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In the interest of getting something out sooner, the following is part of an expanded report that will eventually be posted under "Articles". The press of recuperating from a hectic "vacation" week in Charleston and getting back to the daily grind has delayed posting this and photo's, but they be up soon.
Report From POCI 2010
I just returned from the Pontiac-Oakland Club International Convention in Charleston, West Virginia. The weather was hot, but clear most of the week (except for a storm front passage on Friday).
This is only the second Convention I've had the pleasure of attending, and the only one I can compare it to is Dayton 2009. As that was a joint gathering with the GTOAA, it was the largest all-Pontiac event in history. The gathering at Charleston, though about half the size, was well worth the trip.
The downtown Charleston venue, with the host hotel fronting on the river, was an attractive setting. The city had blocked off a stretch of the Kanawha Boulevard, which lines the river levee, for a distance of about 8-10 blocks, along which were parked all of the Popular Vote cars (as well as the Points Judged cars on Friday & Saturday). The Points Judged cars – about 80 vehicles - were in the Civic Center from Wednesday through Friday morning, where the judging took place.
Several heroes of Pontiac history were in attendance – Arnie “the Farmer” Beswick, Jim Wangers, and Marvin Panch – winner of the 1961 Daytona 500 with the same 1960 Pontiac that he raced there. All three of these gentlemen were great ambassadors for the Pontiac hobby, generous with their time signing autographs, sharing stories, and just hanging out. Arnie & Jim each conducted an informative seminar. Arnie’s centered on his legendary career in Pontiac drag racing, and the development of a Ram Air V engine race car. Jim Wangers gave an analysis of the causes and responsible parties for the death of the Pontiac brand. He later told me that his talk will be available on DVD, and I encouraged him to turn it into a book. Fascinating stuff from a real insider. As a side note, if you’re into Pontiac’s from the ‘60’s (and if you’re not, what the hell are you doing here?) Wangers’ book Glory Days is an absolute must-read.
Friday was the scheduled day for some 1/8 mile racing at the local drag strip, sponsored by Wangers and featuring Beswick’s cars, but a passing weather front forced cancellation.
More to follow.....
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