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The year 2016 is past the half-way point and brings with it the resurgence of urgency among Team Pantera Racing members to get their cars prepared for another dash of solitude down a lonely highway; challenging man, machine and a two-lane road. This year's team includes Bob Radefeld, Bud Hower, Frank Cirrincione and Mark Skwarek from the TPR Central Division taking on the Sandhills Open Road Challenge. In the Pacific Division, Dennis Antenucci and Central Division visitor Mark Skwarek will put the Silver State Classic Challenge under their tires.
Mark Skwarek has been gunning for the $10,000 prize purse in the Team Pantera Racing Challenge for a few years. This has been an ongoing challenge to any Pantera driver who can finish the Silver State Classic Challenge at a higher speed than Dennis, ... and trophy in their class. (yea... the rules keep changing). Hey wait a minute... that would mean last year's first place finisher in the 120 MPH class, Asa Jay Laughton, would have qualified and won! Since Mad Dog himself only ran 115. :)
Be that as it may, Team Pantera Racing is still looking to Mark Skwarek to take it up a notch and bring his orange and black race prepared Pantera in for a great finish this year in both the SORC and SSCC races. Mark has been hard at work preparing his Pantera. Here, he is found working on the brakes, photo by Forest Majors.
Mind you, that Mark is well over six feet tall and he has a roll cage that interferes with half his door opening. I believe he had Forest there to make sure the pretzel could be extracted.
In another part of the United States, Bob Radefeld and his groupies have been making sure all preparations are going well for his car.
Note the unique shop-light used in an outdoor setting. Meanwhile in Tennessee, Frank has been getting help putting a new roll bar into the Pantera that he raced last year.
And Bud Hower is doing similar work to "Lolita," his Pantera, in preparation for the Sandhills Open Road Challenge.
Meanwhile in California, John (JB) Bentley has been extracting the engine from his Pantera as he prepares a recently sourced original 351C 4-bolt main block. John has a history with these blocks and searched for some time before finding one. Although not in perfect condition, JB has a shop that he trusts to do the work necessary to bring it up to race-ready condition. Here, Mad Dog, the past president of Team Pantera Racing is helping with the engine extraction.
They don't normally let Dennis touch any tools but that doesn't stop his pervasive urge to lead as shown above, always willing to help out and add muscle to any job that needs it. Team Pantera Racing groupies will also recall that JB bowed to better judgement 30 miles into the SSCC course in 2014 as oil temperatures began to rise and oil pressues began to fall. An initial forensics exam appeared to show a cam lobe or two might have been wiped so the engine comes out to be replaced. Here, John assesses the recently pulled engine.
Other TPR members currently scheduled to attend but not race include Asa Jay (AJ) Laughton and Peter (The German) Menyhart. Peter has been coming along on the return of his Pantera and is very close, though will probably miss being ready for the 2016 race.
Team Pantera Racing isn't just about flashy cars, hot Brazilian Girls, going fast and letting some other mechanic caress their women. These boys aren't afraid to get down and dirty with thier svelt Italian beauties to personally make sure all needs are satisfied.
Stay tuned for more information as the Central Division members shortly travel to Arnold Nebrask for the Sandhills Open Road Challenge. |
