5 replies to this topic

[cedricselzer]

I was at St. Jovite for the 1966 Can-Am race. I remember Dan Blocker's Huffaker in the poddock with "Pure Hoss Power" on the rear spoiler. In the back of my mind I seem to remember the car had liveried wheels like a wagon that would have appeared in "Bonanza". All the photographs of the car I have seen recently do not show this. Did they have special wheels for show or was it their transporter's wheels that was liveried? Can anyone help?
Cedric Selzer

[RA Historian]

Don't know anything about the wheels, never heard that story. All the times I saw the car run, both back then and in its current vintage guise, it was with normal racing wheels. Probably just a publicity stunt.

At the risk of being pedantic, to the best of my knowledge there never was such a car known as a "Huffaker". It is true that Joe Huffaker was the major designer of the BMC cars, but that was while he was in the employ of Kjell Qvale, owner of British Motor Cars, of San Francisco, Calif., a major importer of, well, British motor cars.

The cars built by Qvale were designated BMCs. The first cars were Formula Juniors, originally front engine and later rear engine. They were the BMC Mk I, Mk II, etc. The Mk IV was the first Genie, a small capacity sports racer. IIRC the first large capacity sports racer, the Mk VIII, was originally tabbed the BMC Super Genie Mk VIII. For simplicity's sake, it was universally referred to as the Genie Mk VIII. Its successor, the Mk X, was similarly known simply as the Genie Mk X.

The Indy cars built in the Huffaker shops for Qvale were, very strictly speaking, BMC Mk IXs. Not Huffakers, not MGs (recall their original livery as 'MG Liquid Suspension Specials'.) I realize that I will probably get some flak on this, but it is the way I remember it.

Taking off my anorak, an update on the Genie Mk X owned by Dan Blocker. This car ran in the USRRC and Can Am in 1966 when owned by Dan Blocker and sponsored by Nickey Chevrolet. The main driver was John Cannon, but when he graduated to a McLaren, Bob Harris appeared in the Genie. The last decade or so has seen this car owned by Tom Stephani of the Nickey family. He has the car restored to its 1966 livery and has actively and widely driven it in vintage events for the past ten years or so. Currently the car is up for sale as Tom needs the cash for an upcoming project.

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 30 July 2010 - 18:43.

[GD66]

I thought this car was known as the Nickey Vinegaroon Chevrolet at the time, I recall seeing it on a magazine cover and it looked pretty smart.

[RA Historian]

I thought this car was known as the Nickey Vinegaroon Chevrolet at the time, I recall seeing it on a magazine cover and it looked pretty smart.

Car was a Genie Mk X. Sponsor was Nickey. Dan Blocker called his racing team Vinegaroon Racing, after a breed of desert scorpion. Blocker applied the Vinegaroon name to his cars as Vinegaroon Specials.
Tom

[GD66]

Roger that, thanks Tom. Good to see involvement from outside in those days, especially from an unlikely ally in Dan Blocker.

[bill p]

I remember Dan Blocker's Huffaker in the paddock with "Pure Hoss Power" on the rear spoiler.

Pictured at Laguna Seca 2008


Copyright Bill Patterson
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Edited by bill p, 30 July 2010 - 18:12.