13 replies to this topic

[RShaw]

I recently obtained a number of photos taken in August of 1961 at Continental Divide Raceway near Denver. They show an Indy car that may be the George Salih/Quinn Epperly Belond Special "lay down" Offy. The photos show no spectators other than those surrounding the car, and no other (race) cars are in the photos, indicating that this may have been a test session of some sort. I am not aware of any USAC Indy car races having taken place at CDR until at least 5 or so years later, so I don't think it was in preparation for an upcoming event at the track.
Can anyone help in identifying the circumstances and perhaps the participants shown in these photos?
RonS.

[fbarrett]

Interesting photos; thanks for posting them. Wasn't there an Indy car driver from Castle Rock? Jack Eiteljorg? And there were a couple from Denver...

Frank

[cheapracer]

Great pictures.

Note a very early screen printed T shirt and I would have thought the engine cover would be hinged on the left considering the G forces.

[bradbury west]

Does anyone have any ideas for sources of race entry details at Continental Divide events, as my Lotus 20 raced there in the mid 60s.? I have photos of it there with Bob Ilg, from Salt Lake City IIRC.
Roger Lund

[sramoa]

Does anyone have any ideas for sources of race entry details at Continental Divide events, as my Lotus 20 raced there in the mid 60s.? I have photos of it there with Bob Ilg, from Salt Lake City IIRC.
Roger Lund

I have two idea:
http://en.wikipedia....Divide_Raceways

about Lotus 20 car:
http://www.oldracing...php?RaceID=CL67
Joe Alves(#66) and Eugene Wilbanks(#14) had a Lotus 20 car

[RShaw]

The engine cover hinging may have had something to do with the direction US oval races are run, i.e., counterclockwise. If work was to be done on the engine in the pits, it would be better/safer for the mechanics to be between the car and the pit wall, as opposed to on the other side of the car where all the pit lane traffic would be.

Sramoa's Wikipedia link did serve to verify that the earliest USAC Indy car race at CDR was in 1968, seven years after the 1961 appearance of the car in the photos.

If that is the Belond lay down Offy, the car had quite a pedigree by the time it reached Colorado, having been the weapon Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan used to win the 500 in 1957 and 1958, respectively. Tony Bettenhausen drove a very similar Epperly car in the '60 500, but that one did not have a tail fin.

Thusfar I have not been able to establish who owned the photo car in 1961. Was it still George Salih, or had it moved on to other ownership by then?
RonS.

[Lemnpiper]

The engine cover hinging may have had something to do with the direction US oval races are run, i.e., counterclockwise. If work was to be done on the engine in the pits, it would be better/safer for the mechanics to be between the car and the pit wall, as opposed to on the other side of the car where all the pit lane traffic would be.

Sramoa's Wikipedia link did serve to verify that the earliest USAC Indy car race at CDR was in 1968, seven years after the 1961 appearance of the car in the photos.

If that is the Belond lay down Offy, the car had quite a pedigree by the time it reached Colorado, having been the weapon Sam Hanks and Jimmy Bryan used to win the 500 in 1957 and 1958, respectively. Tony Bettenhausen drove a very similar Epperly car in the '60 500, but that one did not have a tail fin.

Thusfar I have not been able to establish who owned the photo car in 1961. Was it still George Salih, or had it moved on to other ownership by then?
RonS.

There was an Epperly entered at the 1961 Indy 500 and practiced by Duane Carter and sponsored by ROY with #61 that didnt make the race

Then at the June 4th trenton race A J Shepherd was too slow in qualifying what appears to be the same car with same sponsor


Then at the 1962 Indy 500 Gig Stephens is listed as the driver for the non qualified car with Automatic Radio as the sponsor .

After that nothing.

[f1steveuk]

I'm not curently at home, but I have a few pictures of the Belond there, and from memory, the nose is more rounded than the car in this thread. Merely an observation!

[Michael Ferner]

Thusfar I have not been able to establish who owned the photo car in 1961. Was it still George Salih, or had it moved on to other ownership by then?
RonS.

That is indeed the two-time Indy winner, and it was now (in 1961) owned by Leonard A. Roy of Littleton, Colorado, which is about 25 miles north of Castle Rock and Continental Divide.

[f1steveuk]

I'm home 16th December, I'll take a look, I think at least one is colour

[Aero426]

That is indeed the two-time Indy winner, and it was now (in 1961) owned by Leonard A. Roy of Littleton, Colorado, which is about 25 miles north of Castle Rock and Continental Divide.

It sure looks like it. Last name on the AJ Shephard entry from Milwaukee, June 4th '61 is "Roy" (same car number).

Edited by Aero426, 05 December 2011 - 22:01.

[gfastr]

I recently obtained a number of photos taken in August of 1961 at Continental Divide Raceway near Denver. They show an Indy car that may be the George Salih/Quinn Epperly Belond Special "lay down" Offy. The photos show no spectators other than those surrounding the car, and no other (race) cars are in the photos, indicating that this may have been a test session of some sort. I am not aware of any USAC Indy car races having taken place at CDR until at least 5 or so years later, so I don't think it was in preparation for an upcoming event at the track.
Can anyone help in identifying the circumstances and perhaps the participants shown in these photos?
RonS.

I seem to recall that USAC's short-lived road-racing division ran one race or maybe more at CDR in the early 1960s. Maybe the roadster showed up in conjunction somehow?

[RShaw]

My thanks to all of you that took the time to look at my photos and help in identifying the circumstances surrounding them. You have put me a long way towards fleshing out the story of the Belond Spl. in Colorado.
Ron Shaw
Westminster, CO

[fbarrett]

Ron:

CDR has always fascinated me--I drove it at a few club events and was there for the last race--so I once thought of writing a book on the track. Before I came to my senses I even developed a few contacts. If you want the best one, a guy in Castle Rock who worked corners at the track, just contact me. There's a small display in the Castle Rock Historical Museum, but it's not very good, and they don't seem to have much if anything in the way of records.

Frank
303/237-0911
fdb912@gmail.com