29 replies to this topic

[simonlewisbooks]

At the end of 79 Autosport featured the new Can Am Chevron on it's cover and carried a major feature inside. Goeff Lees was testing it at Silverstone and it looked superb. The text mentions the precarious situation at Chevron post-Derek Bennett and in 1980 the first Can Am report mentions that Paul Newman's team were negociating to run the car when the company finally foundered and turned to Lolas (like everyone else except Holbert!) instead.
What happened to it and does it still exist?

[f1steveuk]

Doesn't look like it Simon!!

[Mallory Dan]

From v dim and distant, it did appear in CanAm around 1981-82, run by a privateer, whose name escapes me for now, Rex something maybe ?????

[Graham Gauld]

The car was sent to the USA for the Newman-Freeman team who commissioned it and Bobby Rahal tested it. I spoke to Bobby about it a few years ago when we were both in Australia and in his opinion the car was disaster. I then believe it ended up impounded by customs for non payment of dues when it was on its way back to Britain.

[f1steveuk]

Oh dear, that sounds like a "it's still locked in a warehouse/it was tipped into a harbour" ending

[simonlewisbooks]

Originally posted by f1steveuk
Oh dear, that sounds like a "it's still locked in a warehouse/it was tipped into a harbour" ending

This seems to have been the fate of several historic vehicles over the years...
A sad footnote at the end of such a great era.

[David McKinney]

What was its model number?

[MCS]

B51 I think. Did it actually race?

[Graham Gauld]

Yes, B51 and it never raced.

[simonlewisbooks]

The VDS team were looking at running "a Chevron" in 1980 but the story in Autosport suggests a re-engined version of the F1 car that had been running in Aurora rather than the new B51.

[MCS]

Reading the Can Am results on oldracingcars.com I came across this for the Road Atlanta round in August 1984...

http://www.oldracing...asp?RaceID=C84E

Is this it? In which case, it did race. But just the once?

[Hugewally]

1984 Road Atlanta Can-Am

Todd Tuttle - Chevron B51

[f1steveuk]

I just love the professional sign-written drivers name on the air box!!

[MCS]

Is that really the B51 ?

It looks terrible.

[Mallory Dan]

There, I knew it had run at some point!! Tod and Rex is an easy mistake to make....

I don't think it looks that bad Mark. For a CanAm privateer, I've seen far worse lookers than the B51. Its quite similar to the T530 I think.

IIRC, there were originally 6 B51s ordered, 4 for Newman Haas, plus 2 for VDS. They were the lifeline for Chevron, when the orders were cancelled, that was pretty much it.

[Allen Brown]

Yes, that's really the B51. A quite excellent fellow called Martin Spetz observed the number 'B51-80-01' on the car.

Todd Tuttle raced the car over several seasons. I don't know where it is now.

Allen

[beighes]

Greetings,
In it's day of "Ground Effects", anyone care to comment on the coachwork/chassis relation to the ground in the second photo? Cheers!

[novatransam]

Yes, that's really the B51. A quite excellent fellow called Martin Spetz observed the number 'B51-80-01' on the car.

Todd Tuttle raced the car over several seasons. I don't know where it is now.

Allen

The car is still in Ohio, owned by a friend of mine. He has kept it in storage and has been a careful caretaker of what, it appears, is the last factory Chevron. I believe his intention is to keep it until it provides his son a college education, which it probably will. It is uncrashed and, although disassembled, in mint condition.

[rdmotorsport]

I just love the professional sign-written drivers name on the air box!!

somehow I cannot see that rear wing working at all reminds me of the one on the ill fated Kausan F1 car and that did not work either!
I remember early photographs of this car and feel sure it did not look like this, and yes the sign writing?///

[novatransam]

Talked with Todd Tuttle Saturday at Mid-Ohio. The sloppy lettering came about from arriving at the track and being informed the driver's name had to appear on the car. With no sign painter handy they used electrical tape to meet the requirement.

[E1pix]

Talked with Todd Tuttle Saturday at Mid-Ohio. The sloppy lettering came about from arriving at the track and being informed the driver's name had to appear on the car. With no sign painter handy they used electrical tape to meet the requirement.

We have been great friends with Tod (one "d") since 1979, and did some of his sign work back in the day. I did not, however, place his name on the B51! I did do the stripes on that helmet, though, at the 1982 Runoffs where Tod raced in Formula Continental.

I know this car ran at several events in 1984 and maybe two events in 1985, and his tales of running the car at Mosport are legendary in our household. I believe he was the only driver to run the B51 in Can-Am at all. His choice in car number had nothing to do with "B51," ironically that was his number for most or all of his short career, which was mainly comprised of formula car racing at the Club level.

Tod also attempted to qualify for a single CART race, running top 10 in the rain sessions in Cleveland (IIRC) in I believe a Longhorne-Chevy, then mechanical issues brought that chapter to a halt. Another potentially great career stopped only by shortage of funds....

Tod's a great guy and very passionate about racing and this car. If anyone needs more info I'd bet he'd be happy to chat about it. PM me if interested.

Edited by E1pix, 26 June 2011 - 19:11.

[E1pix]

Shameless bump...

I'm now with both the chief mechanic Bob Harris, and the car's only driver Tod Tuttle, at Mid-Ohio. :-)

I thought it would have made a great camp accompaniment here, alongside our Westfalia, but it's in pieces at Bob's shop getting a restoration.

[group7]

E1 I'll bump with you ! here is a link to Autosport from november 15th. 1979 on E-bay with the B51 on the cover.

 

http://www.ebay.ie/i...a:g:p5QAAOSwwPh

 

 

ps: you have both travelled a long way from the golden state !

Edited by group7, 22 September 2016 - 02:00.

[E1pix]

Thank You, Mike!

Yep... we were backpacking near the North Cascades, Washington, came out to hear of our friend Bill Alsup's tragic demise -- a reminder life can end anytime -- so decided to "race" to Ohio! Might do Road Atlanta for Petit Le Mans next, with said B51 driver. :-)

Thanks again!

[arttidesco]

I don't think it looks that bad Mark. For a CanAm privateer, I've seen far worse lookers than the B51. Its quite similar to the T530 I think.

 

 

While the original B51 body work did bear some resemblance to the T530 it is interesting to see the nose on the car as Tod ran it resembles the VDS and much earlier Ferrari 312B3 Snowplough vis the huge NACA ducts and look carefully at the shape of the front wheel arch and it is clearly modified from the original broadly constant radius circular shape to again resemble the notched Lola T530 shape   

 

Perhaps E1Pix could find out from Mr Tuttle where the nose used on the car when he raced it originated from ?

 

somehow I cannot see that rear wing working at all reminds me of the one on the ill fated Kausan F1 car and that did not work either!
I remember early photographs of this car and feel sure it did not look like this, and yes the sign writing?///

 

As well as resembling the Kauhsen rear wing it also resembles that seen on the original Ensign N173   

[E1pix]

Thanks, Arti.

Designed and laid up by hand by Tod Tuttle.

[elansprint72]

Any photos of what exists at the moment?

[E1pix]

Hi, Pete:

It's all at owner Bob Harris' shop in the midst of restoration, about an hour's drive from here. Unfortunately in this case, when we leave Mid-Ohio Monday we're "racing" (T3/T25 Brickie humor) the other way en route to Road Atlanta.

Thanks, Pete.

[JacnGille]

... en route to Road Atlanta.
 

Have a safe drive. And...give us a shout when ya get here!

Edited by JacnGille, 24 September 2016 - 00:32.

[E1pix]

Will, sorry to not have yet!