50 Years of Cobra Owners Club Open Track Day: Cobras, GT40s and Mustangs at Willow Springs

October 2020 • By Tony Thacker 
Presented by USAutomotive.co.uk

In 1971, ‘Mr. Cobra’ Lynn Park, Tom McIntyre and a bunch of their friends got together to organizer the very first Cobra Owners Club of America Open Track Day at Willow Springs International Raceway. As Tom remembers, “They used to leave the track gate key under the door mat at the local relaters. We’d get the key, unlock the chain and have the run of the place. When we were finished, we’d put the key back under the mat. Life was so simple then.”

Once again, as we were in May at the onslaught of the pandemic, TorqTalk was invited along to participate. Back then, people tended to stay home not knowing what was in store but the recent October event was packed with well over a 100 Cobras, including one real car, Daytona Coupes, GT40s and Mustangs of every shape, style and era.

For those who don’t know, Willow Springs is a historic road track located 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Construction started in 1952 and the first race was held on November 23, 1953. The main track is 2.5-mile (4.0 km) 9-turn course with plenty of elevation change that is quite challenging. Besides the main road course there is the Streets of Willow, a 1.8-mile road course; the Walt James Stadium, a 2/3-mile clay oval; Willow Springs Speedway, a ¼-miler paved oval; a 0.625-mile kart track; The Balcony, a ¼-mile paved autocross and drifting track; Horse Thief Mile, a 1-mile canyon road course and approximately 160 acres of off-road, mountainous terrain. It’s a fantastic facility that for now remains beyond the reach of the Los Angeles sprawl, in fact, efforts by fans have resulted in the track being declared a place of historical interest.

The Cobra Club, or COCA as it is known, is a laid back group and their two-day event is equally casual although they continue to observe pandemic requirements with a virtual driver’s meeting, face masks and a great deal of distancing. 

Of course, this is not a race and, in fact, passing is only allowed on the two straights. This is more of a casual test session when owners can stretch their legs, improve their driving technique and test their cars without pressure. And, take family and friends for a ride-along.