Re: Mozart

[Scott Fisher <sefisher@domain.elided>]

David Lee Mericle writes:

> I missed the start of the Mozart thread but have something to add.  
> John is a major car collector in the mid-California SF bay area.  
> He has owned a black 2.9 Spider for a number of years and is a
> serious Bugatti owner.  Never heard of any vintage racing activity 
> however.  Incredibly beautiful cars all.

He's been a fairly regular competitor/entrant at the Monterey Historics
for the past few years, which is almost certainly where I first heard
his name.  His wife, Heather, was driving their GTA there last August. 
I chatted with her in the paddock for a few minutes after watching a
*very* exciting dice that she had on Saturday with a green-and-yellow
Lotus Seven for much of their race.  Always great to see a GTA come out
ahead of a GT-350, one of several cars that she and the Seven dispatched
handily during their contest.  She said in our post-race chat that she
passed the GT-350 on the outside of turn 9 (I'd been standing at the
exit of 2, right up close to the jersey barriers, and have some fair
pictures yet to be scanned).  Turn 9 was always one of the places at
Laguna Seca where I used to chicken out -- it sure *feels* off-camber as
you dive into it, and the blind fast downhill exit just spooked me every
time.  She's a good driver and one brave lady to have pulled off a pass
on one of Shelby's Mustangs in that corner.  And in fact, the 1750 in
the Mozart car is one reason there's a 1750 sitting next to my '67 GT in
the garage.  One day soon perhaps it will go under the hood where it
belongs. :-)

I believe John had been driving one of the early-Fifties specials in a
previous race that same day -- was it the Parkinson Jaguar Special?  I
can't remember, and my program is at home, but I vaguely recall that he
finished first (every person who puts a car on track is a winner, as
they say).  Given his collection, I wouldn't be surprised if he showed
up in something else on Sunday, too (I didn't make it to the track
Sunday).

> Anyhoo, Mr. Mozart did not know how to operate the 2.9s windshield 
> wipers

That's what comes of having many cars and living in California. :-)  But
I can certainly vouch for his wife's knowledge of how to use the
steering wheel, pedals and shifter in a GTA.  

 --Scott Fisher
   "Hey, that looks just like MY CAR racing with the Lotus Seven!"

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