Categories
Historic Racing Photos Porsche

Jerry Melton’s 1968 Detroit SCCA Regionals

From yesterday’s shots of the ’67 LeMans—perhaps the biggest sportscar race in the world—to today’s snaps from a regional track in the midwest; there’s virtually no end to the historic images and stories that drive our sickness passion for vintage racing.
I’ve mentioned before that I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Waterford Hills Road Racing course. This was my home track growing up. It was where I saw my first club racing and my first vintage racing. I vividly remember 911s and even VW Golfs lifting a wheel at the crest of Hilltop Turn; and seeing more than a few cars lift 2 and sometimes 4 wheels if they overcooked it. That was it. I was hooked. So when Cliff pointed me to these Jerry Melton photographs from the June, 1968 SCCA Regionals at my beloved Waterford, I couldn’t just keep them to myself—could I?

I can’t resist sharing one more: Many of us know Garret Van Camp through his dominance in Formula Vee. It’s marvelous to see him in his earlier incarnation racing a Porsche Speedster. Check out that strap to the roll bar holding the door shut!

I’d seen Formula 1 cars thunder down the closed city streets of Detroit, their cacophonous engine notes echoing off the windows of the Pontchartrain Hotel and reverberating through Atwater Tunnel. But it was these smaller club events at local tracks that made me a lifelong racing fan. Even today, it’s these regional events that give me the greater thrill. A thrill that Jerry has managed to capture beautifully in these images from the June ’68 SCCA Regionals. Check out more of Jerry Melton’s archives on Etceterini.

Categories
Ferrari Historic Racing Photos Porsche

JYHelbe’s 1967 LeMans

With the Ford/Ferrari wars in full swing, it was already bound to be a fantastic June day—and night. Add Jim Hall’s newfangled adjustable wing and air-damn equipped Chaparral 2F and a “throw ’em all in there” 906/907/910 field from Team Porsche and who knows what could happen?

JYHelbe was all over Le Sarthe, and found a handful of choice angles to capture the action. This is but a taste; check out the complete set for more.

Categories
Historic Racing Photos

Parade of Racing Cars Lines Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen too many Noire movies; or read too many detective novels; or played too much LA Noire on Playstation; but I love the notion of Downtown Los Angeles being the epicenter of the city’s life. There’s a certain amount of wonder in old photos of Downtown LA thronged with people and streetcars and traffic. It makes LA feel like more of a city-city, which is something that occurs to almost no one today (with the possible exception of some Angelenos).
The caption on this photo said 1927, but that can’t be right, can it? This parade of racing machines running through town—perhaps to publicize the weekend’s dirt track race—seems more like early to mid 30’s. Those look to my eyes to be ’31—’34 roadster rear ends. I’ve scoured the Marquees along the streetside for some clue that might narrow in on a date, but I’ve turned up nothing. What do you think?
I’ve visited LA many times, but I don’t think I’ve ever crossed into downtown. Perhaps I’m missing out.
Photo via this incredible LA Photographic history thread on Skyscraper City.

Categories
Restoration

Me and My ASP Pt. 4: She's Finished!


The ASP is done! Last Thursday I rolled the car in the trailer and headed for Gingerman Raceway on the west side of Michigan but not before taking a few photos that Harlo posted here last week. My good friend and famed photographer Fabrizio Costantini also came by to take some beautiful photos as well.
I arrived at the track late in the afternoon to shake the car down at their test and tune night. I got to chase around several other open-wheeled cars of various formula. The ASP felt like an old familiar friend and it handled better than I remembered. It might have something to do with changing the geometry of the tie-rods for better bump steer and definitely has something to do with calling over Garret Van Camp (the set up maestro) to help me dial in the camber and toe. I took it pretty easy as I made about 10 laps around increasing my speed with each lap, seating in the new piston rings.
The car felt good, sounded good and then after about 20 minutes of remembering why I love FV so much something went amiss. I couldn’t seem to find any gear other than 4th, so i pulled into the paddock to find out what was going on. A broken shift rod was what was going on. Upon further inspection, it appeared to be made of paper thin steel tubing that must not have held up to the nickel plating process. Perhaps it’s the one part on the car that was designed by Collin Chapman to be as light as possible. I was done for the day. The next morning I began my quest to find some adequate steel to remake a part that would last. I found a steel supplier conveniently located a few miles from the track and the guys at Trackside Motorsports which is as the name suggests is conveniently trackside. They assisted me in remaking a new and improved shift rod that had me back in action for Saturday’s qualifying session.
It is my hope that the rings are still seating and that is what landed me 11th on the grid out of the 30 cars but in truth it was probably some combination of my time out of the car, the rings and the stiff competition. The car did seem to make more power as the weekend went on though… or at least I imagined it did. For the start of the race on Sunday I got away quickly and managed to get around 3 cars before turn 1. By the 3rd to last lap I had made my way into 5th place but then was passed back by Guy Dennehy. I stayed on his gearbox for the next lap hoping I’d be able to draft around him on the back straight. As we came up to the Turn 5/6 combination he went in a little too hot and back end of his Lynx started stepping out and I sensed he was going to lose it.
The car spun left and I went right, then he tried to correct and it snapped back across the track in front of me and I went waaayyy right off the track (as to not spear my pal Guy). I tried to not give the wheel any sudden input and edge it back toward the track surface but as has happened so many times before when two wheel are on grass and two on pavement, my car too snapped into a spin. Most every car I’d worked to get around, got around me in an instant, and several of them too close for my comfort… I had a front row seat to oncoming racecars. As soon as the last car went by I whipped around in anger (just an expression) and started trying to chase down the pack. With only 2 laps to go I knew it wasn’t likely but my heart was pumping and my tires were sticking. I passed all of the lapped traffic before the last lap and had Guy and the rest of the pack in my sights but they had just made up too much ground. If I’d had one more lap who knows. I finished lucky 7th, feeling lucky that I could roll the car back on the trailer unscathed to fight another day.


See the complete restoration story here.
Stay tuned for details on the next project which is nearing completion… a 1969 Merlyn MK11A Formula Ford.

Categories
Classic Sportscar

Carroll Shelby. 1923—2012.

Damnit. Rest in peace, chicken farmer. More at Speed and the New York Times.
Love this anecdote from that Times article.

“Bill Neale, an automotive artist who illustrated Shelby’s designs, once recalled for Vanity Fair that when Shelby assembled his first Cobra, he painted it yellow and had it photographed for the cover of Sports Car Graphic. The next day he showed another magazine what seemed to be an identical car, colored red.
“I said, ‘You have two of them?’ ” Neale recalled. “And he said, ‘Nah, we just painted it so they think we have two.’ ”

And Bill Cosby’s routine on Carroll and his machines is always worth a listen. (Thanks RossLH)

And, for reasons I can’t quite explain, I hope this article is true.

Categories
Ferrari

This Level of Craftsmanship Will Never Not Impress Me.

Ordinarily when you roll your Ferrari 500 TR you might start to think of contingency plans—particularly in 1958 when they weren’t the precious objects they are today. Re-bodied special? Sell her for parts?

That this shop looked at the damaged hulk and said, “yeah, we can fix that” is admirable. That they pulled it off so successfully is remarkable. That this level of skill and craftsmanship likely wasn’t even that unusual and that coachbuilders of this caliber were probably working in every major metropolitan area is spectacular.

That these skills are largely forgotten is tragic.

More photos and the accompanying article from a 1958 issue of Tekniikan Maailma on Forum-Auto.

Categories
Vintage Racing Advertising

Perfect Teamwork

Perfect teamwork wins Grand Prix of the United States!
Jimmy Clark
The “Flying Scot,” winner of more Grand Prix races than any other active driver.
Lotus by Chapman
Winner of the constructors’ title in 1963, winner of the Indianapolis 500. Achievements like this make Colin Chapman one of the most creative pioneers in the business of racing.
BRM, H-16
First win for BRM (British Racing Motors) radical design engine, 16 cylinders in a horizontal H layout with a displacement of 2998 cc’s, two overhead valves per cylinder, 12.5:1 compression ratio with a power output of about 420 bhp at 10,750 rpm.
STP Oil Treatment
Used to protect the power of the most sophisticated racing powerplant ever built. STP Oil Treatment has the unique property of blending with any motor oil to form a super-lubricant that easily withstands the rigorous heat and pressures of all kinds of racing. Next time you need oil…every time you change oil…add STP Oil Treatment. Used by millions and millions of motorists like you. Available at service stations everywhere.
Late news from Japan: Jackie Stewart and STP Oil Treatment win Tokyo “Indy 200” Championship!
STP Division
Studebaker Corporation
125 Oakton, Des Plaines, ILL

Categories
Porsche

Cars & Coffee’s Tribute to Butzi

It’s been a couple of weeks, but today I was pointed to this magnificent series of photos on digitaldtour about Cars & Coffee’s tribute to Butzi Porsche the week after his death. The brilliant thing about southern California is that when the call goes out for an effort to gather as many 911s as possible, a damn lot of them show up. And since it is SoCal, a few 904s (including one example that formerly belonged to Butzi himself), Abarth 356s, ultra-rare 924GTS, and 356 Carrera 4-cams pop in as well.

Plenty of great stuff for the Porschephile on the rest of the site. Clear your schedule.

Categories
Restoration

Eric Dean’s Freshly Restored Vee is Ready for Action

Eric says, “I took some photos of the ASP before I rolled her in the trailer for this weekend’s race. I guess that means the restoration is officially done. I hope it gets around the track a little faster than before.”

Those of you that have been following along with Eric’s ASP Formula Vee restoration are going to be pleased as hell to see these shots. I’m sure there’ll be more images of her on track by the time the weekend is through but I couldn’t resist sharing these with you today.

Beautiful work, Eric. Congratulations.

Categories
Gear

Autodromo Launches Chronograph Line

When Autodromo launched last year with a series of automotive inspired timepieces I was immediately smitten. How could I not be?

Timepieces and motor racing have a long history of association together, even if sometimes the reasons are a bit murky, and even if sometimes the glamour of expensive cars and expensive watches overshadows the pure clinical necessity of accurate timekeeping in motor racing.

Rarely, though is motoring this successfully referenced in a watch without being gaudy. Some watch manufacturers’ aesthetic is a bit…excessive. I prefer a cleaner and less ostentatious design; and Autodromo has successfully referenced motorsport without screaming it by adding checkered flags or other overt or corny iconography. It’s not just the faces either, the perforated bands just ooze motorsport to me.

For their most recent line, Autodromo has smartly moved beyond simply referencing motoring in their offerings and created a vital tool for the sports and racing enthusiast: These stunning chronographs (for those unfamiliar with chronographs, this YouTube clip gives a good introduction).

By happy coincidence, they’ve chosen my favorite model from their launch line as the basis of extension for the chronograph series. The Vallelunga series is, for me, the most beautifully realized of their combinations of straight timepiece function with graphic motorsport reference.

I think I’m also partly drawn to it because 3 o’clock is redline. I don’t know about you, but that’s usually when I’m starting to burn out after running hot all day.

Check out the complete collection at Autodromo.com.