Car Guy Chronicles’ Jim Palam wrangles highlights from CARS & COWBOYS 2025, this year’s outstanding car show and fundraiser.
The similarities are striking: Their lives are driven by an ethos of character, tradition, purpose, and independence. We’re talking about Car Guys and Cowboys, of course, who, along with Car Gals and Cowgirls, trekked up the twisty San Marcus Pass in Santa Barbara County to participate in the 4th Annual Cars & Cowboys 2025 car show and fundraiser.
This year’s exceptional event was relocated from the Santa Ynez Valley to the scenic Rancho San Marcus Golf Course, situated in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains, adjacent to beautiful Lake Cachuma. In just four years, this exclusive show has doubled in size, attracting enthusiasts from not only the Central Coast but also from California cities and towns North and South.
The main attraction of CARS & COWBOYS 2025 is the exceptional collection of vehicles, wrangled once again by Pete Thomsen and his hard-working team of C&C volunteers. While each and every car was a standout, I’ve selected 14 to showcase here. The other big draw for attendees is the mouth-watering cowboy food and libations, live music, and above all, the live auction that raises money for the Santa Ynez Valley Community Outreach programs, which include Meals on Wheels and seniors and veterans programs. Linda Linton, Assistant Director of SYV Foundation, and Pam Gnekow of the Buellton Senior Center were excited to let me know that over $100,000 was raised at the show for these critical programs!
So, what do you say, Buckaroos, is it time to check out some fabulous cars? You bet it is…
Back in 1960, this custom ’29 Ford Model A roadster, The Emperor, won the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award at the Grand National Roadster Show. Built by Chuck Krikorian, Blackie Gejeian, and George Barris, it’s powered by a built 406 cubic-inch ’57 Caddy engine. This icon was prominently featured at the entryway to CARS & COWBOYS 2025 thanks to George’s daughter, Joji Barris, who trailered it up from Tustin, CA.
Mike Murphy drives his Flathead-powered ’27 Ford roadster onto the manicured Rancho San Marcus Golf Course show field. This car is a two-time winner at the RPM Nationals, a Central Coast eighth-mile racing event that pays homage to the early developmental days of drag racing. The roadster’s bored and stroked 278 cubic-inch ’48 Mercury engine guzzles its juice down from 4 Stromberg 81 carburetors.
One of the early arrivals at the event was this Summer Lemon ’67 Lamborghini Miura. That’s owner Gregg Dahlen’s wife beaming me a big, beautiful smile from the passenger seat as they were being directed to their show field parking spot by the course’s lake. There were approximately 137 Miuras produced in 1967, with 275 units overall produced during the 1966 – 1969 production run.
Before AI started challenging our perception of reality, craftsmen and wizards were recreating rare and valuable automotive classics. Case in point: This fabulous, right-hand drive ’57 Jaguar XKSS Roadster – driven by owner Douglas Campbell 180 miles up from San Bernardino to the show – is not one of the original 16 built by Jaguar, but rather a stunning one-off, hand-crafted replica begging to be driven to heavenly destinations.
Another young carguy’s passion has taken flight! This is 16-year-old Jack Hyatt of Santa Barbara sitting on the wide door sill of Pieter Meijer’s fully-restored ‘64 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. Jack, a friend of the Meijer family, is already a prolific automotive blogger. You can check out some of his photos at https://www.instagram.com/driven.by.jack/
The original Allard roadsters were high-performance British sports cars built from 1951 to 1954 primarily for the American market. They featured powerful V8s like modified Flatheads, OHV Caddys, and Chrysler Hemis. When this drop-dead-gorgeous look-alike rolled in, I knew right away it wasn’t an original, but it does merit a spot in any carguy’s garage. This Allard Motor Works J2X MkIII has four integrated roll bars, two external roll bars, and a 430-horsepower, 6.2-liter GM LS3 E-Rod V8 mated to a Tremec TKO 600 5-speed manual transmission.
Brian Bolton is easy to spot in the Santa Ynez Valley. He’s the guy with the big smile and an impressive collection of classic and fast vintage cars. The latest addition to his fantastic fleet is this provenance-rich Aston Martin DB 4 Series 5 Vantage, chassis 1127L, 1962 Turin Motor Show car. Finished in Aegean Blue with a Connolly Fawn interior, it is one of only two shipped to Italy, and one of twenty in left-hand drive.
Lee and Julie Carr brought two special cars to CARS & COWBOYS 2025: a ’69 De Tomaso Mangusta and this sublime ’57 Lincoln Continental Mark II. Julie’s Mark II is finished in non-gangsta Beige. Some may recall that in the mid-1950s, members of the mob, celebrities, politicians, and CEOs were the only ones who could afford the $10,000 price, nearly twice that of a standard Lincoln or Cadillac. Owners back then included Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Nelson Rockefeller, Cecil B. DeMille, and the Chairman of the Board himself, Frank Sinatra.
Alexandra Geramia also brought two classics to CARS & COWBOYS 2025 – a stately ‘26 Rolls Royce Shooting Brake, and this prewar ‘35 Adler Trumpf Junior Sport Roadster. Frankfort-based Adler started as a bicycle and then motorcycle manufacturer. In 1932, H.G. Röhr designed the 1.5-litre, 29-horsepower Trumpf, which had advanced technical features like front-wheel-drive, all-around independent suspension, and rack-and-pinion steering. A 2.0-litre motor was available before the Trumpf production run ended in 1941.
I must confess that I walked by this ‘91 BMW ZI Roadster two or three times before I noticed it was the rare, short-lived, drop-door model. Also described as featuring downward retracting or vertically sliding doors, this rear-wheel-drive two-seater was never officially sold in the US. It was powered by a 2.5-liter inline-six engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission, sending torque to a “Z axle” multi-link rear suspension. Expect to pay between $45,000 to $65,000 for a well-maintained Z1.
About five years ago, vintage car collector and restorer Dana Newquist discovered the fuselage of a ‘48 Republic RC-3 Seabee amphibious seaplane in a junk yard. He knew immediately that he wanted to transform this treasure into his next custom automobile. These days, the Platypus Custom Coupe travels the California car show circuit, but the only original part of the Seabee is the door. All the body panels have been hand-formed in aluminum. Power comes from a period-correct ’48 Merc Flathead engine that sits behind the driver and is mated to a Ford C4 automatic transmission.
Business wiz Scott Kidd splits his time between wheeling and dealing in the Orange County real estate market and time behind the wheel of his all-original ’68 Porsche 911S up here in the Santa Ynez Valley, where he and his family live the good life. To Scott’s left is his friend Pete Thomsen, who is one of the Cars & Cowboys make it happen guys. Scott was up with the sun on show day, wrangling all the logistics for the show and the show cars. I asked if wearing flip-flops was the key to his indefatigable energy. He just smiled, handed me a show cap, and moved quickly back to making it happen.
If one needs proof that the cure for the blues is to Drive a Classic, they need only spend a few minutes with Peter and Kathy Halper. I grabbed this shot of the happy couple standing next to their timeless classic – the Friedrich Geiger-designed ‘71 Mercedes-Benz 280SL. Now you might be thinking they look extra happy – and that could be because they also brought their ‘65 Porsche 356 and ‘15 Porsche 991 GTS to CARS & COWBOYS 2025.
We are all looking forward to C&C 2026!
Story & Photos © Jim Palam, https://www.jimpalamphotos.com/
For more information about CARS & COWBOYS 2025, please visit https://carsandcowboys.com/
Monterey Car Week is an unapologetic showoff. Heck, its ‘week’ lasts 10 days! Its calendar crams in over 35 official events. MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2025 attendees – and there were over 100,000 of them – travel from all over the world to the Monterey Peninsula for the privilege of getting stuck in traffic jams and paying three to five times the going rate for hotel and motel rooms – just so they can wear event lanyards and wrist bands, wave auction paddles, and hobnob with movers, shakers and superstars of the automotive and motorsports worlds.
An alarm clock miscalculation brought me to Laguna Seca an hour before the required 8 AM safety meeting, so I headed into the paddock to see who might be there early to prep for the day’s racing. A mechanic in the IROC (International Race of Champions) tent had just pulled a tire on this famous ‘05 Pontiac Firebird, which over the years has been driven by Mark Martin, Sam Hornish Jr., Max Papis, and Hélio Castroneves. This RWD racecar is powered by a 500-horsepower, 350 GM V8, mated to a Jerico 4-speed manual transmission.
Right after the National Anthem finished playing, I rushed to a trackside position behind the K-rail at Laguna Seca – just yards away from this charging field of iconic Formula 1 racecars as they were finishing their formation lap and heading towards the green flag. The reunion was celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Formula 1. In the excitement, I fumbled my earplugs and dropped them out of reach. These mid-1960s to mid-1980 cars are known for their ear-splitting, high-pitched engine screams that were unfiltered by today’s modern technology. Note to Self: Always-always-always carry a spare set of earplugs!
Racing buddies Charles Nearburg and Gunnar Jeannette entered two beautiful Lancia D50s in the Group 9-Juan Fangio Cup Rolex Race at the Annual Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. Charles finished the 9-lap race in first place in his ’54 D50A car No. 30, and Gunnar finished right behind him in P2 in his ’55 D50 car No. 50. I grabbed this shot of Charles skillfully twisting down the infamous Corkscrew.
During my early Saturday morning exploration of the still-wet paddock at Laguna Seca, I discovered a 1917 Hispano-Suiza Boattail Racer in the Ragtime Racers display area. It was the only car at this early hour that was uncovered. This historic racecar features a 1917 Panhard chassis, a water-cooled 1918 Hispano-Suiza 8 aero engine, a 1920s Lorraine-Dietrich 4-speed transmission, and a dual-chain drive. This gem was found hidden in a barn in France and brought to America by its present owner, Kip Cyprus.
Back in 1998, the marketing gurus at Victoria’s Secret customized a white Lamborghini Diablo SV and featured it in a sexy two-page catalog spread. One of the clever things they did was invert the Diablo’s distinctive “SV” logo and splash large chrome VS decals along the sides of the car. The Diablo disappeared until Cannonball Runner and YouTuber Ed Bolian assembled a team to find the car and restore it back to its sexy glory. Not only was Ed’s VS Diablo one of the featured cars at the 2025 Concorso Italiano, it was also parked in my hotel’s parking lot!
So many of the MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2025 events are praiseworthy, but there’s still one that rouses dedicated fans out of their warm beds before sunrise. Dawn Patrollers line up along the entry road to the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links so they can be the first car enthusiasts to ogle and praise the show cars as they motor in to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. I captured this shot of Urban Outlaw Magnus Walker, his partner Hannah Elliot, and a business associate as they marched from the asphalt road to the manicured grass very early on Sunday morning, August 17th.
The sunrise provided perfect lighting for William “Chip” Connor’s impeccable ‘32 Invicta 4.5 Litre S Type Carbodies Tourer sitting in front of a wondrous Spanish Bay backdrop. This rare, low-slung, four-seat British tourer features coachwork by Carbodies, a powerful 4.5-liter Meadows straight-six engine, Rotax headlights, and a center spotlight. The S-Type was Invicta’s most famous model, competing at Brooklands, winning the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally, and capable of hitting speeds well over 100 mph. This car won Pebble’s Gran Tourismo Trophy.
Size matters. With my 24-70 mm lens on my Canon, I could not step back far enough on the already crowded show field at Pebble Beach to fit the entire 18-foot length of this stunning 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport-Astra Torpedo in the frame – and also include the two judges on the right. This impressive-in-every-way Best of Show winner was commissioned by aperitif heir, military pilot, and gentleman racer, André Dubonnet. The H6C is powered by an 8-liter overhead-cam engine and features stunning coachwork of riveted lightweight mahogany.
Racecar liveries have come a long way since a big number was painted on the side of a car using removable, water-based paint or even shoe polish. BMW brought its Le Mans M Hybrid V8 Art Car No. 20 to Pebble Beach, and it got more buzz about its Julie Mehretu artwork livery than it did about the car’s state-of-the-art racecar technology. Mehretu’s design features digitally altered photographs, which are superimposed in several layers of dot grids, neon-colored veils, and black markings. This car and its BMW hybrid running mate experienced technical issues back in June during the last two hours at Le Mans and did not finish.
Heading back to my car after a long day at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, I veered over to Concorso Ferrari, which is a central venue on the Pebble Beach Golf Links during the Concours. Here you could drool over billions of dollars’ worth of rare, collector, and new release Ferraris. This ‘24 Ferrari Daytona SP3 in blue quickly caught my eye – as it did with other Ferrari fans at the Concours. 599 SP3s were built, and those were only offered to Ferrari’s best customers – at a starting price of $2.2 million.
Close your eyes and imagine you’re a Venezuelan racecar driver, Mauricio Marcotuli. It’s March 15th, 1959, and you’re sitting in your custom-ordered, white, 12-cylinder 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rosa. You’re at the starting line at the La Trinidad Street Circuit outside of Caracas, Venezuela. When the race is over, you will be standing on the winner’s podium with a wreath hung around your neck. Now open your eyes. It’s August 14th, 2025. You’ve parked your TR in front of Goodings at Concours Village in Pebble Beach. You’ve just completed the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance. You haven’t aged a bit. Life is good!
There were lots of fabulous cars at Gooding Christie’s 2025 Pebble Beach Auctions. I had a chance to preview the cars a day ahead of the auction, and I’m excited to present some of my picks in this report. Having joined the Porsche ranks in 2020 with the purchase of a humble 914, I may have been a tad distracted by this eye-popping Porsche 911 RSR-17, which was sitting across the hall from the Big-Ticket Ferrari. It’s the first mid-engine 911 RSR Landmark Model representing the pinnacle of modern GT Racing. Specs: 503 horsepower DOHC Flat 6 engine, 6-speed transaxle, Heritage “Coca-Cola” livery. Sold for $2,260,000 – significantly under its $3.5 M estimate.
From August 15th to the 16th, Gooding Christie’s realized $128,783,810 in sales, with an 85% sell-through rate. Their top seller was LOT 26, a sublime ‘61 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione that sold for $23.3M. This was the highest non-charity sale for all of the MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2025 auctions! It was also the top sale in Gooding’s two-decade-long car auction history. The lightweight aluminum-bodied Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione is a rare, race-oriented version of the California Spider.
This is what classic automotive style looks like, Comin’at-ya’. The 1930s were known as the Art Deco and Streamlining Era. Boxy functional design was shifting to more elegant and aerodynamic forms. Compared to today’s technology-driven minimalist forms, the front of this ‘37 Lagonda LG45 Rapide is a masterpiece of stunning symmetry. Only 25 LG45 Rapides were built. Power is from a 4.5 Liter OHV Inline-6 engine mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox. The Gooding pre-auction estimated sale price was $700,000 – $900,000.
Back in the 1960s, there was a very vocal and often demonstrative competition between Ford and Chevy. As a showman, racecar driver, and car builder, Carroll Shelby’s star grew brighter and brighter. The Chevy boys at Bill Thomas Race Cars in Anaheim, CA, decided enough was enough. In 1963, they introduced the Cheetah GT Coupe, a lightweight, fiberglass-bodied, Chevy-powered sports car. Only two dozen “Cobra Killers” were built between 1963 and 1966. This documented, four-owner ’66 was lot 168 at the Gooding Pebble Beach Auction. It is powered by a Rochester Ramjet Fuel Injected 327 Chevy V8.
My first MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2025 destination on Friday, August 15th, was over to the Monterey Pines Golf Course, where Porsche Club of America had set up their sprawling PCA Werks Reunion 2025 across four manicured fairways. Over 12,000 enthusiasts attended to get up close to more than 700 original, restored, and customized Porsches. It was impossible to pick just one for this report, but Jorge Fuente’s ‘Harlekin’ 993 Tribute Car was impossible to ignore. Porsche built and painted the original for the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show. Jorge’s 911 GT tribute car was built by AP Car Design in Germany and vinyl-wrapped by 405 Motoring in Inglewood, CA.
Mecum Auctions Monterey 2025 was located on the Del Monte Golf Course, a mile or so from the Werks Reunion. So, Part Two of my Friday was spent exploring the staging areas at Mecum. As soon as I spotted the low-slung Monza Red ’93 Jaguar XJ220, I knew this unique supercar would be in my report. At the time of its introduction, the aerodynamic XJ220 was powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 542 horsepower, which helped make it the fastest production car in the world. Questionable changes in engine specs soon dethroned the XJ220. Designed by Keith Helfet, the XJ220 is approximately 5 meters long by 2 meters wide.
Not many of us like a tease, but this rare car tease was more than acceptable. The hard-working team at Mecum Auctions has been at it since 1988, and they know that dangling a tasty collector car carrot in front of a captive enthusiast audience – like MONTEREY CAR WEEK 2025 attendees – will get them some bites. So, this very rare ‘62 ‘Bianco Speciale’ Ferrari 250 GTO was unveiled this August at their Monterey 2025 Auction. Chassis No. 3729GT was the only 250 GTO to leave the Ferrari factory in white. It will be the featured car at Mecum’s Kissimmee Auction in January 2026.
Covering Monterey Car Week is an honor, but it can be demanding both physically and mentally. As my assignment was wrapping up, I made a final stop, this time at Arkadia-Life’s exhibit in Concours Village. I was hoping the folks there would let me chill out in their high-tech sofa chair that looks like the front end of a vintage Porsche. Some of its impressive features are seven E-Storage zones that are activated by a knock of your knuckle, a 13-speaker audio system, and adaptive ambient lighting. Everything is brought together using luxury-grade automotive craftsmanship with Swiss-watch-caliber assembly precision. By the way, you’ll need at least $20,000 to get started to get seated. Ahhh…
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is about a four-hour drive North from my home in Solvang, CA, and a world away from mundane tasks that make up my average days. It’s no surprise that we are sometimes called Adrenaline Junkies; our hearts beat faster, and our focus is sharper when we’re participating in enthusiast automotive activities.
It’s hard to miss Chip Ganassi Racing’s bright red and yellow DHL livery Car No.10 because its driver, Alex Palou, usually has this tuned-to-win IndyCar out front in the lead position. Here is Alex well ahead of the field during Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2. Palou and Team Ganassi dominated the Grand Prix, leading 84 of 95 laps to finish in P1 at the 2025 Java House Grand Prix of Monterey. His win in the Chip Ganassi Honda ratcheted him to 8 wins in 14 races this season, putting him in contention for one of the most dominant seasons in INDYCAR racing history.
My windshield wipers set the tempo for an early morning drive from my hotel to the South Boundary entry road at Laguna Seca. A daybreak mist is nothing unusual in Monterey, but soon it turned into a light rain, which not only dampened some spirits at the track but also delayed practice and qualifying sessions by more than two hours. To kill time, I headed back to pit row where I photographed Over-the-Wall crews of tire changers, fuelers, and jack operators – and Behind-the-Wall support teams of stop sign/front air hose/wing crews – as well as data acquisition and race engineers, race strategists, and spotters. Racing: It takes a village!
The rain delay gave me a little extra time to poke around the pit row garages. If you’re not a race team photographer, this is not encouraged and often banned, but it was early enough that a polite request at the Ed Carpenter Racing garage got me just beyond the rollup doors. And, I was able to quickly grab a few shots of their Java House-sponsored, Alexander Rossi-driven Car No. 20. ECR’s ownership group is comprised of four Indianapolis, IN, businessmen: Ed Carpenter, Ted Gelov, Tony George, and Stuart Reed. Gelov is the owner of Heartland Food Products Group, which owns consumer brands, Splenda and Java House Coffee.
Balance is Everything. In fact, it plays a critical role in the design and performance of all racecars. Once again, the rain delay provided an opportunity to document this shot of Team Penske’s No. 2 NTT INDYCAR’s front suspension. Meticulously designed and crafted upper and lower A-arms and inside-the-body suspension push rods would hopefully help No. 2’s driver, two-time NTT INDYCAR Series champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Josef Newgarden, steer his Penske car to a podium win. Out of the 26 cars finishing the GP, Newgarden finished 11th at the 2025 JAVA HOUSE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY.
HM Road Racing Development is a Porsche Motorsports specialty shop in Las Vegas, NV. Under the ownership and guidance of Henry Marshall, HM specializes in sports car endurance racing, while also offering driver development and coaching programs. I spotted two of HM’s racecars being prepped for the Porsche Sprint Challenge Races in a state-of-the-art paddock prep area. Henry drives HM Car No. 78, and from the look of things, it’s ready to charge into action.
Racing Toward Zero. Back in 2023, INDYCAR set ambitious sustainability initiatives and targets. By 2030, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES wants to become the most sustainable motorsport in North America by reducing race operations emissions by 50%, sourcing renewable electricity for all INDYCAR events, and implementing recycling and composting at every INDYCAR event. Today, INDYCAR racing utilizes a 100% renewable race fuel, a blend of second-generation ethanol and other renewable components, supplied by Shell. This fuel is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. All very impressive, but does the paddock pump attendant clean your windshield?
I grabbed this shot of the Droplight-sponsored RLL No. 45 IndyCar early Saturday morning as it was being towed by an electric Tugger into the pit lane to prepare for the NTT INDYCAR Series Practice #2. This car is driven by Louis Foster for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL). A heavy mist soon turned into a light drizzle, which was enough to delay events at the track for over two hours. You may notice that the No. 45’s nose cone is sitting considerably higher than it would be for the race, to prevent it from being damaged as the cars are moved around the uneven and sometimes damp surfaces of the paddock.
No Place for A Screw-up: 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series Rookie of the Year, Christian Lundgaard, holds a tight lead in his bright orange No. 7 Arrow McLaren down through the twisty Corkscrew at Laguna Seca Raceway, in Practice Race #1 on Friday, July 25th. NTT INDYCAR racecars weigh approximately 1,700 pounds, have a roof height around 40 inches, and get their 650-700 horsepower from twin-turbocharged hybrid V6 engines. Actual horsepower is dependent on the turbo boost pressure used during the race. Up to 150 additional horsepower is available via the hybrid unit.
Andretti Global Racing’s Car No. 28 is slightly airborne as it charges into the Corkscrew. Behind the wheel is Oslo, Norway-born Dennis Hauger, who made his American racing debut after joining AGR in 2025 and grabbing two impressive wins in the Indy NXT Series. Hauger had a mixed weekend at the 2025 JAVA HOUSE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY. He finished second in Race #1 on Saturday but unfortunately finished in 16th place in Race #2 on Sunday, after making contact with his AGR teammate, Lochie Hughes.
Louis Foster waves to the race fans assembled up by the infamous Corkscrew during a practice lap on Friday, July 25th. Foster, who won the INDY NXT by Firestone championship in 2024, made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut at the 2025 JAVA HOUSE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY. Driving as a rookie for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, he finished a disappointing 17th on Sunday, after struggling with balance and grip issues. Damp and repaved track surfaces were a challenge for all competitors throughout the weekend.
IndyCar driver Bryce Aron is on it hard coming out of Turn 3 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca during the 2025 JAVA HOUSE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY Indy NXT Race #1. Bryce is a native of Winnetka, IL. In 2025, he started driving Car No. 9 for Chip Ganassi Racing. His 2024 rookie INDY NXT season was with Andretti Global Racing and featured two podiums and three top-five finishes. He finished the 35-lap Race #1 in 10th position.
I arrived at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca at 11 AM on Friday and headed straight to the Media Center, where I checked in, got my safety vest, and then hustled over to the start/finish line, where I grabbed my first photo of the day. Whipping by me in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Practice #1 was Matt Dusek in his Charlie Hughes Racing-prepared Porsche GT3 Cup car. Its bright copper-orange livery was impossible to miss. CHR had 5 cars successfully competing over the 3 days of racing, and Dusek’s Car No. 251 had a podium P2 finish on Sunday in the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Pro-Am class. Way to go, gang!
Variety is the Spice of Life: Well, if anyone thought the 2025 JAVA HOUSE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY would be a mellow brew, they had a big surprise thanks to some bonus adrenaline-pumping competition showcased in the Radical Cup North America Series racing. This multiclass race series featured 30 Radical Car competitors, including high-horsepower SR10s in the Platinum class, and lower horsepower Pro 1500 and Pro 1350 cars. Radical Motorsports cars made their debut over 25 years ago as lightweight sportscars that utilized superbike and racecar technology. Based in Cambridgeshire, England, Radical Motorsport has produced over 3,000 cars, which are owned, driven, and raced all around the globe. I captured this shot of a radically jammed paddock lane before Radical Cup Qualifying on Friday.
A lot of senior motorsports fans have an unfounded fear that once their generation is gone, so will be fast cars and motorsports. Well, fear not, because programs like Path to the Pits are facilitating nationwide access to racing & career mentorship opportunities for young adults. PTTP works with local colleges, tech education programs, and industry partners like Firestone Racing to host young adults focused on STEM careers at exciting at-track and virtual events, plus career support and networking opportunities. Participants receive free admission, lunch, and exclusive access to the paddock, professional team members, and industry experts. We can all rest easy!
I grabbed this shot of Gordon McCall as he was studying his show notes on the awards presentation stage. Gordon oversees The Quail MotoFest and is the Director of Motorsports at Quail Lodge & Golf Club. In addition to 11 traditional classes, The Quail MotoFest 2025 featured three special classes: Italian Innovation by Bimota, Tribute to Yoshimura, and Celebrating 45 Years of the BMW GS. Organizers had hoped for a strong turnout this year, and while there was plenty of fun and activity within the designated show areas, and hundreds of bikes lined up on the entry road, my unofficial tally is a guesstimate of less than 300 bikes on the show field.
Texan Clyde Crouch’s infamous ‘37 Indian Arrow Bonneville Racer took The MotoFest’s Best of Show award. This fabled V-Twin was originally owned by Indian dealer and bike builder, Hap Alzina. For the 1938 competition season, Hap and his team built a lima-bean-shaped shell around the modified Indian – the back half partially visible in this photo – and, with rider Freddie Ludlow inside, went after Harley-Davidson’s standing American speed record at Bonneville. Things were looking good until aerodynamics severely wobbled the streamliner, Freddie lost control, and the Arrow slid on its side to an unsuccessful finish. Hap did not want to risk anyone else’s life just to set a record, so the ‘Liner was never used again to pursue speed records.
Changes at the Bimota motorcycle company have come as fast as some of its iconic race bikes. The company was founded in Rimini, Italy, in 1973 by Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri, and Massimo Tamburini. Their methodology was to build state-of-the-art frames around existing engines and components from manufacturers like Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Ducati. This black beauty is a modified DB8 Carbon Fiber Oronero. It’s powered by a liquid-cooled, four-stroke, 1198-cc, 90-degree Desmodromic V-Twin engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Bimota’s ownership and mission statements have changed over the years, with a 49% stake currently being held by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
One of the Bimota bikes in its circular display of Italian Innovation at THE QUAIL MotoFest 2025 was this double-take, ‘08 Bimota Tesi 3-D. I met proud owner Ross Mullins setting up the bike on a chilly Friday night before Saturday’s show. Bimota’s wide-eyed engineers love solving problems and pushing technical boundaries, as they did when they developed their innovative hub-center steering system – a unique design that eliminates traditional forks – and commands a lot of “What the…” comments from observers. Other Tesi 3-D features include radial-mounted brakes and a trellis-style swingarm. The bike is powered by a 1078-cc, 4-stroke V-2 engine, and yes, you are looking at the front of the bike!
This worn and weathered Honda CB72 may look unassuming, but it is the original 250cc “Hawk” that legendary motorcycle tuner Hideo “Pop” Yoshimura modified and brought to the Suzuka Circuit in 1964 for an 18-hour endurance race. Along with a couple of his racing buddies and their other entry, a 305cc CB77 “Super Hawk”, they bested the Honda factory team and helped launch serious motorcycle racing in Japan – and ultimately the Yoshimura RD global powerhouse. Pictured second from right is Pop’s son, Fujio. No. 18 was one of the legendary race bikes brought to THE QUAIL MotoFest 2025 for the Yoshimura Tribute.
If you own an R7 Yamaha and want to lap the competition on Track Days, you can look to Yoshimura RD to provide many of the competition parts you’ll need to be in P1 at the flag. One of the other bikes on display for the Yoshimura Tribute was this YZF-R7 Race Bike. It was developed by Yoshimura RD, piloted by Ari Henning at the 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship, and tested by Blake Davis. Among the Yoshimura parts available in the R7 race kit are an AT2 race series titanium exhaust, steel alloy billet camshafts, a racing airbox, suspension linkage, and an aluminum subframe. You will, however, have to provide your own neon Supergraphics!
One of the many aspects I like about this event is that you are going to be standing right next to some of the best examples of different style motorcycles – from cruisers and touring bikes to sport and adventure bikes. And then there are the racing bikes – classes that include Superbikes, Grand Prix, Motocross, Enduro, Speedway, and Flat Track – to name a few. This drool-worthy, blue-striped Harley-Davidson is a fast and fabulous Flat Tracker.
You know that wide-eyed look American Pickers’ star Mike Wolfe gets when he discovers a vintage American motorcycle in a barn? Yeah, that was my look when I discovered Phil and Wendy Schmidt’s all original, rusty and still running ‘12 Thor 5 on the manicured lawn. This sensational survivor is a single-cylinder, five-horsepower Model W that was sold by Brooklyn, NY, Thor dealer Ben Ruderman on July 27, 1912, for $225. Ben received $155 cash from the buyer, plus a ‘light motorcycle’ trade-in valued at $70!
While the jury is still out on whether an unrestored vintage motorcycle has more value and more appeal than a restored classic, there is no denying that this pampered and polished ‘30 Indian Four Cylinder 402 is a repeat offender head-turner! We can blame owner Mike Lynch of California for entering this beauty in the Antique – 1935 & Earlier Class at THE QUAIL MotoFest 2025. Haggerty has tracked the value of good condition 1927-1942 Indian Fours from approximately $45,000 to $220,000.
There’s a French expression that comes to mind whenever I’ve interacted with motorcycling celebrity, Paul d’Orléans: “Je ne sais quoi.” Translated, it means “I don’t know what.” It’s not that I don’t understand him; it’s more about a fascination with his undefinable charm and his vast knowledge of all things two-wheeled and motorized. Or, maybe it’s just the hypnotic appeal of his leopard skin jacket? I don’t know, I just can’t put my finger on it. But I do know he’s always upbeat, always at Quail motorcycle events, and always an ambassador for motorcycles and the people who build ’em, ride ’em, and love ’em. To explore Paul’s je ne sais quoi, check out – 
Quail Golf Club member Martin Beaulieu lives in Carmel, CA, and didn’t have to travel far to bring his custom bike to THE QUAIL MotoFest 2025. Special Delivery is a one-off ‘62 Panhead Harley-Davidson that was built in 2005 by Hank Young of Young Choppers and Hot Rods of Marietta, GA. Over the years, Young is known for incorporating vintage Ford design elements into his motorcycle designs. Special Delivery incorporates a hand-bent I-beam axle as the frame’s downtube, and a Model T’s front headlight and taillight.
My first bike was a Honda CB500 Four, so it’s just about impossible for me to ignore Honda’s early-1970s ‘Inline Fours’. This perfect ’73 Honda CB750 K3’s restoration was completed just days before The MotoFest by Doug Ventura of Crossroads Cycle in Crows Landing, CA. Delivery of the completed Candy Bacchus Olive Honda to its owner, Steve Benjamin, was made at THE QUAIL MotoFest 2025. I think Steve is still smiling from ear to ear!
The Art of the Motorcycle was an immensely popular exhibition held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1998. One of the 95 motorcycles featured in its catalog was a burgundy ‘40 Indian Sport Scout. A poster from that exhibition still hangs on my office wall. This museum-quality ‘40 Indian Sport Scout at The Quail MotoFest sports a three-speed side shifter, a 45 cubic-inch Flathead Twin, girder fork, two-into-one exhaust, two-piece rigid frame, and Rider floor boards. If you like it, you are no doubt an Art Lover!
The Salsbury Motor Glide Aero Scooter was brought to market in 1937. It was an immediate hit and became a nationwide fad. For $119.50, you could scoot along on your very own Johnson motor-powered Aero, riding in comfort on a large spring-cushion seat and balloon tires to speeds up to 30 mph! Print ads of the day promised comfort, thrills, and economy, stating that you could “Ride five miles a day with a weekly fuel cost of about ten cents.” This Jade Green Aero was on display in front of the Bonhams tent.
As I wrapped things up at THE QUAIL MotoFest 2025 and turned onto Valley Greens Drive – the entrance and exit road for the event – I quickly realized I missed the “The Other Bike Show”. There were easily another 200-plus cool machines lining this scenic Carmel Valley drive. I asked my ‘digital assistant’ how many registered motorcycles there are in the United States and quickly got this response: “In 2025, there are roughly 8.8 million.” I smiled and replied, “Well, Ride On!”