Team Pantera Racing

2020 Spring Report

Written by Administrator
Monday, 08 June 2020 18:59
Morning My Peeps, Here is the Spring 2020 TPR update. This last Sunday had Randy Grubb running his Pantera at Oregon Raceway Park (ORP) in Grass Valley, Oregon. The first Pantera on the track in the Pacific Northwest that I know of. Lee ‘Rookie‘ Peterson from Salem and I drove out to hang with and cheer Randy on and as usual Randy and the weather did not disappoint. He and his built 351-C ran hard all day long. The beauty of this private 2.3 mile course is that it's not heavily booked. On that Sunday there were fewer then a dozen cars running and yet there was an ambulance standing by and great course workers to ensure safety was maintained at all times. But it was Randy and the drivers and not outside organizers who led the event by example...meaning safety first but with no draconian club rules, much more track time and more fun. Like all the open track and road events, it isn’t racing; drivers were well spaced on the OPR course just having a good time all day. Randy is waiting for summer/fall schedules but we’re tentatively planning a TPR Club BBQ before the year is out. Chance for more of us to get together under no stress, no pressure to have a good time. Randy will also be returning again this year to Silver State. In other news, JB finished his engine build and looking at a June install back in his ‘Ol Yella’. With the help of Asa Jay Laughton my Pantera is running the roads and hills again. Need to fix a charging and suspension issue which will be done well before the next open track or road challenge but happy she is running so well, thanks Asa! Hearing news that former POCA president and TPR veteran Gerry Romack may be bringing an original 1991 Pantera 90 Si this year to Silver State which would be a first ever. Veteran Mark Skwark and the Owner of the latest and fastest ORR Pantera is making very few modifications to his Pantera. And of course the SSCC Event shirts this year feature Marks brilliant orange and black Pantera. Others wrenching as I write this report are Rookie Lee Pedersen who also has a yellow Pantera (Who doesn’t have yellow?) and will be joining us for the first time in Ely Nevada. Lee is a veteran of many open track and drag races in both his Pantera as well Shelby and other Ford powered muscle. Other California veterans like Paul Katchadourian, Laurie “Ferrari” Basile, Peter Menyhart and early Silver State veterans Pete Beckham and Charlie Puckett are also planning to return this year. When you add in John Bentley this is more California veterans attending then I have seen in years. Thinking about joining us in September? Be sure to get reservations ASAP in Ely at the Hotel Nevada or one of the other many down town motels. Also go to the Silver State Classic web site for event rules and lodging information. In spite of a heart wrenching pandemic and civil unrest this Spring, I am happy to welcome all of you back this year. If you have any questions please reach out to Asa or myself soon. Let the rest of the year be filled with love and healing. Mad Dawg Antenucci Team Pantera Racing
Last Updated on Monday, 08 June 2020 19:16

2021 - The Year of Racing Redemption

Written by Administrator
Sunday, 07 March 2021 08:17
And now my friend, the first-a rule of Italian driving... What's-a behind me is not important. Franco - Gumball Rally The year of 2020 is in the rear view mirror and we've ripped it from it's mount and tossed it from the car. All three Silver State Challenge events are back on schedule for 2021! The new Nevada Open Road Challenge (NORC) is now a two-way run instead of the traditional one-way, taking place the same traditional weekend in May. Ahead of the NORC however, is the Chihuahua Express Road race in Mexico in April. Finishing up the year will be the Silver State Classic Challenge (SSCC) held on the traditional dates in September. It's now time to get out of the bunkers, juice up the race cars and get serious about carbon emissions. As part of your prep work, make sure to download the event rules, regulations, tech inspection details and more, from the Silver State Classic web site. Big Bend Open Road Race (BBORR) and Sandhills Open Road Challenge (SORC) are ON! See their web sites for more details, links are in the left sidebar. Back in the day, open road races could see up to 14 Panteras and the occasional Mangusta. It's too bad so many of those slackers let themselves get old. There's nothing like triple digit speeds for up to an hour on an open highway closed to the public, letting the horsepower run free and wild. Where coyotes, jackelopes and raptors can't stand in the way of a good run on a long stretch of road. Only the hearty, the brave and those with some fear dare tread those hallowed grounds at speed in a Pantera. Not many are left who have the balls to race, win, and brag about it. A Mangusta hasn't been seen for decades at any of these races and it's time for one to step up, be seen and remind the public what a sexy machine a Mangusta can be. This year the PANTERA is the featured marque at all three Silver State Classic Open Road Races, that means the Pantera will be featured on all event shirts for the NORC, Chihuahua Express, and Silver State Classic Chalenge in 2021. There will also be some other surprises this year. Some new faces, some new build sheets and at least one long time SS Veteran who hasn't run in a Pantera in about 20+ years. Currently we can reveal the following veteran members and others who are on tap and on schedule to be running the two-way NORC in May: Dennis (Mad Dog) Antenucci with an updated and re-tuned EFI, hoping to work out 140 MPH. Randy (no longer a Silver State Rookie) Grubb, hoping to best Dennis in the 140 class. The more Panteras in the same class, the better. Ransom Sanders with a daily driver, modified (proper color?) Yellow Pantera. Ransom will be running Rookie this year, as long as we all pitch in to make it happen like we always do. Lee Peterson, another Rookie with a Pantera, but who will be running one of his Shelby's since the Pantera engine is out. Paul Katchadourian running in his Viper (at least there is a "P" in the name) Bringing up the support team for NORC will be John (JB) Bentley and Peter (the German) Menyhart. In other events, Team Pantera Racing is looking to have representation at BBORR fromk Steve Hawkinson with a potential cameo from Mad Dog Antenucci as co-pilot. Mark Skwarek may be the only Pantera in the SORC this year, but any year a Pantera gets into that exclusive race, is a good year. In any case, the midwest good ol' Pantera boys will be right there with Mark making sure it all goes well. For the SSCC in September, the roster is still being firmed up, but for certain the man who's been to more open road races than Carter has Liver pills, will be Dennis Antenucci. Hopefuls include Mark Skwarek who is on the cusp of a deserved win in a much higher speed class, Gerry Romack who ends up with more fun than one man shoulid stand at our age, potentially Lee Peterson in his Pantera with an engine refresh, John Bentley with a new and killer engine of his own, and more than likely Paul Kathadourian in his Viper. Again, the support crew will probably consist of Asa Jay (AJ) Laughton and Peter Menyhart. 2021 is shaping up to be a great year. If yoiu've not raced open road yet, this is the year to do in a Pantera. The shirt alone will be worth the entry fee.
Last Updated on Sunday, 07 March 2021 11:37

Supporting and Encouraging Legal Racing of Your De Tomaso Pantera in
Sanctioned Open Road Racing (ORR) and Track Events.

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Do you have a Need for Speed? Do you want to see how fast your Pantera will go, legally?
Want to know what the big dogs are running in their Pantera? Need advice, need direction, need more than just car shows?

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2019 SSCC Recap and Report

Written by Mad Dawg Antenucci
Saturday, 21 September 2019 19:46
Morning My Peeps, Got home last evening and wanted to share how we did this last week in Ely Nevada. Asa and Paul and the Dawg all arrived in Ely early this year with our cars... followed by Gerry hauling from home in Illinois and Mark from Connecticut. And Randy from Oregon. Randy, Paul and I had an easy week because we didn't have to repair anything. LOL But Gerry rolled in trailer hub brakes making noise. And Asa (Master Chief mechanic immediately put on his work clothes and proceeded to repair all 4 trailer hubs and get some spare 10-ply trailer tires from Lance at the Goodyear shop which was a two day exercise but he was able to get all the parts he needed thereby saving GERRY hundreds of dollars. By the way Asa has been nominated for this year's Iron Man Award....yea We are changing the rules again. During Tech Inspection one of the tech inspectors asked us to check our front wheel bearings on Gerry and Dawg's Panteras which Asa verified as being safe to go after pulling wheels and inspecting. Mark had to replace a fuel pump and reJet a new custom race carburetor. But Mark got all of that done and then we had a good time hanging with "Rookie Randy" who was a good sport even when we forced him to go to the Green Lantern with us. partying with the Brazilian Girls since Laurie didn't make it to Ely. All four Pantera's and Paul's Viper all passed tech and Made it to the start line. Mark after a few miles into the course noticed water temp going high so he wisely shut the Pantera down. But Gerry, Randy and The Dawg all had good runs. None of us came close to nailing our goal speeds but Paul and the Dawg were fastest in their selected Division Speed classes. My 11 year old throttle body butterfly's are rattling like a snake and have to be rebuilt so IR-EFI wasn't running as well as I had liked but happy with completing the run and as Asa always says "Dawg was fastest in his class again" Okay here is the formal results PAUL averaged 157.13837 MPH with a time variance of 31.6600...again fastest in his division class. Mumbled something about all most dropping his cigar and beer in the Viper trying to turn AC off and radio on. DAWG's Pantera C8 averaged 131.1217 MPH with a time variance of 21.3209...again like a Paul being fastest in his division class. Received counseling from Race director but threw my arms up saying me no understand. GERRYS Pantera averaged 124.4691 MPH with a tune variance of 11.0553. In fairness to GERRY he came closest to his goal speed average but as it turned out at the start line the race organizers got cars out of the wrong order and Gerry found himself behind a SLOW Car he thought better of passing but finding out later that driver was not in GERRY's 125 Class but the slower 120 Class Group. Otherwise he could won, placed or shown. RANDY's beautiful Orange Pantera running the WEBER carburetors and then all aluminum deck lid and front spoilers that Randy fabricated by hand averaged 107.4874 MPH In the 110 class with a time variance of 68.8520 there by winning the time variance Award in fairness to Randy he was hobbled by rookie speed limits otherwise he would have been faster then all of us. So slackers JB, Peter, Tim, Laurie, and Lee didn't have Pantera's there this year but I Always felt their spirit animal near all the time. And wait a minute Peter (aka The German) was there with the TPR support vehicle doing beer, water and parts runs. And he gets a ferry award for all most being ready LOL. That is about it. Laurie did join us at the Banquet dinner in Vegas where MARK won the “Hard Luck Award” this year. But I know Mark will be back bigger and badder then ever before to break my 166 MPH average record to get his hands on the $10,000 dollars in prize money Asa holds in the TPR vault but forgot to bring this year. PS to JB - the Ford Dealership is still for sale! Here’s some photos...I know Peter and Asa have more.
Last Updated on Saturday, 21 September 2019 20:03

2019 SSCC Race Prep

Written by Administrator

Tuesday, 27 August 2019 18:15

After an interesting 2018 with several trailer flat tires, a blown trailer hub, fuel problems and other hard luck, Team Pantera Racing is returning to the Silver State Classic Challenge (SSCC) with a larger and even more prepared crew. The trailers have been checked, the cars have been prepped, and they even have enough participants to enter the SSCC Team Challenge.

Dennis "Mad Dawg" Antenucci has managed to round up a new group of Pantera enthusiasts from hitherto unknown parts of the country. Each member will be taking a seperate and secret route to the race, all converging in Ely Neveda. In addition, we have some returning members who will again challenge the 90 miles of open road at new speeds. This may be the year we have a winner of the $10,000 prize purse for the Pantera driver who goes faster than Mad Dawg's 160 mph*.

It's sure to be a fun time. Some team members will be arriving earlier in the week and making sure the TPR headquarters is set up, clean and ready to go. Stay tuned for more.

*qualifications for winning the $10,000 prize is subject to the whims of Mad Dawg

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