California Healey Week 2001
By Rick Snover

I arrived late Thursday night for my first California Healey Week, at the Rio Bravo Resort in Bakersfield. Driving up in the evening I missed most of the dayís horrendous heat in the Valley, but the resortís lounge had closed by the time I got there, so I didnít see anybody until breakfast Friday morning. I did see a whole bunch of Healeys in the parking lot, though.

Click for larger imageAfter breakfast Friday we all milled about smartly preparing for the drive up the Kern River Canyon to Kernville. I was about to jump into my air conditioned Mustang for the drive when I was offered a ride in Bob Baronís Healey. It was already hot out, but I couldnít pass up the opportunity. It was a beautiful drive, with about a dozen Healeys winding their way up the canyon.

After a short stop in Kernville for refreshments, some of us continued on around Lake Isabella [see cover], while the rest returned down the canyon. Back at the resort, we relaxed and enjoyed some ìBlue One Seven Aleî (my first attempt at home brewing) until it was time to head into town for an excellent dinner Benjiiís Basque Restaurant.

Saturday dawned bright and slightly cooler, and everybody was busy primping their cars for the car show. Before the show everybody brought their car past the resortís entryway to have their pictures taken, and I took the opportunity to snap shots of all the AHCSD members:

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Brian & Kathy Mix
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Ron & Sandy Davies
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Ralph & Ann Comito
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Jim Albeck
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Roland Wilhelmy
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Kirk Kvam, w/ buddy Paul Turner
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Warren Voth
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Ron Rader & Debi Nichols
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Ken & Jeanne Deringer
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Once the shutters stopped clicking,  it was time for the Car show. I guess there were 25-30 cars in all, but still no Sprites! I kept kicking myself for not trucking mine up. I coulda been a contender!
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The Nasty Boys
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After the Car Show and lunch, Ron Phillips staged a ìHealey Fealeyî game in the resort restaurant, where various Healey parts and tools were sewn into in red shop towels and players tried to guess what they were. Given my non-existent familiarity with the fiddly bits of a Healey, I didnít stick around (besides, I felt a nap coming on), but I guess it was quite a hoot. The winners, announced at dinner that night, were:
1st Place Jim Albeck 24.5 points out of 40
2nd Place Don Fisher 24 points
3rd Place Ken Deringer 22.5 points
Consolation Warren Voth (no score announced)
Click for larger imageSaturday night brought the Awards Dinner, where I think the most excitement was generated by the auction of the quilt Jan Schmidt donated, made from logos cut from past California Healey Week tee shirts.

The Long Distance, Hard Luck, and Car Show awards were then presented, with AHCSD members sweeping the first two and taking half of the Car Show awards, including a sweep of the Modified class, plus Best Of Show!

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Warren Voth receives the Long Distance Award from AHASC President Ralph Comito
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Ken Deringer receives the Hard Luck award (oil-clogged air filter sponges, only diagnosed after several hours of several folks trying everything else to get his Healey to start)
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Modified (Nasty Boy) Winners: Ron & Sandy Davies, Ralph & Ann Comito, and Kirk Kvam
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Hundred winners: Gil & Jeanette Daab, Brian Mix, and Ron & LaRae Phillips
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3000 Convertible Winners: Bob & Gloria Baron, Ron Rader & Debi Nichols, and Mike & Lida Grant
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Best Of  Show: Ron Davies
All The Award Winners
Long Distance: Warren Voth
Hard Luck: Ken Deringer
Hundred: 1st:  Gil & Jeanette Daab
2nd:  Brian & Kathy Mix
3rd:  Ron & LaRae Phillips
Hundred-Six: 1st:  Ken & Jeanne Deringer
3000 Roadster: 1st:  Pete & Beth Swift
2nd:  Peter Cowper
3000 Convertible:  1st:  Bob & Gloria Baron
2nd:  Ron Rader & Debi Nichols
3rd:  Michael & Lida Grant
Modified: 1st:  Ralph & Ann Comito
2nd:  Kirk Kvam
Sprite: (none entered)
Open: (none entered)
Best Of Show: Ron & Sandy Davies
The final event of the ìweekî was Sunday morningís breakfast and raffle. The breakfast buffet really helped dull my hangover (I wish I wasnít quite so fond of Scotch!) and our table really cleaned-up in the raffle. Mike Williams won a few prizes, including a Victoriaís Secret gift certificate, Brian & Kathy Mix won several, and I even won some wine. The big winner was Warren Voth though, taking the Grand Prize: a free pass for next yearís CHW at the Royal Scandinavian Inn in Solvang.

All in all, it was a great weekend. I got to meet some new folks (including Mike Grant, Moss Motorsí Healey guy), share my homebrew with an appreciative audience (including Carroll Goldsworth, whose Brewers Resource was the source of my equipment and ingredients), see some great Healeys, and even ride in one.

My drive home was uneventful, which was just fine by me, given my condition. Other folks seem to have had a much more fun and adventurous return trip. [See Kurt Mayís story, ìBound By The Marqueî.]

Next year, Iíll be driving my own Healey to Solvang, so maybe I can have an ìadventureî, too.