Tag Archives: B²

1967 Clubmans Champion – Chevron B2 #Heerey

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One of the great joys of having a collection of photographs that rapidly became so vast there is no chance I will ever be able to write about them all, let alone remember them all, is stumbling across images of vehicles I know a lot more about since the last time I saw them, one such is today’s 1966 Chevron B2 seen in today’s photograph taken by Geoffrey Horton last year at the Sanoma Historics meeting.

Since I last saw this image I have written a little in recent weeks about the Chevron B1 and B2 models.

During the course of looking for information about those two models I found out, thanks to the efforts of Tony “Giraffe” Gallagher some years ago that, today’s featured car was originally owned by Howard Heerey who drove the car to 21 victories in 1967 which was enough to secure the National Clubmans Championship.

Chevron B2, Sonoma Historics

In the late 1960’s John Love of Barnsley and Barry Joel of Sheffield bought the car for £500 each, John eventually bought Barry’s share of the B2 modifying it and racing it to many successes particularly in the Northern Clubmans Championship.

John Love, a distant relative of the South African naturalised Rhodesian Formula One driver of the same name, found this car to be much better handling than his previous Lotus 7 but even with more horsepower was not as quick as the lighter 7.

He retired from racing in 1973 and sold the car to to Vin Malkie, “for peanuts” on the understanding that he would restore it as the historic racing car we see today.

In May 2009 new owner Edward Carden, brother of former Chevron B2 racer John Carden returned to the tracks with the refurbished car at Donington Park since when it has changed roll over bars several times.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing this photograph.

Thanks for joining me on this 1967 Clubmans Champion edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the story of a good samaritan from Nottingham in Scotland.

No Added Lightness – Chevron B2

After building his first two Chevron cars, retrospectively called B1’s, for clubmans racing in 1965, Derek Bennett and his small team built four more clubmans cars, at his Chorley Old Road premises in Bolton, in 1966 which became known as B2’s.

Chevron B2, Oulton Park,

Three of the B2’s like the two B1’s were originally fitted with 1500 cc / 91.5 cui four cylinder Ford motors while a fourth was fitted with a 1 litre / 61 cui British Motor Corporation (BMC) engine.

B2 drivers included Howard Heerey, John Love in Barnsley, Geoff Temple, Barry Joel, John Carden and his brother Edward Carden who owns one of the B2’s which is now resident in the United States.

In an interview with Tony ‘Giraffe’ Gallagher former B2 owner John Love recalled that the more powerful 120hp B2 was not as quick as his lighter Lotus 7, but that it handled “beautifully”.

Today’s featured car belongs to Vin Malkie owner of Chevron Cars who completed a restoration of the car in 2013.

Thanks for joining me on today’s “No Added Lightness” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again when I’ll be looking at another unloved Lola T400. Don’t forget to come back now !

Fury, Gravity And Inertia – Ferrari 312T #024

When the new 3 litre / 183 cui Formula One regulations for 1966 were announced most teams were caught on the hop not least because when Colin Chapman went to meetings to negotiate new post 1.5 litre regulations with the sports authorities he expected that if he asked for 3 litre engines he and the authorities might reasonably settle on a maximum 2 litre / 122 cui size, instead the authorities simply rubber stamped the 3 litre suggestion.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

At this time Ferrari were in the process of securing their second Formula One World Constructors Championship with John Surtees and caught in a ferocious spending war with Ford in the World Sports Car series, short of funds having turned down an offer from Ford, Ferrari were left with little choice to adapt a sports car V12 engine to meet the new regulations and fit it to the 1966 Ferrari 312.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

An internal squabble stymied what should have been a successful couple of years with the 312, as until the arrival of the Ford financed Cosworth DFV in 1967, there were few 3 litre engines of equal power, but without John Surtees the Ferrari team lost out to the reliable Repco powered Brabhams in both 1966 and ’67.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

After Ferrari were thoroughly beaten by Ford at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967 the sporting authorities rashly announced that future sports cars would also be restricted to a maximum 3 litre capacity and Ferrari’s technical Director Mauro “Fury” Forghieri at last time and funding to turn his attentions to building an uncompromised 3 litre / 183 cui racing engine.

Ferrari 312T, Rob Hall, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

His intentions with the new motor were to keep the centre of gravity low and so he chose a 180°, also known as flat, V12 architecture, not a true boxer despite the 312 B, 312 B2 and 312 B3 designations of the first 3 Formula One designs to which they were to be fitted from 1970 to 1974.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

By 1972 “Fury” had turned his attention to reducing the polar moment of inertia to improve the handling of his designs by moving the front radiators behind the front axle line on the unraced curiosity known as the Spazzaneve, snow plough, however Enzo Ferrari’s failing health led to FIAT executives demoting Mauro when taking over the running of the Formula One team and a most disastrous season followed in 1973 until Il Commendatore returned to work midway through the season.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Enzo immediately reinstated Mauro who set about turning the poorly conceived and executed 1973 Ferrari B3 into a winner for the 1974 season.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

For 1975 “Fury” started with a clean sheet and designed today’s featured reliable 510 hp flat 12 powered 312 T that not only had the front radiators mounted behind the front axle, but also had the gearbox mounted transversely ahead of the rear axle so that only the front and rear wings, used to aerodynamically balance the car, protruded from the axles of the car, which when developed with Niki Lauda at the wheel resulted in a superior handling.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

After starting the 1975 season with the older B3 design, the 312T was introduced at the South African Grand Prix, after all of the bugs of the new car had been ironed out Niki Lauda went on a winning streak in Monaco, Belgium and Sweden, finished second to James Hunt in Holland and won again in France and at the season ending US Grand Prix, having rapped up the Drivers World Championship with a third place finish at Monza where team mate Clay Regazzoni took a popular win in today’s featured car chassis #024, which helped Ferrari win their first Formula One Constructors Championship since 1964.

Ferrari 312T, Goodwood Festival of Speed,

Chassis #024 was the last of of five 312T’s to be built prior to his win at Monza Clay drove this car in France, where he retired, Britain where he finished 13th and Austria where he came home 7th. Subsequent to the race at Monza Clay drove the car to a seventh place finish at the 1976 season opening Brazilian Grand Prix before winning the inaugural US Grand Prix West at Long Beach.

New rules were mandated after this final appearance and the 312T’s were superseded by the 312T2, this particular chassis ended up with British computer leasing magnate John Foulston before his death in 1987 and is seen with Rob Hall of Hall and Hall at the wheel at Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year.

Thanks for joining me on this “Fury, Gravity And Inertia” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be returning to Oulton Park to wrap up this years Gold Cup coverage. Don’t forget to come back now !

AJ Watson RIP – Racing Associates Watson Roadster

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Today’s post is dedicated to the memory or AJ Watson who passed four days past his 90th birthday on May 12th. AJ designed and built 23 Watson Roadster Indy Cars after redesigning John Zinks 1955 Indy 500 winning Kurtis KK500C driven by Bob Sweikert.

Rathman Watson, Sachs Ewing, 1960 Indianapolis 500

AJ’s own designs won the Indy 500 in ’56 with Pat Flaherty driving John Zinks car followed by Rodger Ward in the ’59 Leader Card Watson and Jim Rathman in the 1960 Ken – Paul Watson seen above being chased Eddie Sachs in the Van Dean Lines Ewing.

1962 Indianapolis 500

Rodger Ward won again in the Leader Card Watson in ’62, seen in the middle of the front row above, followed by Parnelli Jones in JC Agajanian example in ’63 seen below.

Jones, Agajanian , Watson, 1963 Indy 500

Finally AJ Foyt, seen above drove the Ansted-Thompson Racing Watson to victory in ’64 which would become the last Indy 500 victory for a front engined Roadster.

Foyt, Ansted-Thompson Racing Watson, 1964, Indianapolis 500

Today’s featured car is perhaps the ultimate development of the Watson line, it was built in 1963 for Racing Associates who entered Ebb Rose. Ebb got bumped off the grid, but the following year the car was entered for Johnny Rutherford who qualified 15th and was classified 27th.

Racing Associates Watson, Goodwood Festival of Speed

For 1965 Bobby Grim was entered in the Racing Associates Watson and failed to qualify the 252 cui Offy powered machine.

Racing Associates Watson, Goodwood Festival of Speed

In 1966 Racing Associates has a 168 cui Offy fitted which gave an additional 50 hp thanks to the white pipes and turbocharger fitted to the exhaust. This time Bobby Grim just qualified 31st and was classified 31st after being involved in the start line pile up, on what would be the last appearance of a Watson in the Indy 500.

Racing Associates Watson, Goodwood Festival of Speed

This was also the beginning of a new and final chapter in the story of the famous Offy motor which in turbocharged form would power Bobby Unser to victory in 1968; Mark Donohue ’72, Gordon Johncock ’73, Johnny Rutherford in ’74 and ’76 interupted by Bobby Unser in ’75 and would continue to be used until 1983 when the two Offenhauser Volstedts failed to qualify.

My thanks to Steve Arnaudin for sharing his late Dad Ed Arnaudin’s photo’s of the Watson Roadster’s in their heyday.

I hope you will join me in wishing AJ Watson’s family and friends including GALPOT contributor B² my sincerest condolences.

Thanks for joining me on this “AJ Watson RIP” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Grant Piston Ring Special – Ferrari 375 No: 2

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For Ferrari Friday I hope readers of my Indianapolis series will forgive me getting a little out of sequence by a year or two in order to present the 1952 Grant Piston Ring Special, a Ferrari 375 captured in these photographs by my Nostalgia Forum acquaintance B² from Indiana who saw this vehicle in a Holiday Inn car park Dearborn, MI around 1971.

Ferrari 375, Holiday Inn, Dearborn, MI

The Ferrari 375 was originally conceived as a Formula One car to take advantage of the normally aspirated engine regulations that allowed for engines up to 4.5 litres / 274.6 cui as opposed to the maximum 1.5 litres /91.5 cui maximum capacity allowed for supercharged engines.

The 375 evolved through three stages, the first stage was the 275 which featured a new Lampredi designed 3322cc / 202 cui V12 which made its debut in Jume 1950, in July 1950 the 340 made its debut with a longer wheel base de Dion rear suspension and a 4101cc / 240 cui version of the Lambredi V12.

Finally in September 1950 the 375 with a 335 hp 4493 cc / 274 cui made its debut at Monza, by 1951 Jose Froilan Gonzalez driving a 375 scored Ferrari’s first formula one Grand Prix victory in Britain to begin cementing Ferrari’s place in the top echelon of motor racing.

There were so few contenders in races run to formula one regulations that in 1952 and 1953 the World Drivers Championship was run to Formula 2, 2 litre / 122 cui regulations both won by Alberto Ascari driving a nine race winning streak for Ferrari, making the 375 essentially obsolete. When the World Championship returned to a championship for drivers of formula one regulations the maximum mandated 2.5 litre 152 cui normally aspirated engines and the large Lamperdi V12’s were consigned to being
used in sports cars only.

Ferrari 375, Holiday Inn, Dearborn, MI

With the Ferrari 375 being obsolete in the top echelon of European racing allegedly US importer Luigi Chinetti convinced Enzo Ferrari to develop the car further with a stronger longer chassis.

Ferrari was represented at the 1952 ‘Indy 500’ by four cars 1 works and 3 customers, No: 1 ‘Ferrari Special’ for his works driver Alberto Ascari, No: 2 Grant Piston Ring Special for drivers Jonnie Parsons and Danny Oakes, No: 3 ‘Kennedy Tank Special’ for driver Johnny Mauro, and No: 4 ‘Mobil Special’ for driver Bobby Ball.

Outwardly the Ferraris appearance at Indianapolis in 1952 showed Ferrari lacking finesse preparing their cars for oval racing and that the ‘Yanks’ had little idea of how to coax the most out of what was essentially a beefed up road course car at Indianapolis.

However in his description of the 1952 race (scroll half way down), fuel injection manufacturer Stuart Hilborn shows that at the very least Ferraris disdain of many things American and his legendary machiavellian gamesmanship had come into play.

In brief Hilborn discovered that the #38 Mobil Specials cylinder head fuel inlet ports had been tampered with resulting in the ports being undersize, thus reducing the power output and it was found that the power output had been further reduced by Ferrari not fitting the high compression pistons which had been specified by Hilborn during a meeting at the Ferrari factory and presumably paid for owner Howard Keck ! (Note only one Ferrari qualified for the 1952 race not two as Hilborn asserts.)

The four 375’s were around 200 lbs over weight in part due to the drum brakes being too large and more suited to road course racing.

Despite these problems Ascari drove some of the smoothest and most consistent qualifying laps ever seen at Indianapolis, which unusually possibly due to incorrect gearing, included changing down a gear for both the first and third corners to secure 19th place on the grid.

Parsons in the second 375, even after trying magnesium wheels, opted for a more powerful Offy powered vehicle and well known midget racer Danny Oakes also failed to qualify the Grant Piston Ring Special.

Mauro allegedly really only wanted his 375 for the Pikes Peak hill climb and did not take the ‘500’ seriously and never got near a qualifying time, his car today resides in the IMS Hall of Fame now painted red.

Bobby Ball like Parsons also opted for an Offy powered machine after he had tried the forth car with Hilbourn fuel injection in place of the usual Weber carburetion. This car was restored in the 80’s destroying it’s original patina and is now thought to be in the care of a New York collector.

Ascari fancied his chances in the race switching, pre race, from a one stop strategy to a three stop strategy to accommodate higher than expected tyre wear. During the race Ascari planned to keep the revs low for the first two segments in order to benefit from the tendency of his US competitors ‘win or bust’ strategies.

Due to his weight handicap Ascari got a slow start but rose from 21st to 7th when on lap 41 the right rear wire wheel collapsed causing his instant retirement. Ascari is generally acknowledged to have given a good account of himself with a possible race contending performance up to the point of his retirement.

The No: 1 375 appeared at the 1953 ‘500’ with a 3 litre 183 cui engine, new body and side tanks but was withdrawn from the race. In 1954 it appeared again with original body and 4.5 litre 274 cui engine but failed to qualify. Ascaris 375 is currently thought to reside in Hong Kong.

Which brings us back to the car in the photograph which is thought to be the No.2 Grant Piston Ring Special unsuccessfully qualified by Parsons and Oakes,

This car was seen around 1970 on former owner Lindley Bothwell’s estate in 1970. By 1998 this 375 belonged to a Brazilian Carlos Monteverde who allowed Ludovic Lindsey to demonstrate it at Imola in Italy. During the demonstration the car suffered heavy broadside impact with a track side wall which wrote off two Borani wheels, smashed the respective brake drums, and destroyed the differential casing.

Ferrari 375, Goodwood, Festival of Speed

In August 2000 the No.2 375 now repaired was purchased by a Dutch owner and has been displayed in it’s white 1952 #6 Grant Piston Ring livery in the Netherlands at the Louwiman Museum and at festivals, above at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2006, ever since.

My thanks to B² for todays photographs, and to everyone on the Ferrari 375 Indycar thread at Ferrari Chat for additional information.

There is some mystery alluding to the chameleon nature of the paint work of the Grant King Piston Ring website shows period photo’s of this car in white with cockpit wrap around screen with Johnny Parsons at the wheel and also a photo of Danny Oakes at the wheel of a red car with small screen,
if you know the correct sequence of colours and dates this car has appeared in, when it left the factory, ran in the hands of Parsons and Oakes and when it was returned to it’s current livery please do not hesitate to chime in below.

Hope you have enjoyed Ferrari Friday Indy Special edition of Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you’ll join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !