I love the variety of weirdness that turn up to see how fast they can get to the top of the hill. It’s one of those wonderful scenarios that often balances the light weight of the little nimble machines with barely a liter under the hood against the roaring horses under the heavier and more powerful machines.
When you need a half hour break from the family over the next few days, you could do worse than putting on the headphones and watching this short documentary about Corvette’s efforts at the 1960 24 Hours of LeMans. Corvette has become a prominent (sometimes dominant) team at the 24 in recent years, but that wasn’t necessarily the case in 1960 when the ‘Vette was still wrestling with the sentiment that the car was underpowered at its debut 7 years earlier.
Magnificent shot of racer and cofounder of the company that still bears his name, Louis Chevrolet in a Sunb(ḙ)am at the 1916 Astor Cup race.Â
This film would surely have disintegrated in its can if Fred Weinberg had not picked up at a yard sale. I like to imagine the thrill of discovery as Fred held that film reel up to the light and unspooled a few feet of film. That slow realization that those tiny shapes are racing cars; then taking it home and loading it into the old projector and beginning to recognize the streets of Watkins Glen. Then there’s trying to catch glimpses of racing numbers as he poured over archives of race results trying to figure out which running of a race this was. The ultimate realization that there’s footage here from the Queen Catherine Cup, the Seneca Sup, and the main event. Magnificent. Despite all of this archeology the original photographer is still unknown, but at least we can all appreciate his or her contribution to our precious little media of early American road racing.
Ice racing still happens on the frozen waters near St. Paul, Minnesota. But seeing Siatas and 356s and Allards wheel to slipping wheel is no less a tremendous sight out on the ice in this film of the St. Paul Winter Carnival Winter Ice Races of 1954.
As with many of the races of the period, I’m always astonished to see the variety of machines out there mixing it up. Not just sportscars of various sizes, but several American hot rodders joining the race as well
Worth watching just for the onboard from director Tom Countryman—who was a fixture in the upper-midwest vintage racing scene for decades. It really shows the delicate balance required for this very different kind of off-road racing. Glorious.
Thanks for sending this in, Paul!
The small blue car lurking behind that ’61 Corvette is a 1927 Bugatti. It was as exciting as any car can be, but it was a little short on creature comfort and only the best coordinated and most sinewy could hope to drive it. The Corvette, on the other hand, guarantees unstinting devotion to all the details of driver-passenger comfort and accommodation with no sacrifice in flashing performance or impeccable handling. Anyone who can drive well can drive a Corvette; the only thing that really sets is apart from today’s automobiles is the absolutely ecstatic way it goes down the road. Build into every Corvette is a lifetime supply of pure sports car excitement such as you’ve never known before.
Corvette by Chevrolet
Chevrolet Division of General Motors. Detroit 2. Michigan
Can you imagine what people would say if you suggested that Chevrolet show another car company’s product in their ads today? I almost can’t believe this happened.
Rudi wrote in with his footage from a variety of drag races saying, “Don’t know if you are into drags, but I just posted what I shot way back then”. I have to admit that I never really ‘got’ drag racing. But after attending my first drags as a spectator last summer—and starting to learn some of the weird intricacies of the sport—I have a much greater respect for drag racers (who are some of the most colorful and compelling figures in American motorsport today). I’ve also started to realize that much of what I love about classic racing, the grassroots everyman spirit, never really went away in drag racing. You’re just as likely to see a hotted up Ford Focus or GTI as a top-fuel dragster on any given weekend at the drag strip. That alone makes drag racing fantastic.
For those that live their lives a quarter mile at a time, this is absolute gold. The 1959 Nationals at Detroit are particularly great here… Not to mention the Gullwing Mercedes and the Corvette vs. Corvette grudge match starting after the 4 minute mark.
Thanks Rudi!
Great stuff here from the 1956 running of the Santa Barbara Road Races, Torrey Pines
With an amazing array of classic Mercedes Benz GP Cars brought up by the Revs Institute it was already going to be a fantastic weekend. Having Jochen Mass on hand to pilot the W-154 doesn’t hurt either.
Rudi Markl wrote in with this wonderful film compiling his old 8mm film cans chronicling visits to venerable races across the Eastern half of the country between 1957 and 1967. Spectacular stuff.
Represented among this film is footage from a variety of East Coast races, including:
1957 & 1958 Kentucky State Fairgrounds (Louisville)
1964 Watkins Glen U.S. Grand Prix
1964 Vineland, NJ
1964 Lime Rock, CT
1965 Bridgehampton, NY
1966 Lime Rock
1967 Bridgehampton
Plus bonus footage from the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix!
Cobra fans be sure to check out the segment of the 1964 Vineland race. Fantastic moments in the pits with those smart looking Cobra team jackets.
Like all great collection of racing footage, this one also comes with a mystery. Rudi asks: “I’d love to know about the quick dark blue car in the Vineland, NJ races at 10:00, 10:36 and 11:52 (ed: I believe he’s referring to car #44 with those trumpets sticking out the bonnet). No hood, stubby rear and wide front fenders that slope inward (unlike any car I know of). Last year I spent a couple hours online trying to find it on old films. I did find some history and old racing footage from the Vineland track (which I only went to that one time), but none of that car. It must be a ‘special.’ Someone out there must know who built and drove it. I’m 79, but if I knew where it is now I’d be interested in buying it.”
Anyone know anything about this car, who built her, or where she might be today? Let’s hear about it in the comments!