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Joe Playan


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#51 Jerry Entin

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Posted 04 April 2010 - 00:56

Posted Image
Joe Playan bringing his Porsche home in the lead.




photo Joe Playan collection

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#52 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 April 2010 - 18:33

Posted Image
Duncan Emmons and his friend Joe Playan

Posted Image
Joe Playan along side Duncan Emmons
Joe Playan would help Duncan at the Vintage races. Duncan had a muffler and car repair business in the Rancho Mirage area of the Coachella Valley, near Palm Desert or Palm Springs.

photos : Joe Playan collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 08 April 2010 - 00:02.


#53 Jerry Entin

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Posted 07 April 2010 - 20:00

Posted Image
Joe Playan's StingRay now modified with big engine and Automatic Trans
That's Joe ducked down at the front of car.

Joe installed a 427 cu in engine in his Corvette and tried running a B&M Automatic transmission. Joe had taken his Corvette to a muffler shop to have headers made for it. While it was there someone stole the 4 speed transmission and the 327 cu in fuel injected engine out of it.

Max Balchowsky suggested Joe try running an automatic transmission. Joe said that turned out to be a mistake. He said when you are accustomed to a 4 speed the automatic felt weird.

Joe Playan used this car in the Disney movie the Love Bug.


photo: Joe Playan collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 07 April 2010 - 23:51.


#54 Jerry Entin

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Posted 16 April 2010 - 16:20

Posted Image
Art Evans and his good friend Joe Playan
This was at the recent Legends of Riverside event.

Joe Playan is 88 years old today. Happy Birthday Joe.

#55 Jerry Entin

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Posted 16 April 2010 - 17:51

Posted Image
Joe Playan and his friend Lew Spencer
This was also at the recent Legends of Riverside event. Lew Spencer was at the event to honor Carroll Shelby.

In the day Lew Spencer was the Shelby TransAm Team manager and also was the head sales person at Shelby Cobra and Mustang sales.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 16 April 2010 - 17:51.


#56 Gotowo

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Posted 22 April 2010 - 07:34

[quote name='Jerry Entin' date='Apr 14 2008, 11:26' post='3087918']
Posted Image

Joe Playan's Porsche 550 Spyder after wrecking at Willow Springs.

HI Jerry,

Do you know if Joe could remember what happened to the 550RS he rolled? I know it is a long shot but is there any clue to the chassis number anywhere?

thanks Andrew


#57 dhmoody356

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Posted 24 September 2011 - 15:54

Posted Image
Chic Leson can be seen in the back in the hat and jacket.

Carroll Shelby and Pete DePaola are in front. This is from Monterey in the late 50's. Pete DePaola won the Indy 500 in 1925. He was the first driver to average over 100 mph for the 500 mile race. His average time was 101.13. His car was a Duesenberg and the entrant was the Duesenberg Factory.

Posted Image
Joe's first race car a Jaguar Drop head coupe.

The XK120 pictured is a fixed Head Coupe, not a Drop head coupe..........Dale


Joe Playan was in the service with Chic Leson. Chic got Joe Playan interested in sportscar racing. Joe had been invited by Chic to come watch him race. Joe was very impressed and had seen Phil Hill racing a Jaguar XK120. Joe said he had to have one of those. This was in 1952. Joe was 30 years old. Joe Playan was born April 16, 1922.
His first race car was a Drop head Coupe Jaguar. It was a Bronze colored car. Joe knew nothing about racing. He entered a race at Pebble Beach, he drove the car to it. He had his good friend Lou Falcon come with him. If they would have wrecked the car, they would have had no way back home. Joe lightly touched a hay bale in the race. They made it home fine Joe was bitten with the racing bug.
After this Joe Playan was offered the MG Special of Chic Leson and Joe went to Oakland,California with a trailer and picked it up and brought it back to Mar Vista.

Dave Kane: Ricardo was 15 in that picture. When I showed that picture too fellow forum member Brian Redman he said " He was only a kid". I told him "Well that kid beat all the racers of the day at Riverside."
photo Lester Nehamkin-Joe Playan collection.



#58 Jerry Entin

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Posted 16 April 2012 - 04:51

Posted Image
Matthew Boyer, great nephew; Christine Playan, niece, Joe Playan, Kathy Boyer, niece, Barbie Larson, great neice.


Joe Playan is 90 today. Happy Birthday Joe.

photo sent site: Kathy Boyer

Edited by Jerry Entin, 17 April 2012 - 05:45.


#59 Michael Ferner

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Posted 16 April 2012 - 15:34

HaPpY bIrThDaY, indeed! :)

Thanks for mentioning, Jerry.

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#60 David M. Kane

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Posted 16 April 2012 - 17:22

HaPpY bIrThDaY, indeed! :)

Thanks for mentioning, Jerry.



Me too! Happy Birthday Joe! :up:

#61 Frank S

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Posted 17 April 2012 - 02:35

Many happy returns of the day, Joe! Whatever that means. Happy birthday, as well.

#62 Jerry Entin

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Posted 18 April 2017 - 19:30

joe%20in%20porsche_zpslyfqxehp.jpg

Joe Playan in his Porsche

 

I am sorry to report that Joe Playan passed away last Saturday at the age of 95.

 

Report sent site by his niece Kathy Boyer and Joe Playan's daughter Patricia Playan


Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 May 2017 - 00:00.


#63 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 19 April 2017 - 05:21

Sorry to hear this.  It was great to meet him at the Fabulous Fifties banquet in 2004.

 

DSCF0433.jpg

 

Vince H.


Edited by raceannouncer2003, 19 April 2017 - 05:21.


#64 Michael Ferner

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Posted 19 April 2017 - 08:03

Sad to hear :( RIP, Joe!

#65 Jerry Entin

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 11:02

Joe Playan in his Porsche at Pomona

A good view of Pomona's Turn 3 and the famous "bridge"

Joe leads motorcycle racer John McLaughlin in a Cooper Formula II car.   They collided coming out of turn three on the last lap. 

This race was run on February 1, 1959. The starter was waiting for Joe and John to come around so he could throw the checkered flag. Bob Drake got by while they spun out and the starter never threw the flag. Joe would finish 3rd.  While Joe was trying to make it to the finish line, Skip Conklin in a Lotus 11 got by for 2nd.


Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 February 2018 - 04:23.