Great pics Ken of Holman Moody in their hey day.
Great pics Ken of Holman Moody in their hey day.
Paul,
This could be your next move as they need good men at H-M at this time. (You could be living a dream! )
Attachment 59551
(Ken)
Now wouldn't that be cool Ken, That spins my wheels in every direction!
In 1969 General Motors certainly got hit hard with this fine !
"1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
1969 had marked the sales debut of the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am however the car's smallest engine was well over the 5000cc maximum set by the series at the time and it was not used in the 1969 championship. In using the name Trans Am, a registered trademark, General Motors agreed to pay $5 per car sold to the SCCA."
Attachment 59642
(Ken H)
Jerry Melton also photographed the Hollman-Moody Ford Challenger at the recently opened track at the Michigan International Speedway in April 1969. An SCCA event was held to sort out the new track before the first race of the Trans-Am series in May.
The infield course that linked up with the high speed banked oval had been designed with input from Stirling Moss.
With all of Jerry Melton's photos of these two events at the speedway there is almost enough material to write a book including some that I covered last year in a thread about Horst Kwech.
Attachment 59690
Attachment 59691
Attachment 59692
(More to come..)
(Ken H)
" With all of Jerry Melton's photos of these two events at the speedway there is almost enough material to write a book including some that I covered last year in a thread about Horst Kwech. "
Would like to see that Ken H, - but between " Her indoors " and Moss Motors - would you have the time ??.
Thanks for all your " inputs ".
Roger
When I see you at Taupo I will explain to you then my methods of madness !
Ken
Roger,
This is for you. April 1969
An Austin Healey 3000 # 22 on the banking at the Michigan Speedway...
Attachment 59709
There was plenty of space on pit road at the speedway
Attachment 59710
A Lotus Seven tucks in behind the Healey. This is before the weather changed.
Attachment 59711
(Jerry Melton photos.)
(Ken H)
Some of the smaller cars raced well on the high speed oval part of the track.
Attachment 59731
Start of the small sedan class race.
Attachment 59732
Attachment 59733
Evan though the Alfa Romeo Giulietta ran well it could only climb to second place.
Attachment 59734
It was the Austin Mini Cooper of Art Sutphin # 53 that came through for the win in the C sedan class race. (Sorry Bruce D !)
Jerry Milton photos
Apart from the Alfa 105 GTV2000 I also have a Riley Elf...
Sorry Bruce, I won't pick on you anymore !
Some class winners at Michigan in April 1969.
Attachment 59771
D Sedan class winner was Frank Mueller in his NSU # 34
Attachment 59772
Attachment 59773
Attachment 59774
Ralph Darlington in his Ferrari Dino # 66 B Class S/R winner.
Attachment 59775
Formula Ford winner Jimmy Clarke in his Lotus 51 # 4
(Jerry Melton photos..)
(Ken H)
Ken H, love that NSU Prinz 1000 TT - with the open tail .. cheers
The US had some entertaining starters /"flaggies at some of their circuits.
Jerry Melton captured "Super Starter" Ed Houlihan in action in 1969.
Attachment 60316
Attachment 60317
But none could compare to the antics of "Tex" Hopkins at Watkins Glen over several years.
Attachment 60318
Attachment 60319
1966 and Jim Clark is waved home as the winner of the USGP in his Lotus 43 and the only win for the H16 BRM engine.
Attachment 60320
1967 and Jim Clark is the winner again in his Lotus 49 # 5
Attachment 60321
Tex was still going strong in 1971 as he waves winner, Peter Revson, over the line at the end of the 1971 Watkins Glen Can-Am race, driving his McLaren M8F # 7
(Ken H )
One more of Ed Houlihan at the start of the infamous 1969 Trans-Am race at Michigan International Speedway. May 11th 1969.
Attachment 60358
Jerry Melton photo.
This was the first race of the 1969 Trans Am campaign.
Cars in photo from left to right.
Horst Kwech in his ill fated Mustang # 2, just ahead of Mark Donohue in his Penske 1969 Camaro # 6
Jerry Titus is in a white 1968 Pontiac Firebird # 27 behind Milt Minter's 1968 Firebird # 37.
Race winner Parnelli Jones is in his 1969 Mustang # 15 and George Follmer is in his 1969 Mustang # 16
(Ken H )
Great photos Ken, Thank you for putting them on line. The last one is one of my favorites.
Bruce.
Laurie Powell would have given this guy a wake up call.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce302
The correct technique is to carefully not disclose any muscle movement heralding the drop of the flag. A skilful driver watches for this preparatory signal and immediately acts accordingly. Laurie was not inclined towards personal showmanship, knew what he was doing and was true to the business in hand. He was proud that he always presided over clean starts.
Trevor.
Trevor,
I don't think the Formula One or Trans-Am organizations would have had these guys around for long if they did not do their duties correctly. ( They wanted the complete field from front to the rear make sure they saw the flag being waved. )
I think the main difference is what you correctly term as "personal showmanship" (That is big in the USA unlike NZ !)
(Ken H)
Ken,Quote:
Originally Posted by khyndart in CA
In places where motor racing has not become "Showmansjhip", it is logical and common practice for the starter to be provided with a podium. LOL
Back to the April SCCA Meet at Michigan.
John Martin was a driver for the Ron Kaplan AMC Javelin # 4.
John at 29 yrs old, had worked his way up from being a mechanic, crew chief, test driver and then given an opportunity to drive in Trans-Am.
Attachment 60367
Note the rear spoiler that was only used at this event on the Javelin in 1969.
(Which probably means this was a 1968 team car.)
Attachment 60368
Attachment 60369
Attachment 60370
Coming up to the start and Ed Houlihan's flag.
Jerry Melton photos
John went on to win the A Sedan Class race that weekend.
(Ken H)
Very Good summary of the very popular Racer and later Starter .. Cheers ..and to Ken H - yes US = Showmanship .. can you still say that in this PC world ??Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Sheffield
Some information on the AMC Javelin, John Martin and Ron Kaplan etc.
"AMC contracted Kaplan Engineering in 1968 to run two AMC Javelins in the SCCA's Trans-Am Series. Ron Kaplan and Jim Jeffords constructed three cars; two for racing and one for shows and demonstrations. The following year Jeffords left the team and Kaplan was contracted to run the program. Pulling from his development the previous year Kaplan produced three more cars, two for AMC, and one for his own uses with his own finances.
The original drivers chosen for 1968 were George Follmer as #1 and Peter Revson as #2. Unfortunately Revson was soon let go following a disagreement with management. Lothar Motschenbach was picked up by the team for the next two races in Canada.
Racing was an immediate success for AMC during the first year. The team was called a 'Cinderella' team after quickly establishing a record as the only factory entry to finish every Trans Am race entered placing third in the over-2-liter class of the 1968 series. The AMC team continued to improve and for 1968 they suffered only one DNF from an engine problem. Many of the engine problems that year were quickly corrected by Kaplan and his professional staff. Kaplan was proactive about correcting problems and fixing the engine oiling problems. Halfway through the season Kaplan began development of a dual-carb cross manifold and a new engine casting.
First Watt's link rear suspension was developed before the front anti-dive modifications were next. Kaplan was in quite a rush to meet AMC's timing schedule so the basic design of the inner fender components were actually copied from a Mustang. Two more degrees of anti-dive was added to the Mustang's 4 degrees. Kaplan finished the drawings and sent them to the factory before the manufacturing of the parts was then contracted to Central Stamping. Unfortunately there wasn't capacity to fit the components to the unibody on the '69 assembly line, so Ron had to incorporate them into the cars once they arrived in his shop as bodies in white.
The team began the 1968 season with two engines from TRACO, but the single carb layout and the basic two-bolt-main block carried serious limitations for generating power. Kaplan went to Vic Edlebrock for assistance in developing a cross-ram manifold. Edlebrock personally assisted Kaplan in addition to loaning him a pattern maker. Champion Sparkplugs also assisted Kaplan and allowed him to use their dyno room to tweak any design issues.
Dan Byer, a retired engineer from AMC helped Kaplan develop a new block casting towards the end of 1968. More mass for 4-bolt mains were added to the original AMC 390 drawings and improvement for the oiling system. Central Foundries in Windsor (ON) was contracted for a very small production run of only 50 blocks. Kaplan was responsible for cleaning up the blocks from the sand casting, hone the various passage before sending them to AMC's 'Parts Central' in Kenosha. All of the blocks were painted bright orange so Kaplan could identify them easily on the transfer line. 12 of these special castings were drawn on during his development program while two were eventually sold to customers.
During this period Kaplan's race program contact was replaced by AMC with two new men: John Voelbel and Chris Schoenlip. Unfortunately these two men didn't have a background in the automotive industry and were inexperienced with racing. These men were responsible for not submitting homologation papers and failing to enter the parts to the official AMC parts system. Unfortunately this mistake cost them when Kaplan sent the first car, an older 1968 car with a new engine, to run at the first race of the '69 season at Jackson, MI. Because they were late, and hadn't qualified, the team had to do some consensus building with other racers to permit them to enter. The SCCA eventually agreed to let them run, but they started last, within 10 laps, but within ten laps they were chasing Donohue down and the time differential was rapidly narrowed. SCCA requested to see the AMC engine but the car had been sent home already. The SCCA wanted to tear down the engine before the race started at Lime Rock, but Kaplan argued that the same should be down to the Mustangs and Camaros also. The SCCA chose to allow the AMC's to run though this would only be temporary until the parts could be homologated. AMC eventually assigned a part number after the SCCA program and two blocks were sold later to customers.
The 1969 season began with John Martin as #3 and Ron Grable as #4. Martin was released midseason and replaced by Jerry Grant. Kaplan approached AMC management at this time and proposed that the whole concept behind the 1969 contract be modified. Kaplan requested that AMC rather than competing in actual races instead that they go to the tracks on the subsequent Mondays and run a developmental program using Sunday's winning times as the benchmark. AMC did not agree and Kaplan was left to run the year with the current engines on hand, even though the old engines weren't competitive and the new engines weren't recognized. Results were poor since the older style engines weren't competitive. Budget cuts were also in effect.
Kaplan dropped all of AMC's material at their zone office in El Segundo, California and took a month of person time to collect his thoughts. Unfortunately once he returned it was too late and a deal had been brokered with Roger Penske. Kaplan was out of a job.
All of the team cars and equipment were picked up from the El Segundo offices by Penske and shipped to his Pennsylvania shop. Penske used the #3 Jerry Grant car for developmental purposes through the latter half of 1969. After receiving the 1969 cars, Penske learned the Kaplan had done much suspension work but still believed more improvements could be made. Several months of development were made before Penske felt that the team had a car that was ready to perform. Penske built brand new cars for his own team at this time and sold all of the earlier Kaplan cars and equipment. Mark Donahue was now in charge of selling off the inventory."
(Conceptcarz article)
Ron Kaplan talking with John Martin. 1969.
Attachment 60386
Plus a 1969 AMC promotional movie of the 1968 Trans Am season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDJ6BhUrsak
Some more 1968 competition AMC Javelin information at this site;
http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/...%20Trans-Am-V8
( Ken H)
John Martin's main competition at M.I.S. in April 1969 was the popular driver Dick Lang who had a Chevrolet dealership in Ohio and drove a 1968 Camaro Z-28 with his favorite number 85.
Attachment 60405
Attachment 60406
Here you can see how the infield of the speedway was still being prepared after a harsh winter and the Trans Am race was just a few weeks away.
Attachment 60407
Dick Lang allowed his friend , Mark Donohue, do a few laps in his Camaro to get accustomed to the track that went from speedway to the infield at very awkward angles, before the upcoming opening race of the 1969 Trans Am series.
Attachment 60409
Dick Lang at speed on the infield area of the circuit.
(Jerry Melton photos.)
A nice family tribute to Dick Lang who passed away in 2010.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Ewp599vbM
(Ken H )
Some more Chevrolet products at Michigan, April 1969.
Bill Schmitt in his Chevrolet Corvair # 46
Attachment 60505
Mark Childs in his C-2 Corvette # 67
Attachment 60506
Ron Weaver in his AP Class winning C-3 Corvette #10
Attachment 60507
A slower Corvette gave Ron plenty of room as he came up to pass.
Attachment 60508
Ron Weaver coming toward the finish line.
Attachment 60509
(Jerry Melton photos..)
(Ken H)
Ken, The C2 and C3 seem to have a high Ride Height for racers - big tyres - high profile too !!Quote:
Originally Posted by khyndart in CA
Great shots .. Thanks.
One of the English sports cars entered at Michigan was this Turner # 47.
I always considered them a neat little unit.
Attachment 60559
(Jerry Melton photo..)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F66EkcKXOJA
(Ken H..)
A little bit more of British cars. (Lotus )
Attachment 60560
Robert La Zebnik in his Lotus Cortina # 76
Attachment 60561
A Lotus Europa.
Attachment 60562
A Lotus Seven. (With aerodynamic headlights )
(Jerry Melton photos..)
Some European vehicles racing at Michigan.
Attachment 60564
An Alfa Romeo GTA
Attachment 60565
A Porsche 356
Attachment 60566
A Porsche 911
Attachment 60567
A beautiful and now very valuable Porsche 904 (Carrera GTS ) # 90 driven by Carl Armstrong.
Attachment 60568
Jerry Melton photos..
A bit about the Porsche 904.
A great sound of this 904 at Spa. (Note the contents of the garage at the end of this Youtube clip.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6_QT6Y1NAY
A Porsche 904 has been a pretty good investment over the years !
Yearly Averages
Year Average Sale High Sale Low Sale # of Sales
2018 $2,295,160 $2,295,160 $2,295,160 1
2017 $1,925,000 $2,310,000 $1,540,000 2
2015 $1,642,530 $1,650,000 $1,635,060 2
2014 $1,741,117 $1,741,117 $1,741,117 1
2013 $1,815,075 $1,936,693 $1,595,000 3
2011 $1,127,500 $1,210,000 $1,045,000 2
2003 $253,000 $253,000 $253,000 1
(Ken H)
Some of the US cars at MIS in April 1969.
Attachment 60596
Attachment 60597
Mustangs heading onto the speedway banking where they were much more comfortable than in the infield section.
Attachment 60598
Attachment 60599
Gerald Geishart's Cobra did not make it through the first lap.
Jerry Melton photos.
From this race meet it was found that the bigger cars were bottoming out as they exited the banked speedway to the infield course.
As the next Trans Am meet was in just a few weeks on May 11th 1969, much work had to done to the track to bring it up to specs.
By altering the track the drainage was affected and a lot of unexpected rain led to miserable conditions and poor track quality.
One area that could not be improved in time was in the infield area where the cars were launched and came back down hard.
Attachment 60647
The launching in the infield section.
Attachment 60648
And the landing as shown by Mark Donohue in his 1969 Penske Camaro # 6
(Ron Lathrop photos..)
This would be one of the reasons for the Trans-Am event to be looked back on as a "Trans-Am Travesty at Michigan." (Sports Car Graphic" July 1969.
I could have put in more of Jerry Melton's photos of this event but I found that it is all covered by this excellent thread by Jon Mello
in this Camaros.org forum from 2011. (Do read all the enclosed magazine articles also.)
The race was known as the " 1969 Wolverine Trans-Am Race"
http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.p...6&topic=8328.0
(Ken H)
In September 1969 Jerry Melton returned to the Michigan Speedway for an SCCA Nationals event hoping things would have improved since the April mess and this one was held just 1 week before big 1969 Can Am Series event was to take place.
Attachment 60715
"Mabel, we are going to pick up Stan and Doris and head to the track to watch some racin'"
Attachment 60716
On the way to the track and Harry Heuer's Lola T 70 is being refueled.
Attachment 60717
In 1969 92 octane fuel was about 27 cents @ gallon and the T 70 held about 50 US Gallons so the fill up would have cost about
$ 13.50.US. (Read that and weep compared to today's AV gas prices !)
Attachment 60718
Harry Heuer about to head out onto the track in his Lola T 70 # 22.
(Jerry Melton photos..)
Ken,
Great shots that Jerry managed to take, that was a huge bottom out in the Penske Camaro. Love the Lola T70 shots, great looking machine! Find me one to restore!
Cheers from downunder
P
the T70 getting fueled reminds of the pump behind the pits at brands hatch
Here is some history of the Frank Kloski's 1966 Lola T70 # 22.
" SL71/27 Chevrolet 1966-03-15 Gr.7 Charles Bridges => Robin Darlington (9/1966) => David Bridges (4/1967) => Frank Kloski, USA (1968) => John Bunch, USA => {inherited from husband} Marcia Bunch, USA => John Starkey, USA (2008) => Lilo Beuziron, USA (2008) => Keith Newcombe (2010~2015) In 1970 damaged in accident during SCCA National race in Road Atlanta, repaired, painted yellow & black. But after having given up on his Can-Am adventure, Frank Kloski rented the car to Don Devine for he next season.
Paul,
This site is especially for you mate, regarding a John Mecom 1965 Lola T 70
(Mecom had several of these T 70s..smart man.)
https://williamianson.com/wp-content...T70-Spyder.pdf
Attachment 60723
(Ken H)
Thanks Ken, great site, fantastic history on the short wheelbase car.
Cheers for that!
Dean Causey was there with his McLaren M6A/1 # 51 which was the car that Bruce McLaren drove to win the 1967 Can-Am Series.
'Chassis Engine Year Group First owner Next owners (year) Comment
M6A/1 Chevrolet 1967 Gr.7 McLaren Cars => Roger Penske (1968) => Jerry Hansen (1968) => Dave Causey (1969) => Lynn Larson => Harry Matthews (~1999) => Griot (2009~2012) This was the car McLaren won the 1967 Can-Am Championship. It was sold to Penske. He ran the car in USRRC. Bruce McLaren's car was quite different than other M6's. It had a 4" shorter wheelbase. This can be seen in the doors as this is where they shortened the body. The tub was also different, with extensive use of lightening holes in the bulkheads and the bracing in the front was different. Magnesium sheeting was also used in some places. The car was extensively rebuilt when owned by Lynn Larson."
Attachment 60733
Attachment 60734
(Jerry Melton photos..)
The A and B Sports Racing classes included this, what I consider one of the best looking Ferraris. A Ferrari 365 P2/3 Drogo version built for the NART in the mid 60s. This car is worth millions today but in 1969 it was just part of the field !
Major William Cooper's Ferrari #21.
Attachment 60744
Attachment 60745
Attachment 60746
Attachment 60747
Attachment 60748
Attachment 60749
Another one racing there was Michael Rahal, who was Bobby's father. He was driving a Porsche 906 # 8.
He was also a very good driver like his son and grandson, Graham.
He passed away in 2017.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...531-story.html
(Jerry Melton photos..)
(KH)
To make the racing interesting for everyone involved they put all of these classes; A, B, C & Ford together in one race !
Which led to a field that looked like this.
Attachment 60756
Attachment 60757
The two Formula A drivers,Dick Jacobs in a Lola T-140 and Curt Reinhold in a F/A McKee, seen here discussing tactics on overtaking.
Attachment 60758
Dick Jacobs in his Lola T-140 # 25
(Jerry Melton photos..)
I was thinking this big old beast looked familiar even after almost 50 years and realized I had photographed this car at Laguna Seca last August with Paul Kuhl,driving.
Attachment 60759
(Note the exhaust system compared to 1969.)
(Ken H photo..)
Also captured there at Laguna Seca by the lovely photos of Robyn Pass Handy.(Thanks Robyn )
Attachment 60760
Attachment 60761
(Ken H )
The ""Team Nappi" Formula A car was a McKee Mk 12/12C # 41 driven by Kurt Reinold.
With Eagles, McLarens and Lolas now dominating the front of the grid, the McKees were well down the grid in Pro racing, but they were successful in Central Division SCCA Formula A.
A problem McKee had when building this car was how to fit Reinhold's 6 ft 5 in. frame in !
Attachment 60768
Attachment 60769
(Jerry Melton photos.. )
Kurt Reinold raced my 1969 McKEE F5000 Mk12C from 1969 through 1971 to many 1st place finishes, setting many track lap records, and winning a Championship. Here is a quick history on Kurt's racing career.
Kurt Reinold came up through the ranks in SCCA. He started as a corner worker, but moved quickly to racing cars. Kurt started his racing career in 1965 in an Autodynamics Formula Vee. He finished fourth in the Central Division and won SCCA’s National Rookie Driver of the Year Award. In 1966 and 1967 he raced a B Production Corvette Stingray. He finished fourth in the Central Division in 1966, and took second place in 1967, missing first place by one point. In 1968 he campaigned a ’68 McKEE F5000 Mk8 in the Continental Series and finished seventh in the series. Kurt had another new car for the 1969 season. It was a ’69 McKEE F5000 Mk12. He raced this car in F5000 races from 1969 through 1971. In his Mk12C Kurt won eight SCCA National races, and set eight lap records at eight National events. He won SCCA’s Central Division in 1970, and won the June Sprints at Road America in 1971. In 1971, Kurt was named SCCA’s Central Division Drivers Licensing Chairman. In 1975 Kurt was honored by SCCA’s Blackhawk Valley Region with the “Race Driver of the Decade” award. Concurrently, during the years Kurt was racing his F5000, he also raced Formula Ford and won numerous races between 1968 through 1971.
Owners/Drivers (information is from car's Log Books):
1. Tito Nappi (owner)/Kurt Reinold (driver) 1969 – 08/1971
2. C.J. Solomone (owner/driver) 05/05/72 – 10/15/72
3. Anthony M. Kestian (owner/driver) 10/29/72 – 02/27/74
4. Donald G. DeMaagd (owner/driver) 02/28/74 – 10/13/2005
5. Paul J. Dudiak (owner/driver) 10/14/2005 –
Car Specs:
Description of Car: McKEE Formula 5000 Mk12C
Year:1969
Chassis Manufacturer: McKEE Engineering – 300 type stainless steel tube
Engine Manufacturer: Chevy V8
Engine Displacement: 302 ci
Carburetors: 4 - IDA 48 Webers
Transmission Manufacturer: Hewland
Transmission Model: LG600
Tire sizes: Front - 11.0 x 15 / Rear - 13.0 x 15"
(http://www.teamdudiakracing.com/aboutme.htm ..information )
(Ken H )
In the Sept. 1969 A Production Class group were two C-3 Corvettes driven by Jerry Thompson in car # 6 and Tony DeLorenzo in car # 1.These two would go on to have very successful racing careers. Over the next few seasons, if Thompson didn’t win, DeLorenzo did. The pair scored 22 straight victories, and their red-and-white Corvettes became legendary.
Attachment 60811
Attachment 60812
Attachment 60813
(Jerry Melton photos..)
Attachment 60814
Jerry Thompson..
A nice article about Jerry and Tony.
https://www.corvette-mag.com/issues/...k#.XH4vsohKjIV
Attachment 60815
(Ken H )