Schuey’s legend is born

Australian GP – Adelaide; Nov 13, 1994
Winner: Nigel Mansell, Williams-Renault
Second: Gerhard Berger, Ferrari
Third: Martin Brundle, McLaren-Peugeot

1994 F1 Driver’s Championship
1st. Michael Schumacher; Benetton-Ford, 92pts.
2nd. Damon Hill; Williams-Renault, 91pts.

And yet, as the years go by and I yearn to put another log upon the fire to warm my bones beside...

I can recall less “N less from that fateful year of 1994, (minus “Black Sunday,” a.k.a the Imola weekend & Karl Wendlinger’s ensuing accident at Monaco) except for the ecstatic reaction I received in Monterey, CA for wearing a Michael Schumacher Camel Benetton T-Shirt at the Monterey Visitor’s Center while trying to learn where all of the action was during my first foray to the Monterey Historics, as the German Fraulein gushed over my Benetton T-Shirt, even going so far as to ask me where I got it; do you wanna sell it?

Along with staying up into the wee hours (Midnight) in my little house on the Prairie, Err the countryside of then unincorporated King County... Screaming at the Telescreen, as “The Deuce” (ESPN2) was then the rights holder to the F1 Broadcasts, with Bob Varsha and David Hobbs actually calling the action “Live” from the venue, when the TV Broadcasters were required to actually call the races onsite, but I digress…

Sitting there dumbfounded and shrieking over Herr Schumacher’s collision with arch nemesis (enemy) Damion Hill… As clearly the “Terminator” put his soon to be patented “Schumi Swerve” upon the unsuspecting(?) Brit, which would lead to his very first Formula 1 Drivers World Championship being cemented in Adelaide, Australia 15yrs ago, (yesterday) as I screamed in jubilation as Schuey had done it! Besting Hill by a single point with the two rivals being 50 points clear of third place Gerhard Berger; SHEISA!

Although one could argue he wasn’t so successful in ’97 trying to give Jacques Villeneuve his patented ‘LUV-tap, eh? Aye Karumba!

And I suppose I should give Damon Hill his due, like I’ve come to grant Mika the Finn. (Hakkinen) Although something about Hill (his bushy eyebrows, perhaps?) has always rubbed me the wrong way… Kinda like Jacques O’ Lantern (Villeneuve) and DC (David Coulthard) in his younger McLaren days… As this quartet seemed to be Michael’s fiercest competition whilst searching for his crown…

As the pantheon of Formula One’s greatest Piloto’s; Mansell, Piquet, Prost and Senna had all left the scene, albeit Mansell’s brief return to breech the massive void left by Senna’s untimely demise… And thus I suppose its most ironic that Michael Schumacher’s very first career pole position didn’t occur until after Ayrton’s death at Imola, as Hakkinen battled royale against the TERMINATOR for Pole position at Monte Carlo a Fortnight later.

Thus I guess it’s somewhat even more ironic, or is that karmic? Or just synergy that like 1994, a most turbulent F1 season, we’ve just supposedly come to the conclusion of another overly dramatic season of Formula 1, not to mention the irony of Schuey’s very Championship winning mount, the Benetton-Ford B194 replete with the mysterious Option 13 Launch/Traction Control software (embedded) coming up for offer on eBay, and thus, a legend was born all those years ago, as another slipped into the abyss upon scoring his very last Grand Prix victory before wankering away at McLaren the following year when his backside apparently didn’t fit the tight confines of the doggish McLaren-Peugeot…

Veterans Day - 2009

Imagine a time when it all began
In the dying days of a war
A weapon that would settle the score
Whoever found it first would be sure to do their worst
They always had before...

(Song Lyrics” RUSH: Manhattan Project - Power Windows, 1985)

At the south end of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum’s Park is a giant flowing water fountain. This Fountain of Peace was created four decades ago in 1969 in order to give prayer to all of the people who perished in the second Atom Bomb dropping while vainly searching for water. At the base of the fountain is a black stone plaque with Lines from a poem carved into it. They were written by a girl named Sachiko Yamaguchi, who was nine at the time of the bombing,

It reads:
"I was thirsty beyond endurance. There was something oily on the surface of the water, but I wanted water so badly that I drank it just as it was."

Nagasaki Atom Bomb Park Photos

The New Regime
And thus we American’s celebrate our first Veteran’s Day under the guise of new leadership, as President Barack Obama follows in the nebulous footsteps of George W. Bush, as although we haven’t dropped any Atomic Bombs to date(?) Nevertheless Obama continues Bush’s legacy by continuing to fight two LOSING Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, while preparing to increase the numbers of troops being sent to fight these USELESS Occupations!

And while I prefer to post my traditional Veteran’s Day’s thoughts which first began in my story Time Stands Still, this year I’m changing tact slightly, as something has been sticking in my craw ever since listening to the STUPID debate on Speed Freaks….

Spindrift
As sun goes down

On the western shore

The wind blows hard from the east

It whips the sand into a flying spindrift

As the sun goes down

On the western shore

It makes me feel uneasy

In the hot dry rasp of the devil winds

Who cares what a fool believes

(And) What am I supposed to say?

(Song Lyrics” RUSH; Spindrift – Snakes & Arrows; 2008)

So the debate in question on Speed Freaks revolved around whether or not Middle East money should be allowed to flow into the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) and dare (I say it?) to potentially work its way into RASSCAR?

MidEast beyond Cleveland

As this “Hot Button” topic was centered around the fact that Larry Dixon currently drives for Alan Abi Racing in the NHRA’s Top fuel division, while another “Rail Jockey” Hillary Will ran Bahrain sponsorship on the side of her Top Fueler previously…

This comes on top of the current speculation that George Gillett is planning to sell a minority stake in Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) to Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud as part of a package including Ownership in Gillett’s Liverpool Football Club; while reportedly the deal could include running a Richard Petty Driving Experience program at a NASCAR style venue yet to be built in the Desert.

And now speculation suggest that Bruton Smith of Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) is pursuing an alliance with the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani regarding a massive Motorsports complex similar to SMI’s “Los Wage$” (Las Vegas) 1300 acre site, as Bruton claims a design is already completed and is separate to any of Gillett’s proposed racing venues, in which he hopes to have up to 14 NASCAR-style facilities operating in the future.

Thus business is truly open in the Gulf; along with the black tar spickets being open, the region is now diversifying into Motorsports with the just completed running of the Inaugural Abu Dabi Grand Prix, along with the Bahrain GP (both Formula 1 events) plus the annual MOTO GP night race held in Qatar.

And yet while some RASSCARHEADS are blathering’ on ‘bout how we cannot have ‘dem Saudi’s in our be-LUV-ed Roundy round series, (DAMN! Weeze alreadys gots ‘dem darn Toy-Yoter’s, yuhs here?) As they shouldn’t be allowed to cherry pick the best NHRA Teams and simply buy their way into motor racing…

Yet perhaps current racing teams wouldn’t be force to look outside the box for new financial backers (money streams) if Obama hadn’t just signed a $680 BILLION Pentagon budget into law in order to keep the United States entangled in two utterly USELESS conflicts, eh? As this is just a one year budget for Military spending which doesn’t include the countless Billions approved to fund the Occupations, nor the extra $44b given to Homeland Security, and these are just the reported “Black” budgets; SHEISA!

Since it’s reported that the cost of having just One Soldier for One year in Afghanistan could pay for twenty schools to be built there; so what are we fighting for?

Greg Moore – 10 years after

So like always, its hard to believe that a decade has already passed since the fatal tragedy that claimed one of CART’s rising Stars on Halloween occurred, thus taking Greg Moore’s life in the 1999 CART Season Finale’s Marlboro 500 at the California Speedway…

As I can still recall seeing Moore’s Player’s liveried Forsythe Reynard/Mercedes Benz violently Barrel-rolling multiple times along the circuits high bank knowing that it would be a miracle for Moore to escape un-injured; especially at the unabated speed of 200mph plus!

Yet for reasons unknown, the strongest memory of the late Greg Moore I seem to harbor is his overly foolish Bonsai carnival-like maneuver into the Festival Curves at the start of the 1998 Portland G.I. Joes 200, where as “Auntie” Harriet would say… He was acting like a “Hot Head!”

As almost co medically, Moore attempted to leapfrog his way into the lead from P14 and in the process managed to eliminate seven Racers!

Yet obviously the New Westminster native, who grew-up in the Maple Ridge suburb of Vancouver, BC had unbridled talent, as none other than the legendary “Captain” Roger Penske had just inked him to a (Multi-year) contract during the summer of 1999 to become a Penske Racing Driver for the 2000 season before his untimely incident.

Like many “Kanuck’s” Moore played Ice Hockey as a youth and ironically the No. 99 would be assigned to him when he began his Karting career… Thus reputedly having nothing to do with the revered “Great One,” (Wayne Gretsky) although certainly the connection wasn’t lost to Greg, as it would become his Car number throughout his CART career...

And like most Open Wheel Racecar Drivers, Moore cut his teeth in Go-Karts, winning the 1989-90 North American Enduro Championship before progressing to Formula Ford’s, where in 1991 he was the Formula Ford 1600 Rookie of the Year after finishing fourth overall with one victory.

In 1992, Moore became the USAC West FF2000 (Formula Ford) Champion, having claimed four Poles and four victories enroute to the title, along with being the series Rookie of the Year, before moving onto the (original) Indy Lights series, which he ran in 1993 for his Family’s underfunded Team and finished ninth overall.

In 1994 Greg became the youngest ever winner of a (CART Sanctioned) Indy Lights race at the tender age of 18 when he took the chequered flag at the season opening round in Phoenix, AZ and would record two more wins that season enroute to finishing third in the Championship.

For 1995, Greg joined the Players/Forsythe Racing Organisation and simply crushed the competition enroute to the Indy Lights Championship with a staggering ten wins out of twelve races, including a scintillating five-in-a-row… And thus was destined to make his move up to the “Big Boyz” the following season.

In his Debutant season, Moore scored 84 points and finished as runner-up in the CART/PPG’s Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year standings behind somebody named “Zorro,” a.k.a. Alex Zanardi.

In 1997, Greg then became the Championship Auto Racing Teams youngest ever winner (to that date; since eclipsed by Scott Dixon and Nelson Philippe) at the age of 22 when he beat Michael Andretti to the stripe at the famed Milwaukee Mile and would repeat as winner again just one week later… As I recall screaming at the Telescreen as not one but both of my Home team’s PacWest Racing Drivers; Mauricio Gugelmin and Mark Blundell who were running nose to tail 1-2 both sputtered out of petrol on the final lap and Moore swept thru from third place to claim victory on Detroit’s Belle Isle.

In ’98 Greg was joined by fellow Canadian Patrick Carpentier as Players/Forsythe expanded to a two car operation and Moore would dice with Zanardi at the Emerson Fittipaldi Speedway (“Roval”) in Rio de Janeiro before making a spectacular pass to solidify his fourth Champ Car victory, before later that year he’d pass the Target Boyz duo of Zanardi and Jimmy Vasser to claim the Vanderbuilt Cup in the US 500 at Michigan International Speedway, which was sadly overshadowed by the deaths of three spectators from a flying tyre that bounded over the catch fencing.


The year 1999 would start off very good for the Kanuck, once again taking victory in the season opening race in Miami, this time on the Oval Track at Homestead, which sadly would become his final Indy Car career victory, as Moore would suffer fatal head injuries on his early race incident at Fontana. (As the violent crash registered an incomprehensible 154 G’s!)

And ironically the Halloween race weekend had started out ominously for Greg when he was struck on his “Scooter” by a vehicle in the Paddock, suffering an injured right hand with Roberto Moreno being called-in by Players/Forsythe as a Back-up replacement, although Greg would take the Green flag from the rear of the field, having been cleared to drive with a hand brace.

And as I’ve said before, reportedly it was Greg whom introduced the “Dashley ‘Juan,” nee Dario Franchitti to his future wife (Ashley Judd) at a party of friend Jason Priestley's… As Greg’s posse was known to include the likes of “Mad Max” (Massimiliano) Papis, “TK,” (Tony Kanaan) “REO Speedwagon” (Dario Franchitti) and others I cannot recall, (Greg Moore Brat Pack: Adrian Fernandez, Franchitti, Kanaan, Papis and Jimmy Vasser) as I was overly touched by Dario dedicating his 2009 Indy Car Series Championship at Homestead to his late, great, friend…

Remembering Gregg Moore

Stats
1993-95: CART Indy Lights
1995 Indy Lights Champion

1996-99: CART/PPG Championship
72 Starts; 5 Poles; 5 Wins; 17 Podiums.
First race, 1996: Homestead-Miami Speedway; Homestead, FL
Last race, 1999: California Speedway; Fontana, CA

Viva Italiano recollections

This weekend’s upcoming Italian Grand Prix sparks a host of memories and emotions for me, since it was one decade ago that your Humble Scribe made the pilgrimage to Italy, embarking upon a most amazing first trip abroad, partaking in the most excellante Grand Prix Tours Italian Extravaganza… With special guest host Phil Hill, whom sadly past away just over one year ago, and like many events in life… I’ve simply managed to let time slip away without remarking upon America’s first Formula 1 World Champions passing…

As although I don’t consider myself alone in participating with these yearly GP Tours treks to Monza with Messer Hill, nevertheless I feel very fortunate to have spent a week’s time rubbing elbows with this legendary racing Piloto; as we were shepparded thru both the Lamborghini and Ferrari Factories, a private Automobile collectors Estate, the Alfa Romeo museum and lastly the Italian Grand Prix at Monza…

Yet I also recall Phil Hill showing a serious, caring side of himself when entering the Hotels bar where he and my roommate had been watching the CART practice session from Laguna Seca when gravely he announced that Rookie Gonzalo Rodriguez had just died in the Corkscrew; as I wonder how many Drivers’ deaths had Phil endured? As many will know that it was Hill’s Scuderia Ferrari teammate, the late Count Von Trips who perished at Monza in order for Phil to capture his Grand Prix crown.

Then again, how many people even recall the 27yr old Uruguay natives Tragic demise occurring ten years ago today behind the wheel of a Penske Racing chassis…

Meanwhile unbeknownst to me was the fact that Mr. Hill was in pain the whole trip while awaiting hip replacement surgery!

Maranello
(Wednesday, September 8, 1999
(All I have written down for today’s journal entry is that today we’re seeing RED!) As in FREAKIN’ FERRARI ROSSO!

I remember riding our tour bus through the very “ritzy” upscale strip-mall shopping district of the tiny city of Maranello on our way towards the factory. YES! Today I’m going to be entering the hallowed halls of the Scuderia Ferrari Factory!

Exiting our motor coach we’re inside the fairly non-descript front building, walking inside the lobby. The small room was painted the vibrant tone of Ferrari “fly” yellow… I recall our tour group milling around admiring a large sculpture while Phil Hill had disappeared inside an office. Then everyone clammered together trying to be closest to the front, in order to be first; as our tiny tour group was divided into two half’s and everybody thought they’d be with Phil in the first group. But as usual, I shied away from the fracas and waited to go with the second entourage. So imagine my happiness when this was the group Phil elected to go with. I just remember beaming to myself that my tour guide of Maranello was none other than 1961 F1 World Champion Phil Hill! (FRILLIN’ INSANE!)

First we walk to the foundry building, where Ferrari casts its own engines; where we looked at a freshly casted block and various other parts. While walking through the engine assembly area, I notice a giant NO SMOKING sign adorning the wall. This is extremely hilarious as we stop to view an engine work bench. There sat an Italian assembling a V-12 engine crankshaft with its catch tray littered full of cigarette butts...

Walking through the factory towards the body assembly area a gaggle of shop employees came running towards us. Gleefully talking excitedly in Italian, as they sought out Phil Hill for his autograph holding racing books open... They were all very young employees and unlike Lamborghini they all wore matching uniforms. Sporting bright Ferrari red pants and white T-Shirts emblazoned with the racing teams sponsors.

Approaching the final assembly lines which unlike Lamborghini were totally automated, I was quite impressed with the bright yellow robot arms doing various assembly functions. As the line also seemed much cleaner than Lamborghini’s; as it was fascinating to watch the two separate assembly lines merge into one, with the completed bodies dropping from overhead to awaiting completed drive train chassis…

I remember standing there totally enamoured as we watched a worker stuff flexible exhaust hose tubing onto a just completed silver 360 Modena’s exhaust. Then on the very first turn of the key, the engine fired as we listened to the sweet sound of the idling Ferrari burble away! Since at this time Ferrari had just three models in production; the entry level 360 V-8 Modena alongside two V-12 models: The 456GT/GTA and 550 Maranello.

Ferrari had just completed building it’s special run of 349 F-50’s and the 360 Modena’s were on one assembly line, while the 456’s & 550’s occupied a second separate assembly line.

Next we walked outside and I remember there being Ferrari’s littered (parked) everywhere, before we entered a small room where the Ferrari’s received there final inspections after being “road-tested. As they go for brief jaunts on the nearby public roads, although Ferrari owns its own test track.

Then it was back to the lobby to re-join the other half of our tour group.
Of the few notes I took that glorious day, they’re mostly related to production facts that were gleamed from our most pleasant Italian (male) tour guide. (Who I believe was a University student) At this moment.)

Ferrari was producing 12.5 cars per day; 3,600 per year. (Now they’re well above 5,000, as I think it was 5,400+ in 2005?)

Total start to finish production time per car = 1.5 days, (each) i.e.; Engine casting, Body build, Drive Train, Wiring, etc.

Ferrari offers a choice of 17 colours, with Italian’s favourite choice being Rosso. (Red) (Of course) their other favourite colour = Yellow.

At this time Ferrari had 2,000 employees including 500 devoted solely to the racing department.

Walking back through the front gate and leaving the factory way too quickly! We sauntered across the street for lunch at the factory restaurant… (Just another typical day in Italy, eh?)

As the Cavallino Ristorante is a very famous place, where we had a very long table awaiting us; resplendent in checkerboard car motif table covering. As we sat drinking a little vino along with our first course a voice said: “Quick. Look out the window!” It was Luca di Montezemolo and Jean Todt strolling by as our head waiter immediately disappeared! As they were on their way to the private dining room.

I recall having a wonderful three course lunch served in white stone china with a small black band along the top edges of the plate/bowl with the Prancing Horse logo in black, whilst sitting at the long table discussing our morning’s Ferrari experiences the sun shone through the large rectangular window that we’d previously seen Ferrari “royalty’ saunter past.

After lunch we were given free time to explore the surrounding shops before leaving for the Ferrari Museo, as I recall standing in the warm sunlight watching a pack of laughing Ferrari employees rush past me… As the throng of red & white clothed employees quickly ran through the cobblestone courtyard, obviously on there way to lunch, before a small group of us decided to walk down to the Fiorano test track, since we could hear the siren song of a Ferrari F1 chassis being fired in the near distance! As we practically ran down the street the entire way as the noise grew louder! Standing along the edge of an embankment, we were treated to the brief glimpses of Mika Salo performing test work prior to the upcoming race.

In our euphoria we’d totally forgotten we were standing alongside a two lane highway. To which we were quickly awoken from our discretion by a delivery truck blasting us with his horn, urging us to get off the road!

Then it was time to return to board our tour bus for the brief journey to the Ferrari Museo, where I seem to recall that as we approached the entrance there was an automobile hanging from the wall! As there were several Ferraris inside the two story building, with the stairway being lined with case after case of pictures of various drivers, team members, etc. With myself being drawn to a collection of Niki Lauda pictures…

The top floor was unbelievable! Filled with Formula One chassis, there were Gerhard Berger’s and Nigel Mansell’s cars to walk around, as these featured my favourite livery of AGIP. (Pre-Shell Oil sponsorship) While along the Museo’s far wall, was a fantastic full size mural painting of Michael Schumacher’s car racing through the rain… While In front of it was an early Schumacher chassis.

Downstairs were a bunch of Italian street cars. As I think there was a yellow Dino on display, but I mainly remember the two Ferrari F-40’s parked side-by-side as being my favourite. One of these cars was an awesome F-40 LM. (Le Mans) race car, with both being in Ferrari Red with no sponsorship decals on the LM chassis…

Then a quick visit to the gift shop, which although had an amazing amount of merchandise overflowing it, was simply too crowded for me. Since it was just a tiny “whole in the wall” boutique, but of course my trip roommate Sean had to ask if anybody wanted to know the time? (Does anybody really know what time it is?) As he’d just bought a TAG/Ferrari wristwatch along with a Ferrari team jersey… (Which he wore to the race track…)

Then all too soon it was time to depart and return to the Hotel Fini. For our final night in Modena, as the majority of our group went out for dinner at a nearby Ristorante, which I remember having trouble seeing in the dark…

Grey Beards

“You’ve been a BAD boy; you let your face grow long…”

Obviously, I had a hard time getting as excited over this past weekend’s European Grand Prix as I would have been if the TERMINATOR had indeed made his proposed comeback…

James Allen:
“Just two weeks after announcing a shock comeback to Formula One, Michael Schumacher pulled off another surprise yesterday by calling the whole thing off.”

“Michael Schumacher’s comeback-that-never-was, has drawn the attention in recent days and it was clear looking at his face and his body language at the Geneva press conference how disappointed he was.”
(Source: James Allen’s F1 Blog)

And thus, it wasn’t meant to be, albeit Schuey was set to become the Old Man on the grid, (40yrs – 8 months) making a heroic comeback a la “Il Lione” or BLOODY NIGE’s. (Mansell) return 15 years ago, as the honour of F1’s elder statesman currently belongs to his ex-teammate Rubino… (Barrichello) Who in his own mind thought he coulda been a contender for the World Championship if only he wasn’t in Michael’s shadow and hence moved onto what has ultimately become BRAWN GP, albeit I think his junior teammate and current points leader ‘JENSE (Button) is clearly head ‘N shoulders above him. And thus a quick perusal thru my loosely kept Formula 1 statistics and Al Gore’s world wide web thingy reveal the following...

(ALL Statistics compiled PRIOR to the 2009 European GP)


Michael Schumacher
Age: 40 (Born 01/03/69) Starts: 249; Wins: 91; Poles: 68; Podiums: 154; Fastest laps: 76; Teams: Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari; World Championships: 7; Seasons: 15 (1991-2006).

What can I say about Herr Schumacher? I mean he’s certainly one of the greatest drivers ever… and I’m just really bummed that he had to F%%K UP his neck racing “Scooters” in order to not be able to fulfill his hoped for comeback… which would certainly have brought some Zest back to one of Formula 1’s most scandalous seasons…

Ricardo Patrese
Age: 39 (At retirement; Born 04/17/54) Starts: 256; Wins: 6; Poles: 8; Podiums: 37; Fastest laps: 13; Teams: Shadow, Arrows, Brabham, Alfa Romeo, Williams, Benetton; World Championships: 0; Seasons: 16 (1977-1993).

I’ve only included Ricardo because he was the benchmark of durability of all Formula Uno Piloto’s with an unheard of 256 Grand Prix starts, which was thought at one time to be untouchable. Hell! Even Herr Schumacher has less career starts then Patrese…

Luca Badoer
Age: 38 (B 01/25/71) Starts: 48; Wins: 0; Poles: 0; Podiums: 0; Fastest laps: 0; Teams: BMS Scuderia Italia, Minardi, Forti Course, Ferrari; World Championships: 0; Seasons: 4 (1993, 1995-96, 1999, 2009).

Although some are questioning Ferrari’s choice of Italian Luca Badoer over the teams younger test/reserve driver, the 35yr old Spaniard Marc Gene after not having contested a Formula 1 event since Suzuka, 1999, I’d like to believe the story of Badoer being granted the position due to his loyalty to the Scuderia, having become a test driver at Maranello way back in 1997.

Will we see Badoer thru the remainder of the season, not to mention the upcoming event at Monza?

Badoer began his F1 career with BMS Scuderia Italia, powered by Ferrari V-12 “Lumps” in 1993, regularly outshining senior teammate Michele Alboreto, whom he lost his drive to in 1994 when the team merged operations with Minardi, but stayed on as their test driver and replaced Alboreto in 1995 upon his retirement from F1, before moving onto an unsuccessful season with Forti Course. Badoer then ran his final F1 campaign with Minardi in 1999, and was surprised when Ferrari drafted Mika Salo as Schumacher’s stand-in upon the German breaking his leg, as Badoer was the team’s test driver, and still is…

And if you’re questioning Badoer’s pedigree, then you may wish to know he’s a multi-series champion; Italian Karting, Italian F3 and F3000, having beat some Dude named Zanardi for his F3 crown…

Rubens Barrichello
Age: 37 (B 05/23/72) Starts: 277; Wins: 9; Poles: 13; Podiums: 66; Fastest laps: 17; Teams: Jordan, Stewart, Ferrari, BAR-Honda, Honda, BRAWN GP; World Championships: 0; Seasons: 16 (1993 - Present).

As we all know, Rubino, who ironically made his Formula 1 debut at the exact same race as Badoer, the 1993 South African GP, began his career with “EJ’s” (Eddie Jordan) plucky Privateer team, driving the Sasol sponsored Jordan 193/Hart V-10, which slowly rose in stature, while Barrichello’s career zenith obviously came while deputizing as Schumacher’s wingman at Ferrari, where he scored all of his Grand Prix victories, before eclipsing Patrese’s starting record late last season.

Giancarlo Fisichella
Age: 36 (B 01/14/73) Starts: 222; Wins: 3; Poles: 3; Podiums: 18; Fastest laps: 2; Teams: Minardi, Jordan, Benetton, Jordan, Sauber, Renault,, Force India; World Championships: 0; Seasons: 13 (1996-Present).

Not really sure what to say about “Fishy-fellah,” other then he’s been around an awful long time, having started his career with perennial back marker’s and Minnow Minardi, which has given many F1 Piloto’s there chance to race in Formula 1, kinda makes me think of Dale Coyne Racing, eh? Although I do recall some mighty infighting at Jordan with hotshot Ralph Schumacher before moving onto Benetton, while Fisichella’s final Grand Prix victory came in very strange fashion, scoring Jordan Grand Prix’s final victory as the race was red flagged just moments after his Ford “Lump” burst into flames and the outcome wasn’t decided until one week later…

Jarno Trulli
Age: 35 (B 07/13/74) Starts: 209; Wins: 1; Poles: 4; Podiums: 10; Fastest laps: 1; Teams: Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault, Toyota; World Championships: 0; Seasons: 12 (1997 - Present).

Jarno, a.k.a. “Trulli Scrumptious” according to Professor Matchett, is another long time veteran of Formula One and has never really seemed to become one of the sports top stars… Although he did have to suffer in the limelight of Ralfanso; you know Michael Schumacher’s brother for three years while routinely outperforming him! And I can’t quite remember which race it was? But Trulli put in a sterling drive when not being denied a much overdue Podium for Toyota, not to mention securing the team’s very first pole. Jarno seems like one of the good guys and reportedly makes some killer vino in his spare time…

Mark Webber
Age: 32 (B 08/27/76) Starts: 131; Wins: 1; Poles: 1; Podiums: 8; Fastest laps: 1; Teams: Minardi, Jaguar, Williams, Red Bull Racing; World Championships: 0; Seasons: 7 (2002 - Present).

Good Day Mate and get your BLOODY ARSE OUTTA MY WAY! As Webber’s been known to have ‘Juan of the widest cars on the grid… But his dogged determination finally saw him score his maiden Grand Prix victory at the Nurburgring after 130 starts. Not to mention coming back from a broken leg and shoulder suffered while riding in his Tasmanian charity event this past winter…

Nick Heidfeld
Age: 32 (B 05/10/77) Starts: 160; Wins: 0; Poles: 1; Podiums: 12; Fastest laps: 2; Teams: Prost, Sauber, Jordan, Williams, BMW-Sauber; World Championships: 0; Seasons: 9 (2000 - Present).

Contrary to Bob Varsha’s quoting of Mark Webber having just broken the longest drought for first victory by an F1 driver, unfortunately “Quick Nick” still holds that dubious honour, with 160+ starts to his credit… Then again, I’d say the majority of the teams he’s driven for never gave him a chance, as most don’t recall the fact that he outqualified his teammate Kimi Raikkonen in convincing manner whilst teammates at Sauber…

Kimi Raikkonen
Age: 29 (B 10/17/79) Starts: 149; Wins: 17; Poles: 16; Podiums: 59; Fastest laps: 35; Teams: Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari; World Championships: 1; Seasons: 8 (2001 – Present).

Obviously “The Kimster’s” greatest accomplishment in Formula 1 to date was his miraculous snatching of the 2007 F1 Drivers World Championship away from rookie Lewis Hamilton by one point in the final race at China in 2007…

And Kimi, a.k.a. the REAL “Iceman” has always been known for his blindingly quick pace along with David Hobbs routinely pronouncing how large the Finn’s attachments (Balloc’s) are… But for me, his finest moment came during the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix, when Raikkonen chased down “Fishy-fellah” and with two laps remaining, whilst ignoring the klaxon bell of the McLaren’s Mercedes Benz rev limiter, magnificently sweeps past the Roman’s Renault on the OUTSIDE of Turn 1 and snatches a breathtaking victory away from an utterly gutted Giancarlo… (Which would lead to his downfall from Renault).


Jenson Button
Age: 29 (B 01/19/80) Starts: 163; Wins: 7; Poles: 7; Podiums: 22; Fastest laps: 2; Teams: Williams, Benetton, Renault, BAR-Honda, Honda, BRAWN GP; World Championships: 0; Seasons: 9 (2000 - Present).

As we all know: “You’ve come a long way baby!” As our man ‘JENSE was on the outside looking in this past winter in regards to whether or not he’d be even racing in Formula 1? And his season has been magnificent to date, albeit the boil having come off quite a bit recently… Yet, when I think of Button, I hearken back to his rookie campaign, when under the tutelage of one Messer Gerhard Berger… ‘JENSE lost his license for excessive speeding in a BMW Diesel road car!

Seafair splendor

Oh Boy Oberto/Miss Madison
Whale for Mwah; I still harbour memories of the thrill of Seafair as a young lad, as tradition was for young boys to pull cut out wooden planks, usually plywood fashioned in the shape of a Hydroplane by string behind their bikes through the neighborhoods…

Having grown up in the era of the pre-turbine’s, today’s Hydro’s just don’t have the same notoriety to me name wise or in spirit, as the turbine whoosh has long since replaced those glorious open cockpit, front & rear engine World War II surplus V-12 Allison and Rolls Royce Merlin powered monstrosities known as the “Blue Blaster” and the “Beer Wagon,” dueling for supremacy opposite of the finger piers of the Stan Sayre’s pits, where Miss Budweiser, Atlas Van Lines and the Pride of Pay ‘N Pak all left their indelible mark as Seafair victor’s, Gold Cup winners and National High Points Champions.

As luminary drivers like Bill Muncey and Dean chenowith immediately come to mind, not to mention Mickey Remund, Jim Kropfield, Tom D’Eath and local hero Chip Hanauer to name a few; while everybody fought to beat the sport’s “Kingpin” owner Bernie Little. During a time When boats named Squire Shop, Miss Rock (KISW 99.9FM), Oh Boy Oberto and Miss Madison were yearly contestants…

And thus, another summer has now come ‘N passed, as to me the zenith of summer in the Northwest is our annual Seafair Hydroplane Regatta on Lake Washington, capping a month long’s celebration of events including the landing of the Seafair Pirates, the Torchlight Parade and the piece de la resistance, the Blue Angels… (Which I’ve been watching since they used to fly with A-4 Skyhawks before upgrading to F-18 Hornets) Whilst in its heyday, I fondly recall the Goodyear Blimp making its yearly trek to Seattle and being stationed at the Sand Point Naval Air Base.

Yet, unbeknownst to me, this year’s just concluded running was the 60th Annual Seafair, which just like the modern Formula 1 series, began in 1950.

US Navy Blue Angels
And without trying to rehash too many details after revisiting my Seafair Sunday (2008) report, its funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same, after quickly perusing the final heat’s entrants in last year’s event, which saw the Elam piloted by Dave Villwock win his ninth Seafair Cup against arch nemesis Jean Theoret (Miss Beacon Plumbing) and rival Steven David.

Yet, earlier this season in Detroit, apparently Theoret, now driving the renamed U-37 Hoss Mortgage flipped over and according to Hanauer’s repeated claims; (now a long time colour commentator for local CBS affiliate KIRO 7’s annual Seafair coverage) took his second gulp of water and thought he was dead… before being rescued!

After contesting Saturday’s preliminary heats, Theoret decided he just wasn’t physically able to go the distance and last minute substitute driver - J.W. Myers was brought in Sunday to pilot the U-37 Hydroplane.

Yet, this year’s event saw four different Heat winners over the two days of action, with Dave Villwock in the U-16 Ellstrom Elam Plus, Steve David in the U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto, Jimmy King in the U-3 Grandview on the Lake, and J.W. Myers in the (U-37 Hoss Mortgage Investors) each winning heats, with the 200,000+ crowd and sentimental favourite being King’s piston powered turbocharged Allison beating both Villwock’s And David’s turbines with a mesmerizing first flying lap at over 147mph.

And this feat of Old School technology is even more impressive as it’s reported that the piston powered boat is at a definite weight disadvantage, with the turbocharger weighing a hulking 600lbs alone… While on the opposite range of the spectrum, was the U-787 Boeing Hydroplane making demonstration runs the past two weeks with none other then Hydro legend Hanauer behind the wheel, having made a top speed blast of 153+ mph on Friday, as the Boeing boat is being utilized as a PR exercise while evaluating Biofuel, which it runs upon and has previously been tested by multiple airlines.

Yet, another Highlight to the weekend’s events was the Unlimited Lights Championship winner being none other then local resident Kayleigh Perkins, as Mr. Rock ‘N roll, Northwest Concert promoter extraordinaire, Patrick O’Day (75yrs old) exclaimed as the chequered flag was unfurled:

O’Day: There you have it! Seattle’s very own Danica Patrick!
Hanauer: Uhm, sorry Pat, but unlike Danica who HASN’T won very much really, Kayleigh has now just WON five races in a row.
O’Day: Yeah Chip; I guess you’re correct…

Yet Kayleigh isn’t the first female Hydroplane pilot, as that honour falls to Brenda Jones, whom I can seem to find very little out about, albeit one internets site proclaims that there was more then just Brenda as a Femme Fatale of the waterways, with the names of: Dorothy Levitt, Delphine Dodge and Betty "Joe" Carstairs being mentioned.

Also during the late 1970’s to early 1980’s; Carol Lee from Seattle, WA was the lone Female worker trailblazing the APBA National circuit as a crew member for the Miss Madison. Then the female ranks doubled when Yvonna Thomas crewed for her older brother Todd Yarling’s Cellular One Unlimited Hydroplane in the ‘80’s.

Brenda Jones – Miss KYYX
And don’t forget Lori Jones ownership of the U-9 Skyway Park Bowl and Casino, Fran Muncey’s team ownership after her husband’s unfortunate death, while in the new millennium Cindy Shirley currently is a crew member of the Oh boy Oberto.

But back to Kayleigh Perkins who was celebrating her inaugural victory at Seafair, enroute to clinching her second Unlimited Lights Championship, previously having been Rookie of the Year during her first title in 2007.

Yet Mr. O’Day was quite the celebrity in his heyday, when he amassed a fortune via Concerts West Promotions, where he traveled with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin and the Beach boys, along with being Seattle’s premiere Disc Jockey with an unheard of 40% market share and owning local Radio Stations such as KJR and KYYX, while becoming “the Voice of Seafair,” when first calling the action in 1968, which he’s now done for the past 41 years continuously…

Along the way, O’Day Dabbled as a boat owner by picking up various Unlimited Hydroplanes; becoming the very first to run a turbine and female driver.

O’Day ran the KJR (950 AM) sponsored turbine boat which once was the premiere Rock ‘N roll station in Seattle, but his ill fated U-95’s most notorious moment came when it sunk to the bottom of Lake Washington in the mid 1970’s.

Then in 1981, Pat was the first to put a female behind the wheel of an Unlimited Hydro, when he tapped Brenda Jones as the pilot of his Miss KYYX, before his bubble apparently burst in the mid ‘80’s when he was forced to sell almost everything during a period of insolvency; now living a more sedate lifestyle in the San Juan Islands as a John L Scott Real Estate member.

Meanwhile the Oberto’s have opened their Lake Washington home once again to selected Senior Citizen’s groups for what Art & Dorothy say will most likely be their final shindig on the Lake as they’re set to retire and downsize…

And I don’t know why the APBA has decided to muck up the rules even further, as now all races see assigned lanes, to which I agree with Chip; at least make the final five lap heat a free-for-all lane choice, as with Dave Villwock’s Elam having lane one, it was going to be an uphill battle for Steve David’s Oh Boy Oberto (the reigning National High Points champion), in lane two to defeat Villwock, with each successive lane outwards for the six boat field giving a diminishing chance of victory… With Hanauer mentioning they’d be making their respective turns south of Southcenter… (A major shopping center south of Downtown Seattle)

And thus, after a spirited first lap duel between Villwock (53yrs old) and David (55yrs old), with a hard charging Jimmy King on the outside, Villwock steadily pulled ahead, bouncing over the choppy water with roostertail flying high into the sky, while apparently the Oh boy Oberto was suffering from a melted down turbine and steadily lost power throughout the five lap heat, faltering to a lowly finish of last place, while the piston powered boat came home an impressive runner-up with J. W. Meyers in third place.

The win for Villwock gave him an unprecedented total of ten Seafair victories, the most by any driver, eclipsing Chip Hanauer, and was his 59th career victory, moving him withing striking distance of the top two all time winners: Bill Muncey (62) and Hanauer (61). Also, interestingly Will (Power) Muncey, son of the legendary Godfather of Unlimited Hydro’s is currently competing in the Unlimited Lights class…

2009 Seafair Results
U-16 Ellstrom Elam Plus - Dave Villwock
U-3 Grandview on the Lake - Jimmy King
U-37 Hoss Mortgage Investors - J.W. Myers
U-5 FormulaBoats.com - Jeff Bernard
U-17 USNW Express - Kip Brown
U-1 Oh Boy! Oberto - Steve David
U-7 Graham Trucking - J. Michael Kelly STARTED AS TRAILER

Surviving Indy (Lap 151-200)

L200: Aftermath; Mon, 5/25
So it was nice to sleep in and not have anywhere important to go... Although originally Danny was gonna try taking me to the Winners interview Media-throng at the track, but told me that rain was definitely on the way and just minutes after hanging up two police sirens whailed by which were immediately followed by a massive crackling of thunder... as soon the entire area was under a deluge of precipitation and a long running thunderstorm... As Danny would later tell me that they’d gotten soaked at the Speedway... See Hulio? It’s NOT nice to fool Mother Nature...

And thus, I sent a large chunk of the day listening to as much of AM1070’s THE FAN race recap as I could stomach... Although amused to here one caller say he was still waiting for Danica to drive harder! While the overlying theme seemed to be that the race was BORING and NO one could pass... But by far the number one complaint was Mrs. Brady’s singing... Something about being put out to pasture.

And as Krabitz ‘N Eddie interviewed “RAFA,” it was the first I’d learned of his accident with Vitor Meira, thus I was surprised to hear Rafael Matos saying he’d gone to visit his friend Meira in the Hospital and that Vitor had broken his L2 vertebrae... As apparently Meira’s broken two vertebras and will be out of action for 4-6 months...

And Bill Martin of Sports Illustrated is blathering on about the race and bashing the Media center... Calling it an Aquarium Fishbowl, while later on in the show its none other then Mr. Dancin’ fool himself, as I’m sure Y’all have heard the sound bites of Hulio informing everybody that he just wants to make it absolutely clear that the $3.2m isn’t all his... Although he’ll now be able to pay his lawyers; Yuk-Yuk-Yuk...

And I’m starting to get a stomach-ache over ALL of the Danicker RASSCAR CRAP!!! I mean would she rather be a big fish in a small pond (IRL) or a small fish in a big pond? (NASCAR) Oh, but the IRL NEEDS her, whah-ahhhhh................ (But nary a peep about Sarah Fisher’s race, eh?)

Dale Coyne Racing Transporter

Returning from dinner with Dave & Danny at the Union Jack Pub, as everyone’s been raving about their Pizzanoes since I arrived... Danny sez; hey look! There’s Justin Wilson’s truck... Huh? As sure enough there were two gleaming white Dale Coyne Racing team transporters parked discretely in the North forty as ironically I was sporting my J. Wilson RuSport T-shirt... So off to get ye ‘Ol camera while Danny softened them up... As I was introduced to DCR’s main truck driver Mike and back-up driver Scott, who’d previously worked full time for DCR for 16yrs before leaving last year, as they’d just spent the entire day at IMS breaking down the garages and getting ready to drive the four Dallara/Honda chassis back to Dale’s shop in Chicago, which was a 3hr drive, which they’ll do tomorrow, have a day off and then probably leave for Milwaukee on Thursday.

And Mike is a bit of a “Handyman,” not ony driving the Semi, but also being a tyre buster and doing the Hospitality suite... And although he offered to let us take a peak inside, he said it’s pretty dark and the cars are up above. Hey, hang on a second; let me see if I’ve got any Hero cards? Better yet, Mike came back with a Justin Wilson Press Kit for Mwah, COOL!


Tues, 5/26
About 8:11AM I hear that low grumble of a Diesel Semi-hauler pulling away as it works its way up thru the gears outside my rooms window; there goes the Dale Coyne Boyz... Before listening to more Hulio fodder on AM1070 while awaiting Danny’s arrival, as today we’re off to one of my favourite Automobile haunt’s; the IMS Hall of Fame museum.

After sauntering about the two gift shops where Danny’s asked two clerks if they have the Jimmy Neighbors blender? You know it’s from 1962 and has all those speeds; dicing, chopping and puree... Whale I could go look for you Sir? Then Danny notices that the esteemed Donald Davidson is sitting on a bench near the museum’s entrance bantering on about yesteryear with a few friends, so we stop and introduce ourselves and I thank him for all of his assistance on my Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials story... And I still cannot believe it’ll only set you back three smackeroos ($3) to get into this most Historic museum!

Will Power (St. Pete, 2009)

Naturally I had to ask the Docent at the entryway if they had Mauri Rose’s 1947-48 INDY 500 winning Blue Crown chassis on display. Yes, its right in there turn left at the first hallway... As Danny took off to blast thru the museum I decided to start at the end of the row after we’d briefly viewed Rose’s mount... Thus as I stood admiring ‘Ol Parnelli Jone’s ’63 winner Danny returned, looked behind me, did a double take and then asked; Do you want to meet Will Power? Uh Duh! As there was a group of three persons standing directly behind me; and as I turned around Danny introduced me to Will and before I knew it I was shaking hands... And then I sheepishly asked him how far he’d gotten up to? I think I heard third over the PA system, to which Power replied; I’ got up to second and was chasing down Helio. Then I mentioned to him how I’d heard something about his insane training regimen? You’re doing a Triathlon shortly aren’t you? NO! All of that was my Trainer’s idea, but I did do the Mini 500 this month. Any chance we’ll see you in anymore races this year? Well hopefully I’ll be doing about six more? And then we said our goodbyes as I overheard Will telling his party that an old friend had told him about the museum...

Next we made a brief sweep down what Danny called “Winner’s Row,” which featured a great selection of INDY 500 winning chassis; from Eddie Cheever’s ’98 mount, Arie Luyendyk’s ’97 Tredway car, Gordie Johncock’s ’73 STP Special, Big Al’s (Al Unser Sr.) ’86 Penske, Mark Donohue’s 1972 Sunoco Special, which Donald Davidson had previously told me is the real one... Mario Andretti’s ’69 Brawner Hawk and Bobby Unser’s ’68 Risoline Special... and I can’t remember if Tom “The Gasman” Sneva’s ’83 Texaco Star was in there or not?

Graham Hill Lotus 56 Turbine chassis

On the opposite side of the room was the magnificent 1968 Lotus 56 Graham Hill Turbine car, which is stunning and thus it only seemed fitting that Herr Schumacher’s (Michael) 1991 Camel liveried Benetton B191 whas holding station alongside. And the rest is a blur, as there was the same Porsche and Peugeot Sports Racing Cars as I once again gravitated to Alberto Ascari’s Ferrari and the awesome Mercedes Benz 196(?) Silver Arrow, not to mention a bunch ‘O pristine turn of the century touring cars, etc; and that doesn’t even include the massive display cabinets filled with all sorts of memorabilia. Then a very brief gander at the Marmon Wasp, AJ Foyt’s ’67 winner and URGH! Danica’s 2005 Rookie RLR Argent car complete with firesuit and helmet as Danny said it’ll cost you plenty for me to take this picture...

Mauri Rose’s Blue Crown Spark Plug Special No. 3

Then that evening it was off to McGilvery’s, as Dave picked me up early for my impending “Big Interview” on Don Kay’s ‘lil Radio Show, of which I’ve already scribble ‘bout in: Tomaso on Autosport Radio. After my 15min ‘O fame “Dr. Who,” a.k.a. Tim Wardrop joined our table and I congratulated him on their two Indy Lights victories at St. Pete, as Tim briefly told us stories about the season, working for Porsche, etc before taking off. When I asked him about the Long Beach fiasco, Tim mentioned that it’s an old car, seven years old to be exact and that new flat crank causes some massive harmonics... And I’m assuming there’s also body flex in the chassis? As Tim said that the electrical system caught on fire as the whole wiring loom let go! On our way out of McGilvery’s Dave briefly introduced me to “Doc,” who’ll be 93 in two weeks and has been alive for every single INDY 500! As Doc is an old Hemelgarn man and a fixture at McGilvery’s for Don’s show.


Wed, 5/27
Wednesday morning was pretty low key as I’d already packed the night before and simply was awaiting Danny’s arrival, who took me out for a late brunch at a local restaurante called “Charlie Brown’s.” NO! I’m not making that up, but it’s a popular joint and has good food... Before we headed off to make our rounds at the IRL’s Administration Buildings of which I’ve previously scribbled about in; Back from Indy. And then alas, it was time to go to the Airport and begin the long process of going home...

And how can one put into perspective the full brunt of the Speedway’s shadows... Or adequately sum up the euphoria, expectations and pageantry of the INDY 500? As it dawned on me whilst standing outside on the fourth floor of the Media center how the 500 made me think of the Rose Bowl... And how they have many similarities, i.e.; Parade, Glitz ‘N Glamour, event Princesses, Marching Bands, a Massive event and are both each other’s respective Super Bowl each and every year... As one must simply go and attend in order to get the Full Monty of the spirited Spectale that Fisher & Co. built a century ago.

Now I’m exhausted and “I’ve got blisters on my fingers!” From typing madly away at le confUZer the past few dazes...

Kudos to Danny, Dave, Jeff and Carl for making my week in INDY so enjoyable!

Surviving Indy (Lap 101-150)

Sun, 5/24 (Con’t)
CHECKERS OR WRECKERS...
Have pestered Danny all morning about being outside for all of the Pre-Race Hoopla and notice the melody of multiple Marching Bands, while standing outside prior to the beginning of the festiva, as we continue to countdown to Drivers introductions before going back inside where JMV, a.k.a. John Michael Vincent; NOT to be cornfused with Jan Michael Vincent of WNDE - AM1260 (Mon-Fri; Noon-4PM ET) was doing a special live broadcast of his show “The Drive” from inside the Media center and was situated directly behind and three seats to the right of my assigned chair and was talking quite loudly... And as he began his interview with 2009 IMS Celebrity Pace Car Driver Josh Duhamel, there were suddenly video cameras next to me along with multiple flashes from Photographers...

As the interview ended, I noticed Crash Gladys tracking down Josh alongside the floor to ceiling windows, as I assume she did an interview for Speed Freaks. Stick around folks JMV blares out, as we’ll be joined by Robin Miller and Jimmy Neighbors shortly...

“Attention in the Media center. Thomas Kinkade, the artist of this year’s INDY 500 program will be available for interviews for a few minutes.”

Balloon Release (Dave O'Brien photo)

Danny & I went to lunch in the Cafeteria where various comments were made about the Turkey’s tenderness..; “Tastes like Chicken!” As the two Gentlemen sitting across from me informed me when I told them the only East Coast Hockey team near their city of St. Louis that I could think (Think Pink!) of was the (Chicago) Blackhawk’s which I knew was wrong; they said those are fighting words, Son!

Walking back upstairs a small throng of people headed towards us as Jeffrey said; you just missed Jimmy Neighbors right behind us... As the Media center was now completely cleared out. But I did manage to catch the majority of JMV’s interview with Miller, John Oreovicz (ESPN) and Chris Hagen of FOX59’s Indy Car Nation.

Oreovich:
“Luczo Dragon Racing’s Jay Penske is a Hip, Cool, Californian version of Roger Penske and all of the Stars like Shaq wanna be seen with him until they get the bill the month later and say this is how much it costs to go racing?”

And now its almost time for Driver introductions kiddies, as I made my way outside to get situated as there was already a small crowd along the fourth floors railing towards the front straightaway... And everybody’s talking, hooting ‘N hollering as the crowd is massive and there’s a slight buzz of anticipation in the air... And now IT’S SHOWTIME!

Starting 33rd, Alex Tagliani, as there’s a modest amount of applause as the PA announcer slowly works his way forward up the grid... And HOLY SHIT!!! The crowd erupts with electrified intensity as Princess Danicker’s name is announced... With only Dancin’ FOOL Hulio receiving a louder ovation as one spectator turns around to tell me that;

“They’re cheering because he beat the IRS!”

While I guess that Dario Franchitti got the third loudest cheer from the massive audience opposite us...

Then its time for the singing, with three singers doing traditional pieces, including Mrs. Brady, a.k.a. Florence Henderson doing her usual Gospely, harmonically challenged tune before the piece de la resistance... Gomer Pyle singing Back Home Again in Indiana, which I’d wanted to hear live, but strangely it seemed way shorter then when I listen to it on the Telescreen! Perhaps because the crowd drones out the wind-up of the song’s beginning? And where’s the Balloons... Oh CRAP! Cannot see a Bloody thing because the Media center’s roof is in the way (although the shade it provides is greatly appreciated...) and thus I was unable to see the AWESOME fly over by vintage World War II Bombers... Which were simply electrifying as the massive piston powered air cooled radial engines rumbled directly overhead, passing the Pagoda at the very moment the National Anthem finished! As I couldn’t even hear Mrs. Hulman George say those famous words, with the crowd erupting and 33 Honda Lumps suddenly coming to life...

Ryan Briscoe’s Team Penske mount

And the whirring of the overhead camera on a cable mounted above the length of Pit lane was only audible during the 21 gun salute as three volleys of seven shots rang out... Before the camera which annoyingly entered my field of vision the rest of the afternoon made me think of a giant black/grey Teradackle scooting by on a wire while its whirring motor could no longer be heard over the roar of engines and crowd...

As the eleven rows of three cars roll away! And like an old fashioned steam Locomotive the cars continue to pick up speed before there’s a massive crowd eruption as the Green flag’s waived... But I cannot hear a single BLOODY thing over the PA System as suddenly the cars slow down and the people around me say; Caution-Caution-Caution...

Well at least they managed to squeeze in two laps as apparently Mario “The High Line ISN’T the Right Line” Moraes tangles with Marky-Mark (Marco) Andretti... As later I’d be informed that the first lap had been waived off, so a Yellow flag before the conclusion of Lap 1 summed up the whole race to Mwah, as I went into hysterics over the RASSCAR style blunder... As the following day AM1070’s THE FAN’s Krabitz would tell the following joke:

“What do you get when you put Mario, Michael and Marco (Andretti) in a basement? A WHINE Cellar...” (Hee-Hee-Hee... Hey I’m just repeating it!)

But back to the race as we’re Green again and I decide that the massive blur of 33 Indy Car projectiles in close lock-step sound like a high speed Freight Train passing by; Vump- Vump- Vump- Vump- Vump- Vump- Vump- Vump- Vump... Vump- Vump- Vump! Albeit of a higher frequency pitch before the Freight Train begins to get strung out... And I find it hilarious how everybody gets up and runs over to the windows inside the Media center anytime there’s a Pit Stop or Caution... As Crikeys! Graham Rahal has crashed again, SHEISA! In what Robin Miller would later describe as a Lucky Milka! Instead of a Lucky Dog pass where you get your lap back ala RASSCAR... The IRL sticks you behind Milka for two laps and sees if you can keep from crashing... Oh Robin, you’re such a Heathen... And although the Media center is very pleasurable temperature wise; yet as Meesh sez: it’s become Morgue-like as its totally silent, except for the tapping of keyboards only overcrowded by the blaringly loud live ABC feed on all of the TV’s and the air conditioning... But Hey! At least there’s NO COMMERCIALS!!! And hence I’ve been deprived of the plethora ‘O Princess “Whose your Daddy?” Danicker adverts as I simply haven’t watched my race tape yet...

Justin Wilson-Dale Coyne Racing card

And then like a claxon bell a voice rings out over the room’s loudspeakers... Graham Rahal has been checked-out, released and cleared to drive.

OH SHEISA! Davey Hamilton’s just slid up the track into the marbles and hit the wall...

TK (Tony Kanaan) has a massive crash as everybody says OOH! As they watch Hulio’s in-car replay, showing sparks trailing before impact with the Safer Barrier at 190mph... They play Danica’s radio transmission; “I hope he’s Ok?” To which Mikey (M. Andretti) calmly replies; “Yeah, he’s alright, Pit-Pit-Pit.”

Attention: Davey Hamilton’s been released and cleared to drive. And then I break into silent laughter when the same monotone voice informs us that Tony Kanaan has been released and cleared to drive... As is it just me? Uhm, excuse me Mister Announcer-man, while I’m happy that TK’s been cleared to drive... I DON’T think his car’s going anywhere...

And then finally, I’d had enough of being inside, trying to see my chicken scratching and told Danny I was going back outside for the duration of the event and would meet Dave & Rob after the victory lane celebrations... While Jeff came out and joined me briefly... Having asked me earlier if I could disconcert the sickly sweet smell of Popcorn, which was his description of the cars Ethanol... But I couldn’t seem to pick up this scent over the proliferation of cigar and cigarette smoke.

AH FUCK! HOLY SHEISA!!! The WRONG three Drivers finished on the Podium... Podium? WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ PODIUMS!!! Do we Eddie “The Goose” Gossage, eh? As the crowd simply erupted over Hulio climbing the fence... As I particularly enjoyed Jimmy vasser’s outtake on the whole Hulio-mania hysteria, saying” Helio’s my favourite ACTOR!

I mean C’mon, why couldn’t it have been Will Power, Townsend Bell, Paul Tracy, Tomas Scheckter, TAG, Justin Wilson or Graham Rahal instead? As now I’ve gotta listen forever to Hulio being referred to as a Three Time INDY 500 Winner... SHEISA!!!


Danica Patrick’s 2005 RLR chassis at IMS Museum

And it was amazing to see how many people were now making a mass exitous, as the Gordon Pipers began playing their victory song prior to the celebrations before the entire Speedway was filled with the booming sounds of the three precocious whiners, Err winners interviews over the PA system... Oh Danicker, put a sock in it will yuh!

And then Dave helped me navigate our way towards the exit, having left Rob at the Hall of Fame Museum in order to do a bit of last minute shopping... And yet although packed, seemingly the large population of pedestrians seemed to be flowing fairly well as we were outside of the Speedway grounds in a matter of minutes... Walking on 16th Street before the “Coppers” told us to get on the sidewalk as they’d opened up all four lanes to traffic, as the floodgates seemed to open for cars, trucks, vans, busses, etc while waiting for the Police to let us cross the intersection. Yet Dave’s shop O’Brien Carpets is just a half mile away from the Speedway and we were quickly there, before Dave whisked us away to his house for a most excellante barbeque dinner upon Rob’s arrival, as we’d stay up until 12:15AM discussing the race, albeit overshadowed once again by Rob an my never ending Formula 1 conversation...

To continue reading, see; Surviving Indy L151-200

Surviving Indy (Lap 51-100)

Fri, 5/22 (Con’t)
Back at the Hotel I listened to the majority of the Krabitz ‘N Eddie Radio program that was being broadcasted “live” from the IMS Pagoda Pavilion on AM1070 THE FAN; later in the program they interviewed “Whale Goll-leeeeeee” Jimmy Neighbors. They also chatted with Robbie Floyd on “Hangin’ out” with Graham Rahal... Playing Golf and he was most impressed by how some Drivers know they’ve got it. (Talent) And Graham’s DEFINITELY GOT IT!

Originally before arriving, my plan was to meet Jeff at Kurt Cavin’s Hamburgers ‘N Hotdogs, Err Milkshakes event Friday evening, before I pondered attending the Last Row Ball hosted by Bob Jenkins, but instead Carl “Fuller Brush” took me to Broad ripple instead to listen to the harmonious blowing ‘O Bagpipes at the Gordon Pipers Tartan Ball... As unbeknownst to Mwah, the Gordon Pipers have participated in over half of all INDY 500’s and these are the majestic Bagpipers you heard on race day if you were at the track. I also was unaware that four Gordon Pipers are situated in Victory Lane and play to the races winner upon victory, as the four Bagpipers represent good luck and there’s four for four wheels coming home...

Rahal Letterman Racing Boyz

Sitting inside the large banquet hall, my eardrums were soon pierced by the high pitched tones of several bagpipes, most notably the one standing about five feet away from me, as there were three bands on hand that night. The first from Ohio was started by an ex-Gordon Piper, with the second band being from Ingersoll, BC and the third band was the Gordon Pipers, which I’m told are referred to as the Gordon 500 Pipers during the Month ‘O May. And thus they formed the nucleus of a mass band including the first two plus the 500 Pipers...

And the master of ceremonies was an absolute hoot, as Wallace Gordon Diel (an ex-Vet nary Doctor from Ingersoll, BC) would call out; Pipe Major present yourself! Aye, and take your whiskey... Before saying; “Schlog, Schlog, Scaliwog... Drink! As apparently Bag piping includes generous doses of whiskey, before Dr. Diel would say you may now retire and tune up the rest of the Band!

Dr. Diel also explained that the two final tunes of the night were of significance as the first; Scottish Way? Was for the Drivers and the second Mary Hill? Was in honour of Mary Hulman George, but she didn’t know that...

Upon my return around 10:30PM, I called the Night Desk clerk to reserve me another Taxi for Saturday morning at 7:30AM; BUTT! I had my doubts upon his responses to my inquiry, telling me I’ll see what I can do?


Sat, 5/23
HALF DISTANCE
So incase you didn’t guess... The Taxi Cab never arrived and hence my best laid plan of seeking Princess Danicker’s (PSYCH!) NOT! As I’d been hopeful of getting Row 5, (Tracy and Wilson) Row 8 (Hamilton) Row 10 (John Andretti) and Row 11 (Tagliani) autographs in a “Perfect World!” (Order) Instead I took a nap and then awoke to turn on the Telescreen in order to catch some I500 Festival Parade action, perhaps? And by total accident I lucked into the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying replay with about 5min remaining in Q2, witnessing “Fishy-Fella” shortcut the chicane. OOPS! Sorry Fisichella, your times disallowed... After The REAL Iceman *K. Raikkonen) sets the fastest lap in Q2, ‘JENSE (Button) steals Pole in Q3 by mere tenths of a second ahead of The Kimster; who although had an extra qualifying lap in hand apparently ran wide into Turn 1 and decided it was wisest to back off and not damage the car!

Birthday Boy Rubino (R. Barrichello) was third on his 37th B-Day and shirkingly said that he wished to be two spots better tomorrow if he couldn’t have P1 on his birthday... While Jenson claimed that the final Q3 session/Pole lap had been MANIC!

Afterwards, I caught some pre-parade coverage including a great interview by Dave Calabro (The voice of the 500; PA Announcer) on Gomer Pyle, along with a short piece about whether or not Sponsorships were effective on Indy Cars in today’s economy? Claiming that a primary sponsorship, i.e.; Verizon Wireless on Will Power’s Penske would cost $2-5 million, while an Associative sponsorship, i.e.; Mobil 1, also on the Penske’s but less prominent would run you only $500,000 instead. Yet RASSCAR would cost you four times as much; $20m and the pinnacle ‘O Motorsports, Formula 1 would cost you $30-50m as a Title sponsor.

Justin Wilson’s Dale Coyne Racing mount

There also was a brief piece upon my Numero Uno Indy Car Driver Justin “BIG UNIT” Wilson, noting how he’s the tallest Driver in the field at six feet, three and a half inches vs. Danica’s diminutive five foot two stature. At eight years old in Go Karts (in England) he felt about twice as tall as rival competitors Dan Wheldon and Jenson Button. NO! I’m NO Good at Basketball, I can’t jump... And none other then Sir Jackie Stewart told him he was simply too tall for Motor Racing when driving for Jackie’s son at Paul Stewart Racing. Proclaiming that Justin would simply never fit into the car! And although I made my goal of getting into F1, I NEVER enjoyed it! Then there was a great example of Justin showing how his knees are virtually touching the top of the underside monocoque and when he turns the steering wheel his elbows have to go somewhere...

And speaking of “The Wee Scot” *Sir Jackie) “JENSE’s Pole and subsequent victory at Monte Carlo was the first by a British Driver since Stewart accomplished the feat in 1973 aboard a Tyrrell/Ford...

As I caught all of this while awaiting Dave & Rob’s arrival for a leisurely lunch at the Union Jack Pub just down the street... It’s a pretty cool place with lots of racing memorabilia plastered on the walls, as I was particularly intrigued by a photo of Jimmy Clark in a Cooper... And the place was packed! As you’d never have guessed there was a parade going on as I could swear I heard Ralph sheheen’s voice as we walked towards our table, where I had a good time talking Rob’s ear off ‘bout Formula 1. (OOPS Dave!)

Also, I failed to mention that prior to Graham Rahal’s Friday press conference; I was saddened to hear over the rooms loudspeaker’s a moving tribute by Bob Jenkins regarding Larry Rice’s death after his bout with lung cancer... As you can catch a recent interview by Don Kay including Rice’s pal Gary Lee on Autosport Radio.

Along with failing to discuss Lloyd Ruby’s passing, to which Dave “CARPETS” O’Brien told a great story about one day Lloyd being in the Flag Room and was unafraid to finish off the beer can pyramid that nobody was willing to attempt... In his trademark Cowboy hat and drawl; what’s goin’ on feller’s? Apprised of the situation he simply picked up a beer bottle, stepped forward, stuck it on top, said ‘dare uze go boyz and simply walked out while the Bartender looked on nervously towards the impending mess...

Nelson Philippe’s HVM Racing mount

On the way home from Dave’s family outing, he showed me The Circle in Downtown Indianapolis, which I’d never been to before and a few blocks prior there was an Verizon Wireless shin-dig going on. As we circumnavigated the Circle for the first lap, there were a few Police cruisers with roof lights strobing in front of an Indy Car set-up as Dave said it was a Show car with a Show girl in front of it as we completed a second lap around the circle before heading back to my Speedway Hotel, where I caught some of the tape delayed I500 Festival Parade coverage and was amused to hear Derrick Daily pulling Parade duty, while it was claimed earlier in the day that some 300,000+ spectators were on hand...


Sun, 5/24; RACE DAY!
Caution-Caution-Caution...
So it’s finally hear, what countless, untold thousands clamour for each year, as Danny picked me up at 6:45AM in order to beat the traffic... And it’s sure nice having infield Media parking, eh? As another Yellow Shirt held the door open for me after checking our Badge’s and said; don’t you feel like one of the Drivers, Sir? While holding the door open... Before Danny introduced me to JMV upon arriving at the fourth floor of the Media center, with JMV retorting; we need to get you out to the races more!” After I benevolently decreed with a wry smile that I was picking Milkalicious to win... Then it was time for the unthinkable, as Danny introduced me to Open wheel Curmudgeon Extraordinaire, drum roll please... Tuh-Duh! Yeah, that’s right kiddies, you guessed it; Robin Miller in the flesh... Albeit a very brief introduction as Miller was being sought for an interview as he told the Handler that NO! He wasn’t Gordon Kirby; he’s right over there before making some jokes with us and then dashing off...

Back downstairs to the Cafeteria for a low key breakfast and while sitting alone Walt from New Jersey said out loud; No Fenders must be a Formula 1 site? As I was sporting one of my limited second edition No Fenders T-Shirts on race day... (Shameless promotion, eh?) Then Walt said he’d noticed the white cane and told me about a previous Blind Reporter who wrote a Colum called Thru Borrowed Eyes? Too bad Chris Economaki isn’t here... He’d know exactly who the person was and his name as we kibitzed about the relatively new New Jersey Motorsports Park before Walt told me to ask him for help if I needed anything upstairs. I’m in the back of the room...

As Danny returned and we shared a table with a fellow Journalist, he replied to my announcement of picking Milka to win; that’s a bold pick... To which Danny retorted; did you mean bold or BULL?

And speaking of the Media center, what an interesting room, as there’s an old style typewriter affixed to one of the 30+ rows of tables to permanently honour Mr. Economaki, as the room is fairly Spartan, reminding me of a High School classroom (minus the chalkboards...) with low grey tables and blue chairs and dim lighting conducive to the hoards of “Vurd Botchere’s,” err Word Butchers, Journalists or Hacks feverishly poondin’ away on their laptop kee-boards, as every few rows has banks of large close circuit TV’s overhead and the only noise that can be heard over their loud droning of the live ABC feed is the constant warble of the air conditioning between the howl of Indy Cars screaming by. As all of the chatter and pre-race banter seemingly turned to silence during the actual race. Of which Meesh described as being Morgue-like whilst sitting next to me while silently tapping away at her Live Blog...


Paul Tracy’s KV Racing Technology ride

Yet during the early morning hours prior to all of the race festivities, the Media center is awash with lively banter, chatter and typing noises while preparing race reports, etc. As I ponder how difficult it would be to use “Lucy” my screen reader in here while noting how HARD it is to try taking notes in the dark... While I think I can hear the very muted scream of the F1 cars over the room’s din, as Jeffrey of My Name is IRL is chatting’ with Crash Gladys of Speed Freaks... Before Danny introduces me to the ‘DAWG! As Press Dog, a.k.a. Bill Zahren is in the house... As I AIN’T sure if Tony G. would take kindly to it being called the “Hizzy, ‘DAWG!”

Next, Danny tells me that they finally fixed the channel as he’s convinced them to turn the sole TV monitor with the Versus fishing show on it over to the Monaco Grand Prix like the rest of the room... As I inquire to Danny whether or not they caught the fish? Then I hear some Brazilian’s a few rows ahead of us discussing the F1 race, while some Brit’s in front of us make a smarmy comment about Jenson waxing the field again... “Where’s Bourdais? Is that Kimi? Where’s my Vodka!” Yuck-yuck-yuck, as it seems universal to hear; oh you mean the BRAWN’s are running 1-2 again? As I sit idly listening while resplendent with Ferrari cap affixed. This is going to be entertaining as HELL! Or may be not?

And what are the odds that Crash Gladys of Speed Freaks TV would be assigned the seat directly behind Mwah! As she was chit-chating with some one (Chris “Throttle” Jacobs?) over some recent BRAWN GP scuttlebutt; what? Richard Branson was hitting on Jenson Button’s girlfriend? Hey can you launch this Tweet for me? Blah-blah-blah... So I interrupted Jeffrey and Crashes chit chat and introduced myself... (Pregnant pause!) So Danny and I decided to go outside and I manage to knock over one of the small waste paper baskets hidden underneath every few aisles...

To continue reading, see; Surviving Indy L101-150

Surviving Indy (Lap 1-50)

Otay, so here goes the LONG winded rant upon my most enjoyable trek to the Hoosier state... And I won’t even tell Y’all any Hoosier jokes like who’s your Daddy... Not to be cornfused with Danicker’s Go Daddy!

Thurs, 5/21
GREEN FLAG; GO-GO-GO!
Departing from SeaTac Int’l Airport early morning, I was assisted from check-in onto my connecting flight by six Airport/Airline employees who were all very nice to me, as I was given my third ride in a wheelchair to my first gate and as we passed one of the countless cart Drivers, my assistant started laughing and informed me that he’d just been called “Peanut” in Indian...

Then I pondered on the first leg of my journey if this is what Motorsports Journalists, Reporters, etc were forced to endure every time they sped off to cover an event for us?

Transferring onto the Embrarer 140, I was seated next to Bill on the “Puddle-jumper” to Indianapolis, where we disembarked into the brand new Indianapolis Int’l Airport which is a welcome upgrade from the old, worn out Airport... As Bill offered to assist me to Baggage and then give me a ride to my Hotel in Speedway, IN, as this was to be my first hint of what Dave would later describe as “Hoosier Hospitality!”

Heading towards Baggage Claim, Bill pointed out the 1936 Cummins Special on static display, as the Indy 500 Diesel race car was obviously on loan from the IMS Hall of Fame museum to promote that weekend’s upcoming Speedfest at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, eh?

Checking into my luxurious Hotel in Speedway, IN, which I won’t say its name, except that its former owner (the late Jim Trueman) once owned a CART race Team that “Stash Senior” (Bobby Rahal) drove for early in his Indy Car career, enroute to capturing his first two CART Championships along with the Indy 500...

While the evening Desk Clerk made my Taxi Cab reservation for the following morning. When I inquired on nearby eating establishments in walking distance, he told me I’d probably wanna wait awhile for traffic to die down before trying to cross the exceedingly busy four lane uncontrolled intersection on a curve coming off of the I-465 Freeway... Uh, NO F%%KING WAY! (Welcome to Speedway, home of NO sidewalks...)

Fri, 5/22: “CARB DAY!”
My Taxi arrived and whisked me over to the IMS Administration Building at the corner of 16th and Georgetown, )Hmm? I’ve heard that address somewhere before, eh?) shortly before 8AM, where I was issued my Media credential... Uhm, I’m now like the rest of those “BIG DAWGS” struttin’ their stuff around the Media center; Aye Karumba!

After having my picture taken for my Photo I.D., Scott walked me outside to an awaiting Golf Cart which whisked me over to the Media Center building, as the first of multiple overly courteous “Yellow Shirts” enquired where are you going? Ok, and what are you doing there? Whale I don’t exactly know as I’m brand new to all of this... As the Yellow Shirt lady instructed me to stay off of the road as we scooted underneath the track thru the underground causeway.

After being dropped off and having the door opened for me, another Yellow Shirt took me up to the fourth floor and the Check-in area where I introduced myself. Standing there with my white cane in hand, the lady behind the desk said;

“HI, I’M DANICA!”

(Which totally cracked me up!) Yes, I’m, how old am I Tim? 29, yeah that’s the ticket... As the very nice lady got up and said let’s go find your seat and showed me around the starkly empty Media center, she said I’m not really Danica... My name’s Kay Totten and I’m 76yrs old. Later I’d find out that Kay has been working there for 50yrs and she’s truly a great person to have working there... And thus I sat in my seat at 8:09AM all alone...

While awaiting Danny’s arrival, I was able to listen to two Disk Jockey’s in the back of the cavernous room doing a live broadcast as they teased the audience for an interview just moments away with four time INDY 500 winner Rick Mears. Unfortunately it was a one way conversation as I could only here the DJ’s questions as Rocket Rick was calling-in from his Motor coach somewhere on the confines of the Speedway’s expansive grounds.

“So Rick does it seem possible that it was 30 years ago that you scored your first Indy 500 victory?” (Silence)

I’ve gotta ask you what all of the fans are wondering? Do you have your own key to the Penske Hospitality suite so when you get hungry for a midnight snack you can let yourself in?” (Silence) And then Danny walked up to me...

Oh-Oh! As Danny Bridges sauntered into the Media center at 8:14AM, he proclaimed; “Hey Tomaso your cell phone will work much better if you TURN IT ON!”

(And Thanxs to Jeff Iannucci of My Name is IRL for letting me get away with being Cell Phone challenged!)

Shall we go check out the Garages Danny asks? So I’m off to Gasoline Alley for the very first time and as we stride towards the gate Danny says; there goes Milka, (Duno) as a Driver whizzes by on a motor scooter. Milkalicious is followed next by EJ “What, Me Worry?” Viso and “Rafa” *Rafael Matos) both on Scooters followed by Hulio (Castroneves) in a Golf Cart, as we’d later discover they were off to a Driver’s briefing.

Then I asked Danny to take the first of many pictures for Mwah... (Hey, uze guys do want the car in the picture, right?) As the first Garage we approached was the Target/Chip Ganassi Boyz, with a few snaps on my ‘Ol School film camera taken of Dario Franchitti’s mount before continuing on past Alex “Pink” Lloyd’s car, Oriel Servia’s ride and then a bunch ‘O Dallara/Honda’s in the Tech line awaiting inspection on the Tech pad.

Then back to the Media center and as we exited the elevator there was the “Son ‘O Stash” (Graham Rahal) himself in the flesh standing in the breezeway with a few others, of which I quickly surmised was his esteemed PR lady; Cathy as Graham was set to hold a press conference very shortly... (9:45AM) Hey Danny, let’s stick around for this as I mused to myself silently how DARN LONG his legs were. As it appeared the stool he was sitting on was set for some of the shorter drivers URGH! Like Danica... (5’ 2”) As he sat there with his legs bowed out in an inverted “V” (Nah, I wasn’t checkin’ him out...) position. Graham was on hand to announce the formation of his own Foundation to honour the late, great Paul Newman and his Hole in the Wall Gang camps, as the young Rahal felt that they were no longer being adequately represented... I tell you, this guy is just so amazing at the tender age of 20yrs old! It’s a 503C Corporation and Kathy chimed in that teammate Robert Doornbos’s car would be featuring a special motif in conjunction but she just hadn’t been able to get the press release published yet...
Any questions? So Graham will the Ferrari be used for your Charity? NO! The Ferrari’s already been sold, but we did raffle off my commemorative helmet last year and I’m pledging $10 for every lap I lead... And Cathy’s doing likewise. *Graham said Jokingly!) I think I’m up to a grand total of 30 Bucks so far, so hopefully I can lead a whole bunch of laps on Sunday.

May be we’ll have a celebrity golf charity tourney next year since we have a bunch of extra days when we’re not on track anymore... Before Danny asked if his primary sponsor McDonalds would be involved in his Foundation; well that’s probably a bit premature as we’re still finishing all of the paperwork, but we’ll certainly run it by them...

Then as we rode the elevator down to go here “Cheep” Ganassi speak at the Pagoda Plaza, none other then Graham Rahal and his assistant stepped into the elevator with us as Danny said; nice shoes, are those Pumas? Yeah, they’re custom, as we had them incorporate the McDonalds colours into them before we all stepped out of the elevator...

Walking outside once again, Danny said; Hey there goes Chip in his Golf Cart, as we pondered listening to “The Cheepster” next door... Nah, lets go look around Gasoline Alley some more instead.

Then we headed back to the Media center to watch the Indy Car practice from 11AM-12 Noon, which we watched from outside upon the third floor Handicap section, as my notes say that the Indy Racing League cars actually sound good; somewhat in-between the ultra high pitches of the 2.4 liter normally aspirated 19,000 RPM Formula 1 cruise missiles and the old, dearly missed whoosh of the Turbocharged 2.65 liter Cosworth Champ Cars... As this was my very first time witnessing the IRL chassis in the flesh and they sounded much better then those ‘Old Nissan Crap Wagons! Funnier yet, was the fact that they sounded louder when rumbling down pit lane at reduced speed vs. shrieking by at 220mph plus; E-Ow, Yee-Owwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhh!!!! In between the not so kind sounding warbling down pit lane noises of super sized Honda daily drivers with soup can mufflers, minus that music they call RAP...

And then a cackling Brack Brack as the throttle was blipped before dumping the clutch and leaving pit lane with squealing tyres... And a brief wafting of burnt rubber, as there goes a white one and I think that really bright one was may be pink?

Then after a quick lunch in the Cafeteria, I called Jeffrey who said; in about sixty seconds I WON’T be able to hear you! As the Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100 was about to begin, nevertheless Jeff came downstairs and graciously allowed me to hang out with him for the remainder of the afternoon, as we went outside to watch the FIL race from upon the third floor deck, as Jeff kept me abreast of who was crashing into who via the Jumbotron across the way as I asked Jeff if there were actually people in the Front Straightaway Grandstands? As it was kind of odd seeing them completely empty during the IRL’s final practice session, albeit the top deck still being unoccupied, while unfortunately all of my picks didn’t win the race, as “Bia” *Ana Beatriz) had a nasty crash with her teammate and Jay Howard ran outta time to pass the leaders... As there was a furious amount of passing all race long with many side by side racing down into Turn One... (Unlike the “Big Carz” race) Lot-so CARNAGE! Eleven cars on the lead lap with Sam Schmidt Motorsports four car armada finishing 1-16-17-18...

“Hinge’s” car sounds un-god fully off song and sickly, as James Hinchcliffe would be forced to retire after several laps of running on five cylinders? As I believe they’re still utilizing the modified Q45 Infinity 3.5 liter normally aspirated V-8 “Lumps” producing 420bhp in the long in the tooth Dallara FIL chassis...

Oh Yeah! Earlier that morning Danny & I rode up in the elevator with Mark James of the IMS Radio Network and Danny asked him; so did Paul Tracy win the race back in ’02? NO! Helio definitely won the race; they used Audio to confirm it... (Yet, if my memory serves me correct? This was when I stopped watching the INDY 500 for the next few years, until Sam “I AM” Hornish’s triumph in ’06... )

After the FIL race Jeff introduced me to “Mister Trackside,” a.k.a. Patrick Stephan, as I mused to myself; hold on, where do I know that name from? I’ve heard it somewhere before... Oh yeah, that’s right he’s one of the IMS Radio Network pit reporters. Shall we go check out the Garages, Jeff inquired? And stepping off the elevator and walking outside; “Whoa Nellie! Where did everybody come from? Its FREAKIN’ PACKED! Bodies everywhere, as later media reports would claim that the 70,000 fans was the largest Carb Day attendance ever and while walking towards the Pagoda, Jeff said; wanna say Hi to Paul Page? After introducing us, Mr. Page said that he was at the track doing work as the Official “Essayist.” (Whatever that is, he mused) As I wryly noted; Oh, you mean like Sam Posey? To which there was silence... After Jeff told him we’re Bloggers, (NOT to be cornfused with Buggers...) Page replied; “We’re all doing Blogs and making NO money!” As he was simply waiting for a friend to show up, but it was good to be interrupted by fans stopping to shake his hand and thank him for his years of service while we chatted...

Walking thru the Pits, Jeff noticed Jay Howard and we waited a bit to get a word in while a young kid waited for an autograph, but we trudged off since he was in heavy discussion with somebody. Then past some of the Big Carz pits as Jeff asked if I wanted to say Hi to Oriel Servia who was sitting on his Scooter, but first Jeff stopped to take some action shots of Eric Bachelart overseeing the placement of sponsor “Deckles” on the nose of TAG’s ride, as Jeff commented; he’s a real “Hands On” Owner... And thus when we got nearer Servia he was already cornered by another fan.

Rounding the corner Jeff pointed out three IRL chassis including Sarah Fisher’s mount. It has a really nice paint scheme and the bright yellow ‘N black Dollar General Livery reminds me of those ‘Old “Buzzin ‘N Hornets, Err Benson & Hedges “EJ” Jordan Grand Prix cars, as we sauntered our way back to the Media center, where we learned that the elevator was out of commission... As Jeff made his way upstairs to write some Blog Entries?

And as everyone entering the building groaned over having to take the stairs... The Yellow Shirts kindly allowed me to sit inside at their desk while awaiting the Golf Cart to come over and pick me up. “Sir, it’ll be about 30min due to the large crowd on hand.” No Problema, as another Yellow Shirt told me she thought it was their biggest crowd in years. Then the Golf Cart arrived and she bobbed ‘N weaved her way thru the crowds before dropping me off at the gate at the corner of 16th & Georgetown. She got out of the Cart and escorted me to another Yellow shirt who walked me out, saying; Hold that Cab! As I was whisked back to my Hotel by the Cabbie just waiting for me... Pretty Damn Slick, eh?

To continue reading, see; Surviving Indy L51-100

Phoenix’s Iceberg

With the recent firestorm raging over the 2010 Budget Cap Formulae, its hard to believe that it was twenty years ago today that I attended my very first Formula 1 race in “the Valley of the Sun,” as this venue was the new home of the USGP, with Bernie Ecclestone and the City of Phoenix having inked a five year deal to host a temporary street circuit race around the Downtown corridor of Phoenix, Arizona.

And thus, just like May 1, 1994, I can still fondly recall where I was on June 4, 1989, as the inaugural Phoenix Grand Prix was being contested in 104 degrees HEAT! To which Jeffrey sez; “In the shade, may be?” And although many like to say it’s a DRY HEAT... So is your Oven! Yet I recall thinking how cool was it to be standing in the middle of a concrete jersey barrier canyon with the BADDEST FREAKIN’ Racing Cars on the planet whizzing by whilst a much younger Tomaso was cradling an ice cold Foster “Oil Can” in his hands to battle the oppressive heat! As ironically the promoter’s title sponsor was Iceberg! As the Formula One experiment would go the way of the Titanic, albeit at least having a three year run, as fast forward some 18 years when Champ Cars (Remember them?) Phoenix Promoter Dale Jensen, part owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks said that economic turmoil had prevented the landing of major event sponsorship. With the city of Phoenix seemingly indifferent to another street car race in the Downtown area, (After the long defunct Iceberg Grand Prix: 1989-91) still lingering on and the Phoenix Champ Car event is stillborn... As I still recall the sediments of the Arizona locals:

“I CAN’T get to my Bar! There’s some funny ‘lil cars blockin’ off the streets. What are all these Damn Foreigners doin’ here…”


1989 USGP/Iceberg Grand Prix order form

Thus, while this most magnificent circus of Formula 1 machinery played its majestical symphony of mechanical noises, unbeknownst to Mwah, across the Pacific Ocean, in the nether regions of China, a totally OBSCENE and uncalled for event to be known around the world as Tiananmen Square was unfolding…

Yet, back to happier circumstances, as your Humble Scribe has previously scribbled about encountering the GODS of F1 in Phoenix, circa 1989 in May Day, while my most entertaining memory of the Iceberg Grand Prix is Roberto’s yarn about riding the elevator with a clueless friend alongside Alessandro Nannini and asking Sandro; So, are you like one of the Team Mechanics or what? As Sandro was at the time a rising F1 Star, prior to his devastating Helicopter accident in which surgeons successfully reattached his hand!


Benetton B190B (Herbert?)

But let’s cut to the chase, shall we? As I recall unknowingly sitting in the Media section on the front straightaway with Hall and taking an unbelievable amount of photos before we were summarily dismissed due to the lack of proper credentials… WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ MEDIA CREDENTIALS!

As this was the first year of the return to a Normally Aspirated (3.5 liter) engine formulae, which brought a variety of different engines, i.e.; V-8, V-10 and V-12 “Lumps,” as Ford/Cosworth and Judd (a collaboration between John Judd and Sir Jack Brabham) led the V-8 Brigade. Meanwhile Honda and Renault were the only Manufacturers to take the V-10 route, With the “Regies” soon to be all conquering pneumatic valve V-10 making it’s debut, whilst Ferrari and Lamborghini (then owned by Chrysler) carried on with wonderful sounding V-12’s… As the Scuderia Ferrari’s shrieking V-12 was instantly recognizable, prior to its sighted arrival by the fact that the Scuderia was the only Constructor utilizing the soon to become de rigor semi-automatic paddle shift gearbox, while the remainder of the field trundled on with manual shift crash boxes… Giving the Ferrari’s an unmistakable shrill pitch that resonated above all of the rest on the 2.36 mile Temporary Street Circuit…


Drivers
McLaren’s Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were clearly the class of the field, arguably head ‘N shoulders above the remainder of contestants, as only “Il Lione” or “BLOODY NIGE, better known as Nigel Mansell was able to regularly challenge the McLaren duo, while his teammate Gerhard Berger also occasionally joined the party. Ford’s Benetton “Works” Driver tandem of Alessandro Nannini and Rookie Johnny Herbert were an interesting pair, as one had to be impressed by Herbert’s fortitude... Having suffered a massive crash the year prior with harsh damage to his legs and feet, as I recall reading how bits of rubber from the race track’s tarmac were to exude their selves from his feet years later!


Osella? Pounding the Phoenix pavement

Williams Thierry Boutsen and Ricardo Patrese had the aforementioned Renault powerplants, while the rest of the field was primarily populated by Ford and Judd V-8 Lumps, with Tyrrell sporting such drivers as Dr. Jonathan Palmer, Michele Alboreto and rising star Jean Alesi. Ligier had the controversial Rene Arnoux and the rebadged March team, now known as Leyton House Racing featured Ivan Capelli and Mauricio Gugelmin... while Larrousse was the sole Lamborghini customer, with my favourite new team at this point for reasons unknown being the Moneytron Onyx team spearheaded by the irrepressible “Stevie Johnson,” a.k.a. Stefan Johansson, partnered with Belgian Bad Boy Bertrand Gachot...


Teams
1) Honda Marlboro McLaren; 2) Tyrrell Racing Organization; 3) Cannon Williams Team; 4) Motor Racing Developments (Brabham); 5) Arrows Grand Prix International; 6) Camel Team Lotus; 7) Leyton House March; 8) Osella Squadra Corse; 9) Benetton Formula; 10) BMS Scuderia Dallara; 11) Lois Minardi Team; 12) Ligier LOTO; 13) Scuderia Ferrari; 14) Larrousse Calmels; 15) Coloni Racing; 16) EuroRacing; 17) West Zakspeed Racing; 18) Moneytron Onyx Formula One; 19) Rial Racing; 20) Automobiles Gonformaise Sportive (AGS).


Race
Ayrton Senna set blistering times during qualifying, nearly 1.5 seconds ahead of rival teammate Alain Prost, with some cynics suggesting Senna surely must have cut thru the Sheraton parking lot? And Senna would have most likely won the race if he hadn’t suffered from “Electronics” failure, as even then Auto Manufacturers were loathe to state their engines had failed, as Prost who overcame overheating (engine, NOT Driver) problems of his own to take the chequered flag ahead of Ricardo Patrese and local oy Eddie (“Underachiever) Cheever in a Arrows/Ford, while an extremely low number of Drivers finished the event; as Christian Danner in a Rial/Cosworth was fourth, Herbert fifth and Boutsen sixth... With the rest of the field either retiring from mechanical troubles, accidents or driver fatigue; as Nannini was overcome with exhaustion, Gugelmin being DQ’ed, with the others either failing to qualify or pre-qualify as the oppressive heat took its toll.

Ironically, the 31,000+ attendees were grossly overshadowed by the 70,000 Arizonan’s taking part in that year’s inaugural Ostrich Festival in nearby Chandler, AZ... YES! You read that correctly, a Freakin’ Ostrich Festival was more popular then the Formula 1 event... Which would be moved to March the following year to beat the Desert heat... While my favourite headline from the myriad of newspaper clippings Arizona Bureau Chief MJ sent me proclaimed after the 1991 race that major improvements would make next year’s race even better! Which I’ve tucked away in a drawer somewhere, as the race was to be cancelled and the USGP would take a nine year hiatus before debuting at Indianapolis...

Women in Racing: The Centennial Years (2009 Edition)

I’d say that the majority of today’s mainstream media attention is firmly affixed upon the Indy Racing League’s Danica Patrick, having FINALY WON her first major car race with some precocious fuel mileage strategy in Motegi, Japan last year. Yet with my NON politically correct stance towards Princess Danicker and Milka Duno’s indecision upon which car to drive? I continue to sit firmly on the Sarah Fisher side of the Danica divide, thus I thought I’d shed some light on the REAL women of motorsport once again, As these female pioneers truly paved the way for Danica to live the “Good Life.”

Interestingly the first women racers were in Grand Prix, prior to the modern day Formula 1 championship which began in 1950. As the earliest reports of female race driver’s centers upon a trio of women, with Eliska Junkova and “Helle Nice” being the most flamboyant. While Kay Petre made her impression due to her small stature behind the wheel of the day’s monstrous vehicles. Junkova caused quite a “stir” when it was discovered that a woman led the opening laps of the 1928 Targa Florio. While the lady behind the wheel of the Bugatti leading the event was quickly named the “Queen of the Steering wheel” by the adoring press, as the Czechoslovakian is the only woman to have ever won a Grand Prix which she accomplished at the Nurburgring in 1926. Junkova retired from racing immediately after her husband was killed in 1928 at the Nurburgring while piloting the vehicle the couple were co-driving in the event.

Helle Nice was Mariette Hélène Delangle’s stage name, as she made her fame and fortune as a Paris “Show Girl.” Amassing wealth and popularity as a dancer, she reportedly enjoyed “Life in the Fast Lane.” As rumours suggest she had a long list of multiple suitors including Philippe de Rothschild and Jean Bugatti. She competed in several Grand Prix’s during the early 1930’s.

Yet sadly after the war, Louis Chiron accused Helle Nice of being a Gestapo agent which effectively ended her career. (Along with ruining her life!) Helle Nice died “penniless” in Paris in 1984.

Kay Petre stood 4’10” tall, making many marvel at her physical ability to manhandle a 10.5 liter V-12 Delage while setting speed records at the famed Brooklands circuit. Petre was most likely the first female to compete in the 24 Heurs du Mans, finishing 13th overall in 1936. She competed in three Grand Prix’s in 1937 before being injured. Petre went on to become a motor journalist along with being an automotive fabric designer.

After two decades of no women participants, Maria Teresa de Filippis contested three Grand Prix’s between 1958-59. While it would be almost another two decades before a quartet of female drivers attempted participating in various Formula 1 races from 1974-1992. (Lella Lombardi, Divina Galica, Desire Wilson and Giovanna Amati).

Lombardi raced twelve times, becoming the only woman to have ever scored a World Championship point in 1976. Finishing sixth in the rain shortened Spanish GP, where Lombardi was awarded a half point. Lella also finished seventh at the Nurburgring. Galica, Wilson and Amati were entered, but didn’t qualify for their races. With quite a fuss caused when multiple females were entered for the 1976 British GP. Amati was the last female to enter a Formula 1 event for the struggling Brabham team before being replaced by Damon Hill, with Amati’s F1 test coming courtesy of playboy Flavour Flav… (Flavio Briatore).

Meanwhile Janet Guthrie began her racing career in Sports Cars and won two class victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring, prior to getting her big break, when in 1976 Rolla Vollstedt gave her a test drive at Indianapolis, although she didn’t qualify for that year’s race. Yet in 1977 Guthrie would not only become the very first female to race in the Indianapolis 500, but also make history as the first woman to race in the Daytona 500.

Guthrie would compete at Indy three times (1977-79) with a best finish of 9th in 1978 before disappearing from the Speedway’s horizon. It would be a further 13 years before a second female would participate in the Indy 500. As although Desire Wilson passed her Rookie test on May 11, 1982, she failed to qualify for that year’s race, thus it was a further decade before Lyn St James made the first of her seven appearances. St James became Indy’s first female rookie of the year in 1992. This debut race would also become her best finish of 11th place at the Speedway.

Y2K
As the new millennium dawned, (2000) the third female to crack the Brickyard’s entry list was Sarah Fisher driving for Derrick Walker. Fisher has since gone on to become the first woman driver to win a Pole in the Indy Racing League and holds the records for fastest one and four lap qualifying speeds at Indy. (2002: One lap = 229.675mph; Four lap average = 229.439mph)
Next, in 2005 Danica Patrick burst upon the scene, causing instant Danica mania while flirting with capturing the pole at Indy and finishing 4th in her rookie year for Rahal Letterman Racing, which at the time was the highest finish ever by a female at the Speedway and garnered Patrick Rookie of the Year honours.

In 2007, another first was recorded, when the Brickyard saw three females take the green flag for the very first time in the Speedway’s history, as Venezuelan Rookie Milka Duno driving her CITGO sponsored Team SAMAX racecar joined Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick in the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500.

The 2008 event brought many changes for all three of these female contestants, as we were all painfully aware of Princess Danicker basking in the glow of winning her first victory just over one month prior to the 92nd running of the INDY 500, at the Twin Ring Oval of Motegi, Japan. Danica rolled off fifth from the middle of Row 2 aboard her #7 Motorola/ Andretti Green Racing and finished 22nd, with Contact on lap 171.

Meanwhile, the driver of this trio struggling the hardest financially to make her record tying seventh Indy 500 start, without a doubt was Sarah Fisher. After a disappointing 2007 season as Buddy Rice’s team mate at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Fisher decided to accomplish another first by starting her own race team and thus becoming the first female Indy Car owner. Hoping to have her team backed by Gravity Entertainment and ResQ energy Drinks adorning her sidepods, both entities failed to ever mail her the Check! As Fisher has since moved on, as her No. 67 Dallara’s sidepods would be emblazoned with her new associate sponsors, with Sarah qualifying 22nd, starting from the inside of Row 8. Unfortunately Sarah by no fault of her own would be involved in an accident with a spinning Tony Kanaan and end up 30th.

Yet, Milka Duno uncharacteristically “Flew under the Radar” during the Month of May, having switched teams in the off season, becoming part of a three car effort fielded by Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and was still backed by CITGO, Duno then eagerly took to constantly asking her teammates Buddy Rice (2004 Indianapolis 500 winner) and Townsend Bell for advice on how to master the Brickyard, as Duno would qualified 27th, lining up on the outside of Row 9. Ironically, Milka was the highest finishing Female, with a classified finish of 19th and Running, albeit only completing 185 total laps.

2009: The Centennial Era Begins
As you may be aware of? This year marks the first part of a three year Centennial celebration at the Speedway, which first hosted races in 1909, albeit a Balloon Race preceding the roar of Automobile engines. These were then followed by the inaugural 500 mile event being held in 1911, which was won by Ray Haroon aboard the Marmon Wasp.

For this year’s event, all three of these female contestants have gone thru more changes... As we’re all painfully aware that Princess Danicker still basks in the glow of winning her first victory just over One year ago, Now entering her third season with Andretti Green Racing, as her Motorola racecar was recently recovered in another media blitz, which will see the No. 7 sporting new Boost Mobile livery, rolling off from the inside of Row 4, having qualified 10th at 222.882mph.

Meanwhile, the driver of this trio showing the most turnaround from last year is undoubtedly Sarah Fisher, who’s in solid financial shape this season thanks in large part to Dollar General, who’s just extended Fisher’s schedule to encompass six Ovals, beginning at Kansas.

Thus, Fisher captures the record for Female pilots by making her record breaking eighth Indy 500 start, as Sarah qualified her No. 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing 21st at 222.082mph and will start from the inside of Row 7.

Milka Duno has caused the most fanfare early this year with her on-again/off-again relationship when trying to secure a third seat at Newman Haas lanigan Racing, of which apparently her promised sponsorship fell thru.

Duno has since returned to her old haunt; Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, also making her ’09 season debut at Kansas, where she and Fisher shared the same starting row. Milka will be part of a four car armada out of the stable of D & R’s Indiana shop, with the four car Dryer & Reinbold effort sporting two cars for Milka and Rookie British teammate Mike Conway, while Associate programs with Richard Petty Motorsports and Kingdom Racing are being fielded for John Andretti and Davey Hamilton respectively. Milka is being backed by CITGO once again, qualifying her No. 23 “CITGO El Speciale” 30th at 221.106mph and will start from the inside of Row 10 this year, as ironically “Tres hembras”
all start on the inside of their respective Rows...

Yet this year’s Qualifying theme was to withdraw your entry and requalify at a faster time in hopes of improving your starting position which Danica, Sara and Milka all did, with Fisher having the biggest moment in her initial qualifying run, having to get out of the throttle and loosing a whole 5mph from 222 to 217 entering Turn 1!

And the roar of the crowd was unmistakable, as Danica Patrick finished a record third place, besting her previous record fourth position and re-establishing the record for highest finishing Female in the Brickyard’s history, while Sarah Fisher finished a very respectable 17th and was this year’s recipient of the Scott Brayton Driver’s Trophy Award; “Presented annually to the driver best exemplifying the character and racing spirit of the late driver Scott Brayton.”

Meanwhile as Danny Bridges mused, Milka Duno actually finished a career best One lap down, being recorded as the only car to finish 199 laps and being classified as 20th/Running, having progressed steadily forward in her three starts at the Speedway. In 2007, her rookie year, she crashed on lap 65 and in 2008, although finishing 19th and Running, (L185) albeit some 15 laps behind.

Thus, as Virginia Slims would say, “You’ve come a long way Baby…”

Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials (Stats)

Epilogue


Dean Jackson:
The No. 8 Blue Crown Spark Plug Special in Henderson, Nevada currently for sale has no history to it. The owner is asking $400,000, but only received an offer of $250k a year ago, which he declined. It’s the only six cylinder Offenhauser engine built.

Blue Crown Spark Plug Special No. 8

There were four Blue Crown race cars, with the Joe Lencky chassis being the fifth. One of the cars was in the Smithsonian Institute and the cars travel around to various museums.

Even more impressive was its nine year span of competition at the Brickyard which is unheard of regarding today’s relatively short lifespan of modern day IndyCars...

Apparently Joe Lencki was a most colourful person, being extremely opinionated and difficult. And as I’ve written, there were actually at least two Lencki Specials built, (perhaps 3-4?) although the six cylinders “Lumps” were indeed the only ones ever produced by Offenhauser.

As noted, Lencki started with a two valves per cylinder variant, which would become known as the “Little Six,” with a four valve variant being produced afterwards, as the No. 8 Blue Crown Special is the “Little Six.” In the early 1960’s Lencki once again approached Leo goosen to produce him a turbocharged version of his six cylinder engine, of which Goosen at the time was too far involved in the Offenhauser Turbo project to do so.


Blue Crown Spark Plug Special – Offenhauser engine (DJP)

Reportedly Lencki was of much annoyance to Fred Offenhauser, as he kept every single pattern and drawing of his six cylinder engines, along with all of his racing cars except for one until his death in 1994. Lencki reportedly offered his remaining chassis to the Smithsonian and Indianapolis Motor Speedway towards the end of his life, but never delivered them and the cars were still in the possession of his long time aide Adam Wuchitech in 1996 and potentially as late as 2004, or beyond...

Statistics
Team Owner: Lou Moore
Car Designer: Leo Goossen
Chassis: Emil Deidt (Deidt & Lesovsky)
Running Gear: Lujie Lesovsky(?)

Three time Indy 500 Winner (1947-49)
1947-48: Mauri Rose; 1949: Bill Holland


Indy 500 Victories- overall
Lou Moore (5)
Year Start Driver
1938 Pole Floyd Roberts
1941 17th/1st Floyd Davis/Mauri Rose*
1947 3rd Mauri Rose
1948 3rd Mauri Rose
1949 4th Bill Holland

Note*
Mauri Rose* began the 1941 race from the Pole position in the No. 3 Elgin Piston Pin Special Maserati, but retired on lap 60, before being drafted to replace Floyd Davis in his No. 16 Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special on lap 72, as both drivers were competing for Lou Moore.


Lou Moore
Born: Sept 12, 1904: Hinton, Oaklahoma; Died: March 25, 1956: Lakewood Park, Atlanta, Georgia.

Racing Driver (1928-36)
Racing driver; Won 1932 Indy 500 Pole; 9 Indy 500 starts; Best finish: 1928; Second; Other top 5 finishes: 1934-35; Third.

Team Owner (1938-56)
After retiring as a race driver; Moore becomes a (5 time) Indy 500 winning car owner. Becoming not only the very first to win Indy three consecutive years, but finish 1-2 three consecutive years...


Blue Crown Spark Plug Special Show Car at Navy Pier, Chicago (DJP)

The only Team Owner to duplicate Moor’s feat of winning Indy three consecutive years is some chap known as The Captain, a.k.a Roger Penske who accomplished this from 2001-03. Yet, some Dude named Paul Tracy messed up Penske’s 1-2 (2002 Controversy) sweep by finishing runner-up in ‘02 to Helio Castroneves, while his teammate Gil De Ferran finished 10th that year; hence Moore is the only team owner to ever score three successive 1-2 finishes.

The Blue Crown Spark Plug Special is one of only four chassis to ever win Indianapolis two consecutive years in a row with the same driver.


Emil Deidt
Fabricator/Panel builder; Chassis constructor
While little is known about this panel beater extraordinaire, (apparently even stumping the Great Donald Davidson) according to Joe Scalzo, he was one of Harry A. Miller’s countless minions, and his hands touched many of the winning Indianapolis racecars over several decades...

The only substantive information I could dig up upon him was a story about the 1952 Rodchester Special; built for Comedian/Actor Eddie Anderson.

It claims that Deidt was Involved in several successful racing cars, including: Miller Fords; the Brady Special; Blue Crown Special; Novi cars; Scarab F1 cars and the Nat Round rear engine Offy...

Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials (Part 5)

Dean Jackson:
Along with the two Indy cars, there were also two Dirt Track racers built, with Driver’s including: Lee Wallard, Henry Banks and Tony Bettenhausen Sr., whom my Dad gave him his first ride in a “Big” car in 1939.

Bill Holland was an excellent driver while Mauri Rose and Tony Bettenhausen were also very good hard charging racers; but the latter were harder upon their equipment...


1950: Moore’s “Super-team”
Having become the first winner of three consecutive Indy 500’s, Lou Moore added a fourth car to his stable in his efforts to garner an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory. Bill Holland and George Connor returned in their previous year’s chassis, while new recruits Lee Wallard was entrusted with the brand new rear drive Dirt Car and Tony Bettenhausen (Senior) was given the ex-Rose front drive Offenhauser Champion Car.

1950 Blue Crown Spark Plug Team Photo (DJP)

Meanwhile, Mauri Rose had found a new steed to pilot, taking the wheel of another chassis Emil Deidt had built in 1948 for Superior Oil tycoon Howard Keck, who would campaign several drivers over the years.

Rose replaced Keck’s original driver Jimmy Jackson, as the unsung Jackson who’d piloted the Deidt/Offy entry to a pair of 10th place finishes the prior two years, moved onto drive the Cummins Diesel entry.

NOTE:
The Indy 500 became part of the Formula 1 Driver’s World Championship between the years of 1950-60 and hence, all participants taking part in the Indianapolis 500 during these years were awarded Grand Prix Championship points for finishing positions 1-5 between 1950-59; and 1-6 in 1960.

Thus, while Moore’s four car armada of Connor, Bettenhausen, Holland and Wallard started fourth, eighth, tenth and twenty-third respectively, It was Rookie Walt Faulkner winning the pole position, which came as a total surprise, as Faulkner who’d seemingly come out of nowhere knocked off another surprise pole sitter named Fred Agabashian at the last moment.

And in what has become increasingly common in past years, at the time of the 34th running of that year’s Indy 500; for only the second time ever, with 1925 being the first, the race was halted early due to rain.

Yet, the eventual first two finishers of that year’s shortened race were simply inverted from the previous year’s event, with Johnny Parsons winning and bill Holland being runner-up, just ahead of ex-teammate Mauri Rose in third.


1951
Interestingly, the winning car had originally been built for Meyer & Drake by Frank Kurtis in 1949, before their customers complained about competing against the factory and the car was sold to Murrell Belanger with Tony Bettenhausen as part of the deal. Since he’d been Meyer & Drake’s hired gun, although Tony was still willing to drive the “experimental” race car on the Dirt Tracks, he told Belanger that he wished to drive for Lou Moore instead at Indy as he still believed that the front wheel drive racecar’s held an advantage over the rear drive chassis. Hence Tony recommended Lee Wallard as his substitute... With Wallard going on to victory, while Bettenhausen spun out of the race from fifth place in the closing stages... And thus, once again ‘Tony had given up a winning ride! Having been unwilling to break ranks and accept Lou Moore’s ride in 1947.

George Connor; 1950 (DJP)

Noting Bettenhausen’s decision to drive once again for Moore, I came to surmise that Lou Moore must have entered four race cars for the Indy 500, albeit this time only two were Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials; one being driven by reigning AAA National Champion Henry Banks, in the No. 1 Moore/Offy, driven the previous year by Lee Wallard. While Bank’s sister No. 22 Blue Crown entry, was the Lesovsky/Offy chassis, piloted by George Connor for a third successive year, these being the two rear drive chassis Moore had previously commissioned.

Meanwhile Bettenhausen was aboard the No. 5 Mobil Oil Special and Duane Carter was driving the No. 27 Mobilgas Special, both of these entries being the earlier built front drive Deidt chassis.

Thus, with a total of four Deidt/Offenhauser racecars, plus the two aforementioned Blue Crown entries contesting that year’s event, the No. 19 Tuffanelli-Derrico entry driven by Mack Hellings was possibly entered by somewhat obscure Car Owner Gordon Schroeder? While once again Mauri Rose was behind the wheel of Howard Keck’s No. 16 entry, although the front (wheel) “drivers” were now seeming to lose some of their advantage at the Speedway, as this year’s front row was locked out by Frank Kurtis chassis, with Duke Nalon on pole in the revered Novi.

Meanwhile, in what seems a strange incident, Bill Holland, having moved to Miami was banned from driving at Indy by the AAA after he’d driven a match race prior to the event which was apparently frowned upon and the AAA didn’t take kindly to this... Issuing Holland a suspension from racing at all AAA sanctioned tracks for 1951!

Holland then crucified the AAA in his local media to no avail, being forced to sit out that year’s Indy 500 after having finished second three times and winning once the previous four years...

Holland, still not having gotten the memo and continuing to trash the AAA, was further demoralized when his application for reinstatement was denied a second time, being forced to miss the 1952 season as well, before finally being cleared to return to competition at the Speedway in 1953! As apparently Holland had learned his lesson... While his replacement for Moore’s Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials henceforth would become Henry Banks, the 1950 AAA National Champion.

Yet the race was fraught with attrition, with only six cars finishing on the lead lap, as Banks was the highest Moore team finisher in sixth place, while Carter wound-up eighth, Bettenhausen ninth and Connor 21st, having retired with a Driveshaft failure, while Mack Hellings retired on lap 18 with a piston failure

And after having fallen out of the race from a broken wire wheel suffered with just under 75 laps remaining, triple Indy 500 winner Mauri Rose would retire from competition the following January...


1952
From what I can tell, this was Lou Moore’s final season as an Indy Car team owner, as Moore had already won the event a record five times and was preparing to switch his attention full time to NASCAR...

Dean Jackson:
Blue Crown also sponsored Hudson Hornet NASCAR race cars, as even then NASCAR was quite “Big.”


Frank “Rebel” Mundy;
“To P.D. a real racing friend + sport. Best wishes” Frank “Rebel” Mundy” (DJP)

Yet, Moore’s team did contest the Indy 500 that year, albeit apparently having reduced his effort from four cars to two, with entries for Henry Banks and Tony Bettenhausen (Sr.) as Bill Holland was still sitting on the sidelines, with the AAA intent to show the racing drivers just exactly who was boss!

With Rose’s retirement, Howard Keck had hired west Coast hot-shoe Bill Vukovich to take over and would ultimately bring Keck his long sought Indy triumphs in 1953-54.

Meanwhile, Banks rolled off 12th and finished 19th, while Bettenhausen started from the final row in 30th and finished 24th after stalling and retiring on lap 93. As the face of the Speedway’s winning entries were changing greatly and the front wheel drive variants had become basically obsolete, giving way to the era of the Kurtis and Watson Roadsters...


1953-56: The Stock Car years
For the years 1953-56, I have been unable to gather any substantial information about Moore’s whereabouts, and can only surmise he was running the then dominant Hudson Hornet in the Grand National series, as Dean has mentioned that Blue Crown sponsored these cars after Indy.

Dean Jackson:
“Oh, you’d better write down Frank “Rebel” Mundy.”
(NASCAR Hudson Hornet driver)

Also according to Donald Davidson; Frank “Rebel” Mundy carried Blue Crown Spark Plug sponsorship on his Hudson Hornet in 1953; so, I’m guessing that Mundy drove with Blue Crown backing between 1953-54 for Lou Moore? And that perhaps either after the 1953 or ’54 seasons, Blue Crown finally got out of the race car sponsorship business altogether...

Although I’d never heard of Frank “Rebel” Mundy before, he seems to be quite the character, having driven in NASCAR between 1949-56, although I don’t know if all of the latter year’s were with Lou Moore? As I’ve had a tough time finding anything substantial on this stock car driver, other then he won three races in the No. 23 along with four poles, the majority of these coming behind the wheel of a Studebaker... Having even once won in a rental car that had cost him $25.00 for the day. Mundy’s real name was Francisco Eduardo Menendez and he had once been a chauffer for General Patton during World War II.

Hudson Hornet/Frank Mundy (DJP)

Furthermore, I’m assuming Moore continued on in NASCAR for 1955, although I cannot seem to find out any details on his whereabouts that season. Yet, in 1956 Moore switched alliances (from Hudson Hornets?) to be a factory Pontiac race team owner, before he suddenly died of a heart attack at the Atlanta NASCAR race that season being held at Lakewood Speedway. Moore was 56 years old at the time of his death...

Trivia
Was Lou Moore’s entry of four Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials entered at Indianapolis the most by a single team owner?

If you said no, its Andretti Green Racing’s tally of five entries in 2006-07, you’re wrong! As the correct answer is Cliff Durant in 1923 with seven entries...

For the conclusion of this story, see; Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials-Statistics

Special Thanks
Dean Jackson
Without Dean’s willingness to tell me his story, provide me the details and graciously sending me multiple photographs of the Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials;
THERE WOULD BE NO STORY!

Donald Davidson
For taking time out of his busy schedule to answer my arcane questions about the Blue Crown Spark Plug racing cars and the Old Timers era.

Books
Autocourse: The Official History of the Indianapolis 500
By Donald Davidson and Rick Shaffer

Offenhauser
The Legendary Racing Engine an the Men who built It
By Gordon Elliot White

Miller
By Griffith Borgeson

City of Speed
Los Angeles and the Rise of American Racing
By Joe Scalzo

Internets
Lou Moore; Emil Deidt; Driver Bio’s; IMS Statistics; Lucy O'Reilly Schell/Maserati, etc.

Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials (Part 4)

Deem Jackson:
The secret to the success of the Blue Crown Spark Plug vehicles was that the front wheel drive pulled the car around the corners vs. pushing the rear wheels.

Some of the cars fiercest competition came from the Novi Governor race cars, which were also front wheel drive, but the supercharged V-8’s were simply too powerful.

The Offy’s performance secret was the size of its pistons; which were the size of Grapefruits...

1947 INDY 500 Winner - Mauri Rose:
“Best wishes to “P.D.” Jackson; a real performer.” (DJP)

1947-49: Victorious
In 1947, the very first two Meyer & Drake 270cid “Offy’s” produced went to Lou Moore for his brand new Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials race team, which were designed by the famous Draftsman Leo Goossen during the war.

Reputably “secretive,” Moore’s Offenhauser powerplants were presumed to be of two valves per cylinder design, with 13:1 compression and running 115 octane “Av-gas” Aviation grade petrol. As Moore’s winning philosophy centered on fuel economy; utilizing the time honoured philosophy simply known as making the least amount of pit stops possible, with Moore’s strategy consisting of running the race on a single pit stop!

Meanwhile Joe Lencki was back again with his Lencki Specials, as this year saw Lencki’s mounts be entered under the Preston Tucker Partners banner, with the addition of a new Myron Stevens chassis joining the mix. Emil Andres and newcomer Charlie Van Aker were his drivers behind the keyboards, with Rookie Van Aker and Andres qualifying 24th and 30th respectively. Andres was classified 13th after his No. 3 Lencki/Lencki chassis retired on lap 149 with an uncooperative oil line, while Van Aker crashed the No. 44 Stevens/Lencki chassis out on lap 24 and was classified 29th for the non-typical 30 car field.

Moore’s two Blue Crown drivers that May were the 1941 Indy 500 co-winner Mauri Rose, with Indy 500 Rookie Bill Holland as his teammate. Rose qualified his No. 27 racecar third, while Holland rolled off from eighth place aboard the No. 16.

After pole sitter Bergere had led the first 23 laps, the rest of the race would be dominated by the two Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials leading the rest of the way, as Holland would lead a total of 143 laps.


Pit Board signs (DJP)

Yet, this was the year of the infamous EASY (“EZY”) sign board debacle, as then race leader Holland, mistakenly interpreted his pit board’s EZY letters that Moore had been showing him to imply that he was a lap ahead of teammate Rose, having backed off his pace to cruise to the win. Thus, on lap 193, Holland simply waved Rose by, believing that his elder teammate was simply unlapping himself, unaware the move would ultimately be for the race win... As Holland would have to take solace in being the race’s runner-up...


1948
Lou Moore once again entered his two front drive Offy’s for Mauri Rose and Bill Holland, yet the spotlight was firmly affixed upon the shrieking wail of the Novi, which had seem much controversy leading up to the races start. As previous year’s pilot Cliff Bergere had declared the car unsafe and retired, with his last moment replacement being Ralph Hepburn, who at 52 years old would sadly lose his life in a practice session after having run a lap at 128mph. Chet Miller then resigned from driving the second Novi and thus stepping into the breach was Dennis “Duke” Nalon, who qualified the car in 11th place after his last minute substitution, albeit his speed having been faster then pole winner Rex Mays, with his first flying lap being just a tick over 134 miles per hour.

Joe Lencki returned once again in what would ultimately be his last race at the Speedway during the front engine era, before a long hiatus, when he’d attempt a comeback in 1960, having Meyer & Drake produce another 265cid six cylinder engine for him, which Lencki hoped to contest the 1962 Indy 500 with a modern Roadster. Yet, his sponsorship fell thru and his final attempt at the Speedway in 1963 saw the racecar fail to qualify.

Lencki entered the now long in the tooth front engine six cylinder chassis, with Ronnie Householder and "Cowboy" O'Rourke as his drivers, but both failed to qualify.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Rex Mays pole winning Bowes Seal Fast Kurtis/Winfield set the pace at 130.570mph, vs. Nalon’s electrifying four lap average of 131.600mph, while the Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials of Bill Holland and Mauri Rose qualified second and third respectively.

Meanwhile starting in fourth place was a third Deidt/Offenhauser front wheel drive chassis, having been purchased by Superior Oil magnate Howard Peck and driven by Jimmy Jackson.

And although Mays took off like a rocket at the start of the race, he was forced out of the race on lap 129 with a fuel leak, While the stiffest competition for victory came from Duke Nalon and the Novi, while Rose and Holland once again steadily held station at the front of the pack by running Moore’s traditional one stop strategy.

Nalon was also on a similar strategy, as the Novi featured a cavernous 112 gallon fuel tank, but ironically his tank was not filled full at the race’s midpoint due to a pressure differential and suffered an excruciating second pit stop when the Novi failed to re-fire for two minutes after refueling... And thus, Rose who’d been leading at the time was followed home by his wingman Holland for a repeat 1-2 sweep by the Blue Crown racecars, while Nalon forlornly finished third...


1949
For the 1949 Indy 500, Lou Moore increase his team’s entry to three cars, with the two front drive Offy’s once again being reserved for Mauri Rose and Bill Holland, while new Blue Crown recruit George Conner was given the wheel of a rear drive Offy that Moore had ordered the previous year for Holland to contest Dirt Track events in.


1947 INDY 500, Bill Holland; 2nd place (DJP)

This year’s race would once again see the Novi’s as favourites... With Duke Nalon on pole and new teammate Rex Mays alongside him, as the Novi’s started one – two.

And while Nalon took off like a scalded cat and led with ease for the firs 20 laps, a rear axle failure would cause a violent crash in which Nalon would be seriously burned and Mays would retire with engine failure.

Next into the lead was Lee Wallard, in the ex-Wilbur Shaw Maserati, but he too fell out and as history has shown time after time, the Speedway always beats its own drum, as it would be second row starter Bill Holland aboard his No. 7 racecar winning his first and only Indy 500 for Lou Moore.

Ironically, towards the end of the event, another “EZY” sign board was displayed around lap 143 while Holland was leading his arch rival (teammate) Mauri Rose by 45 seconds. Yet, this time he was more cautious about backing off, having fallen fowl to this instruction in ’47, slowing down only slightly while Rose continued charging.

Thus instead of Rose finishing second, the hard charging exertion caused the magneto strap to wilt under the demands of the impatient Mauri and the No. 3 Blue Crown Special ground to a stop just eight laps short of the finish, while rookie Johnny Parsons (Senior) inherited second and Blue Crown debutante Connor’s No. 22 finished in third place.

After the race, Moore and Rose reportedly got into a shouting match over Rose’s disrespect for his equipment, and their longstanding partnership came to an end, while Holland said nothing!

To continue reading, see; Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials-Part 5

Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials (Part 3)

1946: Racing resumes
With World War II over, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the hands of the Hulman family, racing not only resumed around the globe, but at the Speedway during Memorial Day weekend.

Dean Jackson:
My father Purvis “P.D.” Jackson was a World War One fighter pilot whom met Eddie Rickenbacker during the war. So, it was Rickenbacker who spurred his interest in motor racing.

My father originally owned the Continental Radio Tube business, but during the depression he lost everything; i.e.; business, buildings & factories, etc. so he started over from scratch and began the Blue Crown Spark Plug Co. which was his first and only endeavor into sponsoring racing cars.

I used to go to time trials and the race every year with my father and I recall riding from Chicago and leaving once around 8-9PM, riding in the back seat with my father and (Blue Crown) company executive Curt Kellogg while we listened to the Joe Louis fight on the radio the year he won, while I was probably the last kid allowed to have a pit/garage pass during the late ‘40’s...

1946 Indy 500: Mauri Rose; No. 8; Leading at 40 laps (DJP)

Thus, with the resumption of racing at the Speedway that May, a lone Blue Crown Spark Plug Special (#8) was entered for Mauri Rose. It was once again one of the Lencki Specials, as Mauri would be behind the controls of The original “Little Six” (Lencki 2V) that would ultimately see service at the Brickyard between the years of 1939 to 1948; with drivers Tony Willman, George Conner, Emil Andres, Mauri Rose, Ronnie Householder and Cletus Joseph "COWBOY" O'Rourke all taking turns behind the keyboard of this racecar which now resides in Nevada.

Ironically, the 1938 ex-Floyd Roberts winning chassis qualified on pole at the hands of Cliff Bergere, with a speed of 120.220mph. Since Lou Moore currently had no racing cars in his stable, he instead participated as Bergere’s chief mechanic, who had once again partnered with Moore.


1946 Indy 500: Mauri Rose; crashing into No. 10 Twin Coach
(“Rear axle flying above car!” DJP)

Yet, the sensation of qualifying was Ralph Hepburn, now 50 year’s old and piloting the newly constructed Frank Kurtis roadster with the ’41 Bud Winfield developed V-8, now renamed the Novi, with the race car carrying the moniker of Novi Governor Cup, while two most unorthodox racecar’s accompanied the pole sitter.

Dean Jackson:
The No. 8 Blue Crown Spark Plug car started ninth, on the inside of row three, driven by Mauri Rose and by the first lap led by a quarter of a lap, leading for 40 laps before it was involved in an accident, when Mauri spun out on an oil slick in the North chute and there was major carnage, with an axle being thrown 30-40 feet into the air!


1946 Indy 500: Aftermath of Rose’s crash ( Car No. 10 + Car No. 8; DJP)

On lap 41, Rose rammed the stricken chassis of Paul Russo’s #10 Fageol Twin Coaches, which had crashed against the wall some 24 laps prior, but had been left unattended on the circuit! Thus, when Rose had been forced to take evasive action upon attempting to lap another competitor, whom seems to be unknown, a massive collision occurred and Rose would be classified 23rd.


1946 Indy 500: Tow Truck cleaning up Rose’s stricken chassis (DJP)

Interestingly, the Fageol Twin Coach, was a rather unique vehicle entered by NOTED Indy Car owner Lou Fageol, whose fortunes seemingly came from his father who built twin engine busses for a living. Hence,, the motivating factor of the Fageol Twin Coach was based on the motor coaches principles and thus, not one but two 90cid four cylinder Offenhauser midget engines were shoehorned into the radical chassis with one each in front of and behind the driver.

Meanwhile, rolling off from third place was a youthful Sam Hanks aboard another interesting creation, as the Myron Stevens 1939 chassis originally built for George Schroeder was motivated by the ex-Frank Lockhart V-16 Blackhawk Stutz supercharged engine. This sixteen cylinder Lump was the same motor propelling Lockhart’s fateful land speed record attempt on the sands of Daytona Beach in 1928, having originally been produced by the famed Miller Engine Works. As the racecar was entered by popular bandleader Spike Jones and his Spike Jones special wound up finishing 31st, falling out with a broken oil line on lap 18.

Being the first post war race, the field was comprised of an eclectic mix of pre-war vehicles and alas, the Indy 500 was not won that year by an Offy, with victory instead being obtained by George Robson aboard a Thorne Engineering, Adams/Sparks race car, as Offenhauser, Lou Moore and the Blue Crown Spark Plug Co. would have to wait a further year before their indelible grip upon the Borg Warner trophy would begin...

To continue reading, see; Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials-Part 4

Blue Crown spark Plug Specials (Part 2)

NOTE:
Last week I began this story with the unveiling of the Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials “Saga,” which you can check out in:

Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials-Part 1.

1941
After the 1940 Indy 500 race, Lucy O'Reilly Schell sold both of her Ecurie Bleu Racing Team Maserati cars to Lou Moore, as Lucy O'Reilly was the mother of American Grand Prix race car driver Harry Schell, whom had both traveled to Indianapolis via luxury liner to have their race team contest the 1940 Indy 500 representing France, in hopes of boosting morale for a country mired in War...

Lee Wallard, 1950 (DJP)

Moore subsequently had the Maserati’s prepared and readied for the 1941 race as the 'Elgin Piston Pin Special’s” made up half of his unprecedented four car armada.

Moore’s three primary entries featured lead driver Mauri Rose; qualifying the No. 3 Maserati on pole, with teammate Dennis “Duke” Nalan starting the No. 17 Maserati on the outside of Row 10, in “P30.” While the unheralded Floyd Davis would roll off 17th aboard the trusty No. 16 Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special Wetteroth/Offy race car, while Moore also had an interest in a fourth race car, as Cliff Bergere was contesting the race aboard the No. 34 Noc-Out Hose Clamp Special, the ex-Moore/Floyd Roberts Wetteroth/Offy chassis.

Meanwhile, Joe Lencki once again entered his two car stable of six cylinder designed Lencki’s with Emil Andres at the controls of the No. 19 Kennedy Tank racecar (Lencki 4V) qualifying 15th, while George “Joie” Chitwood was aboard the No. 25 Blue Crown SpL. (Lencki 2V) Also referred to as the “Little Six,” Starting from 27th. (Lencki now claimed his 4V engine was of 265cid displacement). Andres would retire on lap 4 after being involved in an accident, while Chitwood solidered home to a 14th place finish, 33 laps behind.

The Blue Crown Spark Plug Company was making its foray into the Indy 500, by sponsoring one of Joe Lencki’s racecar’s this May, with the aforementioned Chitwood as the pilot.

Dean Jackson:
Blue Crown Spark Plug was a product of the Motor Master Products Company in the 1930’s and at the height of business, Motor Master Products was selling a range of 90+ spark plugs. This was during the era of when Chrysler owned the Autolite spark plug concern and General Motors owned AC spark plugs with Champion also doing business.

Blue Crown Spark Plug advertisement

During World War II; Blue Crown was producing 40,000 spark plugs per day under Government contracts for the war effort; Purvis, (his father and Owner of the Blue Crown Spark Plug Co.) owned factories in Chicago and Mexico, with the Mexican plant being for international business, prior to selling Blue Crown to the Defiance Automotive Screw Machine Co. in Defiance, Ohio in the early 1950’s.

And for this 29th running of the Memorial Day classic, the front row’s three starter’s are the same in two consecutive Indy’s For the very first time, along with being the top three finishers from the previous year. As Rose started from the Pole, with Rex Mays and Wilbur Shaw alongside respectively; having led the race for six laps, Rose retired with engine trouble on lap 60. However, he finally won driving the Floyd Davis car; from the same stable of Lou Moore’s, while “Duke” Nalon finished in fifteenth place, twenty seven laps behind the winner.

Drivers: Duke Nalon, Mauri Rose, Bill Holland and Ted Horn, 1948 (DJP)

Speculation suggests that team owner Lou Moore and driver Floyd Davis were both of strong bull-headed opinion; supposedly with Moore fast growing displeased with Davis’s race performance, who was at the time running in 11th place.

Thus on lap 72, Moore ordered Davis to relinquish his mount to the now sidelined Rose, who resumed the race in 13th place. Yet, by lap 152, when leader Shaw crashed out, Rose moved into third place, with only Mays and Bergere ahead of him. Yet Mays needed to pit for fuel and thus Berger in the ex-Lou Moore entry was the only opposition left ahead of Rose,

Bergere, racing on Moore’s savvy strategy, was trying to complete the race without making any pit stops and eventually would be forced to slow down in order to finish the race. Thus smelling blood, Mauri swept by on lap 162 as the two combatants’s sped down the front straightaway in lockstep, before Bergere would fade to 5th place.

Upon his triumph, Rose tried doing everything in his power to share the victory laurels with Davis, even having come to a crawl on the pit lane whilst trying to hand over the winning race car to Davis to drive into victory lane... Yet, a dejected Davis was nowhere to be found and a widening rift between him and Moore would lead to their eventual falling out, as Davis was not to be featured in the winner’s photographs the following day.

Bill Holland (DJP)

On an interesting side note, starting the race from 10th and finishing fourth was the little known No. 54 Bud Winfield prepared Bowes Seal Fast Special, with Ralph Hepburn behind the wheel of what was the forbearer to one of Indy’s most popular post war race cars, affectionately known as the Novi.

This particular race car was actually one of the previous ten front engine 1935 Miller Ford’s, with it’s alluring body panels having been hammered by Emil Deidt, as Henry Ford had sold off the cars piecemeal to private collectors after the fiasco of the ’35 Indy 500, in which all of his race cars failed to finish. And like the majority of top line racing Lumps of the period, once again the Novi engine’s designer was the renowned Leo Goossen, while Bud Winfield was responsible for developing the supercharged V-8, after Team Boss Lew Welch told him to go ahead and build it!

But after escaping the scourge of warfare in the European theatre, as we all know, “A Day of Infamy” occurred on December 7th and the United States was finally involved in World War II...

To continue reading, see; Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials-Part 3

Hazy recollections of May Day

Y’all know the saying: Can another year have slipped by already? (Hmm? Can this issue of Racer Magazine I’ve had stuffed away really be five years old?) As it’s amazing to realize that it’s now 15 years since the tragic deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna...

Thus I found it a tad bit ironic to hear Bob Varsha waxing on poetically about the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix, held in Aida, Japan during the recent Chinese GP SPEED TV coverage, when Messer Varsha pointed out that it was now 15 years since Formula 1’s current elder statesman Rubens Barrichello had scored his very first F1 podium... Along with pointing out that the track had named a corner in honour of a certain Mister David Hobbs...

And I know that I watched that Pacific GP race... Yet I have absolutely zero recollections of it, as for reasons unknown I find it more ‘N more interesting in what we tend to keep filed away upon our cerebral hard drives, eh? As I’ve previously scribbled about my one and only encounter with the almighty Senna.

May Day

And as other generations can vividly recall where they were upon JFK’s Assassination, or when Neil Armstrong planted his foot upon that silty surface known to Mankind as the Moon... I find it somewhat strange that I can still vividly recall where I was the day that Senna died! And even more ironic that on that horrifically tragic weekend I wasn’t glued to the Telescreen, instead partaking in the very last Pantera Owners Cub of America (POCA) event held on the Old Los Wages strip on Freemont Street instead... (As a guest of Roberto & Kimberly)

And yet, with “Ay-Arten’s” passing, I suppose it’s most ironic that Michael Schumacher’s very first career pole position didn’t occur until after Senna’s death... As two future multiple F1 World Champions named Herr Schumacher and the young Flying Finn Mika Hakkinen battled royale for the honours of P1 at Monaco a Fortnight later...

Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials saga

Joie Chitwood, 1935 (DJP)

Introduction

It’s always interesting to me what sparks your curiosity, eh? As during last summer, while dining with “Snobyrd” M.J. and her longtime friend Joy, who was visiting “The Emerald City” from Phoenix, AZ, I was busy extolling the virtues of my No Fenders “BLOB.” (What Aunty Harriet affectionately calls it!) which in turn sparked the following conversation of Joy telling me about an ex-Chicago classmate’s father who was the sponsor of the Indy 500 winning Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials sixty-plus years ago. Thus, my curiosity was definitely peaked, (Hey! You didn’t think peaking was Danicker’s sole property; did yuh’s?) And Joy introduced me to Dean, whose father Purvis was the owner of the Blue Crown Spark Plug Company and hence the following conversations with Dean morphed into this story about a long forgotten racing team and racecar I’d never heard about before...

Early Days

Having retired from the cockpit after the 1936 Indy 500, Lou Moore was busy beginning his career as a team owner, circa 1937 and would ultimately go on to win the Indy 500 five times, a record that stood for nearly four decades, until some dude adorned by the moniker; “The Captain,” a.k.a. Roger Penske scored the sixth of his untouchable fourteen victories to date, in 1987. And while “The Cheepster,” a.k.a. Chip Ganassi basks in the limelight of being the current Indy 500 winning Team Owner, Ganassi still trails Moore on the all time victory list; 5-3, as Chip was co-owner of Emerson fittipaldi’s 1989 Patrick Racing winner, along with Juan Pablo Montoya’s 2000 victory and Scott Dixon’s 2008 triumph for Target Chip Ganassi Racing respectively.

So, eat your heart out “Cheep!”

1938

The very first Lencki chassis was being laid down by Joe Lencki of Chicago, as Lencki had commissioned Leo Goossen to design what Lencki considered to be the ultimate solution to capturing victory at the Brickyard. Interestingly, Lencki was also the inventor of some secret “Slippery Liquids” concoction known today as Z Max, for which you may see an ‘Ol Snake Oil salesman by the name of Carroll Shelby pitching to you via television.

Lencki, a mechanic by trade, had begun racing Dirt Tracks in the mid-1920’s and after owning multiple Miller chassis, went to California to have Offenhauser produce an engine of his own specification. There, Goossen, chief draftsman and engine designer extraordinaire for Harry Miller, Offenhauser, Meyer & Drake and Drake Engineering, penned a 270cid, two valves per cylinder “Lump,” for what would become the first Lencki/Lencki to race at the Speedway in 1939.

Speculation suggests that if you were so inclined to call the six, which looked extremely similar to an Offenhauser 270cid four cylinder, with the additional two cylinders in front of Lencki, you were likely to get slugged!

George Connor, 1950 (DJP)

Meanwhile, Louis “Curly” Wetteroth was another of the many fabricators making a living by building race cars, with a shop in California and kept busy by producing Midgets and Indianapolis/Champion Cars. As Curly had previously built the 1935 Indy 500 winner for Harvey Ward and Kelly Petillo.

Thus, reportedly it was Lou Moore serving as chief mechanic for driver Floyd Roberts at the controls of Moore’s Burd Piston Ring Special, who captured the pole position for that year’s race. Roberts would go onto lead 92 laps enroute to his lone 500 victory wilds taking the chequered flag aboard a Wetteroth/Miller race car. The win would become the first of Moore’s five Indy 500 wins as a team owner and the first time the pole sitter had won the race since 1930.

Tony Bettenhausen, 1939; First “Big Car” he drove (DJP)

1939

Floyd Roberts returned with Lou Moore aboard the previous year’s winning Burd Piston Ring Special, while for the 27th Indy 500, there were a total of four entries sponsored by Burd Piston Ring, with Frank Wearne in a second Wetteroth/Offy, along with Tony Gulotta in a Stevens/Offy, while Lencki entered his lone chassis for Tony Willman, the #51, which started 26th and finished 14th after retiring on lap 188 with a broken fuel pump.

As in 1937, when rules revisions no longer made it mandatory for competitors to have a riding mechanic, another popular change was made, when qualifying was cut from ten laps to four, with Jimmy Snyder capturing the pole at 130.130mph, Louis Meyer in the middle of row one and Wilbur Shaw on the outside. This triumbrant would go on to lead the majority of the race, as Shaw in a Boyle-Maserati would win his second race in three years, while Meyer had spun out of contention for his record forth victory while chasing Shaw on lap 198.

The win by a Maserati was the first by a foreign make since the Fisher/Allison owned Peugeot had won the 1919 May classic, while Floyd Roberts, the previous year’s Indy 500 victor, began the race from the 23rd position, but tragedy was to strike Roberts, who was involved in an accident on lap 106, when a spinning Bob Swanson was collected by Roberts, causing Swanson’s car to flip, catch fire and eject its driver, while Roberts race car hurtled out of the Speedway, thru the wooden retaining fence at over 100mph and came to rest against a tree. Chet Miller was also involved in the incident, along with two spectators being injured from flying debris, while all three drivers were transported to the hospital, it took 30 minutes to remove the burnt hulk of Swanson’s car and Roberts was pronounced dead prior to the races conclusion as a result of a skull fracture. Sadly, Roberts was reportedly set to announce his retirement after the race. Also, that August, Carl Fisher passed away in a Miami hospital...

Mauri Rose; Indy 500 Winner (DJP)

1940
While the public pondered the possibility of the Indy 500 occurring that May, as ominous war clouds festering over Europe had led to the invasion of Poland on September 7, 1939 and war declared by Adolf Hitler... IMS track owner Eddie Rickenbacher decided to press on.

Meanwhile, Joe Lencki had commissioned Offenhauser to produce a second six cylinder engine. While the original engine was of two valve design, (hemispherical combustion chamber) the new Lump sported four valve per cylinder construction, (pent-roof combustion chamber) measuring 260cid vs. the 2V’s 270 displacement.

Lencki’s two entries lined-up for the 500 with driver’s George Connor in 17th, while Floyd Davis nabbed the very last spot upon the grid. Connor’s No. 10 Lencki (Lencki 4V) would finish 26th, having thrown a rod on lap 52. While Davis’s No. 61 Lencki (Lencki 2V) wound up 20th. (Ironically Davis would race for Lou Moore the following May).

Pole sitter Rex Mays finished a disappointing second to race winner Wilbur Shaw, while the final “Podium” position of third place was captured by Mauri Rose aboard an Elgin Piston Pin racecar owned by Lou Moore, which past Indy 500 winner Floyd Roberts had helped Moore and Wetteroth construct over the winter of 1938.

Shaw’s third victory was of historic proportion, as not only did it make him the race’s second three time winner, but he became the very first driver to win two consecutive races in a row, along with piloting the very first chassis to win two events in a row... Thus Shaw’s remarkable tally of finishes between 1937-40 comprised of three wins and one runner-up finish, not to mention his two second places in 1933 and 1935...

To continue reading, see; Blue Crown Spark Plug Specials-Part 2

Barrett-Jackson ’09 (Con’t)

1948 Ford Cab-over truck (PBM)

After having spent an considerable amount of time perusing the upcoming vehicles for sale to the highest bidder, during the second Preview day (Monday) I was most curious to see the results via the Telescreen, and thus decided to drop-in both Friday & Saturday nights for extended viewing periods. (3.5+ Hours each night) Thus here’s what I jotted down as SPEED gave us an extra 30mins of coverage both nights, with the emphasis upon “Super Saturday” when all of the Really-really-Really Big sales occur, hence my notes are primarily from Saturday night...

Super Saturday’s Top 5 Sellers
No. Vehicle Price
1. 1929 Ford Tri-Motor Aeroplane $1.1m
2. 1955 Ford Thunderbird $600,000
3. 1970 Dodge Superbird $501,000
4. 2006 #24 Chevrolet racecar $500,000
5. 1996 Buick Blackhawk $475,000

NOTE:
The top two vehicles were sold to Arizona House builder Magnate Ron Pratt, while the ’70 Superbird was a re-creation built off of a Dodge Satellite body and finished in Richard Petty blue; selling for the extra $1k in order to beat Jeffery “Pretty Boy’s” Gordon’s race car, as both were sold for charity. The Dodge also garnered an additional $175,000 large in additional donations...


Friday; Jan. 16, 2009
My very loosely scribbled notes start off with one of my personal favourites, a 1969 BOSS 302 Mustang; Lot #979 which fell for a hammer price of $97,000. Then a 1959 Corvette “Fuelie;” (Fuel Injected) Lot #1019 was sold for a staggering $200,000!

Saturday; Jan. 17, 2009
Lot #1248, a beautifully restored Brittany Blue 1968 Shelby GT500KR was hammered away for the sum of $150,000, while Lot #1251, a 1929 Rolls Royce paled in comparison, rolling off stage for the tune of $87k,

Then there was the Dodge Superbird re-creation in “Petty Blue” and driven onstage by “The King” (Richard Petty) no less… And this was the first of several auctions which began to piss me off! As they kept stopping lead auctioneer Spanky in order to stall for time to stroke the bid higher… As now hold on Spanky, we’re even gonna throw in a Richard Petty “signature” hat; Blah-Blah-Blah! While Ron Pratt was quick to throw in an extra $100k large, as this rusted out ’70 Dodge Satellite was transformed into the killer Superbird stuffed with Ray Evernham power train and body massaged by Year One, finally rolling off stage for the amazing price of $501,000…

Next, Ron Pratt took center stage by laying down a staggering sum of $600,000 to obtain a very unique “Baby Bird.” As the Ford Thunderbird he won was the very first production 1955 T-Bird with serial #005. (The very first production Thunderbird created in late 1954)

A very small sampling of racing celebs in the house included “The R “N R Indy Car Bros.” Ryan “The Dude” Hunter-Reay and Ryan Dalziel; Err, better make that Sports Car drivers, since both are racing in the Daytona 24hrs… Hmm? Was Hunter-Reay hoping to find an Indy Car ride at the show, or simply commiserating with Buddy “Hot Rod” Rice over their potential Indy Car seats going up in smoke?

Also spotted were Gas Rhonda and John Force, as the two NHRA pilots actually raced each other for the honors of driving a Ford Mustang Comp Car on stage.

Then again, perhaps “The Dude” was checkin’ out Lot #1302, a late 1980’s Corvette, which had actually been built as a rolling test lab/prototype, featuring a built-in roll cage for high speed testing at the GM Proving Grounds, as the 1989 Corvette ZR1 “Snake skinner II” fetched a hammer price of $67,000.

A most interesting show car was up next, as Lot #1303 featured the 1996 Buick Blackhawk specifically created by GM to recognize Buick’s Centennial in 2003. And the Blackhawk went for big money, as the #5 top seller of the show at a whopping $475k! Has anybody driven a Buick lately?

Lot #1304 was a most unique automobile, as it was a rare 1947 Allard Hill Climb Special, which was the ’09 Barrett-Jackson auction catalog’s cover car, (Which will only set you back a mere $15...) Adding provenance to this eclectic vehicle was the fact that it was built specifically for Sidney Allard himself and featured “Dually” style rear wheels in order to gain extra traction, along with an Austrian built air cooled V-8. The Allard netted $185,000.

Then next up was a true modern Super car… A true beast, as this 2005 Saleen S7 was the only street (legal) car version of 15 racecars built along with 50 turbos for Homologation and this beast was a Narly 1,000bhp twin turbocharged version of the plain Jane “stock” 560bhp S7! This freakish Saleen boasts a 0-60mph time of 2.5 seconds along with a top speed of 250mph… Lot #1305 hammered away for $375,000.

And the hits just kept on rollin’ as Lot #1306.2 featured a ’67 Plymouth Barracuda, selling for charity and included lunch with some cat named Indiana Jones. (Harrison Ford)

And then the Barrett-Jackson show stopper, Lot #1307 wasn’t an automobile, nor in the building… As the pristine 1929 Ford Tri-motor Aeroplane replete with Pearl Harbor bullet holed parts was sold for $1.1m to you guessed it! Ron Pratt… And I thought the Housing bubble had burst?

Lot #1316 was another unique item, as GM was hoping to cause a stir by selling the number one production 2010 Camaro with the caveat of the winning bidder getting to deck out the car however they wished from the GM catalog. So it shouldn’t be surprising that “Mega” GM dealer Rick Hendrick won the bid with a price of $360,000 large.

Continuing with the re-creation/clone theme, Lot #1317 was a Shelby Eleanor Mustang, but not just any ‘Ol Eleanor ‘Stang. Nope this was 1 of 3 remaining Automatic Eleanor’s from the actual movie Gone in 60 Seconds, while it’s believed that a fleet of 11 Eleanor clones were produced for the movie. The ’67 Mustang Fastback sold for $97k.

Lot #1319 was the first 1969 BOSS 429 that I managed to notice crossing the block. As the SPEED talking heads duly noted, this BOSSes price was visibly lower then previous years, netting a paltry $190k.

Then for something different, a ’94 Porsche 911 Speedster entered the building. (Lot #1321) But this Porsche happened to formerly belong to someone by the name of Seinfeld, as in Jerry Seinfeld, who’s reportedly a hardcore Porsche-aphyle… And not content with the stock motor had Andial install a European RS-spec 911 lump in it. Also apparently Jerry didn’t have much time to drive his Porsche’s as the Speedster’s odometer noted only 9,800 miles upon it, as the ex-Seinfeld Porsche was sold for $98,000.

And it’s always funny how Barrett-Jackson gets the bulk of attention, with its massive 40hrs of live SPEED coverage, which portrays it as the ONLY auction going on... While there were three other auction companies in town: Russo & Steele, RN Auctions and Gooding & Company, with the latter selling two pristine exoticar’s for a staggering sum of $8.5 million...

’09 Gooding & Company Auction notes

Barrett-Jackson ‘09

Otay Race Fans! Bear with me just a little bit longer as I try to exorcise the 2009 Barrett-Jackson festiva outta my psyche... (And try to load this MONSTER file onto my "BLOB!")

But first...
Stealing the phrase out of the Saint Louis Rams playbook, I’m certain that the Barrett-Jackson folks would take kindly to being called “The Greatest Automobile Auction on Turf!”

After having seen the Auction via the Telescreen over the past several years, in which I scribbled about in Fast Cars, along with my Blogmeister Miguel having attended last year’s show... I told him; “I WANNA GO!” And thus, this was my excuse for going to Arizona this January, in order to finally see in person what all of the fuss was about.

Arriving mid-morning Monday, Miguel & I boarded the Greyhound like shuttle bus from the nearby parking lots of 10 soccer fields, which drove us towards the show after being instructed to remember; “You’re in the Offsite Red parking lot.” Offside-red light, Offside-red light, Offside-red light I repeated out loud.

Presenting our tickets we immediately entered the beginning of the massive vendor display tent, which stretches on for miles ‘N miles, as the very first display was an awesome gathering of six 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustangs parked three abreast at 45 degree angles. And these are some BAD ASS looking mother’s! All adorned with the traditional twin stripes treatment, as a few were convertibles, with the rest being coupes. (Suggested retail price of $46,000 MINUS Dealer Mark-up!) And I even got to sit behind the wheel of one convertible...

Tomaso’s New Ride! (PBM)
But even wilder yet was the two Shelby Mustang’s on roller’s set up for a Mano E Mano (Stoplight) drag race... As the two participants both chirped the tires in their first trial run. Then it was time to rumble as the lights went green and more rubber could be heard being laid down as the winner from New York made a quarter mile pass of 13.86 seconds @ 101mph, while the loser cut a slow time of 16.20 seconds.

While I hung out briefly next to the Black Shelby nearest the racing stage, the traditional Odor ‘du burnt rubber wafted past me inside the tent as smartly the door was locked upon the black “Stang; DAMN! So, my day was totally made and we hadn’t even looked at a single car yet. Aye Carumba! This is gonna be fun as we made our way past the Ford booth and into a long cavernous room filled with even more automobiles, not to mention boats, planes and helicopters... As I was simply blown away by the staggering display of Hennessey Performance Vehicles, with a few showroom Beasts on deck! A Narly 1,000bhp Dodge Viper, a Killer twin turbocharged Ford GT with a top speed of 240mph, a Corvette ZR1, a Freakish 2010 Camaro with ZR1 power plant and a bad ass Nissan GTR. Opposite of this was a Koenigsegg CCX from Sweden and a bright yellow 2006 Gumpert Apollo, of which I’ve never heard of... As it looks more like a race car then street car, being extremely low and wide, thus I had to marvel at myself as I pronounced how extraordinarily “Plain” the bone stock rosso Ferrari parked in the middle of the aisle looked. Crikey’s when has a Ferrari ever looked dull?
Past that poor plain Jane Ferrari was the Chevrolet display, which I’d have to say that the brand new Corvette ZR1 looks Awesome, while alongside was the 2010 Camaro. Hmm? And I thought we were in a recession? So are we now paying for the “Big 3’s” R & D costs? Thus, after marveling over the new Camaro, (Can you say 21st Century Pony car Wars?) we elected to skip the rest of the never ending vendor tent and instead go look at some of the auction-mobiles outside

Koenigsegg CCX
We passed thru a row of Newell custom coaches and semi’s for sale, before running into the Roush/Superformance display booth. This was sweet, as a brace of Ford GT40 Replicar’s grabbed our attention. As not one but two Gulf Oil #6 winning 24 Heurs du Mans chassis stood parked, ready to race. As we got chatted up by a salesman trying to interest us in a Cobra replicar, I didn’t even notice the black #2 Ford GT40, as I was focusing upon the #98 Cobra Daytona Coupe re-creation with another cobra roadster parked alongside it.

There were five massive tents with four rows of cars parked underneath them... As it seemed quite funny that the 150-200 vehicles approx. per tent were parked upon either grass or dirt, with some owners trying to wipe away all of the dust particulates from their respective vehicles, most notably the owner of a custom 1973 De Tomaso Pantera with a gold plated 4 cam Mustang mod motor behind the firewall... Yeah, that’s right, solid gold plated! Not to mention the paintwork.

Superformance Daytona Coupe (PBM)
The first two tents up for perusal, were numbers 4 & 5, as we began with tent #4 which appeared to be a “Chevy-esqe” affair as the nearest row to the outside of the tent featured a plethora of past racing cars, with the very first two sightings being past IndyCars... These two bright Pennzoil yellow No. 4 chassis turned out to both be old Panther racing cars with one adorning the name of some past Indy 500 winner... Sam Hornish Jr. While the second vehicle sported both Hornish and Tomas “Rockem Sockem” Scheckter and sporting a large American flag decal on the engine cowling, as these IRL chassis both turned out to be ex-Show cars propelled by Chevrolet V-8 lumps.

Another really cool racecar was the Cadillac ALMS Prototype which was, you guessed it! Extremely low to the ground, as Miguel noted the 2-3 inch ground clearance of the front splitter... Looking quite striking in its silver body colour, while a third IRL Indy Car was parked alongside. This was a most interesting chassis as it claimed to be a cut-away car, although completely assembled and painted white/red/black... Hmm? That reminds me of an old Honda CART paint scheme; possibly Parker Johnstone/Mike Groff? (Woah Nellie! Way back machine, eh?) As this chassis didn’t sport any car number, etc. yet, the sidepod was resplendent with the word Oldsmobile... Thus I’m assuming this racer was powered by an Oldsmobile Aurora V-8 lump. (As we never did spot the second IRL Cut-away chassis up for grabs)

There was then a small smattering of ex-Trans Am, IMSA and Off Road racecar’s for sale, including a duo of Larry Raglan Desert vehicles... And this doesn’t even include the production based cars in the tent, as the hour of high-noon fast approached we decided it was lunchtime...

(Having received my ’09 Barrett-Jackson catalog from AZ Bureau Chief Mary Jane; it finally provided me with the clues towards the unnumbered Indy Cars up for auction...)

Cadillac LMP1 (PBM)
After some high priced sandwiches, no tenderloins here bubbah; as in “Where’s the Beef?” We set off for the final three tents which held a staggering number of “Muskel-carzs.” Actually the word stimulus overload (NO! NOT Stimulus package, eh?) came to both of our lips quite frequently, as I’d say about 60/70% of all vehicles up for auction fit this genre., intertwined with a heavy dosage of 1950’s Detroit Iron... Hey look, there’s another Corvette, Mustang, GTO, ‘Cuda, etc. But don’t get me wrong, the majority were the crème of their respective marque’s past offerings and many would once again obtain six figure prices, although I just DON’T get it!

24k Gold plated Ford “Mod: motor (PBM)
Some rarities included a small smattering of Porsche’s and Ferrari’s, although I’d guess that the Ferrari Mondial didn’t garner large dinero, while there was a beautiful 930 slant nose, along with another re-creation and a 928 on the grounds... Yet I was most entranced by a solitary 1948 Ford cab over pick-up stuffed with a 429 big block and a Boyd Coddington Quarter Midget on its flatbed. This gem would go for $75,000 on Friday night.

Then we stumbled upon the Park Place Motors Ltd booths which held sentimental value to me, since I’ve been in their store before which is located in Bellevue, WA. Walking inside the miniature showroom, a beautiful Lotus 211 was holding station alongside a trio of Spyker’s, which were all retailing for $235,000+. Outside a duo of Porsche Speedster replicar’s sat with a second Park Place display housing several top flight auto’s including another Spyker and beautiful metallic silver ’95 Ferrari 355 spider (Lot #1239.2) which sold for $88k on Saturday.

Gumpert Apollo (PBM)
Having finally looked at all five tents, we’d still not seen any of the top dollar “Super Saturday” cars, which I’m assuming were housed in the Showcase Pavilion, which houses a further 200 vehicles, that we never did manage to get too. Although we encountered a consignment tent while scouring the grounds for the Showcase Pavilion, where I’m still assuming the blue ribbon BOSS Mustang’s, Shelby’s, Cobra’s, Camaro’s, etc were hidden in... Yet, we managed to spot our very first Lambo, a Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster, while off in the distance was Robosaurus... But, while trying to work our way towards the Showcase Pavilion, we were told we couldn’t enter the tent... Why’s that? Because it’s a quarter to four! And the show closes in 15mins. Yikes! A full five hours had passed us by... And you already know about the rent-a-cop NAZI’S at the exit!

2009 Barrett Jackson Auction-Part 2

All photos courtesy of Blogmeister Miguel (Minus Koenigsegg CCX)
Kudos Miguel!

Miller Time

Whale I must say that I feel a bit like a big game hunter... Having previously seen pressdog’s interview with the irrepressible Robin Miller last year, whom apparently Jeff of My Name is IRL is a HUGE FAN ‘O, amongst others... I sought to obtain my own “exclusive” interview from OWR’s leading curmudgeon.

Having sought this interview from Robin, we’ve exchanged several emails regarding the matter, thus some of my questions have become a tad bit dated, but nevertheless here’s what Robin had to say on January 5th, just prior to my going to Arizona to visit this year’s just completed 38th Annual Barrett-Jackson auction.


Tomaso (T)
But seriously, one of my favourite parts of your stchick on Dave Despain’s Wind Tunnel show is the segment affectionately known as; HELL Yes or BS! Would you care to play another round here?

T)
1. Paul Tracy will have a full time ride in Indy Car next year?

Robin Miller (RM)
Not unless AGR or George come to their senses or PT hits the Power Ball. Talked to him yesterday, (Jan. 4) he's got nothing. Very sad, he's 40 and has been worth the price of admission his whole career, he deserves a farewell tour in a good car. My answer: No.

T)
2. Portland will return to the Indy Car calendar in 2010?

RM:
It's got an outside chance but I think Cleveland, Birmingham and a street race in Nashville are the leading contenders. I've received a bunch of email in my weekly Mailbag from Oregon fans who want it back but it's probably going to take a major title sponsor or getting back with the Rose Festival like the good old days.

T)
3. Justin Wilson will race for Newman Haas Lanigan in ’09?

RM:
Doesn't look like it. Paul Newman and Carl Haas spent their own money the past few years on two cars and it's possible Robert Doornbos could bring a sponsor to be Rahal's teammate but I think Justin has the inside line at Penske.

(Tomaso: Obviously this answer was before Penske announced Will Power’s signing and now the scuttlebutt is that the Hamburgular, a.k.a. Bourdais will return to N/H/L in ’09)

T)
4. Derrick Walker will purchase the assets of Roth Racing and campaign the Mansell Bros. next year in Indy Car?

RM:
No and no. Derrick's got plenty of assets, he just needs money and sponsors. The Mansell boys are going sports car racing where they belong.

T)
5. Will an “Up ‘N Comer” USAC Silver/Gold Crown Dirt Car driver contest the Indy 500 in the near future?

RM:
There's a project going on right now that could get Cole Whitt or Brad Sweet or maybe Tracy Hines to the Indy 500 but I can't talk about it yet because it's a work in progress. I'd love to see Dave Darland or Jerry Coons Jr. get a shot as well but if any of these guys gets a ride it will be a great story and a long shot.

T)
6. Formula 1 will return to Indy in 2010?

RM:
I said it was coming back in 2009 so what do I know? But, yes, I think it will be back, proving Bernie and Max haven't run everybody off by then.

T)
7. Will we see three engine manufacturers competing in IndyCars in 2011, i.e.; Honda, Porsche and Alfa Romeo?

RM:
You'll see Audi join Honda but not Porsche and maybe Alfa. At least that's what I've been reporting for the past couple months.

T)
8. Davey Hamilton will contest next year’s Indy 500?

RM:
If he gets Hewlet Packard as his sponsor again, yes.

T)
(Obligatory Danica question)
9. Will Princess Danicker win another race for AGR?

RM:
I think she can but it's going to have to be an oval.

T)
And speaking’ of Ye ‘Ol Windbag, a.k.a. Dave Despain, besides getting his coffee, how long have you known him; and any funny Despain stories to share?

RM:
I met Dave in the late '60s when he was the AMA PR man and I was covering the motorcycles on the Mile at the Fairgrounds. I guess my best story is when he was trying to make it as a flat tracker and they were at DuQuoin one day. It was real rough and dusty and Gene Romero, the national champion, told the officials he wasn't going to go out and bust his ass getting the track in shape. He pointed to Despain and said: "Send out the novices, they don't know any different." He still laughs about that.

T)
“VUKIE” called Castroneves, Hulio... Which I’m sure is NOT new. Besides Hulio, Princess and Graham Rahal, what other “Big” name potential Indy Car stars do you see on the horizon?

RM:
I think Ryan Hunter-Reay given a good car and maybe somebody like a Jonathan Summerton if somebody gives him a chance. Derek Daly's kid obviously has a world of potential and he's an American just like Summerton.

T)
You mentioned how if ‘Ol PT doesn’t race in Canada next year, Toronto will have a hard time selling tickets. But Tracy’s getting a bit long in the tooth and “TAG:” (Alex Tagliani) isn’t exactly a spring chicken, while Andrew Ranger was given the boot. Does Canada have any future Open Wheel talent on the horizon?

RM:
Not sure about any young Canadians but PT showed last year at Vancouver (Edmonton) he can still peddle and Tags also turned in some dandy runs. Ranger had plenty of potential but no backing.

T)
What do you think about Robert Wickens, James Hinchcliffe and Kevin Lacroix, along with John Edwards, Alexander Rossi, Josef Newgarden, and Connor Daily? Will any of them wind-up in IndyCars?

RM:
Like I said earlier, you would hope some of these kids get rides but Alex Lloyd, Jay Howard and Jonathan Bomarito all have talent and nobody is knocking down their door.

T)
Do you think Formula Atlantic, nee Toyota Atlantics should be absorbed into the Indy Lights series?

RM:
No, I think they should run together at the IRL races just like they did in CART's heydays.

T)
What do you think about the current crop of females in the Indy Lights Championship; Ana Beatriz, Cyndi Allemann and Christina Orr, along with newcomer Pippa Mann?

RM:
Beatriz seems to have some ability and she made some nifty passes last year, on ovals and road courses. Don't know much about the others.

T)
Do you think “Bia” (Beatriz) can win the 2009 Indy Lights title and when will Ana make her debut in an Indy Car?

RM:
If Andre Ribeiro (her agent and former Penske driver) can find her money, sure.

T)
Was your start in 1969 at the Indy Star newspaper your very first professional Journalism job, or had you done something similar previous? How did you get your start in Journalism?

RM:
I was 18 and answering the score phones at The Star when a couple guys got drunk on their lunch hour and didn't come back to take the football games. I begged the sports editor to let me help and he really didn't have any other alternatives. So I took some games on the phone and never left the sports department for 33 years until the Gannett Nazis took over.

T)
I read that you think the Indy Star is the last place to go for any worthwhile motorsports news, yet you began your career there and stayed for over three decades... So there must have been something worthwhile besides the free Indy 500 tickets?

RM:
I hired Curt Cavin in the mid-80s because he was enthusiastic and hungry and wanted to learn about motorsports. But I'm afraid he's gotten real lazy in the past few years and Steve Ballard is a nice guy and a good feature writer but between the two of them the only real story they've broken in the last few years was unification in 2005. Oh yeah, it didn't happen then did it? What bothers me is that their Friday notebook is nothing more than a lot of press releases and seldom to they use it to tell us anything we don't already know.

T)
Although you claim to mostly shy away from Blogs, albeit Press Dog, do you think that blogging is a viable way to garner a new, youthful, potential Open Wheel Racing fan base?

RM:
Hell I don't know, I just think the internet and blogs in general have ruined reporting and journalism.

T)
In closing, I’d really like to thank you for granting me this (long winded) interview, is there anything else you’d like to say?

RM:
Thank god I got to be on Indy 500 crews in the '70s and race USAC midgets and stooge for Jim Hurtubise and watch Parnelli, AJ, JR and Mario in the '60s. And thank god for Dick Wallen's videos so I can always watch racing when it meant something. And I'm thankful I got to cover Indy in those days when it meant something to make the race...

Grand Prix revisited

With the recent news that a new racing movie is in the works, centering around the 1911 Indy 500 and OWR Curmudgeon Robin Miller’s comments on how there’s only been three really great racing movies; ”Grand Prix, Winning and The Big Wheel.”

To which I beg to differ as I think Steve McQueen’s epic Le Mans should also be on this list, I thought I’d relive the ecstasy of watching Grand Prix for the very first time two years ago...

1911 Indy 500 Movie in the making

Holy Racing movies Batman! Can it really have already been two years ago?

(December, 2006)
Grand Prix: The Movie
For the past few days; including this morning) Not for the first time, nor most likely for the last (hopefully!) the Speed Channel aired the movie Grand Prix… I suppose as a true Formula 1 fan I should be chagrined to admit that I’d never watched this movie in its entirety. Although I’ve seen bits & pieces over the years, I’ve never been able to sit through the whole movie... (Especially with Speed Channel’s 4 hours, 30 minutes air time)

Yet, I did find it very entertaining to watch the first 40+ minute portion, which was totally devoted to the actual making of this epic production. It included interviews with director John Frankenheimer and the movie’s leading man James Gardner, as it was quite entertaining to hear Gardner’s comments about the movie.Originally the producers had cast Steve McQueen for the lead role, which he would have been amazing in, yet the meeting with McQueen went horribly wrong and McQueen stormed out. This left the door wide open for MGM’s golden boy; James Gardner whom the studio wanted and forced the director to take on.

To me there seems to be several ironies to this movie. Gardner’s main nemesis in the movie is named Scott Stoddart. (Obviously no relation to Paul Stoddart) The Japanese entrepreneur that Gardner ultimately drives for is named Mr. Yomura and seems eerily painted as Mr. Honda… And in one scene Mr. Yomura tells Gardner that he tried buying the Jordan-BRM team, which bears NO relation to ex-F1 boss “EJ’s” (Eddie Jordan) fledgling

Privateer team.Produced in 1966, the movie cost approx. $9 million to produce, estimated at $220 million in today’s dollars. It featured many inventions in the realm of filming a race movie. Most notably a hydrogen cannon used to shoot the race cars into the water. The cars engines were removed and a steel sleeve welded inside. This allowed the cannon to fire the cars in any direction.

And speaking of the cars, I had to chuckle, seeing ‘ol “Shel’s” (Carroll Shelby) mug on the screen. Shelby was approached to get the necessary cars built for the movie. Shelby called Jim Russell around 3 AM in the morning to offer Russel the project of converting 15-20 F3 chassis into replica BRM’s, Eagles, Ferrari’s, etc. This was possible since it was the very first year of the new 3.0 liter engine formula and the real F1 cars appearances were changing weekly. And yes, it’s the same Russell who owns the prestigious European racing school that many top flight F1 drivers graduated from.

And I especially enjoyed Frankenheimer’s story of swaying “Il Commendatore"” (Enzo Ferrari) to approve of his project. As many know there haven’t been too many realistic racing movies ever made. Just think of “Daze ‘O Blunder” and Driven to begin with…

At the start Enzo told Frankenheimer that not only could he NOT use any of his cars, he couldn’t use the name Ferrari in the movie. After shooting live footage at Monaco, Frankenheimer called Enzo to ask him to reconsider by just watching the 30 minutes he’d put together. Of course Enzo replied that he didn’t have a projector, blah-blah-blah. Frankenheimer replied: Will you watch it; Yes or No? Frankenheimer chartered a plane, took movie, projector, AV aides, etc and set it all up in Enzo’s office. According to Frankenheimer after the film finished Enzo “bear” hugged him and said you can have anything. The factory, the race team, and the cars, anything!

Gardner revealed some interesting aspects of the actual filming. They used a GT-40 as a chase car. And they had a TV inside the cockpit which they could monitor Gardner while driving around at speed to see how the shots looked?

They also used the GT-40 as a tow vehicle, along with cutting off the front of an F3 film car just in front of the windscreen and towed the chassis with driver (Actor) at 140-150mph...

Gardner enjoyed bragging about the time while filming at Monte Carlo when Jochen Rindt couldn’t keep up with him. Rindt hadn’t driven the F3 chassis before. Gardner meanwhile had taken private driving lessons from Bob Bondurant.

And the scenes from Monza are amazing. Actually all of the in-car footage is quite excellent, yet it’s just so intriguing to watch the little cars circulating around the Monza banking of the long discarded Oval track.

And as in another Speed Channel special; The Quick and the Dead, it’s quite odd to hear our national anthem being played for the race winner. Something I’ve never heard since watching Formula 1…

Speedy Vintner’s

Having recently par-taken in Wine Fest in TT, along with the fact that the Holidazes are just around the corner, I thought I’d embellish a wee bit about some racing persona’s off-season hobbies... And seeing that I’m NO wine conasuer, what in the HE-Double hockey sticks is a Shiraz? As I’ll stick to Mosel Riesling...

Mario andretti
Everybody knows the name Mario Andretti and probably quite a few know about his burgeoning wine concern in Napa valley, which began in 1996 and I’m led to believe that this is Danny B’s favourite vintner.

Andretti Winery

Frank Arciero
Unfortunately, Arciero Racing was always known as a back marker to me during the CART era, as I missed out on the team’s hey-day’s of the late 1960’s, when such notable drivers as Al and Bobby Unser, Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney drove for them.

But I’ve heard that they were always a good team to work for, with lots of vino to be had during the team’s year end parties, hospitality chalet’s, etc, as Frank Arciero Sr. purchased the property for Arciero Family Vineyards in Paso Robles, CA in 1983 and EOS Estate Winery is also a part of the Arciero operation.

Arciero Family Vineyards

Kevin Buckler
Kevin is most known as the owner of The Racers Group, (TRG) having scored class victories in the Rolex 24 and 24 Heurs du Mans, the Porsche Cup and overall victory in the Daytona 24hrs as an independent Porsche competitor.

Kevin and his wife also own Adobe Road Wines in Petaluma, CA and their 2002 Adobe Road Wines Herrerias Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir won a gold medal and was chosen as best of its class in the 2005 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Adobe Road Winery

Richard Childress
Although Richard Childress is best known as the team owner of the late, seven times NASCAR champion Dale Earnhart Sr., he also has entered the wine making business.

Childress Vineyards

Tom Hedges
I’m guessing that nobody’s ever heard of this dude, eh? But I had the good fortune of being seated next to him on a flight to Arizona many moons ago... He struck up a conversation with me upon seeing my ALMS Portland Grand Prix T-Shirt with a Ferrari 333SP emblazoned upon it, and I ended up talking his ear off ‘bout motorsports for the next hour.

Tom informed me that he was a vintner and asked if I’d ever heard of Hedges wines? No, but he proceeded to tell me that I could pick up a few bottles at my local (QFC) grocery store. As Hedges vineyards are located in Eastern, WA in the Yakima valley.

Tom was also a Vintage Racer at the time of our conversation, campaigning an early Porsche 911 and he told me an entertaining story about trying to procure dual plug distributor caps from the Porsche factory in Stuttgart, which were going for $1,200.00 a pop. (6yrs ago) So, I urge you to give Hedges wine a try sometime soon!

Hedges Family Estate

Randy Lewis
Reportedly Lewis Cellars is one of Napa valley’s premiere vineyards in California, as Randy, a veteran of five Indianapolis 500 races has traded in his crash helmet and overalls for the more sedate speeds of being behind the wheel of a farm tractor.

Lewis Cellars

Scott Pruett
Although Pruett’s desires to try his hand at grape growing seemingly date back to his agricultural upbringing, its interesting to note that it was fellow racer Randy Lewis who helped make it happen, as its even more entertaining to hear the most successful Sports Cars piloto on the laborious process of wine making...

Scott Pruett;
“The thing that was shocking to me is that my industry, racing, has always been week-to-week and month-to-month. But to get into something where you can't even see your rewards for five to six years goes against everything I've known in my life. So with that, we ordered the plants, continued to get the field ready and waited."

Pruett harvests title and grapes

Jarno Trulli
And it seems pretty entertaining that two current Toyota racing drivers have decided to go into the vino business, as “Trulli Scrumptious” has actually been bottling his various blends of grapes for the past few years, unlike “Scooter,” who’s in the process of bottling his first harvest.

Jarno Trulli: Vintage Racer

Veterans Day - 2008

Imagine a time when it all began
In the dying days of a war
A weapon that would settle the score
Whoever found it first would be sure to do their worst
They always had before...

(Lyrics” RUSH; Manhattan Project, Power Windows, 1985)

Time Stands Still (2008)
Nagasaki photographs

Although I try to refrain from the topic of mainstream politics, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve been voicing my opinions a little bit lately, and I’m quite happy that this will be the final Veteran’s Day under the Bush regime...

Thus, it’s hard to believe that it’s already been one year since I had those most appalling thoughts while sightseeing in Japan, now having been to both World War II Atomic Bomb sites; Hiroshima, 2004 and Nagasaki, 2007. Obviously both sites are different, yet both were civilian targets with Hiroshima being a larger city than Nagasaki. Actually Nagasaki wasn’t the primary target on that fateful day, it was a back-up target picked when Kokura was blanketed by dense clouds, obscuring the city.

With Boxcar, the second B-29 bomber assigned to carry a nuclear bomb, being low on fuel and making only one pass over the target before dropping its lethal cargo at 11:02AM. As the bomb detonated above an unsuspecting tennis court...

Thus, I suppose it’s ironic, that the Hanford Nuclear facility, here in the state of Washington, which was built in 1943 specifically for the Manhattan Project was responsible for producing the very plutonium needed for the “Fat Man” bomb...After driving from Sasebo to Nagasaki, Tanja, Albin & I hopped aboard a Tram (Street Car) and rode to a nearby Atom Bomb museum stop. The museum is of an interesting design, as we walked down a continuously spiraling carpeted walkway, into the bowels of the museum. There are several artifacts on display, beginning with pictures of the city prior to the blast. There’s a picture of an entire city street, a school, temple, farming, horses, etc. Then there’s the clock with its hands frozen at 11:02AM, retrieved from a house approx. 3 kilometers from the blast. There are several items of glass & metal that are either twisted, bent or fused together from the bomb’s massive heat. There’s even a piece of roofing you can touch, which shows the affects of the intense temperature afflicted on the ceramic tile. There’s a single wall left of the church that was destroyed in the holocaust, as well as a counterpart of the horrific plutonium core bomb of the original “Fat Man” weapon used on Nagasaki. It’s gigantic and I think it weighed 4,000 tons. Reports differ over the total effects of the atomic wasteland, as Nagasaki like Hiroshima three days earlier was pulverized. And although it was known that the bombing could instantly kill everyone within a 4 kilometer radius, the then unknown effects of radiation were not understood. As countless scores of people simply died in other towns listed as; Dying, causes other than Atomic bombing… There are several gruesome pictures of dead bodies and injured people, as Nagasaki’s population was approx. 240,000 at the impact of Fat Man. Imagine in just 30 seconds, the bombs horrifically radiant heat killed over one-fourth of the population. Another one-fourth was injured along with countless thousands left homeless! Blast damage occurred as far away as 15 kilometers, with shrapnel flying as far as 8 kilometers. The city was leveled 2.6 miles approx. (radius) with anything black catching fire up to 4 kilometers away. As all of the telephone poles left standing were charred on the side facing the blast! On display, a section of wall recovered is quite intriguing. It too was also 4 kilometers away from the blast. Yet the bombs flash and heat was so bright and hot that it fused a man’s shadow and piece of leather into the wall! There’s also the shadow of a picket fence on the wall along with the image of leaves fused into a piece of wood… Various exhibits with time lines of the history of the Manhattan Project are interspersed with other related events. There’s current day Atomic statistics, like every Nations projected nuclear arsenal with Russia listed at 16,000 weapons followed by the US at 10,000. And there’s a display listing every Nations atmospheric and underground Atom bomb tests since WWII. Yet the most chilling display to me was the current day Nuclear weapons facilities, since this included Hanford, WA. I suppose why it sent a chill up my back was because it was the only video playing in English, as person after person discussed the devastating health effects of the “Down-winders.” Ranging from damaged Thyroid’s, cancer and multiple birth defects! (40+ years after being built) Which the U.S. Government is still denying, although supposedly it has now actually admitted that it did indeed release “Mega” amounts of radioactive toxins into the surrounding environment, as Hanford is now the nation’s WORST Nuclear site, containing 53,000,000 gallons of radioactive waste; the nation’s largest amount!

Hanford was responsible for producing the majority of plutonium utilized for our nation’s 60,000+ nuclear weapons, before being decommissioned at the end of the cold war and is currently the nation’s largest toxic waste Super-fund clean-up project...Next we walked to the adjoining Peace Park, which features an elaborate display at Ground Zero, with the grass lawn being interspersed with concrete rings leading inwards to the huge 10 meter tall peace statue adorned by a black marble vault containing the names of the atomic bomb victims and survivors who died in subsequent years. A plaque gives the following statistics:

Dead: 73,884 Injured: 74,909 Sufferers: 120,820 Houses burned down: 11,574 Houses half-ruined, 5,509 Houses partly damaged 50,000
At the south end of the park is a giant flowing water fountain. This Fountain of Peace was created in 1969 giving prayer to all of the people who perished in the bombing while vainly searching for water. At the base of the fountain is a black stone plaque with Lines from a poem carved into it. They were written by a girl named Sachiko Yamaguchi, who was nine at the time of the bombing, It reads:
"I was thirsty beyond endurance. There was something oily on the surface of the water, but I wanted water so badly that I drank it just as it was."

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibit (2000)

Japanese Open Wheel warriors

Interestingly while the mighty Auto manufacturers of Japan have reigned supreme in all forms of motorsports, including Formula 1, CART/Champ Car and the IRL; Japanese drivers have never quite attained the success of their country’s industrialists.

With this year’s Japanese Grand Prix having just been contested once again at Mount Fuji, the Toyota owned circuit, and having already panned the Formula 1 driver’s landscape previously in Japan and Formula 1, I thought I’d continue on with a very brief look into the Stateside racer’s, to whom I’ve had the privilege of viewing live in action.

Hiroyuki Matsushita (1990-98)
As far as I can tell, the pioneer for Japanese talent to test the waters of Open Wheel Racing stateside was none other than Hiroyuki “Hiro” Matsushita, who made his foray into CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) in 1990.

Yet, Matsushita began his racing career on two wheels instead of four, racing motorcycles in Japan between 1977-79, before moving to the United States, where he made his Formula Ford debut in 1986. Hiro then work his way up the ladder system, culminating with capturing the 1989 Toyota Atlantic crown, (Pacific Division) where he crushed the competition by recording the largest point’s margin along with four victories.

And as the grandson of Konosuke Matsushita, founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, (1918) which is more commonly known today as the Panasonic Corporation, Hiro enjoyed the might of financial backing from Panasonic throughout his racing career.

Hiro also was the very first Japanese driver to race at the Indianapolis 500 in 1991, yet quickly garnered a reputation as a “Tail Gunner Charlie,” by continuously running at the back of the field, as he was always outperformed by his teammates at Dick Simon Racing, Walker Racing, Arciero/Wells and Payton/Coyne Racing, in which he made a total of 117 starts for, with a career best finish of 6th in the 1994 Marlboro 500 at Michigan.

And for years I thought a friend of mine(?) was “Ah-so” very clever by always telling me the following story of how he earned his nickname “king Hiro.”

King Hiro:
“Matsushita earned the nickname "King Hiro" from Emerson Fittipaldi, who was complaining about Hiro's reluctance to cede track position when getting lapped by the leaders.[ The nickname came about as a result of Emerson's habit of pressing the "talk" button on his radio about half a second after he'd started speaking, thereby cutting off the first syllable of the first word he used. Fittipaldi, allegedly, had intended to say "F%%king Hiro!”
(Nickname source: Wikipedia)


Naoki Hattori (1999)
Unfortunately, I simply do not remember this driver, who is also an Automotive Journalist, yet Naoki must have some talent as he was the Japanese Formula 3 Champion in 1990, before very briefly trying to make his mark in Formula One, where Naoki made two unsuccessful attempts to Pre-qualify for races in the minnow-esqu Coloni team in 1991.

He then subsequently spent time sharing a second car with Memo Gidley alongside Walker Racing primary driver Gil De Feran in 1999 without any major results, before dropping out of Champ Car racing.

Naoki is not related to Shigeaki Hattori.


Shigeaki Hattori (1999-03)
Another of the unknown to me Japanese faces in Open Wheel Racing, as Shigeaki had a less than stellar career in CART, where he earned the dubious distinction of having his racing license revoked by Chief Steward Wally Dallenbach Sr. upon having pirouetted his Bettenhausen Motorsports entry a massive 18 times in only seven starts during 1999.

Shigeaki then moved to the IRL in 2000, driving for Treadway-Vertex Cunningham Racing and later Bradley Motorsports and AJ Foyt Enterprises; Huh? (I didn’t know that ‘Ol Super Tex liked Sushi…)

After his brief Indy Racing League career, which included two starts at Indy, (2002-03) Shigeaki spent one unsuccessful season racing in the Craftsman Truck series for Germain Racing, before retiring in 2005.


Shinji Nakano (2000-02)
Not to be confused with the current MOTO GP rider Shinya Nakano, Shinji Nakano like most current Open Wheel racers, cut his teeth in go-karts and won several Karting Championships before moving onto single seater racing, where he competed in Japanese Formula 3 & 3000, along with the European Formula Opel series.

Joining the revolving door of aspiring Japanese Grand Prix piloto’s during the mid 1990’s, Shinji made his Formula One debut in 1997 for the Prost team, which was powered by Mugen/Honda engines that season. The following year, Shinji was forced to take refuge at Minardi when Prost elected to campaign Peugeot engines instead and struggled with the perennial back markers. For 1999, Shinji occasionally tested for the Jordan Grand Prix team, who were using Mugen/Honda “lumps.”

In 2000, Shinji tried his hand in Champ Car racing, driving for Derrick Walker in CART as a paying driver, yet Shinji did quite a respectable job before moving onto Fernandez Racing, where he scored his career best 4th place finish in Toronto in 2002, ultimately making a combined 56 starts, before capping his Open Wheel career with a one-off drive at Indy in 2003 for Beck Motorsports.


Toranosuke Takagi (2000-04)
Billed as the next great Japanese hope in Formula 1, Toranosuke “Tiger” Takagi was spotted by Satoru Nakajima as a future F1 star in 1994 and spent considerable time racing for Nakajima’s race team, before being selected as a test driver for Tyrrell in 1997. Tiger then graduated to a full time race drive for “Uncle Chopper’s” (Ken Tyrrell) squad in 1998, becoming the sixth Japanese driver to compete in Formula One.

For 1999, Tiger joined Jos “The BOSS” Verstappen for his second and final season at the faltering Arrows Grand Prix team, before leaving F1 and contesting the 2000 Formula Nippon series for mentor Nakajima.

Following a very successful campaign in Formula Nippon, He copied fellow countryman Shinji Nakano’s example (literally) and moved onto racing stateside, where he replaced Nakano at Walker Racing from 2001-02 and scored a career best 4th place Champ Car finish in Houston.

For 2003, Takagi moved onto the Indy Racing League for Mo Nunn’s squad, and starting seventh and finishing fifth, was named the 2003 Indy 500 Rookie of the year. His second season in the IRL was less fruitful and he returned to Japan in 2005 to contest the Japanese GT series.


Roger Yasukawa (2003, 2005)
Roger Yasukawa began his racing career in go karts in Southern California, winning the state Junior Championship in 1991, before progressing to single seaters, where in 1998 he won the Barber Dodge 2.0 liter title. Yasukawa has also spent considerable time “Across the Pond,” where he raced go karts in Italy along with competing in Formula Vauxhall and contesting the inaugural Formula Palmer Audi Championship in 1999, before returning to compete in Skip Barber and the Toyota Atlantics Championships.

In 2003, Aguri Suzuki chose Roger to drive for the newly created Super Aguri/Fernandez Racing team which was making its debut in the IRL that year and would ultimately become Yasukawa’s best season, upon finishing runner-up in the Rookie of the year Championship behind some spiky haired, shiny tooth dude named Dan Wheldon...

Yasukawa then spent a fairly unproductive year in 2004 with Rahal/Letterman Racing, where he only competed in two events, before finding a full time ride at Dreyer & Reinbold for the 2005 IRL campaign. Since then, Roger has struggled to find sufficient funding for a full time ride and has largely become an Indy 500 “Specialist,” as he raced at the Speedway in ’06 for Playa Del Racing, was the third Dreyer & Reinbold entry in ’07 and attempted to make this year’s race for Beck Motorsports second week program, but failed to qualify after having raced in Motegi as a tune-up for Indy.

An interesting tidbit is the fact that Roger is the son of Minoru Yasukawa, who worked as a Marketing executive for the McLaren and Leyton House Formula 1 teams.


Kosuke Matsuura (2004-07)
Having won the Formula Dream title in 2001, Matsuura gained the attention of Aguri Suzuki and was immediately placed in Suzuki’s driver development program, where he competed in Formula 3 and Formula Renault with good results before being selected as Roger Yasukawa’s replacement at Super Aguri/Fernandez Racing for the 2004 IRL season.

In his debut IndyCar season, Matsuura won both the leagues Rookie of the year honours as well as that year’s Indy 500 Rookie of the year and spent the 2004-06 seasons driving for Super Aguri/Fernandez before joining Panther Racing alongside Vitor Meira in 2007 after Aguri Suzuki had transferred allegiance’s. Yet, the 2007 campaign was a rough slog for Matsuura, as persistent rumors about his career future dogged the likeable Japanese driver, who got my vote for dropping the “F-Bomb” of the year when the IRL censured Kosuke for his post race antics on the IMS Radio Network. Adding further insult to injury, Dario Franchitti rammed the hapless Matsuura at Kentucky on the cool down lap, upon failing to realize that the chequered flag had been displayed...

With the arrival of new Honda “Golden Boy” Hideki Mutoh at Andretti Green Racing, Matsuura’s time in the IRL spotlight had come to a close and Kosuke has returned to Japan to take up residence in the Formula Nippon series.


Hideki Mutoh (2008-Present)
Like earlier aspiring Japanese youngsters, Mutoh was fortunate enough to be signed to the Honda Formula Dream driver development program and ultimately won the Formula Dream title in 2002, before progressing up the ladder of single seater racing.

In 2007, it was announced that Aguri Suzuki’s Autobacs Racing Team Aguri would contest the Indy Pro Series Championship in conjunction with Panther Racing and Hideki as the team’s driver. With Mutoh winning that year’s IPS event at the Speedway and at the end of the year, Hideki made his Indy Racing League debut at the Chicagoland season finale aboard a third Super Aguri Panther entry and finished impressive eighth, further fueling rumours of Matsuura’s IRL demise. And in what seems a perfect irony, Hideki was announced as 2007 IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti’s replacement at AGR on Halloween, as Franchitti was off to greener(?) pastures in NASCAR…

Hideki finished 10th overall in his rookie IndyCar series season and held off Justin Wilson for the series Rookie of the year honours, helped in part by his second place finish at the Iowa Speedway, the highest ever finishing position for a Japanese driver in the series history, besting Takagi’s third place finish in Texas in 2003.

On a trivial note, Mutoh (10/10/82) and Yasukawa (10/10/77) share the same birthday...

Hockenheimring (Part 2)

Having dosed off to the soothing sounds of peaceful acoustic German music with enthusiastic singing along, daylight soon approached...

SAT, 7/19
YES! There really is a shuttle bus to the race track for us... As we were stationed in front of our awaiting motor coach bright ‘N early... Otay, perhaps a little too early, as we rode the Greyhound-like shuttle bus in to watch the day’s activities... And as our motor coach came to a stop, we disembarked and followed the F1 “Sheeple,” not being exactly sure which direction to go?

Following the crowd, we passed another cluster of “Yellow-vest’s,” walked thru a massive amount of broken glass, up a little dirt trail and followed the Sheeple across the Autobahn... And then walking underneath the track with some sorta type of unknown Honda-esce like mini racecar’s roaring overhead, as this is what my notes say...

“Why don’t you just say some type of cars went around the track, but my Seeing Eye dog didn't know what they were, and therefore I didn't either!"?!?”

Yeah, that’s what happens when you’re visually impaired, since I never actually saw these cars before we finally reached the track’s entrance and headed towards our seats. But I think perhaps they were the BMW Pro car’s? Of which I last saw two competing at the Zippo Historics at Watkins Glen and they’re really cool racecars.

Thus, we arrived at our seats just-in-time to see the start of Formel Ein practice, and I watched with amazement once again how FREAKIN’ FAST they are and the hour practice session just flew by! As it would be interesting to know just how fast they’re arriving into the Motordrome section?

Next up was the Porsche Supercup qualifying session, which started off fairly sanguine, as its an injustice for anybody to appear after the Formula 1 land sharks have thrown down hot laps... Yet suddenly, three cars spun out directly in front of us, as after hearing the screech of brakes locking and badly flat spotted tyres, a Porsche sat motionless facing the wrong way in our corner, although the PA announcers later confirmed what I’d suspected, that he’d had some assistance... Yet, the real culprit for all of this drama was caused by a ten second rain burst that covered the racing surface. (Oh NO! DON’T tell me it’s gonna rain...) While two of the Porsches were abandoned off track, the piloto facing the wrong way finally managed to motor back off into competition and then the sun reappeared.

Next up, after a lunch break and having removed the stricken Porsches, it was time for Formel Ein knock out qualifying!

In-between the bellowing sounds of the shrieking F1 rocket ships, I was able to intermittently catch snippets of the track’s PA announcers, of which there were three voices; German, French and English, of which I could only understand the one in English, which turned out to be the familiar voice of Bob Constanduros, whose been a traveling trackside F1 announcer for several years now. Actually, it’s funny to think it’s almost a decade now since I first heard his voice on the PA system at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

And unfortunately for us, we were sitting directly besides a quartet ‘O very enthusiastic fans, of which the nearest duo Claire appropriately decided to nickname “The Air horn Brothers!” As they wildly tooted their air horns every time one of the Ferrari’s appeared, making it pretty easy for me to know when the red cars were coming...

Yet, even with out the assistance of the Air horn Bros. Claire had devised an ingenious method of informing me when the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro racecar’s were passing me, by simply tapping me on various parts of the body! Wap-Wap!

And it was most impressive to see the youngest German hot-shue Sebastian Vettel ring the lifeblood out of his Scuderia Toro Rosso and make his way into the Q3 final qualifying session, once again out qualifying Red Bull elder statesman DC. (Coulthard)

And it was interesting to note, that although the Air horn Bros. were still rooting for the red cars in Q3, they became absolutely ecstatic, standing up and eagerly blarin’ away every time the BMW Sauber of “The Kracow Kid, a.k.a. Robert Kubica passed by.”

But even funnier yet was that all the way up to the final moments of Q3 Mr. Constanduros could be heard intermittingly on the PA system during brief moments of relative quiet from the banshee wail of the ten remaining F1 rocket ships... Yet, Bob simply disappeared before the end of Q3 and we were left pondering who was on the pole? As I could make out some of the names from the German commentator, but had no idea which way he was reading them off? Last to first, or visa-versa?

While the stands emptied after qualifying, we stayed for the upcoming GP2 race, which turned out to be very entertaining for us remaining spectators... Albeit not so fun for the participants, as midways thru the event a 10 minute rain shower engulfed the track and I decided to christen my newly acquired rain gear, as suddenly there were four racecar’s pirouetting off of the “Ash-fault” directly in front of us... Who were quickly joined by another two contestants alongside the massive carnage, as the six driver’s solemnly stood besides their wrecked hulks, totally dismayed by what had just occurred, as all of the chassis would be towed away later.

As the sun reappeared and I began to swelter in my rain gear, we decided it was time to leave the day’s festivities and I stopped to purchase my lone Bratwurst of the weekend on our way outta the track, although we did stop briefly to check out a few of the F1 show car’s before sauntering back to our Shuttle bus...

Returning to our party tent, it was nice to be sitting down with a beer in hand as the rain once again returned and we simply sat listening to our wonderful German acoustic performer before we were rudely interrupted by a massive thunderclap, as suddenly our campground was hit by a 5+ minute deluge of torrential precipitation, as Claire madly battened down all of the party tent’s various flaps... Aye Karumba!

SUN, 7/20
Once again, we get up early, ‘cause Tomaso wants to get in as MUCHO racing action as possible! Thus, upon departing the Shuttle Bus, we walk around in town a bit and stop in a little delicatessen to purchase some water for the track, which will later be much needed and appreciated as it would be extremely warm; 90 degrees w/humidity and even with the water, I’d ultimately get dehydrated from sitting in this oven for 5+ hours...

Crossing the Autobahn once again, over the woods ‘N thru the hills, Err, up the ‘lil dirt trail and underneath the race track, we’d be greeted to the shrieking sounds of the F1 piloto’s making their morning warm-up laps as we made our way towards the Motordrome stadium section. And once again Claire planned things perfectly, as my notes say; “Get in, SHUT UP! Sit down and Strap in!” Err, actually they say that we sat down, put our earplugs in and wall-lah the morning’s GP2 Sprint race began! Talk ‘bout timing, eh?

Next up was the Porsche Supercup race and it seemed like deja vu all over again, as once again a Porsche 911 spun out directly in front of us... Although he did make it back on track while another two driver’s joined the “Groundhog Day” precession, also merrily spinning off track. But the German commentators made the whole show very entertaining...

After all of the Porsche’s had been removed, there was a short “Demonstration” race run by the BMW M1 Pro car’s, along with a short interview on the PA system with Herr (Niki) Lauda, (Michael Schumacher also made a cameo interview I believe?) while Claire noted that they looked like a bunch ‘O RASSCAR’s out there and were SLOW! Well NO SHEISA, Sherlock! They’re not going 10/10th and are following up two previous races, but hey! At least we saw something unusual, as one of the M1’s actually made an outside pass in our corner and they have a very nice, throaty, burbly sound...

Then it was time for the F1 Drivers parade laps... LAPS? I’ve only ever seen them perform a single lap, so this seemed like a bonus, as appropriately Kimi Raikkonen led the parade, with all of the drivers being chauffeured around the track in really nice vintage automobiles...

And one of the coolest things about going to Grand Prix’s is the multitude of people carrying flags on long poles in support of their favourite drivers or team, as the Air horn bros. had seemingly elected to wave a huge Ferrari flag instead on race day, although we also passed a few Finnish flags, (a Scottish flag?) etc.

And then it was time for the race to start, with undoubtedly the coolest part of the race being the parade lap, where all 20 drivers did various incarnations of putting heat into their race rubber, coming to an almost complete stop and “BRRRRRR!!!!!!!!” Burap- Burap-Burap!!! As clouds of tire smoke wafted from the Ash-fault, with everybody doin’ their Big Daddy Don Garlits Top Fuel dragster dance steps thru the entire Motordrome section...

Then the unmistakable shrill of 20 tightly wound 19,000RPM rocket ships screeching off towards the first corner as Bob Varsha urging you to turn up the volume at the start of every televised race just DOESN’T do justice to the live symphonic sounds of 20 Formula 1 piloto’s mashing the loud pedal!

And in the time it took me to write the above paragraph, pole sitter Hamilton had taken off like a scalded cat... No puns intended as I like to call him Jaguar; Oh never mind... Yet, Hamilton seemed to be leaving Massa in his dust with apparent ease, along with the rest of the grid, as I’d count up to 14 seconds to myself when awaiting the arrival of the red cars...

And while Claire was still employing her ingenious Wap-Wap method of informing me when the Ferrari’s were approaching, it was pretty simple for me since a fan a few rows below us would stand up and hold a Ferrari flag in his hands every time Kimi approached, who for reasons unknown was way off the pace, (the entire weekend) dropping down to somewhere between position 4-10? SHEISA!

And then a audible din fell upon us as over the PA system I could hear that one of the Panasonic Toyota’s had crashed, somewhere else on the circuit and this was followed by a safety car period; but which Toyota driver?

Afterwards Massa dropped from P2 to P3 although Claire had NO clue who was on second... Although we could tell one of the red cars was third, as Claire says it’s impossible to make out a cars number as they scream by... And I’d forgotten to print up any spotter guide material, so I just simply ASS-Sumed it was “KOVY,” a.k.a. Heikki Kovalainen? As it was a light coloured racecar...

And I noticed that the two gentlemen sitting next to me had been plugged in the entire race with mini television sets... And the person closest to me obviously was a McLaren/Hamilton fan as he gave his friend a waist high closed fist pull/pump as the drivers came by on the final lap... After waving to all of the drivers, I’d just marvel at youn “Louise’s” domination, muttering out loud several times that Hamilton had simply “WALKED IT!” (As I’d been rooting for either Kimi or Felipe to win...)

After letting the stands clear out a bit, we joined the parade and walked down the stairway, ducked thru a small fence hole and joined the masses walking on the track... Which is always an added bonus! As I was bemused to notice that the FIA curbing in our adjacent corner was painted blue and white instead of the customary red and white, while we were surrounded by an ocean of race fans.

Then Claire walked off towards the sand trap to retrieve race track souvenirs for Zeben (Alex) finding a whole bunch of bits ‘N pieces of fiberglass/carbon fibre, metal bits, etc, while I stopped for a photo-op with the largest AGIP banner I’ve ever seen before following the Sheeple thru another set of fences and ducking before coming out next to part of the paddock...

Then we had to walk thru another tunnel which ultimately led us towards the other side of the Motorddrome, where we did another cool thing, like fish swimming upstream against the constant current of leaving spectators, we walked up to the top of a grandstand/bleacher complex which happened to look directly out onto the front straight and was awash with a see of people mulling around the pit lane and now deserted victory rostrum...
After reversing course and coming back down the stairs with the still leaving spectators, we decided to check out the various F1 show car displays; McLaren, Toyota, Ferrari and Red Bull, as well as the BMW M1 racecar’s, (again) with Claire deciding to get Zeben a few free car posters, as I was quite bemused to have been almost knocked over while accompanying Claire towards the BMW M1 posters... SHEISA DUDE! There’s only about 1,000 left...

Not sure what else to go look at, since the majority of the remaining tents were simply merchandise, we reluctantly decided it was time to leave, walking back to our Shuttle Bus rendezvous, where we patiently waited next to some Firemen washing a vehicle in the still beaming sunlight, as approximately 30-45mins. Later our motor coach arrived and took us on a different route back to our now mostly deserted campground, where I immediately got a beer before changing into shorts and lying down...

MON, 7/21
There was just one couple next to us, as our campground, which was normally a soccer field was quite quiet Monday morning. After checking out and getting our deposit back, we got a ride to the Hockenheim train station from two of the very friendly “Chaps” working the event for F1 Camping, which is TOTALLY the way to go low budget while NOT having to lug around camping paraphnalia...

Having said our goodbyes, we hung out at the train station for an hour awaiting our first train, to begin the long trek home to Vladi and Ulli’s, I marveled at the fact of how the tracks were divided, with the slow freightrain’s hugging the inside lane, while the High Speed trains blasted past us on their own separate lane, four tracks opposite of us and the freightrain’s. Transferring at Mannheim, we once again took the scenic route alongside the Rhine River and had good seats for viewing the countryside... Look, there’s another Kastel, Wap-wap!

Arriving in now semi-familiar Koln, we hopped upon our well known commuter train from Koln Central Station to Bergisch-Gladbach and arrived early afternoon. Upon Vladi’s arrival and telling him all about our adventures, I was dumbstruck to hear Vladi tell me that Nelson Piquet had finished second... WHAT? Are you sure? And then Vladi got the paper and read the results to me, SHEISA! How in the HELL did that happen?

Next, we drove over to Yogi’s Vino store, where we met Saskia, and then back to Vladi’s where we met Ulli and walked over to the neighborhood’s local restaurant for dinner before staying up into the wee hours imbibing in our favourite German beverages one final time
Prior to our unwanted departure as Vladi & Ulli are simply “Voonderbar” hosts...

TUES, 7/22
After awakening way too DAMN early to say our unwanted goodbyes... We take our well worn commuter train to Koln-Mulhim and transfer for Dusseldorf airport. Of course our train is running slow and we arrive late to the airport after hopping the third and final train, but we make check-in 1hr prior to our departure for the DREADED Heathrow airport which was Claire’s idea to go home a different route...

After spending the majority of our 4hrs layover quibbling with numerous security Boffins... Uh Sir, is that a corkscrew in your backpack? NO! It’s a BLOODY Corkscrew... Well Bolluck’s, as we did finally manage to get Heathrow sorted “Just-in-Time” to board our 9hr 36min direct flight to SeaTac...

You can read more about this PAINFUL Airport experience in; Back in the USSR?

Hockenheimring

As Y’all may be aware of... Your humble scribe managed to partake in this year’s German Grand Prix, Ja Volt! And thus has since been suffering from post Formel-Ein-us, as in there’s simply NO WAY! To adequately describe the thrill of being at a Formula 1 race live in person...

Yet, nevertheless, here’s my story recap of frolicking about in Der Fatherland this past July, to which I’ve already scribbled about our MADCAP attempt of retrieving our Grand Prix tickets in; Ticket Schumozzle

(TICKETS? WE DON’T HAVE YOUR STINKIN’ TICKETS; JA VOLT! )

Thus, whilst awaiting the arrival of said document... We continued our Holiday in spite of this circumstance and hence, feeling fairly confident that the tickets were finally on there way from Norte Americano... we decided a side trip to Paris was our best course of action while awaiting the delivery of said tickets...

As thanks to Saskia, we’d learned that Paris was only 4hrs away from Germany via the Talis operated TGV high speed train, of which I was told by Vladi blasted the rails at a top speed of 310-320kph... (192.5-198.7mph!) Even worse was the fact that we had to ride in Comfort 1 (First class) on our way to Gay Paree... SHEISA!

But Paris was fantastic, as Claire and I literally walked the soles off of our shoes... Well, at least I did! Thanks in large part to Saskia’s wonderful suggestions of all the possible sightseeing options we could do via foot...

And thus after returning late Thursday evening after an endless two nights in Gay Paree, we were very relieved to finally have our GP Tickets awaiting us, talk about being “Just-in-Time, eh?” Having arrived from Norte Americano the day prior! And thus as our sleepy heads hit the pillows, we both managed to sleep thru the next morning’s alarm...

As Claire noted how difficult it was to switch languages, having learned to :deutsches wenig sprechen,” then attempted learning a wee bit Francois, before having to abruptly switch back to Deutch, Ja Volt!

Fri, 7/18
After breakfast and having packed our camping backpacks for the following adventure, we walked the now familiar path to the awaiting commuter train stop in Bergisch-Gladbach and made our way to Koln (Colone) Central Station, for which we had tickets for the 1PM train.

From Koln we took the “Slow” (regular speed) Train (opposed to the more expensive I.C.E. high speed train which only saved one hour from our travels. (For an additional $28 Euros, one way)

Our train trip was most pleasant, as we passed alongside the “Romantic” region of the Rhine River, as Claire constantly noted the various kastels in the distance, before departing in Manheim. (Major cities from Koln: Bonn; Koblenz; Mainz; Mannheim. Transfer at Mannheim, 2-3 stops prior to Stuttgart)

Exiting the train, we transferred to a normal “Inner-city” commuter Train for a 15min ride to Hockenheim and while aboard, a British lady standing next to us said; “I think that approx. 7/8th’s of the passengers aboard must be going to the Grand Prix...” When Claire asked her if she knew how to get there, she just shrugged and said she had a map...

Arriving at the Hockenheim train station at 4PM, there were absolutely ZERO signs to the Shuttle Buses or the Hockenheimring and thus Claire went inside the nearby Panda restaurant, asking for directions from the Chinese owner, who gave her directions in German. (Huh? Confucius sez what’s wrong with this picture?)

And thus we began our march thru the tiny city of Hockenheim in search of the race track, with the sounds of racing vehicles off in the near distance, while we cut thru a park, an elderly German woman with walker parked nearby asked us where we were going in Deutch... To which all I could think of to respond was; Formel Ein, as we continued our trek towards the race track.

Thus it seemed a tad ironic as we emerged from the park, that we were asked in Inglish if we knew the way to the train station? (Like we know where we’re going, eh?)

Continuing onwards, Claire asked if I smelled anything? As she told me that Hockenheim smelled like sewage! (Pew-ee!)

Yet, its all kind of a blur now, as we must have crossed over the Autobahn, which does indeed run right down what used to be the middle of the original race track, when this portion of the (A6) Autobahn was built in 1965, as we stopped to ask a man directing traffic in front of one of the numerous camping facilities; where is ours? But, he wasn’t very helpful and told us to move along... So Claire decided we’d simply walk to the track’s main entrance where certainly they’d be able to help us; Buh-buh-buh-believable!

So after a short walk, we approached the main gate and stopped to ask for assistance from the yellow vested circuit workers. (A la the Yellow Shirts at some ‘lil track named Indy...) And I smiled incredulously when Claire asked them; Sprecken ze Inglish? To which the five workers ALL pointed at each other... As in; “Like it’s your turn to deal with these Dumbkamf visitors!” But none of them could help us find our campground location, nor where the shuttle bus was located, instead giving us a map and setting us off on the scenic route for the lone known shuttle bus locale in town.

Now having walked for quite some while, after having turned around once after going in the wrong direction, Claire said mockingly; Did I say I saw a shuttle bus sign or was I just imagining things? (Did I have a dream, or did the dream have me?) As my notes say that WE WALKED FOR FUCKING EVER!!! By this point I was simply in full keep upright mode as my backpack was beginning to feel like 80lb bag ‘O cement... As the full weight was upon my shoulders and not my hips as I was informed later that evening by Claire.

Oh, that’s right you wanted some water an hour ago, Claire mused. Stopping at a tiny little store, Claire went inside to buy me some water and ask for directions... Yet, unfortunately our map was so BAD! That even the locals couldn’t decipher it and thus we continued our panoramic exploration of Hockenheim, SHEISA!

In the end, we walked for approx. 2hrs PLUS! With our heavy backpacks, touring the entire city of Hockenheim (repeatedly!) vainly searching for the flippin’ shuttle bus to our campground 7 kilometers outside of town, as Claire told me sternly NOT to get LAZY with my feet as she didn’t wish to carry me anywhere... As I was carrying quite the load!

OH SHEISA!

Look it’s the train station we started at! Thus, we promptly dropped our packs as I was profusely wringing wet in sweat from our long march. Claire found me a bench seat to sit down on while she went off to attempt calling the F1 Campground we’d been so doggedly searching for...

And while waiting for a taxicab to show-up, we were fortunate enough to co-erced a taxi driver who’d shown up for another fare into taking us to our isolated campground, before waiting an hour for the site’s manager to show-up. So, Claire said; (FUCK IT!) I’m sitting down on the grass after handing me a beer...

But hey, at least we got the really small (Economy) tent (NOT!) that we’d pre-ordered. As our two person tent was built to sleep at least 12 comfortably! (Can you say Party tent?) And thus we spent the remainder of the evening relaxing inside our cavernous accommodation and listening to a very funny local man singing Deutschland songs, first making all of the Kindren laugh and then later getting all of the adults to sing along...

To continue reading, see; Hockenheimring (Part 2)

Brothers in Arms (Part 3)

Perhaps the photo for this part of my super-elongated story will heap some feel good “Mo-jo” upon the team, a la Dave Despain’s Wind Tunnel guests... But now I’ve given away the identity of one of the remaining four unnamed NFL QB Brother tandems...

Oh yeah... I suppose Y’all are probably wonderin’ what in the HELL is the answer for the NFL QB’s, eh? So, did you manage to name the other Quartet ‘O Brothers besides the Manning’s?

But it looks like the Europeans vs. the Americano’s has gone in to overtime... With the Americano’s set to get the pigskin first...

Open Wheel Racing* (Con’t)
(* = Driver’s to contest F1/USAC/CART/Champ Car/IRL)

MEARS; Roger and Rick
Although one of the softest spoken personalities off the track, nevertheless, Rick Mears was the ultimate king of consistency on the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis. With his unique smooth style seemingly opposite to his early days as an off road buggy driver

Mears was known for never over abusing his equipment, joining two other legends who’ve won Indy a record four times, while currently holding the record for most Indy 500 poles, claiming P1 six times in the Memorial Day classic. In addition to his Indy glory, Rick has won the CART Championship three times. (1979, 1981-82)

Rick is the consummate gentleman and has been loyal to the Captain since landing his ride. Ironically Mears broke Penske protégé Mark Donohue’s closed course speed record during Indianapolis 500 qualifying with a four lap average of 223.885 mph in 1989 and his amazing success as a CART and Indy champion have definitely overshadowed his brother Roger.

Roger, Rick’s older brother, primarily raced Off Road, but also made a total of 31 starts in USAC/CART IndyCars between 1978-84, along with two starts (1982-83) in the Indy 500 and capped his career with a handful of starts in the Craftsman Truck series.

SNEVA; Tom and Jerry
Tom Sneva, (Sentimental favourite) originally from Spokane, WA; School principal makes good! Earned his nickname “The Gasman” upon being known for his blazing speed at the Brickyard and thus later on while piloting the Texaco Star his moniker was adorned, while Tom was the very first to record an official lap of 200mph at the Speedway, as well as the very first to break the 210mph barrier and although his 200mph blast was the first of his three “Official” poles at Indy, (1977) he’d have to wait a further six years before finally drinking the milk in victory lane. Tom also was the very last USAC Indy Car Champion, winning the title in 1977-78 for Roger Penske.

Meanwhile, younger brother Jerry’s Open Wheel career was overshadowed by Tom’s Indy 500 victory and National Championships, with little light being cast upon his USAC/CART career (1977-82) or the fact that Jerry contested five Indy 500’s, with Jerry’s moment in the sun being named the 1977 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year.


SPERAFICO; Ricardo and Rodrigo
Once again I know very little about the Sperafico brother’s, having just learned that Ricardo and Rodrigo are twins and are part of the Sperafico racing clan from Brazil, as cousins Alexander and the late Rafael are also racecar piloto’s.

Ricardo made his name by winning the 2000 Italian Formula 3000 Championship before moving onto the European F3000 series, where he’d be joined by Alexander and Rodrigo in 2002, finishing fifth overall before finishing as the series runner-up in 2003 and then taking a sabbatical in 2004.

I only know of the Sperafico name due to two of the ten Sperafico’s having contested the Champ Car World Series, where both Alexander and Ricardo had fairly short lived careers. Alexander spent his debut season with Dale Coyne Racing in 2003 before spending time at Eric Bachelart’s Mi-Jack operation and the CTE-HVM organization before switching to the Champ Car Atlantics series in 2006, where he currently resides.

Meanwhile, Ricardo spent the 2005 CCWS campaign driving for the under funded Dale Coyne team, which wasn’t overly successful, especially with the revolving door of five different teammates, while cousin Rafael was killed in a Brazilian Stock Car outing in 2007.


UNSER; Jerry jr., Bobby and Al
Although not nearly as cantankerous as his older brother Bobby, “Big Al” actually scored the most family victories at the Speedway with a total of four, becoming the second driver to accomplish the feat.

Coming up the hard way like the rest of his peer’s, i.e.; Foyt, Andretti, Johncock, Rutherford, etc, Al wasn’t afraid to mix-it up on or off the race track. And he’s quite the funny man, as I thoroughly enjoyed hearing him trade insults with Johnny Rutherford on the Autosport Radio show last year.

Al won the 1971 USAC National Championship along with that year’s Indy 500, having won the previous year’s outing, both years driving the Johnny Lightning Special, along with being a model of consistency, a la Rick Mears and captured his first CART Championship for The Captain in 1983 and a second title in 1985 with a lone victory, yet beating his son ‘Lil Al for the title based on overall finishes...

Although Bobby is one of a very select group of individuals with three Indy 500 rings, (7) along with having won two USAC National Championships (1968, ’74) and having contested the 1968 USGP Formula 1 race, I’ll always remember Bobby for his famous words ‘O wisdom on ABC’s Wide World of Sports: “That’s because there’s some slippery liquids on the track Sam.” (Posey)

Bobby made the top 10 of my previous feature; THE BADDEST BAD ASSES! (1-50) upon my hearing the story of his lighting a Rolls Royce on fire! On the Speed Freaks webcast, which was in deference to the passing of Evil Knievel.

And Bobby’s always had a bit of a temper, just ask the Albuquerque policeman he punched while being given a citation at the airport! Or how about the time the National Guard were called out to go hunt for him when he got lost snowmobiling on “Off Limits” Forestlands.

Yet sadly, elder brother Jerry, winner of the 1957 USAC Stock Car Championship, who was the instigator of the Unser’s racing at the Speedway, had his racing career cut horribly short, when he was killed in a practice crash at the Speedway in 1959.

(If you’re wondering why Al Jr., Johnny and Robby Unser aren’t in this story, like Mikey, Jeff and John Andretti? It’s because they’re cousins)


VILLENEUVE; Jacques and Gilles
As Y’all know, Gilles is a former Grand Prix piloto and I know very little about him, but he’s revered around the world, especially Up North, eh? He seemed to have a mercurial spirit which rubbed off on his mammoth contingent of faithful Tiafosi during his most famous period in Formula 1, when he was one of Enzo’s piloto’s between 1978-82. And although he’s most remembered for his amazing Ferrari drives, he actually began his Grand Prix career with McLaren in a third chassis in the 1977 British GP before being snapped up by Ferrari at the end of the season.

I believe I’ve also heard that he liked to party hard and was notorious for his Helicopter hi-jinx, in-between winning six Grand Prix’s, two poles and finishing runner-up behind teammate and World Champion Jody Scheckter in 1979. Yet, sadly he lost his life after a brooding rift between his fellow teammate Didier Pironi saw the Red Mist overcome him.

Like his brother Gilles, Jacques (Sr.) also began his career racing Snowmobiles in their native Quebec countryside, having won a prestigious three National Snowmobiling Derbies before transitioning to single seaters.

Uncle Jacques was the 1979 Formula Atlantic Rookie of the Year before winning two successive titles. (1981-82) along with capturing the ’83 Can Am crown while making three unsuccessive attempts to qualify in Formula 1 for the Arrows and RAM teams at the Canadian and USGP East. Jacques then spent a few seasons in CART, becoming the very first Canadian to win an event, at the famous Road America track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin before returning to his Snowmobiling antics!


WHITTINGTON; Bob, Don and Dale
I only learned about the nefarious hi-jinx of the Whittington brothers upon penning the story Ganassi drives Indy, in which Dale was a fellow rookie driver and apparently another “One Hit Wonder,” as Dale would make only one dubious start at Indianapolis in 1982, when the Whittington Brothers made history by being the only trio of brothers to qualify the same year.

Recall this was the year that Kevin Cogan broadsided Mario Andretti just prior to the green flag being thrown. Whittington, who was starting from 23rd position incorrectly, assumed that the slowing cars trying to avoid the accident were an opportunity to pass them and slammed into a slowing Roger Mears.

Allegedly Mario was so incensed by the results of what triggered the four cars being retired that he threatened to expose Dale and his brothers smuggling hi-jinx, thus Dale never returned to Indy.

Unfortunately the Whittington Brothers along with the John Paul’s (Jr. and Sr.) and Randy Lanier were part of IMSA’s notorious 1980’s “International Marijuana Smuggler’s Association” which later led to several arrests, with Dale being the only suspect to not go to jail.

Yet, Dale died of an apparent Drug overdose in 2003 after being found deceased by his son on Father’s Day…


NFL (“FAB FIVE?”)
Otay, if you’re still reading... I’ll quit stalling and give you the answer to the original trivia question of brothers in the NFL to play Quarterback, since Y’all know ‘bout ‘dem Manning bros. interestingly three fourths of our remaining quartet have ties to the Pacific Northwest...

OOPS!
See what happens when I’ve been starin’ way too long at ze confuzer and try to do a story on Pro Football? Since I’ve mistakenly confused Ty Detmer with Trent Dillfert! I mean c’mon; Dillfert – Detmer, you say Detmer and I say Dillfert... Oh Never mind!

Thus, that would mean that only 2/4th’s of our quartet has ties to the Northwest, but hey! I tried, eh?

Ty & Koy Detmer
So, all I know about the Detmer’s is that despite my popular misconception... Ty did NOT play for the Seahawks, nor the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... NO! Instead he was the 1990 Heisman Trophy winner while at BYU and then drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1992 and then played for multiple teams before retiring in 2005.

Younger Koy was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997 and played QB in 1998 as well as remaining with the Eagles thru 2006 before signing with the Vikings in ’07 and is currently listed as a Free Agent.

Matt & Tim Hasselbeck
Unaware of Tim’s career, who played very briefly for the Redskins in 2003 with a record of 1-1, but very familiar with our All Pro Quarterback Matt, whom our beloved coach “Fuzzy Seller,” Err, Mike Holgran originally drafted while at Green Bay to compliment some dude named Brett Fabre... Before Holgran wisely traded for Matt, who’s helped the Seattle Seahawks kick ASS ever since, with four consecutive NFC West Crowns and a trip to the 2005 Superbowl where Y’all know the Hawks were robbed! Yet, for the beginning of this year’s NFL season, Matt and the Seahawks have seemingly reverted to the older Seattle team known as the SEA-CHICKENS!

Damon & Brock Huard
Both Damon and Brock were very successful University of Washington (Dawg’s) Husky quarterbacks before going onto NFL careers. Damon has seen stints with the Dolphins, Patriots and Kansas City “Chefs,” while younger brother Brock has brief stints with the Seahawks and the Colts, with his very first NFL attempt being a touchdown, before spending his final year with Seattle on IR.

Yet, after KC’s starting QB Brodie Croyle suffered a separated shoulder during the season opener vs. New England, venerable back-up Damon was pressed into service and almost pulled off an improbable upset, leading the Chiefs down to the Patriot’s 5yd line before his team was unable to punch in the pigskin for the go ahead score...

Damon then made his first NFL start in several years this past weekend against the Oakland Raiders, but after just two series and having thrown an interception, was replaced for the remainder of the game by third string QB Tyler Thigpen.

Payton & Eli Manning
No need to say anything here... With two Superbowl winning MVP’s, eh?

Josh & Luke McCown
Never heard of this duo, although apparently Josh was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2002 and after bouncing around a few teams, currently is a back-up for the Carolina Panthers, while younger brother Luke is currently a backup for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...

Brothers in Arms (Part 2)

Continuing on with our Trivia question of the week... Where I asked Y’all how many brothers have race in the top echelon of Open Wheel motorsports, i.e.; Formula 1, USAC, CART/Champ Car and the IRL...

And just how many of the 4 Formula 1 World Champions, seven USAC/CART Champions and six Indy 500 Winners did you name?

Anyways, here goes the second half of our impromptu virtual ballgame...

Open Wheel Racing*
(* = Driver’s to contest F1/USAC/CART/Champ Car/IRL)

Andretti; Aldo and Mario
Well, how many of you have ever heard of Mario’s less exalted brother Aldo?

While I knew about Aldo, I was unaware of the fact that they’re twin brothers and as we all know, Aldo’s brother, “Super Mario” is without doubt one of Open Wheel’s greatest ever! Along with holding the dubious distinction of being the only man to be kissed in victory lane by his team owner upon winning the Indy 500! (1969) Mario also claimed four Open Wheel titles; Three USAC (1965-66, ’69) and one CART (1984) Championship crowns along with being the oldest driver to win in Champ Car, being 53yrs old when he scored his last victory in 1993 before retiring in 1994.

Mario invented the word cool, with his attitude and zest for winning in anything he strapped on. Yet, he was also one of the BADEST BAD ASSES! Since he didn’t like being beat, especially by some God DAMN Movie Star! (As in Steve McQueen) And as previously mentioned, Mario is one of only three drivers to have won a Formula 1 World Championship, CART Championship and the Indy 500!

Aldo’s racing career was rather less successful, as he endured two major crashes, with the second resulting in 14 fractures of his face and ultimately leading to his decision to retire from the cockpit. Folklore suggests that Aldo’s most notable accomplishment was filling in for his brother Mario in Gasoline Alley for the obligatory photo-ops session, after Mario had been injured in a dirt track event and didn’t want his picture taken with two black eyes? Thus I’m assuming that Mario and Aldo were Identical Twins?


ANDRETTI; Michael and Jeff
Michael and Jeff are both the sons of Mario and everybody already knows of “Mikey’s” racing accomplishments... And according to OWR Curmudgeon Robin Miller, Michael Andretti was his favourite driver since he was always worth the price of admission just to see what he’d do on the track... While younger brother Jeff is the lesser known of the two, along with having a less successful career then Mikey.

Yet, Jeff was the 1991 CART Rookie of the Year, ironically the same year that big brother Michael won his only CART championship, with Jeff contesting the Indy 500 three times, but a violent crash in 1992 at the Speedway which severely damaged both legs effectively ended his career. Jeff also has a somewhat dubious connection to the Northwest, albeit not a preferred connection... Do you know what it was?

ANDRETTI; John and Adam
John and Adam are the sons of Mario’s twin brother Aldo. Elder brother John is the better known of the two, having contested Indy multiple times, most recently as Jay Howard’s reluctant replacement this past May. John also has a lone CART victory at the wheel of Jim Hall’s re-incarnated Hall/VDS CART/PPG Championship racing team, as well as having won in Top Fuel Dragsters and anything else with four wheels...

Younger brother Adam is currently plying the family trade in the Flinstone Indy Lites series, although I haven’t heard a peep about him this season, which makes me think perhaps he’s having a tough season, as I last heard him mouthing off about how great the IRL was on Autosport Radio.


BETTENHAUSEN; Gary, Merle and Tony Jr.
This truly has to be one of the most ill-fated families in Open Wheel Racing, as first father Tony Sr. perished and subsequently Merle had a horrible accident, followed by Gary’s accident. And ultimately Tony Jr’s death, while Tony Sr. raced pre and post WWII, winning the National Championship twice, along with 21 wins before perishing at the Speedway in 1961 while testing a friend’s racecar.

Gary, the eldest of the three Bettenhausen brothers, was 19, with Merle 17 and Tony Lee 9 when their father died in a horrific accident that fateful day in May 1961, yet Gary would go on to race at Indianapolis a total of 21 times, earning his Rookie Stripes in 1968, with a best finish of third place in 1980.

Gary briefly drove for The Captain (1972-74) and while driving for Roger Penske immediately retired from the 1972 USAC Championship Car event at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) where his brother Merle was making his paved racing debut and would be seriously injured in a Kingfish, (McLaren knock off) losing his right arm in a violent accident on lap three, effectively ending his Indy Car career, although Merle would continue to drive Midgets.

The following year, Gary broke his arm in a Sprint Car race following Indy and Roger Penske offered the drive to some chap named David Hobbs, but the Englishman was unable to accept due to sponsorship conflicts and ironically, 1972 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Mike Hiss would fill-in for Gary, as it had been Hiss who had collided with Merle at MIS the previous year.

Tom Sneva, a fellow Dirt Tracker himself, was hired as Gary’s replacement at Penske Racing for the 1975 season after The Captain had grown tired of Gary being constantly injured in what Roger deemed unneeded Dirt Car accidents, as Gary would suffer severe nerve damage to his arm in one of these Dirt Track events.

Gary’s brother Tony made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 1981 and would finish seventh, his best finish of his eleven starts at the Speedway. Tony started his own CART team in the early 1990’s with ex-Formula 1 piloto “Stevie Johnson,” a.k.a. Stefan Johansson being his first hired gun from 1992-96, as the team would primarily campaign year old Penske equipment. Other such noteable drivers as Helio Castroneves and Patrick Carpentier would drive for the AMAX/Alumax sponsored team, with Gary and Tony last competing at Indy together in 1993.

After a very tough 1999 season, the team took on Michele Jourdain Jr. and his Herdez sponsorship for the upcoming campaign, yet sadly, Tony, along with his wife and two business associates would perish in a small plane crash enroute to CART’s spring practice at Homestead, Miami on Valentine’s Day, 2000.


FABI; Teo and Corrado
These were the last “true” brothers to race in Formula 1 together, prior to some “Mutt ‘N Jeff” act better known as The Schuey Bros...

Teo, the older brother is more likely known for his impressive racing career, having begun his sporting career as a downhill racer before switching to motor racing, inspired by his younger brother’s exploits. Teo rose quickly through the ranks and became a March Formula 2 works driver, a loose association he would keep throughout his career.

Teo made a total of 71 starts in Formula 1, claiming three career poles and having begun his Grand Prix career with the fledgling Toleman team which would later be bought out by Benetton and rebranded as such, ultimately leading to two World Championships (1994-95( along with the Constructor’s title (1995) with some cat named Michael Schumacher.

Yet, after an auspicious debut season with Toleman, Teo would spend considerable time crossing the Atlantic and finished as the CART championship runner-up in his 1983 Rookie season aboard the Skoal Bandit Forsythe entry, scoring four victories for the new March Indy Car chassis. Teo also became only the second rookie to capture the pole at Indianapolis that year, leading 23 laps before retiring with mechanical maladies.

After having split time in both Open Wheel Racing series the previous year, Teo decided to focus his energies solely upon F1, leaving Forsythe’s operation and returning to Brabham, before making a switch to Benetton where he’d finish out his Grand Prix career.

Yet, for me, Teo is most remembered as the piloto of the Quaker State green and white Porsche powered Champ Car, scoring the team’s lone victory at Mid Ohio... Albeit I find the latter Fosters liveried Porsches more astatically pleasing. Teo remained loyal to the team running March chassis until the operation was shut down largely due to the loss of team founder Al Holbert.

Teo then switched to Sports Cars, capturing the 1991 World Sports Car (WSC) championship for Tom Walkinshaw’s all conquering Jaguar’s, before moving onto Toyota’s Sports Car team and ultimately making his final foray in CART with Jim Hall’s reincarnated Hall/VDS effort before retiring in 1994.

Meanwhile, Teo’s younger brother Corrado is the lesser known of the two Italian’s and his main claim to fame is being Teo’s fill-in at Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham F1 team whenever Teo had conflicting CART dates.

Yet, Teo owes his racing career largely to Corrado, who apparently became bored during one of Teo’s skiing races and went and drove a Go Kart instead, which ultimately led to his own racing career, along with sparking Teo’s interest.

Corrado, like Teo worked his way thru the Open Wheel ranks as a March team driver, ultimately winning the 1982 European F2 championship with Michele Alboreto as teammate, prior to spending his Grand Prix rookie season (1983) with the little Oscella team before filling in for his brother at Brabham.

Corrado also had a brief foray in CART with Forsythe before retiring to run the Family’s Talcum powder business after their father’s death in 1984.


FITTIPALDI; Wilson and Emerson
How can Emerson Fittipaldi not make the list of the BADDEST BAD ASSES! Since he’s the only person to be able to pull off wearing Elvis Presley “Mutton-chop” side burns so eloquently! EMMO also happened to be the youngest ever Formula 1 champion of his day, before some chump named “Ferdi the Putz,” a.k.a. Fernando Alonso stole his crown.

Emmo is also a member of the very elite trio of drivers to win Formula 1 and CART Championships as well as the Indy 500, a feat only accomplished by Mario Andretti, Emmo and Jacques Villeneuve, as Emmo’s resume speaks for itself; Two time Formula 1 World Champion, (1972, ’74) CART Champion (1989) and double Indy 500 winner. (1989, ’93)

Wilson, (Jr.) the older brother of Emerson, was a journeyman Grand Prix driver, with two seasons driving Works Brabham’s (1972-73) before focusing his efforts upon the Copersucar Fittipaldi Grand Prix team, which saw Brazil’s first F1 chassis making its debut in late ’74.

Wilson then spent his final season in Formula 1 (1975) with Emerson as his teammate, behind the wheel of the Fittipaldi brother’s unsuccessful F1 team racecar’s before handing the operation over to Emmo in 1976, deciding to focus upon the family’s business empire and son Christian’s race career instead...


NW Connection
Jeff Andretti took over Dominic Dobson’s drive for Bayside Racing in 1991, as Bayside Racing was based in Redmond, Washington...

Brothers in Arms

Whale! It’s that time again... When the Dog Days of August give way to September’s change ‘O colours, as the leaves of various trees make their yearly transition towards fall... Which of course inevitably leads to you know what? Yeah, that’s right, (besides all of ‘dem Brats goin’ back to school; Yippee!) the beginning of gridiron sports, as in Football... NO! NOT the real Foosball, but that All Americana pastime, a la College and Professional Football.

And having just begun the 2008-09 NFL season, I was struck by the trivia question... How many brothers have played the sports most important position; Quarterback? Isn’t it ironic?” That this subject would appear on the same weekend that four NFL QB’s would experience injuries... Assuming Y’all have heard ‘bout New England Patriot’s Tom Brady’s season ending knee injury, while opposing Kansas City Chief’s Brodie Croyle suffered a separated shoulder in the same hard hitting season opener. Tennessee Titan’s Vince Young injured his knee and SF 49ers Alex Smith was in street clothes due to being physically unable to play due to pain in his surgically repaired shoulder... Hmm? That’s 1/8th of the National Football League...

Yet, I’m guessing that most of you are probably aware of the most famous duo who’ve both won Super bowl’s and been named MVP’s; as in none other then the Manning’s, but how many more were there?

And with this quest over the brothers of the NFL gridiron, I was left further pondering how many brothers had competed in Motorsports? Of which I’ve compiled the following short-list. (Which may NOT be complete, Danny!)

So just who are our “Two” competing teams? In the midnight blue and yellow colours are the Europeans, a.k.a. Formula 1, while in the predominantly white jerseys festooned with red, and blue pin striping are the Americano’s, a.k.a. Open Wheel Racers...

And here’s the coin toss... The Europeans have won the toss and have elected to receive in this impromptu, imaginary pigskin classic. And it’s a touchback and the Europeans will start from their own twenty yard line...

Formula 1

BRABHAM; Geoff, Gary and David
Of these three brothers, David, the youngest of the litter was the only one to actually race in F1, upon having won the 1989 British Formula 3 championship and making his debut for the faltering Brabham team in 1990, albeit under Bernard Ecclestone’s ownership, as Gregor Foitek’s replacement. After being dropped from his namesake’s Grand Prix team, he joined the ill fated Simtek operation for the 1994 season alongside the departed Roland Ratzenberger.

Afterwards, he decided to concentrate upon Sports Car racing, having captured many major victories and is currently competing in the American Le Mans Series as Scott Sharp’s co-driver of the Highcroft Acura LMP2 entry.

Meanwhile, middle brother Gary had a very brie tenure in the rarefied stratosphere of Formula 1, with the stillborn LIFE project, which he quit after failing to qualify in two races and focused his driving efforts elsewhere, predominantly in Sports Cars, of which he won Sebring for Nissan in an NPT-90 Prototype with co-drivers Derek Daily and Geoff Brabham. He also contested two Gold Coast CART races in 1993-94 for Dick Simon and Bettenhausen Motorsports respectively.

Elder brother Geoff could be considered to be the most successful of the Brabham trio, although he never actually attempted F1, he did contest several seasons in CART, along with racing in the Indy 500 ten times, with a best result of 4th in 1983. Geoff won the Can Am title in 1981 and then thoroughly crushed the opposition aboard the Electromotive Nissan Prototype enroute to four successive IMSA GTP Crowns from 1988-91. Geoff also won the 1993 24 Heurs du Mans.


RODRIGUEZ; Pedro and Ricardo
As I previously scribbled in Cinco de Mayo, it was the younger (19yr old) brother Ricardo who sparked the Nation’s lust of hosting an International Grand Prix with his rise to prominence during his various Sports Car drives, having finished second at Le Mans and third at Sebring. These performances apparently caught the attention of Enzo, thus being invited to drive for the Scuderia Ferrari in the 1961 Italian Grand Prix before graduating to a full time works drive in 1962.

Although 1962 wasn’t a hugely successful year for Ferrari in F1, Ricardo did win the Targa Florio aboard a 246 Dino SP, while making five starts in Formula 1 (1961-62) and scored points in the Belgian and German Grand Prix’s before Enzo decided not to send his cars to Mexico City. Sadly Ricardo would perish during practice for the 1962 non-championship event while driving a rented Rob Walker Lotus 24 racing car.

Thus, while Mexico was deeply morning the loss of 20yr old Ricardo, elder brother Pedro was now contesting major Sports Car events, having won the 1963 Daytona Continental for Luigi Chinetti, behind the wheel of an N.A.R.T. Ferrari 250 GTO, as the Continental was the forbearer of today’s Rolex 24 and originally began as a three hour race. In 1964 Pedro would win once again, this time sharing the N.A.R.T. Ferrari 250 GTO with Formula 1 World Champion Phil Hill as the event had been lengthened to 2,000 Kilometers.

Pedro had also made his way into Formula 1 by 1963 and would blossom into Mexico’s most successful Grand Prix driver, ultimately contesting 54 Grand Prix’s for Ferrari, Lotus, Cooper and BRM, (1963-71) as Pedro would win two events, the 1967 South African GP for Cooper and the 1970 Belgian GP for BRM.

Pedro was also a gifted Sports Car pilot, having contested Le Mans 14times; Pedro was victorious for John Wyer’s Gulf Ford GT 40 effort in 1968 before signing a contract with the Englishman and winning the World Sports Car Championship aboard the all conquering Porsche 917 two years in a row.

Pedro also won the North American Ice Racing title in 1970 as well as finishing fifth in that year’s Charlotte World 600 RASSCAR event before his untimely death in a Sports Car event at the Nurburgring behind the wheel of a Ferrari 512 in 1971.


SCHECKTER; Ian and Jody
I was actually unaware of the fact that Jody’s elder brother Ian had competed in Formula 1, albeit a very brief career, making his debut in his home countries event, the South African Grand Prix in 1974 aboard a non-work’s Lotus. He also contested the same event aboard a privateer Tyrrell, before securing enough funds to land a full season’s drive for March in 1977, but poor showings for the team brought an end to his F1 career after 20 Grand Prix’s, with his final race being that season’s Canadian GP.

Younger brother Jody was the more successful of the two, scoring a total of 10 wins, 3 poles and claiming the 1979 World Championship for Ferrari, the Scuderia’s last Driver’s crown prior to some dude named Schumacher...

Jody made his F1 debut for McLaren in the 1972 USGP at Watkins Glen before moving to Tyrrell for his first full Grand Prix season in 1974, following Sir Jackie Stewart’s retirement and Francois Cevert’s death, scoring his first two Grand Prix victories at Sweden and Britain and giving :Uncle Chopper” (Ken Tyrrell) a much needed boost. In 1975 Jody claimed victory in his home Grand Prix.

For the 1976 season, Tyrrell unveiled the radical P34 six wheeler, which Jody drove to victory at the Swedish Grand Prix and finished an amazing third in the Driver’s championship, before leaving to join the start-up team of wealthy industrialist Walter Wolf for the 1977 season, shocking the field with a debut victory aboard the team’s Wolf WR1, which the legendary “Doctor Who’ contributed upon and Jody finished runner-up in the championship to Niki Lauda on the strength of three Grand Prix victories.

For the 1979 season, Jody joined the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro alongside Gilles Villeneuve enroute to his finest hour in Formula 1, taking the World Championship aboard the 312T4 with three wins, yet his title defense in 1980 wasn’t a success, struggling aboard the 312T5, even failing to qualify once and he retired from F1 at the end of the season.

since retirement, he made a sizeable fortune selling his Firearms simulator business, along with overseeing the racing career’s of his sons Toby and Tomas and currently spends his time as an Organic Farmer upon having bought Laverstoke Park farm and can sometimes be seen during Peter Winsor’s grid walks.


SCHUMACHER; Michael and Ralf
What can I say about this most legendary Formula 1 driver! As my esteemed Blogmeister Miguel commented: Michael Schumacher is simply BAD ASS for kicking everyone’s ASS in F1 so long! And he’s undoubtedly one of the sports greatest drivers of all time and leads all categories statistically...


Herr Schumacher’s records in Formula 1 will most likely never be broken. (Certainly not in my lifetime) And although retired, what does this German Wunderkind do for amusement? Simple, he rides MOTO GP “Scooters,” races Superbikes, goes testing for Ferrari and gives astounded taxi cab drivers the ride of their life when he’s NOT busy clipping innocent bystanders!

Of course younger brother Ralf pales in comparison to his legendary brother, as I’ve fondly taken to nicknaming him Ralfanso, since he continuously boasted about being the third best driver on the F1 grid... Hey Ralfanso! You’re NO Michael Schumacher, so sit down and SHUT UP!

Although I suppose I should cut him an ounce of slack, eh? Having after all been a Grand Prix piloto... NAH! As Ralfie was even outscored in career victories by his more enamored (and successful) teammate, some Roundy-round boy named “MAC” Montoya... As Juan Pablo scored a total of seven wins for Williams-BMW and McLaren, not to mention his Indy 500 victory, CART/Fed Ex Championship and F3000 title...

While Ralfanso managed to score six wins for Williams-BMW, before ex-manager Willi Weber enticed Toyota into paying an outrageous retainer for his services before being fired by the German, as Ralfanso has now schlepped his way into the DTM to compete against the likes of Katherine Legge.


WINKLEHOCK; Manfred and Joachim
Unfortunately I know very little about these two brothers from Der Fatherland, except that Manfred was an aspiring Grand Prix piloto before his death at the wheel of a Porsche 962 at Mosport.

Reportedly Manfred’s biggest set-back to his racing career was starting too late, having been a mechanic before being noticed by BMW upon winning the 1976 VW Junior Cup, as BMW would ink him to a deal to race their 320 Saloons alongside other eventual F1 drivers Eddie Cheever and Marc Surer.

Manfred, made his Grand Prix debut in 1980, standing in for the injured Jochen Mass at the minnow-esce ATS team, which apparently was a BMW “Farm” team... Manfred would soldier on with ATS until new kid Gerhard Berger showed up towards the end of the ’84 season. Manfred then switched to the RAM team before his unfortunate death.

Upon his older brother’s death, Joachim briefly halted his career, before resuming and winning the 1988 German Formula 3 and Eurocup championships, before turning his attention towards F1. For the 1989 season, Joachim joined the little AGS team and after failing to pre-qualify for seven events, focused his energies on Touring Car racing with BMW instead,

“Smokin’ Joe” then went on to a very successful Touring Car career, first winning the Nurburgring 24hrs race twice, before capturing multiple Touring Car championships, along with the Spa 24 Hours before capping his career with victory in the 1999 24 Heurs du Mans for BMW.

Monterey ‘N Mustangs

Since I started penning stories for No Fenders, my Television viewing seems to have diminished greatly, although I do still watch all of the Formula 1 and Champ Car... Err, some of the Indy Car World Series events, yet I’m not sure if my constant scribbling has detracted from watching TV or is it the OVERABUNDANCE of Tin Tops on the RASSCAR Shoppin’ Network, as the SPEED Rat-pack ‘O intrepid RASSCAR reporters seems to assault my senses whenever there’s NOT a Boflex advertisement on... Whale Goll-lee, all we need now is for ‘Ol DW to say; “Boogity- Boogity- Boogity!”

Yet, SPEED’s airing of the Monterey Historics always seems to sneak up on me, catching me unprepared once again, although I did hear Bob Varsha mentioning it during a previous Grand Prix, as Toyota F1 piloto Timo Glock was scheduled to be on hand this year to pilot one of Dan Gurney’s all conquering Eagle GTP chassis... As these cars would be the last great racing cars in IMSA GTP competition, having decimated the field and trumped the once dominant Nissan, which Geoff Brabham used to conquer the once dominant Porsche 962’s...

But, by-gum-it! Once again I’ve missed SPEED’s initial airing of this year’s 35th Anniversary of the Monterey Historics, which undoubtedly is my favourite Historic car event, having been to Laguna Seca Raceway multiple times before it became Mazda Raceway... And thus if anybody knows when SPEED will be re-airing this program please let me know, eh?

Keeping true to form, last year, I also missed the television coverage of the 34th Annual Monterey Historics, as the 2007 featured marcque was the Indy Roadsters (1950’s) of which I’m not a huge fan of. Although these front engine roadsters with their ubiquitous Offenhauser engines were the forebears to today’s single seaters.

Thus, it appears that the last time I caught any of the Historics action on the Telescreen was two year’s ago when unfortunately I didn’t have a blank tape loaded in the trusty ‘ol VCR, so I missed the beginning of the 33rd Monterey Historics on SPEED, although I did manage to watch the Historic Trans Am race, which was fairly entertaining.

The Historic Trans Am series was celebrating its 40th Anniversary two (ACK! Where does the time go, eh?) Summer’s ago, (2006) with a four race schedule, with the Historics being their Daytona 500, as the huge 25+ car field of “rolling thunder” at Monterey saw Jamey Mazzotta in his “school bus” yellow 1970 ex-Bud Moore/George Folmer #16 BOSS 302 swap the lead several times with Terry Miller’s #7 1967 Camaro “ZED-28.”

And SPEED actually did a nice job of covering the entire race, breaking it into three segments with two commercial breaks, including a few “feature” cars with Alan “I KNOW EVERYTHING” De Cadenay profiling the Edelbrock’s pits, yes as in Edelbrock aftermarket performance parts... With De Cadenay focusing upon Vic Edelbrock’s 1969 “Fo-Mo-Co Factory” BOSS 302 parked alongside daughter Cami’s 1968 Smokey Unick Camaro Zed-28.

Also profiled was an-ex factory “ZED 28.” That was purchased by a school for students to work upon. The school’s insurance didn’t allow for student drivers so they had to use “hired guns.” These drivers included Bob Bondurant ((“BONDO”) was recovering from open-heart surgery during the 2006 Historics) and Dick Gullstrand whom at 80yr’s YOUNG was behind the wheel for the vintage race.

On the final lap John McClintock (Olympia, WA) in his 1969 BOSS 302 (#70) who’d quietly moved into third place, made two excellent passes to vault himself into the lead… Yet power-sliding off the final corner, the three car Monty, Err, drag race saw both Mazzotta and Miller repassing McClintock as the checkered flag flew… With the three car’s finishing in that order

SPEED’S Mike Joy commented on how these chassis were true “body-in-white” production vehicles converted into racing cars with their small block V-8’s regulated to a maximum displacement of 305 cubic inches. “They’re NOT tube frame chassis,” quipped Joy, while noting that Kenny Epsman is the Historic Trans Am “overseer” (President) with Tom McIntyre in charge of the rules committee.

And I’ll admit that I’m a fan of the vintage Trans Am machinery, especially the Ford Mustang BOSS 302’s, as these beastly Pony Cars will always be the TRUE Tin Top Stockers to me as its amazing to watch them carve up road courses in these be mammoths, of which I’ve had the privilege of doing both at Laguna Seca and Sears Point.

And although the Ford Motor Company has a long and cherished racing history, the Dearborn giant has unfortunately curtailed much of its motorsports involvement. Selling off Cosworth and its Jaguar Formula 1 team, as well as pulling its support of Champ Car... Well Ok, that turned out to be a somewhat wise move, yet now the Blue Oval seems to be primarily focused upon RASSCAR.

Thus it was interesting to learn about the Ford Motor Companies latest unleashing of the venerable Mustang, with the debut of the FR500S at the 2007 SEMA show, which seems to be a throwback to ‘dem good ‘Ol dazes... As this Mustang also comes directly off of the production line, before being converted into a race ready “turn key” chassis that you can purchase from any authorized Ford dealer. And these “Stang’s” are especially produced for the newly created Miller cup, a spec racing series for aspiring amateurs, in conjunction with the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

This new focus of ‘Stang’s devoted to racing is part of Ford Racing Performances “ladder” approach to “Grass Roots” racing, which begins with the Ford Performance driving school in tuned Mustangs. This leads to the Miller Cup and 325bhp Miller cup Pony Cars… For those who “Feel the need for (More) Speed!” One can step up to the FR500C ‘Stang which has been created for competition in the Grand Am KONI Challenge. With the ultimate ‘Stangs being the Homologated FR500GT & FR500GT3 for European racing,

And with Robin Miller’s article ‘bout the massive interest in other Automobile manufacturers potentially entering into competition with Honda in IndyCars, perhaps Ford will see the light and rejoin the ranks of Open Wheel Racing “Just-in-Time” for the 2011 Indy 500?

Of course, The Big Three will need to first rebound from their teetering insolvency... As they’re all hemorrhaging in massive fiscal loss at the moment due to their unwillingness to give up on$UV’s and Pickem-up trucks, while HELL! Even Toyota is cancelling production of its high profit Tundra’s in Indiana...

But then again, recall that Ford, General Motors and Toyota have all competed in CART/Champ Car and the IRL previously, with GM even going so far as to have Cosworth design and build normally aspirated lumps for their faltering Indy Car program, as Toyota was at the moment the force to beat, prior to Honda ruling the roost, so it seems quite plausible that Ford could indeed once again hire Cosworth to dust off their old Indy V-8 lump and update it for Ethanol use in 2011, unless (HOPEFULLY!) Tony George decides to return to the alluring siren sound of turbos... In which case, there was a pretty successful Ford XD turbo lump built back then...

The Gasman

School's out for summer

School's out forever

School's been blown to pieces

No more pencils

No more books

No more teacher's dirty looks

‘Cause School's out forever!

(Alice Cooper, lyrics; School’s out Forever)


It sure seems like a very long time ago that Spokane, Washington native Thomas E. Sneva (who just celebrated his 60th birthday on June 1st) won the 1983 Indianapolis 500…

Sneva’s first career was rooted in Education, wearing multiple hats as a School Bus driver, dutifully chauffeuring Farmer’s children of the tiny Lamont, Washington town to their miniscule single four room school building… Where Sneva was also the math teacher, Err head of the one man Math Department, , Junior High School Principal, assistant High School Football & Basketball coach, assistant High School Tennis coach (largely since he could drive the School Bus to events) and Driving Instructor… (“C’mon! You’re NOT going FAST enough!”)

Yet, in the early 1970’s, Sneva decided to move cross country to Indianapolis in order to take a shot at becoming a professional racing driver by hurtling about in USAC Midgets, which apparently must have gone quite well since Sneva would make his Rookie debut at the Speedway in 1974… (Of which he was involved in one of the most violent looking crashes at The Speedway! But one can only assume that “The Captain” (Roger Penske) saw enough raw talent in the fellow “Warshentonian” to hire him as a driver the following season, where Sneva would spend a tumultuous four years, before being fired by Penske for being too outspoken.

But during his tenure at Penske Racing, alongside such notable talents as Mario Andretti and Bobby Allison, Sneva would ultimately be replaced by his newest teammate and some young Californian named Rick Mears… While being constantly a thorn in Mario’s side, going on to win two USAC National Championships (1977-78) before moving onto “Greener” pastures…

Although according to noted journalist and author Doug Nye, Mario Andretti was the first to go 200mph at the Speedway… Nye refers to Sneva as “snively” in his book; McLaren: The Grand Prix, Can Am and Indy Cars.

Yet, Sneva would become the first official driver to crack the 200mph barrier at the Speedway, when he won the pole in 1977, with a record single lap speed of 200.535mph and a four lap average of 198.880mph aboard his Penske Racing Norton Spirit McLaren M24 Cosworth. And although Tom started first, as we know, someone by the name of “Super Tex” (AJ Foyt) would go onto become the very first driver to win Indy four times that year, while Sneva finished runner-up.

Robin Miller;
“Snively is something we always called him, not sure of its roots.”

“The day before he broke the 200 mph barrier, he tried running flat out in Turn 4 with Mario's set up and crashed. Jim McGee wanted to fire him but snively came back the next day with his setup and his bravado to break 200 and win the pole.
'That night he was driving a bunch of us to dinner in his van and there was a mile of cars behind us because Mr. 200 MPH was driving 28 in a 45 mph zone.”

And while Tom is the best known driver of the Sneva clan, his younger brother Jerry also contested the Indy 500 (1977-80, 1982) as well as competing in the USAC/CART championship trail alongside his brother, while unfortunately Tom’s younger brother Ed “Babe” Sneva Jr. was involved in a racing accident at Cranbrook, BC during a CAMRA Super Modified event and died after going into a coma.

The following year, in what would become Tom’s last driving for The Captain, Sneva once again stuck his Norton Spirit on the pole, for a second consecutive year, as Penske had switched over to running his own chassis, with the debut of the Penske PC6/Cosworth. Yet, once again Sneva would be frustrated by taking the runner-up position behind future Penske piloto Al Unser Sr.

As typical in motor racing, the landscape of Indy was rapidly changing, as 1978 was the first year that the entire front row was propelled by the Formula 1 derived DFV Ford Cosworth V-8 “lump” which was known as the DFX, having been turbocharged in order to finally slay the ubiquitous four cylinder “Offy” (Offenhauser) dragon that had ruled Indy for nearly four decades. (Pole: Tom Sneva, Penske/Cosworth; 2nd: Danny Ongais, Parnelli/Cosworth; 3rd: Rick Mears, Penske/Cosworth)

And thus as the Offy went, so too did the wedge shaped McLaren’s and Eagles, as Jim Hall’s revolutionary “Yellow Submarine” (Chaparral 2K) ground effects car made these past winners obsolete.

Yet, there were some last minute heroics for the McLaren IndyCar, as originally Sneva had been set to race the Bon Jour Action Jeans sponsored Phoenix ground effects chassis for Jerry O’Connell’s team and had qualified it fourth. But an accident left the car destroyed and the team was forced to settle upon rolling out ‘Ol Hound, its three years old McLaren M24 chassis, as the Indy 500 rules stipulated, Sneva would be required to start dead last in the field, yet The Gasman was soon mixing it up midfield and even briefly led before finishing runner-up to Johnny Rutherford, (in the Yellow Submarine) as this impressive feat of going from 33rd to 2nd had never been accomplished before and would be Sneva’s third second place finish at Indy.

Can you name the other driver to accomplish the same feat? Yeah, his name is Scott “What Pace Car?” Goodyear. (1992)

For 1981 Sneva briefly ran up front once again at Indy aboard a finicky March 81C/Cosworth chassis in which Sneva recorded the fastest overall qualifying speed, (200.690mph) but was forced to start 20th due to not qualifying during Pole Day, before ultimately retiring.

Then in 1982, Sneva decided to join forces with the mercurial George Bignatti, which resulted in another very tumultuous partnership, as Sneva would duel with eventual first and second place runners Gordon Johncock and Rick Mears before winding up fourth with an engine failure on lap 197.

Yet, for 1983, I seem to recall that in order to reduce the pressure of working for Bignotti; Disney’s “Goofy” was employed to lighten up the Texaco Star Bignotti-Cotter gang’s mood in Gasoline Alley…

Robin Miller;
“Johnny Parsons nicknamed Tom the Gas Man when he drove the Texaco Star.”

Making his tenth start at the Speedway, Sneva would ultimately go on to win his first and only Indianapolis 500, a record seventh victory for Bignotti as Chief Mechanic… Recall this was the year that a Rookie “pip-squeak” by the name of ‘lil Al tried to play blocking back for his father Big Al, and frustrated Sneva for 16 laps before he finally got around both of them enroute to victory.

For 1984, driving for the newly formed Mayer Motor Racing, (Sneva’s final year of Texaco sponsorship) Tom would capture his third and final pole at Indy, enroute to becoming the firs driver to go 210mph, with one (210.689mph) and four (210.029mph) lap averages respectively. Starting from pole, Sneva would finish a disappointing 16th, due to a CV failure before moving to the Skoal Bandit for the following three seasons. And while The Gasman was quick, he also was involved in a lot of incidents, as his career ultimately began to slide downhill, as Sneva currently holds the dubious record of most race crashes at the Brickyard. (1975, 1979, 1985-88, 1992)

Sneva spent his twilight years piloting inferior machinery, although the stock block Buick V-6’s never lacked for horsepower, just the fact that they were most likely over-boosted in an attempt to make up for the lack of two cylinders, they routinely “DONE BLOWN UP!” as they seemed notorious for their lack of reliability…

Sneva announced his retirement from Indy Car racing after contesting the 1992 Indy 500 and now resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he owns a Golf Course which reportedly still has the world’s fastest golf kart…

But my favourite Robin Miller story about The Gasman is when CART made its initial foray south of the Border, racing in Mexico City. (1981-82) And apparently while the drivers were waiting to be shuttled back to their hotel rooms, Sneva was coerced into commandeering an empty School Bus missing its driver in order to leave the track! As it musta seemed like the Good ‘Ol Days in Lamont…


Jim Murray:
“Tom Sneva was the only race driver who knew that a hypotenuse wasn't an animal…”

2006 Seattle Roadster Show

There seems to be several overlapping themes to this weekend’s Indy Car race Up North, Eh? As originally today was scheduled to be the 25th Anniversary of the Portland Champ Car race, which had been moved from its traditional Father’s Day weekend.

(Saturday, March 4th, 2006)
Thus it was with great irony that I’d been so insistent upon attending the Seattle Roadster Show, as it had been a long, long, long time since I had attended a ”Detroit Iron” Hot Rod show… In fact I think the last “Juan” was a World ‘O wheels show held in the Seattle Center; Pre-Key Arena and LONG before some “Oakie Horn Toad” had STOLEN away our Seattle Supersonics… But I digress!

Yeah, back then I had truly wished to make the event for two separate reasons; First of all to meet Justin Wilson and get his autograph… As after all it’s NOT everyday that I have the chance to rub elbows with a Formel Ein Piloto! Secondly, because I’d never been to an event held at the then newly opened Quest Event Center

Clyde and I met Kevin and Terry for breakfast in Sea Tac before “moseying” to Downtown Seattle for a “Boyzs” outing at the BIG car show. Pulling into the nearby parking garage, it was a good day to head there. Since “MUH-Nuher’s” (Seattle Mariner’s) tickets were on sale and parking was FREE.

We entered the Roadster show around 11AM and immediately made a “bee-line” towards the Champ Car display to meet Justin Wilson, where I suppose I should not have been surprised to notice that absolutely NO ONE was there… As this was just one more sign of the Zeppelin von Champ Cars impending “Death Star” implosion!

Yet, after entering our names in that year’s contest for a Long Beach Grand Prix weekend for 2, we sauntered over to Justin “BIG UNIT” Wilson, who was standing ALONE!

Justin stuck his hand out and greeted us warmly, as I quickly realized just how tall the lanky BRIT was… OH MY (FREAKIN’) GOD! I’m “HOBBS-SNOBBING” with an ex-Formula One driver… “HOLY SHIT!” As I’d first seen Justin piloting the Jaguar at Suzuka in 2003. Where he’d started the season with Minardi before running the final 4 races for Jaguar, prior to loosing his ride in F1, while Terry asked: “Are you signing things?” Justin’s “handler” (Security? Champ Car DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ SECURITY!) replied, “in about 5 minutes,” so, as “Just the two of us” stood there side-by-side, I decided this was my big chance to “talk smart” with Justin. I turned to Justin and in my best Robin Miller impersonation asked him…

TOMASO: Are you going to BEAT Tracy this year?
JUSTIN WILSON: I hope so…

T: How did you feel about Portland last year? It looked like you were dominating the race before your engine failed… (Justin did DOMINATE the entire weekend, fastest in practice, Pole position & then simply walking away from the entire field before his “Feurd” (Ford/Cosworth) Lump went KABLAMOE! Letting go right in front of me in the Festival chicane just past the halfway point of the 2005 race)
JW: There’s nothing you can do about it, so you just go on and try to put it out of your mind.

T: I was very glad to see you win Toronto…
JW: Smiling.

Then Justin’s handler” returned, handing me a brochure for the upcoming Portland race… I already have my tickets, I responded…

T: Are you going to do any more testing before Long Beach?
JW: Yes, we’ve (RuSport) got a test planned for next week.

T: Sebring?
JW: NO-We don’t like Sebring, we’re actually going to a new track, and I think PKV may be there also?

T: Who’s your main competition this year?
JW: Bourdais, Tracy & Allmendinger (Justin’s teammate)

T: What about Bruno? (Bordais teammate)
JW: It’ll be interesting to see how Bruno does after his accident (Bruno broke his back last year at the Indy 500 & has just returned to testing)

T: And what about Servia? (Bruno’s replacement last year)
JW: I haven’t heard if he’ll be racing this year?

T: How many cars do you expect for Long Beach?
JW: I don’t know? I think about only half the teams have announced their line-ups

T: Do you worry about the competition or just worry about yourself?
JW: I just concentrate on myself and hope to do the best…

Then Justin walked over and grabbed a card and signed it for me. Thanks! Here, how about another “Juan?” Although I could have stayed there the entire day and talked Justin’s ear off… The other 3 Musketeer’s in my party had long since dispersed and Justin seemed non-committal about continuing our conversation, so I thanked him once again and wished him further success…

“I hope you win some more Champ Car races this year!”

Surprisingly, “Chump Carzs” was ACTUALLY PROMOTING its upcoming race at Portland; in what was to be one of the Zeppelin von Champ Car’s last round trip voyages…

Catching up with the Boyzs, we began looking at the smorgasbord of show vehicles… Unbeknownst to me, the Seattle Roadster Show was now in its 7th year with OVER 300 vehicles on display, as we blew past a few rods, then stopped to look over a 1963 “KUH-NAID-IUN” Split window Corvette, with its turbocharged big block claiming 700bhp, past a nice ’55 Thunderbird and a few others before Clyde asked if we wanted to go upstairs?

There were more cars along with a plethora of “Choppers” and a model contest upstairs, as Kevin was trying to be funny by saying: “Hey Tomaso, look at the Mustang.” Looking towards where he was pointing, I turned and said: “Kevin, that’s NOT a Mustang, it’s a Beetle!” With Kevin laughing, I studied the Beetle more closely and replied: “I think it’s a ’74 Super-Beetle?” Kevin then pointed out how the entire rear seat was consumed by speakers… Before we meandered quickly through more “Detroit Iron,: as Kevin became my “point-man,” reading the various car placards. Kevin pointed out a “Khebbie” Nova SS, a Shebelle, Impala, etc. We stopped and glanced over the late model “Mod-motor ‘Stang,” (Silver, 4.6 liter V-8 with after-market wheels) before passing a “Chopper” that was so bright you needed shades… “High Bling Quotient;” a la Unique Whipes. (Completely chromed, on mirror’s with spotlights)

Then we headed towards the staircase back down to the main floor. Halfway down we stopped to stare at the sea of “eye-candy” below, where Kevin said: “There’s my boat!” (Kevin is a water ski fanatic thanks to Clyde) The Roc’s “Miami-Vice” cigarette boat was being pulled by a Ford F-650! (Later we overheard “some-Juan” muttering ‘bout how the Pizza biz must be doing OK, eh? The Roc also owns their own Helicopter! And makes some really tasty oven fired pizano’s)

Walking downstairs, we gravitated towards the bright banana “Hertz-Doughnut-Fly Yellow” rocket ship jumping out at us. It must be a Corvette? It was the AWESOME Z06 with the monstrous 7.0 liter 427cid V-8 peeking out from underneath the hood. The front snout looks “Ferrari-ish,” with rounded corners and oval-esque covered headlights… This has to be the “BADDEST” production ‘Vette to date… Pre 2008/9 ZR1, as it’s simply all business with a magnesium roof and a top speed of 198mph! Yet, for something different, in the rear trunk was an oval racetrack with 4 cars on it.

While Kevin & I meander through more cars, I had to stop at the Cobra racing car. It was the yellow #96 Alan Grant chassis and it was “Sweet!” While stopping to gaze at ‘Ol Number 96, Clyde disappeared on us… So the three of us perused more “Chebbie’s,” another Nova SS, Shebelle, etc. A few Bel Airs’, “Juan” turned into a drag racer with a 502cid V-8 “shoe-horned” into it.

For some reason the 62-63 “Feurd” T-Bird seems to be a popular hot rod… “Juan” had custom flames on it along with another “ride from Overhaulin” featuring the most stunning airbrushed Indian artwork… With Kevin being drawn towards another Overhaulin “pimped” ride, while I was enamored with the mini armada of 3 Dodge Viper GTS coupes.

One was red, with the other two in dark blue and all three had the twin white stripe treatment, with one of the blue Viper’s having race numeral’s on the door panels… While I was busy admiring the Viper, I overheard somebody say in mock disbelief: “Is that a Pinto?”

Then Kevin came over and said: “Hey Tomaso, Guess what that is?” A Pinto… Surprisingly this Pinto actually looked”nice.” The silver Pinto had been lowered & customized, including after-market chrome wheels… As I’d previously thought it was impossible to soup up a Pinto!

Then Terry spotted Clyde and soon it was just Kevin & I. Although Kevin likes “Kebbie’s,” at least he seemed fixated upon the row of 12 Corvette’s. Starting with the yellow Z06, we looked over the many early ‘Vette’sc including: 2 ’63 Split windows, ’56 convertible, a very sweet, plain Jane white ’65 Sting Ray, ’78 T-Top & ’89 T-Top…

While checking the Vette’s out Kevin asked me if I noticed anything wrong with the “souped-up” Beetle. Yes… The engine’s in the front! There were a pair of front engine Beetle Drag Racer’s…Afterwards, we found Clyde & Terry, Clyde said he needed to go outside to get some fresh air.

So the 3 Musketeer’s returned to viewing countless more “rides.” We checked out a 426 Hemi Charger and more Late-30’s rods with Corvette V-8’s stuffed inside their engine bays. While I had to stop to check out the silver ’98 Saleen S-281 convertible, across the aisle was a ’67 Shelby GT-350? White with blue stripes, but I didn’t have a chance to look it over too much as Kevin blasts past each car.

Then what I presume was the first of two “replicar’s,” Kevin spotted a wild 427 Cobra. The midnight blue chassis had the entire front half of the body raised into the air to expose the big block and I had a hard time with this car since it appeared that the hood was opening in the wrong direction, with the inside of the engine bay painted in Mystic paint.

Later we stumbled upon a second dark blue 427 Cobra. It had to have the largest exhaust side pipes I’ve ever seen. (5” diameter?)
Walking around some more, Kevin stopped at the empty table to get the “Big Swag’s” (Monster Garage) autograph, while Terry said he wanted to sit down since his back was hurting him, so we decided to leave instead.

On the way out we passed another yellow ‘Vette, this time a ’78 with a blue nitrous bottle installed between the seats. Then we blew past a late ‘60’s (1969?) Torino in brilliant blue with a big block packed under its bonnet…
Kevin then drove me home, and after dropping me off I decided to look over the cards that Justin Wilson had autographed. In what seems to be a NEVER-ending cycle of mildly bad karma… The cards were gone, SHEISA! As I’d carried them inside my 2005 G. I. Joe’s program I’d brought along for the entire day… Yet apparently they must have slipped out during “Juan” ‘O the countless times I was bumped into while not moving fast enough through the throng’s of onlookers… Thus, I’d just have to get it again later that summer at Portland during the Friday driver’s autograph session, eh? (Portland: June 16-18, 2006)

Overall it was a very well done car show, far bigger then the last “World ‘O Wheel’s” event I went to many years ago,

Bit-Berger

Sorry ‘bout ‘dat, just couldn’t resist… As some of Y’all may think I’ve been consumin’ der BitBurger beer a bit too much while in Der Fatherland… But I’ll tell uze, there’s NOTHING like a freshly poured domestic BitBurger in the Home country! But I digress…

Like most current and former F1 piloto’s Gerhard Berger cut his racing teeth in go karts, before graduating to Alfa SUD’s and Formula 3, where he won multiple races before graduating to the big leagues of Formula 1.

Gerhard started his F1 career with the minnow-esce ATS team, while it’s reported that the Austrian contested his debut Grand Prix (Austria, 1984) with a severely “tweaked” neck, courtesy of a road accident in which he’d almost perished…

For 1985, Berger contested his first full season in F1 for the Arrows team, before moving onto the blossoming Benetton team, where Gerhard would score his and the team’s maiden Grand Prix victory at Mexico City in 1986, helped in large part by tyre strategy, as the Pirelli’s were able to endure the entire race distance without changing.

Impressed by his ever growing form, Enzo Ferrari snapped up the Austrian as Michele Alboreto’s teammate at the Scuderia for 1987, where he replaced “Stevie Johnson.” (Stefan Johansson) Although the Prancing Horse got off to a slow start, the team would be in the hunt for victory from nid-season onwards and Berger would finish out his debut season with the Scuderia by winning the final two races, the Japanese and Australian GP’s from pole.

Obviously the 1988 Formula 1 season was immensely frustrating for the entire paddock, excluding the all conquering McLaren Honda duo of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Yet, it would be Berger, followed across the stripe by Alboreto, chalking up a memorable 1-2 victory at Monza just weeks after Enzo’s death… As this would be the race that Senna tripped over back marker Jean Louis Schlesser and later went off to give “IRV THE SWERVE” a celebratory punch…

For 1989, Nigel Mansell joined Berger at Ferrari, where BLOODY NIGE’ would earn the respect of the Tiafosi and become known as Il Lione… As Berger would suffer a horrifying shunt at Tamberello corner during that year’s San Marino GP, with his Ferrari 641 engulfing him in flames for 16 seconds before fire marshals could dose the flames! Berger scored his fourth GP victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix, which was overshadowed by Mansell-Senna’s collision…

For 1990, Berger and Prost effectively swapped team seats, after “The Professor” had announced he was leaving the Woking based squad to get away from his bitter arch nemesis Senna… While Gerhard ruffled a few feathers by out qualifying the Brazilian in his very first race at McLaren, starting from pole at the USGP. Berger would net a further three victories and three poles during his three year tenure alongside Senna.

For 1993, Berger was wooed back to Maranello to instill some stability into the floundering Scuderia organization which was in a massive state of flux. Of course a huge retainer didn’t hurt either, reportedly the highest of all drivers that season! But the active ride F93A was a disaster and Ferrari went winless once again.

In 1994, upon recovering from Black Sunday, with countryman Roland Ratzenberger and close friend Ayrton Senna having lost their life’s, Berger bounced back by scoring an emotional victory from pole in the 412T at the Hockenheimring, Ferrari’s first GP victory since 1990... During Berger’s final season at Ferrari, he was enroute to victory once again at Monza when teammate Alesi’s onboard camera fell off and shattered Berger’s front suspension! At the end of 1995, it was announced that Michael Schumacher would be moving to Ferrari, which triggered one of Flavour Flav’s (Flavio Briatore) most infamous statements in regards to the double World Champion’s exit us; It’s NOT the Driver, but OUR Car that WON the World Championship!”

Thus, with Berger and Alesi switching to Benetton for the 1996 season, the No.’s 27 and 28 era, which had spanned back to 1981 with Gilles Villeneuve and Didier Pironi (interrupted only by Prost’s bringing his No. 1 plate to Maranello in 1990) came to an end. And while Benetton would go without victory in 1996, Berger who’d missed three races due to injury along with the death of his father, scored his and Benetton’s final victory in the 1997 German Grand Prix, completing the trifecta at the Hockenheimring, where he’d also scored pole position and fastest lap before announcing his impending retirement at the end of the season…

Berger has since gone on to become co-owner of Scuderia Toro Rosso, with a 50% controlling interest, along with overseeing the career development of Bruno Senna, Ayrton’s nephew…


"He taught me a lot about our sport; I taught him to laugh." Those words were Gerhard Berger's valediction to his friend, Ayrton Senna.
Those who came to know the lanky Austrian well knew that his sense of humor, at times somewhat macabre, has passed into Formula One legend. Who else could throw Senna's briefcase from a hovering helicopter, claim to have filled his room with snakes and frogs, or alter his passport photograph to resemble parts of the human anatomy that were not his face? Who else could douse a public relations girl's computer with water, ruining months of work, and believe it a joke? Or deliberately provoke Senna, under the influence of a few unfamiliar Schnapps, to confront a mouthy Eddie Irvine at Suzuka in 1993…
(Source: Grandprix.com)

It was during Berger’s tenure at McLaren that his reputation as a practical joker gained phenomenal adulation, as long as you weren’t on the receiving end, as the Austrian sought to break thru the overly serious, focused and devoted Ayrton Senna’s demeanor.. Yet, Senna rised to the Austrian’s challenge, in part spurred on by team boss Ron Dennis, as the aforementioned helicopter briefcase toss stems from an incident in Monza, where Senna had boasted to Berger during a helicopter flight that his new custom made carbon fibre briefcase was nearly indestructible… To which a shocked Ayrton watched Gerhard proceed to open the helicopter’s door and toss the briefcase!

"It fell somewhere near the course but we found it again," Berger recalled with a cheeky grin.

These pranks continued to escalate when Berger filled Senna’s bed with animals in Australian hotel, to which furious Senna told Berger;

"I've spent the last hour catching 12 frogs in my room," to which Berger replied, "Did you find the snake?"

Actually they were larger, like toads Berger explained and Senna retaliated by placing a very strong smelling (Limburger?) French cheese in Berger’s air conditioning unit…

On another occasion, Senna and fellow countryman Mauricio Gugelmin decided to fill Berger’s dress shoes with shaving foam on a Japanese Bullet train as they were headed for an important dinner and Berger was forced to attend the event wearing tennis shoes with his tuxedo…

Yet, Berger vowed revenge and apparently was successful, when a glass of orange juice delivered to Gugelmin one hour prior to the start of the Japanese GP spiked with sleeping pills, saw the Brazilian fast asleep and snoring thru the roar of the Formula 1 racing cars in the motor home…

Yet, Berger’s most famous caper, was the switching of Senna’s passport photo with said image of male genital… Although Senna’s passport was rarely checked, when inspected in Argentina, officials held Senna for 24 hours. To which Senna retaliated by later super gluing all of Berger’s credit cards together…

Several years later, at Ferrari, Berger played another practical joke on teammate Jean Alesi, who was chaffering Berger aboard team boss Jean Todt’s newly delivered personal Lancia around Fiorono, when Gerhard decided to unexpectedly pull the hand brake which caused Alesi to lose control, flip the car onto its roof and send the Frenchman to the hospital,

When Jean Todt asked later what had happened? Berger coolly replied that they’d put a few kerb marks on it!

SHEISA!!! Guess you DON’T wanna ever be on the receiving end of ‘Ol Blockhead’s humour, eh?

Quick Stats:
First race: 1984 Austrian GP
Last Race: 1997 European GP
Career starts: 210
Wins: 10
Poles: 12
Fastest laps: 21 (Two more than Ayrton Senna)

1986: Benetton; Berger out qualifies teammate Teo Fabi; 12-4
1987 Ferrari; Berger out qualifies teammate Michele Alboreto; 12-4
1988 Ferrari; Berger out qualifies teammate Michele Alboreto; 16-0
1989 Ferrari; Berger out qualifies teammate Nigel Mansell; 8-7
1995 Ferrari; Berger out qualifies teammate Jean Alesi; 12-5

McLaren at Indy (Part 2)

As some of you will recall, I’ve failed to mention that while although founder Bruce McLaren lost his life in a testing accident at Goodwood in 1970, the team did indeed carry on and upon its third attempt was successful in winning the prestigious Indianapolis 500, which had been one of Goodyear’s incentives for sponsoring the team, albeit this first victory came at the hands of customer Roger Penske, could McLaren win at the hallowed Speedway?


1974
M16C/D
After the horrific ’73 Indy 500, major rule changes were made to the regulations in regards to safety, with an emphasis on fuel protection and vehicle length being shortened to a maximum of 15 feet to reduce speeds, as competitors had been flirting with speeds of nearly 200mph.

David Hobbs joined the Works effort as Rutherford’s teammate aboard his Carling Black Label liveried mount and qualified ninth at Indy while Johnny missed the first week of qualifying and would be forced to start 25th with a speed of 190.440mph clocked during the second week of qualifying. Yet, the even year charm was once again cast upon McLaren as Rutherford stormed his way to the front to capture his first Indy 500 victory while Hobbs finished a respectable fifth… Rutherford went on to take three more victories that season at Ontario, Michigan and Milwaukee.

Meanwhile, Penske’s 1974 USAC campaign saw major driver changes, as Donohue had become thoroughly frustrated during 1973, that he’d announced his retirement from racing.

Thus, the recuperated Gary Bettenhausen would become Penske’s lead USAC driver, with a second Indy 500 entry slated for Peter Revson, which sadly would never occur as Revson was killed in F1 pre-season testing in South Africa.

Bettenhausen’s entry was sponsored by Score, a motor oil product developed by Sunoco which would later be renamed CAM2, as Sunoco was hesitant to run its Oil Company sponsorship in the wake of the current energy crisis, even though Methanol wasn’t an oil derived product.

Penske then selected Mike Hiss, a Californian native to replace Revson, as Hiss had previously been the 1972 Indy 500 Rookie of the year and substituted for Bettenhausen in ’73. Hiss was the first Penske Racing driver to pilot the “Norton Spirit,” in what would become a long standing partnership.

Hiss was quick to show up his elder teammate, by qualifying third at Indy, while Bettenhausen could only muster an 11th place grid slot. Yet, Bettenhausen’s Offenhauser engine would expire on lap 2 while Hiss would suffer two painstakingly long pit stops to diagnose and rectify electrical problems before ultimately finishing 14th, albeit 42 laps behind.


1975
M16E
Now five years old, the M16 model received further design refinements, which saw the new model updates “penned” by Gordon Coppuck’s assistant, an English bloke by the name of John Barnard, as Coppuck was fully engulfed in the Formula 1 side of the house, as McLaren’s M23 had won the 1974 World Championship with future Indianapolis victor Emerson Fittipaldi.

After having ran two cars in 1974 with less then expected outcome, Penske increased his Indy 500 entry tally to consist of three modified M16C/D’s for Bobby Allison, Mario Andretti and Tom Sneva, the fastest school principal ever.

Ironically Sneva, a fellow Dirt Tracker himself, was hired as Gary Bettenhausen’s replacement for the 1975 season after The Captain had grown tired of Bettenhausen being constantly injured, as Mike Hiss had filled in at Penske once again after Bettenhausen had suffered severe nerve damage to his arm in a Dirt Track race at Syracuse, NY.

Meanwhile, at McLaren, Lloyd Ruby replaced “Hobbo” (Hobbs) as Rutherford’s wingman and the rain soaked race was halted on lap 174 with Bobby Unser’s Works Eagle being declared the victor, while Rutherford finished runner-up.


1976
M16E
In another tough year of finding sponsors, McLaren retained Rutherford as its sole driver, which would pay off handsomely, as Johnny once again secured the Pole position (188.950mph) and piloted his Hy Gain sponsored McLarein to his second Indy 500 victory, as the even year charm worked once again and would become the factories third and final win at the Speedway.

Meanwhile Roger Penske continued to soldier on with McLaren, with Tom Sneva once again his primary pilot, at the controls of the Norton Spirit, while veteran driver Mario Andretti was hired to contest the Indy and Pocono 500’s in a second CAM2 sponsored Penske entry.


1977
M24
For 1977, McLaren debuted the M16’s predecessor, the M24, of which had actually been an earlier exercise in 1971-72, when the team had grafted the M23’s 3.0 liter Cosworth onto a M16 test mule which led to the development of the M23, with which McLaren would win two Formula 1 championships with in 1974 and 1976.

With the arrival of Cosworth’s 2.65 liter V-8 turbocharged DFX variant, at last the Offenhauser became obsolete, as the DFX would propel the M24 to new heights. Although Mario andretti was the first to pass the 200mph barrier, the first official one lap record would be set by Tom “The Gasman” Sneva at the Brickyard with his pole setting run of 198.880mph, including a top lap speed of 200.535mph! As both drivers remained in Penske’s employ that season.

With all of the hoopla surrounding Sneva’s 200mph blast, the “Works” McLaren team effort was greatly overshadowed, as Rutherford could only muster a 17th place starting position and would finish dead last, retiring after only 12 laps with gearbox failure.

Ironically, the first M24 racecar had actually been completed in 1976 with the second chassis being delivered to Penske later that season, although Sneva and Andretti would outshine Rutherford during the month of May. Yet, interestingly the ’77 Penske chassis were heavily modified cars that served as rolling test beds for what would become Penske Racing’s Engineer Geoff Ferris’s Penske PC6 chassis the following season.


1978
M24B
For 1978 McLaren upgraded the M24 chassis to its final configuration and one updated M24 along with a new M24B chassis were on hand for Johnny Rutherford’s hoped for even year mojo at the Brickyard, as the team was running a single car effort for Johnny with First National City Travelers Checks as their sponsor.

There were two M24’s to fear that year at Indy, with the Works team and privateer Jerry O’Connell’s Sugaripe Prune chassis piloted by Wally dallenbach, yet Tom “The Gasman” Sneva was on pole again with a speed of 202.156mph, while Rutherford lined up fourth at 197.090mph and Dallenbach started seventh at 195.220mph.

Future CART Chief Steward Dallenbach was the highest finishing McLaren, coming home fourth, while Rutherford finished 13th, behind Janet Guthrie, with Salt Walther in a third M24 winding up 28th, retiring with clutch issues, while three older McLaren Offy’s finished in various positions.

Interestingly First National City Travelers Checks is listed as the sponsor of the winning car driven by Al Unser Sr. which seems to imply that the Citybank group was covering their bases…

1979
M24B
1979 was the final year of factory participation in IndyCars, as Team McLaren ran a single car in Budweiser livery for Johnny Rutherford, yet the team was on a slow downhill slide and Rutherford was hard pressed to compete against the newer era IndyCars, while Tom Sneva had taken over the bright yellow O’Connell Sugaripe Prune and continued to drive the wheels off of the aging McLaren M24 chassis, affectionately nicknamed ‘Ol Hound.

Rutherford lined up eighth and finished 18th, with Sneva starting 2nd and finishing 15th due to an accident on lap 188, while the highest placed McLaren Cosworth was Roger McCluskey’s privateer National engineering entry, finishing 13th.

But, with McLaren trapped in mediocrity, having become uncompetitive in Formula 1 and the newly formed Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) series, as the newer ground effects chassis were making the McLaren’s obsolete, along with lack of sponsorship and Rutherford having left to drive for Jim Hall’s Chaparral team, McLaren decided to shut down its Indy Car operation and focus solely upon Formula 1. Ironically, Rutherford would win his third and final Indy 500 in 1980 behind the wheel of the Yellow submarine, a.k.a. the Chaparral 2K, a revolutionary ground effects chassis designed by John Barnard, who in later years would design Formula 1 World Championship winning chassis for McLaren before working his design magic on Ferrari’s ill handling racecars.

Yet, there were two last minute flashes of glory for the McLaren IndyCar’s, as originally Tom Sneva had been set to race the Bon Jour Action Jeans sponsored Phoenix ground effects chassis for O’Connell’s team and had qualified it fourth. But an accident left the car destroyed and the team was forced to settle upon rolling out ‘Ol Hound, its three years old M24 chassis. As the Indy 500 rules stipulated, Sneva would be required to start dead last in the field, yet The Gasman was soon mixing it up midfield and even briefly led before finishing runner-up to Rutherford, as this impressive feat of going from 33rd to 2nd had never been accomplished before.

The final moment of glory for the fleeting McLaren Indy Car’s came when Vern Schuppan scored an impressive third place finish aboard his Red Roofs Inn during the 1981 Indy 500 after having started 18th. Yet, by 1982 the Indy 500 field would be totally devoid of any McLaren chassis, as sadly their time had passed…

McLaren at Indy

Recently, Roger Penske scored his 300th major motor racing victory at the Milwaukee mile, at the hands of new hire Ryan “Disco Inferno” Briscoe, which was also the 30th Anniversary of perennial Penske Racing driver Rick Mears maiden Indy Car victory… And as I’ve been painstakingly researching the McLaren Indy Car odyssey, for a pet project of mine, I thought the above accomplishment was a nice tie-in to the following story…

1970
M15A
The McLaren M15 was born out of the frustrations that Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme experienced during the 1968 Indy 500, (Bruce’s one and only race) in which Bruce had been originally scheduled to compete in the stillborn Shelby American turbine Indy Car project… Having been scrapped prior to that year’s running of Indy, while Denny had originally been slated to drive a Lotus turbine chassis before both drivers switched to Eagle chassis instead, while Interestingly the Shelby turbine car would serve as a show car for Paul Newman’s movie Winning.

A prototype and two race cars were built for the ’70 Indianapolis 500, with drivers Hulme and Chris Amon originally scheduled to drive, but Denny was forced to miss the event after being burnt in a fire, while practicing, as a fuel filler cap unexpectedly opened at speed as the “Kiwi” noticed droplets of fuel spewing onto his windscreen like rainfall and when he attempted to slow down, fuel surged onto the red hot turbocharger and immediately ignited the flameless methanol at 180mph!

Every time Denny stomped the brakes, more fuel gushed out of the open fuel petcock, as Hulme’s hands were searing hot… Finally at 70mph Hulme decided it was time to jump from the stricken McLaren, which was now fully engulfed in flames, hoping to clear the rear wheels during his exit! Hulme suffered severe burns to his hands and there were even whispers of possible loss of fingers, as obviously the Kiwi would be out of action for awhile… In the meantime, Denny’s teammate Amon was unable to get up to sufficient speed, thus Peter revson and relative unknown Carl Williams were drafted into duty.

The M15 was designed by Gordon Coppuck and powered by the ubiquitous 2.65 liter Offenhauser “Offy” inline four cylinder turbocharged motor. With its single Garret turbocharger and Hillborn fuel injection, the Offy developed 650bhp. This venerable lump was so antiquated that some members of McLaren were tempted to write where the British chassis met American motor; “1970 ENDS HERE!”

McLaren focused upon that year’s three long distance events; Indy, Ontario and Pocono, with two newer M15A’s being built; with Peter Revson qualifying 2nd at Ontario, while the older M15’s were sold to Gordon Johncock, which I’m assuming was the chassis he used in the following year’s Indy 500.


1971
M16A
Roger Penske and Mark Donohue flew to England in search of potential Can Am machinery to purchase and upon their visit to the McLaren workshop at Colinbrook immediately wished to purchase a McLaren M16 Indy Car, with Penske saying; “Build me one.”

The prototype would eventually become Donohues Sunoco liveried mount, engineered by Don Cox, while McLaren’s “Works” entries would be later chassis sprayed in the traditional papaya colours of McLaren’s Can Am cars and sponsored by Gulf Oil.

The Offy produced 700bhp and was transferred to the rear wheels via a Hewland LP500 three speed gearbox, eschewing the traditional two speed unit.

The M16’s “Wedge” shape was inspired from the then all conquering Lotus 72 Formula 1 car… And as an interesting side note; cornering speeds at Indy were 60mph SLOWER… In the early 1970’s (210/150mph) pre-ground effects era.

During Indy tire testing in March, Donohue ran a staggering 181mph while the Works entries struggled to keep pace and Penske instructed Donohue to share information with Teddy Mayer in order to not make their supplier mad, noting it was a long term deal which would pay off in the future. During Indy qualifying Donohue was on pole at 177mph but had honestly told Mayer why he was so slow and during his Pole Winner’s interview the crowd roared to life as Revson snatched it away with a top speed of 178.690mph and would finish second in the race, while Donohue and Hulme both retired.

Donohue’s stricken car was totally demolished in a later accident by Mike Mosley and the tub was salvaged, with a new car being built back in England in time for the inaugural Pocono 500 that July, where not only would Donohue start from pole, but win Penske’s very first USAC event in his team’s and sponsor Sun Oil (Sunoco) home state. Donohue would win again at the next race at Michigan, along with another pole at Ontario in September, but ran out of fuel after missing his pit signals.


1972
M16B
For 1972 McLaren made minor revisions to its chassis, with new front and rear wings, along with a bullet shaped induction fairing, as once again Penske ordered chassis from McLaren, this time two cars, one for Donohue and one for new recruit Gary Bettenhausen. While Penske would contest the entire USAC calendar, once again the factory concentrated on the 500 mile events, with Gordon Johncock replacing Carl Williams at McLaren.

And although Donohue was once again out qualified by Revson at Indy, this time Penske had opted to utilize a slightly less boosted Offy and when leader Jerry Grant made an unexpected pit stop with 13 laps remaining, Donohue swept into the lead and went on to win the first of Penske’s record 14 Indy 500 victories, after only his (and Penske’s) third attempt.

Gary’s brother Merle was seriously injured in a Kingfish (McLaren knock off) and lost his right arm in the accident at Michigan International Speedway, while Gary’s younger brother Tony, who also raced at the Speedway would later lose his life in a plane crash.


1973
M16C
McLaren built six new chassis this season, with the new model receiving mostly cosmetic updates aimed at improving airflow, as aerodynamics were slowly evolving. Teddy Mayer hired Johnny Rutherford to replace Johncock, who rewarded the team with pole position at Indy, but the race would be diabolical with rain postponements and Swede Savage losing his life before ironically “Gordy” Johncock would take the checquered flag aboard a Pat Patrick Eagle.

Meanwhile, defending Indy 500 champion Mark Donohue was contesting a limited USAC season aboard a customer Dan Gurney Eagle, with less then encouraging results, while teammate Gary Bettenhausen broke his arm in a Sprint race following Indy and Roger Penske offered the drive to some chap named David Hobbs, but the Englishman was unable to accept due to sponsorship conflicts and relative unknown Mike Hiss would subsequently fill-in.

Rutherford would win twice at Ontario and Michigan, while Bettenhausen would win at Texas, but at the end of the season Gulf Oil withdrew its sponsorship of the Works team, while Mark Donohue would retire from racing, immediately being officially named to his previous role the past seven years at Penske; President of Penske Racing...



To continue, see; McLaren at Indy (Part 2)

The Three Rings of Germany

While I suppose there have been other venues to host major races in Der Fatherland, I’ll focus upon what are known to be truly the Big Three, a.k.a. AVUS, The Hockenheimring and the Nordschleife…

AVUS
AVUS was the popularly used acronym for the Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße, a racing circuit located on the southwestern outskirts of Berlin, which called for construction to hopefully begin in 1907.

Yet, this racing circuit and automotive test track was primarily nothing more then two extremely long straights connected by ninety degree flat radius turns, with automobiles circulating counter clockwise, while groundbreaking was delayed by six years due to lack of finances… And construction was further halted in 1913 due to further lack of funding, while during World War I, Russian prisoners were conscripted into the completion of the racing venue, which still remained unfinished in 1918.

Additional funding was made by a businessman and in 1921, upon the circuit’s grand opening, measured 19 kilometers, (12 miles) with the two long parallel straights being approximately half that length.

The circuit hosted the first German Grand Prix in 1926, a race for Sports Cars won by the German Ace Rudolf Caracciola, driving a Mercedes. Yet AVUS would face competition For Germany’s top racing events from the newly completed Nurburgring. *1927)

In an attempt to boost its image as the worlds fastest racing venue, the North Curve was rebuilt in 1937, steeply banked at 43 degrees, made out of brick and quickly gaining the moniker; Wall of Death, as there was NO retaining wall to prevent competitors from flying off, if they missed the corner…

The all conquering Silver Arrows of Auto Union and Mercedes ran their speed record streamliners only once on this layout, also in 1937, with eventual winner Herman Lang completing the race at an average of 260+ kp/h (160mph) of which speeds wouldn’t be reached at the Brickyard for nearly a further three decades.

Interestingly, AVUS is wrongly credited as being the circuit in which the extremely popular racing driver Bernd Rosemeyer lost his life in 1938 during his quest for the top speed record, which actually occurred upon a similar portion of the Autobahn Frankfurt, which caused the AVUS to be deemed unsafe for competition… And with further expansion of the Reichsautobahn network being planned to connect to the track, the South Curve was demolished to make way for a new roadway junction.

After World War II, the Soviet Quarter and Berlin Wall’s checkpoint Bravo came NO further than one mile to the existing track, which various reports erroneously note that the Berlin Wall cut the track in half, yet a new South Curve was introduced, cutting the track’s lengthy straights in half and shortening the circuit to 8.3 kilometers (5+ miles) and a non championship Grand Prix was held in 1954, basically a Mercedes show of farce. In 1959, AVUS played host to the German Grand Prix, which was won by Tony Brooks in a Ferrari, yet sadly Brooks victory was overshadowed by the death of Jean Marie Behra in a supporting Sports Car race during the same weekend, as his Porsche went flying off the North Curve, which still lacked a retaining wall. The North Curve would stand this way until being demolished in 1967 to make way for further roadway additions.

From 1967 onwards, the AVUS played host to only Formula 3 and German Touring Car (DTM) races and the straights were reduced in length a further two times in the late 1980’s – early ‘90’s and with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the circuits time was destined to pass, with a farewell event being held in 1999. From 2000 onwards, the newly constructed EuroSpeedway (Lausitzring) Lausitz in Brandenberg has been considered the former circuit’s replacement.


Hockenheimring
The Hockenheimring was the last of these three major venues to be completed, with construction finishing in 1932, as

The nearly eight-kilometer circuit was viewed as an alternative to the Wildpark circuit and were primarily two long straights running thru the forest. After its completion, officials banned competition on the Wildpark circuit with Motorcycle racing taking place at Hockenheim instead. The track was then extended to be utilized as a testing facility for the Mercedes Benz’s and Auto Unions in 1936 and the venue was renamed Kurpfalzring from 1938-47.

After World War II Grand Prix Motorcycle racing resumed at the venue and with the newly finished Autobahn A6 section completed in 1965, the original track layout was revamped, with the new Motordrome stadium section.

Yet Germany and German drivers were banned from International competition from 1945-1950 and hence Germany did not take part in the inaugural season of the modern Formula 1 championship in 1950. Thus, the German Grand Prix first resumed its place upon the F1 calendar in 1951, yet the Hockenheimring wasn’t pressed into Grand Prix service until 1970, when the Nurburgring was deemed unsafe by the Formula 1 drivers on short notice. Although the German Grand Prix returned to an updated Nurburgring circuit in 1971, Niki Lauda’s horrific crash there in 1976 sealed the tracks fate towards hosting any further Formula 1 events, with the German Grand Prix moving to Hockenheim from 1977 onwards, with the exception of 1985.

Unfortunately the Hockenheimring first garnered International media exposure when sadly in April 1968, Double World Champion Jimmy Clark perished in an F2 event, crashing somewhere out in the forest portion of the circuit. In 1980 Patrick Depailler lost his life during a testing accident aboard his Alfa Romeo at the very fast Ostkurve, while lesser known Bert Hawthorne was also killed during an F2 race at the circuit in 1972.

Facing pressure from Bernard Ecclestone, the track was severely shortened and chopped up by Herman Tilke’s circuit redesign in 2002 and in 2006, Emperor Bernardo announced that Germany would no longer be home of two Grand Prix’s, as the Nurburgring and Hockenheimring would take turns hosting the German Grand Prix from 2007-2010, with the Nurburgring hosting the event in 2007 and 2009.


Nordschleife
Y’all may know, I’ve previously scribbled a few yarns about one of the world’s best racing tracks, the Nordschleife, a.k.a. The Nurburgring… Which actually originally consisted of four separate circuits; “With the main course being the Gesamtstrecke ("Whole Course") being 28.265 kilometers (17.563 miles) total length. This course comprised of The Nordschleife ("Northern Loop;" 22.810k) and The Sudschleife ("Southern Loop;" 7.747k) and a Warm-up loop in the pit area, The Zielschleife ("Finish Loop;" 2.281k) which was known as Betonschleife.

With early races taking part on public roads, this was deemed unsafe and in an attempt to create work and lure visitors to the region the purpose built racing venue began construction in 1925 under the design tutelage of Gustav Eifel…

The track hosted its first Motorcycle race in June, 1927 and the first German Grand Prix for racing cars was held one month later, with the circuit being open to the public during evenings and weekends as a one way toll road. The Ring’s whole loop was used for the last time in competition in 1939, prior to the outbreak of WWII.

After the war, the German Grand Prix took place at the Nurburgring, on The Nordschleife (14.2 miles) and in practice for the 1961 event, American Phil Hill became the first driver to crack the nine minute mark, with a staggering lap of 8:55.2…

Yet drivers ever demanding safety concerns eventually doomed the track’s F1 existence, as two three year contracts were granted after the 1970 Boycott and ironically 1976 was to be the final race prior to Niki Lauda’s incident, as Lauda had become the only driver to lap the Nordschleife in under seven minutes… 6:58.6! Ironically, Lauda had urged the Grand Prix drivers to boycott the 1976 race due to his concerns over the tracks deteriorating safety standards…

With the German GP now shifted to the Hockenheimring, work began in 1981 on an ultra modern, safety conscious track next to the old Nordschleife, which itself was shortened to 12.9 miles in order to host 1000 kilometer and 24hrs endurance racing events for Sports and Touring Cars. The new, stale, clinical “Ring” was opened in 1984 with an All Star race with various Formula 1 drivers competing in identical Mercedes Benz’s 190E’s, with Ayrton Senna winning. In 1985 the new 4.5k circuit hosted its only German Grand Prix, before hosting either the European or Luxemburg Grand Prix’s from 1995 to 2006 during the Michael Schumacher reign…

And as I previously noted after watching a Grand Am race in 2007…

Y’all know what they say ‘bout Co-eansy-dences… As I sat down to take a break last night. I watched my first entire Grand Am race of the season, which was being contested at Watkins Glen. And the action was fairly entertaining… Although the Grand Am and the ALMS seem to suffer a similar fait as did Champ Car and the IRL. (Pre Unification)

Immediately afterwards, there was the Nurburgring staring’ back at me via the telescreen. As SPEED was showing an entertaining half hour snippet of the World’s LONGEST race track, with The Nordschleife taking four years to build, between the years of 1923 to 1927. And although I’ve written it has over 175 corners, these numbers vary depending upon how they’re counted. As the announcer claimed there’s only 72 corners. (Actually there were 174 “Bends” prior to 1971 track modifications, with further corners being removed during later Formula 1/FIA safety improvements)

Having seen the latter half of the show previously, I’d missed the beginning and mumbled to myself how Interestingly, while there’s been a big fuss made over Audi’s winning of Le Mans (with a diesel, (2007-08) along with the Peugeot’s 908 turbo diesel contender’s... A BMW 320D won the Nurburgring 24 Hours race in 1998. Becoming the very first diesel powered vehicle to win a 24hr event…

And while the “Wee Scot” was never a fan of the track. Due to his relentless safety demands. Jackie Stewart won a Formula 1 race in the rain, beating the second place car by over 4 minutes! But the track was withdrawn from the F1 calendar after Niki Lauda’s fiery crash in 1976.

Also I was unaware that it was Stewart who nicknamed it the Green Hell. And prices have gone up slightly, as it will now cost you 16 Euros per lap to reconnoiter this truly epic circuit…

German Jalopies

While arguably the most vaunted German racecars were the all conquering Auto Unions and Mercedes during the build-up to World War II, I thought I’d scribble something about a few of the lesser known attempts by other German racing enthusiasts… As there were a trio of less then stellar German Formula 1 teams in the mid-1980’s; ATS, Zakspeed and Rial.


ATS
Not to be confused with the original ATS, (Automobili Turismo e Sport) the breakaway Formula 1 team comprising of several key Ferrari personnel including Chief Designer Carlo Chiti and Team Manager Romolo Tavoni who left Enzo Ferrari’s employment at the end of 1961… With Enzo constantly bashing his teams lack of performance on his drivers in 1962, America’s first World Champion Phil Hill and Italian Giancarlo Baghetti left to join ATS for the 1963 season…

Instead, this second coming of ATS (Auto Technisches Zubehor) was the brainchild of German businessman Hans Gunther Schmid, who amassed a small fortune thru his ATS Wheels concern, with its light alloy wheels being sold to various Auto manufacturers including Porsche.

Schmid having been a former racer himself, saw F1 as the perfect business platform to further promote his burgeoning wheel concern and when Roger Penske shocked the Formula 1 community with his announcement to withdraw from the sport at the end of 1976, having won that year’s Austrian Grand Prix with John Watson, Schmid subsequently purchased Penske’s racing equipment and duly re-branded it ATS with Jean-Pierre Jarier finishing sixth at Long Beach in 1977, the team’s debut race.

At the end of 1977 Schmid bought the assets of March and Robin Heard and John Gentry reworked the old Penske chassis into the ATS HS1, with Jarier being joined by new teammate Jochen Mass, although Jarier left the team after the German Grand Prix. A string of drivers including future F1 World Champion Keke Rosberg than took stints as Mass’s teammate. At the end of the season a new D1 chassis was produced and driven by Rosberg…

For 1979 a new D2 chassis was designed and driven by Hans Stuck without success and a new D3 chassis arrived mid-season with Stuck managing to finish fifth at Watkins Glen at the end of the year. ATS retained the D3 for the start of 1980 with drivers Marc Surer and Jan Lammers before an upgraded D4 chassis designed by Gustav Brunner and Tim “Doctor Who” Wardrop appeared in South Africa, where Surer broke both ankles upon demolishing the new chassis…

1981 saw an air of uncertainty hanging over the team as Schmid had had a falling out with his ATS Wheels partner over the F1 program at the end of 1980 and the team started to decline, with team manager Jo Ramirez walking out after Schmid decided to replace Lammers with paying driver Tommy “Slim” Borgudd, who was sponsored by ABBA. Although the “Swede” who had once been the groups drummer failed to qualify for his first four races, he managed to finish sixth at Silverstone before moving onto Tyrrell and was replaced by Manfred Winkelhock and Eliseo Salazar, who drove upgraded D5 chassis designed by Don Halliday (who later was responsible for the Truesports Champ Car chassis) in 1982, with both drivers scoring a fifth place finish early on before lack of development saw the teams performance drop.

Schmid announced the securing of BMW turbocharged four cylinder engines for the 1983 campaign and Winkelhock returned to the team, which was contractually allowed to only run a single car, with Gustav Brunner returning to design the new composite D6 racecar, which was produced in Switzerland. Brunner stayed on to design the D7, but left for Euroracing prior to its completion.

In mid-1984, Formula 1 rookie Gerhard Berger drove a second chassis and finished sixth at Monza but was ineligible for points, yet this performance led to Winkelhock being let go and Berger finished out the remainder of the season, prior to BMW announcing it wouldn’t supply ATS engines for 1985 and thus Schmid was forced to shut down the team…


Zakspeed
Erich Zakowski set up his own tuning company in 1968 to prepare Ford Escorts and renamed the organization Zakspeed in 1970, which gained notoriety from its all mighty Capri racing cars, before moving into Sports Cars with Ford and in 1984 Zakspeed decided to enter Formula 1 as a Constructor with its own four cylinder turbocharged engine.

The West sponsored 841 chassis driven by Dr. Jonathan Palmer made its debut at the 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix. When Palmer was injured in a Sorts Car accident, Christian Danner took over for two races, with Palmer returning for the 1986 season.

After running the 861, an upgraded version of the original car with mixed results, a new 871 was produced for 1987, which saw drivers Martin “Billy Bob” Brundle and Danner as teammates after Palmer had departed for Tyrrell. The new car proved to be fast and Brundle scored the teams first points with a fifth place finish at the San Marino Grand Prix.

The turbo rules for their swan song season in 1988 were quite restrictive and Zakspeed found its engines down on power and lacking reliability for new drivers Piercarlo Ghinzani and F1 rookie Bernd Schneider.

For 1989, Zakowski thought he’d gotten ahead in the new normally aspirated era with the securing of Yamaha V-8 “lumps” for his 891 chassis designed by Gustav Brunner, but with the increased number of entrants, the team was forced into the position of having to pre-qualify for each Grand Prix and Schneider only managed this feat twice, at the first and last races of the season, while newcomer Aguri Suzuki failed in all 16 attempts. At mid-season, West who’d sponsored the team for five seasons announced withdrawing its support for the team in 1990 and Zakspeed switched to Touring Cars for 1990, having great success with the team being run by Erich’s son Peter…


RIAL
Having been forced to sit out the majority of the turbo era after BMW refused to supply his team engines in 1985, former ATS owner Gunther Schmid sold out his portion of ATS Wheels and purchased rival wheel producer Rial. With the return of Formula 1 to normally aspirated engines for the 1989 season, Schmid co-erced former ATS designer Gustav Brunner to depart Ferrari and design his new Rial ARC1/Cosworth, which was fondly known as the “little blue Ferrari,” since it closely resembled Brunner’s 1987 Ferrari design. The team hired perennial chassis chucker “DECRASHERIS” (Andrea de Cesaris) as its driver, who ran as high as sixth in Brazil due largely to the car’s undersized fuel tank… De Cesaris scored a fourth place finish at Detroit, which garnered the team ninth in that season’s championship.

With Brunner having left early in the 1989 season to join Zakspeed, Bob Bell, who’s now Renault’s Chief Designer reworked Brunner’s chassis for the 1990 season, while the team became a two car effort for new drivers Christian Danner and Volker Weidler. Although Danner scored a fourth place finish at Phoenix, albeit one lap behind, he was later fired, with Gregor Foitek and Bertrand Gachot replacing him, while Weidler had previously been let go and was replaced by PiAerre-Henri Raphanel, with the latter three drivers having no success. Schmid then shut down the team at the end of the 1990 season…

Air Power

Whale! As Y’all may have figured out by now… The wunderkind economy has sucked the lifeblood out of Air travel, as the romance of traveling by Aeroplane is simply a thing of the past, as we’ve all now become nothing more then lemmings in a tin can…

Thus, while in New York this past September, I had the good fortune to visit a wonderful museum in upstate New York while staying at Sadie Manor, as my wonderful hosts Robert & Cili took me up to Hammondsport to visit the Curtiss Aviation museum that I was totally unaware of.

Perhaps you’re wondering just who is this Curtiss chap, eh? His name is Glenn H. Curtiss and he was one of our early aviation pioneers, who got his start by first producing bicycles and motorcycles. The Hammondsport native would go on to one day be considered "The Father of Naval Aviation" along with being the “Founder of the American Aircraft Industry.” Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, or in this case the aeroplane, I’ll refer you to an excellent article titled: Glenn H. Curtiss – 100 years ago for a full description of his amazing accomplishments.

As I’ve previously mentioned in the post titled Attractions, This is a gem of a museum tucked away in upstate New York.

As the father of naval aviation, there’s an example of one of Curtiss’s early flying boats on display, as the museum is filled with examples of early motorcycles, aeroplane’s and aircraft engines, with the “Corncob”” engine being my favorite.

Howard Hughes utilized eight of these massive 28 cylinder air cooled behemoths as the power plants to lift the Spruce Goose off of the Long Beach harbor! The Pratt & Whitney R4360 Wasp Major air cooled engine was made up of four rows of seven cylinders fashioned in a helical arrangement to provide better cooling and equipped with a mechanical supercharger. This engine was the end of the line for piston engines designed during World War II, although they never saw service.

However, these monsters did find work as the motive power for the Boeing B-50 Super fortresses, although they were very problematic and the complicated engine start-up/shut down procedures could last for more than six hours! The initial R4360 engine weighed in at 3,482lbs and was rated at 3,000 horsepower. Final R4360 versions weighed 3,870lbs, rated at 4,300hp, as the additional weight and horsepower was due to the addition of two turbochargers.

If you’re an aviation buff, gearhead or fan of American nostalgia, then I highly recommend you visit this true gem if you’re ever in upstate New York… And while the thrill of modern air travel leaves something MORE to be desired, I’m certainly pleased to think that at least we’re not having to be exposed to the sub-freezing temperatures the countless persons had to endure in the exposed confines of the World War II Bombers!

Glenn H. Curtiss museum

India’s newest force-Take 2

Editor's Note:
Apparently there was some “Technical Difficulties” with some of the stories recently posted on No Fenders via a remote location, while your humble scribe was out ‘N aboot in the wilds “O Eastern, WA. Sorry for the unknown Gremlins… As we’ll soon return to our Normal Programming at No Fenders...

Thanks for your patience,
Tomaso


BY now you’ve probably heard the news that India’s Tata Motors Ltd has finalized its deal to acquire the luxury British car brands of Jaguar and Land Rover from the beleaguered ford Motor Company for $2.3 billion.

Tata Motors Ltd is India’s largest national automotive producer and currently enjoys a market share of 65% of all vehicles sold. The cash rich Automobile manufacturer, with current reserves of $29 billion, secured a $3 billion bridge loan from Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase in order to acquire the remaining British marcques of Ford’s Premiere group, which once housed the Jaguar Formula 1 team and PI Research group run previously by Bobby Rahal and Niki Lauda.

But just who is Tata Motors? The company is just one of the Tata Group’s multiple holdings as the family controlled business also owns the Corus Group, a Dutch steel giant, currently the sixth largest in the world, the Tetley Tea company as well as a portfolio of American luxury hotels including the Pierre in New York city.

Originally known as the TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company), they first began producing locomotives in 1945. Tata Motors then made their very first foray into commercial vehicle production in 1954 in a joint venture with Dalmer Benz, with production of a heavily copied truck model, with the arrangement lasting thru 1969.

Since India’s infrastructure wasn’t set up to accommodate heavy tonnage vehicles at this time, Tata set it’s sights on the Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) market segment instead, producing it’s very first in-house designed LCV vehicle in 1986, the Tata 407.

Tata then set about expansion at a moderate rate by participating in joint ventures and in 1993 formed an alliance with Cummins Engines for the use of high horsepower modern diesel engines. A further joint venture was taken with Tata Holset UK in order to produce turbochargers for its Cummins engines.

In 2000, the company introduced Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) busses as well as launching it’s 1109 Medium Heavy Commercial Vehicle (MHCV) truck, designed to fill the gap in it’s vehicle line-up with this intermediate tonnage truck, along with other new vehicles.

After enjoying a long dominance of the commercial vehicle market, Tata launched its first passenger vehicle, the India. Although this design received less than positive press remarks, nevertheless it’s good fuel mileage, peppy engine and mass marketing made it an eventual sales success, with large quantities being exported to South Africa along with a Rover badged version being sold in the UK. This was the City Rover, a joint venture with MG Rover which lasted briefly as the company went bankrupt before being sold to China.

With the huge success of the various India models, Tata set its sights towards Global expansion and in 2004, Tata purchase the Daewoo commercial vehicles company of South Korea. The acquisition of Daewoo Trucks allows the company to lessen its dependency upon the domestic market sales with production of such vehicles as the Tata Novice, a well selling Heavy tonnage vehicle (TDCV) in South Korea.

Continuing it’s International expansion, Tata next set it’s sights upon the Bus market, purchasing a 21% stake in Hispano Carrocera SA in 2005, selling it’s products in the Spanish domestic market, along with establishing a 51/49% joint venture with Marcopolo S.A, a Brazilian company that is a Global leader in bus body production.

Last year Tata produced approximately 600,000 vehicles and Ratan Tata, the 70yr old Chairman of the Tata Group claims the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover is seen as a way to diversify itself against the upcoming stiff competition from ambitious Chinese auto makers.

Interestingly Daimler Benz currently holds a 7% stake in Tata Motors, while Tata also has a partnership arrangement with the recently shed Chrysler Motor Company, whose Global Motorcars division currently sells Electric versions of Tata’s popular Ace vehicle, while Tata Motors will also begin production of the controversial Nano later this year, being the world’s lowest priced vehicle ever produced, with a $2,500.00 retail price tag. Tata also has an interesting compressed air hybrid vehicle called the One Cat it’s currently working on.

Meanwhile the Indian Auto giant has also been aggressively unveiling multiple concept vehicles for joint partnership development in multiple Nations and is set to begin mass production in Thailand and Argentina, along with forming an alliance with FIAT to gain access to its diesel technology. With FIAT’s assistance, Tata is aiming to produce its Global pick-up for sales in such countries as Europe along with its debut in the United States slated for 2009.

Prior to Ford selling off Jaguar and Land Rover this March, Tata was listed as the World’s twentieth largest vehicle manufacturer, while Ford’s sale of it’s luxury British marcques also includes the Daimler , Rover and Lanchester nameplates, much to the chagrin of Chinese manufacturers.

Yet this sale is somewhat curious, as this now leaves Ford only with the Volvo nameplate in its stable of foreign Automobile manufacturers. Ironically Volvo’s truck unit currently competes against Tata for sales in India, with Volvo being the “Mercedes Benz” of trucks currently occupying the country’s roads as these two rival companies competes for vehicle purchases in the Tractor Trailer segment, as India’s road infrastructure has been vastly improved by their National Highway Act.

While Vijay Malia was spotted smiling in the Barcelona paddock on Friday over his recent acquisition’s surge to the top of the timesheets,as the Spyker F1 driver’s briefly led all contestants before uncharacteristically settling for top ten runs. Couple This improved performance along with the impending Indian Grand Prix slated for 2010 and hence, Tata could be enticed into purchasing the rival Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 team in order to begin its own racing program?

While Toro Rosso’s Ferrari customer engines would give some prestige, why couldn’t Tata revive the stillborn Cosworth V-8 engine program with a little badge engineering to give Tata the global marketing glamour it so desires. Could we once again see the revival of Jaguar in F1?

Of course Tata would need to be careful to avoid the overambitious goals of Spyker Automobiles failed foray into Formula 1, which ultimately led to the team’s being sold to India tycoon Vijay Malia. Yet, such a audacious move could see Malia forced into playing second fiddle in India’s burgeoning Automobile market…

Women in Racing (2008 Edition)

I’d say that the majority of today’s mainstream media attention is firmly affixed upon the IRL’s Danica Patrick, having FINALY WON her first major car race with some precocious fuel mileage strategy in Motegi, Japan this year…

Yet with my NON Politically Correct stance towards Princess Danicker and Milka Duno’s ride buying, while I sit firmly on the Sarah Fisher side of the Danica divide, I thought I’d shed some light on the REAL women of motorsport once again, As these female pioneers truly paved the way for Danica to live the “Good Life.” Interestingly the first women racers were in Grand Prix, prior to the modern day Formula 1 championship which began in 1950. As the earliest reports of female race driver’s centers upon a trio of women, with Eliska Junkova and “Helle Nice” being the most flamboyant. While Kay Petre made her impression due to her small stature behind the wheel of the day’s monstrous vehicles. Junkova caused quite a “stir” when it was discovered that a woman led the opening laps of the 1928 Targa Florio. While the lady behind the wheel of the Bugatti leading the event was quickly named the “Queen of the Steering wheel” by the adoring press, as the Czechoslovakian is the only woman to have ever won a Grand Prix which she accomplished at the Nurburgring in 1926.

Junkova retired from racing immediately after her husband was killed in 1928 at the Nurburgring while piloting the vehicle the couple were co-driving in the event. Helle Nice was Mariette Hélène Delangle’s stage name, as she made her fame and fortune as a Paris “Show Girl.” Amassing wealth and popularity as a dancer, she reportedly enjoyed “Life in the Fast Lane.” As rumours suggest she had a long list of multiple suitors including Philippe de Rothschild and Jean Bugatti. She competed in several Grand Prix’s during the early 1930’s. Yet sadly after the war, Louis Chiron accused Helle Nice of being a Gestapo agent which effectively ended her career. (Along with ruining her life!) Helle Nice died “penniless” in Paris in 1984. Kay Petre stood 4’10” tall, making many marvel at her physical ability to manhandle a 10.5 liter V-12 Delage while setting speed records at the famed Brooklands circuit. Petre was most likely the first female to compete in the 24 Heurs du Mans, finishing 13th overall in 1936. She competed in three Grand Prix’s in 1937 before being injured. Petre went on to become a motor journalist along with being an automotive fabric designer. After two decades of no women participants, Maria Teresa de Filippis contested three Grand Prix’s between 1958-59. While it would be almost another two decades before a quartet of female drivers attempted participating in various Formula 1 races from 1974-1992. (Lella Lombardi, Divina Galica, Desire Wilson and Giovanna Amati). Lombardi raced twelve times, becoming the only woman to have ever scored a World Championship point in 1976. Finishing sixth in the rain shortened Spanish GP, where Lombardi was awarded a half point. Lella also finished seventh at the Nurburgring. Galica, Wilson and Amati were entered, but didn’t qualify for their races. With quite a fuss caused when multiple females were entered for the 1976 British GP. Amati was the last female to enter a Formula 1 event for the struggling Brabham team before being replaced by Damon Hill, with Amati’s F1 test coming courtesy of playboy Flavour Flav… (Flavio Briatore) Meanwhile Janet Guthrie began her racing career in Sports Cars and won two class victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring, prior to getting her big break, when in 1976 Rolla Vollstedt gave her a test drive at Indianapolis, although she didn’t qualify for that year’s race. Yet in 1977 Guthrie would not only become the very first female to race in the Indianapolis 500, but also make history as the first woman to race in the Daytona 500. Guthrie would compete at Indy three times (1977-79) with a best finish of 9th in 1978 before disappearing from the Speedway’s horizon. It would be a further 13 years before a second female would participate in the Indy 500. As although Desire Wilson passed her Rookie test on May 11, 1982, she failed to qualify for that year’s race, thus it was a further decade before Lyn St James made the first of her seven appearances. St James became Indy’s first female rookie of the year in 1992. This debut race would also become her best finish of 11th place at the Speedway.
As the new millennium dawned, (2000) the third female to crack the Brickyard’s entry list was Sarah Fisher driving for Derrick Walker. Fisher has since gone on to become the only woman driver to win a Pole in the Indy Racing League and holds the records for fastest one and four lap qualifying speeds at Indy. (2002: One lap = 229.675mph; Four lap average = 229.439mph)
Next, in 2005 Princess Danica burst upon the scene, causing instant Danica mania while flirting with capturing the pole at Indy and finishing 4th in her rookie year for Rahal Letterman Racing, which is the highest finish ever by a female.

Last year, another first was recorded, when the Brickyard saw three females take the green flag for the very first time in the Speedway’s history, as Venezuelan Rookie Milka Duno driving her CITGO sponsored Team SAMAX racecar joined Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick in the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500.

For this year’s event, much has changed for all three of these female contestants, as we’re all painfully aware that Princess Danicker still basks in the glow of winning her first victory just over one month ago, having now driven for Andretti Green Racing the past three seasons. Her #7 Motorola racecar will roll off from the middle of Row 2, having qualified 5th at 225.197mph.

Meanwhile, the driver of this trio struggling the hardest financially to make her record tying seventh Indy 500 start, without a doubt is Sarah Fisher. After a disappointing 2007 season as Buddy Rice’s team mate at Dreyer & Rein bold, Fisher decided to accomplish another first by starting her own race team and thus becoming the first female Indy Car owner. Hoping to have her team backed by Gravity Entertainment and ResQ energy Drinks adorning her sidepods, both entities have failed to wire her any money to date and Fisher has since moved on, as I’m expecting to see Her #67 Dallara’s sidepods emblazoned with her new associate sponsors, as Sarah qualified 22nd at 221.246mph and will start from the inside of Row 8.

Milka Duno has uncharacteristically “Flown under the Radar” this Month of May, having switched teams in the off season and is now part of a three car effort fielded by Dreyer & Rein bold Racing and is still backed by CITGO, Duno has eagerly taken to constantly asking her teammates Buddy Rice (2004 Indianapolis 500 winner) and Townsend Bell for advice on how to master the Brickyard. Duno qualified 27th at 220.305mph and will start from the outside of Row 9.

Thus, as Virginia Slims would say, “You’ve come a long way Baby…”

(PS: If anybody has seen Danny B’s Milka Duno lunch box laying around the grandstands at Indy, please return it to Lost ‘N Found…)

Ganassi drives Indy

By now I suspect that everybody’s painfully aware that Chip Ganassi’s two Tarz-chey”Indy Car drivers Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon have secured the first two grid positions for this year’s Indianapolis 500, with Dixon becoming the very first Kiwi to ever claim the Pole Position at the Speedway…

But were you aware that once, long ago, in what I’m sure feels like a different lifetime… Their Team Boss, a.k.a. “The Cheepster” actually was an aspiring Champ Car racing driver? (Otay, I suppose some of you Die Hard Indy Car fanatics out there did indeed…) But quick! How many Indianapolis 500 races did “Cheep” contest?

Even more impressive is Ganassi’s Rookie Class alma matter of 1982, for which I count there being nine fresh face Rookies joining the ranks of the CART Championship, as this grouping has some fairly well known names upon it.

Notice from the list below the names of Rahal, Sullivan and Unser Jr. for starters… Other notables are Hector REbaque and Chris Kneifel. As of course we could debate tirelessly over who was the most successful of this group?

Consider Bobby Rahal who burst onto the scene, finishing runner-up to Rick Mears in the championship in his debut season. As we all know, Rahal would go onto win three CART/PPG Championships (1986-87, ’92) along with winning the 1986 Indy 500. Interestingly, Michael Andretti finished runner-up to Bobby during all three championships along with his Indy 500 victory. Rahal won an impressive 24 times and has since won the 2004 Indy 500 as a team owner with David Letterman and Buddy Rice as the driver that year…

Or how about Al Unser Jr.?As ‘Lil Al would win the Indy 500 twice, 1992 and 1994, (Galles, Penske) along with two CART/PPG Championships in 1990 and 1994 for Galles and Penske respectively. And while last years running aboard AJ Foyt’s second entry at Indy was a very sad state of affairs, I’m sure we all recall that ‘Lil Al’s 1992 Indy 500 victory aboard the Galmer chassis was the closest finish in Indianapolis history. (0.043 seconds) Over some ABC Broadcaster named Scott “What Pace Car?” Goodyear…

Another sentimental favourite has to be Mr. Hollywood, a.k.a. Danny Sullivan, who began his IndyCar career driving for Forsythe in 1982 before completing a tough season in Formula 1 driving for Ken Tyrrell in 1983, returning to IndyCars with Doug Shierson’s outfit in 1984.

To most, I’d assume that Danny’s most defining moment was becoming the victor of the 1985 Indy 500 during his famous Spin ‘N Win drive, passing race leader Mario Andretti not once but twice.

At this time, “Sully” was driving for The Captain and would continue on until 1990, having won the 1988 CART/PPG Championship before becoming part of Penske’s “Super-team,” consisting of Emerson Fittipaldi, Rick Mears and Sullivan. (With Emmo bringing Marlboro sponsorship)

While playing third fiddle, Sully ended-up odd man out and moved onto Pat Patrick’s fleeting operation with the recalcitrant Alfa Romeo turbo power plant in 1991, a derivative of the stillborn Ferrari CART 2.65 liter turbo engine project.

Danny then moved onto partner “Lil Al at Galles before finishing his CART career with the fledgling PacWest Racing team…

As I’ve previously scribbled in Cinco de Mayo, Hector Rebaque was one of four Mexicali’s to contest Formula 1 before trying his hand at Open Wheel Racing stateside. Driving for Gerald Forsythe’s own “Super team” (Rebaque, Sullivan and Unser Jr.) he won a lone race at Road America before having a big shunt at MIS and deciding to hang-up his helmet. Interestingly, Forsythe’s triumbrant was headed by REbaque, finishing ahead of Unser and Sullivan.

Jim Hickman, Chris Kneifel, Patrick Bedard and Chet Fillip are lesser known talents who briefly plied their trade behind the wheel of various high speed machinery, while Indy only rookie Dale Whittington is a sad story…

Hickman, an ex-Air Force fighter pilot and Car dealer was the Rookie of the Year at Indy (1982) but would lose his life at the Milwaukee Mile on August 2nd, 1982 with just five minutes remaining in the final practice session and was the second driver to perish that season, as Gordon Smiley died while trying to qualify at Indianapolis.

Kneifel’s name was familiar to me from the Trans Am days, but interestingly holds the honor of being the very last driver to qualify for Indy under 200mph, as he took Jacques Villeneuve’s Sr. (“Uncle Jacques”) starting slot when the Canadian injured himself prior to the 1984 Indy 500 and was forced to withdraw.

Kneifel’s name was also familiar to me as he became the Chief Steward for CART from 2001-04 after finishing his racing career by winning the 2001 Daytona 24hrs with Ron Fellows, Frank Freon and Johnny O’Connell and if memory serves me correct, Chris was in the Justin Wilson over six foot club, may be even taller than Justin?

I guess if I went into the way back machine I should recall Bedard’s name, since he’s been employed by Car and Driver magazine since 1968 as a contributing journalist. Patrick drove for Jaguar in endurance racing before switching to CART and contested the Indy 500 twice from 1983-84, finishing 30th both times. He was involved in a massive shunt during the ’84 race, cart wheeling several times and decided to retire afterwards…

Fillip is a name that doesn’t ring a bell with me, having driven briefly in CART (1982-85) before moving to RASSCAR for two years. Next Chet raced USAC Sprint cars, winning eight times including the prestigious little 500. (1999) in 2006 after 28yr’s of competition he won his very first Championship in the inaugural Premiere Racing Association (PRA) series…

Whittington is apparently another “One Hit Wonder,” as apparently he made only one dubious start at Indianapolis in 1982, when the Whittington Brothers made history by being the only trio of brothers to qualify the same year.

Recall this was the year that Kevin Cogan broadsided Mario Andretti just prior to the green flag being thrown. Whittington, who was starting from 23rd position incorrectly assumed that the slowing cars trying to avoid the accident were an opportunity to pass them and slammed into a slowing Roger Mears.

Allegedly Mario was so incensed by the results of what triggered the four cars being retired that he threatened to expose Dale and his brothers smuggling hi-jinx, thus Dale never returned to Indy.

Unfortunately the Whittington Brothers along with the John Paul’s (Jr. and Sr.) and Randy Lanier were part of IMSA’s notorious 1980’s “International Marijuana Smuggler’s Association” which later led to several arrests, with Dale being the only suspect to not go to jail.

Whittington died of an apparent Drug overdose in 2003 after being found deceased by his son on Father’s Day…

And while I cannot recall what I was searching for last year, I stumbled upon an interesting article reflecting upon Bill Papis in Bob Jennings Indy 500 Diary (Feb. 2002) with some interesting tidbits on the Cheepster’s first attempt at the Speedway…

“Jack Rhoades, an airplane dealer from Columbus, Indiana, entered a 1981 Wildcat chassis in the 1982 "500" for rookie Chip Ganassi. The young driver from Pittsburgh qualified eleventh for the 1982 race with an average speed of 197.700 mph. That was the fastest qualifying speed by any member of the 1982 Indianapolis rookie class which also included Dale Whittington (197.690), Danny Sullivan (196.290), Jim Hickman (196.210), Herm Johnson (195.920), Hector Rebaque (195.680),Chet Fillip (194.870), Bobby Rahal (194.700) and Roger Mears (194.150). Ganassi finished 15th in the 1982 "500," falling out of the race after 147 laps with engine problems.”

Note:
Herm Johnson: Drove in 1981 for Menard/Cashway and Kraco Car Stereos in CART.
Roger Mears: Competed in USAC/CART from 1978-84.
Dale Whittington: Apparently a “One-off” at Indy in 1982. Part of the only trio of brothers to ever qualify for Indy.

1983 Indy 500 Rookies
Patrick Bedard; Steve Chassey; Derek Daly; Teo Fabi; Chris Kneifel; Al Unser Jr.

(The Indy 500 was NOT part of the CART Championship calendar in 1981-82, due to the CART-USAC WAR, precursor to the CART-IRL SPLIT; 1996-2007)

Interestingly Jennings notes that Ganassi’s mount was apparently an ex-Mario Andretti chassis;

“Allegedly the Jack Rhoades entry driven by Ganassi was the same Patrick Racing STP Wildcat chassis driven to second place in the 1981 "500" by Mario Andretti. Perhaps you remember Mario's "500" car in 1981. It was a beauty, painted in a dark shade of (almost navy) metallic blue that sparkled in the sunlight like a deep blue diamond. With the contrast of the STP day glow red trim, Andretti's car 40 had one of the all time great paint jobs in racing in my opinion. Remember Mario was declared the winner of the 1981 "Indianapolis 500" the day after the race when a penalty was assessed to Bobby Unser by USAC officials for passing cars coming out of the pits. In October, 1981 a three man panel voted to restore the victory to Unser, reversing the earlier USAC decision. But for nearly five months Andretti's STP Wildcat was the winning "Indianapolis 500" car. “

Ganassi would go onto race in a total of five Indy 500’s (1982-86) and graduated from college the week after his debut at the Speedway. In ’83 Floyd “Chip” Ganassi signed to drive for Pat Patrick and showed some signs of driving prowess with a second place finish before having a major accident at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) with Al Unser Jr. Although I’ve never seen any footage of this, it’s fairly spectacular and Ganassi was lucky to get away with it…

Pat Patrick replaced the injured Ganassi with some guy named “EMMO,” while Chip recovered and competed in the ’85 Indy 500 for AJ Foyt, followed by his last Indy in the Machinist Union car. Afterwards, Ganassi first was a partner of Patrick’s, with Fittipaldi winning the 1989 CART/PPG Championship along with that year’s Indy 500 in a customer Penske chassis, before going on to form his own team which subsequently won four consecutive CART/PPG championships, before jumping to the IRL.

And while Ganassi’s reign as a team owner has been much more successful than a fellow competitor’s at least Dale Coyne has beat the Cheapster” in one category, by racing at Indy six times…


1982 CART Rookies
Bobby Rahal; Hector Rebaque; Al Unser Jr; Danny Sullivan; Jim Hickman; Chip Ganassi; Chris Kneifel; Patrick Bedard; Chet Fillip.

(Team/SR*/Driver/Chassis/Engine)
Truesports/Red Roof Inns
(2) Bobby Rahal
March 82C/Cosworth

Forsythe/Carta Blanca/Newsweek
(15) Hector REbaque
March 82C/Cosworth

Forsythe Racing
(21) Al Unser Jr
March 82C/Cosworth

Forsythe/Brown
(22) Danny Sullivan
March 82C/Cosworth

Rattlesnake/Stroh’s
(26) Jim Hickman
March 81C/Cosworth; March 82C/Cosworth

Rhoades/First Commercial Corp.
(34) Chip Ganassi
Wildcat Mk. VIIIB/Cosworth

Metametix
(36) Chris Kneifel
Eagle 82/Cosworth

Escort Radar Detector
(41) Patrick Bedard
Penske PC7/Cosworth; Wildcat Mk. VIII/Cosworth

Circle Bar Track Corral
(44) Chet Fillip
Wildcat Mk. VIII/Cosworth

1982 CART Season Standings
SF Driver
2nd Bobby Rahal
15. Hector REbaque
21. Al Unser Jr
22. Danny Sullivan
26. Jim Hickman
34. Chip Ganassi
36. Kris Kneifel
41. Patrick Bedard
44. Chet Fillip

SF = Season Finish (Overall Points Standings)

Cinco de Mayo

Otay, I know Y’all are supposed to be hootin ‘N hollerin over the fact that it’s Cinco de Mayo… And don’t forget to eat the worm…

This elspeciale day made me ponder just how many Mexicali’s had taken part in Formula 1 and did they ever host a Grand Prix? And of course some of you out there are probably way ahead of me, eh?

As yes indeed, Mexico once was a part of the Grand Prix Calendar, well actually it was part of the calendar twice, with all races being held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with the first race being run in 1962 as a Non Championship event. Yet, from 1963 to 1970 the Mexican GP played havoc with the then top flight Grand Prix machinery, as these carbureted beasts were extremely susceptible to the city’s notoriously thin air, since the track was at an elevation of 7,400 feet.

The 1963 Formula 1 World Championship race was won by Scotland’s Jimmy Clark, also the winner of the 1967 event, while America’s Dan Gurney claimed one of his four Grand Prix victories aboard a Brabham-Climax (1.5 liter inline four cylinder engine) race car in 1964.

The final season’s penultimate race of the 1.5 liter Normally Aspirated era (1961-65) was a watershed event, as American Ritchie Ginther scored his lone F1 race win and Honda Racing’s maiden Grand Prix victory aboard the Honda RA272 with a transversely mounted V-12 power unit. This would also be Goodyear’s very first Grand Prix victory.

Mexico City would remain on the F1 schedule thru the 1970 season, when it was dropped after the circuit was unable to control spectators from continuously hovering too close or being on the racing line…

The 4.421 Kilometer circuit located in Magdalena Mixhuca, a public park in the northeast of Mexico City was updated to FIA standards in time to return to the F1 Calendar in 1986, as high fencing and ferocious guard dogs kept spectators at bay. This event would see another surprise victor, as Gerhard Berger would score his and Benetton’s maiden Grand Prix victory, largely credited to their Pirelli tires outlasting the competition. The Autodrome would remain a fixture until 1992, when sadly once again the track would be dropped from Grand Prix competition, as the circuit’s bumps had finally outgrown the F1 Constructors welcome.

Interestingly, rumours first surfaced in 2003 about Mexico’s possible return to action with Bernie Ecclestone stating in 2006 that Mexico would indeed return to the GP limelight with a round of the 2009 season being held at a brand new $70 million facility built in Cancun, which now has fallen by the wayside.

Although CART contested a pair of races there from 1980-81, with both events being won by Rick Mears for Penske Racing, CART also turned its back upon the aging circuit which laid largely dormant until Gerry Forsythe instigated a massive rebuilding project in the new millennium.

Champ Car then began competing at the refurbished circuit from 2002 thru 2007 and could Tony George be pondering a future return to Mexico City as the Indy Car World Series? Presently, the only two major American sanctioning bodies venturing down South of the Border are Grand Am and the Nationwide series…

And while searching for Drivers, I was quite surprised to learn that only four Mexicans have ever contested the Formula One World Championship, as you may be aware of the most notable Mexicali’s being the Rodriguez Brothers.

Interestingly, their father Don Pedro reputedly made a small fortune as head of the countries elite Mexican Motorcycle Police force, thus his background of “Scooters” apparently rubbed off on his two sons, who would begin their racing careers as Motorcycle racers, as both brothers were National Champion multiple times before moving onto automobiles.

Although Ricardo was refused entrance into the 24 Heurs du Mans due to his early age (16) Ricardo and Pedro often competed in top notch machinery bought for them by their father, as the brothers contested several events for Luigi Chinetti's N.A.R.T. (North American Racing Team)

“Pedro was just 20 and his brother Ricardo was two years younger when US Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti dispatched them to Le Mans at the wheel of a Ferrari 250 "Testa Rossa." There the Mexican kids put the fear of God into all their rivals and would have won the race had the car lasted.”


Ricardo Rodriguez
Supposedly it was the younger (19yr old) brother Ricardo who sparked the Nation’s lust of hosting an International Grand Prix with his rise to prominence during his various Sports Car drives, having finished second at Le Mans and third at Sebring. These performances apparently caught the attention of Enzo, thus being invited to drive for the Scuderia Ferrari in the 1961 Italian Grand Prix before graduating to a full time works drive in 1962.

Although 1962 wasn’t a hugely successful year for Ferrari in F1, Ricardo did win the Targa Florio aboard a 246 Dino SP, while making five starts in Formula 1 (1961-62) and scored points in the Belgian and German Grand Prix’s before Enzo decided not to send his cars to Mexico City. Sadly Ricardo would perish during practice for the 1962 non-championship event while driving a rented Rob Walker Lotus 24 racing car.


Pedro Rodriguez
While Mexico was deeply morning the loss of 20yr old Ricardo, elder brother Pedro was now contesting major Sports Car events, having won the 1963 Daytona Continental for Chinetti behind the wheel of an N.A.R.T. Ferrari 250 GTO. The Continental was the forbearer of today’s Rolex 24 and originally began as a three hour race. In 1964 Pedro would win once again, this time sharing the N.A.R.T. Ferrari 250 GTO with Formula 1 World Champion Phil Hill as the event had been lengthened to 2,000 Kilometers.

Pedro had also made his way into Formula 1 by 1963 and would blossom into Mexico’s most successful Grand Prix driver, ultimately contesting 54 Grand Prix’s for Ferrari, Lotus, Cooper and BRM, (1963-71) as Pedro would win two events, the 1967 South African GP for Cooper and the 1970 Belgian GP for BRM.

Pedro was also a gifted Sports Car pilot, having contested Le Mans 14times, Pedro was victorious for John Wyer’s Gulf Ford GT 40 effort in 1968 before signing a contract with the Englishman and winning the World Sports Car Championship aboard the all conquering Porsche 917 two years in a row.

Pedro also won the North American Ice Racing title in 1970 as well as finishing fifth in that year’s Charlotte World 600 RASSCAR event before his untimely death in a Sports Car event at the Nurburgring behind the wheel of a Ferrari 512 in 1971.


Moises Solana
This is a long forgotten Formula 1 driver I hadn’t heard of previously. He was a journeyman driver who drove for Cooper, Lotus and Scuderia Centro Sud. (1963-68) along with limited forays into Formula 2 with Lotus and Ferrari, making a total of eight Grand Prix starts, primarily contesting the Mexican Grand Prix several years in a row.

Moises also contested road racing in the Northern Hemisphere, in the United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) forbearer of the Can Am championship and was the first driver to score points in an USRRC International event aboard an McLaren.

Solana was killed in 1969 when he lost control of his McLaren Can Am car in a Hill Climb event upon smashing into a bridge.


Hector Rebaque
A final, lesser known driver would emerge from the shadows of the Rodriguez Brothers. Coming from an affluent Mexican family, Hector bought his way into the Hesketh team in 1977, of which he had mix results at.

For 1978, Hector decided he needed better equipment and bought a used Lotus to run under the Rebaque banner. The following year he bought another used Lotus, but bbecame increasingly frustrated with his perceived lack of support from Colin Chapman. He then decided to build his own chassis and hence commissioned Penske Racing to fabricate what would become known as the HR-100, largely based on his old Lotus.

Hector made a total of 58 starts for Hesketh, Rebaque and Brabham (1977-81) and upon shutting down his languishing Rebaque team, Hector moved onwards to Bernie Ecclestone’s F1 team alongside teammate Nelson Piquet at Brabham in 1980. While vastly overshadowed by World Champion Piquet, it’s reported that Rebaque’s insistence to fly home between Grand Prix’s was a contributing factor to his lackluster Formula 1 career.

Being left without an F1 ride for 1982 after Bernie had hired Ricardo Patrese as his replacement, Hector took up residence in CART for Gerry Forsythe and inherited a lone Champ Car victory in 1982 for Forsythe Racing when Al Unser Sr ran out of petrol while leading the inaugural Road America race. Rebaque then had a major shunt on the high banks of the Michigan International Speedway and decided to retire from motor racing.


Meanwhile, during the resurrection and second coming of Grand Prix racing at Mexico City (1986-92) the events date was shifted to the spring in 1989 to coincide with the reborn USGP. (Phoenix, AZ)

During this time, Mexico also began hosting a round of the World Sports Car Championship and a young German named Michael Schumacher scored one of his earliest career victories co-driving an all conquering Sauber-Mercedes with Jochen Mass in 1990 at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit.

Most wins at the venerable Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez are split between three drivers, having two wins apiece: Jimmy Clark, 1963, ’67; Alain Prost, 1988, ‘90 and Nigel Mansell, 1987, ’92.

Mexican Grand Prix winners
1963) Jimmy Clark; 1964) Dan Gurney; 1965) Richie Ginther; 1966) John Surtees; 1967) Jimmy Clark; 1968) Graham Hill; 1969) Denny Hulme; 1970) Jacky Ickx

1986) Gerhard Berger; 1987) Nigel Mansell; 1988) Alain Prost;; 1989) Ayrton Senna; 1990) Alain Prost; 1991) Riccardo Patrese; 1992) Nigel Mansell

May Day

It’s hard to believe that 14 years have slipped by since that HORRIFIC weekend in Imola, Italy… Where not one but two Formula 1 drivers met their fates, while even stranger yet, is the fact that I once stood nearly three feet away from one of these stricken heroes, none other than Ayrton Senna.

And it’s funny to me what we keep indelibly locked inside our memory banks, as I can still clearly see four of the seven Grand Prix drivers that passed thru my gaze that wonderful day in Phoenix, Arizona.

You see, this was my very first foray of attending a real honest to goodness Formula 1 race, having only been introduced to this magnificent form of motor racing two and a half years previously. Thus I found it excellent fortune for the state of Arizona to have miraculously landed a five year contract to host a round of the F1 circus beginning in 1989.

Being a stranger to the Downtown streets of Phoenix, nevertheless mi Madre dropped me off promptly first thing Friday morning, prior to the gates being opened at 7:30AM in order to spend the entire day watching these fabulous racing cars…

Yet, where to purchase my Admission ticket, Having made my way past the various persons trying to forcefully hand me free samples of Marlboro and Camel cigarettes, I approached the ticket booth. Yet, when I got to the window the lady told me; No, you can’t purchase a General Admission ticket here, you’ll need to go to the other ticket booth around the corner… Which was several thousand meters away…

So off I went in search of this mysterious second ticket booth and having found it, was somewhat bemused to be told; NO! You need to go back to the first ticket booth Sir. So, back I went, where I started to become somewhat incensed as I was informed that I indeed needed to go back to the ticket booth I’d just come from… And thus now knowing this stretch of the Grand Prix circuit quite well, made my way back to the other ticket booth, only to be told you know what!

Yet, this “Whose on First” routine had a silver lining in it for me, since said second ticket booth happened to be mere meters away from the open, non-administered entrance into the Formula 1 paddock. As these were the days of Pre-Qualifying when 37 F1 drivers were jockeying for 28 grid spots, with the lowest drivers on the grid being forced to fight their way into the day’s qualifying show.

Yet, just moments before turning around to go back again, I was simply blown away as the first of several of these modern day Gladiators approached. Thus, while standing in the entryway into the F1 paddock, I stood motionless, as the sports “God’s” walked towards me…

Transfixed in total disbelief, the reigning World Champion and future Three Time World Champion Ayrton Senna was walking straight towards me; “Oh My God!!!” Of course not having anything on me, i.e.; writing utensil, scrap of paper, race program, etc, HELL! I didn’t even have a Grand Prix ticket at the moment… I simply stood there dumbfounded watching this maestro of Formula 1 walk directly past me. Where he then stopped to sign an autograph…

Thus I can still vividly see him standing in tan Gucci loafers, blue jeans with an half inch silver belt and an orange sweatshirt with his credentials tucked inside… And as he turned his brown leather briefcase upside down to sign the request, I noticed a hurkin’ large bright gold watch on his left wrist, which looked like a Rolex to me… Yet, the part I found most strange about this whole encounter of frenzied autograph seeker’s was that absolutely ZERO attention was being paid to Senna’s compatriot, who was none other than Japanese F1 driver Aguri Suzuki. (But sadly, nobody bothered Aguri-san for an autograph!)

Then even more bizarre, I watched an Good ‘Ol Boy American who must of weighed nearly 350lbs BEAR HUG “The Professor,” while gleefully having’ his picture taken with the French racing ace Alain Prost.

Next, the scene became even more surreal, as I witnessed another Formula 1 driver seemingly primp himself in the midst of a crowd, which seemed totally unaware of who this overdressed European gentleman was? As I noted to myself that he was also adorned in Gucci loafers, tan slacks, a blue polo shirt with a gray cardigan sweater tied around his neck while striking a pose and looking very sheik. The man was none other than current Three Time World Champion Nelson Piquet!

But the next three drivers I witnessed are a bit hazy, as I think I saw Ivan Capelli and Martin “Billy Bob” Brundle saunter by individually, while last but not least to pass by my unbelievable vantage point was the Belgian Thierry Boutsen on his way into the paddock to prepare for the morning’s qualifying session…

Not being able to pick out any further F1 pilotes, I made a bee-line back for the original ticket booth with an air of urgency as I was positive Pre-Qualifying would soon be getting underway and I still had not been granted admittance into the track! Where I was finally able to purchase my $50 Three Day General Admission pass and scurry inside to watch the day’s activities, later thinking how cool is this? Standing in the middle of Downtown Phoenix in the middle of summer with an ice cold Fosters “Oil Can” in hand and the siren song of 28 Formula 1 land rockets shrieking past me!

Saturday would be even better as Hall convinced me to explore some more of the circuit and we luckily found ourselves watching about one half of the day’s morning qualifying session from the Press grandstand situated at the end of pit lane, until we were finally asked to leave since we didn’t have NO STINKIN’ Credentials… Thus we went off further exploring the tracks circuitous layout, and suddenly found ourselves face to face with the wailing Grand Prix machinery as I quickly snapped a few pic’s from an unauthorized vantage point behind the myriad of chain link fencing, as Ayrton Senna’s McLaren screamed past me.

Ironically that Sunday’s race held on June 4, 1989 in 104 degree heat was sadly the same day as the tragic and UNNECESSARY killings taking place in Tiananmen Square, while China is set to host this year’s Summer Olympics...

Unfortunately I decided NOT to attend the following year’s event, I mean C’mon, it’s gonna be there another four years, right? Thus, the last time I’d witness Ayrton Senna in the flesh, would be the 1991 USGP, which by now he’d become a source of unadulterated angst! Being known to anybody asking me about him as Arrogant! Although this would be the year of his final World Championship, the Brazilian was not in favour with myself, having taken my then favourite driver Alain Prost out of title contention multiple times and being very difficult to beat!

Thus unknowingly, I would be in “Los Wage$” that fateful weekend of 1994, dubiously known as Black Sunday, where I was attending the final Pantera Owner’s Club of America (POCA) Car Show to be held on Freemont Street and totally unaware of the tragedies that would befall the Motor Racing world…

The weekend would begin ominously by Rubens Barrichello monstrous crash on Friday, with his car rolling over and the Brazilian having swallowed his tongue while unconscious… As Barrichello would spend the rest of the weekend in hospital, But things would become even graver, as Roland Ratzenberger would loose his life during qualifying Saturday, as he was the perilous victim of a front wing failure at 200mph, hitting the (Gilles) Villeneuve wall at approximately 180mph… Before coming to a rest slumped over inside the cockpit of his Simtek Ford/Cosworth, being officially pronounced dead upon arriving at a nearby Bologni Hospital.

Yet, as we all know, this wasn’t the final tragedy of the weekend, as renown Triple World Champion Ayrton Senna would meet his maker on Sunday, May 1st, 1994 whilst leading the San Marino Grand Prix, from fierce rival Michael Schumacher.

The race had begun with JJ Letho’s stalled Benetton being struck by Pedro Lamy’s Lotus, as Lamy was unaware of Letho’s troubles until arriving at full speed and clipped the stationary Benetton, sending wheel and suspension components high above the catch fencing and landing upon four spectators. Thus the safety car was sent to fetch Senna while debris was removed from the track before Senna went straight off at Tamberello corner on lap six while being stalked by Schumacher…

Senna was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby Bologni Hospital where he’d also be pronounced dead later that evening and its been said that Senna’s stricken Williams was discovered to have an Austrian flag inside it in order for Senna to dedicate his perceived victory to the fallen Ratzenberger…

Having been fortunate enough to be entrusted to share the driving duties of transporting my good friend Roberto’s gorgeous 1984 De Tomaso Pantera GT5, while convoying with fellow Pantera enthusiast Bud, we’d been making a non-stop beeline North via the I-5 Super-slab and were totally unaware of the weekends tragedies. Upon having stopped to have breakfast in Portland, Oregon, Roberto’s wife Kimberly would break the news to us and Roberto and I were simply dumbstruck…

God Speed Ayrton!

Texas Flood

In case you’re unaware… The weather in Texas is WACOE! As I arrived in Austin on the first week of March with ALL Flights into Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) being CANCELLED due to an amazing accumulation of seven inches of SNOW! But NO, it weren’t over yet, as my flight to DFW would also be cancelled two weeks later due to Tornadoes/Thunder & Lightning storms. SHEISA!

When I arrived on March 6th at 10:30PM (Central time) it was a chilly 35 degrees f, yet by Friday (3/14) it was 94f, which broke a 44yr old record. The following day (when we were supposed to be in Washington DC) it had cooled all the way down to 86f while we were busy traversing the streets of Downtown Austin.

Yet by Tuesday, March 18th, the temperat