As I sit down to write this letter, we have 400 (long!) days until the next Pebble Beach Concours d\u2019Elegance \u2014 which to me is far too many! But it does give me time to think about how the day of the Concours unfolds and the moments I miss the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often I have shared the joy I feel when I greet each entrant pulling onto our competition field, but I\u2019ve been more quiet about the excitement that comes when we name our Best of Show winner. This is a very public moment, of course. But it is also an intensely private moment \u2014 one that I am deeply honored to share with the winning owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the owner, this moment distills all that has gone before it. It tallies the time and effort spent caring for a great car, weighing the angst and satisfaction to be found in overcoming obstacles to preserve or restore it, as well as the pleasure of driving it and sharing it with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is also, admittedly, an intensely complicated moment from a back-of-stage perspective. After Derek Hill, our Master of Ceremonies, reads aloud the names of our final Best of Show Nominees, there is a small pause before the winner is announced \u2014 and in that pause, a myriad of things must happen. We confirm that the nominees have their engines running. We cue the band, the fireworks and the confetti cannons. And Pebble Beach CEO Bill Perocchi begins his walk forward with the Best of Show trophy. . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve witnessed 34 Best of Show moments to date \u2014 almost half of our 69 \u2014 and I cannot even begin to predict how the winning owner will react.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can still see Ralph Lauren leaping from his Mercedes-Benz without bothering to open the door, and Harry Yeaggy hoisting the trophy for his Duesenberg high overhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHat or no hat?\u201d one winner urgently asked, uncertain as to protocol. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t change my shoes!\u201d another declared. (While that might sound vain, I suspect the act was more of a talisman \u2014 a bit like carrying an umbrella to ensure the sun.) And as Jon and Mary Shirley emerged from their Alfa 8C to face the cheering crowd, Mary looked at me imploringly and held out her tiny puppy: \u201cWould you be willing to hold Alfa for me?\u201d Of course!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although it usually takes place quietly, quite often there is a figurative passing of the crown. Prior winners emerge to offer their congratulations and perhaps a bit of advice. Bob Lee caught up to Harry Yeaggy at the postshow party and said, \u201cHarry, feel free to call me in a few weeks, when things calm down a bit, and I\u2019ll tell you what just happened to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Best of Show moment can be overwhelming \u2014 even for accomplished professionals and titans of industry. \u201cI can\u2019t begin to tell you what this means to me, I can\u2019t begin to express my gratitude now, but I promise to do so tomorrow,\u201d said Dr. Peter Williamson. And he was true to his word, sending both a lovely note and a very generous check for our charities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n