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DeKon Chassis 1002

 

Autoweek article

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.)

 

 

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.)

     

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.

 

 

 

Results for Harry Theodoracopulos

Date

Race

No.

Chassis

Drivers

Entrant

Result

May 26, 1975

IMSA 100 mi Lime Rock

-

DeKon c/n 1002

Harry Theodoracopulos

Harry T

DNS

           

Mar 20, 1976

IMSA 12 hr Sebring

2

DeKon c/n 1002

Theodoracopulos / Jourdain

Harry T

DNS

Apr 11, 1976

IMSA 100 mi Road Atlanta

2

DeKon c/n 1002

Harry Theodoracopulos

Harry T

51st

May 09, 1976

Trans-Am Pocono

21

DeKon c/n 1002

Harry Theodoracopulos

Harry T

27th

May 31, 1976

IMSA 100 mi Lime Rock

2

DeKon c/n 1002

Harry Theodoracopulos

Harry T

9th

Jul 10, 1976

Trans-Am 6 hr Watkins Glen

21

DeKon c/n 1002

Theodoracopulos / Jourdain

Harry T

DNA

 


 

William Wonder

Second owner Monza DeKon c/n 1002

 

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.

 

 

William Wonder #57 (DeKon 1002)

IMSA Camel GT - Road Atlanta 100 mile

Braselton, GA - April 16, 1978

Photo by Clark W. Nicholls

 

 

Results for William Wonder

Date

Race

No.

Chassis

Driver

Entrant

Result

Apr 16, 1978

100 mile Road Atlanta

57

DeKon c/n 1002

William Wonder

William M. Wonder Inc.

27th

 


 

Steve Cohen

Third owner Monza DeKon c/n 1002

 

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.
 
 

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

     

   

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


   

 

 

 

Results for Steve Cohen

Date

Race

No.

Chassis

Driver

Result

Apr 30, 1989

HSR Walter Mitty Road Atlanta

-

DeKon c/n 1002

Steve Cohen

5th

         

Jun 04, 2000

Vintage Enduro 1 hr Watkins Glen

02

DeKon c/n 1002

Steve Cohen

3rd

Sep 04, 2000

HSR Vintage Festival Lime Rock

-

DeKon c/n 1002

Steve Cohen

1st

         

Sep 10, 2005

SVRA Watkins Glen

02

DeKon c/n 1002

Steve Cohen

DNS

 


 

Chad Raynal

Fourth owner Monza DeKon c/n 1002

 

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.

 

Now called the Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Chad Raynal #21 (c/n 1002)

Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Laguna Seca

Monterey, CA - August 20, 2006

(Photo by www.tamsoldracecarsite.net)

 

Chad Raynal #2 (c/n 1002)

Monterey Historic Automobile Races - Laguna Seca

Monterey, CA - August 19, 2007

     

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)

     

Results for Chad Raynal

Date

Race

No.

Chassis

Driver

Aug 20, 2006

MHAR Laguna Seca

21

DeKon c/n 1002

Chad Raynal

Aug 19, 2007

MHAR Laguna Seca

2

DeKon c/n 1002

Chad Raynal

Aug 16, 2009

MHAR Laguna Seca

21

DeKon c/n 1002

Chad Raynal

Aug 14, 2010

MMR  Laguna Seca

2

DeKon c/n 1002

Chad Raynal

 

 

DeKon c/n 1002 Ownership

 

Owner

Year

1

Harry Theodoracopulos (USA)

1975 - 1978

2

William Wonder (USA)

1978 - 1986

3

Steve Cohen (USA)

1986 - 2005

4

Chad Raynal (USA)

2005 - present