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Ferrari club members share stories, passion for sports cars
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Over the years, Ferrari Club President Paul Hesselgesser has owned multiple Ferraris, including this yellow 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia.
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Jeff Wenger, standing beside his 1982 Ferrari 308 GTB, was one of the founding members of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Ferrari Club of America.
SPECIAL TO DRIVE
With just 29 of 57 laps completed in the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro teammates Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were racing in second and third positions on the twisty 3.36-mile Valencia, Spain, road course.
And, the dozen or so members of Ferrari Club of America's Las Vegas Chapter, who were gathered on a recent Sunday morning at Siena Italian Authentic Trattoria, 9500 W. Sahara Ave., to watch the event were cautiously optimistic about the revered manufacturer's prospects.
"We try to hold a social every month," said club President Paul Hesselgesser, adding that the Las Vegas Chapter currently boasts about 52 members. "Our summer attendance varies because of vacations and such, but we also host a midsummer barbecue and every year we organize an excursion to Mount Charleston."
Although this crowd was sparse, it was an eclectic gathering that included Keith and Beverly Evans, the noted feline experts who own and care for the animals in The Lion Habitat at MGM Grand; Jeff Wenger, one of the founding members of the Las Vegas Chapter; Rich Kansky, the service manager at Penske-Wynn Ferrari; Glenn Yuen, who owns three Ferraris and is visiting from Alberta, Canada; and first-time visitors and new Las Vegas residents Nic Sacco, Enrico Bertaggia and Ado De Micheli, who is a driving coach for the Ferrari Challenge racing series.
Not everyone in the club owns a Ferrari, Hesselgesser said. They just have to appreciate the marquee and possess a passion for the car and its imperious history.
"For me, it happened at Pebble Beach (the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, Calif.)," Hesselgesser said. "Ferraris first became a hobby and then an obsession."
Today, Hesselgesser owns six of the Italian supercars, including a 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia and a 1957 410 Superamerica. Does he have a favorite Ferrari in his stable?
"I can't say I have a favorite one. They all do different things," Hesselgesser explained. "It's not just the technical and engineering aspects."
So, if membership in the Ferrari Club doesn't require actually owning a Ferrari, why join?
"Well, we're very nonexclusionary," said Hesselgesser, who said Ferrari Club members pay annual dues for which they also receive a monthly newsletter as well as a four-color, glossy quarterly magazine aptly named "Prancing Horse" for Ferrari's stallion badge.
"Everyone is welcome. Most of our members owned a Ferrari at some point or do now, but they all appreciate the experience of driving one, as well as the history and the craftsmanship."
The club also has special arrangements with Penske-Wynn Ferrari for its members who need service and parts. "There's some nice perks that come with the membership," Hesselgesser said, adding Ferrari Club members are often the first invited to the dealership when a new model arrives.
Eventually, the checkered flag flies and the Formula 1 race is concluded with the two Ferrari drivers posting respectable second- and fifth-place finishes. Siena's restaurant chef, Giancarlo Bomparola, and manager, Rocco Suriano, come out from the kitchen and on behalf of owner Antonio Accornero (also a car nut) bid their customers farewell until the next race (the German Grand Prix July 24).
First to leave the restaurant are Keith and Beverly Evans. The license plate -- Nevada tag MGMROAR -- on a 2001 Ferrari 360 Spider Convertible may be a good indication this one belongs to the Evans family. But, wait. Beverly's also getting out a set of keys and she's ready to get in her own ride. Parked next to Keith's Ferrari is a red Lamborghini. How'd that get here?
Well, remember Hesselgesser's nonexclusionary assertion? So, here's Beverly, at the Ferrari Club meeting to watch the Formula 1 race with her very red 1999 Lamborghini Diablo Roadster. By the way, Beverly's license plate reads, "MGMBULL," in reference to the Lamborghini's raging bull moniker.
Wenger is also ready to fire up the 1982 Ferrari 308 GTB he found for sale about 10 years ago in New Jersey.
"The day I went to see the car it was raining," Wenger said. "The owner didn't want me test driving it in those conditions, but I bought it anyway. I figured he had to have taken great care of it, if he wouldn't even let me get it wet."
Wenger added he's driven the car in Ferrari Club events at motorsports facilities all over the country, including Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y.; Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa; Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.; and here in Southern Nevada at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump -- and, of course, on the road courses at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Last to depart is Hesselgesser, whose yellow Giallo Modena (Ferrari's official name for the paint color) 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia is also parked out front.
"I've bought and sold different models throughout the years and they've each been a different experience," Hesselgesser explains. "It's that everything they used to make them is completely unique. It's like having artwork ... rolling artwork."
The Las Vegas Chapter of the Ferrari Club of America meets at Siena Italian Authentic Trattoria on Sunday mornings throughout the Formula 1 viewing season. For information about upcoming club events and the Formula 1 schedule, visit www.ferraricluboflasvegas.com.
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