Amelia Isalnd, 16 March 2001
Diverse Field
The Forza Amelia Rally, organized by Vintage Rallies Inc, started March 11th from
the Plantation Resort the morning after the Ritz Carlton Concours, at which the
entrants had their own special class display area. The rally took a 1000 mile scenic
route through Florida with a foray into southern Georgia, over a four day period
terminating back at the Plantation Resort on the Thursday evening. Within the field
there were a total of eleven Ferrari models, spread from a 1949 166 Inter through a
250 GT PF coupe ”Speciale”, a 250 GT California Spider, a 275 GTB, to a pair of
current 360 Modena F1 models, plus a couple of replicas thrown in for good
measure, and at least the owners were honest about their origins.Amongst the other
entrants there was a diverse selection, including a Merceds 300 SL cabriolet, a
Maserati Bora, a Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray, an AC Greyhound, a Porsche 356
and a Shelby GT 500 KR convertible.
Long Distance Award
Had there been an award for doing the rally in the traditional style, it would have to
have gone to David and Debbie North from New Jersey, who drove all the way from
home, a distance of some 1000 miles, to participate. They then took the same route
home, clocking up a total of around 3000 miles in a week.
Steep Learning Curve
Dan and Michelle Kary participated in the 1000 mile run in their 250 GT PF coupe
”Speciale”, although they had never driven it more than a few miles since its recent
restoration and appearances at the Cavallino Classic and Amelia Island Concours.
Fortunately the only problems encountered were a propensity for the tail to wallow
with full tanks and a trunk full of luggage, and a tendency for the steering to wander
on steeply cambered surfaces. The former was cured by redistributing the luggage
load onto the rear platform within the wheelbase, and the latter was thought to be an
easily cured tracking adjustment.
Scenic By-Roads And Museums
The route avoided major highways, taking participants along little trafficked roads
deep through the countryside, visiting both motor related and historic points of
interest en route. The first port of call was St Augustine, the oldest city in America,
with its Castillo de San Marco, of which construction was started in 1672. From the
historic town it was a short drive south to bustling Daytona Beach, where lunch was
taken in the Bill France Room at the Speedway museum. After visiting the museum
and touring the Speedway infield, there was a visit to the nearby Klassix auto
museum, before heading west to picturesque Mount Dora for the overnight halt. The
second day of the rally took the cavalcade north to Salt Springs, and then west
through an ever changing scenic pattern, encountering heavy storms in the wake of a
tornado that had torn through northern Florida overnight. This leg of the journey
included track time at Gainesville Raceway, before the journey west to the Gulf
coast and the overnight halt at Cedar Keys. The Wednesday route zigzagged north
and east via the Classic Corvettes and Collectables Museum to the next overnight
stop at Howey In The Hills. On the final day, Thursday, they moved north to visit the
”Big Daddy” of Drag Racing, Don Garlits, Hall of Fame in Summerfield, from where
the route took the party further north and east, briefly entering Georgia, before
returning to the Plantation at Amelia Island for the Victory Banquet in the evening.
Forza Amelia Ferrari
|
