9 replies to this topic

[Sebring222]

Group- During the course of working on some Elva research (I'm an Elva owner) I came across Ralph Salyer's Elva Mclaren Mk1. Apparently Ralph had a serious accident early in 1966 at Riverside and the car was written off. At this point Ralph purchased a Mckee Oldsmobile that he campaigned during the rest of the 1966 season, winning CSR at the USRRC at Riverside in the fall. At some point during the season, perhaps for the entire season, Ralph had a co-driver named William
Mitchell. Bill was also associated with Oldsmobile in some way. Did Bill also have a car of his own that he was campaigning? If so, what? I have also been able to learn that Bill won the 1966 CENDIV Championship in some class but I can't find any reference to any wins at any track in that division in 1966. Did Bill get the Championship as co-driver to Ralph Salyer in CENDIV driving the Mckee-Oldsmobile? Thanks for your help with this!

[raceannouncer2003]

Apparently, Salyer and Mitchell co-drove the McKee at the 1966 and 1967 Road America 500s. The programs indicate Mitchell's name was William C. Mitchell.

Vince H.

[Allen Brown]

I've never known co-drivers appear in SCCA championship records. Salyer was second in CenDiv CSR and his car was given as "Cro-Sal Spl.". Mitchell did not score points in CSR but won HSR in a Bobsy Imp. Salyer was from Indiana NW Region and Mitchell from W. Michigan.

[David McKinney]

I've never known co-drivers appear in SCCA championship records

The Road America 500 was always a two-driver race

[SJ Lambert]

Apparently, Salyer and Mitchell co-drove the McKee at the 1966 and 1967 Road America 500s. The programs indicate Mitchell's name was William C. Mitchell.

Vince H.

What time of year did they run the Road America 500 back then?

[RA Historian]

The Road America 500 was always a two-driver race

Normally so, but occasionally a driver would solo. Most notably was the 1966 RA 500 which was won by Chuck Parsons, driving the entire 500 miles. In addition, that year Skip Hudson was third and Lothar Motschenbacher fourth, also driving solo.

What time of year did they run the Road America 500 back then?

September. The race was the second Sunday in Sept from its inception until sometime in the early 1960s when it moved to Labor Day weekend.

The Cro-Sal Spl. was named after Gene Crow - Ralph Sayer.

Mitchell and Sayer co-drove a McKee in the 1966 Road America 500, held in August of 1966.

Gene Crowe, with an E. '66 was Labor Day Sunday.

Tom

[RA Historian]

Group- During the course of working on some Elva research (I'm an Elva owner) I came across Ralph Salyer's Elva Mclaren Mk1. Apparently Ralph had a serious accident early in 1966 at Riverside and the car was written off. At this point Ralph purchased a Mckee Oldsmobile that he campaigned during the rest of the 1966 season, winning CSR at the USRRC at Riverside in the fall. At some point during the season, perhaps for the entire season, Ralph had a co-driver named William
Mitchell. Bill was also associated with Oldsmobile in some way. Did Bill also have a car of his own that he was campaigning? If so, what? I have also been able to learn that Bill won the 1966 CENDIV Championship in some class but I can't find any reference to any wins at any track in that division in 1966. Did Bill get the Championship as co-driver to Ralph Salyer in CENDIV driving the Mckee-Oldsmobile? Thanks for your help with this!

I've never known co-drivers appear in SCCA championship records. Salyer was second in CenDiv CSR and his car was given as "Cro-Sal Spl.". Mitchell did not score points in CSR but won HSR in a Bobsy Imp. Salyer was from Indiana NW Region and Mitchell from W. Michigan.

Allen answers it. Salyer started the year in the McLaren M1A (McLaren Elva Mk I) with which he finished up 1965. The car was destroyed in a big crash at Riverside, as stated. The remains have somehow or other resurfaced a few years ago (don't they always?) and the restored car is owned by Edie Arrowsmith in Arizona. Salyer replaced the destoyed McLaren with a new McKee Mk VI and ran that in 1966, most notably winning the Class C Sports Racing championship at the Runoffs, appropriately enough at Riverside, and the first half of 1967. At that time he traded the Mk VI back to Bob McKee for a Mk VII. McKee converted the Salyer Mk VI into the first Mk IX gas turbine car, the Howmet.

There is confusion, understandably, over the various Bill Mitchells that were around in racing. This Mitchell was a small bore sports racer driver, who, as Allen states, did well in a Bobsy. Of course, the more famous Bill Mitchell was the GM head of styling at GM and the man who was a big racing backer. Not to mention the current Wm C Mitchell, who is a race engineer and occasional writer.

The Mitchell in question co-drove with Salyer only at the RA 500. The rest of the time he ran on his own.

Incidentally, the Riverside Runoffs in 1966, and SCCA Runoffs taken as a whole, were NOT the "USRRC" as stated in the first post. The Runoffs have had various acronyms over the years, including ARRC and CSPRC, (don't ask), but the USRRC was the United States Road Racing Championship, a series of professional sports car races run by the SCCA from 1963 through 1968. The SCCA revived the USRRC in 1998-99, but that does not concern us here. No connection existed between the USRRC and the Runoffs.
Tom

[Sebring222]

Allen answers it. Salyer started the year in the McLaren M1A (McLaren Elva Mk I) with which he finished up 1965. The car was destroyed in a big crash at Riverside, as stated. The remains have somehow or other resurfaced a few years ago (don't they always?) and the restored car is owned by Edie Arrowsmith in Arizona. Salyer replaced the destoyed McLaren with a new McKee Mk VI and ran that in 1966, most notably winning the Class C Sports Racing championship at the Runoffs, appropriately enough at Riverside, and the first half of 1967. At that time he traded the Mk VI back to Bob McKee for a Mk VII. McKee converted the Salyer Mk VI into the first Mk IX gas turbine car, the Howmet.

There is confusion, understandably, over the various Bill Mitchells that were around in racing. This Mitchell was a small bore sports racer driver, who, as Allen states, did well in a Bobsy. Of course, the more famous Bill Mitchell was the GM head of styling at GM and the man who was a big racing backer. Not to mention the current Wm C Mitchell, who is a race engineer and occasional writer.

The Mitchell in question co-drove with Salyer only at the RA 500. The rest of the time he ran on his own.

Incidentally, the Riverside Runoffs in 1966, and SCCA Runoffs taken as a whole, were NOT the "USRRC" as stated in the first post. The Runoffs have had various acronyms over the years, including ARRC and CSPRC, (don't ask), but the USRRC was the United States Road Racing Championship, a series of professional sports car races run by the SCCA from 1963 through 1968. The SCCA revived the USRRC in 1998-99, but that does not concern us here. No connection existed between the USRRC and the Runoffs.
Tom

Thank you for your replies and your help in clarifying this issue. The HSR Bobsy connection certainly makes a lot of sense although Bill moved up to an Alfa powered Brabham CSR a couple of years later. Anyone know if Bill might still be around?

[Sebring222]

Thank you for your replies and your help in clarifying this issue. The HSR Bobsy connection certainly makes a lot of sense although Bill moved up to an Alfa powered Brabham CSR a couple of years later. Anyone know if Bill might still be around?

I see that a Bill Mitchell is a member of the Road Racing Drivers Club, could this be the same Bill Mitchell?

[raceannouncer2003]

I see that a Bill Mitchell is a member of the Road Racing Drivers Club, could this be the same Bill Mitchell?

Could be. The Road Racing Drivers Club Bill Mitchell and the Brabham BT8 Bill Mitchell are both listed as being from Cheshire, CT.

Vince H.