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Is Charlie Hayes still around?


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#1 John Starkey

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Posted 04 January 2007 - 23:35

For my research into Lola T70s, I am trying to find Charlie Hayes.

As well as driving these cars in their day, Charlie Hayes would buy crashed cars, in order to part them out for spares.

Last heard of in Santa Ana, California. Does anyone have a contact please?

Thank you

John Starkey

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#2 HistoricMustang

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Posted 05 January 2007 - 01:14

I communicated with Mr. Hayes in the past 12 - 18 months concerning his name being placed on the AIR Monument.

However, the link to his blog is no longer working.

Check your PM's for a mailing address.

Hope this helps.

Henry

#3 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 05 January 2007 - 06:41

There is contact info here which still appears to be current:

http://www.charliehayes.net/

Vince Howlett, Victoria, B.C., Canada

#4 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 18:08

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes with Dan Blocker
For those who don't know Dan Blocker played Hoss Cartwright on an American TV show called Bonanza.

John Starkey: Charlie Hayes is still around. He has been reading the different threads on the Forum and has thoroughly enjoyed them. He has told me some great stories of his racing. He also has sent me some great pictures for the Forum members to enjoy. Here is a link that Charlie is just setting up to show his racing:
http://hayesracingdaze.blogspot.com
Charlie now resides in Enid, Oklahoma.
photo lent site Charlie Hayes collection.

#5 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 18:19

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes driving the Lang Cooper
Car was owned by Craig Lang. It was designed by Peter Brock and the body was made by Don Edmunds. Wally Peat was the mechanic on it. It had a 500 plus horsepower Traco Chevy. Charlie felt the car was gorgeous. The problem being that the uprights and suspension components were designed for a much lighter and less torquey motor. Thus according to Charlie it wanted to turn right on it's own. It had a Colotti gearbox.
Craig Lang's family were the heirs to the Olympia Brewing Company. The R on the side of the car was for Russ Kit who were model car builders and made a copy of the Lang Cooper.

Here is a link to a site Charlie Hayes has if anyone is interested in getting sponsorship for their racing:
http://motorsports-s...ip.blogspot.com
photo lent site Charlie Hayes collection

#6 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 18:29

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in Nickey sponsored McLaren
This is at Riverside Raceway in 1966. This is the turn 7 area.

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Charlie in his McLaren this is from 1966 that is Chris Amon behind Charlie.
This is the Players 200 at Mosport, Canada.

Top photo Mike Smith www.turbosracingphotos.com
photos lent site Charlie Hayes collection.

#7 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 18:34

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in Ferrari GTO #3223GT at Nassau
As they say, if you kept this one you wouldn't have to worry about your senior years. In 2004 this car sold for 10.6 million dollars.
photo lent site Charlie Hayes collection.

#8 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 18:42

Posted Image
Robert Wagner and Paul Newman and Barry Ford and Charlie Hayes
This was at Elkhart Lake during the filming of the movie Winning.
photo lent site Charlie Hayes collection.

#9 David M. Kane

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 18:48

Charlie Hayes was my 1st racing hero. While I was in College I use to be his substitute mailman. He full-time carrier was a Mr. Glover, I believe. He use to chase me down in his SWB while I was delivering the early part of the route, he was after his Autosport, in my 3-wheel U.S. Mail Scooter. this was in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Try visualizing that scene! :up:

#10 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 18:48

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in short wheel base Ferrari Berlinetta #2237GT
This was the Paris showcar that Bob Grossman had purchased. Charlie bought this car off Bob Grossman.

Dave: Is this the baby Charlie chased you down in ?
Another one Charlie should have kept.
photo lent site Charlie Hayes collection.

#11 David M. Kane

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 18:50

Jesus Jerry are you mental or what!

Charlie was kind enough to let me sit in that SWB in the Paddock at Upper Marlboro and my buddy took a photo of me which I kept in my scrapebook for 30 plus years. That photo was the subject of many dreams. To this day the SWB is my favorite Ferrari, even over a GTO!

I left Upper Marlboro determined to race a car someday, it just took longer than I expected to actually pull it off.

I loved to know how he came to get that car as he was living in a modest apartment at the time off of East-West Highway between Chevy Chase and Silver Springs, Maryland.

#12 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 19:00

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes at Riverside in 1967 in the Ralph Salyer owned and Gene Crowe prepared McKee Mk 7.
In 1967 Charlie Hayes finished 7th at Riverside. He was 10th at Elkhart Lake and 4th at Stardust Raceway.

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in the Ralph Salyer owned and Gene Crowe prepared McKee.
In 1968 Charlie Hayes finished 7th at Elkhart Lake and 6th at Edmonton in the CanAm series.

Posted Image
Rear view of Charlie Hayes's CanAm McKee.

Charlie Hayes has just joined the Forum and will be coming on soon and telling the members some of his great racing stories.

photos lent site Charlie Hayes collection.

#13 Jack-the-Lad

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 19:42

Jerry, thanks for those great pictures. Do you happen to have the chassis # for the GTO?

Jack.

#14 Bjorn Kjer

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 19:42

:wave: Using the Search BB I found a thread ,though short, called : Charlie Hayes :smoking:

#15 HistoricMustang

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 21:16

Charlie's #77 Elva Porsche in March 1964. His "name" returned via granite in 2005 with some pretty good company. We talked but he was not able to make the dedication.

Henry

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#16 Manfred Cubenoggin

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 22:44

Somehow, I missed this thread first time 'round. :(

In one pix above...Charlie leading #2, Chris Amon's works M1B..., I think that you'll find it was taken in the hairpin leading onto the back straight at Mosport for the 1966 running of the Player's 200. Charlie was well up the grid and giving both Chris and Bruce a hard time in the early going. Perhaps a little too hard. The car broke. I seem to recall a contemporary mag quoting Charlie admonishing himself as suffering from 'brain fade'.

#17 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 07 June 2008 - 23:59

Originally posted by Jack-the-Lad
Do you happen to have the chassis # for the GTO?


I believe it was 3223GT, the first one.

Vince H.

#18 David M. Kane

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 00:32

Charlie said it was NART Team car, he was asked to drive it Nassau by Luigi Chinetti. We talked for about 40-45 minutes this afternoon, more later. I first need to gather up all the great info he shared.

#19 Jack-the-Lad

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 04:14

Originally posted by raceannouncer2003


I believe it was 3223GT, the first one.

Vince H.


Indeed, the very first GTO. Wow!

Jack.

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#20 charliehayes

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 13:18

:clap: Happy to see all this showing up! Great stuff here ... thanks to everyone for this forum. Very well done all!
Life after racing has been extremely fulfilling as believe it or not this Olde Farte now living in the hinterlands of Oklahoma presently writes books on spirituality and functions joyfully as a "spiritual coach" of sorts. S' All great fun and it's very satisfying to have a chance to contribute to others...
I enjoy browsing all this as time permits! It’s cool to reminisce a bit now and again… so, thanks everyone!
PS I have done one book, "Life After Death", that is a racer's tale of "spiritual awakening" but has some early days racing stuff - and the story of my career-ending shunt in the Cro-Sal McKee at Mosport in 1968 - that some of y'all might enjoy. Send an e-mail to charliehayes36@yahoo.com with "send racing book free" in subject line and I'll forward the PDF online version to you at no cost.
Enjoy!
Warm Regards,
Charlie Hayes
Enid Oklahoma USA
http://www.theeternalstate.org
http://hayesracingdaze.blogspot.com

#21 Jerry Entin

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 13:32

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in his swb Ferrari Berlinetta #7 being followed by Bob Grossman in a similar car.
This is at Marlboro and as it turns out Bob Grossman was following too closely.
photo lent site David N. Seielstad collection

#22 HistoricMustang

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 14:52

Originally posted by charliehayes
:clap: Happy to see all this showing up! Great stuff here ... thanks to everyone for this forum. Very well done all!
Life after racing has been extremely fulfilling as believe it or not this Olde Farte now living in the hinterlands of Oklahoma presently writes books on spirituality and functions joyfully as a "spiritual coach" of sorts. S' All great fun and it's very satisfying to have a chance to contribute to others...
I enjoy browsing all this as time permits! It’s cool to reminisce a bit now and again… so, thanks everyone!
PS I have done one book, "Life After Death", that is a racer's tale of "spiritual awakening" but has some early days racing stuff - and the story of my career-ending shunt in the Cro-Sal McKee at Mosport in 1968 - that some of y'all might enjoy. Send an e-mail to charliehayes36@yahoo.com with "send racing book free" in subject line and I'll forward the PDF online version to you at no cost.
Enjoy!
Warm Regards,
Charlie Hayes
Enid Oklahoma USA
http://www.theeternalstate.org
http://hayesracingdaze.blogspot.com


Welcome Charlie! :smoking:

Henry

#23 Jerry Entin

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 14:54

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in the #97 McLaren Mk 1 at Nassau in 1965.
That is Buck Fulp in front of Charlie Hayes and that is Chris Amon behind him.
photo Dave Friedman collection

#24 charliehayes

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 15:57

Here is the story about the Marlboro race to go with the picture posted by Jerry (Post #21) ...

At Marlboro in April. This time there were three SWBs facing seven AP Corvettes and one E Type. At the start Hayes leaped in front with Thompson and Grossman close behind. On lap 2 Thompson took the lead. On lap five Grossman passed Hayes and set out after Thompson. Hayes retired two laps later in a cloud of oil smoke and protested Grossman for pushing him into a spin. On lap 17 Thompson's fuel injection drive sheared and he coasted to a halt in the toe of the Boot. Grossman went on to win followed by Don Yenko with a BP Corvette. Ben Moore in 4th was the first AP Corvette home followed by Thiem in his SWB. The stewards did not uphold Hayes' protest because they could find no evidence of contact on either car.

Years later Bob Grossman, chuckling, told [that writer] that he had "popped" Hayes in the Hairpin and sent him over revving. He said that he hit Hayes on the left rear hub with his front right. Because only the hub nuts touched there was no body damage.

The whole article is at: http://www.velocetod...ars/cars_84.php

#25 ERIKZ

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 16:12

To Charlie:

Can you tell us anything about your Cobra racing days and if you ever dealt with the Shelby American Racing Team or Carroll himself.

Thanks, Erik

#26 charliehayes

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 17:02

Yes, Carroll asked me to drive one of the factory snakes at a World Championship race at Bridgehampton in 1964. Carroll wanted to make damn sure he beat out Ferrari for the Manufacturer’s Championship so he brought a huge team effort and in fact did beat Ferrari that year.

That was an awesome team. Dan Gurney, Ken Miles, Bob Bondurant, Lew Spencer, and at least one other I forget! That was a wild ride. I likened it to driving a buckboard with a thousand horsepower on glare ice. I never did get comfortable in the Cobra, not at Bridgehampton with its fast up and down off camber terrain. I stuck up about a foot over the roll bar and the feeling was more than a bit insecure. Something broke and I retired with a sigh of relief!

In 1965 the late Dave MacDonald’s car owner, Craig Lang (a great guy) asked Carroll for a driver recommendation for the Lang Cooper Can-Am car. Carroll gave him my name and off we went for a really wild few rides (the Lang Cooper pictures and notes are elsewhere on this forum).

I last saw Carroll in the late nineties at a reunion in California. I teased him about hiring the enemy for that Bridgehampton race since I was essentially known as a Ferrari driver at that time. He got a kick out of that.

Carroll is a really great man.

PS I found that Bridgehampton Race team roster on line. Here is the entire Shelby list:

Ken Miles
Ronnie Bucknum
Bob Johnson
Joe Freitas/John Morton
Ed Leslie
Charlie Hayes

(Guess I had "senior memory" about Gurney being on board for that race) LOL

Here are the official results ("CS" is Shelby's Team; "CUST" denotes Cusotmers, private entrants)

1 GT K.Miles 98 Cobra Roadster CSX2431 CS
2 GT R.Bucknum 97 Cobra Roadster CSX2494 CS
3 GT B.Johnson 96 Cobra Roadster CSX2513 CS
4 GT C.Parsons 80 Cobra Roadster CSX2290 Cust.
5 GT A.Huttinger 65 Cobra Roadster CSX2128 Cust.
6 GT J.Freitas/J.Morton 94 Cobra Roadster CSX2558 CS
DNF C.Hayes 95 Cobra Roadster CSX2557 CS
DNF E.Leslie 99 Cobra Roadster CSX2488 CS
DNF H.Keck 62 Cobra Roadster CSX2127 Cust.
DNF L.Florence 66 Cobra Roadster CSX2459 Cust.


#27 charliehayes

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 17:22

Posted Image
By charliehayes36 at 2008-06-08

As a great racer, Alfonso dePortago, once said, "If a man is awake and alive, he can live ten years in two hours on Sunday".

ABSOLUTLEY.

Here is Excerpt from "Life After Death" ... enjoy! I enjoyed writing it. That was an amazing time...

This refers to the The Cro-Sal #25 McKee pictured above.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Being – Awake And Alive:

Over the winter Gene Crowe and I redesigned the bodywork and created an aerodynamic "wedge shape" - to make downforce and hopefully make the car stick better in the corners.

The season started with a huge thrill - we were invited to participate in the filming of a major motion picture - "Winning" - starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward (Paul's wife) and Robert Wagner. NEAT people! - Newman and I hit it off right away and he elected to drive my racecar for the road racing parts of the movie. And he arranged a bit part for me - which made me some money and was great fun.

Paul is a very real, very warm and friendly guy - very easy to be with. No star-like ego at all - which was very refreshing. And as it turned out he was a natural - he later became a fine driver and won many races.

Then we began our actual racing season - and had our ups and downs - but we were feeling good about our chances for a few wins as we tweaked the car and got faster bit-by-bit.

But Then . . .

It was qualifying for the 1968 “Can-Am,” the Canadian American Challenge Cup. This round was at Mosport Park, near Toronto. My all time favorite racetrack.

Up hill and down, fast sweeping off camber bends. A racer’s Paradise. We’re being timed, for the best one lap of balls to the wall racing against the clock- trying to set a single hot lap that the others guys can’t match.

The racecar is working better than it ever has and I am stoked. This was the happiest moment of my life.

Superstar Peter Revson was there that day driving a factory McLaren, as was Bruce McLaren himself.

And a lot of other great drivers. Legendary Formula One and Indy 500 Stars are here racing today! I am a legend among legends - a star among stars.

Which all turned out to be . . . The Great Dream Of An Ego!

We knew we had no chance for the pole. I was a good racer, but if I were to make a truthful assessment, I was not all that great against Formula One stars like Bruce McLaren, F1 Champ John Surtees, Bob Bondurant, Graham Hill - also an F1 Champ - and great Sports Car Aces like Jim Hall, and all that lot.

Not only that, but our small team with its lone race car, committed though we were, and fast and nimble though our car was, certainly was NO match for the highly sponsored factory McLarens, Lolas and Chaparrals. We were realistic about that.

So I was not altogether displeased to be running around sixth at this stage - and hoping to move up to maybe fourth of fifth.

So I was standing on it.

Right out on the very edge – 110%!

Then ...

I was turning into a downhill left-hander at about 140 MPH. The car was stable as I bent the thing into the turn, all four wheels loose in a controlled drift. As the apex comes up in this corner, the hilltop crests and
starts to sharply slope down toward the hairpin turn at the bottom, “Moss’ Corner.” It’s a little bit off camber, and the car gets very, very light at this point.

Drifting, flat out, I was in heaven. There were no limits. I was ‘Home’ (so I thought, because I “knew” this “experience of Oneness" was ‘home’.) I was flying, supremely free.

Man, was I ever Awake and Alive.

There was no mind, no thought, just … a total experience of BEING.

Being … Fully Awake and Fully Alive.

It was Bliss. Total Joy. Total Freedom. Flying all alone at the speed of light. There was nobody in the car. It was all oneness … Being … free and unbounded. I was no longer Charlie. I was EVERYTHING. The Car. The Road. The Sunny Cloudless Sky.

Then in one Instant outside of Time - It was all over.

Sudden Death

I died that day at Mosport.

I was flying through that very fast section of road, dancing through that sweeping off-camber downhill left hand bend. The road was not level, it tilted to the right; moreover it crested a hill and swooped down like a roller coaster with no tracks, making the issue of grip very dicey.

Suddenly -Bang!

There is a loud cracking sound.
Then there is nothing.
Not Blackness. Not even that!
I and world are gone.
Everything - is gone.
Deep sleep death.

Much later I am told that a hub carrier, an alloy casting that holds the wheel to the suspension, had broken, and the right rear wheel had immediately come off, which sent the car out of control and careening toward God Only Knew What.

The “what” was Charlie’s temporary death.

Later I heard that everyone who saw the crash was aghast, as they saw a ‘lifeless’ form slumped in the cockpit and they ‘knew’ that ‘Charlie is Dead!’ There was much shaking of heads, and “Wow, how terrible,” uttered, as the medics gathered up the lifeless organism and bundled it sadly into the meat wagon.

For about an hour, as time measured the instant, the Charlie entity was totally gone. Then Charlie came back, but who Charlie was for himself and others as a racer had died forever, when the car hit an earth bank at Moss’ Corner backwards, still going probably 120 MPH.

Much later, at a very long meditation retreat, there arose - during a session of sitting - a vision.

It was though a memory-movie was playing, and I saw the wheel fly off, the car careen out of control, the car hit the embankment - fortunately read end first so the engine, behind the driver in these race cars, takes the brunt of the impact.

I watch the body die instantly!

Then I am above watching as the dead body gets unbelted by the paramedics, laid out on a gurney, and trundled into an ambulance, and all the while something, a space-like seer - bodiless timeless eternally alive -
looks down from a couple hundred feet above and watches. Then there is a deep sadness, and grief. Then - total blackout. Next thing I know, I am in an emergency medical facility at the race track.

From Hero to Zero

As a friend, Frank Gardner, once said, “That nasty business of going from 120 MPH to ZERO is just a bit hard on the old nervous system.” Tell me about it. This body had backaches and headaches - and a lot of suffering thoughts about all that - for over 37 years.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
So ... yep, Charlie's still around. Whoda thunk it!? :eek:

#28 ERIKZ

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 17:23

Since you are over six feet tall, do you remember how they set the Cobra up for you? I know that Dan Gurnery was over six feet tall also, so I would have to assume that Shelby American set them up very similar as relating to the drivers compartment. Did you have any clearance/knee issues with the steering wheel and dash or visibility through the windshield or should I say over the top of the windshield?

Thanks, Erik

#29 Buford

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 18:04

Gene Crowe got his start in racing in the local Chicago area stock car scene after the war. He built engines for my dads Stock car team among others and occasionally raced one of his cars as the team's third driver. This usually took place when the second driver was too drunk to compete. I remember going to the garage when the 25 car was being built. My dad was an electrical contractor and knew Ralph Salyer who was also a contractor of some kind and of course he knew Gene so I was always a big fan of the Cro-Sal car and you Mr. Hayes. Welcome to the forum.

#30 charliehayes

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 18:07

There was no "setup for me". I don't know that Dan had any special setup either. He was just braver than me by a mile :-) The seat was all the way back. Maybe he was a couple inches shorter than I ...

Originally posted by ERIKZ
Since you are over six feet tall, do you remember how they set the Cobra up for you? I know that Dan Gurnery was over six feet tall also, so I would have to assume that Shelby American set them up very similar as relating to the drivers compartment. Did you have any clearance/knee issues with the steering wheel and dash or visibility through the windshield or should I say over the top of the windshield?

Thanks, Erik



#31 charliehayes

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 18:11

Thanks! That bunch was some of the finest people I have ever had the priviliege to know. My mouth still waters at the memory of sizzling steaks served up on pleasant summer eves by Ralph's wife ...You are right, Ralph was a prominent plumbing contractor in Hammond, Indiana. Gene was a great guy too.

Good story, guy!

Originally posted by Buford



Gene Crowe got his start in racing in the local Chicago area stock car scene after the war. He built engines for my dads Stock car team among others and occasionally raced one of his cars as the team's third driver. This usually took place when the second driver was too drunk to compete. I remember going to the garage when the 25 car was being built. My dad was an electrical contractor and knew Ralph Salyer who was also a contractor of some kind and of course he knew Gene so I was always a big fan of the Cro-Sal car and you Mr. Hayes. Welcome to the forum.



#32 charliehayes

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 18:40

Posted Image
By charliehayes36 at 2008-06-08

If anyone wants to read the story of a wild kid and wilder racer you can download at no cost HERE:
http://charliehayes3...od.com/life.pdf

CHEERS!
Charlie

#33 charliehayes

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 18:46

Hi yes as u see rumors of my demise were indeed premature :-)

One minor correction, I did not "buy crashed cars, in order to part them out" and I don't know who that might have been...

Current address:
1111 S Oakwood Rd
Enid OK 73703
e-mail charliehayes36@yahoo.com
websites -

http://www.theeternalstate.org
http://hayesracingdaze.blogspot.com/
http://motorsports-s...p.blogspot.com/
http://sales-word-power.blogspot.com/

Cheers!

Originally posted by John Starkey
For my research into Lola T70s, I am trying to find Charlie Hayes.

As well as driving these cars in their day, Charlie Hayes would buy crashed cars, in order to part them out for spares.

Last heard of in Santa Ana, California. Does anyone have a contact please?

Thank you

John Starkey



#34 Scuderia SSS

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 20:48

Charlie, i e-mailed John Starkey earlier to let him know that you are about on the forum, so hopefully he will join in soon enough.
I had the pleasure of John taking me for some thrilling laps in his old Ferrari TDF about 20 years ago...i day i shall treasure :)

#35 Hse289

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Posted 08 June 2008 - 20:55

Hi Charlie and welcome to TNF, can you tell us more about the Lang Cooper days please. This is one of my favourite looking racing cars. Paul

#36 Jerry Entin

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 01:07

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in Elva Porsche at Elkhart Lake in 1964.
This was for the Road America 500. John Cannon was Charlie's co-driver and they finished 7th with 114 laps run.
photo Tom Schultz - copyright 2008 Tom Schultz

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes's Elva Porsche #77 in the garage area.
He usually drove #77 but on occasion he drove #76.
This was at the Augusta International Raceway.
photo Richard Macon - copyright Richard Macon

#37 Jerry Entin

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 01:16

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in the Ralph Salyer owned McKee at Elkhart Lake in 1967.
Charlie would go on to a fine 10th place finish in this Gene Crowe prepared car.
photo Tom Schultz - copyright 2008 Tom Schultz.

#38 charliehayes

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 01:32

Great pictures Jerry ..
THANKS... You are a Huge GIFT!
Cheers,
Charlie

Originally posted by Jerry Entin
Posted Image
Charlie Hayes in the Ralph Salyer owned McKee at Elkhart Lake in 1967.
Charlie would go on to a fine 10th place finish in this Gene Crowe prepared car.
photo Tom Schultz - copyright 2008 Tom Schultz.



#39 ERIKZ

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 01:46

To Charlie:

Didn't you get a chance to co-drive with Graham Shaw in a Privateer Cobra at Daytona and Sebring in 1964? Also, didn't you drive Graham Shaw's Cobra at Marlboro, 1964?

Thanks, Erik

Photo copyrighted by the Aviator727-Marlboro 1964

Posted Image

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#40 David M. Kane

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 02:40

Erik:

Did you live in the DC area or the East Coast at the time this photo was taken? GREAT photo!

I was at this race in the "Tom and Martin Ford" Cobra. Charlie needs to tell you about what happened in the race.

#41 Dennis Currington

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 05:06

Speaking of the Lang Cooper, here it is as it looks today (2006 actually) with Peter Brock at the wheel:
Posted Image


Here is a shot of John Morton in the car at the Monterey Historics in 2006. John finished 2nd in a 24 car field
in the 1959-1965 Sports Racing Cars Group:
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#42 ERIKZ

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 05:24

To David:

Thanks for the compliment on the photo, both of the photos are from the Aviator727 Collection (Tom B.), a commercial airplane pilot and fellow enthusiast.

Copyrighted by Aviator727 Collection (Tom B.)

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#43 Jerry Entin

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 09:03

Posted Image
The Lang Cooper at the 2006 Goodwood Revival
Charlie Hayes's old ride as it looks today.
photo Paul House

#44 HistoricMustang

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 09:06

Originally posted by Jerry Entin

Posted Image
Charlie Hayes's Elva Porsche #77 in the garage area.
He usually drove #77 but on occasion he drove #76.
This was at the Augusta International Raceway.
photo Richard Macon - copyright Richard Macon


Charlie, give us a few comments on the Augusta International Raceway 3 mile purpose built high banked road circuit. This one is still with us and only a few miles from my home.

Henry

#45 Jerry Entin

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Posted 09 June 2008 - 14:52

Posted Image
Ralph Salyer and his very good buddy Gene Crowe with McKee .
Here are Charlie Hayes's very good friends Ralph Salyer and Gene Crowe in the day. This car was also known as the Cro-Sal Special. Gene Crowe is in white next to the car.
It is Virginia Salyer's cooking that Charlie remembers.

photo lent site Willem Oosthoek collection.

#46 Jerry Entin

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 14:29

Posted Image
Jim Hall in Chaparral leading Ed Leslie in the King Cobra followed by Charlie Hayes in the Elva Mk 7 Porsche
This was from the USRRC race held at Greenwood.
clipping lent site Charlie Hayes collection.

#47 charliehayes

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 22:45

A friend writes me a personal e-mail,
Hi Charlie,
Great to have you on the Forum. Myself, just a fan who appreciates the good ole days of racing. Unfortunately, I didn't discover road racing until it was over (1977). I have been trying to get a couple friends of mine, and probably yours, Tony Adamowicz and John Morton, to join this forum also. They say they are too busy but I think I can get them involved. They should add alot to the discussion. I am having them over to my house next week for a BBQ and will show them your posts and try to get them "motivated".
Look forward to your contributions.
Regards,
Dennis

Hi Dennis,
If it wasn't for the fans we would not be able to do what we love ... RACE. So thanks for being a fan. I do hope you can talk Tony A2Z in as well as John Morton, my old and VERY dear friend, one of the best drivers I ever knew. John was flat Fast AND ALWAYS A gentleman into the bargain.

Old Tony also has a LOT of great stories and pix to share som let's hope he and John both chime in. He is a classic, a do-whatever-it-tales RACER, through and through. Likewise John Morton.

I put John into a F5000 Lola at Laguna once and he was fastest within 5 laps. Man, he made that Lola SING… Pavarotti on wheels….
Very Wam Regards,
Charlie

#48 charliehayes

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 23:04

A friend, Henry, writes,

Charlie, give us a few comments on the Augusta International Raceway 3 mile purpose built high banked road circuit. This one is still with us and only a few miles from my home. - Henry

What a GREAT road course. Worthy of the shared Augusta GA event, the Masters. But wait ... I won but I didn't get a green jacket! That's okay ... my name will live in infamy on the August Memorial ...LOL!

I had mixed emotions happening as I arrived for the USRRC in March as I had just heard that a good friend, Tim Mayer, had got off the road and hit a tree at a Tasman Series race. He didn’t get hurt. He got killed. There was great sadness.

But back to the racing, that race track was a racers dream... lots of not-garden-variety corners, and plenty of places to go flat out. The Elva Porsche I drove there was a semi-factory deal with Porsche and Elva plus Carl Haas and Oliver Schmidt (now THERE are two great men, man!)

Anyway, in the race I was passed by Harry Heuer in a Scarab and a bit of asphalt flew off his spinning rear wheels and whacked me in the forehead! (This was wll before the days of full face helmets.) I damn near passed out! But then I saw Chuck Dietrich in another works Ollie Schmidt/Carl Haas Elva Porsche fixin to try to get by, and the mirrors full of Yellow Elva Race Car and a determined glower from Dietrich woke me up lickety split and I got with the program, managed to win that one and THAT was a great satisfaction.

This was a fabulous race track run by a great bunch of enthusiasts. Thanks for asking me; anyone wants more can write at charliehayes@yahoo.com...

Warm reagrds To Henry, and All

#49 charliehayes

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 23:26

The short answer is YES to Sebring and NO to Daytona (Drove a Ferrari GTO at Daytona in 1964.... i think! Memory ... Hahaha.) There is a bit of confusion which I will try to clear up here ... actually David Kane's post notwithstanding THIS race at Marlboro was uneventful. Easy win. But the real drama happened in that same car at Sebring earlier that year. I managed to get off the line in the lead until Ken Miles took up his rightful place in front about four seconds later. Then the race settled down. Well into it, I was motoring gently down one of the many straight bits at say 150 MPH when I noticed a wheel and tire assembly motoring solo devoid of any attached motor vehicle. I snickered in the mind, "Ha! Some silly nit has lost a wheel!” But shortly afterward like maybe .1 secs after my ill-advised chortle, I braked for the ensuing right turn onto the straight behind the pits and was more than a bit startled, as MY car dropped its right front corner, and I found myself bungling along on three wheels and an annoyed brake disc.

Somehow I made it back to the pits to a less than pleased Graham Shaw, who roundly cursed the gods and recalcitrant Hub Knockoff nuts. I don’t recall if or where we finished at Sebring. In any case the Marlboro race was far less eventful as all four feet remained attached and the win was easy (it was after all an SCCA race. Ken Miles, blessedly, was NOT amongst the entries!)

Originally posted by ERIKZ
To Charlie:

Didn't you get a chance to co-drive with Graham Shaw in a Privateer Cobra at Daytona and Sebring in 1964? Also, didn't you drive Graham Shaw's Cobra at Marlboro, 1964?

Thanks, Erik

Photo copyrighted by the Aviator727-Marlboro 1964

Posted Image



#50 HistoricMustang

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 23:33

Originally posted by charliehayes
A friend, Henry, writes,

Charlie, give us a few comments on the Augusta International Raceway 3 mile purpose built high banked road circuit. This one is still with us and only a few miles from my home. - Henry

What a GREAT road course. Worthy of the shared Augusta GA event, the Masters. But wait ... I won but I didn't get a green jacket! That's okay ... my name will live in infamy on the August Memorial ...LOL!

I had mixed emotions happening as I arrived for the USRRC in March as I had just heard that a good friend, Tim Mayer, had got off the road and hit a tree at a Tasman Series race. He didn’t get hurt. He got killed. There was great sadness.

But back to the racing, that race track was a racers dream... lots of not-garden-variety corners, and plenty of places to go flat out. The Elva Porsche I drove there was a semi-factory deal with Porsche and Elva plus Carl Haas and Oliver Schmidt (now THERE are two great men, man!)

Anyway, in the race I was passed by Harry Heuer in a Scarab and a bit of asphalt flew off his spinning rear wheels and whacked me in the forehead! (This was wll before the days of full face helmets.) I damn near passed out! But then I saw Chuck Dietrich in another works Ollie Schmidt/Carl Haas Elva Porsche fixin to try to get by, and the mirrors full of Yellow Elva Race Car and a determined glower from Dietrich woke me up lickety split and I got with the program, managed to win that one and THAT was a great satisfaction.

This was a fabulous race track run by a great bunch of enthusiasts. Thanks for asking me; anyone wants more can write at charliehayes@yahoo.com...

Warm reagrds To Henry, and All


Thanks Charlie! Go here for modern day information as the track is still with us.

http://www.augustain...ay.com/lap.html

If we can get this economy turned around and resume building your name is on the list for street names next to the former facility.

Henry