Wilzig Manor Estate and Empire Region Ferraris
Just imagine a magnificent fall day, incredibly scenic views, a two hour rally drive through the mountains of Duchess and Columbia County in Upstate New York, a superbike and race car museum, a private racing circuit over a mile in length, a luxurious banquet, 50 Ferraris and an immensely important charitable cause. You need not imagine this for too long, for it all came together in spectacular fashion on Sunday, October 9, at the 300 acre Wilzig Manor estate. Driven by an insatiable love of bikes and cars, Alan Wilzig saw his vision and passion fulfilled when, after years of planning board and legal challenges, he was able to create a unique experience for himself, his family and friends where that passion could be shared and appreciated firsthand.
For those participating members of the Empire Region Ferrari Club, this was indeed a day to be remembered. The festivities began with the assemblage of Ferraris near Poughkeepsie, NY. There the rally drive got underway, traversing back roads, hills and valleys resplendent in Fall foliage colors and urged on by admiring spectators along the route who could hardly believe the sight of so many Ferraris roaring through their quiet towns and villages. Arriving at the Wilzig estate around noon, members were greeted by Alan and had the occasion to take in what can only be described as an incomparable and breathtaking setting. Alan offered a primer on the history of the estate and the long road to see his dreams come to fruition.
For the Wilzig's, however, this gathering was not merely an occasion to share a passion but rather to serve a larger and noble purpose as well. Together with the Empire Region Club, this day was dedicated to supporting the Xeroderma Pigmentosum Society. XP as it is called, is a rare and life threatening genetic defect characterized by severe sensitivity to UV radiation, mostly found in sunlight. It leads to a wide range of often times devastating symptoms, including skin and eye cancers, blindness and deafness and mental retardation. Once having discovered that an XP family lived just up the road from the Wilzig estate and ran a camp for children and families afflicted by this dreaded disease, Alan decided it was a cause worth supporting The Empire Region was delighted to make a charitable contribution to the Society in the hopes it would further important research developments. Regional Director Roland Veit announced the contribution and the Club's intention to team up again in support of the Society's efforts going forward.
Following these announcements the group got a personal, guided tour of the Wilzig Museum, consisting of two floors of racing bikes and both vintage and current automotive legends. As a long time bike racer, Alan has an unsurpassed collection including factory racer Bimotas, Grand Prix racing Aprillas, a 1948 Motom, a 1983 rare Hesketh, and a 1953 Dustbin Gilera. Alongside was an equally impressive collection of historic cars, including a Lola T 70, Diasio D962, Ariel Atom 2, Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet, Lamborghini Jalpa, Maserati Spyder, 2002 IRL Championship winning Toyota Lola driven by Cristiano DaMatta and a top fuel dragster for added measure.
Following the tour the Wilzig's fired up the grill and hosted a barbecue luncheon. While the opportunity waited to put their Ferraris on the estate's road course, members could not resist the home-style fair which amounted to nothing short of an extravaganza banquet. After the leisurely lunch overlooking the estate's pool and cabana, it was time to experience the track. Led by two pace cars each with five trailing Ferraris, drivers saw a challenging circuit with both high speed banking and technical corners. With a 78 foot elevation range and 9 turns, the track offers extremely fast left and right handers, some punctuated by blind, uphill, and off camber corners. At speed, this track is not for the faint hearted. Fortunately, the turn in and exit points were well marked with cones, and pace cars kept speeds rational, but it soon became evident that some drivers could not resist pushing a bit to test the limits. All in all, a one of a kind private road course that offers a combination of challenges for even the skilled, high performance driver.
As the afternoon drew to a close, members recognized this was a uniquely fulfilling experience. Alan and his lovely wife, Karin, could not have been more gracious and generous hosts. For the Empire Region Club the sheer pleasure and enjoyment of driving their Ferraris in this private setting of unsurpassed beauty could not be replicated.
And for the Wilzig's and Club members, the chance to support a most worthy cause made the day all the more worthwhile.
