Jump to content


Photo

Chuck Parsons


  • Please log in to reply
227 replies to this topic

#101 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 02 December 2006 - 13:44

Posted Image
Kent, Washington in 1963. The USRRC Race. Ernie Gravelle and Chuck and Sherry Parsons. Ernie was Sherry's father and head mechanic for the operation. Chuck went on to finish 10th overall. This race was won by Pedro Rodriguez in a Genie-Chevy.
Posted Image
Chuck and Sherry Parsons and the Lotus 23.
Posted Image
Monterey USRRC 1963 in Lotus 23. Chuck won this race over Don Wester in a Porsche RS61. Skip Hudson in a front engined Chaparral 1 was third.
Posted Image
Chuck Parsons by his Lotus 23
photos lent site by Gravelle Family-scanned by Ike Smith

Advertisement

#102 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 02 December 2006 - 13:55

Posted Image
Chuck Parsons in Randy Hilton's Sunbeam.
Posted Image
Chuck running the Sunbeam in race.
photos lent site by Gravelle Family-scanned for site by Ike Smith

#103 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 02 December 2006 - 22:03

Posted Image
Riverside in 1968 the USRRC race. Colin Riley and Ike Smith with Chuck Parsons. Gil Munz helping on Skip Scott's car. Chuck Parsons finished 4th. Skip Scott had overheating problems and was a DNF.
photo by Stephen Kaye-Lent site by Ike Smith

#104 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 02 December 2006 - 22:46

Posted Image
Elkhart Lake 1968 500 mile race. Chuck and Skip Scott in Victory Lane. Ike Smith and Peter Bryant and in the scarf Skip Scott's wife Kathy.
photo- Ike Smith Collection
Posted Image
Victory Trophy presentation for Chuck Parsons and Skip Scott.
Carl Haas is seen at picture right ducked down.

photo lent site-Peter Bryant.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 November 2010 - 11:21.


#105 tom walker

tom walker
  • New Member

  • 21 posts
  • Joined: December 06

Posted 05 December 2006 - 00:08

I am hoping you guys may be able to help me....I have recently bought Lola T160 SL160/9 and believe the late great Chuck Parsons drove the car around 1968/69. Can anyone confirm this, I sure would like to know.

Tom Walker

#106 RA Historian

RA Historian
  • Member

  • 3,833 posts
  • Joined: October 06

Posted 05 December 2006 - 03:16

The Martin Krecji records I have seen indicate that SL160/9 was sold new by Carl Haas to a Rod Leach. I am completely unfamiliar with this name and am unaware of any racing history of Leach or this car.

Same source indicates that the car that Chuck Parsons drove was SL160/5.

#107 NGSmith

NGSmith
  • Member

  • 137 posts
  • Joined: July 06

Posted 05 December 2006 - 03:29

Where did it come from and where is it now? Most of what I have seen in reference to that chassis number is that is beleived to be the Parsons car. Now we all are curious as to it's history trail! What is the history that you got with the car? Here are a couple links that may lend some help. They are not by any means conclusive or absolute though.


http://72.14.203.104...us&ct=clnk&cd=7

Nick Smith

#108 RA Historian

RA Historian
  • Member

  • 3,833 posts
  • Joined: October 06

Posted 05 December 2006 - 03:40

Originally posted by NGSmith
Where did it come from and where is it now? Most of what I have seen in reference to that chassis number is that is beleived to be the Parsons car.
Nick Smith

I trust you are referring to SL160/5 as that is what is shown in the Krecji data that you use as your reference.

#109 NGSmith

NGSmith
  • Member

  • 137 posts
  • Joined: July 06

Posted 05 December 2006 - 05:05

No, I wasn't using that as a reference to the number nine. I have seen it in many past postings listed as number nine such as the one below. I am not sure how the association to number five turned into SL164/21. Chuck drove both a T160 and later a T163 or T164 didn't he? They are probably not the same and the reference to the one being reconstructed may be inaccurate unless someone knows otherwise.

http://wspr-racing.c.../canam1968.html

#110 RA Historian

RA Historian
  • Member

  • 3,833 posts
  • Joined: October 06

Posted 05 December 2006 - 14:14

Chuck Parsons drove in the Can Am for Carl Haas for three years, 1967-69. In 1967 he drove a McLaren Elva Mk III (M1C). In 1968 he drove a Lola T-160, which according to Martin Krejci's data is SL160/5. Then in 1969 he drove a T-163 and in the last two races the one-off T-163B or T-164 (I've seen it referred to as both in different places.)

Maybe I am not looking in the right place, but on the link that Mr. Smith mentions I found race results, but no reference to SL164/21. Also, the mention of Parsons' car as #9 contradicts Mr. Krejci's research as I mentioned in an earlier post. Martin says #5 was the Haas/Parsons car while #9 was owned by someone named Rod Leach. (Does anyone know who Rod Leach is/was? Maybe that would clear some things up)

#111 David McKinney

David McKinney
  • Member

  • 14,156 posts
  • Joined: November 00

Posted 05 December 2006 - 15:10

Rod Leach was a UK car dealer, specialising in Cobras but dealing other cars as well
I would have thought any mention of his name in car records would be to later ownership

#112 NGSmith

NGSmith
  • Member

  • 137 posts
  • Joined: July 06

Posted 05 December 2006 - 20:10

Originally posted by RA Historian
Chuck Parsons drove in the Can Am for Carl Haas for three years, 1967-69. In 1967 he drove a McLaren Elva Mk III (M1C). In 1968 he drove a Lola T-160, which according to Martin Krejci's data is SL160/5. Then in 1969 he drove a T-163 and in the last two races the one-off T-163B or T-164 (I've seen it referred to as both in different places.)

Maybe I am not looking in the right place, but on the link that Mr. Smith mentions I found race results, but no reference to SL164/21. Also, the mention of Parsons' car as #9 contradicts Mr. Krejci's research as I mentioned in an earlier post. Martin says #5 was the Haas/Parsons car while #9 was owned by someone named Rod Leach. (Does anyone know who Rod Leach is/was? Maybe that would clear some things up)


I agree that the listing is contradictory. Here we have other results from Krejci WSRP sites that show the car listed as SL160/9. I know that he posts what people report to him and it has to be difficult to verify that it is truly an accurate representation of fact. These cars had many lives through the years as we all know.

http://wsrp.wz.cz/canam1968.html

Nick

#113 Gerald Swan

Gerald Swan
  • Member

  • 160 posts
  • Joined: October 04

Posted 05 December 2006 - 22:03

I'm working purely from memory here so I might be talking complete rubbish :rotfl: but didn't Rod Leach convert the T160 into a fairly mind-blowing (red?) road car. I would go and look it up but I can't think where to start!

Gerald.

www.lolaheritage.co.uk

#114 tom walker

tom walker
  • New Member

  • 21 posts
  • Joined: December 06

Posted 06 December 2006 - 00:29

On the wspr and wsrp (are they the same firm ??) web sites there are many listings of T160's and occasionally, apparently at random, they show a chassis number. There are, having spent only the briefest moment searching, two references to SL160/9. Both 1968, both Parsons/Haas, the first is the Starburst GP Las Vegas, and the second is the Can-Am Bridgehampton in September. There are plenty of other references to Parsons driving a T160 in 1968, but no detail on chassis number.

Rod Leach is a car dealer in the UK, and may well be able to help me as I think he is still on the go.

As far as I know, the car was owned by Alec Seldon in the UK around the mid 80's and did a bit of racing before being sold to a museum in '85 where it languished till now !

It is the early US history (if any!) which I would like to pin down.

Oh, there is a reference to a race at Mosport Park in August 1978, driven by David Giorgi. Does that ring any bells ?

Tom Walker.

#115 NGSmith

NGSmith
  • Member

  • 137 posts
  • Joined: July 06

Posted 06 December 2006 - 03:01

Hi Tom,

What museum was it at? Is that where you bought it from?

Nick

#116 NGSmith

NGSmith
  • Member

  • 137 posts
  • Joined: July 06

Posted 06 December 2006 - 03:02

Originally posted by Gerald Swan
I'm working purely from memory here so I might be talking complete rubbish :rotfl: but didn't Rod Leach convert the T160 into a fairly mind-blowing (red?) road car. I would go and look it up but I can't think where to start!

Gerald.

www.lolaheritage.co.uk


I can't remember where I had heard that but the story does ring a bell.

Nick

#117 Gerald Swan

Gerald Swan
  • Member

  • 160 posts
  • Joined: October 04

Posted 06 December 2006 - 22:13

I knew I wasn't imagining it, there is an article about the car in the August 1979 Motor Sport. It says there that it is the ex-Chuck Parsons T160/9, it's now (or at least in 1979) fitted with a 5.3 Chevrolet and 5-speed Hewland, oh and it was red.

I would like to claim credit for finding the article but I didn't so a big thank you to Anders :clap: for locating it.

I for one would love to know if it still exists as a road car although there is mention in the article that Rod Leach was thinking of converting it back to race spec. Possibly it was which would fit in with Alec Seldon racing it in the 80s.

Gerald.

www.lolaheritage.co.uk

#118 tom walker

tom walker
  • New Member

  • 21 posts
  • Joined: December 06

Posted 07 December 2006 - 11:44

Firstly can I ask that it is OK with the other readers of this thread that I have diverted the subject from Chuck Parsons to this Lola. If this is a problem, perhaps we should start another thread. Please let me know.

Gerald, I spoke to Rod Leach last night and he was able to confirm that SL160/9 is the car he bought from the States in 1977 and then converted into a road car. I did not know about the Motor Sport article, but Mr Leach told me that the converted car appeared on the front cover of and featured in Classic Cars magazine January 1982, which I have confirmed as I bought a copy on Ebay last night !

He said it made a fabulous road car, with a de-tuned Chevy, and when I suggested ground clearance might be a problem, he said it was fine because there was no such thing as sleeping policemen in those days !

He was not sure about its early history in the States, but he thought that it was ex-Chuck Parsons /Haas, and had been at the Quaker State School. He sold the car to Alex Seldon in The early 80's.

The only concrete evidence I have of the cars previous use is a SCCA log book stamped from May 1985 to August 1976, the Driver/entrant being shown as John Erickson, at venues such as Waterford, Nelson Ledges Drivers School, Glen Drivers School, Gratten Drivers School, Blue Water, "Cincy Reg" (is that short for Cincinatti ?) and Nelson Ledges Regional.

Can anyone in the States tell me if the SCCA would hold records of members addresses going back that far ? I would like to find John Erickson.

Tom Walker.

#119 tom walker

tom walker
  • New Member

  • 21 posts
  • Joined: December 06

Posted 07 December 2006 - 23:08

apologies for typo: that should read "May 1975 to August 1976" in second to last para.

Advertisement

#120 RA Historian

RA Historian
  • Member

  • 3,833 posts
  • Joined: October 06

Posted 08 December 2006 - 03:19

As mentioned earlier, Parsons drove a Lola T-160 in the 1968 Can Am, either SL160/5 or SL160/9. Later in the six race series that year his teammate Skip Scott also got a T-160 to replace the T-70 with which he started the series. This could be where the confusion comes into play. Numbers 5 and 9 both could very well have been these Haas team cars that year. Perhaps used interchangeably. The T-160 which Parsons drove at Road America had a very unsightly divided rear spoiler. This same rear bodywork was on the T-160 driven the next year by Brooke Doran indicating that car was the same as what Chuck drove at least in the opening rounds of 1968.

#121 ggnagy

ggnagy
  • Member

  • 261 posts
  • Joined: March 04

Posted 08 December 2006 - 12:51

Originally posted by tom walker
The only concrete evidence I have of the cars previous use is a SCCA log book stamped from May 1985 to August 1976, the Driver/entrant being shown as John Erickson, at venues such as Waterford, Nelson Ledges Drivers School, Glen Drivers School, Gratten Drivers School, Blue Water, "Cincy Reg" (is that short for Cincinatti ?) and Nelson Ledges Regional.

Can anyone in the States tell me if the SCCA would hold records of members addresses going back that far ? I would like to find John Erickson.

Tom Walker.


SCCA HQ archives are a real mess, as most who have tried to do research will tell you. Is there a logbook number? the first 2 numbers should correspond to the SCCA region which issued the logbook. That MIGHT be the home region for John Erickson. You can map region number to region at the scca.org website. Based on the tracks listed, I think it would be safe to assume he was somewhere in what is now called the Great Lakes Division. Region archives can be hit or miss, as often times there is no real permanent storage other than some lockup where the club also stores pylons, oil dry, fire extuingishers, etc etc.

Then again, Mr Erickson might still be racing, just in something alot less fire breathing than an ASR Lola. One thing you might try is writing letters to the newsletter editors for possible home regions, asking to add a short blurb that you are looking for Mr Erickson and why. Also check the regions websites for forums, and post your query there.

It is interesting that you mention Waterford. While the detroit region of the SCCA has sometimes sanctioned races there, that track actually belongs to another club, Waterford Hills Road Racing Inc.. WHRRI does, I believe, have a clubhouse at the track and might have better access to records.

Yes, Cincy Reg would be the Cincinatti Region.

#122 tom walker

tom walker
  • New Member

  • 21 posts
  • Joined: December 06

Posted 10 December 2006 - 16:11

Thank you for that informative reply. The log book number is 6-101. I would be grateful if you could tell me which region that is......

Tom Walker.

#123 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 11 December 2006 - 12:19

Posted Image
Chuck Parsons driving a Cooper Formula Junior car. This is from Riverside in March of 1962
photo lent site Tam McPartland. www.tamsoldracecarsite.net

#124 Dave Ware

Dave Ware
  • Member

  • 998 posts
  • Joined: March 00

Posted 11 December 2006 - 16:10

[QUOTE]The only concrete evidence I have of the cars previous use is a SCCA log book stamped from May 1985 to August 1976, the Driver/entrant being shown as John Erickson, at venues such as Waterford, Nelson Ledges Drivers School, Glen Drivers School, Gratten Drivers School, Blue Water, "Cincy Reg" (is that short for Cincinatti ?) and Nelson Ledges Regional.

Can anyone in the States tell me if the SCCA would hold records of members addresses going back that far ? I would like to find John Erickson. [QUOTE]



Here is the url for the North East Ohio SCCA region, which runs races and schools at Nelson.

http://www.neohio-scca.org/

You might be able to contact someone at the site and pose the questions.

At the following site you can search for SCCA region websites and do the same.

http://www.scca.org/...0-182B930&x=080|090&~=

A lot of these folks have been involved in club racing forever and would likely remember John Erickson.

Dave

#125 ggnagy

ggnagy
  • Member

  • 261 posts
  • Joined: March 04

Posted 12 December 2006 - 13:20

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dave Ware
[QUOTE]The only concrete evidence I have of the cars previous use is a SCCA log book stamped from May 1985 to August 1976, the Driver/entrant being shown as John Erickson, at venues such as Waterford, Nelson Ledges Drivers School, Glen Drivers School, Gratten Drivers School, Blue Water, "Cincy Reg" (is that short for Cincinatti ?) and Nelson Ledges Regional.

Can anyone in the States tell me if the SCCA would hold records of members addresses going back that far ? I would like to find John Erickson. [QUOTE]



Here is the url for the North East Ohio SCCA region, which runs races and schools at Nelson.

http://www.neohio-scca.org/

You might be able to contact someone at the site and pose the questions.

At the following site you can search for SCCA region websites and do the same.

http://www.scca.org/...0-182B930&x=080|090&~=

A lot of these folks have been involved in club racing forever and would likely remember John Erickson.

Dave
[/QUOTE]


Actually, NeOhio, Mahoning Valley (sp?), Steel Cities, and possibly even Western New York region sanctioned schools and/or races at Nelson Ledges. I think only MV region raced at Segdel Noslen, in the late 60s, but thats a tangent on a tangent.

I sent Tom contact information for Western Michigan Region (6) yesterday via PM.

One name I do not recognize is "blue water". (correction) 'Blue Water Regional' has, in the past, been a SCCA sanctioned event at Waterford Hills.

#126 tom walker

tom walker
  • New Member

  • 21 posts
  • Joined: December 06

Posted 12 December 2006 - 18:02

Thank you gentlemen, I will be back with a progress report !!

Tom Walker

#127 ggnagy

ggnagy
  • Member

  • 261 posts
  • Joined: March 04

Posted 13 December 2006 - 12:41

Originally posted by ggnagy

Then again, Mr Erickson might still be racing, just in something alot less fire breathing than an ASR Lola.


Oddly enough, there is a John Erickson who is now in charge of the Penske ALMS team. Therefore, perhaps I should retract the word "alot" from the line above.

#128 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 13 December 2006 - 16:34

Posted Image
Chuck Parsons at Elkhart Lake in 1967 in Carl Haas run McLaren 3B.

John Surtees in his Lola T-70 can be seen on the side. Chuck had a blown engine after 38 laps. Denis Hulme won this race in the new Mk 6 McLaren. John Surtees was third.


photo Gil Munz-scanned Ike Smith

Edited by Jerry Entin, 19 November 2010 - 01:15.


#129 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 15 December 2006 - 21:19

Posted Image
Chuck Parsons and Sherry never had any children together. This was their baby. Their beloved "Susie"
photo lent site- Ike Smith

#130 Dave Ware

Dave Ware
  • Member

  • 998 posts
  • Joined: March 00

Posted 15 December 2006 - 21:47

[QUOTE]I think only MV region raced at Segdel Noslen, in the late 60s, but thats a tangent on a tangent.

I talked to a formula Vee driver 5 or 6 years ago who had raced at Nelson backwards (running the course backwards, as opposed to driving in reverse) and I got the impression it had been within several years of our conversation. But that is just a tangent on a tangent on a tanget....

#131 raceannouncer2003

raceannouncer2003
  • Member

  • 2,944 posts
  • Joined: March 05

Posted 22 December 2006 - 03:39

It was mentioned a while back that it was thought that Chuck Parsons had not run in the Trans Am. But I got this in email from Ron Dykes:

"...Regarding Chuck Parsons...I share the views of others that he was a fine race driver and a nice guy. He and I co-drove a 67 Ford Mustang for Randy Hilton in the 1967 Trans-American Championship event held at Stardust Int'l Raceways in Las Vegas, Nevada..."

Some of the results last Vic Parsons or Ray Parsons or something, but it seems it was Chuck.

Vince H.

#132 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 22 December 2006 - 12:36

Thanks Vince: I asked Ike Smith and he didn't remember any TransAm drives for Chuck. Glad that Ron Dykes came forward with this info. Ron Dykes finished 6th at Riverside on Sept. 17,1967. The race was called the Mission Bell Trophy. The Riverside race was won by David Pearson in a Cougar. Ron Dykes was in the Hilton Mustang TransAm car in that race and he won $110. At the race at Stardust Raceway held Oct. 1, 1967 called the Stardust 350 Ron Dykes and his co-driver Chuck Parsons were a DNF and were 18th overall with 54 laps run. The race distance was 117 Laps and was won by Mark Donohue. Chuck Parsons was Ron Dykes co-driver at Stardust, just as Ron has told you. They won $75. Ask Ron if he has any of his winnings left. Or, did he blow it on the tables in Vegas?

#133 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 05 March 2007 - 06:36

Posted Image
Chuck Parsons at Texas Raceway in 1969. Bullhorn Special.

Lothar Motschenbacher behind car and Carl Haas on the side. Colin Riley is with Carl Haas.


photo Gil Munz
scanned for site Ike Smith

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 November 2010 - 12:22.


#134 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 05 March 2007 - 07:00

Posted Image
Randy and John Hilton. Long time friend and sponsor to Chuck Parsons. This is Kent, Washington in 1966. First time of running the McLaren Mk 2.
Gil Munz photo-scanned for site Ike Smith

#135 Phigr7

Phigr7
  • Member

  • 110 posts
  • Joined: February 06

Posted 05 March 2007 - 10:25

Many thanks, Jerry :love: :clap:
More Can-Am pix! :lol:

#136 raceannouncer2003

raceannouncer2003
  • Member

  • 2,944 posts
  • Joined: March 05

Posted 05 March 2007 - 16:44

I think the Jerry/Gil/Ike photo in post 134 is the 1966 USRRC at Kent. The McLarens of Bill Amick and John Cannon on the next row. Sad to think that, with Chuck, none of those three are still with us.

Vince H.

#137 David M. Kane

David M. Kane
  • Member

  • 5,402 posts
  • Joined: December 00

Posted 05 March 2007 - 18:17

I have raced against Ron Dykes in a HGP race. Last time I saw him race was at Road America he was flying in a Theodore Ground Effects F1, he was really pedaling. One of the good guys!

#138 Manfred Cubenoggin

Manfred Cubenoggin
  • Member

  • 975 posts
  • Joined: October 02

Posted 05 March 2007 - 21:33

FMI: ("For My Information"... :drunk: )

I note the image above of Chuck in the CanAm T70 with apparently Chevy power and down-draught induction. I thought that universally Chevies were fitted with side-draught DCOE-type Webers as opposed to the down-draught IDA style so frequently found on the Ford V-8's of the period. Was this a rarity in that this car featured a Chevy nursed by down-draugths? Thanks.

PS: I'm aware that once injection took over from carbs, most induction systems for the big-block Chevs featured down-draught trumpets. Most...but not all. :)

#139 T54

T54
  • Member

  • 2,504 posts
  • Joined: November 03

Posted 05 March 2007 - 22:44

Jerry,
Would you have a picture of the back of te T163 at Daytona? My friend Scott Bader owns one of the two high-wing Simoniz cars and is curious to find out if this car is his or the other one. His is the one with the open back of the body. Thanks in advance! :wave:

T54

Advertisement

#140 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 06 March 2007 - 03:31

Manfred: In 1968 Chuck Parsons used engines by Al Bartz. Before that Chuck used Traco engines. On the Traco ones he used Weber 58 mm carbs on a side draft manifold. Al Bartz used mostly the Weber 48mm down draft configuration. Alan Smith who made engines for John Surtess and Denis Hulme also used the Weber 58mm side draft setup in the 60's. The side drafts were used on engines called 359 cu in or 365 cu. in. On the Traco smaller engine called a 333 cu. in. they used mostly Weber 48mm carbs.

#141 David Pozzi

David Pozzi
  • Member

  • 96 posts
  • Joined: October 05

Posted 06 March 2007 - 05:05

Photo #133, the crew member near the front is Colin Riley.

#142 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 06 March 2007 - 05:46

David Pozzi: You are right it is Colin Riley and at the back is Harry Woodnorth.

#143 Manfred Cubenoggin

Manfred Cubenoggin
  • Member

  • 975 posts
  • Joined: October 02

Posted 06 March 2007 - 14:01

Jerry: Thanks for that technical clarification on the induction systems. :)

#144 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 19 April 2007 - 04:37

Posted Image
Here are Gil Munz and Chuck Parsons opening up Carl Haas's shop to go to work in 1969.
photo Ike Smith.

#145 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 19 April 2007 - 04:43

Posted Image
This is 1968 and Chuck Parsons is testing what would become the Lola T-163 nose. Looking on are Colin Riley and Eric Broadley. Gil Munz is bent over at back.
photo Ike Smith.

#146 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 13 November 2007 - 03:19

Posted Image
Ike Smith as he looks today, with his friend of over 40 years, Jerry Entin.
This is at Elkhart Lake this summer and Ike Smith helped the crew at Arrowlane Restoration restore the ex Chuck Parsons Lola T-70 back to it's original condition. Car is now owned and driven by Steven Hilton.
Photo Paul Medici

#147 Mike Summers

Mike Summers
  • Member

  • 129 posts
  • Joined: June 06

Posted 13 November 2007 - 05:29

I apologize if I missed it somewhere in this thread but does anyone know who owned the Lotus 23 that Parsons won the 1963 USRRC race at Laguna Seca in? Was it his car? Would anyone know the car (chassis) number as well??

Mike Summers

#148 Jerry Entin

Jerry Entin
  • Member

  • 5,920 posts
  • Joined: December 02

Posted 13 November 2007 - 05:53

Mike: Randy Hilton is listed on the side of the car as owner. Sherry Parsons father Ernie Gravelle usually helped Chuck out with the mechanical end. Ernie owned something called SeaSide Auto Wreckers, I believe that was the name. He ran it with his son Ron.

#149 raceannouncer2003

raceannouncer2003
  • Member

  • 2,944 posts
  • Joined: March 05

Posted 13 November 2007 - 06:02

Jerry: You're right about Randy Hilton being the owner of the Lotus 23, although when the car was advertised for sale in CP in 1964, it was Chuck's name and contact info given. Don't know the chassis number, but when it raced at the 1963 USRRC at Laguna Seca, it was apparently "brand-new."

Vince H.

#150 Manfred Cubenoggin

Manfred Cubenoggin
  • Member

  • 975 posts
  • Joined: October 02

Posted 13 November 2007 - 11:52

Note to Jerry Entin:

Jerry. Mosport is planning a big CanAm revival meet for sometime in June, 2008. Any chance that you'll attend? In any capacity?

It'd be marvelous to meet you. :)

As far as that goes, we should see Chuck Brandt here, too, no? Chuck?