Road Racing history
 

The Scarabs See also post 34 and 36
By Nicole Wakelin
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The Scarab racer was an all-American open-wheel race car built by Tom Barnes and Dick Troutman for Reventlow Automobiles Inc. The duo’s careers for building cars for amateur road racing began back in the 1950s. The company, owned by Lance Reventflow, saw its cars garner both successes and rather grand failures during their short production run which ended in the early 1960s.
Success came in the 1958 Riverside International Grand Prix, which saw Chuck Daigh behind the wheel of a Scarab that won the race, beating out heavy-hitters like Phil Hill and the Ferrari team. Scarabs also took the win at that year’s SCAA International Grand Prix. Two of those cars were sold the next year, but Lance Reventflow’s was converted into a street-worthy vehicle for his personal use.
PHOTOS: See More of the Stunning Scarab Racer
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Scarabs saw more glory when Carol Shelby drove one at the Continental Divide Raceway in Castle Rock Colorado and set a new course record in the process. This was followed by a less than stellar attempt at Formula One during 1960 where the car’s front-engine design proved to be its downfall.
The 4-cylinder engines had a layout similar to the Offenhauser, but were Scarab’s own design with a Desmodromic valve gear like what was on the Mercedes F1 engine from the 1950s. That gear simply couldn’t manage the movement in the engine block which pulled the valves too far closed and caused them to fail.
RELATED: See Photos of the High-Powered Shelby Cobra 289
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Scarabs took part in five Grand Prix races, experiencing problems with hydraulic brake fluid aeration and oil starvation issues that saw only one of the original nine vehicles entered actually making it to the final F1 race of the 1960 season, the American Grand Prix held in Riverside, California. While the car did finish, it only did so just barely with Daigh keeping RPMs under 6000 to avoid fuel delivery issues.
Another unsuccessful year followed in 1961 with Daigh crashing before the season was out and destroying the car which was then left in Europe. A final car was built for the 1962 season with a Buick aluminum V8 with Phil Remmington fabricated intake and exhaust manifolds that was deemed illegal by FIA engine rules so that it couldn’t even be raced in Europe.
RELATED: See Photos of the Caterham Superlight Track Car
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The last Scarab was built as a mid-engined two-seater, again with a Buick V8, but this one Reventflow wanted to take out on the streets. He installed a muffler, went to the California DMV, and got it registered as his personal car. He also took this one to the track three times, sans muffler, managing second place in Santa Barbara.
When he decided to close-up the Scarab shop, he sold his personal car to John Mecom, Jr. of Houston Texas who put in a Traco-built 327 Chevy engine. A.J. Foyt took that one to the track, winning several races at Nassau, Bahamas during 1963. It later got a Chrysler Hemi engine which Augie Pabst, who still owned the car as recently as 2013, drove to several victories.

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History of Motor Racing pt 1 1902 - 1914


King Rose Archives
Bill Mason while working for the Shell Motor Company's film unit assembled an impressive series of documentaries that trace the history of motor racing. The first film shows the early years as Panhards raced against Mercedes. The German Kaiser showed up at the races. The French Grand Prix with Lancia, Fiat, Renault and Hotchkiss squaring off. Talbot races Delage at Brooklands. Accidents abound. George Boillot becomes a star. And Grand Prix racing attract huge crowds. S042

History of Motor Racing pt 2 1919 1929


King Rose Archives
While working at Shell Oil, filmmaker Bill Mason, produced a series about the early days of motor racing. It's an in depth classic. This film picks up after WWI with an early look at racing at the Indy 500 in 1919. The Kaiser is there and says hello to Louis Chevrolet. The winner of the race that year was Howdy Wilcox.

We see cyclecars race in France and return to Indy for 1920 and see Henry Ford, chatting with fellow automotive fans before Tommy Milton wins. The 1922 French Grand Prix at Strasbourg sees Felice Nazarro win for Fiat. In 1923 we're introduced to Bugatti. And begin to follow Campari's wins for Alfa Romeo. His fellow driver Antonio Ascari is also a perennial winner for Alfa.

The French Grand Prix attracts the American Tommy Milton for Duesenberg who battles Campari and Bugatti. Back to Indy in 1926 for Peter DiPaola to win for Duesenberg. S042 Shell

History of Motor Racing pt 3 1930 1934


King Rose Archives
While working for Shell Oil, Bill Mason, assembled a classic multi-part film series looking at the history of motor racing from the turn of the 20th Century to the outbreak of WWII. This comprehensive series showed the rivalry between countries and their cars and the legends who raced the cars. Tazio Nuvolari for Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Rudolf Caracciola for Mercedes. This episode sees Bugatti and Alfa fall away as the German Silver Arrows from Auto Union and Mercedes come to dominate Formula racing in Europe. The Nazis are determined to show off their superiority as the Master Race by using racing.

[h=1]History of Motor Racing pt 4 1935 to 1939
[/h]


When Bill Mason worked for Shell Oil in their film unit he created a series about the history of motor racing from the turn of the 20th Century to the outbreak of World War II. This fourth part covers the mid 1930s up till 1939 when Formula racing was dominated by the German teams of Mercedes Benz and Auto Union.

Their racing efforts were underwritten by Adolf Hitler who wanted to demonstrate the superiority of the Master race on the race track. The German cars were dubbed the Silver Arrows because of their sleek designs and silver paint. The Nazi swastika adorned the cars and the drivers became legends. Alfred Neubauer managed the Mercedes team and it was the most professional organization motor racing had ever seen. His drivers included Rudolf Caracciola, Hermann Lang, Manfred von Brauchitsch, and the Englishman Richard Seaman. Auto Union's most famous driver, Bernd Rosemeyer died attempting to break a land speed record held by rival Mercedes and he was replaced by his good friend Tazio Nuvolari.

Nuvolari had been the chief driver for Alfa Romeo but competing against the Germans became almost impossible. It was a thrilling time but the dark side of this enterprise has stigmatized ever since. In addition to the Formula racing we see the land speed attempts by John Cobb, George Easton and Sir Malcolm Campbell.

The races about Indy with Wilbur Shaw. And England's Richard Seaman racing his Napier before being scooped up by Mercedes. This version was prepared for release in Italy but I've chosen to use the English language sound track. S043 Shell


King Rose Archives

[h=1]A History of Motor Racing Part 5[

Part 5 - "Racing Reborn". A film depicting the world of automobile racing from 1940 - 1948. Original film is housed at the AACA Library & Research Center in Hershey, PA.

[h=1]The History Of Motor Racing Pt 6[/h]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWxzGDiiIyY

https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum
Published on Sep 26, 2006

PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE COMMENTS, out of respect to those who raced and took part. 1932 - Monaco Grand Prix 1932 - German Grand Prix at Avus 1932 - French Grand Prix at Rheims 1932 - Italian Grand Prixat Monza 1932 - Indianapolis 500 1933 - Mille Miglia 1932 - Monaco Grand Prix 1932 - Tripoli Grand Prix 1932 - German Grand Prix 1932 - French Grand Prix 1932 - Italian Grand Prix 1932 - British Grand Prix at Donnington Park

[h=1]History Of Motor Racing Pt 7[/h]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pnGtPAdsuM

musrum
Published on Sep 30, 2006 PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE COMMENTS, out of respect to those who raced and took part. 1933 - Tourist Trophy Donnington Park UK 1934 - Indianapolis 500 1934 - Monaco Grand Prix 1934 - German Grand Prix 1934 - French Grand Prix

[h=1]The History Of Motor Racing Pt 8[/h]
https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum
Published on Sep 30, 2006

PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE COMMENTS, out of respect to those who raced and took part. Motor Racing footage 1900 - 1950

[h=1]The History Of Motor Racing Pt 9[/h]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_GonsR3-cY

https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum
Published on Sep 30, 2006

PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE COMMENTS, out of respect to those who raced and took part. Motor Racing footage 1900 - 1950

[h=1]The History Of Motor Racing Pt 10[/h]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhRGjyxB40w

https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum
Published on Sep 30, 2006

PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE COMMENTS, out of respect to those who raced and took part. Motor Racing footage 1900 - 1950

[h=1]The History Of Motor Racing Pt 11 - Lang - Nurburgring[/h]First hint of color film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_5wAOmTSvY

https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum
Published on Sep 30, 2006

PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE COMMENTS, out of respect to those who raced and took part. Motor Racing footage 1900 - 1950 Herman Lang - 1937 Merecedes - Nurburgring Lap

[h=1]The History Of Motor Racing Pt 12[/h]
https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum
Published on Sep 30, 2006

PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE COMMENTS, out of respect to those who raced and took part. Motor Racing footage 1900 - 1950

[h=1]The History Of Motor Racing Pt 13[/h]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5cY_cGPiJ0

https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum
Published on Sep 30, 2006

PLEASE RATE AND LEAVE COMMENTS, out of respect to those who raced and took part. Motor Racing footage 1900 - 1950

[h=1]The History Of Motor Racing Pt 14[/h]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzzVlEm23Ik

https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum
Published on Oct 12, 2006

Motor Racing Footage 1900-1950

The History Of Motor Racing Pt 15 24 Hours of Le Mans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAzHJPwWqdc

https://yt3.ggpht.com/-gHCBh-t9DKQ/A...ffff/photo.jpgmusrum

Published on Oct 12, 2006


Motor Racing Footage 1900-1950

[h=2]1986 IMSA Charlotte GTP race Charlotte Grand Prix[/h] http://www.racer.com/components/com_...A/Image319.jpg

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If I had to guess, I've watched the 1986 Charlotte IMSA GTP race at least 20 times. The sight of the world's most diverse and cutting-edge prototypes, deep in NASCAR country, navigating Charlotte's awkward layout still holds its fascination for me. And in another nod to the different times when GTP thrived, the early domination by Klaus Ludwig in his four-cylinder turbo Ford Probe was thrilling to behold.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=0v8X4xZDTZw


No Balance of Performance. No cries of unfair advantages. And no surprise when GTP engines, wound beyond their limits, exploded in spectacular fashion.

Ludwig buried his foot in the throttle and crushed the Porsche 962s, Buicks, Corvettes, Jaguars, and all manner of prototypes...while asking those four little cylinders to stay below their melting point. Surviving a three-hour race like the 500km Charlotte Grand Prix was anything but a guarantee, and if you're a fan of drama, mystery waited around each corner for the leader and those in pursuit of the rapid German. Although Ludwig was the early star of the event, he wasn't necessarily the one spraying champagne at the end...
http://www.racer.com/images/2017/Dec...chives_418.jpgThe event made use of the North Carolinian track's sweeping oval and rudimentary road course which, despite its shortcomings, also made for great television. Check out the grandstands, as well. Fans flocked to see these caged animals unleashed in an unnatural environment.
And on the very real grounds of safety, a chicane comprised of tire bales was installed halfway down the back straight, and while it certainly looks strange, slowing GTP cars that weighed half of the average stock car and made power in the 900-1000hp range was a necessity.
With the recent repaving and modernization of Charlotte's infield road course in mind, NASCAR fans will get a look at its original state, free of safety measures and other conveniences we've come to expect today.
Spend some time with Ken Squier, Bill Adam, and Dave Despain – checking in from the old TNN broadcast hut – and turn up the volume for the wicked-fast meeting between IMSA GTP cars and Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 18, 1986.

[h=1]From The Archives: Cup regulars dominate The Glen[/h] Thursday, August 4, 2016 at 2:06 by GODWIN KELLY
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is at the Watkins Glen (New York) International road course this weekend. The historic International Speedway Corporation facility will host Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, with Joey Logano the defending champion.
http://insidetrack.blogs.news-journa...VL-400x600.jpgWATKINS GLEN, NY — August 13, 1989: Rusty Wallace in victory lane after winning the Bud at the Glen NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen International. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives)

Logano’s victory last year continued a trend at the upstate New York track. No matter the presence of recognized road course specialists – even those who through the years have appeared for “one-off” NASCAR runs – traditional Sprint Cup Series regulars win at the Glen.
Since the first Cup race at Watkins Glen in 1957, won by Buddy Baker, there have been only four times when the winner was what could be called a road-course specialist: Juan Pablo Montoya in 2010, Marcos Ambrose in 2011-12 and AJ Allmendinger in 2014.
And in each of those instances, the driver was a Sprint Cup regular who had excelled in road racing previously in another series.
Other than those anomalies, the Glen’s Cup races have been won by people known for their oval-track success like Rusty Wallace (1987 and ’89) or four-time winner Jeff Gordon (1997-99, 2001) or five-time winner Tony Stewart (2002, ’04-05, ’07, ’09).
The ISC Archives & Research Center here in Daytona Beach sent along a couple of photos from those days: Wallace in the Glen’s 1989 Victory Lane and Gordon in 1997.
The center also provided a classic 1960s photo of one road-course specialist who did show the NASCAR types how it was done: legend Dan Gurney, who won five times at the old Riverside International Raceway between 1963-68. Gurney never made a NASCAR start at Watkins Glen.
Each week this blog will highlight items from the ISC Archives and Research Center.
Fans may visit the ISC Archives and Research Center as part of a Daytona International Speedway “VIP Tour” that provides race fans an opportunity for an intimate, exclusive look behind-the-scenes at the “World Center of Racing.”
In addition to the ISC Archives and Research Center visit – where fans can see artifacts, past champion trophies, historic images and more – the VIP Tour provides an insider’s look at areas such as the Drivers’ Meeting Room, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garages, tech inspection and the Daytona 500 Club President’s Row.
http://insidetrack.blogs.news-journa...VL-300x196.jpgWATKINS GLEN, NY — August 10, 1997: Jeff Gordon celebrates in victory lane at Watkins Glen International after winning the Bud at the Glen NASCAR Cup race. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives)

Fans can have their photo taken at Daytona’s famed Gatorade Victory Lane and enjoy a birds-eye view of the entire 2.5-mile track from the new Daytona Rising Stadium. The tour concludes with access to the Coca-Cola Theatre and a close-up look at Denny Hamlin’s Daytona 500 winning car.
In addition, VIP Tour guests also get a visit to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, which has moved to DIS from Novi, Michigan. The MSHFA is located in the DIS Ticket and Tours Building.
Admission to the VIP Tour is $52 per person and advanced reservations are encouraged as availability is limited. Reservations can be made in person at the Daytona International Speedway Ticket Office or by calling 877-306-7223.
http://insidetrack.blogs.news-journa...0s-300x240.jpgUNKNOWN — 1960s: Dan Gurney of Costa Mesa, CA, won races during his career in Formula One, USAC Indy Cars, NASCAR Cup and on various sports car circuits, including the USAC Road Racing Championship tour, SCCA Trans-Am and SCCA Can-Am. He also holds the distinction of winning the first Daytona Continental sports car race that was held at the Daytona (FL) International Speedway in 1962. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives)


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John Andretti and the 1989 Miami IMSA GTP race

Marshall Pruett
http://www.racer.com/components/com_...che962_828.jpg

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Paired with sports car racing legend Bob Wollek in the Busby Racing Porsche 962, John Andretti recounts the bizarre exchange at the 1989 IMSA GTP race in Miami where the Frenchman refused to let the American in the car during a planned driver change. The embarrassing, passive/aggressive encounter with the late Wollek continues to stand as one of the crazier moments from Andretti's long career.

Some of the electronic pictures have gone away.
Read this thread before pics go away.

SCCA 75 years of SCCA history...photos, articles just posted today
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...ml#post9416882

Full Race - The First Energy Trans Am 100 at Mid-Ohio

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Tying some racing history together
See last post in thread:
See it before it goes away.

7 Awesome Group C Racecars You May Not Know About

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VisioRacer





Published on Feb 9, 2017

Ten Forgotten Group C Racers - LM24 Legends You've Never Heard Of

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Downforce UK
Published on Oct 10, 2017







Here are some of the incredible sportscar racers from the legendary Group B era that headlined the Le Mans 24 Hours classic race during the 1980s and early 1990s. Some of them you may never have heard of before - some are ugly, some beautiful. But all have a curious and

mysterious history. Scott Woodwiss talks you through ten Group C racers that nobody seems to remember for one reason or another. Mirage M12 Veskanda C1 Lamborghini Countach QVX Norma M6 Alfa Romeo SE 048 SP Brun C91 Konrad Lamborghini KM 011 BRM P351 Nissan

NP35 Peugeot 905 Evo 2 "Supercopter" Did we miss a long forgotten Group C racer? What did you love about this era of the sport? Who were you favourite drivers? What were your favourite cars?

Tell us in the comments box below! And come and join us online, like and subscribe here on YouTube and make sure you add us to your social media network!

The Trans Am Series at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix


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TheTransAmSeries
Published on Jul 11, 2016

The 3-Dimensional Services Group Motor City 100 - an invitational exhibition race at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, featuring TA, TA2 and TA4 - 2016
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Tying some racing history together
See last post in thread:
See it before it goes away.



*****************************
Inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame*********************

You Tube

NASCAR Hall of Fame Tour 2013************************

You Tube

NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum Tour... Charlotte, NC



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Abandoned tracks in Florida area and other places (updated)
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...s-fl-area.html

Bonneville History
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...e-history.html

Daytona History
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...a-history.html

Drag Racing History
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/dr...ml#post9366328

This link has some historic drag racing pics.

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/dr...pics-ever.html


Local historic drag racing track Twin City Oldsmar

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...florida-4.html


Indianapolis History

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...ml#post9373490

24 Hours of Lemans history

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...s-history.html


Lime Rock Park history

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/au...rock-park.html


Pikes Peak racing history
Is Pikes Peak a road Race?


https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...ml#post9362624


History of Race Cars

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...ml#post9370578

Road Racing History
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/g...g-history.html

Sebring history

The way to part 2 "A brief History of Sebring Raceway" is here:
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/g...-40-posts.html
-------------------------------------------------
This was the original brief history of Sebring part 1
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/general-car-chat/816701-sebring-raceway-brief-history-part-1-has-now-exceeded-40-posts-115-posts.html
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A bit of stock car racing history

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...ml#post9362625


Tying some Tampa Racing history together with links: Tampa International Raceway (Fair Grounds)

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/ge...l-raceway.html

See also post #1 Meister Brauser Racing Team Remembering Harry Heuer
 

See also post #1 Meister Brauser Racing Team

Remembering Harry Heuer

Casper, WY — Harry Heuer, one of the dominant big modified racers of the early 1960s, passed away Saturday (May 25) in Casper, Wyoming.


Heuer, son of the chairman of the board for Peter Hand Brewery, convinced the company to sponsor a race team to showcase the Scarab’s competition prowess — along with promoting the brewery’s Meister Brau beer — and the Meister Brauser Racing Team was born. His competitive instincts proved to be correct. With Augie Pabst Jr. manning the wheel, the Scarab went on to win the United States Auto Club’s National Road Racing Championship in 1959.


https://www.vintagemotorsport.com/wp...oys.com_-1.jpgHeuer in his Scarab gridded for the start of the ’60 Watkins Glen GP.




Heuer won the Sports Car Club of America’s B-Modified National Championship in 1961. Then in 1962, the brewery purchased Jim Hall’s first Chapparal for Heuer to campaign, and he won the C-Modified National title with the car in both ’62 and ’63.


As Preston Lerner states in his book, Scarab: Race Log of an All-American Special: “Harry Heuer … was to do more to promote the Scarab legend than anybody, besides Lance Reventlow himself.” Read a 2009 Chicago Tribune article about a Scarab driver reunion at Meadowdale International Raceway.


Tom Schultz, Road America’s historian and author of Road America: Five Decades of Racing at Elkhart Lake, just completed a book on the history of the Meister Brauser Team, to be published by Dalton Watson Fine Books.


Titled Meister Brausers, Harry Heuer’s Championship Racing Team, it is scheduled to be rolled out at July’s WeatherTech International Challenge with Brian Redman at Road America. Schultz tells us the plan was to have Heuer present at the event for the book’s debut, but that Heuer’s health rapidly declined in the past couple of months.


“I had been in telephone contact with Harry for many months gathering info from him for the book,” Schultz said. “As such, the text is loaded with direct quotes from him. We will have the three surviving Meister Brauser drivers — Augie Pabst, Bill Wuesthoff and Don Devine at the event.”


“Harry was a fine fellow, a three-time champion race driver and a fountain of stories, both printable and not! I will miss him.”

Honoring the architect of Rodger Ward's strangest win
 

INSIGHT: Honoring the architect of Rodger Ward's strangest win

https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1In July of 1959 a race was staged at Lime Rock Park which, according to the wonderful story written by Brock Yates for Car & Driver in 1999, was supposed to elevate the status of sports cars and road racing. Instead of running for trophies, there was to be a sizeable cash purse in hopes of attracting name drivers instead of doctors and lawyers. And it did, as Mexico’s heroes Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez were entered, along with Indy 500 stars Duane Carter and Bettenhausen. But Brenn had no plans to run until he got a phone call. Image by Don Cooke; courtesy Dave Nichols/Barcboys.com


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By: Robin Miller | July 30, 2019 2:16 PM


Ken Brenn is one of the most decorated car owners in open-wheel history, with a career that spans six decades and includes a phone book’s worth of talent behind the wheel.

During his years of owning, towing, wrenching and maintaining midgets, sprints and Indy cars, Brenn won a lot of races with guys like Tony Bettenhausen, Don Branson, Bobby Unser, Pancho Carter, Larry Dickson, Len Duncan, Johnny Coy, Jack Turner, Jiggs Peters, Bruce Walkup and Jimmy Caruthers. He also gave Mark Donohue his first-ever ride in a rear-engine midget.

For the next three nights Kyle Larson, will wheel a midget for Keith Kunz honoring the 92-year-old Brenn as part of USAC’s Pennsylvania Midget Week. But one of the best chapters of this New Jersey native’s career came compliments of Rodger Ward in a very unlikely pairing that produced a very unlikely victory.

I

“I came home one night and my wife Dottie told me that Rodger Ward had called,” said Brenn, who was in the business of building roads to feed his racing habit. “Well, he’d just won Indy and was a big star, and he didn’t know me from Adam. I didn’t believe her, so I didn’t call him back right away. Besides, I couldn’t afford to hire a guy like Ward, he’d want too much money.”

Well, they finally connected, and Ward revealed he was to get $2,000 in appearance fees so he suggested splitting that with Brenn and taking 40 percent of what he won in the race. A deal was made and they finally met just before Ward strapped in for the first practice session. “He was right at the track record in just a few laps,” recalled Brenn, who attends the IndyCar race at Pocono every year.

Oh yeah, one small detail that needs to be pointed out. Ward was driving a Kurtis-Kraft midget with an Offenhauser engine and a standard in-and-out gearbox against the Aston Martins, Ferraris and Maseratis.

https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...web.jpg?w=1000Image by Don Cooke; courtesy Dave Nichols/Barcboys.com


After Ward broke John Fitch’s track record and won the pole position, the captain of the Maserati team, Rex Wingate, congratulated Brenn and then predicted his car wouldn’t be around at the end because the track would kill their brakes. The program called for a pair of 20-lap heats followed by a 60-lapper.

“Rodger cooled it in the first one and finished third and then we won the second heat and we changed brakes after each race,” continued Brenn, who still possess a fantastic memory and looks as good as he thinks. “We had to load it up with fuel for the main event, so we dropped back at the start while we burned off some fuel.”

But when Ward passed an Aston Martin on the outside to take the lead a third of way into the finale, he immediately began pulling away.

“Tony Bettenhausen had got out of the car he was supposed to drive because it was a dog, so he was running our pit board,” said Brenn, chuckling at the memory of the USAC national champion volunteering for that job. “Rodger had a five or six second lead but Tony kept putting up one second, and I kept asking him why. He said ‘because Ward is lazy and we don’t want him relaxing too much.’”

When the checkered flag fell, the Indy champ and his mighty midget had dusted the field and humbled the sports cars on their own turf.

“Ward had a Champ Car race the next day so he had a helicopter waiting on him, and after we shook hands he told me he’d just keep all the deal money and I could have all the purse,” said Brenn. “Well, it was $4,900, and that was a haul in 1959.”

The 6-foot trophy that supposedly went to the winning team had vanished shortly after the victory celebration, so Brenn tracked it down. “A few Mexicans were taking it apart and loading it into a box, and I yelled at them that it belonged to me,” he said. “They said ‘No, this is Pedro’s (Rodriguez) trophy, he was supposed to win and if he doesn’t get it, nobody does.’

“So I didn’t get the trophy, but I got one of the most satisfying wins of my life and a damn good payday. No midget race ever paid like that.”

More on Roger ward at post #43
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2019 WeatherTech International Challenge With Brian Redman Presented by HAWK Meister Brauser Scarab

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Published on Jul 22, 2019

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Chris Pook details GP of Long Beach history in new book

Chris Pook details GP of Long Beach history in new book

https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Michael Levitt/Motorsports Images
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emailBy Marshall Pruett | 9 hours ago

Found within his new book ‘Chris Pook & The History Of The Toyota GP Of Long Beach,’ the founder of the great American street racing event shares an amazing number of stories within its 320 pages.

Written by Gordon Kirby — who covered the inaugural race in 1975 — for Racemaker Press, Pook’s life is captured in the heavyweight hardcover book starting with his upbringing in England before sharing tales of how the famed Southern California race came into existence.

https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...ook.jpg?w=1000The book’s formal launch was meant to take place this weekend during the 46th running of the Long Beach Grand Prix, but with its unfortunate cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pook (pictured, top, ahead of 2019’s IMSA race in Long Beach) spoke with RACER on Thursday to bring a few of its stories to life during an extended conversation.

“Basically, when I launched the idea of copying Monte Carlo really, that’s all we did,” he said. “The city folks looked at me and said, ‘What sort of qualifications do you have to do something like that?’ Obviously, I had not thought that one through thoroughly and I said, ‘Well, you know what, I’ll try and get Dan Gurney involved here and see if he’ll help with this project!’

“It was strictly just right off the seat of my pants I blurted out that comment to them; that was a magic name to them and they said, ‘Well, OK, let’s get him in here and see what he has to say.’ I was really at that point, if you will, [where] the bluff was almost called.”

Gurney, among the most influential men in motor racing, whose nearby All American Racers shop in Santa Ana was a massive contributor to Southern California racing culture, was the perfect name for Pook to present to the city’s council members. The only problem for the Briton was Gurney had no idea who he was, or that his clout had been used to stoke the Long Beach Grand Prix conversation.

Pook’s next move was a nervous phone call to pitch his crazy idea to the Big Eagle.

“(The receptionist) said, ‘Can I tell Mr. Gurney what this is about?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it’s about turning the streets of Long Beach into a Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit.’ And she said, ‘Could you just repeat that one more time for me?’ So, I repeated it and she just said, ‘Well, one moment,’” he recalled.

“I sort of sat there thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going to happen now?’ And then all of a sudden the phone just lit up with, ‘This is Dan Gurney, what can I do for you?’ From there on, he was on board. He listened for a few minutes and he says, ‘Well, that sounds exciting. Why don’t you come talk to me some more about it.’”
https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...g?w=1000&h=670Once Pook got him onboard, Dan Gurney became an enthusiastic advocate for the Long Beach GP and helped pave the way for the next stage of its evolution. Motorsport Images archive.

The event’s debut in 1975 featured Formula 5000 cars, and the following year, Pook struck a deal with Bernie Ecclestone to bring Formula 1 to the streets of Long Beach. In time, the savvy former head of F1 would push the price of hosting the series beyond Pook’s breaking point.

“Bernard was building Formula 1,” he said. “He had his vision for Formula 1 and he was building it and they were transitioning from the days when the race circuits used to pay starting money to the race drivers and the car owners, to where Bernie was able to package all the drivers up and the teams up and then go to the organizers or the venues and get fees, demand for money and transportation.

“In 1976, I think the first Grand Prix cost us $575,000 or something in that area. And all of a sudden, we got up to 1983 and we’re paying $1.75 million. And these are the days before major corporate sponsorship, before you had all this corporate hospitality and things, and ticket prices were very, very reasonable — you could go to a baseball game for five bucks.”
https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...g?w=1000&h=661F1 was a huge hit in Long Beach, but by 1983 the costs no longer made financial sense. Motorsport Images archive

Despite F1’s popularity at Long Beach, the costs become untenable. By 1984, the CART IndyCar Series — which sprang to life after Gurney called for team owners to break from USAC and form their own championship — was ready to take over the show where its modern successor, the NTT IndyCar Series, remains today.

“In the LA market, which is one of the toughest entertainment markets in the world, you’ve got to be competitive with your pricing,” Pook continued. “So pricing, we tried to edge it up to pay for it, but sooner or later the costs of improving the circuit…. Bear in mind that as Formula 1 was growing, the cars were getting more expensive, [and] the demands on the circuits was getting more and more expensive, the safety demands were getting increased and the technology was coming in, and you had to spend all this money every year on upgrades.

“Having almost gone broke after the 1976 race, we were working our rear ends off with the place being packed. We’d have like 97,000 people in the joint on Sunday, and 85 or 86 [thousand] on Saturday, and 65, 70 [thousand] on Friday. We were finding ourselves only making about $100,000-$200,000 profit.

“One bad day, one bad weekend, and we would’ve been toast. We would’ve been completely upside down. So we basically agreed with Bernard to disagree. And Dan, if you recall, was one of the founders of CART….”

Click here to purchase ‘Chris Pook & The History Of The Toyota GP Of Long Beach’ at the RACER Store.

Enjoy the rest of the conversation on ‘Chris Pook & The History Of The Toyota GP Of Long Beach’ below:
Long Beach, Chris Pook, Formula 1, Industry, IndyCar

A bit of TransAm history
 

A bit of TransAm history

TRANS AM

History

Billed as the Trans American Sedan Championship, the Series held its first race March 25, 1966, at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. Future Formula One World Champion Jochen Rindt took the overall victory and Bob Tullius won the Over 2-Liter class. Other first-year notables included A.J. Foyt, Richard Petty, Jerry Titus and Belgium's Jacky Ickx and the others may have been the star attractions during the inaugural season, but the foundation was built with regulars like Horst Kwech and Gaston Andrey in Alfa Romeos, Tullius and Tony Adamowicz in Dodge Darts, and Bob Johnson in a Plymouth Barracuda. In 1967, Mark Donohue entered the Trans Am Series, and a legend was born. Donohue earned three victories in 1967; 10 in 1968; six in 1969; three in 1970; and seven during 1971, his final season in the Series. Donohue scored a record 29 victories while driving for Roger Penske, as well as 43 top-three finishes in 55 Trans Am races, and won the championship three times (1968, 1969 and 1971), with two runner-up positions.

Donohue Dominance

The Donohue played a major role in establishing the Trans Am Series as the ultimate American automobile showdown. Donohue's Penske-prepared Camaro waged a season-long war with Parnelli Jones' Ford Mustang in 1969. Donohue prevailed, but only after winning six of the final seven races. The 1970 season began where 1969 left off, as American manufacturers waged war on the Trans Am battlefield. The Series featured Donohue and Peter Revson in AMC Javelins; Parnelli Jones and George Follmer in Ford Mustangs; Jim Hall, Vic Elford and Milt Minter in Chevrolet Camaros; Sam Posey in a Dodge Challenger; and Swede Savage in a Plymouth Barracuda.

Jones won the closest Drivers' Championship-by a one-point margin ahead of Donohue-guiding Ford to its third Trans Am Series manufacturers' title. The 1971 season was another Donohue steamroller as he won seven races, including six straight, in his AMC Javelin. Donohue easily won the Drivers' Championship, and AMC was the hands-down winner among the manufacturers.

Rule Changes

In 1973, the Trans Am Series went through its first major rule change. FIA Group 4 cars became the dominant force as Peter Gregg and Al Holbert finished first and second, respectively, in Porsche Carreras. In 1974, Gregg won two of the three races on the schedule. Holbert won the other race as Porsche swept one through five in the points and took eight of the 30 top spots.

In 1975, the Trans Am Series was restructured based on the SCCA Club Racing's fastest production car classes. Group 4 and 5 cars were added to the mix in 1976, and the Trans Am Series went to a two-class system-Category I and II. In 1978, Greg Pickett won the Category II drivers' title, in a Chevrolet Corvette. Bob Tullius clinched the Category I championship in a Jaguar XJS.

Due to rising costs, the Category II class was eliminated at the end of the 1979 season.

Modern Era Begins

In 1980, the Trans Am Series began to utilize a handicapping system based on engine size-to-car-weight ratio, with tube-framed cars entering the picture. The tube-frame standard has remained since and signaled the start of "modern-era" Trans Am Series racing. After a 14-year absence, the Chevrolet Camaro reclaimed the Trans Am Manufacturers' Championship in 1983 as the DeAtley Racing team won 10 of 12 events, with David Hobbs winning the title ahead of Willy T. Ribbs. In 1984, Tom Gloy and Lincoln-Mercury won three races en route to his first title. Lincoln-Mercury won 11 of the 16 races, including five straight, to win its first championship.

The Roush Dynasty

Entering the Trans Am Series in 1984, the Roush Racing dynasty dominated for the next six seasons, winning 46 of the 83 races, posting 97 top-three finishes, winning 40 poles and recording 40 fastest race laps. The Roush Capris proved unbeatable in 1985, winning 12 of the 15 races as 22-year-old Wally Dallenbach, Jr. won five races and became the youngest Trans Am Series champion in history. Ribbs, also in a Roush Capri, won more races (seven) and more money ($132,933) than Dallenbach, but finished second in the title chase for the second time in his career.

Chevrolet and Lincoln-Mercury waged a fierce battle in 1986, and the title came down to the last race. With victories in five of the first six races, it appeared Chevrolet was headed for the championship, but Lincoln-Mercury staged a comeback, and Roush's drivers won four of the last five races to bring the automaker its third-straight manufacturers' title. Also in 1986, Dallenbach left Lincoln-Mercury to become Chevrolet's lead driver-and he didn't disappoint. Dallenbach won four races en route to his second-straight title, placing him among the elite company of three other back-to-back Trans Am champions up to that point: Tullius (1977 and 197https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/i.../icon_cool.gif, Gregg (1973 and 1974), and Donohue (1968 and 1969).

A bit of TransAm history Part 2
 

A bit of TransAm history Part 2The 1987 season saw a continuation of Lincoln-Mercury's mastery as Roush's Merkurs won 11 of the 12 races to capture a fourth-straight manufacturers' title with Pruett, who won seven races and his first Trans Am title. The Group 44 all-wheel-drive Audi Quattros rolled on to center stage in 1988 as Hurley Haywood, Hans Stuck and Walter Roehrl combined for eight victories and 19 top-five finishes. Lincoln-Mercury driver Scott Pruett won two races that year. Paul Gentilozzi won his first Trans Am Series race, and earned Oldsmobile its first Series victory.

American Muscle

The Trans Am Series returned to its roots in 1989, as American carmakers Ford, Oldsmobile and Chevrolet squared off. Ford capped a 25th anniversary celebration for the Mustang by scoring its first Manufacturers' Championship since 1970. Ford lead driver Dorsey Schroeder entered the season as a rookie, but by the end of the year, he was definitely a veteran as he owned six victories and the championship and was named Rookie of the Year. In 1990, the Trans Am Series celebrated its 25th anniversary. Chevrolet won eight races en route to its first title in seven years. Tommy Kendall collected six victories and the drivers' title. Oldsmobile started the season strong, earning victories in four of the first five outings, but finished the year second in the championship while Ford dropped to third.

In 1991, the Camaro contingent continued its dominance as Scott Sharp and Jack Baldwin scored seven victories en route to claiming the top-two places in the championship.

In 1992, Baldwin beat teammate Sharp for the championship, although it came down to the final turn of the final race of the season. Dodge made its return to the Trans Am Series that year, making for a true battle of the big three. Chevrolet and Sharp again dominated the 1993 campaign, but not without a strong fight from Ford and arch rival Ron Fellows. Fellows won three of the first five races, but Sharp then took over, earning Buz McCall's American Equipment Racing team its third-straight title. For Sharp, it was his second crown in three years, earned on the merit of six victories and nine poles.

The 1994 storyline was dominated by five former champions and a host of hungry challengers. The result was 30 track records, including five races decided by less than one second. In the end, Pruett claimed his second title in a Camaro with three victories.

The spectacular performances continued in 1995, a year without a single flag-to-flag winner, thanks in part to the introduction of an inverted "Fast Five" qualifying grid. Kendall's single victory, at the next-to-last race of the season at Road Atlanta, proved to be enough as his consistent performances earned him his second championship. Fellows, switching from a Ford Mustang to a Chevrolet Camaro for 1995, fought his way to a career-high five victories, but came up short of Kendall, earning his third-straight runner-up spot.

Five different drivers won the first five races of 1996, tying the all-time record for "season-opening" races without a repeat winner-a mark that had stood for 23 years. The season's opening rounds also produced some serious competition as eight drivers-Boris Said, Fellows, Kendall, Gentilozzi, Tony Ave, Schroeder, Jamie Galles and Sharp-led the field in the first four races, combining for 18 lead changes-just one less than the 19 total lead changes in 1995. Kendall went on win his third title in a Ford Mustang.

Kendall Dominates

The 1997 season will be remembered as the year Kendall awoke to find all of his dreams had come true. Scoring 11 consecutive victories en route to his then record fourth and third-straight championship. Kendall's remarkable winning streak set records in the Trans Am Series, SCCA Pro Racing and "major series" road racing worldwide.

Building on the exposure and momentum created in 1997, the Trans Am Series entered 1998 with BFGoodrich Tires as the series' spec radial racing tire supplier. Also new to the Trans Am Series in 1998 was the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette driven by Paul Gentilozzi. Gentilozzi won seven races and set seven records en route to his first Trans Am Series title-the first Drivers' Championship earned in a Corvette since Eppie Wietzes did it in 1981.

In 1999, Gentilozzi switched alliances to Ford, but it didn’t slow him down, as he captured his second consecutive title in a Mustang, with Brian Simo finishing second.

The year 2000 saw the Trans Am Series usher in new manufacturer eligibility, multi-valve engines, fuel injection and spec rear wings. It marked the return of Jaguar, brought to the party by Gentilozzi’s Rocketsports team. The title was captured by Simo in his Qvale Mangusta on the strength of three wins and seven top-five finishes, with Gentilozzi finishing in second.

The Jaguar Years

Jaguar and Rocketsports dominated three of the next four seasons, taking three manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships.

In 2001, Gentilozzi won his third Trans Am Series championship in four years and led Jaguar to its first manufacturers' title since 1978. Gentilozzi won four races that year, including three straight early in the season.

Boris Said powered his Panoz Esperante to eight wins in 2002 to earn his first Trans Am Series championship, as Jaguar used the season to develop a multi-valve engine program that would prove to be nearly unbeatable the next year.

The Rocketsport Jaguars returned with a vengeance in 2003 as Scott Pruett won eight of 10 races en route to his third title. In 2004, the stage was set for a Rocketsports showdown featuring four-time champ Kendall and three-time titlist Gentilozzi. Both drivers entered the season in hot pursuit of Donohue’s record for most wins (29) with Kendall leading the charge with 26 wins, but followed closely by Gentilozzi at 24 wins.

The year belonged to Gentilozzi, who gained his fourth title on the strength of five wins in eight starts. His final victory of the season came in Denver to tie Donohue at 29 career wins.

The 2005 season was one of the most competitive in years. A scant 19 points separated the top four drivers with just two races to go, as Derhaag/Corvette ace Randy Ruhlman, thanks in large part to a win at Cleveland, led the points chase by a single point. German Klaus Graf, driving a Rocketsports Jaguar, finished out of the top 10 in three of the first four races but turned things around in a big way with the season headed for the home stretch. He won the final three races (Denver, Road America and Montreal) to secure his first drivers’ title and Jaguar’s third straight manufacturers’ title.

Gentilozzi, ran a limited schedule in 2005, but remained a factor when he entered. He won in the streets of Toronto to become the all-time leader in career wins with 30. The other feat of note was Greg Pickett winning in Edmonton, to become the first driver to win in four different decades.

Significant news was made off track, as SCCA Pro Racing assumed series’ ownership and management. Just two races were held in 2006, and both were run at Ray Irwin’s Heartland Park Topeka. The field was mostly GT-1 club racers, but it did include several Trans Am “regulars”, including Gentilozzi. Gentilozzi earned his 31st career win and added a second in the other race, which propelled him to his fifth title.

Trans Am Series was shuttered by SCCA Pro Racing following the 2006 season. At the time, it marked the end of the road, despite an impressive run of 41 years of continuous operation. ? ?The Trans Am was brought back to life for the 2009 season, with the technical and sporting regulations based on GT-1 club rules. Veteran Tomy Drissi won the Portland race and took the Drivers’ title while Tony Ave was the series’ runner up while former Champion Graf made the most of his two appearances – winning two of two (VIR and Mosport).

Ave turned in monster performances in 2010 and 2011, taking six wins each season to win back to back titles.

Also in 2011, Amy Ruman became the first woman in series history to win a race, accomplishing the feat in the season finale at Road Atlanta.

1967 SCCA Can Am at Riverside (highlights)
 

1967 SCCA Can Am at Riverside (highlights)

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oldSCCAguy yah
3.26K subscribers"Glory Days" rework of the old ABC WWS show. I think I taped it because I was a Chaparral fan as a kid, and by the time ESPN considered it worthy of a GD episode, I was an adult. I was pretty stoked that I could actually *see* how a Chaparral worked back then, now that I know what I know about motor racing. Otherwise, if you know what this series is, I don't have to tell you who all those folks who participated in it are.