Tuesday, February 28, 2012
WE MEET AT RIVER CITY BREWING COMPANY
Lunch begins at noon - Meeting begins at 12:30 p.m.
Meet Bill Warner
Concours d'Elegance
William (Bill) C. Warner is the CEO of H.C. Warner, Inc., a retired Major of the Florida Air National Guard, a Contributing Editor of Road & Track Magazine, and the Founder and Chairman of The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
Bill Warner has been around
automobiles his whole life. As a
teenager he worked at the local Volkswagen and imported car dealership in the
parts department and driving the delivery truck. On weekends, he worked as a “gopher” for the
dealership racing team and became enthralled with motor racing. Upon earning his degree in Electrical Engineering,
he entered the family filter business and started work on the side for Sports Car Graphic Magazine. In 1971, he began his relationship with Road & Track Magazine which
continues today. His photographs and
writing have appeared in Road &
Track, Car and Driver, Autoweek, The Atlantic Monthly, Automobile, Automotor
und Sport, Classic & Sportscar, Porsche Panorama, and Forza to mention a few. His photography has won awards from The Los
Angeles Art Directors, the Creative Arts Yearbook, and the Sports Car Club of
America (Photographer of the Year 1970).
His photos have been featured in the Petersen
Museum in Los
Angeles as part of the 50th Anniversary of Ferrari and
at the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
In 1975, he teamed with Tom
Nehl in a Porsche 911 to finish 14th in the third running of the Cannonball
Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (AKA The Cannonball run) and with
English racing great, Innes Ireland; Can Am racer, George Drolsom; and sedan
racer, Dick Starita, to finish 26th in the inaugural running of the
Cannonball One Lap of America. The One
Lap was run in a Hertz-Unlimited Mileage Lincoln Town Car. Warner started racing in 1978 in a Brabham
BT-8 and later in the SCCA in an ex-Bob Sharp Racing Datsun B210. He finished 5th in the American
Road Racing Amateur Championships at Road Atlanta in 1982 in Class GT-3 (having
started in 22nd place). His drive earned him a nomination for the
Mark Donohue Award. In 1984 he entered
the International Motorsports Association Firehawk Series in a Camaro and had
top ten finishes at St. Louis and Sebring, top
five finishes at Watkins Glen (twice), a 3rd at Road America, a 2nd at Lime Rock, Ct., and a win in the
Escort Series at Mid Ohio, all in Camaros.
Warner won the IMSA Media Challenge (for racing journalists) in 1984,
1985, and 1986. He participated as a driver in the SAAB World
Speed Record Run at Talladega,
Alabama in 1986. Warner has driven factory sponsored road
races for Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Mercury, and Ford. He currently races the ex-Bob Tullius, Group 44/ ex-Paul Newman Triumph TR-6
and the ex-Group 44 Triumph TR-8 Trans Am/IMSA car in vintage racing. He has
been awarded the Skip Barber Cup (Lime Rock) and the John Kelly Trophy (Mid
Ohio) for driving.
In addition to racing, he
restores and collects interesting cars.
Currently in his collection are a 1957 Cadillac El Dorado Biarritz, a
1958 Cadillac El Dorado Brougham, a 1955 Chevrolet Corvette, a 1972 Ferrari
365GTB/4 “Daytona”, a 1952 Muntz Road Jet, a 1971 Porsche 911T (owned since
new), a 1979 Mercedes Benz 450SL (Jane’s car), a 1928 Simplex Piston Ring
Special, 1978 Bill Mitchell Special Vehicles Development Oldsmobile Omega, a
1970 Maserati Ghibli Spyder, a 2005 Ford GT, and the two previously mentioned
Triumph race cars. The centerpiece of
his collection was Edsel Ford’s 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster which he
sold in 2008. Over the years he has
restored a Brabham BT-8 (ex-Denny Hulme, Tourist Trophy winner), an Elva Mk 5,
a Lotus 11 LeMans (ex-Innes Ireland), the Lang Cooper (nee Shelby King Cobra),
a 1953 Oldsmobile Fiesta (now in the General Motors Heritage Collection), a 1954 Corvette, and a BMW M-1.
In 1996, he founded The
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance near his home of Jacksonville, Florida. In the fifteen year history of the show, it
has raised over $ 1.7 million dollars for Community Hospice and Spina
Bifida. For his charitable work, he was
recognized by The Rotary Club of South Jacksonville with the Frank Sherman
Award; The WTLV Channel 12, Twelve Who
Care Award; The National Philanthropic
Award as Volunteer of the Year (1998)and the American Institute for Public
Service, Jefferson Award.
In 2002, he was recognized by
a panel of automotive writers and journalists with the Meguiar’s Automobile
Hobby Person of the Year. The ceremony
was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly
Hills, California,
and was nationally televised. Other
recipients of the Meguiar’s Award have been Jay Leno, the late Chip Miller of
Carlisle Productions, and Steve Earle
of the Monterey Historic Races.
In 2003, he was inducted into
the Road Racing Driver’s Club by British Racing Champion, Brian Redman.
In September of 2005, Warner
was named to the Steering Committee of the LeMay
Automotive Museum,
Tacoma, Washington.
In February 2006, The
Federacion de Automovilismo de Puerto Rico
recognized Bill and Jane for their contribution to the preservation of antique
and classic cars.
In July of 2008, Bill was
named one of the “Top 50 Players in the
Classic Car World” by Octane Magazine
(UK) joining such automotive luminaries at Sir Stirling Moss, Dan Gurney, Jay Leno, Phil Hill and Lord March.
In October of 2008, Bill was
awarded the Lee Iococca Award given as recognition for “Dedication to
Excellence in Perpetuating an American Automotive Tradition”.
In August of 2009, Bill was
appointed to the Selection Committee of the Monterey Historic Races, Monterey, California.
He has served as the Honorary
Chief Judge at the Thousand Oaks Concours d’Elegance, Thousand
Oaks, California, and Honorary
Chairman of the EyesOn Design, Detroit,
Michigan (2010). He has served on judging teams at the
Glenmoor Gathering (Ohio), the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance (Philadelphia), The
Louis Vuitton Concours, New York City, and the Keels and Wheels Concours
d’Elegance (near Houston).
Bill is recipient of the Air
Force Commendation Medal and the Florida Service ribbon and served 30 years in
the Florida Air National Guard, retiring at the rank of Major.
He earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from The Citadel in 1966.
His wife of forty-four years,
Jane, has patiently put up with his automotive mania with an understanding
beyond reasonable expectations, as have his three children, son, Clay, and twin
daughters, Demery Webber and Dana Shewmaker, and granddaughters, Lindsey Jane
Webber and Mildred Huxley Warner.
Newest Paul Harris Fellow
Congratulation to South Jacksonville Rotary Club's newest Paul Harris Fellow, Chris Bouton!
Board Action
Approved for your consideration into membership - John Lawlor, sponsor is PP Al Wilkinson and the classification is Law, Wills/Estates/Trusts. Anyone having an objection, please submit it in writing to the Board within ten (10) days.
A spring time social will be held on May 22 at the Alhambra dinner theatre. The show is the Buddy Holly Story and we are looking forward to a fun event! Mark your calendars and be sure to support the club.
We are pleased to announce the Jacksonville Historical Society raised approximately $15,000 with the Gingerbread Event this year.
