IRON MAN AWARD - TOM DI IULIO Re: [DeTomaso] New engine DOES start!

[Mad Dog Antenucci]

Tommy Gun,
   
  Not much I can add except to tell you how proud we all are of your personal effort to get your Pantera ready to race. 
   
  I got a couple Team Pantera Racing nominations for you so it looks like like win, place or show this weekend you are going to be the next recipient of the the  "Ellis Woumnm Iron Man Award".... for your non-stop-never-say-die 'can-do' attitude to get the Pantera ready for the Sandhills Open Road Race in spite of overwhelming odds.
   
  Congratulations tommy. Proud to say YOU definitely inspire all of us to push the outside of the envelope. I'll get your plaque off in the mail to you in a couple weeks.
  In the meantime rest easy because,
  YOU ARE DA MAN!
   
  Mad Dawg Antenucci
  Team Pantera Racing
  "If you're not on the edge you're taking up room"

  p.s.  History on the "Ellis Woumnm Memorial Iron Man Award".....For you new guys who may not have ever known Ellis,  Ellis Woumnm was an enthusiastic active duty Navy pilot and an equally enthusiastic Pantera owner and PCNC member who regularly drove and raced his Pantera in club events and track events in Northern California and Nevada.  In 1998 while enduring painful terminal cancer treatment he was   also wrenching on his Pantera to get it ready for the Silver State Road Race in Nevada. 
   
  Ellis not only fixed a number of major mechanical challenges on his Pantera before the race he also drove his Pantera to Ely Nevada for the Silver State ORR where he averaged 125 MPH over the 90-mile 2-lane course.  As promised he then left Ely, trophies in hand on an extended road Trip back to the Bay Area via Utah Colorado and several other states where he lived....JUST that event alone pretty much nailed an award being named in Ellis' honor. Sadly, he left us way to young but his memory and dedication lives on with all who knew him ;and I'd like to believe continues to inspire many of us today.
  
Tom Di Iulio <diiulio at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
  I'm typing this with greasy fingers and I could care less. I've just
been thru some of the worst days ever with my car. As of Sunday nite, I
had decided I could not make Nebraska. Then the wife pushes me into
fixing the issue (one I created by installing the crank gear in the
wrong orientation). That's why the car wouldn't start. I was so far out
of time air was literally being pushed up thru the carb, thus the fuel
spray. I'm an idiot. 
I pulled the front end off the engine last nite, dropped the oil pan,
fixed everything, and fired it at 11:30pm. Today I broke it in, did some
final tuning, and re-installed the interior and rear deck. The car is
running great with good numbers on the gauges. 
Tomorrow I head to Nebraska to represent our "cult" in the Sandhills
Open Road Challenge. I think the race will be anti-climactic after these
past few days. I want to thank everyone for the advice and counsel. The
moral and emotional support you guys consistently offer when I'm in
trouble is simply humbling. I did not reply individually to each of you
as I've been literally running to get this car done. 
I'll do my best not to embarrass our marque on the course and only wish
some of you could/would join me in the land of corn and beef. Wish me
luck fellas, I freakin' deserve it. 
Tom Di Iulio
Denver, CO
"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, hear the lamentations
of their women"


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