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" in the past - was 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.
(Photo by Tom Grannis)
Laguna Seca, October 15, 1967. Jim Hall in his stunning No. 66 Chaparral 2G Chevrolet in the Corkscrew during the Can-Am. Jim qualified fifth and finished second to Bruce McLaren's dominant No. 4 McLaren M6A Chevrolet. George Follmer was third in the No. 16 Penske Racing Sunoco Lola T70 Mk.3 Chevrolet.
(Photo by Dave Friedman)
Nassau TT (Preliminary), Bahamas, November 29, 1964. Ken Miles (No. 98 Shelby American Cobra 427 Prototype), Jack Saunders (No. 00 Mecom Racing Team Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport) and a partially obscured (far right) Roger Penske in the No. 82 Mecom Racing Team Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport rolling toward the start. Roger won that day, followed by Miles and Phil Hill (No. 91 Ford GT40). Saunders finished sixth.
(Photo by Dave Friedman)
Riverside International Raceway, October 13, 1962. Bill Krause in the very first competition Shelby American Cobra (CSX2002), which made its debut in the prototype class at the 1962 Riverside Times Grand Prix. The car was extremely fast and quickly pulled away from its competitors, humiliating those driving the brand-new '63 Corvette Sting Ray, which was also making its debut. Krause's Cobra failed to finish when a stub axle broke, but the writing was on the wall for Zora Arkus-Duntov and his troops back in Detroit - the new Sting Ray was pretty much obsolete compared to the lightweight Cobra.
(Photo by Dave Friedman)
Bridgehampton, New York, September 18, 1966. Dan Gurney in his beautiful No. 30 All American Racers Lola T70 Mk.2 Ford 305/Weslake V8 on his way to the win in the second Can-Am race ever run. Chris Amon (No. 5 McLaren Elva Mark II Chevrolet) was second and Bruce McLaren (No. 4 McLaren Elva Mark II B Chevrolet) finished third.
(Getty Images)
Riverside Can-Am, October 29, 1967. Mario Andretti in the No. 17 Holman & Moody Honker II Ford. The car was underdeveloped and a nightmare to drive, and even though Mario qualified fifth, he was over two seconds off the pace. He did not finish the race. Bruce McLaren (No. 4 McLaren M6A Chevrolet) won that day, followed by Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2G Chevrolet) and Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco Lola T70 Mk.3B Chevrolet).
(Getty Images)
Riverside Can-Am, October 30, 1966. John Surtees (No. 7 Team Surtees Ltd. Lola T70 Mk.2 Chevrolet) qualified second and won that day. Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2E Chevrolet) was second and Graham Hill (No. 3 Team Surtees Ltd. Lola T70 Mk.2 Chevrolet) finished third.
(Photo by Dave Friedman)
USAC Road Racing Championship, Laguna Seca, October 21, 1962. Harry Heuer in the No. 22 Meister Brauser Chaparral 1 Chevrolet sponsored by the Peter Hand Brewery in Chicago. Heuer finished ninth in Heat 1 and seventh in Heat 2.
(petelyons.com)
Michigan International Speedway, September 28, 1969. Bruce McLaren (No. 4 Gulf/Reynolds Aluminum McLaren M8B Chevrolet) on his way to the win in the Can-Am. Bruce's teammate, Denny Hulme (No. 5 Gulf/Reynolds Aluminum McLaren M8B Chevrolet) was second, and in a special guest appearance, Dan Gurney (No. 1 Gulf/Reynolds Aluminum McLaren M8B Chevrolet) finished third after starting dead last.
(Photo by Dave Friedman)
Dodger Stadium Road Races at Chavez Ravine, March 3, 1963. Dave MacDonald (No. 198 Shelby American Cobra) leads Ken Miles (No. 298 Shelby American Cobra) in the SCCA Regional "A" and "B" Production feature race. MacDonald and Miles ran 1-2 going away, with Bob Bondurant (No. 614 Washburn Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray) finishing a distant third.
Tony DeLorenzo (No. 11 Owens/Corning Fiberglas Chevrolet Corvette, with co-drivers Don Yenko and John Mahler) finished fourth overall and first in GT+2.5 in the 1971 Daytona 24 Hours. Pedro Rodriguez/Jackie Oliver (No. 2 J. W. Automotive Engineering Gulf Porsche 917 K) finished first overall; the No. 23 North American Racing Team Ferrari 512 S Spyder driven by Ronnie Bucknum/Tony Adamowicz finished second; and Mark Donohue/David Hobbs (No. 6 Penske-White Racing SUNOCO Ferrari 512 M) finished third.
Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG