| It is the only Pantera in the US with
significant race history (Daytona 24 Hours and 12 Hours of Sebring in Hugh
Kleinpeter's (original builder) hands and we ran the LA Times Grand Prix 3
times, Monterey Grand Prix twice (Laguna Seca) , Grand Prix of Sonoma twice
(Sears Point) and the GI Joe's Grand Prix in Portland, Ore. I made
the front page of the Orange County Register (in color) when John Paul Jr.
crashed into me in turn 5 at Riverside (picture right before the crash was
on the front page of the sports section of the LA Times). Also
mentioned in Autoweek and IMSA annual reviews. The car eventually
was a full tube frame car with removable fiberglass body panels that
weighed about 2,400 lbs with an injected 500 hp motor. When we ran a
club event at Riverside we were a good 10 seconds a lap faster than other
"club racer" Panteras. Car was built right hand drive, as
Hugh Kleinpeter thought that improved the vision on the banking at
Daytona, where the car was clocked at 210 mph.
Here are few more pictures, courtesy of Dan Wildhirt showing the Pantera
in action at a 1984 IMSA race at Sears Point
http://photos.wildhirt.com/spimsa84/
|
