Team Shelby Nationals - The Perfect Combination

Thursday evening's cruise to the downtown Brookside area of Tulsa was huge. Tulsa police estimated the car count at 775. We knew it was large when the staging lineup wrapped around the Southern Hills Marriott.

The 75-year-old Weber's Root Beer Stand on Peoria Avenue makes for a perfect cruising backdrop. Known around the world for its Superior Root Beer, Weber founder Oscar Wilby also gets credit for serving the first grilled hamburger on a bun.

This year's open track at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit stretched to four days-Wednesday for a Team Shelby driving school conducted by Shelby Automobiles' Gary Patterson, Thursday and Friday for scheduled sessions, and Saturday for the diehards who couldn't get enough. The vintage race on Friday was an event highlight.

Gary Patterson put plenty of V-8 Mustangs in their place with the V-6-powered Terlingua Mustang from Shelby Automobiles.

There aren't many places where you can see vintage Shelbys running on a road course. Although '68 GT500KRs are best suited for the dragstrip, this owner fearlessly tested his KR's handling prowess at Hallett.

A new addition to the event this year was the Art, Memorabilia, and Trade show at the Marriott. Open Wednesday through Friday afternoons and evenings, it provided participants a chance to purchase artwork and talk with representatives from companies such as Classic Design Concepts, Dynamic Motorsports, Delta Bay Mustang, and JBA Exhaust.

Carroll Shelby, artist Bill Neale, and former Shelby-American team drivers Alan Grant and Tom Yeager signed autographs on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The always-moving Mid-America action trekked to the quarter-mile at Tulsa Raceway Park on Saturday for a full day of drag racing. Longtime Mid-America volunteer Tom Byers snuck away from his duties for a few laps with his '69 Mach 1.

Like every activity at this year's Mid-America, the drag racing set a new event participation record. The Tulsa Raceway staging lanes were jam-packed all day.

Shelby Automobiles' Gary Patterson was everywhere during Mid-America. At the dragstrip, he ripped off three passes in the 11.40s at more than 130 mph in a Super Snake GT500. On street tires, Gary said he rolled off the line each time before nailing the throttle on the 725hp Super Snake, as built by the Mod Shop at Shelby Automobiles' facility in Las Vegas.

Saturday night's banquet at the Southern Hills Marriott was a sell out. Speakers included Ford's Mustang brand manager Fritz Wilke, Shelby Automobiles' president Amy Boylin, former Shelby team drivers Alan Grant and Tom Yeager, and Tulsa mayor Kathy Taylor, who proclaimed June 14, 2008, as "Carroll Shelby Day" in the city of Tulsa.

Carroll Shelby also spoke during the banquet, announcing to the crowd, "We have plans to build cars for the next six years with Ford. I just signed a contract which will take me up to 91 years old. I hope I don't go horizontal in the meantime."