THE GREAT RACES, PART VI.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. The sport of motor racing is filled with memorable races marked by both triumph and tragedy. It's the nature of the sport that these two extremes have left such an indelible impression that they live on for decades, leaving a legacy that is part and parcel of our collective memories. The many heroic individuals - and individual efforts - that have carved out their place in motorsport history are too often luridly offset by gut-wrenching tragedies that have torn us apart along the way. It is an unfortunate consequence of a sport that consumes everything and everyone in its path, a fevered, relentless pursuit marked by unbridled elation and devastating, soul-crushing disappointment. In this series I will try to avoid dwelling on the tragic stories, because as enthusiasts of this sport we are all too familiar with them. If, in the course of talking about a particular race mentioning a tragic event is unavoidable that will have to be, but this series will mainly focus on those glorious moments from those glory days that rivet us to this day. This week, we take a trip back to October 1964 and the 200-mile Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca.

(Getty Images)
Laguna Seca, October 18, 1964. American and International road racing All-Stars assembled for the 200-mile Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, a weekend that would be comprised of two races. The field was indeed impressive, and the racing was spectacular. The starting grid for Race 2 of the Monterey Grand Prix (above), with Roger Penske (No. 66 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet) on pole, and Dan Gurney (No. 19 Lotus 19 B Ford) right next to him. Other notable competitors that weekend included: Bob Bondurant (No. 96 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford), Parnelli Jones (No. 98 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford), Ronnie Bucknum (No. 195 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford), Bobby Unser (No. 196 Lotus 19 Monte Carlo Chevrolet), Bruce McLaren (No. 47 McLaren Elva Mark I Oldsmobile), Ed Leslie (No. 97 Cooper Monaco Lang Ford), Frank Gardner (No. 3 Brabham BT8 Climax), Paul Reinhart (No. 6 Genie Mk.8 Chevrolet), Jerry Grant (No. 8 Lotus 19 Chevrolet), Innes Ireland (No. 9 Lotus 19 Ferrari), George Follmer (No. 16 Lotus 23 B Porsche), Trevor Taylor (No. 18 Brabham BT8 BRM), Augie Pabst (No. 25 Genie Mk.10 Chevrolet), John Cannon (No. 27 Elva Mk VII Porsche), Bill Krause (No. 28 Lotus 30 Ford), George Wintersteen (No. 42 Cooper Monaco T61M Chevrolet), Don Wester (No. 60 Genie Mk.10 B Ford), Charlie Hayes (No. 76 Elva Porsche), Bill Wuesthoff (No. 77 Elva Mk VII Porsche) and Allen Grant (No. 81 Cheetah GT Chevrolet). Al Unser and Jack Brabham also competed that weekend.

(Getty Images)
Roger Penske during foggy early morning practice at Laguna Seca. Roger's Chaparral 2A Chevrolet looks to have suffered a blow from an errant tire on his right front fender. The Chaparral team would install a new front end clip for the race.

(Getty Images)
Dan Gurney (No. 19 Lotus 19 B Ford) leads Roger Penske (No. 66 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet) and Parnelli Jones (No. 98 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) up the main straight during Race 1 of the Monterey Grand Prix. Road racing enthusiasts were treated to some of the best racing of the year that weekend.

(Getty Images)
Parnell Jones (No. 98 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) failed to finish either race after suffering fires (!) in both.

(Getty Images)
Roger Penske (No. 66 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet) was on it that fall weekend in northern California. He swept both races at Laguna Seca in Jim Hall's Chaparral.

(Getty Images)
Roger Penske goes out for early practice in the No. 6 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet, which was to be the second entry for Jim Hall that weekend. Hall decided not to race and instead focus his team's effort on Roger's car, which was then re-numbered "66." 

(Getty Images)
Roger Penske (No. 66 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet) goes through The Corkscrew in Race 2 of the 1964 Monterey Grand Prix. People forget just how talented Roger was behind the wheel. He was one of road racing's premier talents and almost unbeatable on road courses from 1960 to 1964.

(Getty Images)
Bob Bondurant (No. 96 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) acquitted himself well in the Monterey 200, finishing third behind Roger Penske (No. 66 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet) and Dan Gurney (No. 19 Lotus 19 B Ford) in both races.

(Getty Images)
Dan Gurney (No. 19 Lotus 19 B Ford) chases Bob Bondurant (No. 96 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) through The Corkscrew during Race 2 of the 200-mile Monterey Grand Prix. Gurney would get by Bondo, and they would finish second and third respectively in both races.

(Getty Images)
Long before Roger Penske was a titan of industry and motorsports, he was a superb racer. Penske first ran hillclimbs and various road courses in Porsches, and he made his first professional start at Marlboro Motor Raceway in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Back when it mattered, Roger was named Sports Illustrated SCCA Driver of the Year in 1960. Roger's accomplishments include racing (and winning) for John Mecom's factory-supported Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport team at Nassau Speed Weeks in 1963 and 1964; he also competed in two Formula One Grands Prix, and even won a Pacific Coast Late Model NASCAR race at Riverside driving a Pontiac in 1963. But he was best known for two moments in his career: The first was the creation of his Dupont Zerex Special, which for all intents and purposes foreshadowed the Can-Am Era. it all started when Penske bought a Cooper T53 F1 car that was owned by Briggs Cunningham and driven by Walt Hansgen in the 1961 U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, New York. Hansgen wrecked the machine on Lap 14 and Penske bought the car on the spot, less engine. At that time, the USAC Road Racing Championship was the thing in American road racing. Reading the USAC rule book, Roger noted that two seats were required in the series to qualify entered machines as "sports cars." The rule book did not specify what kind of seats, just that two seats were required. So, Roger moved the driver's seat off-center to the right, while placing the diminutive second seat to he left, all under beautiful enclosed bodywork over the F1 chassis. (Roger is pictured in his car - above - on the grid for the GP Puerto Rico, which Roger won from the pole). Roger entered the 1962 L.A. Times Grand Prix at Riverside International Raceway, and from the moment he unloaded the car in the paddock it caused an immediate uproar for not being legal. In front of the assembled tech inspectors, Roger loosened the Dzus fasteners on the bodywork covering the second seat, and calmly stuffed himself into the second seat. The technical inspectors ruled that the machine met the spirit of the rules and he was cleared to run. The best drivers - and cars - in the world were assembled that weekend, including Jack Brabham, Masten Gregory, Dan Gurney, Jim Hall, Walt Hansgen, Graham Hill, Bob Holbert, Innes Ireland, Bruce McLaren and Ken Miles. The machines represented included the Chaparral 1 Chevrolet, Lotus 19, Cooper Monaco, Porsche 718 RSK, Lister Chevrolet, Scarab Chevrolet and more. Penske thrashed the field in his thinly-disguised F1 car, winning by 14 seconds. Thus, the famous "Unfair Advantage" philosophy was born. For the record, Jim Hall (Chaparral 1 Chevrolet) was second, Masten Gregory (Lotus 19 Climax) third, and Bruce McLaren (Cooper Monaco T57 Climax) came in fourth. Roger also came out on top in the series finale two weeks later at Laguna Seca, having the highest aggregate finish in the two-heat event. Roger was crowned the 1962 USAC Road Racing Champion. Roger continued to race the car painted in Mecom Racing's metallic blue colors in 1963. Moving on, Roger sold the car to Bruce McLaren in 1964, and Bruce immediately stuffed a 3.5-liter TRACO-built Oldsmobile V8 in it. This car became the prototype for the McLaren M1 sports racer. But Roger's reputation as a talented racer didn't end there. He began driving for Jim Hall's Chaparral Cars racing team and scored several major league sports car victories against the best drivers in the world at the time. Roger reached a crossroads between his driving career and beginning his business career in 1965, when he was offered a rookie driving test for the Indianapolis 500. He turned it down to concentrate on his first Chevrolet dealership in Philadelphia. The driver who took his place? Mario Andretti. Roger's business and racing accomplishments are now the stuff of legend, but I always like to remind people that he was a superb driver back in the day.

Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG