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Sunday
Aug142022
THE MUSCLE BOYS, PART X.
Sunday, August 14, 2022 at 08:56AM By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. Beginning in the late 50s and running through the mid-70s, sports car racing - particularly here in the U.S. - was captivated and dominated by V8-powered machines that barked their intent at race tracks all over the country. Sure, back in those days, SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) events were heavily populated by small-bore sports cars like Austin-Healeys, Triumphs, MGs, Minis, 356 Porsches and many other brands. And there was no question that they provided the backbone of SCCA racing back then. But starting in the late 50s with race-prepared Corvettes, and then fueled by the emergence of the Shelby American Cobra, and on to the USRRC, Trans-Am and Can-Am days, the real action was with the big-bore machines.
I vividly remember seeing the crowds gravitate to the fences when those V8s fired-up on the false grid. They couldn't really help it, because the sound was guttural, menacing and mesmerizing all at once. Standing among those cars on false grids all over the Midwest with our "A" Production Corvettes - Waterford Hills, Grattan, Mid-Ohio, Nelson Ledges, Milwaukee, Blackhawk Farms and, of course, Road America - was an in-period treat that I couldn't get enough of and will never forget. And besides the spectacular noise coming from those machines, the sheer speed was awesome to behold as they devoured every race track they visited.
And the legendary names that wheeled these machines were a mix of Hall of Famers and hard-scrabble drivers who wouldn't settle for anything less than the fastest, baddest V8s available. The legends were present and accounted for: Ken Miles, Dan Gurney, Roger Penske, Mario Andretti, Jim Hall, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, Peter Revson, John Surtees, Parnelli Jones, George Follmer, Mark Donohue, Swede Savage, Sam Posey, Milt Minter, Ed Leslie, Dr. Dick Thompson ("The Flying Dentist"), Allen Grant, Jerry Grant, et al. And, of course, my brother Tony and his teammate Jerry Thompson. This list of drivers - which I have affectionately dubbed "The Muscle Boys" - were just the tip of the iceberg. There were countless others who wheeled and manhandled their brutal machines at tracks all across the country. They were visceral, no-compromise machines that captivated the hearts and minds of racing enthusiasts, and if you've ever been to a vintage racing event, the same is true today, if not more so. I hope you enjoy the following images and recollections as much as I do.
And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
Detroit. Beginning in the late 50s and running through the mid-70s, sports car racing - particularly here in the U.S. - was captivated and dominated by V8-powered machines that barked their intent at race tracks all over the country. Sure, back in those days, SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) events were heavily populated by small-bore sports cars like Austin-Healeys, Triumphs, MGs, Minis, 356 Porsches and many other brands. And there was no question that they provided the backbone of SCCA racing back then. But starting in the late 50s with race-prepared Corvettes, and then fueled by the emergence of the Shelby American Cobra, and on to the USRRC, Trans-Am and Can-Am days, the real action was with the big-bore machines.
I vividly remember seeing the crowds gravitate to the fences when those V8s fired-up on the false grid. They couldn't really help it, because the sound was guttural, menacing and mesmerizing all at once. Standing among those cars on false grids all over the Midwest with our "A" Production Corvettes - Waterford Hills, Grattan, Mid-Ohio, Nelson Ledges, Milwaukee, Blackhawk Farms and, of course, Road America - was an in-period treat that I couldn't get enough of and will never forget. And besides the spectacular noise coming from those machines, the sheer speed was awesome to behold as they devoured every race track they visited.
And the legendary names that wheeled these machines were a mix of Hall of Famers and hard-scrabble drivers who wouldn't settle for anything less than the fastest, baddest V8s available. The legends were present and accounted for: Ken Miles, Dan Gurney, Roger Penske, Mario Andretti, Jim Hall, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, Peter Revson, John Surtees, Parnelli Jones, George Follmer, Mark Donohue, Swede Savage, Sam Posey, Milt Minter, Ed Leslie, Dr. Dick Thompson ("The Flying Dentist"), Allen Grant, Jerry Grant, et al. And, of course, my brother Tony and his teammate Jerry Thompson. This list of drivers - which I have affectionately dubbed "The Muscle Boys" - were just the tip of the iceberg. There were countless others who wheeled and manhandled their brutal machines at tracks all across the country. They were visceral, no-compromise machines that captivated the hearts and minds of racing enthusiasts, and if you've ever been to a vintage racing event, the same is true today, if not more so. I hope you enjoy the following images and recollections as much as I do.
And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
USAC Road Racing Championship. Laguna Seca, October 23, 1960. Augie Pabst (No. 15 Peter Hand Brewery Meister Brauser Scarab Mk II Chevrolet) DNF Heat 1, was 2nd in Heat 2. Stirling Moss (No. 1 British Racing Partnership Ltd. Lotus 19 Monte Carlo-Climax) won both heats. Jim Hall (No. 48 Maserati Tipo 61) and George Constantine (No. 49 Lister-Chevrolet) were 2nd and 3rd in Heat 1. Bill Krause (No. 53 Maserati Tipo 61) finished 3rd in Heat 2.
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, June 21, 1964. The starting grid for the CM (C Modified), DM, EM and FM race at the Road America June Sprints. Hap Sharp is on pole in the No. 65 Chaparral 2 Chevrolet. Others? Walt Hansgen (No. 8 Mecom Racing Team Lotus 19B Ford), Bud Gates (No. 28 Genie Mk.8 Chevrolet), Augie Pabst (No. 2 Mecom Racing Team Lola Mk.6 GT Chevrolet), Roy Kumnick (No. 41 Cooper Monaco T49 Ford) and Dick Doane (No. 29 McKee Chevette Chevrolet). Sharp DNF, the race was won by Ralph Salyer in the No. 26 Cro-Sal Special Cheetah-Chevrolet, which can be seen back in the 4th Row.
Riverside International Raceway, October 29, 1967. The Los Angeles Times Grand Prix Can-Am featured an All-Star field, including Parnelli Jones in the No. 21 American Rubber & Plastic Lola T70 Mk.3 DOHC Ford. Parnelli gave the DOHC Indy-based Ford V8 one of its best outings; he finished 4th behind Bruce McLaren (No. 4 McLaren M6A Chevrolet), Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2G Chevrolet) and Mark Donohue (No. 6 Roger Penske Racing Ent. Sunoco Lola T70 Mk.3B Chevrolet).
Daytona International Speedway, November 26, 1967. Tony DeLorenzo in the No. 7 Hanley Dawson Chevrolet Corvette 427 L88 in the SCCA National Championship Run-Offs "A" Production race. Tony was 2nd to Dick Smith (No. 11 Shelby Cobra 427); Ed Lowther (No. 1 Shelby Cobra 427) finished 3rd.
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, September 1, 1968. Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2G Chevrolet) powers up the main straight during the Road America Can-Am. The race was run in heavy rain at times (note the narrow rear rain tires on the Chaparral 2G), and Hall finished 5th behind Denny Hulme (No. 5 Gulf McLaren M8A Chevrolet), Bruce McLaren (No. 4 Gulf McLaren M8A Chevrolet), Mark Donohue (No. 6 Roger Penske Racing Ent. Sunoco McLaren M6B Chevrolet) and Peter Revson (No. 52 Shelby Racing Co. McLaren M6B Ford).
(Dave Friedman Photo)
Riverside International Raceway, October 13, 1963. Talk about a classic moment: Jim Hall in his No. 5 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet (with the original nose before the car was totally revamped by GM Styling), Bob Holbert (No. 99 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) and Dave MacDonald (No. 98 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) battle it out in the 200-mile L.A. Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars. Hall qualified on pole but DNF. MacDonald won, Roger Penske (No. 6 Mecom Racing Team Zerex Special Cooper Climax) was 2nd, Pedro Rodriguez (No. 166 Genie Mk.8 Ford) 3rd, John Surtees (No. 11 Ferrari 275 P) 4th and Jim Clark (No. 222 Lotus 23 B) 5th.
Riverside International Raceway, October 13, 1963. Talk about a classic moment: Jim Hall in his No. 5 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet (with the original nose before the car was totally revamped by GM Styling), Bob Holbert (No. 99 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) and Dave MacDonald (No. 98 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) battle it out in the 200-mile L.A. Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars. Hall qualified on pole but DNF. MacDonald won, Roger Penske (No. 6 Mecom Racing Team Zerex Special Cooper Climax) was 2nd, Pedro Rodriguez (No. 166 Genie Mk.8 Ford) 3rd, John Surtees (No. 11 Ferrari 275 P) 4th and Jim Clark (No. 222 Lotus 23 B) 5th.
Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG