Unbelievable : 82 years old on a race track !!!

At the Goodwood Revival race meeting last weekend, in the race for Brooklands (pre-WW2) cars was an original driver naned Tom Delaney................93 years old.

He raced when the Mercedes-Benz were racing the Auto-Unions, when Enzo Ferrari was still just a team manager, not a builder.

OK, he's not as fast as he used to be, but he actually turned his car over in a race a few weeks ago and got bruises..............and he is the oldest racing license holder.


Paul M

 

I've forgotten all the details but a few years ago an 82 year old guy won the SCCA National Championship in Formula Atlantic. Way to go !

 

Jack Hinkle was winning SCCA championships into his 70s at least driving A-Sports racers (Can Am cars).

 

There is a man by the name of Eddie Smith that attends track events here in South Florida. He drives a 355 F1 Spider. He is approx. 85 years old!

 

What's the big deal? We have 80+ year olds doing 150 on the Dan Ryan Expressway every day.

Ken

 

Dan Carmichael (sp) won an SCCA Formula Atlantic championship in 1996 I believe at age 77. He was still racing FA into his 80s. That is amazing... FA cars are one step down from Indy and the guys he was racing against are in their late teens or early 20s and looking for pro rides. He as a WWII Fighter pilot, still going at it!

On that note, both Bud Anderson and Chuck Yeager still fly P51s. They fly planes owned by others that are painted up exactly like their WWII aircraft, Glamorouse Glenn II and Old Crow. Both are well into their 80's and they still fly those planes like they were meant to be flown! I have met and chatted with both together... still best of friends and VERY sharp. Just dont make the mistake of referring to Anderson as Yeagers WWII wingman.... it was quite the opposite with Anderson the squadron commander and high scorer with 16.5 victories!


Terry

 

That's awesome. I hope to be that outgoing and able to truly enjoy life like that at that age.

 

Paulie,

Eddie Smith, believe it or not, is in his 90s! To others that don't know him, Eddie is still the only original owner of (the dozen or so) 275 NART spider. He gets jazzed at hitting the apexes correctly at Sebring and Moroso!

KevFla

 

Erik,
Do you mean Jerry Hinkle ? He was still running a Lotus Super 7 in E Production 1n 1994 +. He may still be. I was usually in the same race group when I was running an A-H Sprite in F Production.

 

Terry,
Thanks for providing Dan's name. I had forgotten.

 

Might be a relative. Jack Hinkle was an oilman/banker from Kansas who entered Indy cars in the early 50s and was racing SCCA Nationals in the early 1970s while in his 70s. He ran various Lola Can Am cars in A-sports racing if memory serves.

 

i think this is wonderful... I totally believe people die in a large part from not having a goal or a purpose, and driving can be great exercise too.

I hope to be one of those old dudes still putting around.

 

Now I have a goal for the many more years (I hope) ahead of me.
It's great to see that age isn't a factor to stay alert on a track.
I'll report to you in 35 years and see if I'm still in a (softer) bucket...
Roland
F40LM

 

I agree, gives me something to look forward to in later years, instead of sitting around and playing bridge or bingo all the time.

 

thats awesome. i hope to be the same way when i grow old.

 

That is fantastic...I hope we can all enjoy such a pleasure.

 

Some of you older Ferrari guys like may recall this guy--
In the 80's there was an old fellow , Greenwood I think was his name, about 90 yrs old. He was a Hollywood make-up artist and had $$$$$.
He got the newest Ferrari every year and built it out BIG TIME.
Example--QUAD-turbo TR's
He was a regular at Ferrari events but was a little crazy on the track--would pass you on the grass if he could.
And ha always had these 2" thick fur seat covers---lol

 

There's this young guy, only 79 or so, named Paul Newman, who can still motor around a track at a good clip.

John