9 replies to this topic

[arttidesco]

Some months ago Geoffrey Horton sent me some photo's of this Allard J2 taken at the Dessert Classics meeting at the end of February, my first reaction was that the wheels looked a bit non period.

Colin Warnes of the Allard Register has since informed me that the vehicle was the 2nd J2 imported in to the USA and used to belong to Roy Richter of Bell helmets fame.

Further ferreting has uncovered that Roy won a race at Santa Anna in the car in 1950 and that Roy also took on the Cragar Wheels company.

The Cragar wheels history page informs us that Roy beat Phil Hill in an XK120 at Santa Anna and that not only did he race an Allard but he also had the California distributorship for Sidney Allard's J2 sports cars.

Seems hard to believe Roy only raced this car the once so I am wondering if anybody has any further information on either the car or the races Roy may have won with this car ?



Also wondering if the wheels on this car would be period style Cragars from the time that Roy owned the car ?

Relevant answers will be credit and used in a forth coming blog.

Thanking you in anticipation of your responses.

[fbarrett]

Aer:

I'm no wheel (or Allard) historian, but those wheel look like the Cragars that were so popular with the "Harry Highschool" crowd on their hammered Mustangs and Camaros in the early to mid-1970s. The car would look so much better with wire wheels!

Was Roy any relation to Les Richter, of Ontario Speedway fame?

Frank

[David M. Woodhouse]

arttidesco, on Jun 24 2011, 14:23, said:

Some months ago Geoffrey Horton sent me some photo's of this Allard J2 taken at the Dessert Classics meeting at the end of February, my first reaction was that the wheels looked a bit non period.

Colin Warnes of the Allard Register has since informed me that the vehicle was the 2nd J2 imported in to the USA and used to belong to Roy Richter of Bell helmets fame.

Further ferreting has uncovered that Roy won a race at Santa Anna in the car in 1950 and that Roy also took on the Cragar Wheels company.

The Cragar wheels history page informs us that Roy beat Phil Hill in an XK120 at Santa Anna and that not only did he race an Allard but he also had the California distributorship for Sidney Allard's J2 sports cars.

Seems hard to believe Roy only raced this car the once so I am wondering if anybody has any further information on either the car or the races Roy may have won with this car ?



Also wondering if the wheels on this car would be period style Cragars from the time that Roy owned the car ?

Relevant answers will be credit and used in a forth coming blog.

Thanking you in anticipation of your responses.

The photos of the car at the Santa Ana (one N) race show standard pressed steel wheels. According to Art Bagnall, in his book "Roy Richter - Striving for Excellence", Richter had not driven in competition since before the War and wanted to have one last go in the Allard for which he was the Southern California distributor. His wife was out of town and Richter did win the race with Phil Hill second in his XK120. From the Bagnall book: "Roy was presented his trophy in victory lane by the immortal Ralph DePalma. When Colleen returned from her trip Roy told her of his adventure, promising he would never do it again. The Santa Ana race proved that Roy still had great driving ability and it was enough to satisfy Roy's appetite for racing for the rest of his life."

The wheels currently on the car do not look to me like anything made by Cragar.

Woody

[arttidesco]

@Frank thanks for confirming the non period 70's 'Harry Highschool' ( ) wheels.

Roy would appear to have been 13 years older than Les, I have no information about their, if any, familial relationship at this time.

@Woody thanks for confirming Roy's one off drive and particularly the circumstances surrounding it !

[arttidesco]

Colin Warnes of the Allard register kindly sent me this photograph of Roy Richters last race at Santa Ana does anyone recognise any of the other drivers apart from Phil Hill in the #18 Jaguar, Jack McAfee in the Jag at the back of the field does any one recognise any of the other runners ?

Racing Sports Cars . com would have it that John Edgar was in the field in a #8 MG TC, presumably there were more than the 6 vehicles shown taking the start here.

I'd be particularly interested to know who is in, or what kind of vehicle the #10 is ?

Thanking you in anticipation of your responses.

[David McKinney]

If you mean the car behind the K2 Allard, it looks like one of Sterling Edwards's efforts

[arttidesco]

David McKinney, on Jun 25 2011, 15:03, said:

If you mean the car behind the K2 Allard, it looks like one of Sterling Edwards's efforts

Thanks David, an Edwards Special then

Anybody recognise either of the drivers on the second row in the K2 driver and J2 ?

[David M. Woodhouse]

arttidesco, on Jun 25 2011, 08:44, said:

Thanks David, an Edwards Special then

Anybody recognise either of the drivers on the second row in the K2 driver and J2 ?

It was Sterling Edwards himself in the Edwards, Basil Panzer in the dark colored Allard J2 with Cadillac power, and Tom Frisbey in the K2. Panzer finished 4th behind McAfee's XK, Frisbey was 5th, Edwards a DNF.

Woody

[arttidesco]

Most kind Woody

Since found the Edwards referred to as the 'Edwards R26 Special'.

[David M. Woodhouse]

arttidesco, on Jun 25 2011, 11:04, said:

Most kind Woody

Since found the Edwards referred to as the 'Edwards R26 Special'.

Yes, the R26 was Sterling Edwards' first special. He had the resources to hire the best - the R26 body was designed by Norman Timbs and the car was built by Phil Remington, Lujie Lesovsky, and Emil Diedt. Power was a Ford V8-60, later with Ardun heads (I don't know if it had OHV at Santa Ana). Edwards would later race a C-Type Jaguar and 340MM, and built several handsome fiberglas bodied GT cars with Lincoln OHV engines - sort of like Briggs Cunningham did with the C-3, although the Edwards racing program was never as far reaching as Cunningham.

Woody