What happened to the Mulholland "King of the Hill" RSR?

[TCracingCA]

Originally Posted by RunaboutConcept

I have. In a catless RX8 so it backfires quite loudly when hard shifting at redline. Love doing it while passing them.

Now proper etiquette after giving them a quick thrill, would be to flip it around and come back the other way to give them a photo OP! Thumbs up!

[TCracingCA]

Originally Posted by RunaboutConcept

Jeff, thank you for your reply.
I've been trying to access this site for 10 years. Or at least the secret sections back then as a lot of it was accessible back then. Now the whole site is under password protection.

I must be very stupid because I can't figure it out.



"Think mathematically...Read Like an Assassin"

I'm stumped... I would greatly appreciate some help...

Because they liked my Turnbull Canyon racing connection, I think this was a site I was invited into! The group I remember was active in running good roads, but whoever they were insulted my beloved Turnbull rating it as a poor road to tour on??? Too short, and gave it a low number for that! Well who said anything about touring, it is a point to point race track!!!! Period!!!! If you want to tour it, go get a 10 speed bicycle!

[TCracingCA]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hail

Its with deep regret that we have lost one of our own. I just found out from a friend of mine that Henry Valdez passed away last month. I did not know Henry well but I frequented his restaurant Enrique's Cantina in Thousand Oaks many times over the years prior to its closing. I met Henry a long time ago and reconnected with him here on this thread when it first got started. We kept in touch via email and wrote about some of the more funny things that happened on Mulholland. Talked about some of the wall art at his cantina.

The last time I was at Enrique's Henry was in the kitchen cooking up a fierce dish that wasn't on the menu. It was lunch time and the place was pretty busy. Everyone kept asking what smelled so good and ordered " I'll have what ever smells so good" Henry was working up a sweat and that "Sonoran Souffle" kept coming out of the kitchen non stop for a couple of hours. I do not recall anyone getting a bill. Henry just asked that you leave a tip. The next day the marquee at Enrique's Cantina went dark for the last time and faded into history. God speed to you.

Obituary of Henry Valdez

Henry Paul Valdez was born in Hollywood, California on September 24, 1952 to Enrique and Stella Valdez. He was the oldest of five children, and was

raised in the San Fernando Valley. Upon graduation from high school, Henry attended a two-year Hotel and Restaurant Management program at UCLA. He worked at the Beverly Hills Hotel from 1971 to 1979, and was the General Manager of Enrique's Cantina, the family-owned restaurant in Thousand Oaks, until February 2008.


Henry served on the Thousand Oaks Mayor's Business Roundtable for several years. He was also an active member of the Porche Club of America for 25 years, as a racer, event master, and driving instructor. Henry was a gourmet chef and enjoyed sharing his love of cooking with friends.


Henry married Heidi Thompson and is survived by their daughter, Arielle. He leaves behind his loving companion Carolyn Ewbank, and many friends from Enrique's Cantina.

Sounded like a great guy! If he was in the Porsche circles out here, I have definitely seen him at events! I tend to remember people by seeing the cars they drive! Do you have a picture of him and his ride together or separate or of just the car?

Definitely R.I.P. In big capitals!

[Jeff Hail]

Originally Posted by TCracingCA

Sounded like a great guy! If he was in the Porsche circles out here, I have definitely seen him at events! I tend to remember people by seeing the cars they drive! Do you have a picture of him and his ride together or separate or of just the car?

Definitely R.I.P. In big capitals!

Henry is easy to spot. He is wearing the mask.

[TCracingCA]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hail

Henry is easy to spot. He is wearing the mask.

Funny one!

At the next March Porsche Weekend, anyone that I don't see- I will assume they are dead!

[SPB]

Hello Mr. Banning. Any word on a timetable for the new book(s)?

[MidnightCircuit]

For you Turnbull guys

https://youtu.be/CS1Jr2NL4fA

[nameisbauer]

Thats a lot of over the double yellow time. In the dark. Seems foolish/selfish. Who would have thought I would ever be the voice of reason.

[MidnightCircuit]

Originally Posted by nameisbauer

Thats a lot of over the double yellow time. In the dark. Seems foolish/selfish. Who would have thought I would ever be the voice of reason.

people at the bottom to alert the drivers of traffic, 3 am.

[nameisbauer]

Ok, sorry to be the Forum Mom. Thumbs up.

[TCracingCA]

Originally Posted by MidnightCircuit

For you Turnbull guys

https://youtu.be/CS1Jr2NL4fA

Hey we don't run it downhill!!! That is for the mountain bike guys during the daytime! Primarily why- is that you just can't blast around Sandtrap and down Pit Road and thru the start line at high speed, because that puts you into the Residential area where you don't want to be! And that will get the cops called! Therefore some smarts were used by shutting it down at Indy!

For those that don't know the "Raceway" 2.1 miles course, he starts parked just west of the Skyline cutoff at the top after the finish line, the back end on the lead car got a little wiggly thru Grandstand going down! And they stop short at Indianapolis after running down Mulsanne and never went to the start line in the video!
But I truly appreciate the run! I won't post my cars up there, because of the obvious reason as the police have come to my house! But thank you!

Going downhill is way more blind to cut those turns over the centerline like G-Force, Gilbaltar, Deadmans, Vertigo, The Loop and without a closed course you don't want to be apexing around the inside line of Scorpion, the Elbow or especially high speed Parabolica turn! It is harder to look over the cliffs to see an oncoming car coming up, especially if you are apexing the inside line in the opposing lane!

I like the idea of a camera car! Good job! You do have to set up the camera to get the tach and speedo in the shots! Rookie mistake on video taping leaving the telemetry out, but the driving was very clean for non-locals and they looked like for the most part very good driven lines and very well apexed! Props to our Encino guests for the spirited runs!

I am on a good computer screen now and can properly watch the run, as I was only on the iphone last night (where I can't appreciate the effort as well).

Even though you guys indicated you had road guards, there was still some trepidation to cutting down most of the apexes! A lot of course improvements come with familiarization!!!! I think you can knock substantial times off for the next time!

And just because you guys broke the rules of running downhill, I am going to critic it! So starting from the top! I was just watching the lead car mostly, but a lot more time can be picked up like I said! Like at Grandstand he did not know where the apex was and got the big wiggle. A tighter apex on Ricochet from the outside line off of Everest sets you up for more straight lining Switchback. But going back to G-Force, that apex was super late, and the kink at the top of the hill straight got him! That kink makes that turn look sharper than it is going down. You hit a late apex but not that late) and aim for the very outside edge of that kink and then immediately angle out to hit the turn in for Ricochet properly. The key to speed is hit Ricochet going down hill in that section. At Mambo you can carry the outside line out of Maneater quicker on the gas, using or traveling to the full outside edge! The chassis completely unweighted in Maneater, when that undulation can be used to brake and compress set the suspension for the turn. At like Gilbaltar he crossed, then went back to his lane, and then dove for the turn crossing the center a second time and then wasn't in a good line for The Bend! If you stay far to the left edge on the kinks of Mambo and then hit Gilbaltar as a true left turn going down, you can inside clip- straightening out The Bend setting up for Rattlesnake! He was spooked in Rattlesnake, but hit Scorpion decent. Through the Chicane not bad, even though he hit the biggest part of the biggest dip and then out through the super double apex turns of Velocity and Vertigo, more pure road memorization is definitely needed, because the first apex can be taken very fast, but it initially looks like a full turn. Thru Horseshoe and Corkscrew, those are high g turns where you have to learn the line that your cars like the best and just take a set and hold it steady around the radius, being very sweeping turns, especially the longer Horseshoe. The turn seems so long followed by a shorter sweeping turn of the Corkscrew, that you get caught up in the car holding that you didn't hit the in and out of Carrousel too great. And then Parabolica goes on and on and on, and you held way to the outside, when that turn permits a high speed inside apex being a smooth and consistent turn that continues to open out and when you see the City, you should have been on the gas long before the scenery! Then for the Esses you were turning thru your bend apexes, when you just kind of have to hammer straight thru all of that. Then at the Hairpin, barrel into it heavier off of the apex of The Loop, and clamp it down hard braking down into the Hairpin, but release the brake and hit the throttle as you pick the apex and actually drift out the back end, then settle the chassis as quick as you can and dive the apex of the Elbow on full throttle prior to the apex. You kind of went all bouncing out onto the longest straight at Mulsanne from a middle road line!

The following car definitely has the advantage to follow tail lights, and doing the video run makes driving it harder than the guy not doing the camera work. Your lines were generally better, having a car to follow! The Raceway is tricky as you lose the turn, because the headlights aren't there yet to light them up! If you just know the course, then you can just aim for the dark and find yourself where you want to be! Plus I will emphasis the unfamiliarity of it being all new to you guys! But I honestly appreciated it, and hope local feedback even for a """Downhill shoot""" is fun for you guys!

Hey I didn't get your course run tolls in the mail yet! What's up with that?

PS because the place is very haunted, it is closed on Halloween night!

Raceway map on the back of one of the 1978 Club T-shirts (Turnbull Canyon Road Racing Society)!

[RunaboutConcept]

Recently Ran into a Porsche up there that gave me a fun run.
He wasn't as fast as I would expect a Porsche to be on a road like this, but it was a fun chase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B4K34H9ipM

Any one of you guys?
He turned onto Skyline after DeadMans.

By the way, Last night I also met OLD MAN GARY, he was passing out Flyers and discussing the road and many of the side roads that lead down the mountain.

[RunaboutConcept]

Oh and to Anyone seeking the Movie, KING OF The Mountain
it is available in full for viewing:

I uploaded it recently after someone shared a digital copy with me, I have been searching for years for this!

ENJOY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDgl4DTUbdk

[Rockyrat]

Originally Posted by RunaboutConcept

Recently Ran into a Porsche up there that gave me a fun run.
He wasn't as fast as I would expect a Porsche to be on a road like this, but it was a fun chase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B4K34H9ipM

Any one of you guys?
He turned onto Skyline after DeadMans.

By the way, Last night I also met OLD MAN GARY, he was passing out Flyers and discussing the road and many of the side roads that lead down the mountain.

I am so happy to hear that Gary's still around and up there. I had the privilege to spend many, many nights talking with him and having a lot of "adventures" as well. Was he still wearing a plaid jacket and driving the Falcon?

[LateBrakeU2]

Originally Posted by Rockyrat

I am so happy to hear that Gary's still around and up there. I had the privilege to spend many, many nights talking with him and having a lot of "adventures" as well. Was he still wearing a plaid jacket and driving the Falcon?

How old is he now, like 70+? Last time I saw him he was handcuffed to a bench in the Wilcox hotel, looked like a wet puppy. Damn that was 40 years ago..then again I have been on this thread for ten, with a one post a year average.

[TougeK24]

Originally Posted by LateBrakeU2

How old is he now, like 70+? Last time I saw him he was handcuffed to a bench in the Wilcox hotel, looked like a wet puppy. Damn that was 40 years ago..then again I have been on this thread for ten, with a one post a year average.

He's 73. I was chatting with him today and showed him your message, he doesn't use computers. He was a bit upset. He doesn't rememeber that ever happening or any Wilcox hotel. Could you elaborate what you meant and I will pass it onto him.

If anybody else wants to send a message to Gary I will be happy to pass it onto him. Few weeks ago I printed some pages of this thread that mentioned Gary and showed him, he was happy to see all the nice things said about him.

[LateBrakeU2]

Originally Posted by TougeK24

He's 73. I was chatting with him today and showed him your message, he doesn't use computers. He was a bit upset. He doesn't rememeber that ever happening or any Wilcox hotel. Could you elaborate what you meant and I will pass it onto him.

If anybody else wants to send a message to Gary I will be happy to pass it onto him. Few weeks ago I printed some pages of this thread that mentioned Gary and showed him, he was happy to see all the nice things said about him.

April 6th 1977, LAPD Hollywood station on Wilcox Ave, Mulholland big bust version 2.0.

[Heel n Toe]

Where is the relatively narrow (with unmarked centerline) road that is shown in several parts of this video?

Edit: Ahhhh... found the answer in the comments: "Front side of Glendora Mountain Road up to the fork, and instead of taking a left and going down back side (which he's doing in various clips throughout this video) going straight and hitting Baldy Ridge road (road that connects Glendora to Upland, basically).

...I know this entire area like the back of my hand because I've been running it at night for years. Already lost a car to the road due to a major **** up on my part, but I still love the canyons and run just as hard as I've always been consistently. Passing cars on the inside or outside of tight corners, on the straights leading up to corner entrance, and so on."

[lfot]

Yeah, I was going to say GMR.

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

Where is the relatively narrow (with unmarked centerline) road that is shown in several parts of this video?

Edit: Ahhhh... found the answer in the comments: "Front side of Glendora Mountain Road up to the fork, and instead of taking a left and going down back side (which he's doing in various clips throughout this video) going straight and hitting Baldy Ridge road (road that connects Glendora to Upland, basically).

...I know this entire area like the back of my hand because I've been running it at night for years. Already lost a car to the road due to a major **** up on my part, but I still love the canyons and run just as hard as I've always been consistently. Passing cars on the inside or outside of tight corners, on the straights leading up to corner entrance, and so on."

[thumpgun]

This is the best thread ever. I sincerely hope it keeps building with more stories and information.
Hello everyone. Like many others I stumbled onto this thread while looking up things about the movie. It is incredible to read all of the firsthand accounts of the racing, the people and the cars. Plus the Mulholland history. And facts about the movie.

I have never been but developed an infatuation with the road as a kid in the 70's from hearing tales of the cars that raced Mulholland. As a kid that always seemd to be THE place where a car had to be driven. Plus it would be mentioned in various TV shows and when KOTM came out I was so excited.

I realize a lot of people don't think it's a great movie, etc. I like most car movies, good or bad. This has always been a favorite. My best friend and I wanted Speedsters before the film. And after we saw it we of course were obsessed even more.
I remember a few of the magazine articles from when I was a kid also. The movie made the biggest impact for me though.

And finally getting to read true accounts of real racers and cars from the 70's - 80's era was so tremendous. I appreciate the earlier years and history as well. The photos, the maps, the videos. Being a child of the 70's and a teen of the 80's is what makes that era appeal so much to me.

Great stories from Chris, Derek, Jeff, Radu and more. This has been a great couple of weeks reading through all of this. I am excited to get the books that Chris and John have put out. And I'm looking forward to the next book from Chris.

The scavenger photo's of the wrecks and parts are incredible. The cruises, the ride video's. This has been the best thing without an admission price online!

I love that everyone pulled together and Chris got the RSR rolling again. And that you guys have been recounting this tremendous history for those of us that appreciate the history of the hill. I have never been and hope to one day drive this historic road at least once. I'm not getting any younger so it's got to be soon. Hopefully I can in the near future.
We have Deals Gap The Dragon here and BlueRidge Parkway is near. Some great mountain roads. But I really want to drive the hill.

Thanks so much to those of you that told your stories and reminised about the great history of Mulholland so that we could read them and think back to fun, exciting and awesome times.

Thanks for the movie and TV points of interest. I know the Adam 12 episode very well. I've seen the Rockford episode but don't remember the title. And didn't realize it was the RPM garage until Jeff pointed it out.
Did anyone notice how they "doctored" the sign to say "Independent Rorschey Repairs"? for copyright reasons, hahahaha.

Thanks again guys! I look forward to new posts and plan to go back and read all of this again. I'm also trying to figure out the secret stuff for the secret site. It's difficult but I'm sure it's plain as day. Hahaha. Ya'll take care!