RENO CARS & COFFEE/FERNLEY MX TRACK

 RENO, NV (March 20) — Sunday was the first day of Spring and a good number of cars showed up for the Reno Cars & Coffee meet. It was a pretty good mix of exotic, vintage and not so exotic.

 In one row front engine and rear engine Corvettes were side-by side. As usual there was a mix of cars. 

One car was a 2012 M Sport 335 BMW Sedan. It’s the pride and joy of owner Gianni Pinneri. 

“It’s Alpine White on a Coral Red Interior,” he said. “It’s got a full M Sport conversion, got brand new take outs from an M4 couple and it’s got a full performance aero kit on it.” 

One thing Pinneri said was that he’s really into wheels and the car shows it. 

“Those are brand new take offs from a 2020 import I got from Germany.  They were not cheap but they are in pristine condition. I also did the brakes too,” he said. 

Another combination on display was a Ducati road bike parked next to a Audi Quattro sedan. Every meet at least a couple of bike owners show up so their rides can be admired.  

In the mix of vehicles was one vintage machine.

“It’s a 1956 Chevrolet, 4-door sedan owned by Daniel Hanks and has a history. “It’s been in the family since 1971. My Grandfather bought it at 7^th and B Street in Sparks in 1971 from a used car dealership,” he said. “It was born with two factory options, an automatic and an AM radio.  

“ It was born as a 6-cyinder car and in the mid 80’s the car went through a restoration, got hit and got restored again. My grandpa put a 283 in it. The Power Glide ended up dying so they put a Turbo 350 in it.” 

He explained that’s how it is and has been.  Then he offered more history of the car. 

“The car was their daily driver up until about 2014 when they bought a new vehicle so it’s been across the country multiple times, my father was brought home as a new born in it. I acquired it,” he said. “I inherited it so to speak a couple of years ago when they could no longer really take care of it. It still needs some love but we drive it around and enjoy it.” 

Asked if he might enter it in Hot August Nights Hanks explained he has a couple of other older cars. One is a 1958 Chevy Belair and a 1971 Buick Skylark. 

The Chevy’s of this vintage had a interesting feature that confuses a lot of people. That’s because the left taillight folds down to reveal the fuel filler opening.  

He laughed and said, “We get a lot of looks at the gas station, especially when my fiancee is driving it. She gets a lot of looks when people look over and you’re putting fuel in the taillight.”  

Another car on display was a white Corvette, front engine model. However the doors have been altered to swing up when opened. 

• Wednesday evening, March 16, the Fernley City Council met. One item on the agenda was staff recommendations regarding the motocross track, the Sandbox as most know it. 

It came towards the end of the meeting and Mayor Edgington allowed comments from the public before the vote. Normally those are only allowed at the beginning and end of a meeting. 

Many spoke up, from the clubs involved and others that have long experience with the track. The president of the Fernley Lions Club also spoke in favor of the track and all commented on the economic benefits the Sandbox brings to Fernley. 

The City Manager explained a possible land swap with BLM would take at least two years to complete. And she didn’t know the asking price for the land.  

The Mayor explained the vote was only about the staff’s recommendation but it wasn’t the end of the efforts to take over the track.

Due to the financial implications the staff suggested the city not buy the property. The vote was 4 to 1 to accept the staff’s recommendation. Councilman Raymond Lacy was the only one casting a no vote or not to accept the recommendation. 

During a pause in the meeting various people met with those in attendance. Councilman Lacy’s recommendations was to, “keep fighting.”  Back in the entry-way members of the clubs involved, BBMX, OTHG and Old Timers said they would try and have a meeting with the land owner.

One effort is to see if the land can be leased until the City’s participation is confirmed. Although the staff report was agreed to, the Mayor made it clear this is not the end. The vote was only on that recommendation and not on the final fate of the track. 

This reporter intends to follow this as closely as possible and would ask the heads of the clubs to keep me informed. I’ll try and attend any city council meeting this matter comes in and would suggest as many as possible attend. 

OTHER RACING NEWS:

• This is the second weekend of the Lockett Reno Boat & Recreation. Within the show is the Off-Road & Motorsports Expo with several groups represented. The show gets going Friday and runs through the weekend.   

• For more news and results from other areas be sure to view Davey’s American Racing. The show is on at 6 p.m. Wednesdays and he covers a lot of tracks in California as well as results for many series. 

• Teresa’s Garage Radio Show is on the air from 2 until 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. In northwest Nevada, it can be heard over the air at 1060 AM. 

There is also a Podcast at amm.streamon.fm or it can be seen live on Face Book. The show is focused on all things automotive, trends, new developments and trivia. 

SPONSOR LIST: 

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We now have five very appreciated sponsors supporting this site. Please patronize them as they support your sport and help nvracingnews continue. And let them know you heard about them through this site.  

• One of our sponsors is General Transmission and Power Train Specialists owned by former motorcycle racer Pete Attashian. The shop is located at 2515 Sutro Street in Reno, a few blocks below Hug High School. 

The shop services older and new transmissions and now has a section for high performance units and those used in towing. Phone number is 775-786-5888 and the shop’s website is www.generaltransmissionreno.com.  

Two of our sponsors are first class motorcycle shops located in Reno. 

• Our first sponsor is Reno Motorsports (RMS). Not only do they have about anything a rider might want or need and the store also has a full service shop. 

Their location is at 964 Terminal Way, by the intersection with Mill Street. Store’s phone number is 775-322-1499 and the site is, www.rms-renomotorsports.com. 

• The next shop is Moto-Source located at 3180 Mill Street. Once again they are a full service shop plus the showroom has about any thing a rider might need or want. 

The phone number is 775-856-3855 and the website is, www.moto-source.com. 

• Concours Body Shop, located at 250 Telegraph Street in Reno, is another sponsor. The shop does quality collision repair for cars and trucks. 

Owner Brian Saul is a car enthusiast himself and is committed to continuing the shop’s reputation of quality work. Phone number is 775-329-4557 and the website is, www.concoursbodyshop.net. 

• Hungry, want a great place to eat, then try PJ&CO for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and it’s a great place to watch your favorite sports. Wednesday evenings, starting around 5 p.m. is Bike Night, good time to meet fellow riders and have a great dinner. 

The location is 1590 South Wells Avenue, just north of the round about. Phone number is 775-323-6366 and their website is www.pjandco.net. 

Have a business targeted toward motorsports or car enthusiasts? This site is a great way to expose your services to those communities. Sponsorships are very reasonable and one can contact us either through the comment section of this site or on our Face Book page.