2011 SACC Convention - Kissimmee FL, January 30-February 1
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Board
Meeting held before the convention
gets underway.
The 2011
SACC Convention got started with a
Welcome Reception in the Crete Room at the
Holiday Inn - Main Gate in Kissimmee FL.
Here's
another view of the reception. The mood
was festive.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Time to
start getting ready for the road tour to
Big Daddy Don Garlits' Museum in Ocala.
The line-up is starting to take shape.
Fast
forward about 85 miles, and the group
arrives at Big Daddy's Museum in Ocala.
Here's a view of one of the museum rooms.
You might call this a powerful C3. This '82 was piloted by Tom 'The Mongoose' McEwen. Rated at 2500 HP.
Don't see a pick-up roadster very often. This is a 1928 Ford.
And this is a 1948 Ford limousine. It was made from two cars, a '48 convertible and a '48 Tudor Sedan.
Next we convoyed to the Harbor Hills Country Club for a very nice luncheon. Here is the parking area.
Here's the happy group
posing for a group picture.
Here's a view of the dining room. It was a first class luncheon. And there was a wonderful guest of honor..
Here you see Corvette's own Betty Skelton being introduced.
Fast forward 85 miles back to Kissimmee and it was the chapters meeting.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
It was tech session time. Gene Colucci presented a session on hardtops.
As you can see, the students were eager to learn.
It was hands-on.
Billy Dawson gave a presentation on dropping a C-1 body onto a custom frame/suspension.
We stepped out to the
parking area to check out Billy's demonstrator car.
Here's the dash and
interior.
Under the hood.
Lance Miller brought the #3 Briggs Cunningham racer that won 1st in class at the 1960 LeMans. It is totally and beautifully and accurately restored.
Lance points out the interesting modifications that allowed the car to win.
Between Owners Briggs Cunningham and Chip Miller there were seven who owned the car.
Another view, and Lance
points out the army shovel fixed to the wall of the trunk. It was needed
if the driver went onto the dirt or sand and needed to quickly dig out.
Laying on the floorboard
of the car was a winner's cup. I was nosy and read that it was from the
Mar A Lago show this year.
Here's a better picture of the winner's cup.
Later in the day in early evening, it was the cocktail hour preceding the banquet.
Here's one view of the
banquet attendees.
Gary Mion, Arizona Chapter VP
gives a run-down
of the plans for next year's convention in Phoenix, Ariz.
SACC VP Brad
Bean hosts the banquet
events.
Lance Miller was the guest of honor, he told how the #3 Cunningham winning car was found, then how it was restored, and then how it went back to LeMans in 2010, the 50th anniversary of the historic win for America's sports car.
So that's a quick wrap-up of the 2011 convention. The Sunshine Chapter made sure the weather was superb. It was in the '70s all three days. While the convention was going on there was a powerful winter storm raging up north. Those attending, myself included, were quite happy that we were in Orlando, not up in cold country. The Sunshine State chapter did a fine job, hosted a great convention. Thanks Guys!