Skip Scott McLaren

[Thursdaycar]

Hello everyone.

I am new to the forum and I am a big fan of Can Am with a particular focus to find our more about McLaren drivers, particularly 'lesser known' ones (over here in Europe at least).

I am currently trying to find more pics of Skip Scott in his McLaren, particularly at Laguna Seca.
I need to ideally see more of the entire side of the car there if possible.

29920
(C) Tom Grannis / image appears elsewhere on the forum

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Rod Grimwood]

Thursdaycar

I have some bits and pieces about Skip.
He lived his last few years down here in Bay Of Islands NZ and had a Game Boat. He became a good family friend and spent time with us.
Unfortunately Skip had a alcohol/substance problem from previous life style and we had him pretty dry for along time, but then his past caught up and he became ill and past away. He spent his last Xmas with us.
He gave me some old videos of his racing the Sports cars which I still have. I also have some photos which I will seek out and post.

[khyndart in CA]

Thursdaycar,
You probably have done this already but I thought that something among this collection on this site may be of help to you.

https://www.google.com/search?q=skip+scott+mclaren&biw=1093&bih=502&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CEMQsARqFQoTCIqNlJLjwccCFVIqiAodbRcIuQ&dpr=1.25#imgrc=2C1AM-9DcQQHWM%3A

Good luck.
Cheers,
Ken Hyndman

[Rod Grimwood]

Couple of photos of Skip

[Thursdaycar]

Hi guys - wow thanks for the kind help!

Rod, what a privilege to get such a personal view on the man and his life, thank you.

I exhausted Google and all/any online sources but I think I've got there in the end. I am building a model of Skip's car from scratch using donor parts from other kits and the research as been a big job but I now think I have a plan for the model that is correct for livery (stickers), spec, wings and engine. First coat of colour just went on - it'll be a beauty!

[Rod Grimwood]

Skips real name was Robert and his father was way up there in the senate also Robert F Scott I think it was. (Attorney General I think)

Skip also drove the 'Allen Green Chevrolet' Trans Am Camaro back in the day as well as numerous Sports Cars.

Skip passed away at Bay Of Islands Hospital about 8/9 years ago.

Skip raced and flatted with Peter Revson, they were very good mates and when Peter was killed, Skip never got over it and resorted to drink and other things and slowly went down hill.
Skip was very much like a family member and i would pick him up and he would come up for dinner or lunch depending and we used to sit out on the deck and chat about the old days of racing and when I would show Skip a photo or mention something from years back he would slowly open up and talk about things. Very interesting about his association with Mr Ford also who was a personal friend back then. He was proud of their Le Mans effort in GT40. He said that Mr Ford gave him the GT40 after Le Mans and he sold it years later.
Amazing really that some one with such a back ground should spend his final years in a quite little seaside suburb so far from the States. He came here for his love of game fishing and had a big new boat built and fished as much as he could. He had a full time skipper looking after the boat. They ran the boat for about 5 years before Skip became more ill.
We used to keep in touch with his children back in the States and keep them in the loop as to how he was getting along, as it was hard work to keep him 'dry'. When he finally went down really quick in the end we called them and they came to be here, but unfortunately Skip passed before they arrived. I was with him for the last couple of days and he would not have known.
Sad for a man who had done so much, but after Revson's death and a couple of other friends the resort to substance and alcohol caught up in later years.
When he was dry he was very interesting and great to be with and some great days were had discussing the days of past and the racing.

RIP Skip (Robert) Scott

[Thursdaycar]

Thanks Rod, a truly remarkable insight. It makes building a model of what I first thought to simply be 'an interesting looking McLaren' a lot more meaningful and all the more enjoyable for it!

[Kiwiboss]

Skips real name was Robert and his father was way up there in the senate also Robert F Scott I think it was. (Attorney General I think)

Skip also drove the 'Allen Green Chevrolet' Trans Am Camaro back in the day as well as numerous Sports Cars.

Skip passed away at Bay Of Islands Hospital about 8/9 years ago.

Skip raced and flatted with Peter Revson, they were very good mates and when Peter was killed, Skip never got over it and resorted to drink and other things and slowly went down hill.
Skip was very much like a family member and i would pick him up and he would come up for dinner or lunch depending and we used to sit out on the deck and chat about the old days of racing and when I would show Skip a photo or mention something from years back he would slowly open up and talk about things. Very interesting about his association with Mr Ford also who was a personal friend back then. He was proud of their Le Mans effort in GT40. He said that Mr Ford gave him the GT40 after Le Mans and he sold it years later.
Amazing really that some one with such a back ground should spend his final years in a quite little seaside suburb so far from the States. He came here for his love of game fishing and had a big new boat built and fished as much as he could. He had a full time skipper looking after the boat. They ran the boat for about 5 years before Skip became more ill.
We used to keep in touch with his children back in the States and keep them in the loop as to how he was getting along, as it was hard work to keep him 'dry'. When he finally went down really quick in the end we called them and they came to be here, but unfortunately Skip passed before they arrived. I was with him for the last couple of days and he would not have known.
Sad for a man who had done so much, but after Revson's death and a couple of other friends the resort to substance and alcohol caught up in later years.
When he was dry he was very interesting and great to be with and some great days were had discussing the days of past and the racing.

RIP Skip (Robert) Scott

WOW very interesting Rod did not know that!!

Dale M

[kiwi285]

Great background info and photos Rod. I wonder if there are too many motorsport people in the States that know what happened to him.

[Rod Grimwood]

Kens photos have jigged my mind,
Mike I did talk with couple of people at La Guna last trip who had known him. interesting conversation and they did not know that he had come out to NZ. I will be doing some more research this trip and hopefully meet some of his ole friends, and maybe even cars.

[khyndart in CA]

Rod,
I found these two photos from the Jerry Melton collection from about 1967-68 at Mid Ohio I am guessing.
54045
Skip Scott's Lola T 70 # 26

54046
Skip Scott discussing race tactics with his good friend and team mate Chuck Parsons





(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

Rod,
I found this site today regarding Skip Scott and the 1968 Simoniz Lola T160/5 # 26

https://www.turnology.com/features/driven-simoniz-lola-t-1605/

57604


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=9yN-WEqyp1U







Enjoy,
Ken H

[geh]

Wanted to bring this thread back requesting the same thing for me, specifically from 1966. I recently bought the 1966 McLaren M1B (or McLaren-Elva Mark 2) that was driven by Skip Scott in the 1966 season. It was restored between 2011 and 2013 to they way it was raced in 1967 by Jerry Entin. Jerry has shared several pictures from his days but I was wondering if anyone had any pictures they would share - other than those on the interwebz - of Skip driving this car #91? He wasn't particularly successful that year - seemed to be reliability problems more than anything - so pictures aren't that plentiful. But still, it was there and is a piece of Can Am history.

Greg Hoff


66757

[khyndart in CA]

Greg,
I found this at http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/

66767
"Can Am Action From Riverside, 1966
Imagine the thunder as a herd of 650 bhp V8-powered CanAm cars rampage through Riverside's Turn 7 during the Oct. 28-29-30, 1966 event.

#5 is Chris Amon in a McLaren Mk1B-Chevrolet; #91 is Skip Scott in a McLaren Mk1B-Chevrolet; I can't identify the white car, or the blue car following. Mark Donohue in Roger Penske's Sunoco Lola-T-70-Chevrolet crests the hill. My guess is that Amon ? Donohue are lapping the other three. Donohue finished 4th, Scott finished 17th, and Amon DNF'd in the race.


From website vistor Bill Lee:
"I'll make some guesses about the picture of the 5 Can Am cars rounding the turn. I think the Blue Lola is Mario Andretti driving the third Mecom car, #1. I think he blew up the motor in that race. The white car is tougher. I think it is either the white Lola of Denny Hulme or Bob Bucher. My guess is Hulme due to the white headlight cover and the extended lip on the rear spoiler "
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I thought you might find something also from these Bing images.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=skip+scott+1966+mclaren+pix&qpvt=skip+scott+1966+Mclaren+pix&form=IQFRML&first=1&scenario=ImageHoverTitle

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You are correct in that Skip did not have a good 1966 Can Am campaign.
As these results show.

http://www.classicscars.com/wspr/results/canam/canam1966.html

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All the best with your McLaren.

Ken H

[geh]

Thanks Ken. Those links lead to several pictures I didn't have. I don't know about the caption above though. In 1966 they were using carbureted small blocks - don't think you can get 650hp out of those.

Greg

[khyndart in CA]

Greg,
You are correct as most of the Can Am cars in 1966 were powered in the 500 HP range.
I should have noticed that when using someone else's quote !
Ken.