Some CanAm shots. Follmer/Oliver, the original Alonso/Hamilton feud. Shots from MidOhio: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Indy type cars, Michigan International, first turn. Even with a motor drive, its hard to get a sharp photo of a race car coming at you at 220MPH, while your arm and neck are hanging over a metal guard rail. This photo is showing Gordan Johncock in the lead, I believe Sneva is in the blue/yellow car in third, and AJ Foyt behind Sneva in the #14 in fifth: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Indianapolis 500, when it was. This photo is of AJ Foyt passing I don't know who to take the lead and win his fourth 500. This was the race where two weeks earlier during the first day of qualifying Linda Vaughn proved to me there is a God. I have had the same seats for the 500 for the last 35 years, I haven't gone in 10 years, but I will return someday. In the seats adjacent to me in E Penthouse is a guy named Donald Cummins and his wife. I remember she would keep her eyes closed during thr first 10 laps. There is a small company named after him, Cummins Diesel, that sponsored one or two Indy 500 winning cars. AJ Foyt: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Watkins Glen used to host the LeMans cars long before there was an ALMS. The Glen 6 hour took place in June or July, don't remember. This was the only opportunity to see the factory cars, my favorite being the Gitanes Matra (Simca?). Three things happened during one of these enduros. I learned that it can get very cold during this time in Watkins Glen. I showed up on a Friday morning after driving all night from my home base of Dayton, Ohio, wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Wasn't planning on going into the pits right away. When I realized I was freezing, the only coat was a long winter jacket I'd left in the car. I put it on failing to see that it covered my shorts. I walked into the paddock, and received stares and laughter. I realized it looked like I was a flasher. One of the people laughing was Francois Cevert. So when I returned wearing jeans he looked at me and asked me what was wrong, am I cold? The second thing that happened that weekend was that is was the first time I met Cevert. He was driving the Gitanes Matra. He was as usual, as I was to find out later, surrounded by beautiful women. I guess that's why as photog I gravitated his direction. Unfortunetely, none fell off of him and followed me. The third thing happened on Saturday. I forgot to wear my earplugs, stood next to the Matra as it was started. It sounded like someone was holding 1000 gas R/C model airplanes at my left ear. To this day, I have a slight hearing loss in that ear. I now never forget my earplugs. Below is the factory Alfa driven by Mario Andretti and Arturo Mezario. Color photo is shot from on top of the pit boxes. Mezario is in the car in the B/W photo, and I think is the only driver I ever met shorter than Andretti. Maybe Depallier, is shorter. Andretti just made a driver change with Mezario, and is walking around the rear of the car: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I must vote this thread as "Thread of The Year"! Thank you so much 'tifosiron' for starting it and sharing so many great memorie's and photo's. Although I did not start formally following F1 till the early '80's I have a true love and passion for the 'glory day's' of motorsport's in general. Thank's bro, Gregg
When I was young I was a huge motorcycle nut especially GP and 'flat track' and I think that's one of the reason's I respect Mr.Surtees so much. bowbells, Would you happen to have any pic's you could share with us?? Gregg
I did not think ahead, I rarely purchased programmes and such. We worked long hours, often 18+ a day, we had 6 total looking after 2 cars, plus another 6 or so back in the factory. Sometimes, I cobbled an engine together if we used our spare already. After work it was strictly down to closing Seneca Lodge or whatever the local bar was for that race. Still have a sticker up on the wall from 76 there, I noticed it in 2006. I have some copies of the Playboy spread when 2 of my heroes, Baz, Barry Sheene, and George Harrison drove the Durex car at Brands Hatch. We partied with them in the Paddock bar there. Later, George took us all out to dinner in Long Beach, first time I tasted Mexican grub. Good times.....See what I can dig out. B.
John Surtees is one of the most clever people I have ever met. Like all greats, he has total recall of minute details from way way back. I learned a lot from him, love the man. B.
Ran Rupert Keegan to win the British F1 seies, I am pushing to the right of cockpit. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I'm basically speechless and in awe that you knew some of the greatest driver's of all time and not to mention you knew George Harrison who I consider to be the greatest Beatle of them all. Wow the memorie's you have must be just incredible!
Wonderful stuff Ron. I well remember the sound of the Matra V12s in the Ligiers at Long Beach. I have about 40% hearing loss in my left ear due in large part to the Matra V12s and all those bloody Mazda rotaries that ran in IMSA. Being young and dumb at the time I rarely wore earplugs. The Matras had a much different sound than the Ferraris and Alfas. The thought of the sound of them reverberating off the buildings at Long Beach still gives me shivers. You could actually feel it in your bones. Cheers, Kurt O.
I still have a Cosworth piston and spark plug along with some Durex Surtees stickers from Long Beach. After the race a couple of the Surtees mechanics were selling this stuff for pocket money. For $5 they would let you sit in the car and take your picture. I didn't do that because there was no way I would fit. The guys were real nice and let me hang out in their garage space for awhile. Could that have been you? I remember seeing Barry Sheene and George Harrison that year as well. Great times, never to be repeated. Cheers, Kurt O.
We always gave the Ligier boys a hard time, before they ran, they would heat the oil over a camp stove then pour it into the car, no preheaters in those days... I loved the sound of those, far better than the Ferrari/Alfa. And that Ligier was one of the most beautiful cars ever, remember when racecars were good looking? B.
Here is a video of Jacques Laffite in the Matra at the 1978 GP of Monza, incredible sound's! I was crushed when Jacques had his accident at Brands Hatch which ended his F1 carreer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnHF_O1hkS8
To say nothing of the fact that I had the pleasure of working with some of the greatest who sadly never made it, Tony Brise, Tom Pryce. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Car 33, a Brabham BT28 F3 driven by Keith Jupp, Brands Hatch, 1970. Others in that race... Reine Wissell, Ronnie Peterson, maybe James Hunt. One of the best eras ever, talk about competitive. We used to pull the heads from the MAE engines and relap the valves between practise and the race, if we had a problem, put the car on it's side, pull the pan and sort it out. B.
That would have been me! We always packed more junk for the Glen, we knew you yanks would buy anything! Old plugs, we even had a Kiwi fabricator signing posters of AJ (sorry). B.
The great thing about London Rubber sponsorship was, we always had barter power with Ferrari mechanics, in Monza we traded for a whole parmesan. we always had "balloons" to play with on the charter flights in between drinks we were always prepared, especially at the Seneca Lodge B.
Great shots, I tweaked the color up little. Dave Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
