Racing film festival late March, nr. Yosemite

[bitzman]

It's in Oakhurst ,a burg which I gather is right near entrance to the park. Various & sundry racing films & promotional films, plus lots of drivers from the Sixties to tell you
what it was like in the days before kevlar, etc. Books, artwork, memorabilia on hand as well. Here's the website


http://www.southernyosemite.com/media1.htm

It's open to all; there is a cover charge for charity. I heard there's a lot of Corvette guys scheduled to attend so I am hoping some Cobra
guys can come to show them what a real sports car is...

[bitzman]

Film Festival and Car Show On Track to Be Bigger and Better in ‘08 The Annual Southern Yosemite Automotive Film Festival, “Spring In the Sierra” Sportscar and Racecar Show and “The Grand Prix of Oakhurst”, presented by Classic Motorsports Magazine, is scheduled for March 28th through 30th, 2008 in Oakhurst, California, the southern gateway to Yosemite National Park. Additional co-sponsors include Moss Motors, Optima Batteries and Kumho Tires. The film festival offers something for everyone - car movies, racing documentaries and never before seen footage, as well as premieres of the latest car related films, the ultimate car show of sportscars and racecars on the lawn at the community center and “The Grand Prix of Oakhurst” for 4 to 7 year olds driving Fisher Price Power Wheels plus automobilia, book and souvenir vendors and other auto racing related exhibitors from racetracks to go karts. Film and racing celebrity, Bruce Kessler, whose “Sound of Speed” became the benchmark for automotive films, will be the recipient of the “Southern Yosemite Lifetime Achievement Award”. Previous recipients have included James Garner for his epic film “Grand Prix”. “The Autobooks - Aerobooks Award of Excellence” will be presented to Arlene Sidaris, widow of producer Andy Sidaris, for his documentary, “The Racing Scene” and early work in auto racing television by long time racer and car aficionado Anatoly Arutunoff. Due to popular demand, “The Racing Scene” will be shown again this year, at a Saturday luncheon featuring drivers Scooter Patrick and Dave Jordan. Friday’s luncheon will feature a celebration of Riverside Raceway, with a film of the 1965 Times Grand Prix and commentary by those who raced there. And, now you can see hard to find films like “The Speed Merchants” as well as perennial favorites such as “LeMans” and “Days of Thunder” and some new, almost never before seen films such as John Schneider’s “Collier & Company – Hot Pursuit”. Two exceptional dinners are scheduled; Friday night featuring the presentation of the “Lee Iacocca Award”, a variety of short racing films and Oscar Koveleski of Can Am fame showing his home movies of Can Am racing, and Saturday night featuring a special screening of “Sound of Speed” and a combination birthday party and roast of well known racers Scooter Patrick, Davey Jordan, Charlie Hayes, Jerry Grant, Oscar Kovaleski, Tony Adamowicz, Bill Vukovich II, Dick Guldstrand and Doug Hooper. All events will be emceed by “Classic Motorsports” publisher Tim Suddard and “Jim Chapman Award” winner Doug Stokes of Gale Banks Engineering. The complete schedule of films and events can be seen at www.southernyosemite.com. Most importantly, the proceeds all go to charities; Lee Iacocca’s Diabetes Foundation, the Children’s Hospital of Central California and the Harry Baker Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs. And to complete the film festival week, tours of Yosemite National Park, ski outings, golf tournaments, train rides on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railway and a variety of family oriented events are available. For complete information, ticket purchases and accommodation availability; look at the film festival website – www.southernyosemite.com. Oakhurst is 4 1?2 hours driving time north of Los Angeles and 3 hours east of the San Francisco Bay area. Airline service through Fresno Yosemite International Airport is 45 minutes away. The film festival is a joint effort of the Community Service and Support Group Inc. and the Oakhurst Chamber of Commerce.