23 replies to this topic

[Dennis David]

This forum has seen a slew of new members lately. Don't forget to introduce yourselves on the Introductions thread!

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Don Capps]

First of all, once again my Thanks to DD for suggesting that those new to the Forum check in on the introductions thread.

Second, Wow! What an amazing group we are. It is just fantastic to read about those of you who choose to spend a few minutes from time to time with us here at the Nostalgia Forum. Once upon a time DD and I thought we were going to use this as our private open Forum since we weren't sure if anyone was interested.

Third, my personal welcome to all the new members on the Forum. I regret that my current position in life has seriously cut into my ability to spend much time on the Forum. However, I do manage to check in an read all the postings - even if it takes awhile.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my ol' buddy MAJ - Mark Alan Jones AKA "Falcadore" - has joined us. And it was a moment before it registered that Karlcars was Karl Ludvigsen. Or make that: OMIGOD, Karl Ludvigsen! He has been one of my favorites since the days of Sports Cars Illustrated! I still remember seeing pictures of Karlcars in his best Army attire from those days looking sternly at the various machinery before him. Welcome, sir. I hope we can be of any assistance to you. I know DD and many others are just crocks full of information...

Great to find so many young - literally and figuratively - people choosing to spend some time here. I find that very satisfying. Thanks for the time and interest.

I find it amazing that we even have our very own scrimshaw person - desmo... Is this great or what!


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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,

Don Capps

Semper Gumbi: If this was easy, we’d have the solution already…



[This message has been edited by Don Capps (edited 02-14-2000).]

[Art]

Don Capps.

Could you tell me just who are Mark Allen Jones and Carl Ludvigsen? The name Carl Ludvigsen I have seen some where and there was an Allen Jones that was world Champion. But the gears in this old mind are kind of worn.

Art

[Art]

Dennis David.

I didn't put two and two together that Grand Prix History was yours. I have been there many times and let me say a job well done.

Art

[Leif Snellman]

Karl Ludvigsen is the world's leading expert on Mercedes-Benz racing cars!

[Ray Bell]

There used to be an Alan Jones in the Austin Healey Club in Sydney. When 'the other' Alan Jones became prominent, the Austin Healey man always called himself 'The Alan Jones.' Perhaps he was right, he really knew his Healeys and imported a 100S from the USA and restored it from its Chevy-powered state to impeccably original.
Unfortunately, he died in the back seat of a friend's car en-route to the friend's home after practice at a Winton Historic meeting.
Mark Alan Jones has introduced himself in the Introductions thread - there you can learn more.

[Dennis David]

I'm trying to get my friends from Latin America to join the forum, especially the good doctor from Argentina. Drivers like Fangio and the Pampas Bull did not spring from nowhere. They were tested for many years on the great "bullrings" and road races of South America.

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Regards,

Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[Falcadore]

Art
I can tell you what I'm not
From an FAQ early last year.... http://www.atlasf1.c...eb03/jones.html
I use my middle name because when I first started serious writing after high school there was another Mark Jones writing in the same genre. Not because of any association with the big fella of Ozzie racing.

[karlcars]

Many thanks for the very warm welcome. I've been slaving away in the motor industry since 1978 and only in the last few years have started to get back into research and writing. I won't hesitate to broadcast my queries and will much appreciate any assistance.
It's not brilliant yet but the website www.ludvigsen.com will introduce me to those too young to remember my earlier (1956-1961) career at SCI and Car and Driver (I changed the name!).
Keep the pedal to the metal!

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Karl Ludvigsen

[Art]

Karlcars.

When you were with SCI & Car & Driver did you have a beard?

Art

[Art]

Karlcars after thinking a little I have read many of your articles. In those days that was my only way of keeping track of Gp & Sports Car racing. I would check the back page of SI then a couple of months later read about it in SCI & Car & Driver. You must be at least my age (66).

Art

[Falcadore]

additionally I use the Alan for my uncle, Alan Desjardins, for whom I was named, who raced in South East Queensland in open wheelers in the 50's.

[Keir]

Hey there Karl,
I remember this great article you did for Motor Trend Mag. in 1970, about the Can Am March 707 and Chris Amon, I believe Chris took you for a little ride!!!
Back then, I was a R&T reader, but that article was a rare one for MT.
How much do you remember about that day?

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Art]

Karl.

Sorry I forgot that you are 65. I must say that you got started at a very young age and have never slowed down. Do you possibly know Dick Ralstin who was a racing news reporter and later public relations director for Goodyear for many years? Dick has a very nice home page on all types of racing.

Art

[karlcars]

No, I never had a beard though I did try a moustache once but my hay fever put paid to that. I must have seemed pretty sobersided in my early writings because people meeting me WERE expecting a bearded old coot.
The March 707! I was very friendly with Chris Amon in those days (still am) and was somewhat involved in the STP sponsorship of his Can-Am effort. Chris asked me if I was coming to Riverside for the race and I hesitated a second and then said, "I will if you'll let me drive your car." I drove it on the Monday when it was being tested by a potential customer. Believe me I remember most everything about that day, especially how I had to wedge my legs under the dash and how HEAVY the steering was in Turn 9. It was all I could do to hold it. With that Chaparral engine it didn't half motor. After I drove it Chris took me around for a few laps. Staggering!
Luckily I had some inkling of Riverside, where I had driven the Chevy-powered Formula 1 Scarab in 1961. By the way the owners of that car have completed the rebuilding of an original desmodromic engine for it and are now getting repectable power -- 267 bhp. Chuck Daigh has been assisting.

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Karl Ludvigsen

[Keir]

Ah, the Scarab,
It was a shame that Lance Reventlow didn't look a little further down the road.
It could have been the start of an American manufacturers presence in Grand Prix racing.
That car didn't look bad either!!!
Karl,
Thanks for the Amon story, I can never get enough of those.

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Eric McLoughlin]

Not Goodwood again!!!

Well, yes actually. And no, I'm not in the pay of Lord March.

The mention of the Scarab F1 car reminded me of being at Goodwood three years ago. It was the Friday and the cars were gradually arriving in the paddock. The Scarab was under the awning with its engine cover off. Its current owners were struggling to coax the car into life - squirting petrol down the inlet trumpets etc. Apparently, the battery of the starter trolley was low and hadn't enough charge to turn the engine over. Speculation was that, although they had fully charged the battery before they left America, nine or so hours cold soak in the cargo hold of a Lufthansa 747 had drained it. Eventually they borrowed a starter from another "pit" and got the car going. Wonderful noise. One of the nicest looking GP cars too, if three or four years too late.

[Art]

Karl.

Is my memory playing ganes or did the Scarab have a drum or disc type brake with a fluid bladder with pads mounted on it? And do you remember Riverside when turns 2,3,4 and 5 were cut out of the side of the hill with no guard rail and a valley on the left hand side? And one last thing were you there when Ricardo Rodriguez won with a Porsche at the age of 15 yes fifteen I believe he beat Bob Drake and Steve McQueen in formula 2 Coopers?

Art

[Ian McKean]

Yes, the Scarab...

I saw this machine at Goodwood either in 1960 or 1961. I cannot remember if it was F1 (2.5 litre) in 1960 or the Intercontinental formula (3 litre) in 1961. Chuck Daigh was driving. I suppose, like the Aston F1 car it was outdated when it appeared, but it looked lovely. Only the Lotus F1 achieved less frontal area with a front engine layout. It may not have been very quick in practice, but Daigh made a superb start - it seemed to have very good torque. The engine of course was Offy-based not Chevvy.

[karlcars]

I certainly do remember those turns at Riverside, loosely described as the 'esses'. The trick was to remember which turn you were in as they all looked the same!

The F.1 Scarab that came to Europe, Don Orosco's car, was powered by the 3-litre Offy that was installed for Intercontinental Formula racing. The 5-litre Chevy was fitted to a different F.1 car, the one owned by the fellows who are restoring a proper 2.5-litre Scarab F.1 engine. Burt Levy has recently test-driven the Scarab-Chevy and will write it up for Vintage Motorsport, I think. As I write, on my desk is a wooden paper holder topped by an original Scarab badge...

Yes, the Scarab was originally built with aircraft-inspired drum brakes with linings that were applied by a bladder-type device. Not one of Marshall Whitfield's better ideas, these were replaced by discs before the cars raced.

Rodriguez at Riverside! The last chapter of my new book on Dan Gurney is dedicated to his feats at Riverside and it starts as follows:

The sensation of the first-ever race weekend at Riverside International Raceway east of Los Angeles was a young driver who was, wrote Jim Mourning, “unheralded in pre-race publicity...turned in a performance…displaying remarkable ability and an almost brilliant grasp of racing tactics...that left the experts, both recognised and self-appointed, firmly convinced they had seen a future world champion in action.” His performance was, said Mourning, “the main point of interest for the weekend.” And that sensational driver was...the 15-year-old Ricardo Rodriguez, in a Porsche Spyder, winning the 1,500 cc modified race.

“Though the race for production cars over 2000 cc didn’t stir the same excitement,” Mourning continued in Sports Cars Illustrated, “Dan Gurney proved to be the class of the field as he scored one for Detroit by wheeling a Corvette to a 29-second win over the Mercedes-Benz driven by Jack Bates.” In the headlines after 22 September 1957 Dan had to play second fiddle not only to main-race winner Richie Ginther but also to precocious Mexican sensation Rodriguez. Later Gurney would garner more than enough post-Riverside headlines to make up for this slight.

Amen to that!

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Karl Ludvigsen


[This message has been edited by karlcars (edited 02-20-2000).]

[Art]

Karl.

I lived in San Bernadino about 20 miles from Riverside and was at the track the first week end it was open. On Saturday I saw Dan Gurney for the first time he drove a Triumph TR some thing and on Sunday he drove a 4.9 Ferrari. And I believe a month later he was a Ferrari team driver. I see Dan Gurney on TV at the CART races and say to my self damn he is old. Then I remember I am that age to. Did you possibly see Max Balchowskis Buick powered Old Yeller? The ugliest race car in the world. But Erick Hauser use to get in there and rumbel with the big boys. Those were great days of racing in the USA but I am afraid they are gone forever. Excuse my poor spelling.

Art NX3L

[Art]

Karl.

I forgot to ask you besides your Rolls what cars do you have in your collection?

Art

[Art]

Karl.

The kid drove the latest Targa Florio Spider. And the Coopers were added to make the race interesting. It wasn't even a race the kid beat everyone like they weren't even there. Ricardo was also Mexican Motor Cycle champion at the age ov 12. He was killed on his 21 birthday qualifying for the GP of Mexico in a Lotus. And his last spoken words were I don't want to die. It is a shame that a shining star was taken from us before he had a chance to show what skill he really had. If I am wrong I only work from memory of 40 years ago.

Art NX3L

[karlcars]

Dan Gurney told me that he once counted up the number of drivers he knew well enough to shake their hand and have a chat -- who had died in the sport. It came to something like 60. Dan is very happy to have survived racing in an era that was stupendously hazardous.

No, I've never had a Rolls -- though I did have a mid-60s Bentley for a short spell. At the moment the 'collection' is a 1937 Cord 812 Beverly and a 1955 Moretti 750 racing berlinetta. Back in '98 we did the Mille Miglia in her. Awesome!!

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Karl Ludvigsen