By Ken Walker with John Shelton, Texas Cobra Club

Photos by Doug Pawlak of Café Photo, Ken Walker, and courtesy of Ultimate Classic Cars

Aerial Video by Glenn Reilly

When they say, “Everything is bigger in Texas” well, we just can’t argue with them. Especially when it pertains to the 17th Annual Texas Cobra Club Spring Meet in San Marcos, Texas, held during the last week of March. And that old saying could be easily updated to “Everything is bigger and better in Texas.”

This year over 135 Cobras, Daytona GTs, and GT-40s came together from all corners of Texas and across the country in what could be called a four-day, “Texas-style tailgate party” or even “the most unusual family reunion” you’ve ever seen. That’s because those of us in the Texas Cobra Club are just one big ol’ family. We laugh together, cry together, eat together, and, on more the one occasion, have been known to share a few adult beverages together. Friendship and fellowship are the underlying themes of our event.

As club member John Shelton summed it up so well, “We tapped the Cobra brain trust every moment, we tracked a little at Harris Hill Raceway, we spun a few yarns, and we toasted to the memory of, and cried over, our dear friend, Jay Nordstrom— dearest Jay. We consumed massive amounts of octane and a fair amount of Tito’s Vodka (thanks Jesse!). We took in Hill Country vistas and long-legged/high-heeled sights, and drove adrenalizing roads with names the likes of The Devil’s Backbone, Hippie Hollow Horror, and The Twisted Sisters. We took in some red-dirt in Lukenbach with some biker kindred, and avoided the local constabularies, for the most part.”

So all told, this event is a “Meet,” not a “show” for many reasons. At a show the cars are carefully lined up, polished just so, and usually put into some type of category for judging. That scenario could not be farther from the truth in describing the Texas Cobra Club Spring Meet. The only time the car as sitting still is at the end of day, or at a traffic light trying to get through a small Texas Hill County town without overheating, or filling up their tanks (again and again). Besides, there is absolutely no way of getting Cobra owners to park their cars in straight rows. 

There are thousands upon thousands of miles for daily cruises. Small pods of Cobras would venture out for hours canvassing the every corner of the central Texas and the Texas Hill Country. It was hard to keep your eyes on the road this year because every curve was lined with millions of Texas bluebonnets and other wildflowers. 

Those who felt adventurous headed over the Harris Hill Road Raceway for some high-speed action. Those less adventurous waited to the end of the track day to have Doug Pawlak of Café Photo capture photos of their cars on the track.

Several years ago the Texas Cobra Club joined with the Ohio Cobra Club in fighting Cystic Fibrosis.  During the event we have several fundraising activities in which all of the proceeds went to The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 

In addition this year, at the end of the day on Friday, we held a hamburger cookout in the parking lot. Donation from that meal went to the Teenager Auto Builders Association of Texas.  The TABAT is providing a place and resources for teaching basic automotive repair skills to high school aged youth around Texas.

This year we were honored to have Hurricane Motorsports, Radical Roadsters, Ultimate Classic Cars, Superformance, Edland Hi-Performance, Craft Performance Engines, and Factory Five Racing on hand showing their products. George and Becky Daulton represented the Ohio Cobra Club and selling tickets for their 2016 raffle car.

Shelton shared some of the analytics for the Meet as a whole: 140 cars, three days, and a low estimate of 140 miles per car per day. That gives us a ballpark of 56,000 hard, recreational miles. “I understand that we suffered one timing chain failure (ouch!), plus one transmission failure, and that the State of Texas is populated by one less javelina (peccary for those of you north of The Red and east of The Sabine),” he says. “Not a bad showing for hand-built race cars, well done, all of you, well done!”

All in all, the 2016 TCC Spring Meet was one of the best ever. Lots of cars and lots of people but, more important, lots of new friendships were made along with lots and lots of awesome memories.

Looking ahead, the 2017 Texas Cobra Club Spring is slated for March 29-April 2 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in San Marcos, TX. 

Y’all come on down!