Tag Archives: Mazda Raceway

Greenwoods Last Customer C3 – Chevrolet Corvette C3 Greenwood #12

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The last in this series of Americana Thursday blogs celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Chevrolet Corvettes features the last of the 12 customer Corvette racer built by John Greenwood as seen in these photo’s taken by Geoffrey Horton at the recent Rolex Reunion meeting run at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca.

Chevrolet Corvette C3, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

Chassis #12 appears to have been built for Albert DeLeo from a Greenwood stock 1976 chassis for the 1982 season when Albert ran the car just once in the Lime Rock 1 hour Coca Cola 400 race for which he qualified 18th and was classified as a non runner in 24th place.

Chevrolet Corvette C3, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

Changes in the IMSA GTO regulations which favoured tube frame chassis over full frame cars meant the car was never raced again in period. The all aluminium 7.8 litre / 478 cui motor was fitted with Kinsler fuel injection and produced around 730 hp with a red line at 6,400 ear busting rpm.

Chevrolet Corvette C3, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

The car known as a wide body has coil over rear suspension to help transmit the fearsome horsepower through the 15″ wide rear tyres to the road. The front wheels are 12″ wide 15″ diameter made as are the rears by Jongbloed.

Chevrolet Corvette C3, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

Lance Smith found the pristine car at Albert’s in 1989 and since then it has undergone minor restoration.

Chevrolet Corvette C3, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

French sports, GT and former Galles IRL driver Didier André car bought chassis #12 through Bonhams last year. It appears that Didier plans to bring the car up to the same specification as Greenwoods famous Spirit of ’76 #007 specification so that it can take part in historic event’s in Europe.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photograph’s.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Greenwoods Last Customer C3′ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now.

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Big Block Small Block – Chevrolet Corvette C2

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Continuing this months 60th Corvette Anniversary on Americana Thursday today’s Chevrolet Corvette C2 is a 1964 model owned by Tommy and Ross Thompson since 2007.

Chevrolet Corvette, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

Form the information sheet it would appear the Thompson’s have a big block 7 litre / 427 cui motor and a 5.3 litre 327 cui small block motor as seen here to race with.

Chevrolet Corvette, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

The known history of this car starts in 1986 when Mark Brown, bought sponsored and raced the car up until 1992. Thereafter it passed into the hands of Bill Morrison and almost immediately on to Bill Gagliano who owned it up until 2007. Since then Tommy Thompson has won numerous classic racing awards including the Monterey Trophy for performance and presentation.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton who took today’s photograph’s at the recent Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca.

Thanks for joining me on this “Big Block Small Block” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for a look at a convertible Ferrari that hit the race track for a single 1000km race at the Nurburgring. Don’t forget to come back now !

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SCORAD Demonstrator – Chevrolet Corvette #1399 Tribute

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When I set out to find out about the car in today’s photographs taken at the Rolex Reunion at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca by Geoffry Horton I mistakenly thought it couldn’t be that difficult to find out about a 1st generation Corvette C1 carrying a big #16 and a couple of NASCAR stickers. Boy was I proved wrong, but the upside is I have found out not only what it is, but also found out about a race series I am not sure ever got off the ground !

Chevrolet Corvette SCORAD Tribute, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

An internet search soon led me to the owner / driver Noel Park and several descriptions of the car being a tribute to the 1955 Corvette better known as X87/5951 in which Zora Arkus- Duntov set a new flying-mile record of 150.583 mph at Daytona Beach in 1956. However that car had a 1956 body and two other ’56 Corvettes Chevrolet took along to Daytona Beach for John Fitch and Betty Skelton did not feature the distinctive #16 on the side although at least one photo caption on the net, subsequently shown to be wrong suggested otherwise.

Chevrolet Corvette SCORAD Tribute, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

My break came when I found a second identical copy image of the #16 at Daytona Beach making reference to chassis #399, although again no driver was mentioned. A search for Corvettes with the number #399 led me to discovering that along with the three Corvette’s Chevrolet took along to the 1956 Daytona Speed Weeks for competition, two further Corvettes were supplied to NASCAR for promotional purposes and one of them was chassis #E55S001399 a 1955 model, described as a well used up former race car. The vehicle was rebuilt with a stock 4.6 litre 265 cui small block V8 and the body taken from another ’55 ‘Vette by Chevrolet Engineering in January 1956 with a “NASCAR” kit comprising aero screen and fiberglass torneau over the passenger area.

Chevrolet Corvette SCORAD Tribute, Rolex Reunion, Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca

Jack Hawkins and Bill France Jr are among those NASCAR individuals known to have demonstrated, but not competed in, the #16 at the 1956 Daytona Speed Weeks. It has also emerged thanks to Loren Lundberg over at The Nostalgia Forum that the #16 and an similarly upgraded ’53 Corvette which appeared carrying the #27 were to be used in NASCAR’s SCORAD ( Sports Car Owners and Drivers ) dirt track series. At the time of writing I’m not sure if this series ever got underway or not, if you know anything at all about SCORAD at all please do not hesitate to chip in below since there is zero but the name that appears about the series on the net as of now.

After the speed weeks #1399 spent two years under the direction of NASCAR’s Alvin Hawkin at various tracks primarily in North Carolina before being passed into private hands that included a spell as a donation with the Bible Broadcasting Church. As of 2009 #1399 was reported to be with the Lingenfelter Collection all though when I checked their website no mention was made of it.

I’m not too sure how or why Noel Parks cool tribute to the #1399 came to be made, but it has been an absolute blast getting to the bottom of the story of the #16 that ran at Daytona Beach in 1956.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing his photo’s from the Rolex Reunion and to Loren Lundberg at The Nostalgia Forum and of the Registry of Corvette Race Cars for his help in clarifying the story of the #16.

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

PS Opinions and predictions on Formula One and the Italian Grand Prix linked here at Motorsports Unplugged.

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Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion – Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

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A couple of weeks ago Geoffrey Horton visited the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and kindly sent me today’s photographs to share.

Hall Scott The Four, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

The Hall Scott Four was built in San Francisco for the 1917 Vanderbuilt Cup it used an Reo Model M frame and was powered by a 110 hp Hall Scott aircraft 9.9 litre 605 cc motor that produces the same torque as a modern day Chrysler V10 Viper motor. This car was reconstructed for Dick Deluna by Tom Batchelor in Reno Nevada and Denis Webb in Anaheim California amongst many others.

McCabe, Bugatti, Type 59, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

Charles McAbe is seen warming up his 1934 Bugatti Type 59 with it’s distinctive wire and alloy wheels.

Chevrolet Corvette C1, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

Looking particularly purposeful in black above is Bob Patterson’s 1957 second generation Chevrolet Corvette C1, a very successful sports car and racer in it’s day that sold with the strap line “FI = 1 H.P. per CU. IN. x 283″.

Knoop, Echidna, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

John Staver, Ed Grierson and Bill Larson based their Echidna race cars on highly modified Corvette frames and mechanical running gear. The cars clothed in bodywork by by Bill Devlin won 8 races outright from 35 races and took 17 class victories. The Bob Hardison’s 1959 example seen here is driven by IMSA Endurance racer Rick Knoop.

Kurtis KK500-H, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

Frank Kurtis built just one new car for the 1958 Indy 500 the Kurtis KK500-H seen above which featured novel, for the period at Indy, independent rear suspension. It’s best finish was 7th with Duane Carter at the wheel in 1959, running with a more conventional tub rear axle installed by new owner Smokey Yunnick.

Arcerio, Lister, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

Al Arcerio is seen at the wheel of his 1958 Knobbly Lister above.

Scarab, Mk 1, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

After seeing first hand the apparent chaos that ruled in the factories of several top European racing car manufacturers Lance Reventlow returned to the United States determined that he could do far better. The first product of his determination was the 1958 Scarab Mk 1 with which Lance won 9 races in 1958. Only two Mk 1’s were built, I believe the example above, owned by Rob Walton, is the first of the two.

Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

The Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione chassis #2701 GT was crashed on it’s debut at the Le Mans test weekend after setting the 6th fastest time, fastest in class, in 1961. It was rebuilt and bought for a paltry DM 6,000 in February 1967 by Egon Hofer who won his class with it in a couple of hillclimbs before tackling the Taga Florio with Anatoly Arutunoff where carrying the #74 it failed to finish. Ned Spieker has owned the car since 2004.

American Motors AMX, Rolex Monterey Reunion, Laguna Seca

Dwight Matheson’s 1969 AMC AMX is seen above in the Bruce Morehead Racing colours as raced by Bruce in 1970 in the Sebring 12 hour race where the car failed to finish. Bruce is known to have scored at least one class victory in an SCCA regional race run at Sebastian towards the end of 1970.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photos, please spare a thought for him last I heard the the Rim Fire was causing Geoffrey and his neighbours some concern.

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

PS Thoughts and opinions on the weekends Belgian Grand Prix can be found here at Motorsports Unplugged.

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