The London Cobra Show

As Cobra shows go, probably none has generated more Internet buzz than the London Cobra Show. A few years ago a group of Cobra owners got together and decided to put on an event that was also connected to raising money for a charity. The show became well-known, well-attended, and successful at raising the much-needed funds, but last year the organizers were split on how to run the event. So two groups squared off, each putting their own event on the same weekend as the other, and only 150 miles apart.

Some decided to attend the new event, while others stayed with the original location in London, Ohio. The town, a pure slice of Americana with its tree-lined streets and huge downtown 19th-century courthouse, has always rolled out the red carpet for the car owners in the past, and this year was no exception. Closing off main thoroughfares just so Cobra owners could do burnouts and race down the streets at speeds up to 100 mph isn't something that happens everywhere. But that's what the relationship is like between the event and the city--everybody likes each other.

The London event is actually split into a handful of smaller events, from cruises to burnouts, from restaurant gatherings to a poker run. An added exhibition included closing off a piece of a huge parking lot for an SCCA-style autocross course. The two-day (Friday/Saturday) happening began in Columbus, Ohio, right outside the host hotels, with a choice of things to do. Drivers could choose between two different cruises: one a poker run, and the other to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which allowed attendees to view some of the restoration projects.

The poker course ran through the Ohio countryside, stopping at places of interest as well as for breakfast and lunch. KIT CAR editor Eric Geisert decided to attend the poker run, leaving the museum trip for next year. Co-pilot in Jay Jennings' FFR (a 5-year-old project with 25,000 miles on it), we wound through two-lane backroads on the way to an Amish restaurant for a very good breakfast and the first card of the poker hand. Some of the cars on the way experienced nuts backing off their exhaust systems while Dave Heiden's car (you'll be hearing more about him and his car later) threw his belt inside the first hour (but found it and reinstalled it).

Back on the road after breakfast, the group only slowed down for railroad tracks and stop signs. Early Friday morning is some of the best time to wind up a car's tachometer, and the Ohio backroads are just the place to do it! The directions led us back into the city and to our next stop: Jeg's Performance Warehouse (which Jay Jennings described as "one helluva candy store"). Maybe Dave Heiden's car sensed the store's proximity, because less than a mile from the shop his fuel pump went south. He picked up a new one at Jeg's and we were on our way again.

At this time editor Geisert swapped into Rob Frink's Cobra for the ride to the Bogey Inn for lunch and some shade (the temp had climbed to 96 degrees by late morning). Some bad news was reported on the way into the restaurant as a "civilian" had backed into one of the Cobras already at the parking lot. Brats and burgers were on the menu, as were much-needed cold drinks. Back on the road, the directions took us past the Alum Reservoir and, just when the heat was really beginning to take a toll, we pulled in to an ice cream parlor for another poker card. Besides trying to better your poker hand, you could also try such luxuries as black-raspberry-chip ice cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone.

A quick 15-minute run after ice cream got us to the last stop (and final poker card) at the Quaker Steak & Lube, which looks like a Quaker State service station but is really an auto and motorcycle-themed restaurant (a replica building with replicas parked outside!). Most folks bellied up to the bar to get rehydrated while others took to the tables and umbrellas outside to view the cars as they trickled in from the various runs; by 6:00 p.m. there were about 65 cars in attendance.

At night, the hotel parking lots were the hip gathering spots, as many took advantage of the cooler night air to set up chairs and kick tires. An occasional burnout (damn those kids!) broke the otherwise quiet evening, up until the local police van stopped by to check out the cars for more than an hour!

At 9:00 Saturday morning the faithful had gathered for a police-escorted 30-mile cruise into nearby London. Downtown, cones had been set up to direct "regular" traffic away and channel the long line of Cobras into a special parking area. Snaking their way down High Street and onto Main, the cars rolled up and parked four-abreast on the city street. Next to the Cobra parking, kit and replicar manufacturers set up their displays, including Shell Valley, Hurricane, Superformance, Factory Five Racing, and Highland Racing. Four of the five companies also had their own version of a Daytona coupe--one of the few places where you could one-stop-shop and compare the features of each in one place.

Across the street from the manufacturers, the city had organized a street fair, and small girls were being prepped by their parents to become the next Miss Strawberry Festival. Most of the locals seemed to enjoy the cars, loud motors, and squealing tires (the same reasons, as it turns out, we all like them, too!). Many of the town's residents wandered over to the car show; one young boy who'd seen a black roadster with yellow stripes exclaimed "Herbie!"With this event being a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis, car owners were giving rides to those who would donate money to the CF cause. Most had never even seen a Cobra replica in person, let alone gotten a ride in one, so it was quite thrilling for them to take a pass down Main Street at 90 mph! Police had set up a radar gun about a quarter-mile down the street to accurately report just how fast the cars zipped by. The top speed looked to be a 514-equipped Superformance roadster that hit 104 mph.

Nearly every car in attendance was a Cobra roadster clone, but a few others, such as a rare Factory Five Spyder and a few Daytona coupes, also participated. Only one GT40 was there--owned by Hershel Byrd. Byrd, a representative of Roaring '40s (and maker of his particular GT40), drove in from his home in Arizona to the event (the third such trip he's made). By the time he would get back, 6,000 would be racked up on his odometer (a testament to the car's reliability).

The day wrapped up later that evening with a tribute under a big tent to two men, both named Bob Johnson. The first Bob Johnson is credited with having the first privately owned 289 Cobra racecar--a vehicle he campaigned to great lengths back in the '60s. The second Bob Johnson is another racer of acclaim (having raced Lemans at 212 mph, but reaching 226 mph in a Chaparral), who said some of his finest memories were racing against the other Johnson. Event organizers paid tribute to the first Bob Johnson with a video presentation of his vast racing career. From the years with the 289 Cobra, to LeMans, the Daytona Coupe, 2D and 6D Chaparrals, and Corvettes--it's hard to imagine one person can cram so much racing heritage into one man--but that's what separates the poseurs from the real deal that is Bob Johnson. The video montage showed still photos broken up into specific eras. It's amazing that once you got into the first 50 or 60 images, you'd then enter 1966 and another set of incredible photos portraying racing history would roll by. Bill Dyer commented, "Wish we were there," a sentiment felt by everyone there. The evening finished off with video comments about Johnson from Peter Brock, Bob Bondurant, and Dan Gurney, with Gurney stating he "was proud to be his teammate" while racing against the Ferraris at Sebring with Bob. Even after having survived a stroke, the sharp and funny Johnson kept the crowd entertained with stories of meeting Shelby for the first time and his racing career, capping it off with the comment, "No one had more fun in a Cobra than me." And judging by the presentation given that evening, no one would be able to argue the fact.

The second day started with "Big Daddy" Jay Nordstrom taking drivers on a walking tour of the autocross course--not that anyone remembered, as drivers decided to choose their own course using the cones only as vague reference points. Many did manage to cruise the course in quick times, rolling their rides through chicanes and wide turns, but Dean Rosen from Dynamic Motorsports rocketed through the course in his Noble in 22 seconds, about the same amount of time the Factory Five Spec driver (used to racing conditions) completed the course. The FFR driver, in his last run just before lunch, was working toward making a 20-second run when he blew through the finish thinking there was more course left and put his roadster backward and up a curb.

A few other participants were accused of trying to kill cones, so Nordstrom took a second walk with them over the course (Jay was given his timing slip for the walk: 8 minutes, 29 seconds) so they might remember their lefts from rights. But whether it was a fast or slow run, everyone had a great time putting their rides through their paces. Most finished the course in the 27- to 28-second range, while the better drivers got it done in 26 seconds. At the end of the day, at the giveaway/raffle car (monies raised from the sale of raffle tickets went to cystic fibrosis), a Classic Roadsters Cobra was presented to Gary and Debbie Egert of Dixon, Illinois. Besides having just won a Cobra, the pair was also celebrating their wedding anniversary. (See? It does pay to go to these events on your wedding anniversary!) Work has already begun on the 2006 giveaway/raffle car: a Shell Valley roadster with a stroked Keith Craft 427 FE under the hood. And if that isn't enough, if you live within 500 miles of Columbus, Ohio, Rich Lacy of Rich's Classic Transport will deliver the car to your home for free! You can keep up on the build of the car on the www.ohiocobraclub.com Web site.

So this year the owners of more than 100 cars crowded into London, rolled down the highway, raced through the parking lot, and generally had a great time with their cars while raising almost $5,000 for cystic fibrosis. You can't ask for much more than that from a car show--the memories alone are priceless. The Ohio Cobra Club hosts the all-volunteer event, and they'll be doing it again next year (with the sights set even higher). So check out www.londoncobrashow.com on the Net, and plan on attending in 2006!