The 2006 Western States Cobra Bash - Bigger Bash Than Last Year

The 2006 Western States Cobra Bash was one of the largest gatherings of replica Cobras (and a few authentic Cobras), Daytona Coupes, and GT40s ever assembled. The Cobra Bash focused around replicas, re-creations, and tributes to these legendary Ford supercars and the people who enjoy and drive them.

The best person to explain the history and inception of the WSCB is its creator, Duane Cooney. Since 1998, he has been a senior member of the online forum www.ClubCobra.com. Duane once posted the following question and recounted what happened next:"'What do you guys think about a Western States Cobra Bash?' The name sort of rolled off the tongue that day, and it stuck, as there were many replies expressing interest. We were off with a bang and ideas were spinning. We then had to figure out how to make this event actually happen, so we conducted an online vote about possible central U.S. West locations. Once again, we relied on the Internet and people to make a collaborative decision by the interested parties early on. From eight possible city selections, our first event was held in Reno.

"With a tad more fine-tuning, we moved to Sparks, Nevada, after outgrowing our location the first year. The biggest challenge to overcome was figuring out what the heck we were all going to do once we got together. From considerable online discussion and planning, WSCB quickly evolved into a three-day gathering over the last two years, with a track day for novices, a 100-mile scenic drive into Squaw Valley and back, and a cool public car show in the local town square. An outcome of popular demand by event participants, we added a host of specialty vendors the second year to bring them in on the fun, too.

"What I think we have all discovered is that WSCB is about people first and getting together. The early adopters on ClubCobra.com, FFCobra.com, and GT40s.com who supported the Western States Cobra Bash from the get-go are the ones I have to thank most for helping to make this a reality. These cars are the icing on the cake. Two hundred-plus Cobras, Daytona Coupes, and GT40s in one place is really something to see, hear, and experience. I am working on year three for WSCB 2007, with a few more helpers volunteering this time around. As an animal lover, if and when we can make WSCB profitable, my next hope is to eventually turn this into a charitable donation program for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals."

The Cobra Bash kicked off with a track day at Reno-Fernley Raceway in Nevada. The morning started off with a drivers' meeting explaining the track rules. Drivers were split into groups depending on skill level, either novice or intermediate. The Reno-Fernley Raceway staff did an outstanding job working with folks and keeping everyone safe. For many Cobra Bash attendees, this was their first experience driving their car on a racetrack. Smiles in the paddock ran a mile wide; folks were talking nonstop about the heart-pounding, exhilarating adrenaline rush they had just experienced on the racetrack.

After the track event, everyone returned to the official Western States Cobra Bash Hotel, John Ascuaga's Nugget, cleaned up, and had dinner. Participants were then encouraged to attend a social gathering in the Sun Terrace room. At the gathering, Duane Cooney served as the emcee, but there were a couple of surprise special guest speakers-Dick Smith and Peter Brock. Talk about a couple of motorsports icons from back in the day! They both recounted stories of their experiences with Cobras, Daytonas, and GT40s. It was a most enjoyable evening. After their speeches, they were on hand to talk one on one and sign autographs.

Saturday morning, we took an hour to photograph all but perhaps 15 of the participants' cars in the host hotel's parking lot. The WSCB photo team took hundreds of photos while all the wonderful exotic cars and their proud owners posed. The three cars in the very front are real. On the left (see lead photo) is a 1963 Lotus 19B driven by Dan Gurney back in the '60s. This Lotus is the only V-8 289ci Cobra-powered Lotus ever built. A real '64 USRRC-series 289ci competition Cobra #52 is on the right. This Cobra was professionally raced in USRRC races four times, winning every time. Gordon Gimble owns both the Lotus (left) and the '64 USRRC 289ci Cobra. The cars are regularly run at open track events and other venues, such as the Monterey Historics. In the center front is Tom Halls' blue '65 289ci Cobra. Tom is the second owner of this car. The lucky guy has owned it since '70.

Once the WSCB photographers had snapped all their photos, it was time for the 100-mile drive. Imagine 130 Cobras, Daytonas, and GT40s roaring onto the freeway-what a sight and sound to behold! The drive took participants south down Highway 395 out of Reno and up over Mount Rose (there was snow on the ground at the summit, but the road was clear and dry). We enjoyed absolutely gorgeous scenery with sunny skies. Dropping down off Mount Rose and coming down into North Shore Lake Tahoe was stunningly beautiful. We proceeded to wrap around North Shore Tahoe through Kings Beach, then headed for Squaw Valley Ski Resort. Once at Squaw Valley, there was no set agenda. People could go shopping, have lunch, or hang out with the cars, talk, and make new friends. Squaw Valley made for a gorgeous backdrop, with steep snow-covered mountains in every direction. Squaw Valley was a great spot for photos, too; cameras were clicking everywhere. After a few hours, participants headed back to Reno to get ready for the Saturday evening show 'n' shine in Victorian Square in front of John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort.

At 5 p.m. sharp, the WSCB official show 'n' shine began as participants parked their cars around Victorian Square. This was not a judged car show, simply a place for participants to display their cars, socialize, and have a good time. It was the perfect opportunity to check out all the different replicas. Some cars were remarkably close to the originals and were purposely built that way. Others kept an original theme but added their own twists. Some highly modified vehicles offered a stark contrast. Many different kit car manufacturers' products were also represented, including Superformance, ERA, Backdraft Racing, Shell Valley, Factory Five Racing, Kirkham Motorsports, Cutting Edge, R.U.C.C, J.C.F., LA Exotics, Loan Star, JBL, NAF, Pacific Roadster, Bennett, Heritage, SMC, Emerson, Auto Speed, Aurora, Classic Roadsters, Everett-Morrison, Shelby, Unique Motor Cars, Hiteck, West Coast Cobra, MidStates Cobra, Arntz, Butler, CAV-GT40, and GTD-GT40, to name but a few.

The culminating activity was a final gathering in one of the Nugget Hotel's convention rooms. Here, the WSCB photo team projected some of the digital photos taken during the event. Duane and crew gave out some appreciation awards and roasted a few people in good fun. Drinks and dessert were served. All had a good time.

If you would like more information on the upcoming 2007 Western States Cobra Bash, log onto the WSCB Web site at www.WesternStatesCobraBash.com, or search for the Western States Cobra Bash forum on www.clubcobra.com. We hope to see you in '07!See expanded coverage on www.kitcarmag.com.