16 replies to this topic

[Fast One]

I picked up a book by this title today by Micael Lynch, William Edgar, and Ron Parravano. The forward is by Carroll Shelby. It has some nice pictures...it has some REALLY nice pictures. The text is a little skimpy: 172 pages. Has anyone read this? Do you have an opinion? I won't get to this for two or three months at least. I was wondering if I should move it up on the list.

[Ray Bell]

Does it talk about Ferraris and Cunninghams or MGs?
I would put its priority up higher if it were the lesser cars and drivers - one tends to know less about them and therefore stand to learn more.

[Alan Cox]

Thought this thread might do to post a great collection of 1950s US sports car racing photos
http://www.flickr.co...s/54253927@N03/

[David McKinney]

Great find, Alan

You don't see many pictures of Phil Hill in the 2.9 Alfa at Carrell Speedway

And didn't the Californians love their specials - can anyone tell me if the first two Sandburg pictures on p3 are of Thatcher Darwin's Beetle?

[Alan Cox]

I'm glad you found them interesting, David. I love the atmosphere conjured up by this one, even though it's not actually a racing scene http://www.flickr.co...in/photostream/

[Frank S]

Quite a lode there. Where did they come from?

Many of the "Del Mar" photos are more correctly "Torrey Pines", I believe; Del Mar is a couple of rivers up the road.

The Palm Springs are from very early, before the move from city streets to the airport runways and access roads, it seems.

The Sandberg hillclimb is often cited as the beginning of it all, among the Fab 50s.

I was actually present for one of the "foreign car" races at Carrell Speedway, and saw Phil Hill in the Alfa. Great days.

I have to guess "Press On" is a "Press On Regardless" rally.

Some interesting cars in all those venues. A real treat. Thanks for the link.

[David M. Kane]

Great find, Alan

You don't see many pictures of Phil Hill in the 2.9 Alfa at Carrell Speedway

And didn't the Californians love their specials - can anyone tell me if the first two Sandburg pictures on p3 are of Thatcher Darwin's Beetle?

I've never seen an Alfa on a dirt track before.

[USA Diligence]

The photo archive is that of Joe Al Denker, who worked for Road & Track and a few other magazines in the 1950's. The photo archive has since been placed. I am willing to forward along any inquiries regarding the photos. Email me at cs@usadiligence.com

Regards,

Chad Struer

[Jerry Entin]

Frank: The original Palm Springs Road Races were held at the Palm Springs Airport. They just put hay bales on the turns and used the runway. It was later moved into the downtown area, this was more modern times. Then it was moved back out to the airport. They used taxi roads then.

The downtown races were conceived by Sonny Bono and Art Evans was very instrumental in getting the Vintage races brought to Palm Springs.

[Frank S]

Thank you, Jerry. I thought I remembered the first races were on streets in a relatively unoccupied industrial area bordering the airport.

I regret not getting to the "modern" races that Art Evans was involved in. Today I can't remember why.

[David Birchall]

Does one have to sign in to the website that Alan Cox linked to? It won't let me see anything...!

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by David M. Kane
I've never seen an Alfa on a dirt track before.

I'm not sure whether the Jack Saywell Tipo B Alfa ever ran at Penrith Speedway, a one-mile oval west of Sydney. I'm sure it must have run on some dirt somewhere, however, as we simply had a lot of dirt on our circuits.

Bathurst was dirt in 1938, an ERA raced there on that surface. I'm sure that Alf Barrett drove the Monza Alfa at the Wirlinga-Thurgoona circuit in 1939, Saywell might have been there as well, and certainly the entire Orphanage lane part of that circuit, if not substantial other parts, were not sealed.

To my way of thinking, the use of a Bugatti Type 35 on a dirt circuit just doesn't work. But they did it year after year at Phillip Island.

[Alan Cox]

Does one have to sign in to the website that Alan Cox linked to? It won't let me see anything...!

I didn't have to on the day I posted the link, but now I can't find them, David

[David McKinney]

I'm not sure whether the Jack Saywell Tipo B Alfa ever ran at Penrith Speedway

He entered the 3/10/38 meeting but in the end confined himself to demo laps

I'd be surprised if various Australian Alfas didn't race on dirt courses after the War - certainly both NZ's P3s did. But that's getting even further from a 2900B racing on the dirt in California

[D-Type]

Didn't Nuvolari, Varzi, etc race on dirt roads in the twenties? I've certainly seen pictures with plumes of dust. Or are we using "dirt" here to mean dirt tracks?

[USA Diligence]

Gentlemen,

I took the images down as the negatives now have a new owner and I no longer have rights.

Regards,

Chad Struer

[David M. Kane]

Didn't Nuvolari, Varzi, etc race on dirt roads in the twenties? I've certainly seen pictures with plumes of dust. Or are we using "dirt" here to mean dirt tracks?

Yes dirt tracks; normally in America we only motor bikes, sprint cars and NASCAR types on dirt.