Monday, November 28, 2016

Courtney Crone Posts Final Thoughts On 2016 Season

Courtney Crone with her dad, Jack Crone as they take in an evening of motor culture movie watching at The Petersen Automotive Museum. This Friday night featured the six race road racing documentary that tells the story of just how Monterey Car Week in August, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, got started.   Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

Courtney Crone Posts Final Thoughts On 2016 Season

Southern California motorsports phenom, fifteen year old Courtney Crone, posted this short message on her Facebook page this weekend with the following:

That's a wrap on the 2016 midget season!
Made it to the TNGP main and didn't have the best results but learned a ton.
5th in overall points and Rookie of the Year for USAC Western States midgets.
@rodelafab has made this an unforgettable year and has taught me so much!
Already missin it.. #TNGP #Thankful #212

Courtney Crone as she finishes her season. Image Credit: Sprint Car Scotty (2016)

For those who may not be familiar with Courtney's background, she has been an active competitor in many forms of motorsport beginning from a very early age. At age 13, she was a standout competitor piloting powerful, brakeless, speedway dirt motorcycles and was seen at tracks throughout Southern California. Courtney showed a talent for competition through winning 12 Speedway main events and capturing 2 Youth Speedway Bike Championships.

This excerpted and edited from World Speed Motorsports -

Courtney Crone Secures 2017 VMB Driver Development Racing Scholarship
By: Milazzo - Posted on November 15, 2016

The WSM Rising Star Awards have been provided to up and coming championship caliber racers for over 20 years. Past award recipients have gone on to race in Formula One, win races in NASCAR, win the 24 Hours or Daytona and 12 Hours Sebring, and secure the Indy Lights Championship.

This year there were four recipients chosen to test with World Speed Motorsports. For the fourth consecutive season VMB Driver Development was co-sponsoring the test, and would select one driver to receive a scholarship into the 2017 Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear in a GEN2 FormulaSPEED.

"Our big goal is Indy Cars", said Courtney Crone during the VMB Driver Development Scholarship test at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. "The Mazda Road To Indy is a great way to get there, we’re keeping it on the open-wheel route." Image Credit World Speed Motorsports (2016)

15-year-old Courtney Crone, from Corona, California, was the driver selected to represent VMB in 2017. “All the drivers did incredibly well, as we expected they would,” noted WSM Team Owner Telo Stewart. “It is great that we were able to provide the testing opportunity to these young racers, and help them learn more about working alongside industry professionals. We expect to see great things from this year’s award winners, based on what we have seen from our past selections. We are also excited to add Courtney to the team for 2017, and look forward to working with her next season!”
(Reference Here >>>)

FormulaSPEED GEN2

Engine: Mazdaspeed MZR
Horsepower: 200
Gearbox: Hewland 6 speed sequential with reverse. No-lift shift
Weight: 1250 with driver
Data system: Cosworth ECU / Aim EVO4 with steering wheel display
Tires: Goodyear Racing
Chassis: 4130 advanced space frame enveloped by Kevlar
Suspension: Pushrod actuated inboard double adjustable Ohlins dampers

Available since: 2016

NOTE: Some of the past winners of the VMB Driver Development Racing Scholarship have included - Scott Speed - Andretti Autosport, Joey Hand - Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Sage Karam , Joel Miller - Mazdaspeed Motorsports, Cole Whitt, Michael Self , Conor Daly, Ryan Phinny, & Neil Alberico.

High-fives all around to a successful 2016 season, and great continuing goal accomplishments wished during 2017 to Courtney Crone as she pursues knowledge in open-wheel racing and competition.

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: Courtney Crone, #TNGP, #Thankful, #212, 2016, Rookie of the Year, USAC Western States, VMB Driver Development Racing Scholarship, World Speed Motorsports

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Racing Through The Forest - Where A Place And Time Came Together At The Petersen

Movie Night at The Petersen Automotive Museum brought out a record crowd since it started this movie night practice as per the Sr. Executive Director of the museum, Terry Karges. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

Racing Through The Forest - Where A Place And Time Came Together At The Petersen

On Friday, November 4th, 2016, The Petersen Automotive Museum hosted a movie night featuring the Southern California Premiere and pre-release screening of the documentary style Racing Through The Forest. From 1950 through 1956 The "Del Monte Trophy" road race was held on the twisty, leafy, and very narrow town roads in Pebble Beach, California, and serves as the main series of personal testimonies in Racing Through The Forest.

Bill Pollack, Dean Kirkland, & Rick Knoop sign DVD and Blu-ray movie formats for folks who attended Movie Night at The Petersen Automotive Museum. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

The event was attended by over 330 motor culture enthusiasts, the largest such movie event hosted by the recently renovated Petersen Automotive Museum as per Terry Karges, Sr. Executive Director of the museum.

Over 330 dedicated motor culture enthusiasts get ready to capture a place and time at The Petersen Museum. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

Racing Through The Forest captures the beginning of the modern post World War II era of sport car racing in Northern California where men (and a woman or two) began to focus on the enjoyment of living their lives in freedom with newly discovered automobiles from their experiences in Europe that could be imported, were somewhat inexpensive, smaller, lighter, and were very fun to drive in competition.

The movie Racing Through The Forest began as the idea of 24 Hours Of Le Mans and Daytona winning sports car driver Rick Knoop, who became a race car driver the honest way ... by being born into a racing family who's history includes this very important time and place through the life experiences of Rick's father, Fred 'Frosty' Knoop.


Knowing that the lives of those who participated in this era - that has now spawned, over a half a century later, what has become known as this 'rite of summer' week long series of events, Monterey Car Week - were at the sunset, Rick set about interviewing drivers and historians in order to be able to hold on to this very important formative period of time in road racing motor culture.

Monterey Car Week events, that happen annually in the middle of the month of August, feature the world infamous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and historic era car races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and include specialised high-profile automobile auctions, began it's storied history captured artfully in the woven frames of Racing Through The Forest with the experiences and testimonies of those who lived it.

Featured reflections (over 50) and participation by people that are highlighted in Racing Through The Forest, many who have since gone on to everlasting peace - Frosty Knoop, Bill Pollack, Ernie McAfee, Mick Martson, Jim Hall, Rex McAfee, Phil Remington, Carroll Shelby, Chuck Tatum, Phil Hill, Tam McPartland, Gordy Glyer, Bill Kerrigan, Walter Kieckhefer, Gary Laughlin, Tony Settember, Patti Settember, Liz Coppel, Dr. Dick Thompson, Bob Wenz, Lou Brero, Jr., John Buddonbaum, Stu Carpenter, Bob Casey, Joseph Cavaglieri, Chris Cord, Don Dickey, William Edgar, Hammond Edgar, Art Evans, Gary Horstkorta, Simon Jensen, Allen Bishop, Derek Hill, Peter Miles, Bob Koons, Terry Larson, Bill Marriott, Don Martine, Timothy P McGrane, Sir Stirling Moss, Mary Shaw, Peter Miles, Todd Morigi, Lou Pavesi, Elad Shraga, Larry Soletti, Bruce Qvale, Phil Remington, Bob Whitmer, Joe Breeze, Rick Knoop, and Peter Brock to name a few.

For Sale ... and would make perfect Christmas 'stocking stuffers' for any motor culture nut in anyone's family. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2016)

Movie Night at The Petersen Automotive Museum featuring the Southern California Premiere and pre-release screening of the documentary style Racing Through The Forest for the better part of 75 minutes proved to be an environment where "A Place" and "A Time" actually came together.

... notes from The EDJE

DVD/Blu-ray movie formats are for sale now at:
http://racingthroughtheforestmovie.com/store



TAGS: Racing Through The Forest, The Petersen Automotive Museum, Southern California Premiere, pre-release screening, documentary, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Laguna Seca, Fort Ord, 17 Mile Drive, Del Monte Trophy, Del Monte Forest, Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, K and K Productions, Rick Knoop, Dean Kirkland