47 replies to this topic

[Jerry Entin]

Warren Briggs in Ike Smith's Chevron B 24 F 5000 car.


This last weekend I was at Elkhart Lake for the Vintage Races and I am going to show the forum members what it was like.
Warren Briggs qualified third in the F 5000 group. In the morning warm up his throttle stuck wide open and over revved the engine. In the race he dropped out after 1 lap with an engine failure.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 23 July 2019 - 00:47.

[Jerry Entin]

CanAm cars on the pre grid

Claude Malette on pole and Warren Briggs along side him.
They would finish in that order. Claude's first CanAm win at Elkhart Lake. He had 3 second place finishes in the past. Claude drove his Shadow DN 4 and Warren Briggs drove his Mk 8E McLaren. John Boxhorn in his ex Tony Settember Lola T 163 was credited with third in the event.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 23 July 2019 - 00:38.

[Ray Bell]

Good to see a Don Nichols creation achieve something...

Keep them coming, Jerry, looking forward to seeing more. And I guess you had a good time out there?

[Jerry Entin]

Warren Briggs in straw hat and Dave Jacobs
Dave Jacobs is the oldest Vintage racer I know of at 85 years young.

[Jerry Entin]

David Jacobs and his Chevron
Dave runs with the RM Group out of Wixom, Michigan.

[Jack-the-Lad]

Thanks, Jerry...looking forward to more.

[raceannouncer2003]

Here is a link to Claude Malette in the Shadow last year at Road America.  He was getting around about as fast as they did in the day:

 

 

Vince H.

[sblick]

Such a great event to go to.  The quality and quantity of cars is great.  Missed it this year because I am doing the Formula Ford 50th anniversary in September.  Thanks for the pics Jerry

[SKL]

Great event!  Took my then 7 year old son to his first race at RA many years ago.   A nice F40 was parked in the paddock and that made a lasting impression!  He and his brother followed in their dad's footprints to race at RA.  Our spec Miatas lapped a little slower than that Shaddow Can Am car!!   (He did graduate to a FE formula car though...)

 

A friend from Colorado used to race several old McLaren Can Am cars and he lapped RA with pretty much the same lap times at Denny Hulme did back in the day!!!  

 

Even though I now live in AZ,  I need to get back to RA-  best track in the US!!!

[Jerry Entin]

SKL here is an F40 that was at the Saturday street Concourse

[Jerry Entin]

Rick and Jacques Dresang with their ex Pete Lovely owned Thames Truck
This was at the Saturday street concourse.


photo: Ron Nelson

Edited by Jerry Entin, 23 July 2019 - 21:02.

[Jerry Entin]

Claude Malette in his Rebellion Coupe


photo: John Lacko

[Jerry Entin]

Jason Miller in the Shadow F 5000 car
Jason Miller and Rick Parsons had a great battle for the F 5000 win.


photo: John Lacko

Edited by Jerry Entin, 24 July 2019 - 02:57.

[RA Historian]

Great event!  Took my then 7 year old son to his first race at RA many years ago.   A nice F40 was parked in the paddock and that made a lasting impression!  

Yes, my tale is similar, as I imagine a number of other readers out there can relate.

 

I brought my son, similar age, to the track and he saw a Ferrari Testarossa road car. He was hooked! Back home he put a poster of the car on his wall and I bought him a Burrago (I think) metal model of it, which he still has. He still goes to the track with me on occasion.

 

Tom

[Tom Glowacki]

With all of the attention given to the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, I got to thinking at Road America about where I was 50 years ago when it happened and realized that I was at Road America, down in Canada Corner watching the Badger 200 F5000 race won by Tony Adamowicz.  So I came full circle on that one.

[Lee Nicolle]

Jason Miller in the Shadow F 5000 car
Jason Miller and Rick Parsons had a great battle for the F 5000 win.


photo: John Lacko

Dodge on the airbox but seemingly Chev power?

And a great pic.

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 25 July 2019 - 00:08.

[JacnGille]

Dodge on the airbox but seemingly Chev power?

And a great pic.

They were Dodge powered in the day. Hard to believe they would swap motors for a restoration.

[Bob Riebe]

They were Dodge powered in the day. Hard to believe they would swap motors for a restoration.

Very sad, if true,  but it is a rich boys play ground and they really don't care.

The days of gear-head loyalty ended with badge engineering.

Edited by Bob Riebe, 25 July 2019 - 03:03.

[Jerry Entin]

Don Devine in the Scarab

photo: Eric Januszewiski

Edited by Jerry Entin, 25 July 2019 - 03:17.

[Tim Murray]

To be fair, the Shadow DN6 was fitted with a Chevy V8 for its early races in 1975, before the Dodge engine was ready to race. However, I don’t know whether it carried the Dodge signage when raced with the Chevy.

[SKL]

I also was at the RA race the weekend of the moon landing  (and Chappaquiddick) with a couple of my best friends.  Drove my dad's 69 beetle from eastern Iowa.   We were driving back on Sunday and figured there was NO way we were missing the moon walk so we stopped in Madison at a hotel downtown and asked the desk clerk if we could watch it in an unrented room.  They brought down a TV and put it in the lobby.  Within minutes there was a big crowd...  watched it and several re-runs until 2-3 in the morning!!   50 years ago!!!!  Damn, time flies...

[Jerry Entin]

Porsche Corral at Elkhart Lake

Edited by Jerry Entin, 25 July 2019 - 11:13.

[Jerry Entin]

Warren Briggs in Victory Lane at Elkhart Lake
Warren finished a fine second to Claude Malette in the CanAm event. His crew Jeff Dodge and Carson Parks did a great job of preparing the car out of Jeff Sime's shop,

Edited by Jerry Entin, 25 July 2019 - 15:32.

[Tom Glowacki]

They were Dodge powered in the day. Hard to believe they would swap motors for a restoration.

The Mopar and Chevy small blocks have similar exhaust port spacing, so it would be hard to tell from a distance.  In fairness, small block Mopar parts from back then might be hard to obtain while the Chevy stuff is all over the place.  I seem to recall that one of the TA Javelins runs a Chevy as the AMC stuff would really be unobtanium.

[SKL]

Porsche Park still belongs down at corner 5...   spent many a weekend in that spot since first going in the summer of 1967.

[RA Historian]

Porsche Park still belongs down at corner 5...   spent many a weekend in that spot since first going in the summer of 1967.

For many years it was in the paddock, just between the main road and corner five.

 

Tom

[RA Historian]

With all of the attention given to the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, I got to thinking at Road America about where I was 50 years ago when it happened and realized that I was at Road America, down in Canada Corner watching the Badger 200 F5000 race won by Tony Adamowicz.  So I came full circle on that one.

So was I. But to be correct, in 1969 the Badger 200 was for production cars. The F-5000 race attempted to retain the Road America 500 name by running the race in three heats of 100 miles each, total 300 miles. It was still dubbed the 500 because it was just short of 500 kilometer total.

 

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 25 July 2019 - 17:39.

[Tom Glowacki]

So was I. But to be correct, in 1969 the Badger 200 was for production cars. The F-5000 race attempted to retain the Road America 500 name by running the race in three heats of 100 miles each, total 300 miles. It was still dubbed the 500 because it was just short of 500 kilometer total.

 

Tom

I stand corrected, and somebody else is going to have to correct their website.

[Bob Riebe]

I did some checking on the Shadow Formula A car/s and unless cars are sold without engines, it should still have a Dodge/Mopar small block.

Does anyone know if the Penske AMC Lola still has an AMC engine, where ever it is?

Edited by Bob Riebe, 25 July 2019 - 23:20.

[Ray Bell]

Not only are the port locations the same as the Chev small block, but the Mopar engine has the distributor in the same place.

As they use aftermarket heads, valve cover shapes mean nothing.

[D28]

For many years it was in the paddock, just between the main road and corner five.

Tom

You posted in May that your book Meister Brausers, Harry Heuer's Championship Racing Team would be rolled out at the Road America Historic Race Weekend and that three surviving drivers would be present. Just wondering if you have any photos. updates of how that launch went. If so many of us here would be greatly interested.

Edited by D28, 26 July 2019 - 13:14.

[Lee Nicolle]

Not only are the port locations the same as the Chev small block, but the Mopar engine has the distributor in the same place.

As they use aftermarket heads, valve cover shapes mean nothing.

A Chev is NOT a Mopar. And never will be. An LA Mopar may be more expensive and more maintenance intensive but power should still be similar. 

Using that excuse is the same as saying a Holden looks similar to a Chev as well.  Three entirely different engines. All with good and bad points.

And the parts they are supposed to use and what they actually use is way different. Making the Mopar a lot better than it was internally. And do not talk about externally. Read more reliable as well.

[Tim Murray]

Lee, you are the one who first suggested that the engine in the DN6 in the John Lacko photo, posted above by Jerry, might be a Chevy. It would help if you could explain why you think this, as the posts above from Tom and Ray are telling me (a non-expert) that the engines are difficult to tell apart externally.

[Jerry Entin]

John Boxhorn and his Lola T 163

photo Chuck Brandt

Edited by Jerry Entin, 26 July 2019 - 07:04.

[RA Historian]

You posted in May that your book Meister Brausers, Harry Heuer's Championship Racing Team would be rolled out at the Road America Historic Race Weekend and that three surviving drivers would be present. Just wondering if you have any photos. updates of how that launch went. If so many of us here would be greatly interested.

Thanks for the interest. The book was launched at a banquet in Elkhart Lake on Thursday evening. On display in front of the banquet hall were two special cars. One was a real, authentic Scarab, chassis three, brought all the way up from the Revs Institute in Florida for the occasion. The other was a Chaparral 1, chassis two, courtesy of owner Tom Hollfelder. Both were Meister Brauser team cars. Before the banquet we had an autograph session and book signing. The three surviving Meister Brauser drivers, Augie Pabst, Bill Wuesthoff, and Don Devine participated. We were able to move a large number of books.

 

After dinner, the program was an illlustrated talk about the Team. I discussed its history, and then conducted a round robin discussion with Pabst, Wuesthoff, and Devine.  

 

We were fortunate to have three of Harry Heuer's children fly in from all over the country. They were present and added to the occasion. 

 

On Friday through Sunday we had a tent in the paddock where we had the Scarab and Chaparral on display. We also had banners and large posters erected. Books were on sale all weekend, and we had autograph sessions with the drivers.  Unfortunately, I came down with bronchitis and laryngitis Friday afternoon and had to return home. Thus I missed the last two days and cannot tell you anything other than what I was told, and that is that it went well both days. 

 

Tom

Edited by RA Historian, 26 July 2019 - 16:50.

[D28]

Thanks so much and good luck with the book.

Edited by D28, 26 July 2019 - 17:17.

[Tom Glowacki]

Thanks for the interest. The book was launched at a banquet in Elkhart Lake on Thursday evening. On display in front of the banquet hall were two special cars. One was a real, authentic Scarab, chassis three, brought all the way up from the Revs Institute in Florida for the occasion. The other was a Chaparral 1, chassis two, courtesy of owner Tom Hollfelder. Both were Meister Brauser team cars. Before the banquet we had an autograph session and book signing. The three surviving Meister Brauser drivers, Augie Pabst, Bill Wuesthoff, and Don Devine participated. We were able to move a large number of books.

 

After dinner, the program was an illlustrated talk about the Team. I discussed its history, and then conducted a round robin discussion with Pabst, Wuesthoff, and Devine.  

 

We were fortunate to have three of Harry Heuer's children fly in from all over the country. They were present and added to the occasion. 

 

On Friday through Sunday we had a tent in the paddock where we had the Scarab and Chaparral on display. We also had banners and large posters erected. Books were on sale all weekend, and we had autograph sessions with the drivers.  Unfortunately, I came down with bronchitis and laryngitis Friday afternoon and had to return home. Thus I missed the last two days and cannot tell you anything other than what I was told, and that is that it went well both days. 

 

Tom

I bought the book Friday and it obviously entailed massive research before being turned into a thorough and well-written history that puts the Meister Brauser story into the larger context of U.S. road racing of the era.  It is a must read and, shrewdly, it is not labeled "Volume 1".

[Lee Nicolle]

Lee, you are the one who first suggested that the engine in the DN6 in the John Lacko photo, posted above by Jerry, might be a Chevy. It would help if you could explain why you think this, as the posts above from Tom and Ray are telling me (a non-expert) that the engines are difficult to tell apart externally.

The rocker covers are Chev, meaning a Chev engine. Very simple. 

I know all of those engines, Chev LA Mopar, Holden as well as Fords.

[B Squared]

Does anyone know if the Penske AMC Lola still has an AMC engine, where ever it is?

I recently heard from an AMC friend of mine, that is very well connected in the AMC world, that the car now has a Chevy.

[RA Historian]

Ahhh, sic transit gloria---

[Lee Nicolle]

I recently heard from an AMC friend of mine, that is very well connected in the AMC world, that the car now has a Chevy.

Those trick AMC engines I believe are near impossible to source. 

Jim Richards here in Oz  in Touring Car Masters has a Javelin and was allowed a 360 LA Mopar. 

Though why? Plenty of suitable cars around to race that can run their own factory engines.

Those cars though are not historic in any form apart from the body shapes. Usual winners are a 69 Mustang or an LX Torana 4 door.

Probably the most interesting cars in the field [but far from the fastest] is a VF Valiant Pacer, though fitted with a hemi 6 instead of the slant 6 used factory, though at least Chrysler and a Mercury Cyclone.

[Bob Riebe]

In the U.S. high performance AMC parts are not hard to find if one wants to take the time to look.

Over at a dedicated AMC sight they , some of them have, the old hi-po parts including some of the alloy Indianapolis parts, head and blocks.

Dodge/Mopar parts are plentiful.

[Jerry Entin]

David Jacobs and his Chevron at Elkhart Lake.

photo: Chuck Brandt

[E1pix]

With all of the attention given to the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, I got to thinking at Road America about where I was 50 years ago when it happened and realized that I was at Road America, down in Canada Corner watching the Badger 200 F5000 race won by Tony Adamowicz.  So I came full circle on that one.

I was at 14 when that announcement came over… presumably by Kim Dyer.

[10kDA]

Jerry, thanks for posting these pics. I couldn't make it to this event due to prep for the Oshkosh fly-in & I hated having to make the choice!

[pete3664]

For what it's worth, the Shadow F5000 car does have a Dodge engine in it- talked to the team and saw it, definitely not Chevy heads, similar valve covers, but not Chevrolet.

[Ray Bell]

Thanks for clarifying that, Pete...

And I should have looked more closely to do so earlier. The central recess for the rocker cover fixing bolt location is just visible in the pic above, Chevrolet don't have that as they have a row of bolts along the lower lip.

[B Squared]

Thanks a lot Pete. That's very good news