Carmel Magazine

"We are viewed as the benchmark event to Car Week," McCall says. "It's really flattering and it's really wild but it works." This year marks the 24th anniversary of the event, and will showcase a grouping of Vincent Black Shadow hand-built motorcycles. "They are mysterious and have had songs written about them, and until the Jaguar XK120 was built, were the fastest things on the road," McCall says. "I have a feeling they will steal a lit- tle attention." Event sponsors include Gulf Stream, Maserati, Bell Helicopter, Alfa Romeo, Shelby American, Pilatus, the Monterey Jet Center, Bernardus Winery, Carmel Realty Company, Pagani, Ferrari, El Jefe Tequila, Foxy Couture, Epic Aircraft and many more. A significant part of the event is its charity component that benefits the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation, to help widows and orphans of CHP officers killed in the line of duty. Gleim the Jeweler has donated Baume and Mercier watches for a raffle to benefit the foun- dation, which has provided more than $17 mil- lion in aid and scholarships to CHP families. "There isn't a car enthusiast that I know that doesn't appreciate what the highway patrol does," says McCall. "Personally, it's such an honor to be associated not only as an active board member, but through the event…I feel this way about our military too. We all get to do what we do because of their huge sacrifices…We stop the event and play the National Anthem…and hire students from Naval Postgraduate School and off-duty CHP officers to work the event." McCall worked as a high school student sweeping the floors of a local Ferrari dealership, had a car restoration business, was a specialist for Christie's International, a class judge at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and a field coordinator for more than 25 years. He is co- founder of the boutique event The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, which takes place the Friday during Car Week (this year on August 14), and is a member of the executive board of directors for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. He is an avid collector of rare and unique vehicles. "My interests and collection are pretty diverse," he says. "I learned how to drive in 1973 in a 1969 BMW 2002. In 1983, I bought a 1970 2002 from a friend, and I still have it today: it's a pretty, tidy, fun little car. I also have a 1972 BMW 3.0CS, which is the car that I dreamed about while driving my 2002 30 years ago. I have a Daytona blue 1963 Corvette Split Window coupe…It was designed by a friend of mine, McCall's fascination with all things on wheels stems back to being a small child rolling cars across the carpet. 154 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 5 During his first visit to the Can-Am races at Laguna Seca Raceway at age 9, McCall "was mesmerized" by a futuristic Corvette concept car on display.

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