Photos by Jim Menneto
He’s well known across Florida and the Southeast for recognizing the utmost in collector cars and for handing out plenty of best in show trophies, but the tables were turned this weekend when the judges at the Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival handed Tom DuPont of St. Petersburg, Florida, their Best in Show award for his 1929 DuPont Model G Le Mans Speedster.
One of three DuPonts in DuPont’s collection, the Speedster is one of about 15 built by DuPont and bodied by Merrimac to replicate the cars that the company built for that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Powered by a 125hp, 322-cu.in. Continental straight-eight, the Speedsters were guaranteed by DuPont to top 100 MPH. Joining the DuPont on the podium at the Lake Mirror Classic was a 1948 Tucker (#1017), owned by Keith and Eileen Carpenter of Parker, Colorado, which took Best in Show among the non-Classics at the event.
Serving as honorary chairman for the event was multiple SCCA champion Bob Tullius, and to commemorate the occasion, the 1987 Jaguar XRJ-7 that Tullius drove in Group 44 racing was on hand, along with several other Group 44 cars. This year’s Classic also saw the addition of a Higgenbotham collector car auction, which included about 100 cars.
For full results from the Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival, visit LakeMirrorClassic.com.
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