19 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Does anyone have a Candlestick Park, San Francisco, auto race programme - or copy of the SCCA results list - for the Candlestick Park race meetings of August 9, 1964 and September 15, 1965?

 

DCN

[D-Type]

I expect you have already found this website
https://www.racingsp...andlestick.html

[Doug Nye]

Yes thank you but I am seeking something more contemporary and preferably from the SCCA original bulletins or its 'Sports Car' magazine perhaps?

 

DCN

[bradbury west]

Doug, have you tried Cliff Reuter and his Etceterini website? He may have stuff or know people who have. Otherwise Jerry Entin may find that Willem has stuff.
Stay safe
Roger Lund

[Doug Nye]

I did try it thanks Roger - Etceterini runs to 1962 it seems - two years short.

 

DCN

[RA Historian]

The 1965 weekend was a very tragic affair. Two fatalities. The program was cancelled after a couple preliminary races. 

[ERIKZ]

To Doug:

 

Have you tried contacting Gary Horstkorta: norpacarchivist@comcast.net Gary's the SF SCCA Regional historian.  If he doesn't have the results what are you looking for exactly?  Are you looking for the results for both Saturday's and Sunday's events?  Both events (1964 & 1965) were run in August....the September 1965 event did not happen.  There was a September 1963 race though.

Edited by ERIKZ, 24 September 2020 - 17:51.

[RA Historian]

To Doug:

 

...the September 1965 event did not happen.  

Actually it did, but only a partial slate of races with the balance being cancelled after two fatalities.

[ERIKZ]

You might want to check the 1965 calendar....September 15, 1965 is a Wednesday....I don't recall the SCCA ever running Regional or National events during the middle of the week.  Also, none of the local newspapers reported any races at Candlestick during that time.  The SCCA Club magazine Calendar shows the Regional races for the Pacific Coast Division in 1965 for September are: September 4-5 for Santa Barbara, September 11-12 for Oakland (Vaca Valley races), September 18-19 at Shelton, and September 25-26 at Moab, Utah for a Hill Climb.  The National races for the Pacific Coast Division in 1965 for September are: September 25-26 for Riverside.  Now there was a race at Candlestick on September 14-15, 1963.  The two fatalities (Bart Martin and Ken O'Neill) happened at the August 7-8, 1965 races.

Edited by ERIKZ, 25 September 2020 - 16:17.

[Jim Thurman]

As mentioned above, the races were held on August 7-8, 1965 and owing to a fatal accident during each day, no further racing was held at Candlestick Park.

 

Races were held at Candlestick Park on:

September 14-15, 1963

August 8-9, 1964

August 7-8, 1965

 

The first two years, the course was listed as 1.9 miles, the final year, it was listed as 2.1 miles

[T54]

Mr. Nye,
I do have the 1965 program, and would be happy to help. Please let me know what you are looking for and I will scan the pages for you.

As you possibly know, Bart Martin, driving Judy Kondratieff's Brabham BT8 stuffed with a 289 Ford, was killed that day, August 8, 1965.
Grizzly Engineering in Hayward I believe, prepared the car with shoehorning the Cobra engine in the chassis, SC-01-64, retaining the Hewland HD5 gearbox. The car had widened front and rear arches, the rear Brabham magnesium wheels moving to the front, and 11" wide Monocoque Engineering aluminum wheels now in the back.
The car was raced twice before, winning at Cotati, and it was indeed, far faster than Bart's previous Cooper Monaco.

What happened is that as he was fighting for the lead with Hall and the Chaparral 2, the Heim joint on the lower right rear wishbone snapped, causing instant 3-wheel steering. The car, now out of control, hit one of the concrete berms that formed the track, and the car exploded in flames, with poor Bart unable to free himself. The track marshals were unable to extinguish the inferno, their portable fire extinguishers quickly out of media. So the car burned to cinders, with poor Bart in it.

Judy was so distraught that she never wanted to speak about this for many years. She eventually divorced Serguei Kondratieff and married Howden Ganley, and this became a true and wonderful love story until poor Judy developed terminal cancer, with poor Howden distressed for a long time, still to this day really.

Several years ago and as I replicated the car with Jack Smith's help with some of the leftover bits unused in the Ford transition, someone sent me color pictures of Bart and Hall, racing minutes before the crash. The format of this bulletin board makes it difficult to post them from one's own computer, but I would be happy to send them to you if needed, by email.

This accident caused a change in the SCCA regulations: any such Heim joint not covered with a part of the chassis or hub carrier had to have a large washer to stop the outer part of the joint from escaping its mount. This regulation is I believe, still in the book to this day.

Philippe


 

[Doug Nye]

Thanks Philippe - I will e-mail.  My interest is in other cars at those meetings.

 

DCN

[Rupertlt1]

Any sign of the Lotus-Valiant?

 

RGDS RLT

[T54]

Rupert,
lots of Loti in the program, but no mention of the Lotus-Valiant I am afraid. Is the "Lotus-Valiant" a Lotus with a Buick engine by any chance?

Edited by T54, 27 September 2020 - 18:00.

[DCapps]

There is a report (of sorts...) and comments regarding the event in the 11 September 1965 issue of Competition Press & Newsweek (Vol. 15, No. 5). There is a photo of Phil Hill on page 9 at the wheel of the Shelby S&C 427 Cobra that participated in the A/B/C Production race.

[T54]

There is a definite mention of a "Pnil Hill" (yep!) driving the # 7 Cobra in the third race on Sunday August 8th, in the A, B & C Production class. I knew a Phil Hill but never met a Mr. Pnil Hill... then I realize that on an IBM "Selectric" or an Olivetti, the "N" is slightly south of the "H", so everything is forgiven in the haste of printing the program on time.
In any case I was happy to provide Doug with what he needed. 

[Rupertlt1]

https://library.revs...ion=p17257coll1

 

RGDS RLT

[Doug Nye]

Phil did drive the Cobra there - found the surface slick as an iced rink - and condemned the venue as being terrifyingly unsuitable...

 

DCN

[Seppi_0_917PA]

Someone's home movie. That is San Francisco Bay in the background. Phil Hill's epic battle with Don Wester in the yellow #6 Porsche 904 is roughly at 2:00
 

 
As a 12 year-old attending his first race, it was very exciting but later I realized that Hill was probably playing around to make it a better show.
 
A set of photos from the local newspaper:
 
https://www.sfgate.c...ack-6224420.php

 

Phil Hill:

 

 

Jim Hall:

 

 

I've looked at my parent's house for our copy of the program but it is gone.

Edited by Seppi_0_917PA, 29 September 2020 - 01:32.

[Doug Nye]

Thanks for looking - and to all who have posted above...

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 29 September 2020 - 08:37.