Gentlemen,
Long before we left for Le Mans this year, I dreamed of acquiring one very special piece of Ford GT history. I did not expect to pull it off, but I was certainly going to try. I wanted one of the sparkplugs out of a Matech Ford GT that was used in the car during the actual 24 Hours of Le Mans. I was jubilant when the team was kind enough to send me all 8 sparkplugs out of both Matech GT's (16 total), #60 & #61, each individually packaged with information on which car the plug came from and which cylinder it was firing during the race. In addition, the team carefully removed all 6 sponsor name badges, (one was inside the cockpit and two were on the outside of each car), and presented them to me as well. Each of them was labeled with the car it came off of and its position on the car.
One of the name badges and both of the #3 sparkplugs will remain with me until the day I die. All the rest will be presented to other Forum members for exceptionally meritus service to our fraternity.
I designed and had built 3 "Thanks of the Forum" awards that were presented at Rally V. In addition, three other individuals were honored with different awards. So for for the benefit of those members not in attendance, here's who they went to.
In addition to the three awards whose information is displayed and pictured below, Francesca Bannister received a special bracelet for her tireless and underappreciated efforts on behalf of all of us during the Rallies, Martin Bartek is being shipped a special award for accomplishing something thought impossible, taking the modern Ford GT back to Le Mans and bringing Ford GT owners worldwide into that amazing experience, and Steven Nesta is being shipped a similar award for the extraordinary hospitality he extended to our members attending the race, and making us feel like family.
The information printed on the 3 "Thanks of the Forum" awards handed out at the Rally and pictured below is self-explanatory. I hope the recipients enjoy them and the pieces of Ford GT Le Mans race history they contain.
All the best.
Chip
Long before we left for Le Mans this year, I dreamed of acquiring one very special piece of Ford GT history. I did not expect to pull it off, but I was certainly going to try. I wanted one of the sparkplugs out of a Matech Ford GT that was used in the car during the actual 24 Hours of Le Mans. I was jubilant when the team was kind enough to send me all 8 sparkplugs out of both Matech GT's (16 total), #60 & #61, each individually packaged with information on which car the plug came from and which cylinder it was firing during the race. In addition, the team carefully removed all 6 sponsor name badges, (one was inside the cockpit and two were on the outside of each car), and presented them to me as well. Each of them was labeled with the car it came off of and its position on the car.
One of the name badges and both of the #3 sparkplugs will remain with me until the day I die. All the rest will be presented to other Forum members for exceptionally meritus service to our fraternity.
I designed and had built 3 "Thanks of the Forum" awards that were presented at Rally V. In addition, three other individuals were honored with different awards. So for for the benefit of those members not in attendance, here's who they went to.
In addition to the three awards whose information is displayed and pictured below, Francesca Bannister received a special bracelet for her tireless and underappreciated efforts on behalf of all of us during the Rallies, Martin Bartek is being shipped a special award for accomplishing something thought impossible, taking the modern Ford GT back to Le Mans and bringing Ford GT owners worldwide into that amazing experience, and Steven Nesta is being shipped a similar award for the extraordinary hospitality he extended to our members attending the race, and making us feel like family.
The information printed on the 3 "Thanks of the Forum" awards handed out at the Rally and pictured below is self-explanatory. I hope the recipients enjoy them and the pieces of Ford GT Le Mans race history they contain.
All the best.
Chip
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