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1984 LeMans: A Racer and A Jaguar

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These Bikini Babes wern't the only attraction at the '84 Le Mans, Jaguar had their own sexy models to show off too! The Retro Racing Apparel was also sizzling.
Tony 'a2z' Adamowicz got his start in racing back in '66, thanks to a racer called Bob Tellius. Over 20 years later, Tony a2z would drive a Jaguar XJR5 for Bob in the '84 24 Hours LeMans.

The XJR5 was a georgeous race car capable of hitting 222 miles per hour with its 6 litre V12, non-turbo, non-supercharged engine. Jaguar was returning to Le Mans after a 20-year hiatus in style... as usual. A real racefan pleaser, this gem was heavier than the Group-C cars.

Co-drivers were John Watson, Formula One driver for McLaren; and Claude Bella Lena, a successful French driver.

They qualified 19th of 53 cars, and had worked up to eighth place by about 6 am. By that time, all three team cars were reporting gearbox shifting problems. After a pit stop & fresh tires, I took my turn in the car. Tony a2z had fresh tires, so proceeded to warm them up and break them in. As he entered the fast right-hand turn before the Mulsanne straight, the car suddenly started to understeer badly and crashed into the barrier.



The car was bruised and beaten. He noticed the oil pressure was low and figured some damage had happened to the oil system. He radioed in, but he couldn't get through. After he gingerly brought the XJR5 to the crew, they informed him that the engine was fine but the oil system had been damaged, but it could be fixed. Even so, the Jaguar officials thought the car should be put on ice, so as to not risk the V12 failing in the public eye.

Later, Goodyear would examine the rubber and claim that it was their tire that caused the accident. The tire was losing air, which caused the XJR5 to slam into the wall. This information was only shared with Jaguar heads and the pit-crew. Understeer occurs when traction is lost at the front wheels while cornering, forcing you wide on a bend despite applying the correct steering angle.

Eventually, all Jaguars were stabled due to a lack of preparation for such a long race. A bit oblivious to the demands of an endurance race, or its definition, no filters were set up in the Hewland gearboxes. So, debris from the box's innards and strenuous driving resulted in the inability to shift. The bearings wore out and the gears got rounded off. As a poor consolation, #40 would've received the same fate. The Jaguar top brass were fine with the determination; as long as the engine did'nt fail. The Group-C Lancia's suffered the same fate. Since Porsche had been doing this type of racing for quite a while, they won the contest. Possibly more on experience than raw speed. But, lets not call this a Tortoise and the Hare story... Porsche might not like that much.
Now, Tony offers the masses of race car buffs the chance to re-live motor sports history through his retro apparel company, a2z Racer Gear a2zracergear whichhas become known for its line-up of first-class vintage racing apparel.
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a2z was called in by a2z Racer Gear to help design the custom Ford shoes.I've some shoes I put on fo

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I have been very impressed with my Suede Mustang Driving Shoes, which I put through some wear and tear tests throughout the last month or two.
Well, it helps when you're a driving instructor for a performance driving school and asked to test performance products as well.
The shoe style was supervised and approved by International Generating Champion, Tony Adamowicz.Now, the Suede Mustang Shoes I have are great for Performance Driving (I've even taken them out on the track) but I wanted to see how they stacked up against a pair of regular walking shoes and competition driving shoes. I love the way the shoes look and they do garner attention when I'm at the track or at the Peterson Museum. The Black Rubber heel and the tire-tread sole with double white stripes, oh, and the little Mustang logo on the heel... with so much detail in the looks, its hard to believe that the shoe actually wears well, too. Now, I've been around the sun more times than I'd like to admit, but I never knew that fashion could be all about the shoes. I mean, I got questions and comments on these Suede Mustang Shoes whether I was wearing casual clothing or other racing apparel, like my Shelby Cobra Stadium Jacket. Taking a closer look didn't help any. It only made them want a pair themselves. The shoes come with a leather sole that takes on the shape of your foot as you wear them. They really do become your shoes. If you've ever walked for a while in driving shoes, you're probably aware that they're not too comfortable for that. You might even keep another pair of shoes in the trunk, just for walking. These Suede Mustang Shoes won't be any trouble, like that. I walk in mine everywhere. The sole in these lets me feel the pedal as well as the sidewalk, for as long as I want. The Suede Mustang Driving Shoes have it all, style, comfort and a long life. Because of the soft leather inside, the tongue and heel are not only comfortable, but long-lasting, as well. I looked at the tight, even stitching as well as the glue areas. No glue was visible on the shoe, as well as no peeling betwen the outer sole and the uppers. The molded heel section holds your heel firm, so you're not wobbling on the pedals or tera firma.

On the bottom of the shoe, there is a tire-tread design with two stripes. I thought that the design was just for looks, however, it provided an excellent skid resistant experience while driving and walking. Though, I wouldn't suggest playing basketball with them. For the test period, there was very little wear. They're suede leather, but cleaned up nicely with a brush and cloth with a bit of moisture. for two months I wore the Suede Mustang Driving Shoes for three days a week, all day. Take a look at a2z Racer Gear for more styles and designs. They have quite a selection.

a2z's most impressionable race

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Asking Tony a2z what his treasured race was, usually results in the exact same answer: The January 30-31, '70 24 Hours of Daytona.   That is where he got the idea for comfortable driving shoes.

Adamowicz's route to that '70 race started with an SCCA driving school at the former Marlboro race course in Maryland. Over the next several years, Adamowicz fine-tuned his regional race triumphs straight into a prospect to race with Bob Tullius Group 44 team in 1966. Adamowicz would immediately make his mark and make history at the exact same time, sharing the over Two. liter class win with Tullius in a Dodge Dart in the very initial Trans-Am race ever held at Sebring. Adamowicz says That was a huge break. It marked a massive chance for him being a young racer. When tony 'a2z' adamowicz had an idea of Trans-Am racing, tony 'a2z' adamowicz believed, that he was heading somewhere. Tony a-z Adamowicz Said that SCCA national race is excellent, however it wasn't really heading anywhere for him.

That Year, Tony a-z Adamowicz & Tullis would set milestones by winning the Trans-Am and the 12hr Marlboro, winning 1st place and becomming the first to win in a U.S. car. The bad news was Chrysler wasn't committed to Trans-Am racing and Tullius wouldn't otherwise find the funding essential to return to the series, leaving a2z stranded. "Then I received this call from Marvin Davidson," states Adamowicz. A Wall Street investment banker, Davidson met Tony at many East Coast races and felt tony 'a2z' adamowicz would be a excellent fit for the Trans-Am effort tony 'a2z' adamowicz was organizing. Marvin asked Adamowicz for his opinion on running Alfa Romeros. Do you want to win? asked Adamowicz, go with Porsche. Tony dominated the sub-2 litre class in Trans Am in a little orange Porsche 911, taking home six trophys in all.

Marvin wanted to capitalize on Tony's success in Trans-Am and go the team on the following level. "I could see that Formula 5000 was also heading into the big time," states Adamowicz, who believed the open wheel series was the next logical step. "If you could survive and do well in one of these types of cars, folks would look at you and see that you had some potential. I knew that it could lead into an Indy ride," Tony 'a2z' Adamowicz adds. Clearly, Adamowicz was underestimating the significant difference between a 2 liter 911 and a 5 liter open-wheel Eagle.

For Tony, taking on the much hartier 5-liters, with its engine mounted in a tiny frame fancily named the Eagle mkV, was a wake up call. So, Marvin brought in Carroll Smith to help and lead the team.
The team overcame early season failures to get two races and take the title by a single point and, as a result, tony 'a2z' adamowicz was able to win the 1969 championship. Without Smith, Tony would never have won the championship in 1969.

With back-to-back championships in two diverse series under his belt, the future seemed bright for Tony a2z, but racing can occasionally be an unsteady home of cards. Even though a2z had 2 wins and everything was going his way, Marvin decided to get out of racing in '70. Since Davidson made the decision to not continue to sponsor a race team, tony 'a2z' adamowicz leveraged a relationship he had with Ferraris Luigi Chinetti to help Adamowicz in getting a ride for that 1970 Daytona 24 Hour. "Marvin Davidson bought some Ferraris and tony 'a2z' adamowicz talked to Chinetti, who Chinetti thought it would be excellent to have a champion behind the wheel at Daytona," explains Adamowicz.

The chance would be substantial for Adamowicz on numerous levels. "Here I was I'd been a Ferrari fan all my life, since I was seven years old, and now I'm in a vehicle that was a world endurance vehicle capable of winning the race, but the Daytona effort was also my intro into world endurance racing." to Tony a2z, the amazing Ferrari 312P (for 'Prototype') was like a F1 car with a body on it. You could rev it to 10k rpms and it wouldn't complain. The sound was magnificent. The braking, handling, everything was excellent.

Veteran Porsche and Ferrari racer David Piper was on the team. a2z was very happy to be paired up with him. Sam Pose and Michael Parkes used a bubble top on their 312P because of their height.

As the endurance event progressed, both 312Ps were operating perfectly right up until the vehicle driven by Parkes hit the wall. While Parkes pulled in to have the damaged radiator replaced, the Adamowicz/Piper vehicle took a considerable lead. "I was thinking this was too easy, when suddenly the race became an unbelievable chain of events, a2z says.

The road started to fall apart, the surface below started bleeding through. Chips of coral flung up from the track gradually damaged the radiator in Adamowicz's 312p, which poked a hole in the radiator and liquid began spraying out. The Farrari motor began to overhead, forcing Tony a2z to hit the pit area. "I came in saying 'Aqua, aqua!" exclaims Tony a2z. Carroll Smith, whose services had been retained for Adamowicz at the Daylona race, trotted to the car and leaned into the cockpit. He said, 'Parkes has the only spare radiator and they want you to run the car with no water.' Tony told him that that wasn't going to work.

Tony was told to run the car at at most 9500rpm and monitor the oil gauge. Astonishingly, the Ferrari was able to maintain second place without having liquid in the Ferrari just behind the Posey/Parkes car that was back in the contest.
Later in the race, The engine was starting to blow smoke. Convinced the engine had finally blown up, Adamowicz coasted into the pits where he was instantly surrounded by Ferrari technicians with their bags of tools spread all over the ground. This time, it wasn't the fluid causing trouble, it was a small oil leak; Tony was a bit suprised when, after fixing it, they told him to get back into the race. "I'd always been a Ferrari enthusiast, but after that I just thought this was the greatest car in the world."
Despite running for 5.5 hours without coolant, the Ferrari brought in 632 laps and got 2nd place in the Prototype class and 5th place, overall. Their teammates, in basically the same car, but with water, got 1st in Prototype.
Because of this, a2z gives this feat as the sole reason for this particular race being his favorite. Adamowicz asks, "How can you top five and a half hours?". Adamowiczs career came full circle recently when he was reunited with his 1969 championship-winning F5000 Eagle on the vintage car racing circuit. "The Eagle is now owned by Doug Magnon and the Riverside International Automotive Museum," says Tony. I'm really honored to be involved with this car, he adds. Adamowicz won the 2009 F5k vintage championship, taking a second championship in the same car 40 years later, a feat few-if any- drivers can claim.
Many racing stories about Tony a2z's racinghistory can be found

at this site
Adamowicz is super busy with his company a2z Racer Gear and a new line of racing inspired apparel. "We initially started out with the Steve McQueen Le Mans-type jackets." Adamowicz says. "We got hooked up with Carroll Shelby and We're also involved with Ford and creating unique driving shoes, depicting some of the late 1960s into the 1970s era of world-wide endurance racing."
I found another article contributor,

here

a2z's most impressionable auto race

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Asking Tony a-z Adamowicz what his favorite race was, he'll anwer the 1970 24hrs of Daytona.

Tony's route to that 1970 race started out with an SCCA driving school at the previous Marlboro course in Maryland. Tony a2z tuned his regional race successes over the following several years into an chance to race with Bob Tullius Group 44 team in '66. Adamowicz would immediately make his mark and make history at the same time, sharing the more than Two. liter course win with Tullius in a Dodge Dart within the very first Trans-Am race ever held at Sebring. Adamowicz says That was a big break. It marked a large opportunity for him like a beginning driver. When he had an idea of Trans-Am racing, he idea, that he was going somewhere. Tony a2z Said that SCCA national race is great, however it wasn't genuinely going anywhere for him.

That Year, Tony a2z & Tullis would set milestones by winning the Trans-Am and the 12hr Marlboro, winning 1st place and becomming the first to win in a U.S. car. However Chrysler wasn't committed to Trans-Am , so Tullius wouldn't otherwise discover the funding needed to return for the series. Tony would've been hung out to dry if he didn't get a fatefull call from Marvin Davidson. A Wall Street investment banker, Davidson met Tony at a number of East Coast races and felt he will be a excellent fit for the Trans-Am effort he was organizing. Tony and marvin talked about running Alfa Romeros. Do you want to win? asked Adamowicz, go with Porsche. The orange No. seven Porsche 911 would go on to dominate the 1968 beneath Two. liter class in Trans-Am, taking the manufacturers win.

Marvin looked to take advantage of Tony's accomplishment in Trans-Am and go the team to the following degree. "I could see that Formula 5000 was also leading to the big time," says Adamowicz, who believed the open wheel series was the next logical step. Tony felt that he could get recognition in open wheel if he could do well... and survive. What Tony didn't realize was that a 2-litre 911 was much less trouble to manage than a 5-litre bathtub on wheels.

Tony admints that it was a mistake to underestimate the Eagle mkV. It was a 5 Liter bathtub on wheels, compared to the spritely Porsche 911; it was not an easy transition. Davidson took it upon himself to bring in previous racer and engineer Carroll Smith to manage and mentor the team.
Tony and his crew was able to take the 1969 championship by one point! Despite earlier challenges, they had also won two previous races. Adamowicz would have never won this race without Carroll's presence.

With back-to-back championships in two various collection beneath his belt, the future seemed bright for him, but auto racing can sometimes be an unsteady house of cards. "Going into 1970, Marvin Davidson made the decision to get out of racing, and so, I was out of racing", says Adamowicz. Since Davidson made the decision to not continue to support a race crew, he leveraged a relationship he got with Ferraris Luigi Chinetti to help Adamowicz in getting a car for the 1970 Daytona 24 Hour. "Marvin Davidson had bought some Ferraris and he talked to Chinetti, who Chinetti thought it would be great to have a champion in the car at Daytona," explains Adamowicz.

The opportunity will be considerable for Adamowicz on numerous levels. "Here I was I'd been a Ferrari fan all my life, since I was seven years old, and now I'm in a vehicle that was a world endurance vehicle capable of winning the race, but the Daytona effort was also my intro into world endurance racing." Adamowicz was part of a two-car Ferrari Prototype class work employing the beautiful 312P in the coupe configuration. "I had never been in a Formula 1 vehicle, but this was a Formula 1 car with a body on it", declares Adamowicz. "You could run it to 10,500-11,000rpm and it would just sing. The handling and braking and everything else was unbelievable."

The group would be paired into two teams. Michael Parkes and Sam Pose would be in a 312P with a bubble top, due to their height requirements. Tony was excited to have David Piper with him. Piper had raced Ferrari's and Porsches for several years and was super to be around.

Through much of the race, both Ferraris performed excellently. Right up until Parks hit a wall and damaged the radiator. He pulled in to get it fixed while the Piper/Adamowicz car made impressive strides, to a formidable lead. Then, the race began to unravel.

The track surface began to erode, the surface below started bleeding through. Chips of coral flung up from the track gradually damaged the radiator in Adamowicz's Ferrari, eventually, piercing the radiator, resulting in coolant pouring out. With the engine temperature soaring, Adamowicz dove for the pits. "I came in saying 'Aqua, aqua!" exclaims Tony. Carroll Smith, whose services had been retained for Adamowicz at the Daylona race, sauntered over and leaned into the cockpit. He said, 'Parkes has the only spare radiator and they want you to run the car with no water.'

Tony was told to run the car at a maximum of 9500rpm and monitor the oil gauge. Amazingly, the Ferrari was able to maintain second place without having coolant in the Ferrari behind the Posey/Parkes 312p that had returned to the race.
The Ferrari312p went up in smoke. Adamowicz coasted into the pits where he was promptly surrounded by mechanics with their bags of gear spread all over the ground. This time, it wasn't the water causing trouble, it was a small oil leak; Tony was a bit suprised when, after fixing it, they told him to get back into the race. "I'd always been a Ferrari enthusiast, but after that I just thought this was the greatest car in the world."
The Adamowicz/Piper Ferrari ran a usual of five and a half hours without water, completing 632 laps and finishing second to their teammates in the Prototype class and a fine fifth overall.
Because of this, a2z gives this feat as the sole reason for this particular race being his favorite. Adamowicz asks, "How can you top five and a half hours?". Driving a 911 is great and winning the championship is great, but it doesn't put you on the same level as the Europeans, racing in a significant car like the Ferrari 312E". Adamowiczs career came full circle recently when he was reunited with his 1969 championship-winning F5000 Eagle on the vintage car racing circuit. Tony a2z won the 2009 Formula 5000 vintage championship with the Eagle, a feat he accomplished in the very same car fourty years earlier. the Eagle is now owned by the Riverside Auto Museum and Doug Magnon..