of the only materials that can be recycled indefinitely without losing its strength or purity. Lastly, think about incorporating plants into your interior design choices – they provide oxygen, natural beauty, and often omit lovely
fragrances. When remodeling your home, remember that luxury is its own reward as we make smart, ecofriendly choices in stunning home decor. Gwen Banta & Tory Herald Connecting the Worlds of Real Estate DRE# 01362887 & 01920423 Sotheby's International Realty 310 205-0305, 310 985-2719
Past Events
Article and Photos by Steve Geldman, Image Photo Motorsports
T
he July issue of Driven World detailed the nonprofit, all volunteer, Solvang Wheel’s ‘N Windmills car show’s history and how it supports the local community with generous donations to various charities. Now that the August 2018 show is behind us, let’s focus specifically on this past event and why Dustin Troyan, Driven World magazine Executive Editor, and his family can’t wait to return next year. We will also share with readers a few automotive exhibitors those fine octane-thirsty machines made this writer stop in his tracks while walking the show. But first some show specifics. For those familiar with the Velocity Channel, it’s not uncommon each year to spot a face from the auto world that you recognize at this event. This year was no different as Dennis Gage, with his famous handlebar mustache, came all the way out from Indiana to tape his show, My Classic Car. Gage disclosed he expects the Solvang episode should air early next year. Be sure to tune in and get a taste of this incredible annual motorsports event. The Saturday 8 AM to 4 PM show was free to attend and open to the public. Wheels ‘N Windmills is growing their motorcycle section which include stock, classics, customs and those with sidecars. There were 310 stunning cars on display covering several Solvang streets that were closed to normal traffic. Although you’ll find a variety of countries representing the vehicle manufacturers on display, perhaps 95% are dedicated to the American variety. For those of you who have never attended, the show’s website reveals the high quality and types of vehicles displayed year over year. For all vehicles that were on display this day, there were over 50 awards handed out! This is due to a lengthy number of sub-categories
that had to be created to cover the wide variety of vehicles in attendance. There are 3 main categories, Stock, Modified and Special Interest. Each of those having multiple sub-categories, such as ‘55-‘57 Chevy’s, Hot Rod Coupe ’33-’48 and Pro-Street, to name a few. In a very organized fashion, awards are presented to car owners at about 3 PM to a large crowd assembled in a relaxing park atmosphere, all hoping to hear their vehicle and name called out. The show organizers often talk about the charities as this has always been one of the main purposes of holding the events. This year’s show raised over $35,000.00 bringing the total to over $330,000.00 since its start in Solvang 14 years ago. Wheels ‘N Windmills also holds a raffle open to attendees and exhibitors with the
The charities chosen for this year’s event were: Santa Ynez Valley Aquatics Foundation: $10,000.00 minimum Progeria Foundation: $2,000.00 Alpha Pi (Assisting seniors in the community): $2,000.00 $5,000.00 Zaca Center Preschool: $2,000.00 Local Area High School Auto Shop Programs (V8 Engine Raffle): $16,000.00
opportunity to go home with a brand new V8 engine. Monies collected from this raffle go to area high school Auto Shop Programs. Don and Barbara Wagner from Clovis CA arrived in their striking yellow 1965 Chevy Chevelle Custom. Acquired 15 years ago, the Wagner’s take this beast to many shows, but it also finds itself at the Famoso Raceway track near Bakersfield. The Wagner’s found this vehicle in Centerville CA and was followed by a 4-year major restoration in the home garage. The custom airbrushed design on each side is beautifully painted and easily turns heads. Under (and through) the hood is a 468ci V8 RAT (454ci bored out to 468ci) pushing out 620hp. There is also a NOS (Nitrous Oxide System) which Wagner is now finishing up on the final installation. Once completed, the power will increase to 745hp whenever NOS is applied. Frightening! For the stock category, Jay and Betsy Davenport from Alhambra drove in with their mint condition Laredo Tan 1961 “6-Window” Cadillac Sedan DeVille. They found this car 16 years ago at a Pasadena Ed & Al’s Auto Sound parking lot with a 4-sale sign in the window and 40,000 miles on the odometer. The engine ran rough, but the body had no evidence of rust, so they took the risk and made the purchase. What originally was going to be a quick restoration in the Davenport garage, he and his buddy spent the next 10 years meticulously replacing with Cadillac certified parts, including all rubber down to hex bolts being removed and gold cadmium plated. This vehicle has the original 390ci V8 power plant and offers 325hp. Today the Davenport’s drive this vehicle just about everywhere including long road trips to Ohio and Oregon. On a last note, they were very fortunate to find and obtain a copy of the window sticker which shows the total sale
amount of $6,567.93. Think about it. That was a huge amount of money for an American car in 1961 when the average home cost was about $13,000! In the Special Interest category is Stuart Hanssen from Santa Ynez. Hanssen brought his 1951 Baldwin Roadster race car. There is a heartfelt story with this vehicle. Built by Willis Baldwin of Santa Barbara, the race car was purchased and track raced by Hanssen’s father, William, from 1954 through 1957. During what turned out to be its last race in Pebble Beach, William saw his good friend Ernie McAfee, also in this same race driving his Ferrari, had
crashed into a tree and was killed immediately. It was at this point that William decided to hang up racing and sold the Baldwin in 1959. The roadster had disappeared for decades. Fast forward to 2010. Using the powers of the internet, Hanssen used ‘Tam’s Old Race Car Site’ (www.tamsoldraccecarsite.net) and placed an ad that he was seeking the family’s previously owned Baldwin Roadster. The owner at the time, living in Connecticut, saw the ad and contacted Hanssen. Weakened by Hanssen’s story, he was willing to sell it back to the family roots. Hanssen brought it back to California and personally restored it. Having an all-
aluminum body with a Ford chassis, its powered by a 282ci Mercury V8 Flathead block with upgraded Ardun heads and rated at 315hp. This classic racer has a weight of only 2,100 lbs. The show organizers offer something special for those exhibiting their wheels at Wheel’s ‘N Windmills and arrive a day early. For a modest fee, a private BBQ dinner is served and adult beverages are available at the Mendenhall Museum, located nearby in Buellton. The Mendenhall Museum (www. mendenhallmuseum.com) is one of the largest private collections in the west coast exhibiting antique gasoline pumps, road signs, race cars, racing
memorabilia, license plates, gas & oil items, and other miscellaneous antiques. Besides having a terrific dinner, it was an experience to walk through such an amazing collection of automotive related memorabilia. When you register your vehicle for the show, you’ll receive an RSVP to this pre-show evening event. The 15th annual Wheels ‘N Windmills is scheduled for Saturday August 24th, 2019 and will be once again held on the streets of Solvang’s Town Center. Due to high demand and limited capacity, they often sell out exhibitor spots within 48 hours of open registration which is usually in early June. Use their
website for updated registration information. Interested Sponsors should contact the organizers in March 2019. 100% of all revenues go to charity so all Sponsorship fees are fully tax deductible. For those who are interested in becoming a show sponsor and/or to display your vehicle or motorcycle, please visit www.wheelsnwindmills.com. We hope to see some of the Supercar Sunday regulars there in 2019. I know ‘the guy in the orange hat’ will surely be there again.