4 replies to this topic

[Don Capps]

This event was held during 1964. It started at Vera Cruz and went through Puebla, Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Taxo, Chilipancingo, and ended at Acapulco.

The reason I ask is that Delmos Johnson used Corvette Grand Sport 004 for this race -- carrying race number '1215' -- and that is about all I know.

I just went back over my Grand Sport notes and somehow this was one I had missed.

I often think that if 5% of the damned effort spent on tracking f@&%#*g "F1" cars and other related mouse turds was spent on events like this and other lesser known races in the Americas, the world would be a better place.....

I never cease to be dumbfounded by American "F1" fans who haven't a clue about Watkins Glen or that America had superbly talented international drivers prior to WW1.

But, I digress....

Correction: I do know more, but only about 004 and not the race itself. I cannot find a find a finishing position for Johnson -- apparently he did finish, but 004 was junk and had to have extensive work done on it. 004 was sold to 19-year old Alan Sevadjian in early 1965 and it was in SCCA regionals in the Southwest and then sold to Dave Greenblatt who raced it with Duval Chevrolet for Jacques Couture in Canada during 1965 (# 529) before going to Jim White Chevrolet for the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours with a 427-cu. in. engine for Tony Denman & 'B. Brown' (#3) -- they retired and that was the last major entry for a Grand Sport...

[Gerr]

5% effort ...Road&Track,Febuary 1965,page 84/5.......
Mexico's II Carrera Costa a Costa.."The winner was Billy Sprowls driving a "prepared" Dodge sponsored by Automex. He was followed by Delmo Johnson's Sting Ray,and in third place was the incredible Garcia Basurto driving a Mini Cooper."

[Don Capps]

Cripes, that is an issue of R&T that a neighbor borrowed -- no wonder I couldn't get find anything. If it appeared in the February issue that means the race was in -- what? late October or early to mid-November?

I am going to get my R&T's back right now.....

I knew I had seen an article or blurb somewhere, but I thought the race was earlier than October/November for some reason. I will also check SCG since he has those too....

Teach me to be nice....

[Gerr]

No date in the R&T article.........."Teach me to be nice"..............by the way, "you're welcome.

[Don Capps]

Gerr,

Thanks! When I looked at the article last night, it clicked back onto place. My neighbor borrowed all my R&T's and SCG's for 1964 and 1965 for a "few days" and then kept them for about a six weeks. He was interested in some road tests from that era for a possible restoraton project he has in mind.

Interesting that the 1964 event was the second one. But the interesting item to me was that the Johnson Corvette was referred to only as a Sting Ray and not as Grand Sport! I think that was where I missed the boat.

Also interesting was how little detail there was about the actual event -- such as the date! -- and competitors. Which was not all that atypical for R&T at various points in its very uneven coverage of American racing then and later. Given the nature of both the magazine business and the editorial staff's inclinations, not a surprise I guess.