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.
(Photo by Dave Friedman)
A fantastic shot of Dan Gurney (No. 97 Shelby American Cobra) at speed in a special 1-hour GT race at Riverside International Raceway on October 13, 1963. The race was a romp for the factory Shelby American Cobra team and one independent Cobra, as they finished 1-2-3-4. Bob Bondurant (No. 99 Shelby American Cobra) won that day, followed by Allen Grant (No. 96 Coventry Motors Shelby Cobra), Lew Spencer (No. 98 Shelby American Cobra) and Gurney.
(Photo by Dave Friedman)
12 Hours of Sebring, March 21, 1964. Ken Miles (No. 1 Shelby American 427 Cobra Prototype) didn't finish the race, but he raced on par with the lead Corvette Grand Sports, which was the whole point.
(Jerry Melton)
The Owens/Corning Fiberglas Corvette Team on the Front Row for a SCCA National "A" production race at Michigan International Speedway in 1969. Jerry Thompson is in the foreground, Tony DeLorenzo in the background.
Tony DeLorenzo (No. 11 Owens/Corning Fiberglas Chevrolet Corvette) in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road Atlanta, 1970.
(petelyons.com)
Riverside International Raceway, October 27, 1968. Bruce McLaren (No. 4 McLaren M8A Chevrolet) won the Can-Am, followed by Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco McLaren M6B Chevrolet) and Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2G Chevrolet)
(petelyons.com)
Riverside International Raceway, October 27, 1968. Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2G Chevrolet) finished third behind Bruce McLaren (No. 4 Gulf McLaren M8A Chevrolet) and Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco McLaren M6B Chevrolet) in the Can-Am.
(Dave Friedman photo)
12 Hours of Sebring, March 26, 1966. Dr. Dick Thompson in the No. 10 Penske Racing Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport.
(Dave Friedman photo)
Road America 500, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, September 13, 1964. Jim Hall in the No. 67 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (that he shared with Roger Penske and Hap Sharp) leads Augie Pabst (No. 2 Mecom Racing Team Ferrari 250 LM, co-driven by Walt Hansgen) out of Canada Corner. Pabst/Hansgen won that day, followed by Ken Miles/Skip Scott/John Morton (No. 97 Shelby American Cobra) and Hall/Penske/Sharp.
(petelyons.com)
Laguna Seca, October 12, 1968. Mark Donohue in the No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco McLaren M6B Chevrolet during practice for the Can-Am.
Watkins Glen, August 10, 1969. Parnelli Jones in the No. 15 Bud Moore Engineering Ford Mustang Boss 302 on his way to second in the Trans-Am behind Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske-Hilton Racing Chevrolet Camaro).
Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco Chevrolet Camaro) and Parnelli Jones (No. 15 Bud Moore Engineering Ford Mustang Boss 302) battled throughout the 1968, 1969 and 1970 Trans-Am seasons. It was one of the greatest eras in American road racing. Donohue won the Trans-Am Championship in '68 and '69 (pictured), and Parnelli won it in 1970.
(petelyons.com)
Riverside International Raceway, November 1, 1970. Chris Amon (No. 77 March Engineering Ltd. STP Oil Treatment March 707 Chevrolet) finished fourth in the Can-Am.
Peter Revson in the No. 4 Gulf McLaren M20 Chevrolet during the 1972 Can-Am season. It would be the last season for Team McLaren in the Can-Am.
Jackie Stewart (No. 1 Carl Haas Racing L&M Lola T260 Chevrolet) gave Team McLaren fits during the 1971 Can-Am season. He won two races (Mont Tremblant and Mid-Ohio) and pushed McLaren for all it was worth throughout the season. Watching Stewart manhandle the short-wheelbase, evil-handling Lola was an unforgettable sight that season.
Lexington, Ohio, June 7, 1970. Tony DeLorenzo (No. 3 Owens/Corning Fiberglas Chevrolet Camaro), Ed Leslie (No. 2 Chaparral Cars Chevrolet Camaro) and Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco AMC Javelin) battle during the Mid-Ohio Trans-Am.
Parnelli Jones (No. 15 Bud Moore Engineering Ford Mustang Boss 302) and Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco Javelin) battle during the 1970 Watkins Glen Trans-Am. That's Swede Savage (No. 42 All American Racers Plymouth Barracuda) in the background. Vic Elford (No. 1 Chaparral Cars Chevrolet Camaro) won that day, followed by Donohue and George Follmer (No. 16 Bud Moore Engineering Ford Mustang Boss 302). Jones finished fourth.
L.A. Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars, Riverside International Raceway, October 13, 1963. Roger Penske (No. 6 Mecom Racing Team Zerex Special Cooper Climax) leads Dave MacDonald (No. 98 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford). MacDonald won that day, followed by Penske and Pedro Rodriguez (No. 166 Genie Mk.8 Ford).
Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG