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Autoweek article
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First owner Harry
Theodoracopulos #2 (DeKon 1002)
IMSA
Camel GT - Road Atlanta 100 mile
Braselton, GA - April 11, 1976
(Photo from Bill "Murph" Mayberry collection) |
Harry
Theodoracopulos #2 (DeKon 1002)
IMSA
Camel GT - Road Atlanta 100 mile
Braselton, GA - April 11, 1976
(Photo by Bill Oursler from Bill "Murph"
Mayberry's collection.) |
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Harry
Theodoracopulos #21 (DeKon 1002)
SCCA Trans-Am -
Pocono Int'l Raceway
Long Pond, PA - May 9, 1976
(Photo from The Speed Merchants collection) |
Gail and Harry T,
Bill Mayberry & unknown
IMSA Camel GT - Lime Rock 100 mile
Lakeville, CT - May 31, 1976
(Photo by W.C. Baker from Bill "Murph" Mayberry's
collection.) |
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Harry Theodoracopulos
First
owner Monza DeKon c/n 1002
A second IMSA GT Monza
chassis (c/n 1002) was built by DeKon Engineering, LTD in 1975.
It was for Harry Theodoracopulos, Greek shipping heir and owner
of Lime Rock Park road course in Connecticut. Harry
campaigned his Monza in the IMSA Camel GT Challenge series under
the new group AA/GT (All-American Grand Touring).
The car's creator
Horst Kwech, of DeKon Engineering, was apparently debuting the
car for Chevrolet at Laguna Seca in early May 1975. According to
a May 17, 1975 article in Autoweek, the car made a brief
appearance in the pits. Then, the DeKon Monza suddenly vanished
after Harry arrived late. Apparently, it wasn't ready to be
raced, but was just enough to give the curious a taste of things
to come. However, the car also didn't make it to the next IMSA
round at Riverside for the six-hour endurance race the following
week.
The Monza's inaugural run came at Lime Rock Park for the double
IMSA Camel GT 100 mile races. Harry T. was also the owner of the
track, where on the weekend of May 26, 1975, the car was badly
wrecked on it's first outing. The Monza went off course after
just a few laps and wound up in the gully. The track
owner/driver was reportedly so incensed over his accident, that
he barred anyone from taking photos of his newly developed DeKon
race car laying in the ditch. One such photographer had his film
confiscated.
The destroyed car was sent back to DeKon
Engineering and rebuilt. This car was originally built with an extra bar
added to the roll cage, which ran from the main hoop
down to the passenger foot-well area. It's been said, Harry's
crew or builder insisted on the added protection, being such a
spirited driver.
Theodoracopulos raced
his Monza in the IMSA Camel GT series at Lime Rock Park, Sebring
International, Road Atlanta and others. Also, a couple of
a SCCA Trans-Am races at Watkins Glen, NY and Pocono,
Pennsylvania. The car only saw about one season of driving, then
was stored and sold to William Wonder. |
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Results for Harry Theodoracopulos |
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Date |
Race |
No. |
Chassis |
Drivers |
Entrant |
Result |
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May 26, 1975 |
IMSA 100 mi Lime Rock |
- |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Harry Theodoracopulos |
Harry T |
DNS |
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Mar 20, 1976 |
IMSA 12 hr Sebring |
2 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Theodoracopulos / Jourdain |
Harry T |
DNS |
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Apr 11, 1976 |
IMSA 100 mi Road Atlanta |
2 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Harry Theodoracopulos |
Harry T |
51st |
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May 09, 1976 |
Trans-Am Pocono |
21 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Harry Theodoracopulos |
Harry T |
27th |
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May 31, 1976 |
IMSA 100 mi Lime Rock |
2 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Harry Theodoracopulos |
Harry T |
9th |
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Jul 10, 1976 |
Trans-Am 6 hr Watkins Glen |
21 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Theodoracopulos / Jourdain |
Harry T |
DNA |
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William Wonder
Second
owner Monza DeKon c/n 1002 |
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In 1978, William Wonder purchased
the car from Harry T for the IMSA Camel GT series.
It remained in his possession for about eight years,
until going to Steve Cohen in 1986.
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William Wonder #57
(DeKon 1002)
IMSA Camel GT - Road Atlanta 100 mile
Braselton, GA - April 16, 1978
Photo by
Clark W. Nicholls |
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Results for William Wonder |
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Date |
Race |
No. |
Chassis |
Driver |
Entrant |
Result |
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Apr 16, 1978 |
100 mile Road Atlanta |
57 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
William Wonder |
William M. Wonder Inc. |
27th |
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Steve Cohen
Third
owner Monza DeKon c/n 1002 |
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| Steve Cohen of Alpine, NJ, bought William
Wonder's DeKon around 1986. He drove it at vintage
race events at Watikins Glen, NY and Lime Rock Park,
CT. He also ran it at the 21st Annual Historic Sportscar Walter Mitty Challenge
at Road Atlanta, GA in 1989. Cohen kept DeKon
1002 for nearly 20 years, then sold it to Chad
Raynal of California in 2005. |
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Owner/driver Steve
Cohen#02 (DeKon 1002)
Vintage race - ca. 1989 |
Steve Cohen #02
(DeKon 1002) SVRA -
Watkins Glen Zippo US Vintage Grand Prix
Watkins Glen, NY - September 10, 2005 |
Steve Cohen #02
(DeKon 1002) SVRA -
Watkins Glen Zippo US Vintage Grand Prix
Watkins Glen, NY - September 10, 2005 |
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Watkins Glen with
SVRA
Source: John Starkey Cars (date of article unknown)
"A good dice for the
first two positions took place between Steve Cohen in his Dekon
Monza and Eric Bretzel in his narrow body Porsche RSR. The race
ran out that way, Cohen being a worthy winner in a car he later
told the crowd: 'I bought it in the eighties and thought it
would come in useful some day!'"
http://www.johnstarkeycars.com/pages/articles/articles_23.html
SVRA
Zippo US Vintage GP 2005
Source: VintageMotorsports.com
"... Steve Cohen sped to an impressive start to finish
victory in his Chevrolet Dekon–Monza that before this
outing laid idle for the past five years. 'We basically
only changed all the fluids and went racing', noted,
Cohen." |
 Steve Cohen #02
(DeKon 1002) SVRA -
Watkins Glen Zippo US Vintage Grand Prix
Watkins Glen, NY - September 10, 2005 |
Steve Cohen #02
(DeKon 1002) SVRA -
Watkins Glen Zippo US Vintage Grand Prix
Watkins Glen, NY - September 10, 2005 |
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Results for Steve
Cohen
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Date |
Race |
No. |
Chassis |
Driver |
Result |
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Apr 30, 1989 |
HSR Walter Mitty Road Atlanta |
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DeKon c/n 1002 |
Steve Cohen |
5th |
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Jun 04, 2000 |
Vintage Enduro 1 hr Watkins Glen |
02 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Steve Cohen |
3rd |
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Sep 04, 2000 |
HSR Vintage Festival Lime Rock |
- |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Steve Cohen |
1st |
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Sep 10, 2005 |
SVRA Watkins Glen |
02 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Steve Cohen |
DNS |
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Chad Raynal
Fourth
owner Monza DeKon c/n 1002 |
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The car
was purchased from Steve Cohen in 2005. Chad also
drives his DeKon Monza in vintage race events like
those held at Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California. The
car couldn't be in more capable hands than with it's
present owner, who's stewardship and attention to
the car's historic authenticity is given with such
great pride. |
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Now called the Monterey Motorsports Reunion |
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Chad Raynal #21
(c/n 1002)
Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA - August 20, 2006
(Photo by www.tamsoldracecarsite.net) |
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Chad Raynal #2
(c/n 1002)
Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA - August 19, 2007 |
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Chad Raynal #21
(c/n 1002)
Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA - August 16, 2009
(Photo by motorsport.com) |
Chad Raynal #21
(c/n 1002)
Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA - August 16, 2009 |
Chad Raynal #21
(c/n 1002)
Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA - August 16, 2009
(Photo by Paul Gornitzka, courtesy of Chad Raynal) |
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Results for Chad Raynal |
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Date |
Race |
No. |
Chassis |
Driver |
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Aug 20, 2006 |
MHAR Laguna Seca |
21 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Chad Raynal |
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Aug 19, 2007 |
MHAR Laguna Seca |
2 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Chad Raynal |
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Aug 16, 2009 |
MHAR Laguna Seca |
21 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Chad Raynal |
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Aug 14, 2010 |
MMR Laguna Seca |
2 |
DeKon c/n 1002 |
Chad Raynal |
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DeKon c/n
1002 Ownership
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Owner |
Year |
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1 |
Harry
Theodoracopulos (USA) |
1975
- 1978 |
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2 |
William Wonder (USA) |
1978
- 1986 |
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3 |
Steve
Cohen (USA) |
1986
- 2005 |
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4 |
Chad
Raynal (USA) |
2005
- present |
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