11 replies to this topic

[cabianca]

The first Ferrari to race in America was Briggs Cunningham's 166 Spyder Corsa (s/n 016I). I think there's a possibility that it was at Bridgehampton on 22 May 1953 with Cunningham driving. However, others think Briggs was already on his way to Le Mans on that date. I disagree, since I think the team traveled together and I can document that Phil Walters and Bill Spear raced at Bridgehampton that day. The problem is compounded by the fact that the race was stopped because of an accident and no results were published. My notes indicate that the 166's race # at this Bridgehampton race was 15, so it would seem there is a picture somewhere. I'm leaning toward the car not being there. Does anyone have any thoughts on this.

I would also like to confirm two other results for the car, both at Thompson in 1953.

1 or 6 June, Cunningham in #34, 8th OA, 1st Class E

6 Sept, Cunningham (no race #) 5th. There is a story on this event in Autosport (UK), believe correspondent was Diana Bartley or Ruth Sands Bentley.

Many thanks.

[Michael Müller]

My files end in 1949.

[karlcars]

I'm sure the car was at the Bridge because I photographed it there. Somewhere I must have the photo!

[WGD706]

At http://www.classicsc...sis/01to100.htm it shows chassis #0161 as 'Sold to Cunningham. First Ferrari to race in America. Bridgehampton: Rand; DNF. Watkins Glen Seneca Cup: Cunningham; 2nd. Watkins Glen GP: Cunningham; 6th. Sold to Collier. 1989: in the Behring Museum.' I have to wonder if the driver at Bridgehampton was Rand and not Cunningham?

There is also areference to Cunningham's car at
http://www.rickcarey...nza_2211125.htm
where 'After finally getting it to the US, Huntoon immediately returned the family’s new Monza to competition, entering the inaugural 1949 road races through the potato fields and around the golf course at Bridgehampton, Long Island. The Monza may not have showed its heels to Briggs Cunningham’s sparkling new little Ferrari 166 it but outlasted it, winning what is now recognized as one of America’s first big-time postwar road races (and where the writer, then 6 ½ years old, perched on a stepladder, enthralled to this day.) It also featured in the 1949 race at Watkins Glen, leading from the start but eventually suffering damage and retiring.'

[Roger Clark]

THere is a report in Autosport (5 June 1953) of te Bridgehampton race. Cunningham is mentioned several time. THe writer was Ruth Sands Bentley. The following week's issue contains a photograph of Cunningham.

[Paul Medici]

The program for the Bridgehampton Cup Race has Saturday, May 23rd, 1953 with Briggs in a Cunningham, #15. Three Ferraris entered, one from Green Farms (Bill Llyod); but as expected, no model types. As you know, race programs don't always provide the most accurate account of what really happened on race day.

In the Batchelor/Bochroch book on CUNNINGHAM, Briggs is quoted as follows, after his close friend Sam Collier's fatal crash at the Glen in 016I: "I never want to see that car again."

He did have the car rebuilt, but I find it hard to believe he would ever sit in it again.

[Mike Argetsinger]

But sit in it again he did.

Cunningham drove it to third place the following year (1951) at Watkins Glen (Sam Collier's fatal accident in the car was in 1950) in the Seneca Cup which was a preliminary race. He was beaten to the flag in that race by winner George Weaver in the Maserati V8RI (Poison 'Lil) and John Fitch in a Ferrari 195S (also owned by Cunningham). Cunningham turned the car over to Jim Kimberly for the Grand Prix that day and Kimberly brought it home 10th. Cunningham drove the Cunningham C-2 and finished 4th. He was beaten by winner Phil Walters and John Fitch both in C-2's. 3rd was Bill Spear in his Ferrari 340 America.

Warren - you may have noticed that the two sources you quote regarding the car's results at Watkins Glen in 1949 contradict one another. They are also both incorrect!

In fact Briggs finished 2nd in the car in question in both the Seneca Cup and in the feature Watkins Glen Grand Prix. He was beaten in the Seneca Cup by George Weaver in the V8RI Maserati. In the Grand Prix Cunningham was actually leading starting the last lap. Miles Collier in the Ardent Alligator (which we have discussed in other threads) made up 49 seconds on Cunningham in the Ferrari on that last lap - passing Cunningham on the approach to Milliken's corner. It remains one of the most exciting races I have ever witnessed.

A note on Sam Collier's fatal accident in the car in 1950. The accident happened on the second lap. Collier had been 3rd at the end of the first lap but leader Tommy Cole spun his Allard in the esses at the top of the hill. This briefly left Bill Milliken in the Type 54 Bugatti in the lead. But just after the Railroad underpass Collier passed Milliken for the lead. Moments later Sam Collier went off the road in the high speed right hand bend. Erwin Goldschmidt ultimately won the race in his Cadillac Allard with Briggs Cunningham 2nd in the Healey Cadillac.

Regarding the car's maiden American appearance at Bridgehampton that year in the hands of George Rand (a very experienced driver) - Rand dominated the race until a ruptured oil line put him out on the16th of 25 laps. George Huntoon won the race in a supercharged Alfa Romeo 8C-2600.

[Paul Medici]

Mike,

Thanks for the correction. Nice having folks like you around TNF to keep folks like me from rewriting history. Actually, just a little more digging on my part and .................................

There is a photo of 016I in the CUNNINGHAM book (p.56), but you cannot see the grille. Therefore it was difficult for me to tell if the photo was taken before or after the car was rebuilt. However, the car is on a trailer and carries race #42. A great clue, but I dismissed it.
However, a quick look in WATKINS GLEN 1948-1952 (great book by the way) and I would have learned that the Ferrari 166SC that Briggs drove in the 1951 Seneca Cup was also #42.

Back to Bridgehampton, 1953.

[cabianca]

TN's Roger Clark has backed up Karl's memory. He sent me the Autosport report of the 53 Bridgehampton which has a pic of the Spyder Corsa in the race. I have eliminated the June 53 Thompson event as race reports make no mention of the car. It is obvious that the car was raced extensively after Collier's fatal at Watkins Glen.

10-11 Jun 48 Spa 24 hrs #40 Chinetti/Chiron DNF

12 Sep 48 Montlhery 12 hour #12 Chinetti/Selsdon 1st

10 Oct 48 Monthlhery Salon Cup #23 Righetti DNF

3 Nov Montlhery Chinetti set records for 100 miles, 200 km and One Hour.

11 Jun 49 # 18 Bridgehampton, Geo Rand, Ret.

17 Sep 49 # 4 Watkins Seneca Cup Cunningham 2nd
17 Sep 49 #4 Watkins GP Cunningham 2nd

3 Jan 50 (Tues?) #21 Palm Beach Shores, Geo Rand 3rd

7 May 50 #37 Suffolk County Airport Qualifying Race, Cunningham, 1st
7 May 50 #37 Suffolk County Airport Main, Cunningham, 1st

21 May 50 #? Mount Equinox Hillclimb, Cunningham 2nd OA, 1st Class E

10 Jun 50 #3 Bridgehampton Qualifying Race, S. Collier, 1st
10 Jun 50 #3 Bridgehampton Main, S. Collier, 2nd

23 Sep 50 #54 Watkins Glen GP, S. Collier, Ret., Fatal Crash

18 Mar 51 #2 Buenos Aires Juan Peron Prize, Geo. Rand, 6th

26 May 51 #42 Bridgehampton Mecox Trophy, Cunningham 1st
26 May 51 #42 Bridgehampton Cup, Cunningham 5th, 1st Class E

15 Sep 51 #42 Watkins Glen Seneca Cup, Cunningham 3rd
15 Sep 51 #42 Watkins Glen GP, Kimberly 10th

20 Oct 51 #42 Allentown PA Miller Handicap, Cunningham 3rd,

28 Oct 51 (Cars not numbered) Mt. Equinox Hillclimb, Cunningham, 6th OA, 1st Class IV
There were runs over the full course and runs over a course shortened by weather concerns. Results are for the fastest full-course runs.

8 Dec 51 #2 Palm Beach Shores, Cunningham 3rd, 1st Class IV

8 May 52 #32 Vero Beach 12 Hours, Cunningham, 5th, 3rd Class IV

24 May 52 #16 Bridgehampton, Cunningham 12th 3rd Class IV

22 May 53 #15 Bridgehampton, Cunningham, Race Stopped, running third

6 Sept 53 #34 Thompson, Cunningham, 5th, 1st in Class E (Last Race I can Find)

[fines]

Quote

Originally posted by cabianca
18 Mar 51 #2 Buenos Aires Juan Peron Prize, Geo. Rand, 6th

I don't understand that, the Juan Perón Cup was Feb 18, and the Mercedes-Benz W154 of Karl Kling finished 6th. Was there a sports car race as well?

[David McKinney]

Quote

Originally posted by fines

I don't understand that, the Juan Perón Cup was Feb 18, and the Mercedes-Benz W154 of Karl Kling finished 6th. Was there a sports car race as well?

Yes
Several US cars made the trip, including IIRC three Ferraris, a couple of Allards and an XK120 or two. Winner was one of the Allards, I think driven by Fitch (or maybe Wacker)

[Vitesse2]

This would appear to say it was Fitch first, with "Walker" second (understandable typo for Wacker!), followed by two locals in an old Delahaye and a Healey Silverstone. Presumably Rand had problems if he couldn't beat those. Auto-translated from http://www.automovil...a/capitulo5.htm

Quote

The same circuit that will lodge to the powerful Mercy Benz and to the light Ferrari covered, March 18, to the cars sport in an international career with the one that the possibility was opened that our country had a date for the torneo world of the specialty. Although it has said that this the first career of cars went sport of international character the reality is that already a test of those characteristics had been disputed when was organized the Season in the circuit of Retreat although is had been limited to sports cars of drop cilindrada. In the career of the Coastal one they had invited the associates of the Club of Cars Sport and to a lot of pilot American representatives of the Sport Car Club of America. The Americans contributed to the line of loosened three Allard Cadillac, an Alfa Romeo Wayne with a carrocería Nardi and three Ferrari. The Argentines presented a good quantity of Jaguar XK120, some veteranos Delahaye, an Alfa Romeo Monza, also exceeded, two Healey Silverstone those if, new - and a pair of Cisitalia 1100 c c. The logic indicated that the Allard would be the winners. And they went it in the hands of John Fitch that was escorted for their countryman Walker. The third and the room went Argentines, Miguel "Buby" Schroeder with sun Delahaye and Miguel Collazo with the Healey Silverstone. Although the "walk" of the Allard with motor Cadillac did that the career did not have exciting alternatives, is good to recognize that the anxiety of the organizers of the Argentine Car Club put the basis for what later would be the Thousand Kilometers of the City of Buenos Aires, one of the most prestigious careers of the World Championship of you Mark.