9 replies to this topic

[Sandy M]

Hi,
I'm trying to research this un-likely 'giant killer' driven by Bob Tullius that ran so well in the 1971 Trans Am races. Can anyone help with some info and photos? Is it true that it was actually the builder Herb Adams' wife's street car before he converted it to a racer? Was it a silver color or a gray as the nickname implies? Is the car still around? The story of a 7 year old racer giving the state of the art factory cars a run for their money sound fascinating.
Thanks and best regards, Sandy

[teegeefla]

Road & Track article with some info:

http://www.javelinam...es/limerock.htm

about halfway down this link is a photo and some ownership info:

http://209.85.165.10...lnk&cd=21&gl=us

I also recall that Car & Driver did an article on the car back then, but I cannot always trust the memory like I used to...

[pete3664]

I saw the car a few years ago at the Waterford Hills (near detroit)circuit at a vintage race and I believe it is owned by a Pontiac dealer or enthusiast. Herb Adams is still around and last time I saw him was in the detroit area, but may have moved back to Monterey,Ca. The guys involved were ,at the time, almost all Pontiac engineers and they all had different areas of expertise. I'll see if I can track Herb down, I'm sure he knows where the car is.

[teegeefla]

Here is some info on Mike Sedlak, but I do not know if he still owns the car:

http://209.85.165.10...clnk&cd=5&gl=us

[HistoricMustang]

Originally posted by teegeefla
Road & Track article with some info:

http://www.javelinam...es/limerock.htm

about halfway down this link is a photo and some ownership info:

http://209.85.165.10...lnk&cd=21&gl=us

I also recall that Car & Driver did an article on the car back then, but I cannot always trust the memory like I used to...

Now, that is one bad looking sedan!

Henry

[Basic GPa]

The Car and Driver article to which you refer was in the April 2000 issue. It was a retrospective and two pages long. At that time the car was owned by the Spoerl family. Louis Spoerl, a Cumberland, MD Cadillac/Pontiac/GMC dealer, had purchased the car from Adams and campaigned it in SCCA events. The article stated that the car had been restored with assistance from Pontiac and was used in vintage races in the Mid-West. A friend saw it on static display at a car show in Ohio a few years ago, but remembers nothing else about it. Here is an article about the car's participation in a 1972 race at VIR with a couple of color pictures. Anyone have anything else?

http://www.virhistor...t/rg-7204-1.htm

By the way the links above aren't working. Does anyone have updated ones?

[TrackDog]

I think Motor Trend did an article on the car during the 1971 racing season; it was driven by A.B. Shuman, IIRC. It might not have seen print until 1972, but it was during the timeframe that the car raced. I think C&D also did an article on the car at around the same time. The car caused quite a sensation at the time, and was a crowd favorite. The venture inspired Adams and some of his friends to enter a 1973 Pontiac Grand Am in the Riverside NASCAR race, driven by Jerry Thompson. The lack of sponsorship decals raised suspicion that there was a Pontiac factory deal in the works(several drivers asked Herb about it...), and that Thompson was related to Mickey Thompson(he wasn't) and that MT was somehow involved. Again, IIRC, the car was a DNF, maybe even a DNQ...and quickly died.



Dan

[Basic GPa]

Interesting account of an event in Pontiac history that doesn't get wide notice. Here is more on the Grand Am NASCAR racer:

http://www.tachrev.c...m1973Nascar.htm

Mike

[oldtransamdriver]

I saw the "Gray Ghost" at a Lime Rock Labour Day wknd. vintage event maybe 5 years ago when the real T/A cars had a race, but can't remember who drove it or owned it. It did not look very pristine - maybe still had the original paint job?

I remember it well, of course, from my T/A racing days. It created some needed interest in 71 and the media would have you believe it was built by some back yard guys at the time. It was, of course, very well driven by Bob Tullius and got up to 2nd place in that 71 Lime Rock rain race before falling back and retiring with overheating problems.

Robert Barg

[Basic GPa]

Hello,

Over the past year I have been researching the endurance road racing Pontiac Tempests/Lemans of the 1960's. Several of you have responded to my requests for information. The information provided has allowed me to construct a good part of the story, but not the entire story.

For that reason, I have put together a web space that details some of the information we have found to date and also asks questions on things required to complete the story. A link is at the bottom of this Post. I would very much appreciate it if you would take a moment to review it and provide whatever information you may have. Anything, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is welcome. Please provide as much information as you can, including contact information.

To contact me, you can either respond to this Post or use the Contact Us form at the end of the web space. Feel free to forward the link to whomever you feel may be helpful.

Thanks in advance for your help,

Mike


http://members.cox.n...emans/index.htm