[TPR] Frank Gerum & La Carrera Story Re: Pantera vs. BMW

[Mad Dog Antenucci]

Great video Dave...thanks.....Some history follows;

Sadly that was Frank Gerum in the yellow Pantera about 2 years before he got killed at the same event...the La Carrera NOT the Pan Americana.....But Frank was a hellva fast driver. 

Frank drove a race prepared Pantera and he also had a competition race license and he had a reputation as being a balls to the walls racer. When he got killed he spun off an embankment at the La Carrera on the course outside Ensenada where they had the race every year. he spun backwards at high speed and the Pantera fell straight down (I saw the location) apprxomately 50 feet where it landed on its roof. 

It was never verified but I heard from one of the guys who went with Frank every year to the La Carrera in Mexico that it was the impact of the fall that either killed Frank or pinned him in the Pantera....unfortunately he did NOT have a full roll cage and that probably would not of made a difference but I heard his single roll bar pinned him in the car after it fell and then the Pantera caught fire on landing.....it was precious minutes before anyone got to him and then it was too late.....they got the fire out and finally pulled him out of the Pantera an hour later but as I recall they had to 'cut him out' of the pantera and the roll bar was part of the problem in getting him out....thereafter the la Carrera race officials made roll cages mandatory for all future races. When I went in 2004 everyone was required to have a roll cage yet again if you go off any road and free fall 50 or more feet your chances of surviving that kind of fall are pretty slim.

The La Carrera is not the Pan Americana. The La Carrera is a two day event and the Pan Americana is like a week long gig....the Pan Americana is a super expensive event and to date no Pantera has even attempted to run it although it would be cool if someone did run it in a pantera..... I was thinking about doing it a couple years ago and spoke to one of the directors who told me I could enter in the "Exhibition" class since the Pantera was too NEW a car to be considered a vintage racer....I think the rule is the cars have to be a '66 or older. but the Pan Americana is run over a 5-7 days and each night they stop at a different hotel.....they get a police escort and today the Pan Americana is STILL running every year.  the La Carrera is NOT......the American expat who ran it (Ed Everett) is a good friend who is married to a Mexican National who treated Dick Drenske and I really well when we went down in 2004. we had a great time. the Mexicans were
 wonderful....yea pre-drug cartel days!!!

The La Carrera was done by Frank several times that I know of and  by  Gary Hall one time and by me one time....far as I know we are the only 3 guys who have started and finished the La Carrera.  The day before the La Carera we also got to run a Hill Climb which qualified you for the race the next day or where you went on the grid. And the way you win in each division is to be the FASTEST in your division.....my pantera was in the Classic or vintage division and I won 1st place which was a totally awsome experience because I had never been there before. Ed stopped sponsoring the La Carrera weekend event after the mexicans shook him down for more money. I heard they still do something down there but its not considered safe and they don't have the big buck security that the Pan Americana event has.

Still it was a great event and we had a great time when we went.


________________________________
 From: David in Durango <adin at frontier.net>
To: TPR List <tpr at teampanteraracing.com> 
Sent: Saturday, August 4, 2012 10:48 PM
Subject: [TPR] Pantera vs. BMW
 

 
Tonite I went to a BMW event because they advertised a "vintage" film from 
La Carrera Panamericana 1989.  I had to endure this (the third Pantera 
passed!)
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uO3vv9dkaE

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