The Palm Beach
Cavallino Classic XII:
Report on the Event
Page 2
BUT
FIRST A PARTY…
From there the next stop is the now traditional airport reception, held in one of Jet Aviation’s hangars at Palm Beach International Airport on Wednesday evening. This is always a surreal environment with a delectable line-up of Ferraris on the tarmac, nestling in the shadows of the private jets on display, with a further array of high speed executive travel on show within the hangar, not only by air, but also by top of the range power boats and luxury automobiles, with the new Maserati models prominently featured. The atmosphere of this gathering, with the sun setting slowly in the west on a warm evening, sipping Champagne and nibbling canapés, with commercial air traffic taking off and landing nearby, is as mentioned, truly surreal, and really sets the mood for the rest of the event.
The guests include all of the Classic participants, of course,
but also many of the
customers
and guests of Jet Aviation, and of Showboats International (the latter being the
folks who make the Jet Reception happen), and everyone had
one new and onerous task to perform this year at the Jet
Reception, and that was to vote for their favorite Ferrari. The popular winner
was the exquisite blue and white 250 GT Zagato double bubble coupe of David and
Ginnie Sydorick. They received a silver trophy, presented
by Jet Aviation’s President Michael Gregory, but an additional prize was a
helicopter ride over Palm Beach and the Atlantic coast during the weekend.
A special treat at the Jet Reception was the display of not one,
but two, authentic P51 Mustangs, one restored to WWII configuration, and the
other set up for air racing. How do two rare Mustangs find their way to a
Ferrari party? They are owned by a European Ferrari collector, who keeps the
planes in south Florida. Many thanks to him and everyone at Jet Aviation.
BUT THERE WAS SOME SERIOUSNESS…
By Wednesday evening, truth be told, the Classic was already two days old, with nearby Moroso Motorsports Park hosting two days of practice for many of the entrants who came down early. Tuesday saw a relaxed day of testing and tuning for both GT and Sport drivers, while Wednesday was a bit more energized with both Sport and Historic entrants getting their cars in shape. Famous driver Bill Adam kept a watchful and practiced eye on all concerned, while equally famous Brian Redman advised some of the drivers on the best way around the circuit.
There were only thirty drivers each day, but many of the teams
and entrants choose Tuesday to have their camps set up in the paddock for the
four long days ahead. This has become a ritual, with the placement of the
trucks, trailers, and tents being as precise as the placement of the Ferraris on
the front lawn of The Breakers on Saturday. Most of the rigs are as beautifully
turned out as the cars, and the Classic has considered a concours judging for
the rigs themselves.