18 replies to this topic

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Hi, fellas!

I'm posting this thread in hopes of getting detailed results, entries and stories on both the Sundown Grand Prix of Endurance and the Canadian Tourist Trophy races as staged at Mosport in the 1960's and early 70's. I've scanned the NET thoroughly and there's next-to-nothing out there.

This quite excellent page at Candian Racer gives good accounts of the Sundown but I'm looking for substantially more detail...

http://www.canadianr...com/sundown.asp

George? Vince?

Much obliged for any contributions...

[oldtransamdriver]

Manfred, I believe you mean the Canadian Touring Car championship, known as the CTC? Don't remember any Tourist Trophy series. I have some Wheelspins that have a few of those reports, races that I was involved in.

I also have some race results from the 68, 69, and 71 Sundown races, again ones that I was involved with, but will have to find those. Some stuff went to a friend and will have to borrow it back.

Robert Barg

[RA Historian]

Ah, that is a name from the past. I remember reading in Competition Press about a race in approximately Sept. 1960 at Harewood Acres that was called the O'Keefe Sundown Grand Prix. (O'Keefe being a Canadian beer? Manfred?) It was a six hour race and was won by Roger Penske and Peter Ryan in a Porsche RS-60 Spyder. Never heard anything else about a Sundown GP before or since.
Tom

[oldtransamdriver]

Tom, check out that previous thread Canadian Racer for info on the Sundown history. Not sure what the current status of that race is - there was a revival recently of a 3 hr. race? That original 6 hr. as I remember it was a good event, but then I'm a enduro racer. Always liked that format - there was a chance for the little guy to do well back in the day.

Robert Barg

[Berner]

Sundowner, no? Organized by Ontario Region of the old CASC. Held at Mosport for ever.

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

I have a few personal snaps of each event from the mid 60's scanned. Will upload to ImageShack later today or 2moro for posting here @ TNF.

Bob: I'm 99 44/100 % certain that the TT was simply named, 'The Tourist Trophy', ala the famous Goodwood event and, doubtless, others. iirc, the event at Mosport, tho, was strictly for production saloons...no sports jobs.

[RA Historian]

Sundowner, no? Organized by Ontario Region of the old CASC. Held at Mosport for ever.

Which event? I am a bit confused by your answer. Mosport opened in1961, but the Harewood Acres O'Keefe Sundown GP 6 Hours took place in 1960.
Tom

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Quite so, Tom. The Harewood event was indeed the first of the Sundown GP's as mentioned on the Canadian Race site. Subsequent events went to Mosport. The last of the full, six-hour contests was in the mid-70's, I do believe. A half-hearted attempt to revive the event was made not long ago under a three-hour format. I don't believe it lived long. However, there are still enduros staged at Mosport to this day.

Pix tomorrow...I promise!

[doug_mini]

The Sundown Grand Prix was originally organized by the now defunct North Toronto Motor Club. The event still runs (organized by Mosport as a 3 hour event) on the Victoria Day long weekend (late May).
Another Ontario club BARC, organizes the Touring Trophy races in August. Their web site is:

http://www.barc-oc.com/

Doug McKenzie

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Hi, Doug. How's Bobbie?

So... Here we go... Some of these images, you've seen previously...ie, Lotus 19 Monte Carlo and the LeMans Start threads...but I'll combine them here plus post a couple of new ones from the TT.

THE SUNDOWN

Notes on the back of this print indicate the start of the 1964 edition of the Sundown as the lads sprint for their mounts. Possilbe entries here are a Lotus 23, gridded P1. Second car, with extra illumination on the bonnet, may be the Whitton. If so, possibly Jacques Couture up. Third car may be a Merlyn. Almost certainly, a Jag XKE starting P4 with a Healey next up. That's got to be a Porsche 356 variant way down at the end.



They're away with pretty clearly the Healey getting the drop on the field. Back in the day, Don Kindree was a Healey exponent but I don't think that this is his car. Typically, it was painted black.



Listed as being the start of the 1965 Sundown, this image of the drivers about to climb aboard. A formula car? A support race? Perhaps but... Looks like a couple of MGB's next in line. After taking this snap, it would appear that I swung rapidly to my left, advanced the film and shot the second of two images of the start. I had believed for the longest time that the Sunbeam Alpine pulling level with the end of the pit guardrail was George Eaton but no, George the Car advised recently that it isn't. You'll note the utter lack of guardrail opposite the pits. Nowdays, it's like the Maginot Line!





Also from the '65 running, the Larry Reilly Lotus 19/Chevy. Ex-Dave Greenblatt. Clearly, much was expected of this entry or they wouldn't have bothered with the extra lamps. Prep by Portland Garages, iirc. It didn't manage even half dozen laps in practice before failing.





TOURIST TROPHY

From 1964, my notes indicate that this was a LeMans start! WooHoo! Assorted Minis...possibly Bill Brack shooting for the lead on the extreme left...a Ford Falcon and what might be a Corvair still in their pit slots, a Volvo P544 ditto and smoking away to grand start to make a bid for the lead, front & centre of image, a DKW/Auto Union!



Also from '64, this pit-side snap of the Comstock Team's Ford Falcon overheating. Unsure of the driver lineup. Possibly included Jerry Polivka.



Up to 1965 now, we have Bill Brack's Mini on the back straight. You'll again appreciate the utter lack of retaining barriers. It claimed a few up to the early 70's as there were deep gullies either side of the tarmac.



From the same locale, this is Sir John Whitmore's Lotus Cortina on song.



Must have been every bit as hot in '65 as it was in '64 as another falls to overheating. This is the Bob Acton Ford Mustang making with the steam. Directly ahead of it in pitlane would appear to be a Corvair. Mo Carter?



Lastly, from further along the back straight of the Brack and Whitmore snaps, an image of Craig Fisher in the Comstock Team Mustang as it just overtakes the similar mount of soon-to-be-crowned Canadian National Driver's Champion, Bob McLean. Bob would perish at Sebring in a Comstock GT40 within the year. RIP, Bob.



BONUS:

Here's a tease. And not in anyway connected to either the Sundown or the TT. Care to identify this snap?

[zoff2005]

Listed as being the start of the 1965 Sundown, this image of the drivers about to climb aboard. A formula car? A support race? Perhaps but... Looks like a couple of MGB's next in line. After taking this snap, it would appear that I swung rapidly to my left, advanced the film and shot the second of two images of the start. I had believed for the longest time that the Sunbeam Alpine pulling level with the end of the pit guardrail was George Eaton but no, George the Car advised recently that it isn't. You'll note the utter lack of guardrail opposite the pits. Nowdays, it's like the Maginot Line!

This seems to be a novice support race (the cars all have the novice triangle on the back). These were always mixed races at the time, formula cars and what have you, drivers all being novices. I did my first novice race in a FV at Mosport (1967) and went off on turn four on the first lap. I watched the second race, as my car was damaged - there was a Ferrari 250 GT and a Titan F3 car. The F3 car started in reverse, which was entertaining!
All the best
Marcus Mussa

Edited by zoff2005, 16 September 2009 - 17:10.

[oldtransamdriver]

That big 62 Pontiac would either be Craig Fisher, or perhaps the 62 USAC stock race run in 2 heats, with Roger Ward and Paul Goldsmith each winning a heat. Photo is taken at Mosport.

I'm still trying to remember a TT race or series.

Robert Barg

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Very good, Bob! 10 out of 10. Roger Ward it is.

And a nice covering bet re Craig Fisher, too!

Roger, c/w checkered flag at the conclusion of what my notes say was the 'Grand National Stock Car Race' @ Mosport in 1962, brings the big Pontiac to a stop at the end of pitlane. There was no pit guardrail in those days...that wasn't erected til '65. Shortly following, I got RW's autograph in the pits along with a number of other snaps. May post if there's any interest.

Oh, and the Tourist Trophy event I seek data on was just a one-off, not a series. I don't even recall the duration of the event, frankly. Three hours? Not sure...

[ERault]

No Tourist Trophy, but there was a Canadian Touring Trophy at Mosport on august 8, 1964. The race was won by Paul Cooke in the Comstock Ford Falcon, followed by Pease's Mini Cooper.

[oldtransamdriver]

Ok, in the Wheelspin News issue of Dec. 68, there is a story by reporter Doug Spencer re the BARC-OC "Thanksgiving Speed Weekend" - the last race of the season.

There is mention of the 2 Hr. Canadian Touring Trophy Race for sedans won by Mo Carter in his 68 camaro. followed by Al Mason, Dave Lawler, Steve Bell, and myself in 5th. Rick Stevens in his Mini, my sometime Camaro co-driver, finished 6th. There is quite a detailed report listing 23 entrants. A 2 hr. sedan race would have been unusual, and it probably counted as points for the Canadian sedan championship, that was won by western driver John Hall.

Of special interest is the report on the Sunday hill climb that was run in a reverse direction from Moss Corner to the start finish line, won by Doug Durell in his Kiki MK111. Don't remember that event being tried again, but it may have. I can picture the layout and it would have been fun to try.

Robert Barg

[bpratt]

Here's a clipping from Competition Press, October 15, 1960 for the October 1, 1960 O'Keefe Sundown won by Penske/Ryan. There was an Ontario Tourist Trophy race as well.

[RA Historian]

Here's a clipping from Competition Press, October 15, 1960 for the October 1, 1960 O'Keefe Sundown won by Penske/Ryan.

Thanks, that is the race I remembered and mentioned in post 3. Glad to see that my memory was right!
Tom

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Kind thanks for this latest input, chaps.

I could have sworn that I posted a thread c/w pix here @ TNF about the Mosport Hillclimb events of the 1960's but cannot find it to save my soul. This to confirm Bob Barg's mention above. Curious...curious...

[Graham Clayton]

"The chequered past: sports car racing and rallying in Canada, 1951-1991" by David Anderson Charters, University of Toronto Press, 2007 has some information on the Sundown Grand Prix. Here are some of the points raised:

The race was known as the "Little Le Mans" in Canada, and was run for the first time in 1959 by the North Toronto Motorsport Club. The 1960 race drew a crowd of only 3,000 spectators, with the next race being held in 1964.

The 1965 race was won by Craig Fisher abd Eppie Wietzes in a Shelby Mustang, with Fisher recording back to back victories in 1966, sharing a 427 Cobra with George Eaton.