7 replies to this topic

[63Corvette]

Delmo Johnson is a great driver who was /is a "character" in Southwest (US) racing. He raced SCCA on his FIA license, and (among other things) drove a 63 Z06 Corvette to Sebring, finished 2nd in class with co-driver Dave Morgan, and drove it home to Dallas afterwards. He famously raced one of the five 1963 Grand Sports Corvettes.  Comments?

[Jerry Entin]

March 7-8, 1959, Mansfield, Louisiana. Mrs. Delmo Johnson holds the checkered flag, while her husband received congratulations from Jimmy Stout after winning Saturday's Novice Race with Blackie, his Corvette. It was the rookie's first victory.

 

Mansfield was Johnson's only second race appearance, after Eagle Mountain on February 14-15, 1959, where he finished fourth in the Novice Race, and fourth again in Race 3 for the larger production cars, the latter behind Hap Sharp [Corvette], Roland Falkenbury [Corvette] and Roy Jackson-Moore [AC/Bristol].

 

 

Photo: from Sports Car Racing in the South, Volume 2, by Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 March 2015 - 15:19.

[63Corvette]

 

March 7-8, 1959, Mansfield, Louisiana. Mrs. Delmo Johnson holds the checkered flag, while her husband received congratulations from Jimmy Stout after winning Saturday's Novice Race with Blackie, his Corvette. It was the rookie's first victory.

 

Mansfield was Johnson's only second race appearance, after Eagle Mountain on February 14-15, 1959, where he finished fourth in the Novice Race, and fourth again in Race 3 for the larger production cars, the latter behind Hap Sharp [Corvette], Roland Falkenbury [Corvette] and Roy Jackson-Moore [AC/Bristol].

 

 

Photo: from Sports Car Racing in the South, Volume 2, by Willem Oosthoek

 

And.................didja know that Delmo is also a very accomplished pilot who flew aerobatic demonstrations in his Pitts Special for crowds all over the southwest?

AND..........(according to the Carroll Shelby bio) also once hit a guy on the head, dropping stuff for Carroll Shelby at his Terralingua Ranch in the Big

Bend country of Texas?

[Jerry Entin]

63 Corvette:

 

A visit to Delmo's hangar at Addison Airport and his airplane connections become abundantly clear very quickly. Apart from his planes [last count: about five], one of his walls is covered with photos of the numerous airplanes he owned in the past, as well as pictures his various "Playboy type" girl friends of the past. Certainly a life well lived!

 

As for Carroll Shelby's recent bio by an English author, good ole Shel used to spin history in his personal tales and a lot of his claims are, let's say, questionable.

 

 

all research: Willem Oosthoek

[group7]

would the photo posted by Rob of Delmo in the Grand Sport be Green Valley ? '64 or '65 ? don't know when, or why a colour change took place.  I think by Sebring in early '65 the car was white with a blue stripe ?

 

Mike (group7) in Canada

[63Corvette]

would the photo posted by Rob of Delmo in the Grand Sport be Green Valley ? '64 or '65 ? don't know when, or why a colour change took place.  I think by Sebring in early '65 the car was white with a blue stripe ?

 

Mike (group7) in Canada

Green Valley 1965 I think. Followed by Harry Washburn 2.5 Cooper Climax (F1) and (I think) Mason O'Kief Lotus 20.

[Jerry Entin]

The photo by 63Corvette with Delmo Johnson in his Grand Sport was, based on the positioning of its race numbers, taken during the April 1964 Divisional at Green Valley.

 

Until the feature Delmo had a successful weekend, winning Race 2 and 8 with Snuffy Smith's  Renault R-8. He also took the Grand Sport to victory in Race 6, after a close battle with 2nd place Mason O'Keiff [Lotus Formule Libre] and 3rd place Harry Washburn [former Alan Connell Cooper/Climax 2.5].

 

In the feature Washburn's pressure proved too much and Delmo lost control of the Grand Sport, spinning backward across the track and ending up 50 yards off course for a DNF. Washburn won the race over O'Keiff and Bill Fuller [D-type/Chevy]

 

All research: Willem Oosthoek

[group7]

there are a number of photos about a third of the way down the page, of the Delmo Grand Sport at Green Valley in this link, including one of him spinning off course !

 

http://www.cliffreut...eytexas1964.htm

 

 

group7 in canada