89 replies to this topic

[Ray Bell]

It's all on in a week and a half... who's going?

As I've explained in another thread, I can't make it, but I'm sure that anyone who does will enjoy it totally. Allan Tomlinson will be there, 70 years and 10 months after winning the race they're recalling.

[Lee Nicolle]

It's all on in a week and a half... who's going?

As I've explained in another thread, I can't make it, but I'm sure that anyone who does will enjoy it totally. Allan Tomlinson will be there, 70 years and 10 months after winning the race they're recalling.

I intend to go and have a look, it helps being about 45 min from there!

[john medley]

I too am now going, with my young son Benny, by the kind offices of Rob Rowe and John Lackey from Sydney who are taking over John's familiar MG TC as well as John's yet to be completed(!!) Tomlinson MG T Supercharged replica for AGT to drive. I have not yet seen the TA but I am told it is incredibly close to the original, with Allan constantly consulted re progress.

[brucemoxon]

Dang it - I can't go. Clashes with the national Motorkhana Championship.

A mate rang me the other morning and had me all hot and sweaty about jumping in the car with him until I asked 'which weekend?'

Hopefully there will be some decent print about the event - not that I'm counting on it.



BM

[jeremy durward]

yep, i'll be there. same as lee it helps to live close, in fact a mate is in the next town woodside (right on the old track we later found out) so i'll head over from his house i think

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by john medley
I too am now going, with my young son Benny, by the kind offices of Rob Rowe and John Lackey from Sydney who are taking over John's familiar MG TC as well as John's yet to be completed (!!) Tomlinson MG T Supercharged replica for AGT to drive. I have not yet seen the TA but I am told it is incredibly close to the original, with Allan constantly consulted re progress.

I will definitely be intercepting this on its way through... whether it be on the way across or the way back. I'll be in Harden, so it shouldn't be too far for me to go to catch up with them...

My time with Allan will be in Melbourne the following Wednesday or Thursday, with David Shaw and I videoing (DVDing?) a nice chat with him as living history. As mentioned earlier on the other thread, I will also use that time to organise for Allan to get to address the IMMRC when he gets back to the US.

[Bernd]

Bugger I totally missed this coming up, had a blast at the last one...

[Gary Davies]

I'm a 'buggerbuggerbugger', too. A conflicting MG commitment out of town all weekend.

I'm sending an agent up there armed with a large camera 'cos Nuvolari's 1935 German Grand Prix Alfa-Romeo P3 will be there. See - http://www.lobethalg...om.au/News.html

I'll be asking my man to take a lots of detail shots as well as on track action.

To my shame, I didn't even realise this car currently resides in Australia.

[David McKinney]

To my shame, I didn't even realise this car currently resides in Australia.

You mean, to your shame, you didn't read the blurb properly

[Ray Bell]

Boastful Kiwis... will they ever give up?

Shame, really, there's not a Monza around. It was the quickest car IIRC, maybe equalled by Kleinig. Is the Hudson going to be there?

[john medley]

Gentlemen, gentlemen, you are all .. gentlemen( as I recall a solicitorial rugby referee saying to us once when the head banging etc began)

Try this: I will get a great deal of pleasure from all my friends and from all the cars, and from meeting Allan Tomlinson again, but most of all I will get pleasure from my (just) six year old son shaking the hand of the great man( who is also such a nice man) so being able to say when he, Benny , gets to Allan's age " I shook the hand of the great Allan Tomlinson who won the Australian Grand Prix 200+ years ago"

I will take the photo for him. How about THAT for Nostalgia?

[David McKinney]

Boastful Kiwis... will they ever give up?

:confused:

The report does speak of the Alfa being an overseas entry, but even Australians should know that this term can apply to countries other than New Zealand. The Shirleys are of the American persuasion, I believe.

Edited by David McKinney, 25 September 2009 - 12:51.

[Ray Bell]

My apologies, David...

I knew that a Tipo B had been in NZ so I made a rash assumption. I haven't looked at the website as yet, just been too busy.

And John, surely that will rank alongside Buford's tale about getting an autograph from a shaking hand?

[David McKinney]

I knew that a Tipo B had been in NZ...

Two in fact
(And two more in Australia)

[tania34]

It's all on in a week and a half... who's going?

As I've explained in another thread, I can't make it, but I'm sure that anyone who does will enjoy it totally. Allan Tomlinson will be there, 70 years and 10 months after winning the race they're recalling.

I"m sorry you wont be there this year Ray I was looking forward to seeing you, maybe next year.
Hopefully the weather will be kinder than it has been of late.
It promises to be well supported, bgger and better than last year.
Tania

[john medley]

Sackcloth and ashes: I apologize for my mathematics( did you hear that one about "There are three types of people in the world, those who understand mathematics and those who dont"?), and it should have been
70 years plus
87 years
totals 157 years

Given the 2.9 Alfa mentions above, and given that the chassis/engine numbers are known, is there anyone out there who can venture an informed guess re the location of 2.9 Alfa engine 5002 which ran at Lobethal 70 years ago?

[Gary Davies]

You mean, to your shame, you didn't read the blurb properly

That's right, I failed to read the blurb properly. Fact is, there is a Medina in Western Australia. Ah, assumptions... combined with a particularly work day...

But if I've at least pointed just one person to the presence of this wonderful car...

[brucemoxon]

Sackcloth and ashes: I apologize for my mathematics( did you hear that one about "There are three types of people in the world, those who understand mathematics and those who dont"?), and it should have been
70 years plus
87 years
totals 157 years

Given the 2.9 Alfa mentions above, and given that the chassis/engine numbers are known, is there anyone out there who can venture an informed guess re the location of 2.9 Alfa engine 5002 which ran at Lobethal 70 years ago?

Actually, John, there are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don't

I'm in the second group.



Bruce Moxon

[john medley]

Thank you, Bruce. I knew I could count on you

[Catalina Park]

Actually, John, there are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don't

I'm in the second group.



Bruce Moxon

01001001001000000110000101101101001000000110100101101110001000000111010001101000
011001010010000001100110011010010111001001110011011101000010000001100111011100100
1101111011101010111000000101110

[Richard Townley]

Lobethal 2009 Car entry list

http://www.lobethalg.....ars 2009.html

[johnny yuma]

Gentlemen, gentlemen, you are all .. gentlemen( as I recall a solicitorial rugby referee saying to us once when the head banging etc began)

Try this: I will get a great deal of pleasure from all my friends and from all the cars, and from meeting Allan Tomlinson again, but most of all I will get pleasure from my (just) six year old son shaking the hand of the great man( who is also such a nice man) so being able to say when he, Benny , gets to Allan's age " I shook the hand of the great Allan Tomlinson who won the Australian Grand Prix 200+ years ago"

I will take the photo for him. How about THAT for Nostalgia?

Don't forget to plonk Benny into the drivers seat of the oldest racecars for photos ."almost" 6 year olds get permission for anything,and rightly so.

Shame about the maths error,Mr ex- schoolteacher,unforgiveable really.

and what's that old saying..." I knew a man,who knew a woman,who danced with the Prince of Wales " ? My only famous person photo in the family album is one of Robert O'Hara Burke,given to my great great grandfather,on the back written "to my friend Patrick Murphy" by the eccentric and possibly barking mad Burke, before his cross country dash.But no racing drivers,damn.Just policemen.

[john medley]

Ouch!

However....I am looking forward to all this at Lobethal -- crossing nearly half of Australia to get there, enjoying the good company of old cars and old friends( many of them no less eccentric and barking mad than R O'H Burke), and tasting once again that remarkable South Australian circuit which I first drove around in Kevin Shearer's prewar American sedan 30+ years ago.

I remain mystified STILL about how Allan Tomlinson and the other"kids from the west" did what they did 70 years ago to win the 1939 Australian Grand Prix, but Robert Rowe tantalized me yesterday with an obscure comment. He had just finished(and started) the engine of the Tomlinson replica Supercharged T in the wee small hours of Monday morning. When I rang him next morning he said"Those kids from the west were much smarter than we give them credit for" --- but he did undertake to discuss this further on the long trip across to Lobethal

[Damien Duigan]

Sackcloth and ashes: I apologize for my mathematics( did you hear that one about "There are three types of people in the world, those who understand mathematics and those who dont"?), and it should have been
70 years plus
87 years
totals 157 years

Given the 2.9 Alfa mentions above, and given that the chassis/engine numbers are known, is there anyone out there who can venture an informed guess re the location of 2.9 Alfa engine 5002 which ran at Lobethal 70 years ago?

G'day all,

Flying across from Melbourne on Saturday - should be a great weekend.

John, I'm one of those nutters that keeps track of serial numbers - chassis 5002/SF36 was formerly in the Hayashi collection in Japan and since 2003 or so has been active in historic events with Warren "Ned" Spieker of California. The other "Australian" Tipo B was a 1934 car, 50003/SF43, which now races in England with Paul and Matt Grist.

Cheers,
Damien

[jeremy durward]

I"m sorry you wont be there this year Ray I was looking forward to seeing you, maybe next year.
Hopefully the weather will be kinder than it has been of late.
It promises to be well supported, bgger and better than last year.
Tania

Which day are you going Tania? looks like i'll only be able to make it on the suday now.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by John Medley
.....I remain mystified STILL about how Allan Tomlinson and the other "kids from the west" did what they did 70 years ago to win the 1939 Australian Grand Prix, but Robert Rowe tantalised me yesterday with an obscure comment.

He had just finished (and started) the engine of the Tomlinson replica Supercharged T in the wee small hours of Monday morning. When I rang him next morning he said"Those kids from the west were much smarter than we give them credit for" --- but he did undertake to discuss this further on the long trip across to Lobethal.

This will be a great subject for my discussion with Allan next week... after he's seen the replica and you and Benny...

I've made arrangements to view the car in the morning as it passes near to my present location on the highway. Great to see that everyone is so enthusiastic and happy to pull up and give me a chance to look it over.

I'll photograph it outside the Halfway House Motel at Jugiong, for a further connection (if a little obscure) with Australian Motoring History.

[john medley]

Damien, thank you for your reply re 5002 Type B Alfa

Yes, I am aware of the Hayashi recent and Ned Spieker current ownership of the CHASSIS etc-- but the thrust of my post was about the engine numbered 5002 which disappeared 9 months after Lobethal 1939 after Jack Saywell sent it back to the factory for repairs in 1939. It was due back to him in Sept/Oct 1939, but was never seen again(to my knowledge). Saywell received war reparations for the missing engine Chassis 5002 sat engineless in the corner of Rex Marshall's workshop in Sydney for a decade, earning itself the title of The Nomotore. I am led to believe that chassis 5002 now carries engine #5001--- but does anyone know the whereabouts of the engine numbered 5002 that went missing in 1939?

[Damien Duigan]

Damien, thank you for your reply re 5002 Type B Alfa

Yes, I am aware of the Hayashi recent and Ned Spieker current ownership of the CHASSIS etc-- but the thrust of my post was about the engine numbered 5002 which disappeared 9 months after Lobethal 1939 after Jack Saywell sent it back to the factory for repairs in 1939. It was due back to him in Sept/Oct 1939, but was never seen again(to my knowledge). Saywell received war reparations for the missing engine Chassis 5002 sat engineless in the corner of Rex Marshall's workshop in Sydney for a decade, earning itself the title of The Nomotore. I am led to believe that chassis 5002 now carries engine #5001--- but does anyone know the whereabouts of the engine numbered 5002 that went missing in 1939?

Hi John,

Not sure what happened to the motor after it went back to Italy though I do recall reading it was on a boat home that was struck by a torpedo. Certainly never heard of again. I believe chassis 5002 now has engine 50001.

Cheers, Damien

[tania34]

Which day are you going Tania? looks like i'll only be able to make it on the suday now.

Yeah Sunday for me too, hope the weather will be good, catch you in the "pits" maybe?

[Ray Bell]

Just been to see the Tomlinson replica...

Fabulous job and all concerned should, when they recover from the many hours of midnight oil burning, take a bow. Thanks to John Lackey for arranging for me to see the car, I'll post photos when I can.

[onelung]

...some imagery from Friday (the Alfas and the Lago) and Saturday. Cold and a little damp at times - Sunday's weather should be better.

[Ray Bell]

Yeah, but did you see this one?







Of course, those who were racing against the original in 1939 only saw this view:

[Ray Bell]

And the business end... lavish and lovely, isn't it?





I guess the old Ampol tin is significant... it certainly isn't period. But it's not new. Perhaps it's an attempt to put some 'historical significance' on a part that wasn't in the original car?

[onelung]

Yeah, but did you see this one?

Ray, fair suck o' the sauce .. I can't post them all at once..

[Ray Bell]

And neither you can...

But I rather thought that the celebration of this car's win (or at least the one this was fastidiously copied from...) would have given it some priority.

I gather they had some problems with the supercharger (one of just a few brand new pieces on the car) and that it's running without it.

Any photos of Allan Tomlinson in the car at all?

[eldougo]

Good to see it up and running ,unlike your cars RAY.

[onelung]

And neither you can...

But I rather thought that the celebration of this car's win (or at least the one this was fastidiously copied from...) would have given it some priority.

I gather they had some problems with the supercharger (one of just a few brand new pieces on the car) and that it's running without it.

Any photos of Allan Tomlinson in the car at all?

Looks like a "no", to that, Ray - one had to be quick off the mark, I suspect, as I mostly seemed to hear over the track radio system from my post calls for "Number One" to be picked up by one of the recovery vehicles from somewhere out on the track. Pity. Beautifully presented, but not sufficiently sorted out, maybe?

Swallow Doretti: a somewhat rare vehicle by now ..?


And here's "Bess", who also had some mechanical(?) issues, I think - but at least got out there during one of the rare spells of sunshine.

[Ray Bell]

Another Lobethal winner, and a car that raced there twice...

Doug Whiteford, who was instrumental in rousing my interest in Lobethal in the first place, melted the alloy heads on Bess in 1940 (he wasn't the only Ford runner to do so that year...) and was to set fastest time in the 1948 race, IIRC, with Jim Gullan winning on handicap.

The very fact that the John Lackey Tomlinson replica was there at all was some kind of a miracle, the result of day and night efforts from Rob Rowe, Lackey and others. If it had teething troubles, it's not to be surprising.

The boys move on to Collingrove Hillclimb today, where sphincter muscles which yesterday reached new heights through corners like Schuberts can be somewhat more relaxed. Yes, even at a moderate pace as encouraged by the organisers of the great Lobethal Carnival, Lobethal is a daunting and testing venue.

I await John Medley's posts on this subject...

[Levin68]

There was a nice piece tonight on the ABC's current affairs program, The 7.30 Report. I can't vouch for its accuracy but Allan Tomlinson was duly feted, as were the cars, mostly the Alfas. You may be able to watch it here: http://www.abc.net.a...09/s2705445.htm

[Ray Bell]

Yes, thanks, my brother phoned me as I drove out of Corryong just after the segment ended...

I introduced him to Lobethal about 25 years ago and he videoed a lap of it from his car at the time, being suitably impressed with the place. I look forward to being able to see this, it will probably be available to me tonight.

Very much looking forward to meeting Allan on Thursday and getting his visit to the IMRRC arranged.

[Wilyman]

There was a nice piece tonight on the ABC's current affairs program, The 7.30 Report. I can't vouch for its accuracy but Allan Tomlinson was duly feted, as were the cars, mostly the Alfas. You may be able to watch it here: http://www.abc.net.a...09/s2705445.htm

Levin68,
Thank you so much for putting up the 7.30 Report link.
I had settled down for my dose of Top Gear on SBS. My phone rang and as usual I ignored it, later to find it was my sister ringing from Esperance to tell me that some "the old racing cars in South Aus." were on the 7.30 Report.

Wily TNF*118

[nivola]

Thank you for posting the link to the video

As a WA boy it is good to see some video of Allan.

To those with the images from the event thank you.

I wish one day to see the replica to get a better understanding of what has to be one if not the greatest achievements from a Team of Western Australians.

[john medley]

A great weekend. Direct involvement with the Tomlinson T replica and with Allan Tomlinson himself made it a really special time, and for so many the culmination of years even decades of planning and work.

Nivola I hope you do get a chance to see the T replica " to get a better understanding of what has to be one if not the greatest achievements from a Team of Western Australians". I first drove Lobethal thirty years ago and started researching that team's achievements then, including many many conversations with Allan. I was still trying to understand the whole thing last week, but I feel that my understanding has deepened immeasurably because of the weekend at Lobethal. Much of this comes from this perfectly serious attempt to create the perfect replica. The estimable John Lackey and the completely focussed Robert Rowe(and lots more) have lived and breathed this car for a long time and they wanted it perfect. They scoured the world for bits, they scoured Allan's(and others') minds for memories, including 18 pages of notes from Allan and constant reference to him. They used 2009 technology to assist them, but they burned the midnight oil too. In places they had to guess : they guessed the clutch pedal location near the left chassis rail, drivers leg over the tailshaft ; they felt they couldnt ask Allan; and when Allan slipped into the car for his foot to fall naturally onto the clutch making no comment whatsoever there was a sigh of relief: they had guessed right. To give just one more indication of this millimetre perfect replica, they couldnt properly close the bonnet -- they had a 5mm gap where the left side panel was held proud by a pulley pressing against a louvre. When Allan sat in the car, Robert said" We cant get the bonnet to fit ,Allan" Answer:" Did you hammer the 4th louvre flat?"....perfect replica!

As to the continuing question of explaining this TA's performance, those on the inside of the engine building then and now came up with this, simply: meticulous attention to detail, lightness in everything, and fear of failure; but also: compare a Cooper S engine with this TA and find the significant differences -- there arent many. So, if Graham Russell in Sydney can get 150bhp+ from a BMC A unblown, why not at least similar from a meticulously prepared T, blown?

There was much more to the weekend than this, 6 year old Benny did shake the hand of Allan Tomlinson and was interviewed by the Adelaide Advertiser, we saw lots of old and new friends in human and automotive form, and the party rolled on. I was pleased when the Macdonberg again won the Best Restoration award for Keith and Neville Roberts, but was really pleased when John L and Robert R took home the Castrol Cup for the best contribution to the meeting. We went on Sunday night to the Woodside Hotel for dinner only because The Kids From The West stayed there in 1939, so Allan was there again. I walked in with him and held the Castrol Cup aloft. Everyone cheered. Allan probably again shed a tear. We all understood. It was all just marvelous.

Just one more thing: some of us Tomlinson/Lobethal nerds have fussed about this for decades. Few spectators looked at the T replica on Saturday at Lobethal. I commented on this to Robert Rowe who rightly said"That is because they unlike us dont know the story. Wait until tomorrow". Tomorrow they came. Suddenly it felt as though we nerds were no longer on the outer: many had come to the party, not least when the entire crowd at the awards stood as one and warmly applauded Allan. And, Nivola, he of course insisted that it was not him they should applaud, it was the team, those Kids from the West.

[Dick Willis]

Thanks John for a great account of an event I know you have been anticipating for many years. Glad to learn that John and Rob received the recognition for their project that it so richly deserved, it must have been really something when AT got to sit in it, did he drive it ? Do you have a pic of him in it ?

After all the years of you theorising about AT's great performance in winning the AGP in 1939, did driving the car live up to expectations or are you still in wonderment as to how he went so well in it ?

Incidentally does the "new" car have a TA engine or a TC ?

[john medley]

Hi Dick... sorry I missed you and Tasmania( I rang you...), and I almost missed this one, which as you say would have been heartbreaking because I have hoped for this for a long time. I only went because Graham Howard said to me"How many more chances have you to talk to AGT at Lobethal" and then the invite came from John and Robert.

We towed the TA to SA, met John and Robert on the road, and drove to Allan's motel in Hahndorf. not all that far from the circuit. The brick columns you see behind Allan in the ABC interview are part of part of the motel carpark where we put the T. The green car beyond is the MG J2/P of Ed and Chris Farrar from Perth who were, as usual, Allan's minders. Allan said to me that he was not nearly as spry as when we last saw one another, and that is true; Ed said that Allan has had some recent health issues including some damage from the 1940 accident now repaired, and Ed insisted that Allan was improving by the day. Whether this was a factor in his decision not to drive I dont know, but there were other reasons, both automotive and political. When he drove it around the motel and on the nearby roads there was a small misfire and Allan said he did not want to damage the car. When he slid into the car and started it there were actually some tears around the place, maybe including me. This was the first time I had seen it in its real and original colours with its real and original driver. After Allan got out, Ed fanged it around the streets till it warmed up and the misfire lessened -- but returned in spades the next day when the carb and manifold iced up. We taped up the insides of all the louvres and Rob disconnected the oil cooler -- this after they had blanked off the hole in the firewall that the carb sucked through. Allan said he had only ever raced it in hot weather and he never saw ice till he moved to the USA.

I didnt drive it. I drove the JLackey TC at Lobethal and Collingrove, had forgotten my TC days , eventually came to relearn some of what was needed, and was quite impressed with this car which John bought off Paul Hamilton nearly 40 years ago -- Paul's first racing car, and John's. The T was quite rightly the centre of attention, but the onlookers seemed to take a long time to recognize that. The car looks just right, the detail is incredible, and it really is a spindly and very light thing. You will love it -- no fat wheels and tyres, single laced wheels, standard brake drums, EVERTHING the way it was except probably some engine internals. The problem with the supercharger appears to have been perhaps something in the " new old stock" original supercharger which turned out to have some repro Argentinian internals. Almost all the bits are new -- not chassis or block etc, but you know what I mean... It is just an astonishingly good replica, where even some old "errors" intrude: I commented on the slightly wavy line of rivets visible inside the left top side of the body, to be told that The Man With the Golden Hammer Rodney Hoffman noticed these in one photograph, carefully computer-measured them, and repeated them.

And, yes, Dick, it has a TA engine, externally as run in 1940(internally a RRowe-designed counterbalanced steel crank and rods), which when sorted will go very hard indeed I suspect. I suspect however that not even Robert Rowe could have the meticulous attention to detail of The Kids from the West 70+ years ago: Allan told of using no head gasket, rather lapping the head with 3 grades of valvegrinding paste on a surface plate, then lapping the block likewise, then lapping the two together --" took me 2 weeks for each process" said Allan." Surely you used a machine to do that" I foolishly said. " No, all by hand" replied Allan. Great 1940s/50s MGTC racer George" Research" Pearse said to me 15 years ago " You couldnt buy performance over a counter then like you can these days. Performance had to come from what was inside your head and from your ability to shape metal". The little team from the West were I suspect prototypes of that view, and also forerunners of a level of professionalism which didnt exist in Australia until the 1960s. In the video shown at the awards occasion there is a brief scene I had not seen previously , of all the others ambling down the left side of the road intent on finishing, but the Supercharged T with intensely intent driver storming past them all near the right side of the road There were very good reasons why he was within a whisker of all the newly imported exotics over that long race.

[Dick Willis]

Thanks again John for your most intersting detailed account ; do you know what the plans are for the car, will it appear in Historics ?

Re, your comments about lapping the head to the block, this is also what Gordon Stewart had been doing to the TC engine he had in the Wheeler Fortune, it had lots of intersting tweaks in it when I pulled it apart, probably the first time it had been apart since it blew up more than 50 years previously.

I wonder if the problem with the TA misfiring was due to using engine oil which was incompatible with the methanol fuel.

Anyway, a great effort by all concerned.

PS, Did you get my letter ?

[Dick Willis]

I must admit I am quite excited about the TA, did it actually run on the circuit or did its difficulties preclude this John ? and where's the photos ?

[Ray Bell]

It did complete a short distance on three occasions, Dick...

I believe John told me it got out of town once, almost to the start line once, then round a lap and back into the main street, but not to the line, on another run.

John, I have (as you well know) a very high level of anticipation for whatever Allan might add to our collective knowledge tomorrow, and also what we can glean from him regarding some points raised here. Not to mention a lot of other stuff. Unfortunately, now that our meeting won't take place until the afternoon it means David won't be there for the whole thing.

But the DVD camera he's arranged certainly will be!

[john medley]

I got your letter Dick, and agree with your handwritten comments(but for the moment am saying nothing). Can you use the stuff here for next N/L?( perhaps email me to see if my address still bounces yours?)

While Allan was testing the T I had the John Lackey camera taking pics. They will appear in due course. I guess there were lots of others, but I have seen only those on this site

The T ran as mentioned by Ray, finally at Collingrove failing to even get to the starting pad. Its minders and fettlers were philosophical about that, recognizing that teething troubles were inevitable. John L is in no rush for the car to reappear, wanting to problem solve first. I asked him about running it at Albany but Ed Farrar (organizer at Albany 2009) said there was a V8 Supercar Wanneroo event that day and Albany2010 might not happen. John definitely said no GEAR meeting next week. So, no plans yet definite.

Iit didnt smell like it was on methanol. We didnt need to refuel it so I dont know, but I dont think it used methanol (perhaps could have used mixtures to address icing problem if so?). The supercharger was disconnected.

By the way, there were lots of other cars (and motor cycles)there as well

[onelung]

And speaking (above) re methanol, I have to share an exchange I heard over the course two-way radio system early on - between which parties I can't recall, and cannot do it anywhere near close for even paraphrasing, but it went along the lines of ...

"That car (x) is using methanol ... the other one's on alcohol.."

I might have to return to my high school chemistry texts.