L.A. SOAKS UP THE ATMOSPHERE AT FIRST GRAND PRIX.

Byline: Rizza Yap Daily News Staff Writer

A young fan asked auto racer James Shaw to sign an autograph Monday.

It was a first for the Chatsworth resident, who placed first in the F Production class on the final day of the inaugural Ford Los Angeles Grand Prix Vintage Races.

Shaw said fan support, greetings of ``good race!'' from passersby and the spirit of competition all contributed to his enthusiasm about his prize - a checkered flag.

``The excitement (of racing) couldn't be replaced by winning money,'' said Shaw, 41. ``Money don't mean everything.''

Monday's competition actually was the first complete race of the weekend for Shaw, driver of an orange 1967 Volvo 142. Delayed construction on Saturday allowed just enough time for practice runs, and a minor crash during Sunday's F Production race resulted in a red flag after one lap.

But Shaw said he didn't mind the extra time off from the track.

``(The red flag) was disappointing, but I actually had work I needed to get done on the car, so it helped us,'' he said. ``In a way, it was a lucky break.''

After being ranked ninth on Sunday - based on the distance he covered before the race was stopped - Shaw got an early top-three start Monday and burst in the final laps for a win over Norm Gerwien of Glendora and Chuck Wood of La Canada. It was his third win in six vintage auto races this year.

In the E Production class race - the first of the day - late-entry Dave Rauch of Northern California won with his black Volvo P1800S. Ken Rodenbush of Sherman Oaks, who registered the best qualifying time Sunday, did not finish the race when dripped oil over the track caused his red 1966 Volvo P1800S to spin.

The Cobra race, with 22 entries, featured one of the closest battles when Dick Smith (Fresno), Geoffrey Shanklin (Glendale) and Jim Click (Tucson) played musical chairs with the top three spots before Click secured the win.

San Fernando's Tom Colby, who came off with the fastest lap time on Sunday's D Production race, did not finish Monday when his brakes failed in the final laps. Colby was just inches behind the lead (and eventual winner Timo Passi of Sherman Oaks) when he pulled off the course before the final lap.

``It's a short, tight track that requires lots of brakes, and I drove two laps without them,'' said Colby, who drove his turquoise '59 Austin-Healy Sprite. ``I would have pulled in one lap sooner, but there were no brakes left to stop the car.''

Overall, however, Colby was happy with the weekend.

``(The course) was fantastic, really good for little cars, for tight, close racing,'' he said. ``You couldn't see tighter racing in any professional series. I can't wait until next year.''

Clocking the fastest times around the track were the Formula 1s and Formula 5000s. Dick Marconi of Tustin registered a fast-time of 59.42 seconds, about 13 seconds faster than the average lap speed. Marconi won his race with a 1975 Lola T332.

The event drew a three-day total of more than 100,000 spectators. Cris Vandagriff, general manager of the Vintage Auto Racing Association, said 410 drivers participated in the races, including several from the Orient, Latin America and Europe, and one from South Africa.

``We wanted to make sure we had a good mix of people,'' Vandagriff said.

Just like L.A.?

``Exactly.''