50 replies to this topic

[Felix]

I need some help, please: in the mid-sixities there was a Wild West-based TV series called 'Bonanza' which starred an actor called Dan Blocker as 'Hoss'. He entered a car in the CanAm championship +- 1966 ...

Does anybody have details on this? I am told the car (a Lola T70 Spider?) was painted carriage brown and had white pin-stripes down to the wheel rims, sort of a la Cowboy. Apparently a sign across the rear read: 'Pure Hoss Power'...

Details, info, pics would be really appreciated

[Pedro 917]

I've read somewhere, just recently, that it was a Genie-Huffaker. No more details I'm afraid...

[John Schoen]

Dan Blocker didn't drive the car himself, the studio bosses found that too dangerous. Here is a picture: http://www.mlodeent....NAM/jcannon.htm

[rdrcr]

The 1965 Huffaker MK10 Genie, owned by actor Dan "Hoss" Blocker was driven by John Cannon and Bob Harris. This car has lots of USRRC history including a 1968 Las Vegas win.

This car is known as the VINEGAROON Genie and was sponsored by NICKEY Chevrolet.

In case you're interested, it's for sale.

[Felix]

Thank you ALL! Nope ... not interested in buying, but am interested in further details - interested in a pic of the wheels which I believe had pinstripes a la Wild West and the Pure Hoss Power sign across the back, if poss, plse.

[Don Capps]

The first car Blocker was involved with was the Campbell Special of Bob Harris. Next was the "Vinegaroon" -- an Elva powered by a Maserati. Then Blocker and John Cannon teamed up in the Fall of 1965 with a Genie Traco Oldsmobile, managing to finish 2nd at Nassau during Speed Weeks.

In 1966, Blocker was a sponsor for a USRRC effort, along with Nickey Chevrolet of Chicago. Plus, some $$ from Firestone. The car was a Huffaker Genie -- Mark 10B -- powered by a Traco 300-cubic inch Oldsmobile with 42mm 481DM Webers. It used a BMCD transaxle. The entrant was officially listed as Dan Blocker Motor Racing Division, Inc.

The chief mechanic on the team was ex-UDT/BRP wrench John Harris. Harris modified the Genie during the Winter of 1965/1966 to a large extent and it was unofficially referred to as the "Vinegaroon."

John Cannon won the first USRRC event of 1966, at Stardust/Las Vegas, on 24 April.

A week later at Riverside (1 May) the car retired.

At Laguna Seca (8 May), the Vinegaroon retired once more.

At Bridgehampton (22 May), another retirement -- after initially not qualifying due to a blown engine, but allowed on the back row of the grid at the last moment.

Yet another retirement at Watkins Glen (26 June).

At Kent (31 July), John Cannon left the team buying the new team McLaren-Elva Mark 2 and finishing 2nd in the race.

At Mid-Ohio, with Lothar Motschenbacher in their new McLaren-Elva Mark 2 Traco 333-cubic inch Oldsmobile, the team won the event. Bob Harris drove the Genie/Vinegaroon.

At Road America, the Blocker Team put Bob Harris & John Morton in the No. 95 Genie/Vinegaroon and Lothar Motschenbacher & Peter Lerch in the McLaren with Motschenbacher 4th at the finish and Harris a DNF.

[Don Capps]

Quote

Originally posted by Felix
Thank you ALL! Nope ... not interested in buying, but am interested in further details - interested in a pic of the wheels which I believe had pinstripes a la Wild West and the Pure Hoss Power sign across the back, if poss, plse.

The "Pure Hoss Power" pix are in either Comp Press or Sports Car.

[rdrcr]

Quote

Originally posted by Don Capps
"... In 1966, Blocker was a sponsor for a USRRC effort, along with Nickey Chevrolet of Chicago. Plus, some $$ from Firestone. The car was a Huffaker Genie -- Mark 10B -- powered by a Traco 300-cubic inch Oldsmobile with 42mm 481DM Webers. It used a BMCD transaxle. The entrant was officially listed as Dan Blocker Motor Racing Division, Inc.

The chief mechanic on the team was ex-UDT/BRP wrench John Harris. Harris modified the Genie during the Winter of 1965/1966 to a large extent and it was unofficially referred to as the "Vinegaroon..."

Interesting Don, the car pictured above is being advertised for sale as the Vinegaroon car. Is it more than probable that it is the "unofficially referred to" car? A bit of advertising fluff to promote this car?

It is now powered by a Chevrolet 350 with a DG 300 Hewland gearbox - an easy retrofit for the TRACO Olds and BMCD.

[dretceterini]

Am I just dreaming, or wasn't the Nickey car originally purple?

[Don Capps]

Note: McLaren "Mark 2" = M1B

There is also the problem that Nickey sponsored the Dan Blocker Motor Racing cars AND Charlie Hayes during the USRRC that season. Among others.....

Not having all my materials readily at hand right now, I am not 100% as to what all Dan Blocker Motor Racing did during the 1966 Can-Am rounds. One of the great pains in the butt is that few of my notes from this period survive. Even four decades ago I was concerned with entrants and correct nomenclature as well chassis numbers in series outside GP racing. I have yet to get to the 1966 season in my working on the USRRC series, so I am way behind the power curve on some of this. Sorry.

[Don Capps]

Quote

Originally posted by dretceterini
Am I just dreaming, or wasn't the Nickey car originally purple?

Which Nicky Car? There were several and one was purple, violet, or something like that......

[dretceterini]

I used to live about 5 min. from Nickey Chevrolet in Skokie, Illinois...

I guess my momory is fading, as I thought there were only 2 different Nickey Can-Am cars, and both were purple..

[Stefan Ornerdal]

A little bit off topic: What happened to Dan Blocker's son, rockstar Meatloaf? Is he still around, recording?

Stefan

[Vitesse2]

Quote

Originally posted by Stefan Ornerdal
A little bit off topic: What happened to Dan Blocker's son, rockstar Meatloaf? Is he still around, recording?

Stefan

He is, Stefan. But he's not been well recently ....

http://www.meatloaf-oifc.com/

[rdrcr]

Quote

Originally posted by Stefan Ornerdal
A little bit off topic: What happened to Dan Blocker's son, rockstar Meatloaf? Is he still around, recording?

Stefan

I thought that Meat Loaf's name was originally Marvin Lee Aday - and that he was born in Dallas, Texas. I do know that he's still recording and has cut at least one CD in the past couple of years. He also did a couple of movies - "Fight Club" was one and I can't recall the other.

P.S. Checking a bit, found he fathered 4 kids; Debra Lee, Danna Lynn, David and Dirk Blocker. He also started and owned the Bonanza steak house restaurant chain.

So, are you sure about the Meat Loaf relationship?

[Stefan Ornerdal]

Oh Dear. The usual Rock'n'Roll disease, I presume.

rdrcr - look at the pictures! Hoss Cartwright can not deny he is the father...

Stefan

[Don Capps]

Quote

Originally posted by rdrcr
I thought that Meat Loaf's name was originally Marvin Lee Aday - and that he was born in Dallas, Texas. I do know that he's still recording and has cut at least one CD in the past couple of years. He also did a couple of movies - "Fight Club" was one and I can't recall the other.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is another film he appeared in.

The Nickey Scarabs were always that lovely shade of purple while the Genie and the McLaren were white with purple striping. I really need to get cracking on my USRRC project.....

[rdrcr]

Quote

Originally posted by Don Capps


The Rocky Horror Picture Show is another film he appeared in.

The Nickey Scarabs were always that lovely shade of purple while the Genie and the McLaren were white with purple striping. I really need to get cracking on my USRRC project.....

Oh, hell, everyone knows that I was speaking of his recent work...

As we struggle to get this thread back on the tarmac, the brokers of that Genie-Huffaker claim that it has "been restored to the very last detail". (Though it has a different engine and trans from the original). The paint scheme does appear dark purple over white. Though I wonder what else has been "modified?"

Here is the link The Racer's Network

Perhaps contacting the owner via that email address at the bottom would provide more info
.

[Don Capps]

Quote

1965 Huffaker MK10 Genie, owned by actor Dan "Hoss" Blocker, driven by John Cannon and Bob Harris. Lots of USRRC history including a 1968 Las Vegas win. Fresh 350ci Chev., Webers, DG 300 Hewland, Konis, Chicago Historic Concours Winner in 1998, ready to race or show.

This car is known as the VINEGAROON Genie sponsored by NICKEY Chevrolet.

Total restoration from top to bottom. This is a beautifully restored Genie that has been restored to the very last detail. This car was one of the top finishers during the time John Cannon piloted the car during the mid-1960's.

Some spares, including body molds.

First of all, it was the 1966 USRRC and the, second, the Blocker team only raced the Vinegaroon with the Traco Olds. Ditto for the Huffaker BMCD transaxle -- which was huge!

[Ray Bell]

Is my recollection imperfect?

I have this notion that a Blocker car was on the cover of SCG and that the car was pale green... the memory is saying "Blocker was standing to the left of the picture in Bonanza garb...

And was the BMCD transmission based on a set of Corvette gears?

[rdrcr]

Quote

Originally posted by Don Capps


First of all, it was the 1966 USRRC and the, second, the Blocker team only raced the Vinegaroon with the Traco Olds. Ditto for the Huffaker BMCD transaxle -- which was huge!

:

Yeah, well, I guess just because they own it, doesn't mean they know anything (much) about it...

It could be a typo - but I doubt that too.

A piss poor case of research on ones own car IMHO.

[Don Capps]

Quote

Originally posted by rdrcr
A piss poor case of research on ones own car IMHO.

I see a lot of this..... :

Quote

Originally posted by Ray Bell
Is my recollection imperfect?

I have this notion that a Blocker car was on the cover of SCG and that the car was pale green... the memory is saying "Blocker was standing to the left of the picture in Bonanza garb...

And was the BMCD transmission based on a set of Corvette gears?

Ray, Your recall is excellent -- June 1966. The Genie was in a shade of green that was later replaced by the white and purple scheme. And, like many of the other transaxles of the time, the Huffaker BMCD used Corvette internals for the simple matter that they were available, relatively inexpensive, and worked.

[Felix]

If you guys look at the pic on http://www.mlodeent....NAM/jcannon.htm supplied courtesy of John Schoen, above, you'll see the shade of green - assuming its the same car. Thanks to all for the input - fascinating stuff!

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

Good God, there's so much going on here at TNF to post on that I hardly know where to start. So, pick one...

Cannon showed at Mosport for the Player's 200 at Mosport in 1966 with the Vinegaroon-Olds. 'Hoss' himself showed for the event and was a hit in the celeb parade. And yes, RB, it was that sickly light green shade.

Later that year(probably early September), for an event in the Canadian Road Racing Championship(then for sports racing cars), Cannon showed up unexpectedly as a pre-test for the up-coming CanAm go at Mosport. He was in a Mk2 McLaren fitted a 365 cid Chevy with the green livery again. Local ripper and normally hands-down winner, Ludwig Heimrath, had his own McLaren Mk2(427 cid iron Ford V-8, four twin-choke down-draught Webers!). The two dueled mightily in the final with Cannon getting the edge for a narrow win. In the paddock after the race, Cannon was heard to say that Heimrath's car was very quick everywhere except going into corner two where '...I could thump him.' The big Ford was hefty! Interesting to remember, the door of the McLaren had small stick on letters(ala your mailbox)that read, IIRC:

'Gunn Metal(Racing?)'
'Whitby'

Whitby, then, was a small community suburb to Oshawa, about 30 miles SW from the track and 30 E of Toronto. No idea what the connection was to this day.

Edit: just to add, Cannon was involved in the monumental, first lap, first corner shunt at the Mosport CanAm in 1966. His race was over. Happened right in front of me. Jaaayyysssussss!!!

Edit, take two: don't think it's been mentioned yet but a 'vinegaroon' is a species of snake in the American SW.

[Jim Thurman]

What about the picture of the very large Dan Blocker riding a mini bike through the paddock area?

I want to say SCG for that.

My parents saw Dan Blocker at a restaurant in Los Angeles (just a few weeks before his untimely passing), and in an absolutely eerie co-incidence, I crossed paths with Dirk Blocker at a San Diego Padres baseball game.

What an amazing twist of fate!

Seriously, my brother and I were just talking about this last week - Blocker came up after seeing a modern equivalent of a mini bike.


Jim Thurman

[jm70]

Thank you so much for the link. I worked every race at Riverside from 1968 to the end, and these pictures are great.

[rdrcr]

Great anecdotes Manfred and Jim...

Here is Dan Blocker on the cover of SCG, posing with the original car and the driver - can anyone ID him?



FROM TV TIMES - January, 1962:

BONANZA'S Racing Tea Kettle... Two of the Cartwrights build themselves a racing car - and find Aussie drivers too good. One day last spring as Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts were relaxing in between scenes of their Bonanza TV series, Roberts casually suggested: "Dan how'd you like to own a race car fifty-fifty with me?"

Blocker's growled reply was an eager, "Okay, chum."

"That's the way our race car partnership started," smiled Roberts the other day. "I told Dan about this friend of mine, Bill Campbell, who would build a fast race car for us from the ground up.""
For several weeks, then, the two talked excitedly about the prospects of owning and racing a car. Finally, they both went to the bank, drew out $7,500 each and told Campbell, "Start building."

It took the automotive genius a full four months to finish "Old 17", as the car is now known. And before he had finished, Dan and Pernell were forced to put more money into the project.

"We were in up to our necks by then," said Pernell.

"So there was no turning back"

"Our backs to the wall financially, we decided to make the best of it. So both Dan and I spent every off hour at Campbell's Santa Monica garage watching every nut, bolt and screw being put into place."

Building a race car capable of speeds hovering around the 160 mile an hour mark is no easy task.

Campbell welded together a light tubular aluminum frame, equipped it with a heavy-duty transmission, air-cooled disk brakes, put it on huge racing tires.

"It seemed like an eternity before our money turned into a car," Roberts said, winking at Blocker as they sat on the Paramount Studios sound stage. "But the day Campbell unveiled the finished product we both just about burst with pride."

In private life, Blocker drives a fast Austin-Healey sports car and Roberts speeds around in a red and white Corvette.

What Blocker and Roberts' 17,000-odd dollars had produced was a red and white Plexiglas car of extremely unorthodox design and construction.

A huge 350 horsepower Chevrolet Corvette engine is mounted directly behind the rear axle. The driver sits precariously in a tiny cockpit in the nose.

"It's sort of like driving a guided missile," said Pernell.

"She's beautiful - but dangerous. When the time came to find someone to give her the first test run on a track, and later to drive her in actual competition, Dan let me pick the man."

Roberts, who is quiet but shrewd, approached a 150-pound bit actor, one Bobby Harris, who has appeared infrequently as a cowboy on the Bonanza series. His first words to Harris, as he recalls, were: "How'd you like to drive a race car, Bobby?"

Roberts' cool sales talk easily convinced Harris he ought to turn race driver - at least part time.

It wasn't long ago that Blocker and Roberts' got their first chance to see what "Old 17" would do in actual racing competition.

This reporter was on hand to witness the action.

Blocker and Pernell arrived at the Riverside Grand Prix race track, 1 3.8 mile, paved, twisting course 50 miles from Hollywood, with their car in tow behind Cambell's battered 1958 Cadillac.

The temperature was hovering around 110 degrees Fahrenheit on that fateful Sunday. And the "Bonanza" stars, not to mention builder Campbell, found out they were in serious trouble during the one-hour warm-up practice runs for the 250 mile, two and a half hour racing ordeal.

"The car is heating up badly," said Blocker, adjusting his dark glasses. "The radiator is slanted back so far that the wind isn't hitting it, and Campbell forgot to make the air vents in the front big enough. We've got a headache."

Meanwhile, Campbell was working furiously carving air ducts into the aluminum belly pan underneath the car. He was using a screwdriver and a hammer.

In the pits next to the one occupied by "Old 17" the British ace Jack Brabham coolly relaxed alongside his Lotus-Climax, sipping ice water. Next to him was Australian Bruce McLaren, equally detached as he lolled alongside still another powerful Lotus-Climax machine.

Stirling Moss was chatting nearby, unmoved by Campbell's furious pounding, and across the way the young Mexican racing sensation Ricardo Rodriguez was watching mechanics finish a motor tune-up on his purple Ferrari.

"Boys," said Blocker, "we have got a job cut out for us. The best we can hope for with this heat problem is just to finish. If we do that much I'll feel satisfied."

Actually, neither Roberts nor Blocker had ever been this close to a big-time sports car race before. And both admitted they were awed by the presence of such top-flight cars and drivers.

But the winner's purse of $28,500 was something to race for and the Bonanza stars ordered driver Harris, sitting in the car's nose, "to drive for the big money. Do the best you can."

This reporter watched Blocker and Roberts wilt as they saw Old 17 rapidly being lost in the clouds of exhaust being left by Brabham and McLaren in their whining machines.

"Looks like we've had it, Campbell," growled Blocker to the builder of the car, "But if we can just finish."

As it turned out Old 17 began to boil like a tea kettle on the 20th lap of the 62 lap race, and reluctantly Blocker and Roberts waved Harris into the pits.

"We didn't do too well in the Riverside Grand Prix," said Roberts the other day.

"Those Australians are too good for us.

"But we're buying a brand new Corvette engine and are working now to lick the heat problem. I still think we're going to have a winning race car. Beside, Dan and I are too deep in to forget the project now."

___________

Was this car #17 the precursor to the Genie-Huffaker effort? Could it have been the Campbell-Special that was driven by Bob Harris at Riverside? There was this assumption on that Tams website.

Frank, where are you?

Researching further, I've read that the reason Dan Blocker had to abandon his auto racing efforts was due to contract limitation with the TV studio / Network. He satiated himself with powerboat racing directly - another piece of new - news.

[Don Capps]

That is John Cannon at the wheel.

The Campbell Special was indeed "No. 17" -- but it was not built from the ground up new for Blocker and Roberts. It started off life with an 1,000 cc V-2 J.A.P. stuffed into the rear of the chassis. However, when it was finally through its teething pains, it was simply not competitive.

So, the decision was made -- once Bill Campbell had the $$$$ -- to wedge a 283 Chevy into the space the J.A.P. once occipied. The car used a 3-speed transmission from a stock Chevrolet hooked up to a Halibrand rear end. The Campbell had a wheelbase of only 88 inches which means it was about the size of a Miata.

Known as the Campbell-Corvette Special, it was driven by stuntman Bob Harris and made its debut at Goleta at the Labor Day weekend races. At the Times GP, it was 13th after qualifying 15th. At Santa Barabra the car was crashed and pretty badly torn up.

For 1962, it was extensively rebuilt sporting new bodywork and now driven by Jim Parkinson and made its first appearance at Del Mar. In 1963, it was 6th in the Laguna Seca USRRC -- 3rd in O2.

One thing that all this has brought back to me -- just how much fun it was back then with folks creating race cars in their garages.....

[Frank S]

Quote

Originally posted by Jim Thurman
What about the picture of the very large Dan Blocker riding a mini bike through the paddock area?

I want to say SCG for that.

My parents saw Dan Blocker at a restaurant in Los Angeles (just a few weeks before his untimely passing), and in an absolutely eerie co-incidence, I crossed paths with Dirk Blocker at a San Diego Padres baseball game.

What an amazing twist of fate!

Seriously, my brother and I were just talking about this last week - Blocker came up after seeing a modern equivalent of a mini bike.


Jim Thurman

You wanna talk twists of fate? I got a twist so twisted . . .

In 1960 or 1961 some friends talked me into attending the GM Motorama at the Pan Pacific Auditorium (QUICK, which of the numerous famous and fertile racetracks of the Los Angeles area was situated shoulder-to-shoulder with this long gone arena?). There were a lot of (surprise) General Motors cars and a few of their pipe dreams. I remember seeing the convertible with a sensor between the front seats. It got wet, it put the top up. I told one of the lovely young models next to the Cadillac on a rotating stand, "Beautiful, just beautiful," to which she replied, "Yes, isn't it?" My response, "I was referring to you" actually seemed to embarrass her.

As we young fellows walked the few blocks from the Auditorium to our free street parking place, we were nearly run over by a new silver Corvette as the driver launched it across the sidewalk and into traffic on Sunset Blvd. It was Pernell Roberts, currently riding a wave of public notice. A few inches closer in, and we'd have been news, for certain.

In about April of 1964 I was employed in a public service job that required I work a 2:30 - 10:30 PM shift on Sundays. Living in Tijuana, Mexico, had its advantages, but one of them was not Sunday traffic. Driving east on Avenida Segunda at one PM or so, I had the green light at Avda Madero, and was proceeding smartly toward the border. A red Corvette made a sudden left turn across my bows, requiring a quick avoidance move on my part. The Corvette driver? Pernell Roberts. It always amazed me that he didn't die in an auto accident. I surmised on this occasion he recognized an opportunity to turn left in front of my Austin-Healey, correctly assuming the driver and car combination would allow him to complete his illicit and dangerous turn without untoward consequences.


Richard:

I'm not much of a Campell Special specialist, although the one 1962 slide in the box of 1964 slides from Del Mar showed that car recovering from a spin incurred in a battle with IIRC Dave MacDonald in a Corvette.

Remaining Del Mar photos

Race report including the Campbell Special spinout

[rdrcr]

Don,

I was quite skeptical of some of the details myself, a 350 Chevy in 1961?? Don't think so... Plexiglas body?? Perhaps fiberglass then, the engine behind the rear axle? What a handful that must have been with a 283! - and so on - let alone the real story.

Thanks for setting the records straight.... proving once again, that for the most part, reporters couldn't get a story right if someone else typed it out for them...

[rdrcr]

Hey, there you are Frank...

I was just prompting your response because you're so in tune with many of the events at RIR. I thought that you would have a good handle on that one too.

Regarding that racetrack, you queried us about, would that have been Ascot Raceway?

[Don Capps]

Our lives would be a whole lot easier today of we had something like this level of exchange Back Then....

[Ray Bell]

Quote

Originally posted by Don Capps
.....Ray, Your recall is excellent -- June 1966. The Genie was in a shade of green that was later replaced by the white and purple scheme. And, like many of the other transaxles of the time, the Huffaker BMCD used Corvette internals for the simple matter that they were available, relatively inexpensive, and worked.

And to think I lost that bunch of magazines to termites in 1975!

I'd certainly forgotten that Pernell Roberts was involved...

[Jim Thurman]

Quote

Originally posted by Frank S

You wanna talk twists of fate? I got a twist so twisted . . .

In 1960 or 1961 some friends talked me into attending the GM Motorama at the Pan Pacific Auditorium (QUICK, which of the numerous famous and fertile racetracks of the Los Angeles area was situated shoulder-to-shoulder with this long gone arena?).

Gilmore Stadium!

Frank, you nearly being run over by Pernell Roberts prompts one thought...

A near bonanza , or perhaps that should be - for the pun.


Jim Thurman

[Felix]

SCG article excellent, but (Sir) Jack Brabham as 'British' and Bruce McLaren 'Australian'?

[David McKinney]

The first of these is almost OK, as in those days 'British' was often extended to include (British) Commonwealth
But the second slip should attract the death penalty

Signed: "A New Zealander"

[rdrcr]

Quote

Originally posted by Felix
SCG article excellent, but (Sir) Jack Brabham as 'British' and Bruce McLaren 'Australian'?

Please notice that the "article" if that term can be used, is from TV Times, not SCG. I doubt they would make those errors along with those I've cited. IMO, being a media oriented press, I suppose they just make it up as they go along. I included it as it does tell the story, to some degree, about Roberts and Blocker "goin racin".

[Michael Oliver]

Quote

Originally posted by Don Capps
The chief mechanic on the team was ex-UDT/BRP wrench John Harris. Harris modified the Genie during the Winter of 1965/1966 to a large extent and it was unofficially referred to as the "Vinegaroon."

Apologies for resurrecting this thread belatedly, but I am very interested in finding out the fate/present whereabouts of John Harris. If anybody can help on this one I would be extremely grateful.

Similarly, I am trying to track down the ex-UDT/BRP Chief Mechanic, Tony Robinson. I have been given a postal address in London but this appears to be out of date as I have written but received no reply...if anyone has any suggestions they would again be most welcome!

[RA Historian]

FYI, the Genie Mk 10 that is well documented on this thread is now owned by Tom Stephani, who races it in historic events. Yes, Tom is of the Stephani family that owned Nickey Chevrolet.

In the 1966 season the Genie was driven by John Cannon and then Bob Harris. Nickey also sponsored the McLarens of Charlie Hayes and Lothar Motschenbacher at times during the year.

Regarding color, the early Nickey cars, the Corvettes and Scarab driven by Jim Jeffords, were metallic purple with white trim. The later cars were largely white with metallic purple trim (if you follow my distinction). Having said that, I believe that either Hayes or Motschenbacher, or both, ran an all purple McLaren at the end of 1966, if memory of contemporary photos holds true. At the 1966 Road America 500 both McLarens and the Genie were white with purple. Somewhere on one of these threads Jerry Entin posted a photo of mine of the Motschenbacher McLaren in Nickey sponsorship livery.

By the way, my recollection of "vinegaroon" is that it is a form of scorpion, not snake.

[David Birchall]

Quote

Originally posted by Don Capps
The first car Blocker was involved with was the Campbell Special of Bob Harris. Next was the "Vinegaroon" -- an Elva powered by a Maserati. Then Blocker and John Cannon teamed up in the Fall of 1965 with a Genie Traco Oldsmobile, managing to finish 2nd at Nassau during Speed Weeks.

A friend up here in Vancouver owns a Elva Mk6 that came from Blocker-it was fitted with a special body at some point fairly early in it's life. It's other claim to fame is that it is the car Elvis drove in 'Viva Las Vegas". Apparently he has documentation.


Didn't Tony Robinson work for Stirling Moss at one time? Perhaps he could be persuaded to supply a contact number.
(Dunno how to post multiple quotes)

[Jerry Entin]

Here is the Nickey McLaren Mk 2 as driven by Charlie Hayes in 1966. As RA Historian has said the Vinegaroon is really a scorpion. It is called a whip scorpion because it uses it's tail to whip out a vinegar type acidic acid. It doesn't have stingers. The Elva/ Maserati known as the Vinegroon was in the Elvis movie Viva Las Vegas.
photo Gil Munz-scanned for site Ike Smith.

[RA Historian]

Quote

Originally posted by Jerry Entin
[B The Elva/ Maserati known as the Vinegroon was in the Elvis movie Viva Las Vegas.
[/B]

Which was probably one of the all time biggest crash and burn racing movies ever made. The race itself has one car after another flying off cliffs, barrel rolling down the road, or exploding in flames. Just awful. But if you look close at the cars you will pick up a glimpse of the occasional car of interest, such as a Maserati T-63.

Then, of course, there is the justification for watching the movie........................Ann-Margret !!! What else do you need to know !

[David Birchall]

The Elva was fitted with a Alfa Romeo engine after Blocker parted with it and a rather unattractive body--unlike Ann-Margaret!

Here is the only photo I can find at short notice although I do have a quite lengthy video taken from inside the car during the last race at Westwood--but have no idea how to post that

[Jerry Entin]

Here is Lothar at Road America 500 in 1966 as promised by RA Historian. Lothar finished 4th overall driving solo.
photo by Jim Caspary-lent to site by Tom Schultz-copyright 2007 Jim Caspary

[David M. Kane]

I think Meatloaf looks a lot like Dan.

[RA Historian]

Quote

Originally posted by David M. Kane
I think Meatloaf looks a lot like Dan.

Yes he does, but every bio I have ever seen on either Blocker or Loaf (to be consistent) contradicts earlier posts that they were father and son. Conclusion is that they were not.

[HDonaldCapps]

Quote

Originally posted by RA Historian
Yes he does, but every bio I have ever seen on either Blocker or Loaf (to be consistent) contradicts earlier posts that they were father and son. Conclusion is that they were not.

Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday) -- Meat Loaf -- is of no relation to Dan Blocker.

[S&M Minis]

The McKee Vinegaroon in August 1965, Mid Ohio. Photo by Randy McConnell.

[S&M Minis]

Correction to my previous post, the picture of the McKee Vinegaroon was taken 08/29/66, not 1965.

There was a question about a picture in one of the magazines of Blocker riding a mini bike. There was a cover shot of him riding a mini bike on Car Craft or Rod & Custom, I believe it was the latter. Whichever magazine it was they recently did a retrospective of their covers and included that one. They put it in a category something like "What were we thinking?" because there were no cars in the picture, just Dan Blocker riding a mini bike.

[RA Historian]

Quote

Originally posted by HDonaldCapps


Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday) -- Meat Loaf -- is of no relation to Dan Blocker.

There you have it.