82 replies to this topic

[Catalina Park]

Great work Cliff. Thanks once again.

[scags]

I haven't seen many(or any) racing photos of the ASA- Thanks!

[bill p]

Cliff, these photos from GVR over the years are great - thank you for posting

Bill P

[bradbury west]

And what about that Datsun Elouise? Pioneering stuff by someone, I feel sure. What is the story with the Zerex Spl? Super shots as ever. many thanks
Roger Lund

[Cynic2]

And what about that Datsun Elouise? Pioneering stuff by someone, I feel sure. What is the story with the Zerex Spl? Super shots as ever. many thanks
Roger Lund

Roger,

The Zerex Special, short version: From Penske, widened to a two-seater, to John Mecom, to Bruce McLaren, still with four-cylinder engine. McLaren replaced the engine with a V-8 (my memory says Oldsmobile, but I'm not certain) and redid the bodywork, including that nose. It was painted green, and won (at Mosport?) with an organ-pipe exhaust. McLaren went on to build his own cars -- the early versions used a very similar nose. The Zerex returned to the U.S., possibly through Mecom, to Dave Morgan, another Texas racer. From him the car went to Venezuela, where it remains, in rather sad condition.

This was the car at Hammond, Louisiana in 1965:





David

[TEDD]

about halfway down the page is a Lotus 30 number 44
it is the car / body these guys were looking for info / id http://forums.autosp...howtopic=142640

[bradbury west]

Roger,
The Zerex Special, short version: From Penske, widened to a two-seater, to John Mecom, to Bruce McLaren, still with four-cylinder engine. McLaren replaced the engine with a V-8 (my memory says Oldsmobile, but I'm not certain) and redid the bodywork, including that nose. It was painted green, and won (at Mosport?) with an organ-pipe exhaust. McLaren went on to build his own cars -- the early versions used a very similar nose. The Zerex returned to the U.S., possibly through Mecom, to Dave Morgan, another Texas racer. From him the car went to Venezuela, where it remains, in rather sad condition.
This was the car at Hammond, Louisiana in 1965: David

David, many thanks. I am familiar with the Zerex, but it was the year and ownership which interested me.
BTW see posts 227/228 and 232 here;
http://forums.autosp...p;#entry5306811
Perhaps after McLaren's re-engineering it was no longer strictly the Zerex Spl. If it went back via Mecom perhaps the Zerex nomenclature added a certain cachet to its desirability as opp to being a Cooper-Olds bitza. Lovely archives though.

Roger Lund

[SteveB2]

And what about that Datsun Elouise? Pioneering stuff by someone, I feel sure. What is the story with the Zerex Spl? Super shots as ever. many thanks
Roger Lund

http://www.datsun.or...ewersDatsun.htm

A bit of Datsun history I hadn't seen before. It's interesting that Brewer's efforts were pioneering in the sense that he was just behind Bob Sharp in campaigning the Fairlady in SCCA.

Fantastic pictures!

Edited by SteveB2, 06 January 2012 - 13:34.

[Jerry Entin]

A rare shot of the Ferrari Dino that lost its 2-liter V6 engine to the Lotus 23.

The photo was taken at Vickburg Street in Dallas, in the shop that Bob Schroeder shared with John Miller. Bob told Willem Oosthoek in 2010 that the Dino was owned by Ed Hugus. It was flown into Dallas around mid 1964 and Miller did the engine transplant for Gene Nearburg, the owner of the Lotus 23 [although Ed Hugus drove it]. The engineless Dino was put up for sale for $3,000, or $2,500 without its gearbox.

Apparently the Lotus 23 still exists, but without the Dino engine and back to its original specs. Equally intriguing is the nose section hanging from the wall. Based on the color scheme it might have been the former Mecom Lotus 19, crashed by Walt Hansgen at Brands Hatch and donated by Mecom without BOP engine to Bob Schroeder and John Miller, who straightened out the wreck and sold it to Joel Finn in 1975.


Photo: Willem Oosthoek Collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 06 January 2012 - 21:22.

[etceterini.com]

More from Jerry, enjoy!

http://www.cliffreut...nvalley1967.htm



Still adding the captions

[etceterini.com]

Here is a new pic preview from 1968 Steel Cities National SCCA race:



Want to see more?

[N72727]

A rare shot of the Ferrari Dino that lost its 2-liter V6 engine to the Lotus 23.

The photo was taken at Vickburg Street in Dallas, in the shop that Bob Schroeder shared with John Miller. Bob told Willem Oosthoek in 2010 that the Dino was owned by Ed Hugus. It was flown into Dallas around mid 1964 and Miller did the engine transplant for Gene Nearburg, the owner of the Lotus 23 [although Ed Hugus drove it]. The engineless Dino was put up for sale for $3,000, or $2,500 without its gearbox.

Apparently the Lotus 23 still exists, but without the Dino engine and back to its original specs. Equally intriguing is the nose section hanging from the wall. Based on the color scheme it might have been the former Mecom Lotus 19, crashed by Walt Hansgen at Brands Hatch and donated by Mecom without BOP engine to Bob Schroeder and John Miller, who straightened out the wreck and sold it to Joel Finn in 1975.


Photo: Willem Oosthoek Collection

The Dino is #0778.

[ERIKZ]

Cliff....please post the 1968 Steel Cities National photos when you get a chance.

Thanks, Erik

[ggnagy]

Here is a new pic preview from 1968 Steel Cities National SCCA race:



Want to see more?

Yes please!

[Allen Brown]

More from Jerry, enjoy!

http://www.cliffreut...nvalley1967.htm

Still adding the captions

I can help a little here but only with the Formula cars:



This is one of Gus Hutchison's team of Lotus 41s (or 41Cs, depending on your source). The #51 was driven by Harold Krech ...



... and the #53 by Gus himself.

A little further down the page, there's a picture of all three of these 41s lined up in the paddock.

Two photos below the picture of Gus's car there's a FB car wearing 38 (clearly modified a 33, probably because there was a local driver with 33 on his FV) which might be the Lotus of Tom Denner.

The race on 3 June was a SCCA National and the South Polar Prix on 12 Feb was a Regional, both organised by the SCCA's Texas Region.

Is the entry list from February or from June? The only local FBs on that list are Bob Bell (Autodynamics D3-Porsche) and David Stroffolino (De Tomaso); both scored points in FB in 1966 but only Bell in 1967.

[S&M Minis]

Cliff,

Yes, Steel Cities pictures please! That means Nelson Ledges . . .!

Edit: Allen's correct, how could I forget Cumberland and Connellsville having attended both of those airport venues.

Edited by S&M Minis, 16 January 2012 - 00:22.

[Allen Brown]

Or Cumberland. Or, if we're really lucky, Connellsville Airport.

[etceterini.com]

OK,
here is Steel Cities Ohio 1968:

http://www.cliffreut...steelcities.htm

[RA Historian]

Yes, Steel Cities pictures please! That means Nelson Ledges . . .!

You jogged my memory; I do seem to recall that for a brief period of time in the late sixties Nelson Ledges was renamed Steel Cities Raceway, then reverted back to Nelson Ledges.

Do I remember right?

[Allen Brown]

I fell for it. I thought Cliff meant Steel Cities Region of the SCCA but this is the Detroit Region's meeting at Steel Cities International Raceway.

Nelson Ledges opened in 1963 and had its first meeting on 19-20 Oct 1963 when Mahoning Valley region held a Regional there - but I believe there had been a drivers school there in early September. It continued with this name until the beginning of 1968 when it became Steel Cities International Raceway. It always struggled and in early 1970 it finally collapsed so the local Mahoning Valley Region stepped in and took it over and cleaned it up using the volunteer power of their members. At this stage it was renamed back to Nelson Ledges and continued for the next two years under MVR's control.

[Rob Semmeling]

Allen, the inaugural event was a SCCA Steel Cities Regional on 29 September 1963. Winners included Doc Wylie (Lola) and Don Yenkos (Chevy Sting Ray). Next were the SCCA Drivers's School on 11-12 October and the Mahoning Valley meeting on 19-20 October.

It is possibly, however, that Nelson Ledges actually started as an oiled dirt track the year before, perhaps hosting some racing whilst still being under construction.

I also have a feeling the name Steel Cities International Raceway may have been in use before 1968 already.

Edited by Rob Semmeling, 13 March 2012 - 10:41.

[etceterini.com]

Here is my new page that puts all the photo pages together:

http://www.cliffreut...CAPhtosPage.htm

[Michael Oliver]

A rare shot of the Ferrari Dino that lost its 2-liter V6 engine to the Lotus 23.

The photo was taken at Vickburg Street in Dallas, in the shop that Bob Schroeder shared with John Miller. Bob told Willem Oosthoek in 2010 that the Dino was owned by Ed Hugus. It was flown into Dallas around mid 1964 and Miller did the engine transplant for Gene Nearburg, the owner of the Lotus 23 [although Ed Hugus drove it]. The engineless Dino was put up for sale for $3,000, or $2,500 without its gearbox.

Apparently the Lotus 23 still exists, but without the Dino engine and back to its original specs. Equally intriguing is the nose section hanging from the wall. Based on the color scheme it might have been the former Mecom Lotus 19, crashed by Walt Hansgen at Brands Hatch and donated by Mecom without BOP engine to Bob Schroeder and John Miller, who straightened out the wreck and sold it to Joel Finn in 1975.


Photo: Willem Oosthoek Collection

Great stuff Jerry!

I do believe that the 19 is the behind the Dino in the workshop, because you can see the familiar 'Terry hoop' chassis bulkhead and the distinctive roll-over bar. However, if this was taken mid-1964, this would be before the car was crashed, as that happened in August 1964 at Brands Hatch, also the front body section seems intact, which is not consistent with a car-destroying heavy impact with the bank, although it's possible there was a spare! Would be useful to know the precise date/month when it was taken though! Any chance of blowing up the bit of pic with the 19?

Thanks

Michael

[Jerry Entin]

Michael:

The date listed on the photo is September 1964, which is the development date of course.


all research: Willem Oosthoek

[Michael Oliver]

Michael:

The date listed on the photo is September 1964, which is the development date of course.


all research: Willem Oosthoek

Hi Jerry/Willem

Thanks for that - a bit inconclusive then as it could have been taken before the August crash? Although would Schroeder and Miller have had the car in their garage at that point? Did he do the prep for Mecom at the time?

Michael

[Jerry Entin]

Too late to ask Bob Schroeder now, Michael.

Willem Oosthoek remembers that Bob mentioned that the Lotus 19 was stored in a Dallas locker, possibly flown back to the US after its crash at Brands Hatch, and he asked John Mecom if they could have it. Owning a sizeable fleet of later cars already and with little use for the 19, Mecom gave it to them minus the BOP engine, but the date of the transfer was never mentioned by Bob. It is possible that the photo was taken in September 1964 and immediately developed. It still seems a very short time frame.

It is also possible the photo was actually taken before Brand Hatch. John Miller was an expert in the workings of the BOP engine and it is possible that he worked on the installation of that engine in the Lotus 19 frame on behalf of Mecom.

all research : Willem Oosthoek

Edited by Jerry Entin, 23 January 2012 - 19:17.

[Jerry Entin]

We asked Mecom mechanic Frank Lance what he remembered about the Lotus 19 and this is what he said:

"We installed the BOP Scarab/Traco engine in the Lotus 19 at Mecom's shop in early 1964, probably after Sebring, then ran it at Elkhart Lake where it was quick until the distributor drive gear wore out. Walt [Hansgen] talked to someone at GM and got a plastic gear that worked better.

In the installation of the BOP engine the transaxle was taller and I had to build a new hoop for the rear of the chassis. I left Mecom's some time in July 1964, so I have no knowledge what happened at Brands Hatch or to the car. When I moved back to Mecom's in July 1965, the Lotus was not there. We were running the T70 Lolas then."

as told by: Frank Lance

[Michael Oliver]

We asked Mecom mechanic Frank Lance what he remembered about the Lotus 19 and this is what he said:

"We installed the BOP Scarab/Traco engine in the Lotus 19 at Mecom's shop in early 1964, probably after Sebring, then ran it at Elkhart Lake where it was quick until the distributor drive gear wore out. Walt [Hansgen] talked to someone at GM and got a plastic gear that worked better.

In the installation of the BOP engine the transaxle was taller and I had to build a new hoop for the rear of the chassis. I left Mecom's some time in July 1964, so I have no knowledge what happened at Brands Hatch or to the car. When I moved back to Mecom's in July 1965, the Lotus was not there. We were running the T70 Lolas then."

as told by: Frank Lance

Thanks for this and your other post. The car doesn't look very damaged/written off in the photo, so I would suggest that it was taken pre-Brands?

Is there any chance of you blowing up the area of the photo showing the Lotus some more and posting that? The reason that I ask is that the car today has a very non-standard cockpit bulkhead (eg behind the drivers' back) which does not appear on any other 19. It appears to be visible in this shot, which in my opinion would be very strong evidence that the car which calls itself 965 today is indeed that car, as it is a unique feature. Perhaps when Frank Lance built the new hoop for the rear of the chassis (I assume he is talking about the one around the gearbox area?) he also had to construct a new hoop around the cockpit back as well?

Michael

[etceterini.com]

Anyone want to see the USRRC 1967 Mid Ohio and 1968 Watkins Glen Jerry Melton Photos?

[ERIKZ]

Most definitely Cliff....it's interesting to see the evolution of racing cars just over a few years time.

Anyone want to see the USRRC 1967 Mid Ohio and 1968 Watkins Glen Jerry Melton Photos?

[etceterini.com]

Here are the USRRC 1967 Mid Ohio and 1968 Watkins Glen Jerry Melton Photos:

http://www.cliffreut...insglen1968.htm

[etceterini.com]

Here is 1969 Green Valley Texas:

http://www.cliffreut...Greenvalley.htm

[Jerry Entin]

Frank Lance at Green Valley

It was a cold day at Green Valley in February of 1961. Frank Lance said he bought that jacket in California when he left the service.


photo: Frank Lance collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 August 2012 - 19:17.