thebear's archive of motorsports trivia

:) Please `bear' with me as I will be posting some obscure automotive trivia, not necessarily in chronological order but fascinating to say the least. ;) The origins of many things will be revealed to those with patience. :eek: Please subscribe to the thread and hang on for the ride. :laugh:

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

1950 Track was 3.5 miles long

1952 Track was 5.2 miles long

1966 Warehouse Turn re-routed

1983 Backstraight (16-17) re-routed, 4.86 miles long

1987 Turn 1 revised and 2-3-4 loop around Flagpole added, 4.11 miles long

1991 Current Turn 2-3-4-5-6 added, turn 10-11-12-13 revised to current configuration, 3.7 miles long

1997 Turn 8-9 revised to "Fangio Chicaine" in order to provide more of a margin of safety to the regular road traffic adjacent to the track on driver's left. Turn 15-16 revised to current configuration which is mostly ignored as drivers tend to go wide at turn 15.

1998 Turn 7 revised from Hairpin to Safetypin per the request of Mario Andretti and the CART (now OWRS) organization. They only run at the track for purposes of `spring training' or early testing.

see http://www.marshalspost.com/circuit/80.html for an illustration that has relavance starting with 1991.

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company:

Goodyear began business in the winter of 1898 in Akron, Ohio, making bicycle and carriage tires, horseshoe pads and poker chips. The 13 original employees earned 13 to 23 cents per hour, Today, more than 100,000 associates run manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries, supported by sales and marketing operations in almost every county around the world.

In 1999, Goodyear formed an alliance with Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., of Japan. that brought the Dunlop tire brand to its fold, returning Goodyear to Its position as the number one tire and rubber company worldwide.

Goodyear's heritage in racing started in 1901 with its first victory after Henry Ford put Goodyear rubber on his car sponsored by the Detroit Driving Club.

The company launched its first serious race tire development program in 1916 and cars equipped with Goodyear Cord Tires began to dominate at U.S. racing circuits.

By 1919 Goodyear tires were on the winning car in every major race that year, including the Indianapolis 500.

In 1957 Goodyear asked NASCAR driver Lee Petty to do a limited race tire test program in West Palm Beach, Florida.

By 1959 Goodyear ran, at Darlington and driver Jim Heed won a Goodyear tires.

In 1960 Goodyear won its first international sports car race with Maserati driver Stirling Moss at the Grand Prix of Cuba.

In 1964 Goodyear won the 24 Hours of LeMans with Dan Gurney and Bob Bondurant in a GT Cobra.

The first overall international victory Goodyear recorded was at the 1965 24 Hours of LeMans. They also won their first Formula One race and their first Formula One World Championship title.

In 1987 Goodyear rolled into victory lane with A.J. Foyt, the company's first lndy 500 win since its re-emergence to racing in 1958.

In 1994 Goodyear reached two important milestones in racing: the 300th victory in Formula One at Barcelona, Spain, and the 300th consecutive victory in Indy Car at Vancouver, B.C.

Goodyear's 1,000th Winston Cup victory was achieved in April of 1995 when Jeff Gordon won the Bristol race.

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

1934 The T-77 starts delivery from the Tatra factory in Czechoslovakia. Big Deal? Absolutely. It was the worlds FIRST aerodynamically designed rear engined passenger car. It featured an air cooled 3L V-8, seated six passengers and the driver was in THE CENTER of the front seat. It had a top speed of 88mph (140km/hr). The body was built under a licensing agreement with BUDD Company in the US and featured a dorsal fin to aid in taming the swing axle's handling "irregularities".

1935 The T-77a Tatra debuts with a 3.4L air cooled V-8. New features are headlights that are no longer flush with the fenders and a central headlight that turns with the front wheels. Top speed was 94mph as the redesigned body had a Cv (coeffecient of drag) of only 0.21.That is better than any of today's cars. Approximately 255 were sold in two years.

1936 The T-87 Tatra "Luxury" model debuted and could reach 100mph.

1937 The T-97 Tatra debuted. It was a scaled down version with a 1.8L motor, still capable of 81mph.

1938 German occupation put an end to new Tatra design/engineering. The factory was converted to support Germany's military needs. The T-87 was produced in limited quantities as it was an excellent Autobahn vehicle. Sometime in the postwar era production resumed with a total of just over 3,000 examples built when production stopped in 1950.

:angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:

And 1953 - a Tatra T-600 wins its class in the inaugural Coronation Safari

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Trivia (F-1):

Weird, but true #1

Two time World Driving Champion Alberto Ascari was killed at the Monza Autodroma in May 1955. His father Antonio Ascari was killed in an accident during the 1925 French Grand Prix. Both died on the 25th day of the month, four days after another frightening accident. Each was 37 years old at the time. The accidents were on left hand turns, each was ejected from his car (no seat belts then) and each left behind a wife, a son and a daughter.

Wierd, but true #2

Italy's Giulio Cabianca died at the wheel of a Ferrari engined Cooper in June of 1961. He was testing the car at the Monza Autodromo when either the throttle stuck open or the brakes failed. The car went thru an open gate onto the street outside of the Autodromo. It hit a taxi and killed three people in the cab as well as Cabianca.

Wierd, but true #3

German touring car driver Hans Hyer did not qualify in a Penske-Ford entered in the 1977 Hockenheim G-P by the ATS team. When the 24 qualifiers started, Heyer joined them. He was the only illegal starter in the history of the World Championship. He retired with a broken shifter before he could be black flagged.

Wierd, but true #4

In 1981 there was the distinct possibility that there would be two different Formula 1 championships. The Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) was unhappy with FISA's (FIA's predecessor) operating methods. FOCA's Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley created the World Federation of Motor Sport. In November of 1980 WFMS announced that it was the only official sanctioning body for F-1 and all the British teams concurred. The continental manufacturers (Renault, Ferrari and ALFA-Romeo) supported FISA. FOCA had a race in South Africa and after four months the "Concorde Agreement" was signed. It recognized the FISA/FIA as the owner of the F-1 World Championship and FOCA as the owner of the TV rights. The rest as they say, is history. During that same period a similar disagreement was brewing between FISA/FIA and the Automobile Club d' Ouest (ACO), the organizers of the 24hrs of LeMans.

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

IIRC the South African race was an all Ford engined event. The fastest Formual Ford race ever?

:brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm:

On Aug. 10, 1907, Italian Prince Scipione Borghese is the first of five entrants to arrive in Paris, claiming as his prize a magnum of Mumm champagne for winning the 12,000-mile (19,300-km) Peking to Paris race. Accompanying the prince in his 7.4L, 4-cyl. Italia racecar is his chauffeur/mechanic and co-driver, Ettore Guizzardi, and Luigi Barzini, an Italian reporter covering the event. The race begins June 10 in response to a challenge laid down in March by the French newspaper Le Matin. Although suspicious Chinese officials reportedly try to keep the race from taking place, five cars show up for the sendoff. In addition to Borghese's Italia are two 10-hp French de Dions, a 25-hp Dutch Spyker and a 6-hp French Contal 3-wheel cycle car.

There are no rules (although participants work out a “gentlemen's agreement” for mutual assistance), and the only official is the flagman hired to wave the cars off at the start. However, the race quickly becomes a contest between Borghese's Italia and the Spyker, driven by a Dutch circus roustabout named Charles Goddard. An accomplished con man, Goddard not only gets the loan of the car, but talks his way into free boat passage to China and hits up fellow competitors for gasoline. To supply racers with fuel — the Italia averages 6 mpg (33L/100km) — a caravan of camels laden with gasoline containers is dispatched from the Chinese capital in advance of the race.

With no official course, no maps and, for half the race, no roads, drivers navigate by counting telegraph poles, by compass and by observing the position of the sun. Hazards include deep mud and a collapsing bridge that nearly wipes out the Italia in Russia. Plus, the race cars need to be hauled over the mountains at Nankow, China, by men and mules. Crossing the Gobi desert, the Contal 3-wheeler gets stuck in and then covered by sand. Its crew, nearly dead, is rescued by local tribesmen. Borghese is so confident of victory he takes a 1,000-mile (1,609-km) detour to St. Petersburg, Russia, to attend a banquet given in his honor.

In 1997, the race is celebrated with a 45-day trek between the same two cities, including 100 entrants from 22 countries. The winner this time is a '42 Willys Jeep driven by a British team.

:brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm:

Goodyear seem a bit confused as to when they first won Le Mans! (GT category in 64, which was first in the FIA championship, but third in the race?)

:brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm:

1961 The first six speed gearbox appeared in F-1.

1962 The F-1 season ended with Graham Hill (BRM) as the champion with four wins and Jim Clark (Lotus) second with three wins. Stirling Moss retired during the year due to injuries sustained in a crash during a non-championship race. Worthy of note was Jim Clark's car. The Lotus 25 was the first monocoque racer and Clark used it to good effect by passing 17 cars on one lap in the rain at the German GP at the Nurburgring.

Ferrari withdrew from the last two races as they were having a disastrous season.

1972 The F-1 season ended with Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus) on top with five wins. He was 25 years old and the youngest F-1 champ.

Jackie Stewart (Tyrell) was second Dennis Hulme (McLaren) was third, Jacki Icxx (Ferrari) fourth, each with one win.

Joachem Bonnier died in an accident at the 24hrs of LeMans.

Bernie Ecclestone purchased the Brabbaham F-1 team.

The German company Eifelland entered F-1 with a car driven by Rolf Stommelen. It was a March based chassis and was most noted for the single rear view mirror mounted on a single post in front of the driver and resembling a backwards periscope. The best results were a few 10th places.

1981 "Slick" tires made their first appearance in F-1

1990 Subaru's flat 12 F-1 motor appeared briefly. The car was manufactured by Italy's Motori Moderni and entered by the Coloni team. It was overweight, handled poorly and never even pre-qualified.

:brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm:

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

"Ackerman Links" for the steering systems of vehicles were patented in 1819 by Rudolph Ackerman (1764-1834). Although there were no motor wagons to employ the idea, it was seen a a `safety enhancement' to the horse drawn wagons of the day as the center post pivot wagons of the day could an did turn over with regularity. He had inventions in many fields including the waterproofing of fabrics.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The swing axle rear suspension used in the original VW `bug' was patented in 1903 by Edward Rumpler, an engineer working at the Adler Automobile Company.

:brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm:

:brm: :winner: :chflag: :winner: :brm:

Indianapolis Speedway Lore:

- Although the Indianapolis 500 was part of the F1 world championship between 1950 and 1960, the first genuine US Grand Prix was not held until 1959. The race, held at Sebring, was won by Bruce McLaren. Then 22, he became the youngest winner in F1 history - until Fernando Alonso stole that title at Hungary.

- The United States has held grands prix in more places than any other country with no fewer than eight circuits holding world championship races. Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Detroit, Dallas, Las Vegas Phoenix and, of course, Indy.

- The US became the only country ever to host three Grands Prix in a season in 1982 when races were held at Long Beach, Detroit and Las Vegas.

- The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) opened in 1909. It was developed by a consortium of four local businessmen led by car dealer, Carl.G.Fisher. The group shared a dream of creating a ‘great outdoor laboratory’ for the then very young automotive industry.

- The Speedway has had three owners. The original consortium was taken over in 1927 by World War I flying ace Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker – and, since 1945, the great oval has resided firmly in the hands of the Hulman/George family.

- When the IMS was built in 1909, Indianapolis was at the center of the American car building industry. Manufacturers Duesenberg, Stutz, Marmon and National were all situated nearby.

- The Speedway's track surface consisted of crushed stone and tar but was replaced after a year by a paved surface of 3.2 million bricks, hence the nickname ‘Brickyard’. The circuit, except the start and finish straight, was covered in asphalt in 1937 with the straight remaining bare until 1961. A yard of bricks can still be seen on the start/finish line today.

- The first ever race at the IMS was actually for gas-filled balloons. Cars first circled the track in August 1909 and the first Indianapolis 500 Motor Sweepstakes took place in 1911.

- The circuit is built on a 559-acre site, including an infield of 224 acres onto which the road course link for the US Grand Prix was built. The oval circuit track width is 50 feet on the straights and 60 feet in the banked corners or ‘Turns’. Gradient of the banked turns is 9 degrees.

- The IMS complex is so vast that the infield of the oval contains a nine-hole golf course.

- There is a popular saying that there are only two types of driver at Indianapolis - those who have hit the wall and those who are going to hit the wall.

- The Unser family have no fewer than nine Indy 500 wins between them. Al Senior scored four wins, brother Bobby three, while Al Junior has won the famous race twice.

- A number of F1 stars have won the Indy 500, including Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. The only current driver to have done so is Juan Pablo Montoya, who won the oval race in 2000.

- The last turn on the circuit runs through Turn one on the oval track, which is the only banked corner on the F1 calendar. The track also features the longest flat-out section of all the F1 circuits, with drivers running full throttle for around 22 seconds from Turn 11 to Turn one at speeds in excess of 210mph.

:chflag: :winner: :brm: :winner: :chflag:

Bear, got any trivia on your namesake aka Denny Hulme - now he was THE BEAR!

Originally posted by cavvy
Bear, got any trivia on your namesake aka Denny Hulme - now he was THE BEAR!

:rotate: I will put my `best engineer' on the project. :winner:

:) ;) :D :cool: :rolleyes: :brm:

The haze has cleared in the Crystal Ball and the Chronicles have revealed:

Denny was born 18 JUN 1936. He was the son of a New Zealand mystic, water diviner and fortune-teller who won the Victoria Cross when fighting with the ANZAC forces in the Battle of Crete in 1941, Hulme grew up on a tobacco farm owned by his grandparents at Moteuka on South Island. After the war the family moved to Te Puke on North Island where Clive Hulme started a trucking business. Denny went to work in garage when he left school and having saved up enough money bought an MG TF and started to take part in hillclimb events in 1956. He made steady progress in racing and eventually acquired a Cooper-Climax with which he began to win races. This resulted in in him being chosen as the New Zealand Driver to Europe for 1960 along with another youngster called George Lawton. Hulme bought a Cooper-BMC Formula Junior and began travelling from race to race in Europe. Lawton was killed in an accident at the Roskildering in Denmark but Hulme went on. The following year he helped to make ends meet by working as a mechanic in Jack Brabham's garage in Chessington and gradually worked his way up the racing ladder. An early break was a factory Abarth drive at Le Mans in 1961 and then in 1962 Ken Tyrrell asked him to race in Formula Junior. That led to an invitation to become a Brabham works driver in Formula Junior. In 1963 he won half the Formula Junior races he entered and that resulted in an invitation from Jack Brabham to join the Brabham Formula 2 team in 1964. Brabham and Hulme won most of the races that year and finished 1-2 in the European Championship.

Jack Brabham gave Hulme the occasional runs in non-championship F1 events in 1964 but as he had Dan Gurney signed up and was racing the second car himself there was no room for Denny. Hulme made his World Championship at Monza in 1965 and scored his first points later in the year. When the Formula 1 regulations changed in 1966 Gurney left the team to start his own operation and Hulme became the team's second driver in F1. The Repco engines proved to be very competitive and Brabham won the 1966 World Championship while Hulme finished fourth. In 1967 he won the Monaco and German GPs and a string of strong finishes took him to the World Championship. He also competed in CanAm with McLaren and finished second in that series and he was fourth in one of Gurney's Eagles at the Indianapolis 500.

At the end of the year he had little choice but to leave Brabham but he was happy to join McLaren. He raced not only in F1 and CanAm in McLaren machinery but also took part in British sports car events in a Sid Taylor Lola T70. That year he won the Italian and Canadian GPs and the non-championship International Trophy. He won the CanAm title with victories at Elkhart Lake, Mosport and the Stardust Raceway and in Britain he won the Tourist Trophy.

The CanAm success continued in 1969 but this time Bruce McLaren beat Hulme to the title while in F1 Denny was only able to win one race - the Mexican GP.

In 1970 Hulme showed his mettle. He suffered serious burns to his hands when his car caught fire in Indianapolis and then McLaren was killed in a testing accident at Goodwood. Hulme proved to be one of the mainstays of the team and despite his injuries he won the CanAm title again and finished fourth in the World Championship after aa string of good finishes but no wins.

The 1971 season was not a great success as the F1 cars were not competitive and in CanAm Hulme was beaten by his new team mate (and friend) Peter Revson but in 1972 Hulme was back in his winning ways in F1 with victory in South Africaand some other good results taking him to thrid place in the World Championship.

He was winning again in 1973 with victory in Sweden but he was overshadowed by Revson. At the end of that year Revson left to join Shadow but early in 1974 was killed while testing at Kyalami. Hulme was there are tried in vain his save his friend's life. After the accident he decided that he would complete the season and then retire. He won the Argentine GP that year and was second in Austria but otherwise made little impact and retired quietly at the end of the season. For a while he led the Grand Prix Drivers Association's campaign for better safety standards, but bureaucracy and Denny Hulme did not mix well and he retired to New Zealand. He returned to racing touring cars in the early 1980s, notaably as a member of Tom Walkinshaw's Austin Rover team in the European Touring Car Championship. When he was not racing he loved to tinker with a collection of steam engines and an old McLaren F1 car which he acquired. He even traced and bought his MG TF and had it restored.

On October 4, 1992 he suffered a fatal heart attack while at the wheel of a BMW M3 during the Bathurst 1000 in Australia. He was 56.


:winner: :chflag: :brm: :winner: :chflag:

:) ;) :p :cool: :D :laugh: :shrug:

The swing axle rear suspension used in the original VW `bug' was patented in 1903 by Edward Rumpler, an engineer working at the Adler Automobile Company.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Prior to the launch of the 1966 models, Pontiac announced that their new overhead camshaft inline six cylinder engines would be the first time that such a power plant was used on an American passenger car. Unfortunately, no representatives of Duesenberg, Stutz and Wills Saint Claire (all dating from 1924) were available to protest.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Zebulon Montgomery Pike (1799-1813), a contemporary of Lewis & Clark was commissioned in 1805 to chart additional portions of Thomas Jefferson's "Louisiana Purchase". His journeys were frought with errors and omissions, including losing all his charts to the Spanish when he was arrested as a spy. He is best remembered as the man who put Pike's Peak on the map as he discovered it and deemed it "insumountable".
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1951 was the year crash helmets became compulsory in FIA-sanctioned events and Ford Motor Company starts the first car crash test program in USA.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1955 was the first year European cars were offered with safety belts. By 1957 Volvo fitted them as standard.

:unworthy: ;p :yawn: :chflag:

great stuff bear , im really enjoying reading this stuff :)

Originally posted by marcus
great stuff bear , im really enjoying reading this stuff :)
Seconded :beer: :) :chflag:

Originally posted by D-Type
Seconded :beer: :) :chflag:

:) Thanks, friends. ;) I really have no way of knowing how many subscribers there are to this thread. :cool:

You might want to check some of your supposed facts and trivia.

Onya thebear,
I'm a follower of your work.
Memo Don Capps - if you can add a bit I'm sure it is appreciated e'g M6 a & b - thanks mate.

Wierd, but true #4

In 1981 there was the distinct possibility that there would be two different Formula 1 championships. The Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) was unhappy with FISA's (FIA's predecessor) operating methods. FOCA's Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley created the World Federation of Motor Sport. In November of 1980 WFMS announced that it was the only official sanctioning body for F-1 and all the British teams concurred. The continental manufacturers (Renault, Ferrari and ALFA-Romeo) supported FISA. FOCA had a race in South Africa and after four months the "Concorde Agreement" was signed. It recognized the FISA/FIA as the owner of the F-1 World Championship and FOCA as the owner of the TV rights. The rest as they say, is history. During that same period a similar disagreement was brewing between FISA/FIA and the Automobile Club d' Ouest (ACO), the organizers of the 24hrs of LeMans.

This one is so layered with myth and misinformation among truth and facts that it is little wonder folks steer clear of it like the plague. The problems began long before Mr. Ecclestone and Mr. Mosley entered from stage right and then M. Baltestre from stage left. Although the usual emphasis is on just the money, the real focus was actually on the control of the money rather than the money itself. True, a very subtle thing, but when viewed in this way the "Ahah!Light" usually begins to power up.

1981 "Slick" tires made their first appearance in F-1

Really? I wonder what those big, black round things that I saw throughout the 70s in F1 were then.:rotate:

Originally posted by paulSenna
Really? I wonder what those big, black round things that I saw throughout the 70s in F1 were then.:rotate:

:eek: I have alredy been advised of the error by PM. Sorry to all.:banghead:

Originally posted by thebear
- Although the Indianapolis 500 was part of the F1 world championship between 1950 and 1960, the first genuine US Grand Prix was not held until 1959.

You don't count that thing they ran beteween 1908 and 1916 then? "American Grand Prize" they called it ...

Originally posted by thebear
- The United States has held grands prix in more places than any other country with no fewer than eight circuits holding world championship races. Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Detroit, Dallas, Las Vegas Phoenix and, of course, Indy.

.... Savannah, Milwaukee, Santa Monica and San Francisco.

Or the one at Riverside in 1958? Of course, that was for sports cars ...

Originally posted by Vitesse
You don't count that thing they ran beteween 1908 and 1916 then? "American Grand Prize" they called it ...

.... Savannah, Milwaukee, Santa Monica and San Francisco.

Or the one at Riverside in 1958? Of course, that was for sports cars ...

Wading into muddied waters is always an adventure and few waters seem to be more muddied than those surrounding much of the American racing scene and its history.

The ACA Gold Cup or Grand Prize events were last run in 1916 at Santa Monica. During the Winter of 1916/1917 Willie Vanderbilt let the Motor Cups Commission that he was withdrawing the Vanderbilt Cup from competition for the time being, war or no war. The ACA followed by suspending the Grand Prize event for the duration of the war, but plans to revive the event never got past the discussion stages in the aftermath of the Great War. So, both the Gold Cup and the WK Vanderbilt Jr Cup passed into history as they say.

Alec Ulmann for his own reasons and with malice aforethought dubbed the 1958 Riverside race as the "I United States Grand Prix" or the "I United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars" -- both were used in race literature and the latter was the most common useage inn the material prepared by the promoter himself, Ulmann.

When Ulmann did this, he was one of several promoters vying for a potential American round in the CSI's World Championship for Drivers that the ACCUS was angling for with the CSI. The major competition was the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Corporation which Cameron Argetsinger head up. Both held rounds in the inaugural USAC Road Racing Championship in 1958, but Ulmann was clever enough to incorporate into the name of the Riverside event what was his real target -- the "United States Grand Prix".

Based upon the success of the 1958 Riverside event, Ulmann got the support within the ACCUS to get the nod for the final event of the CSI WCD calendar for 1959, which Ulmann held at his track at Sebring. Ulman dubbed the Sebring event the "II United States Grand Prix" and the ACCUS gave him the appropriate head nod and so it kept the "II" in the race title. The 1959 race at Sebring was a financial disaster and the same with the running of the "III USGP" at Riverside in 1960.

In 1961, Ulmann had the right from the ACCUS to promote the "IV USGP". However, the financial problems in the form of the many outstanding debts, unpaid teams, and general disgruntlement led the ACCUS to put some pressure on Ulmann to either make good the debts or else. Ulmann held on the rights to promote the USGP until August. Watkins Glen already had a spot on the International CSI calendar for its October libre race.

After Ulmann relingusihed the right to the race, the ACCUS put it up for bid and Watkins Glen got the race and scrambled to host the event on the first weekend in October as the "IV USGP".

As for the Grand Prize lineage not being taken up, there is not much on the record at the time as to why that was not done, but piecing things together it becomes apparent that it was probably an option that was noever seriously considered.

The Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Dallas events were all "City" races each one being the "Grand Prix of the City". The second Long Beach GP, 1976, is a bit of a muddied and muddled race since it was assumed to be the "I USGP west" when the 1977 race was the "III Grand Prix of Long Beach". However, I have come to the conclusion that most seem content to ignore such untidy tidbits and call it whatever the hell they want to call it. The "I Grand Prix of Long Beach" in 1975 was for F5000 cars so those being unworthy in the eyes of the F1 crowd this event is generally ignored as is the minor problem that Long Beach never hosted a USGP.

Nor do we even wish to bring up the USGPs held at The Meadowlands in 1984 and 1985....

cough cough anorak anorak

cough cough

(just kidding)

Good stuff Bear, thanks.

:cool: July, 1935

John Cobb drives his 24L W-12 Napier engined Railton to 20 world records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. His 24hr average speed was 134.85mph. A subsequent Railton with TWO 1250hp Napier engines was developed in 1939. One engine drove the front wheels and the other the rears. 0-100mph took 10 seconds and the upshift to second gear was at 150mph. The upshift to third gear (top) was at 250mph. He broke George Eyston's existing record and achieved a two way average of 369.7mph.

:winner: :chflag: :winner: :chflag: :brm: :chflag: :winner: :chflag: :winner:

Being picky,

July 1935 must be the date for the long distance records set with the Napier Railton. (does anybody know of a website covering these longer distance records?)

The twin-engined car, later known as the Railton Mobil special (yes, sponsorship 50+ years ago!) set the following Land Speed Records:
15 September 1938 - 350.20 mph
23 August 1939 - 369.70 mph
16 September 1947 - 394. 20 mph

Then came Loch Ness on 29 September 1952 ....

:) ;) :cool: :D :laugh:

Tony Brooks 1955 Connaught victory in the Syracuse GP (Italy) non championship race was the first `Grand Prix� win by a British driver since 1924.

:winner: :chflag: :winner: :chflag: :brm: :chflag: :winner: :chflag: :winner:

A congratulatory word for thebear : love your work.

However as an education expert** can I advise I will be taking a professorial posting as soon as I work out what day it is.

Originally posted by thebear
:) ;) :cool: :D :laugh:

Tony Brooks 1955 Connaught victory in the Syracuse GP (Italy) non championship race was the first `Grand Prix� win by a British driver since 1924.

:winner: :chflag: :winner: :chflag: :brm: :chflag: :winner: :chflag: :winner:

Sorry to be picky (again):

British driver in a British car :brm:

Originally posted by thebear
:) Thanks, friends. ;) I really have no way of knowing how many subscribers there are to this thread. :cool: As of today, "33 subscribers and 1324 views" to quote the "New posts" listing.

Fascinating stuff (mostly ;) ).

Regards.

Jim

:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Zora Arkus-Duntov raced a type J2R Allard for Sidney Allard in the 1953 Le Mans 24hr race. The car retired after 65 laps when its Cadillac engine expired.

:winner: :chflag: :brm: :chflag: :winner:

:cool: ;) :unworthy:

The 1922 type 30 Bugatti had a straight eight (I-8) engine with three valves per cylinder, operated by a single overhead camshaft. There were two small intake valves and one large exhaust valve. This is and was contrary to accepted priciples.

:brm: :chflag: :winner:

:( :o :eek:

When the revised UK Motor Vehicle (Construction and Use) Regulations came into force in November, 1963 it became illegal to carry passengers on the roof of a motor vehicle.

:angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :angel:

:cool: :) ;) :D

Passenger car seat belts first appeared as original equipment as an (unpopular) option from Ford Motor Company for the 1956 model year. Volvo is credited with the development of today's three point shoulder belt in 1959.

:tumble: :yawn: :beer: :beer:

:santa: :santa: :santa: :santa:

20 DEC 1892: Alexander brown and George Stillman of Syracuse New York receive a patent for an inflateable automobile tire.

:snow: :snow: :snow: :snow:

:s :Shrug: :bag: :censored: :mad: :banghead:

On Dec. 14 2002 the ship Tricolor sank -- in a thick, English Channel fog. No big deal you say. Unless you were waiting for one of the Volvos. SAABs or BMWs on board.

The ship was carrying nearly 3,000 U.S-bound Saabs, BMWs and Volvos - including 358 XC90s. U.S. dealers have accepted deposits for about 9,000 XC90s but so far had delivered only 290 in October and 881 in November. At that rate, 358 vehicles represents about two weeks worth of sales, when the waiting list is already months long.

At full production, the company expects U.S. sales of about 3,000 XC90s a month. That would make the XC90 Volvo's biggest seller in the United States. Volvo lost 2,020 U.S.-bound vehicles - about 70 percent of the ship's cargo - including 637 S60 sedans.

The automakers said they are insured against the financial loss. But U.S. dealers are scrambling to find dealer trades to satisfy customers who already may have been waiting weeks for their cars.

There were also a handful of "European delivery" cars on the Tricolor - for instance, a half-dozen Volvos. Those are a special case because each customer paid for the car, put some miles on it in Europe and shipped it home as a used car to save customs duties. Dealers and factory spokesmen last week were unsure how those were insured or what will be done for those customers.

Besides the lost Volvos, about 500 Saabs also sank. Saab Cars USA Inc. said 480 of them were 9-3s and the rest 9-5s. The company sold 1,536 9-3s in the United States in September 2002.

BMW said it lost about 335 cars - a mix of 3-, 5- and 7-series models. There were no X5 sport wagons or Z4 sports cars aboard because they are built in South Carolina. Minis, built in Great Britain, were not on the ship.

You just thought you had troubles.

:0beer: :beer: :unworthy: :tumble: :Santa: :Snow: :brr: :xmas:

And 1953 - a Tatra T-600 wins its class in the inaugural Coronation Safari
more on this car @ http://www.tatraplan.co.uk/

_h

:) Daytona Beach Florida, 100 years ago (JAN 1904): :unworthy:

William K. Vanderbilt drives a four cylinder 11.9 liter engined Mercedes-Benz on the sandy beach at 92.308mph and establishes the first (?) world land speed record. The (?) is because I have other material about activities in France at about the same time that may contradict "the first" part. To be continued . . . . . . .

:brm: :winner: :chflag:

:winner: :brm: :chflag: :#1:

Feb.15, 1913:

Percy Lambert laps the Brooklands (UK) racetrack in a Talbot at a world's record speed of 103.76mph. He is the first person to cover 100 miles in 60 minutes. The car is a basic `25hp' chassis with only slight modifications as streamlining had not yet been `invented'. The record was short lived but the cars used to break it were specifically designed for the job with engines three time the size of the Talbot's 4.7L unit.

:winner: :brm: :chflag: :#1:

:winner: :chflag:

Daytona 500 lore:

Since the very first running in 1959 only three winning drivers were able to repeat the win the following year.

Richard Petty was the first in 1973 & 1974 (among his total of seven wins).

Cale Yarborough in 1983 & 1984

Sterling marlin in 1994 & 1995

Can Dale Jr. win again this year and add to the list?

No driver has ever won three successive times.

:brm: :#1:

:brm: :#1:

How NASCAR became NA$CAR:

The first NASCAR champion was Red Byron. In 1949 his championship award was $5,800 (~�2,000 at the time).

The 2004 NA$CAR champion, Kurt Busch's award was $5,356,181 (~�2,838,776).

The 2005 running of the Daytona 500 will have a total purse for one race of more than $17,000,000 (~�9,000,000)

The winner of the 2005 race will collect at least $1,430,030 (~�757,916)

The last place finisher in 2005 will collect at least $219,931 (~�116,560)

:chflag: :winner:

You are not comparing like with like, as it hasn't taken into account inflation. Assuming 3% inflation, the 1949 award was $29,476 in 2004 US Dollars. Assuming 7% inflation makes it $239,627 (or the other way, Busch's pay at 7% inflation was $129,642 in 1949 US Dollars). I don't know what the true inflation figure is.

You can never directly compare prices across the age, as the cost of everything rises over time. After all, for $5800 you could have purchased a full fighting frigate in the reign of Elizabeth I!

:( :( :( :( :(

Contrary to anecdotal evidence the "Intermittent Winshield Wiper" was not a product of the Lucas Company. Wayne State University (Michigan) Profesor Robert Kearns received several US patents for the device(s) in 1967.

He brought suit against Ford Motor Company (1978) and Chrysler Corporation (1982) and was awarded several million dollars in each case.

On 09 FEB 2005 he succumbed to Cancer at his home in Baltimore Maryland.

:o :o :o :o :o

:brm: :#1: :chflag: :winner:

March Trivia:

1892 - March 28, Charles Durea and Erwin Markham sign a contract to design and finance the construction of a gasoline powered automobile.

1936 - March 08, Daytona Beach Florida staged it's first race strictly for stock cars on a combination beach and public roadway course.

1952 - March 12, Mercedes-Benz introduces the 300SL to the press.

1964 - March 10, the first Ford Mustang was produced.

:winner: :chflag: :#1: :brm:

Do stock chassis count as stock cars? If so, there was a race at Daytona Beach on the 3rd March 1908.

Do stock chassis count as stock cars? If so, there was a race at Daytona Beach on the 3rd March 1908.

:Shrug: You you are probably thinking of a "Land Speed Record" attempt conducted ON the beach. There were many in that time period.:?

No. On the 3rd-6th March 1908, a series of events were held for a variety of car classes. A summary of the evnts is as follows:


March 3 - 100 mile race (Minneapolis Cup)
March 3 - 150 mile race for stock chassis
March 4 - 125 race - Amateur invitational
March 4 - 1 mile time trial
March 5 - 256 mile, stock chassis free-formula
March 6 - 100 mile race - match race for a $1000 wager!
March 6 - 1 mile time trial

The events were all held on Ormond Beach, on circuits of varying length.

:winner: :chflag: :brm:

Trivia for April:

1885 - 03 APR - Gottlieb Daimler is granted a patent for his one cylinder water cooled engine design.

1901 - 25 APR - New York becomes the first US state to require license plates on motor vehicles.

1948 - 30 APR - The Land Rover is introduced at the Amsterdam Auto Show

1955 - 19 APR - American Volkswagen opens it's offices in Englewood New Jersey

:winner: :chflag: :brm:

:brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm: :brm:

Trivia for May:

1911 � May 30, Ray Harroun wins the inaugural Indianapolis 500 averaging 74.6mph in the Marmon Wasp.

1920 � May 4, Harry Miller is issued a patent for a race car design that included many features later incorporated during the following decades.

1959 - May 17, Jerry Unser died after crashing 15 days earlier in practice for the Indianapolis 500

1981 � May 15, The 20 millionth original VW beetle is produced at Puebla Mexico.

1996 - May 17 Scott Brayton died in practice for the Indianapolis 500

1987 � May 3, Davey Allison records his first NA$CAR Winston Cup victory

:winner: :chflag: :winner: :chflag: :winner: :chflag: :#1:

Hardly trivial, but last weekend was the 50th anniversary of the immortal Mille Miglia win by Stirling moss and DSJ in the Mercedes.

His write up in Motor Sport sets standards rarely achieved by motoring journalists today.

There has been the suggestion that somewhere in the paddock before a race metting we should have a ane minute's noise in his memory!

Hardly trivial, but last weekend was the 50th anniversary of the immortal Mille Miglia win by Stirling moss and DSJ in the Mercedes.

;) You are right. :eek: I shall have my crystal ball re-polished. :unworthy:

:#1: :brm: :winner: :chflag:

Trivia for June:

1844 June 15, Charles Goodyear is granted a patent for vulcanized rubber.

1896 June 4, Henry Ford test drives the �Quadricycle�, the first car he ever designed or drove.

1926 June 29, Daimler Moteren Gesellschaft and Benz & Co. Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik merge to become Daimler-Benz AG.

1933 June 6, Richard Hollingshead opens the first drive-in movie theater in Camden NJ.

1934 June 1, Jidosha-Seizo Co. Ltd. becomes Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

1935 June 18, Rolls-Royce is registered as a trademark.

1947 June 10, SAAB introduces it�s first car, the model 92 prototype.

2004 June 6, Former GM chairman and CEO James M. Roche died June 6, at age 97. Roche first joined GM in 1927 and held numerous positions with the automaker, including Cadillac general manager for a period beginning in 1957, and the top GM position from 1967 to 1971. During his tenure, Roche was a precedent-setting executive who took on new levels of community leadership and corporate responsibility.

:#1: :brm: :winner: :chflag:

:#1: :chflag: :brm: :winner:

July Trivia:

1908, JUL 22 Albert Fisher and his nephews establish the Fisher Body Company to manufacture carriage and automobile bodies.

1916, JUL 11 US President Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Road Aid Act, the first grant-in-aid enacted by Congress to help states build roads.

1928, JUL 07 The Chrysler Corporation introduces the Plymouth as it�s newest car.

1949, JUL 25 Henry Kaiser and Joseph Frazer announce plans to form a corporation to manufacture automobiles.

1949, JUL 24 Phil Hill won his first ever car race at Carrell speedway in California, USA, driving a supercharged MG

1956, JUL 01 The US Highway Revenue Act of 1956 creates a fund for the creation of over 42,500 miles of interstate highways.

1985, JUL 30 Saturn Corporation announces its first plant is to be built in Spring Hill Tennesee.

:#1: :chflag: :brm: :winner:

August Anniverseries:

1885 � AUG 29, The world�s first motorcycle, made by Gottlieb Daimler is patented.

1902 � AUG 22, Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first US President to ride in an automobile.

1907 � AUG 13, the first taxicab takes to the streets in New York City.

1909 � AUG 10, the Ford trademark is registered by the Ford Motor Company.

1915 � AUG 17, Charles Kettering patents the electric self starter for automobiles

1937 � AUG 28, The Toyota Motor Company Ltd is established.

1939 � AUG 07, Brooklands circuit in England held it's last racing event

1941 � AUG 01, The first Jeep comes off the assembly line at the Willys truck Co.

1941 � AUG 04, Gasoline rationing begins in parts of the Eastern US, The US has not yet entered WW2.

1945 � AUG 15, WW2 gasoline rationing ends in the US.

1955 � AUG 31, the world�s first solar powered automobile designed by Wm.G. Cobb is demonstrated at General Motors Powerama exhibit in Chicago.

1975 � AUG 09, Mark Donohue set an American closed-course speed record of 221.120 MPH on the oval at Talledega, Alabama, in a Porsche 917/30

1976 - AUG 01, Last Formula One race at the old Nurburgring , Germany

:brm:

September Trivia:

1916 Walter P. Chrysler was President and General Manager of the Buick Division of General Motors. His annual salary was $500,000 (and NO income taxes).

1922 Bugatti had a straight eight engine with three valves per cylinder operated by one overhead camshaft. Two small intake and one large exhaust valve were and still are contrary to accepted principles.

1951 Chrysler offered the first American production "Hemi" V-8 and in 1953 it offered power steering. Cadillac was one year behind in each instance.

1957 The 1� liter Coventry Climax racing engine cost �1,000 ($2,400) in lots of 40 engines.

1985 The Monza 1000 sportscar race had to stop after 800km when the frontrunners arrived to find that a very large tree had been blown down across the track and Hans Stuck tried to convince his fellow drivers that they could lift the tree out of the way and get on with the racing.

September Anniversaries:

1897 Sept. 10, George Smith is the first person in England arrested for drunken driving when police observe his vehicle repeatedly swerving.

1950 Sep. 1, Porsche returns to its Zuffenhausen factory and completes the first Porsche car.

1954 SEP 9, The first Thunderbird rolled off the assembly line. The �57 T-Bird was the last of the classic �Small Birds�, with a redesigned chassis, an extended rear end with flared tailfins, and a new instrument panel surmounted by Ford�s first padded dash. It proved the most popular of all �Early Birds� and stayed in production three months longer than planned.

1955 Sept. 18, Ford Motor Co. builds its 2 millionth V-8 engine, 23 years after the first one was produced.

1973 Sep. 21, Ford dealers introduce the Rodney Dangerfield of Mustangs, the all-new Mustang II. More than 400,000 are sold in the first year, not because they are particularly good but because of the oil embargo. Early unit sales were very slow as the dealers only had "loaded/highly accessorized" expensive models in stock.

1974 Sep. 9, Evel Knievel fails in his attempt to cross the Snake River Canyon in Idaho using a rocket propelled vehicle of his own design. A rear mounted safety parachute deployed prematurely but allowed his safe landing.

1975 Sep. 5, Delphi introduces the first automotive catalytic converter to abate exhaust emissions.

1977 Sep.13, General Motors introduces the Olds 88 and 98 Diesel powered automobiles.

2000 Sep 25, At 10 a.m. Eastern time, Neiman Marcus began taking calls from customers on a special 800 number. Two hours later, every one of the 200 Neiman Marcus-edition Thunderbirds available was sold. It was the fastest time elapsed for any of the cars offered through the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog, and a pretty good sales result for any car (retail price of $41,995). There was a precedent, of course. Don�t you remember the 1971 His and Hers editions with an electric shaver for him and a makeup mirror for the lady? Vinyl roofs and 8-track players graced the Thunderbirds for both sexes back then.

:brm:

October trivia:

Hungarian motor racing can be traced back to the 1930s, when races were staged in a park in the middle of Budapest. The only pre-war Hungarian Grand Prix was held in 1936 and won by Tazio Nuvolari in an Alfa Romeo.

Richard Petty never raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, retiring two years before the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994. But The King was allowed to take the first official NASCAR laps around the legendary 2 1/2-mile track in 1993. During its first couple of decades in business, Indy's Hall of Fame and Museum included only one stock car in its legendary collection of racing machines � the red, white, and blue No. 43 STP machine.

In 1783 twenty seven year old John Loudon McAdam revolutionized road building in Britain. Using his personal fortune, earned while living with a merchant uncle in New York he set out to improve the condition of Scottish roads. His trials resulted in raising the roadbed to improve drainage, and building roads using layers of crushed and compacted rock. His methods were sanctioned by the government and in 1815 he �macadamized� roads in Bristol, England. In 1827 he was Surveyor General of metropolitan roads Great Britain. The word �tarmac� comes from the application of tar to a �macadamized� road.
:#1:

October 5, 1919

Enzo Ferrari's racing debut

On this day, 21-year-old Enzo Ferrari made his racing debut, finishing 11th in the Parmo-Poggia di Berceto hill climb in a Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali (CMN) vehicle. Ferrari became a professional driver after WW I, & joined the CMN in Milan as a test & racing-car driver in 1919. The following year, Ferrari moved to Alfa Romeo, establishing a relationship that lasted 2 decades & a career that took him from test driver to the director post of the Alfa Racing Division. In 1929, he founded the Scuderia Ferrari, an organization that began modestly as a racing club, but by 1933 had entirely taken over the engineering-racing division of Alfa Romeo. In 1940, Ferrari transformed the Scuderia into an independent manufacturing company, the Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari, but construction of the 1st Ferrari vehicle was delayed until the end of WW II. In 1947, the Ferrari 125S was introduced to the racing world, & it won the prestigious Coppa Enrico Faini in the same year. Thus began an impressive 40 years of racing success under the leadership of Enzo Ferrari, a tradition that saw Ferrari vehicles earn 25 world titles, & win over 5,000 events at race tracks around the world.

:#1:

October 7, 1913

MOVING ASSEMBLY LINE AT FORD

For the 1st time, Henry Ford's entire Highland Park automobile factory is run on a continuously moving assy line when the chassis -- the automobile's frame -- is assembled using the revolutionary industrial technique. A motor & rope pulled the chassis past workers & parts on the factory floor, cutting the man-hours required to complete one "Model T" from 12-1/2 hours to 6. Within a year, further assy line improvements reduced the time required to 93 man-minutes. The staggering increase in productivity effected by Ford's use of the moving assy line allowed him to drastically reduce the cost of the Model T, thereby accomplishing his dream of making the car affordable to ordinary consumers.

In introducing the Model T in October 1908, Henry Ford proclaimed, "I will build a motor car for the great multitude." Before then, the decade-old automobile industry generally marketed its vehicles to only the richest Americans, because of the high cost of producing the machines. Ford's Model T was the 1st automobile designed to serve the needs of middle-class citizens: It was durable, economical, & easy to operate & maintain. Still, w/a debut price of $850, the Model T was out of the reach of most Americans. The Ford Motor Company understood that to lower unit cost it had to increase productivity. The method by which this was accomplished transformed industry forever.

Prototypes of the assy line can be traced back to ancient times, but the immediate precursor of Ford's industrial technique was 19th-century meat-packing plants in Chicago & Cincinnati, where cows & hogs were slaughtered, dressed & packed using overhead trolleys that took the meat from worker to worker. Inspired by the meat packers, the Ford Motor Company innovated new assy line techniques & in early 1913 installed its 1st moving assy line at Highland Park for the manufacture of flywheel magnetos. Instead of each worker assembling his own magneto, the assembly was divided into 29 operations performed by 29 men spaced along a moving belt. Average assembly time dropped from 20 minutes to 13 minutes & soon was down to 5 minutes.

With the success of the magneto experiment, Ford engineers put the Model T motor & then the transmission on moving assy lines. On October 7, 1913, the chassis also went on the moving assembly line, so that all the major components of the Model T were being assembled using this technique. Ford rapidly improved its assy lines, & by 1916 the price of the Model T had fallen to $360 & sales were more than triple their 1912 level. Eventually, the company produced one Model T every 24 seconds, & the price fell below $300. More than 15 million Model T's were built before it was discontinued in 1927, accounting for nearly half of all automobiles sold in the world to that date. The affordable Model T changed the landscape of America, hastening the move from rural to city life, & the moving assy line spurred a new industrial revolution in factories around the world.

:yeah:

October 11, 1928


Birth of a royal racer

Spanish racer Don Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, Carvajal y Are, the 17th Marquis de Portago & 13th Conde de la Mejorada, was born on this day in London, England. Better known as Marquis Alfonso de Portago, the Spanish nobleman became interested in motor racing as a young man, soon finding his way into some of the world's most prestigious & dangerous racing events, owning more to his social standing than his racing skills. For a 2-year period beginning in 1956, the reckless Marquis Alfonso drove for the Lancia Ferrari team, managing to rack up 4 points in 5 G/P starts, but failing to win any race. In 1957, Alfonso brought tragedy to the classic Mille Miglia event, a 1,600-kilometer race from Brescia to Rome & back, when he lost control of his Ferrari & plunged into a crowd of spectators. Alfonso, his co-driver Ed Nelson, & 10 spectators died in the accident, bringing to an end the 30-year tradition of the Mille Miglia. Twenty years after the Marquis' tragic run along the course, the event was revived, & to this day the Mille Miglia attracts thousands to the streets of Italy to watch a nostalgic run of classic racing cars.
:winner:

October 16, 1951

Hudson's Hornet stings

In 1948, Hudson launched its new Monobuilt design, an innovation that is still found in most cars to this day. The Monobuilt design consisted of a chassis & frame that was combined in a unified passenger compartment, producing a strong, light-weight design, & a beneficial lower center of gravity that didn't affect road clearance. Hudson coined this innovation "step-down design" because, for the 1st time, passengers had to step down in order to get into a car. Most cars today are still based on the step-down premise. On this day in 1951, Hudson introduced the Hornet, & put some sting into the step-down design. The Hornet was built w/a 308 ci flat head in-line 6-cylinder motor, producing generous torque & a substantial amount of hp. And it was w/this popular model that Hudson 1st entered stock car racing in 1951. After ending their 1st season in a respectable 3rd place, Hudson began a 3-year domination of the racing event. In 1952 alone, Hudson won 29 of the 34 events. A key factor in Hudson's racing success was the innovative step-down design of their cars. Because of their lower centers of gravity, Hornets would glide around corners w/relative ease, leaving their clunky & unstable competitors in the dust.


October 16, 1958

A muscle car for the urban cowboy

Chevrolet introduced the El Camino on this day, a sedan-pickup created to compete w/Ford's popular Ranchero model. Built on the full-size Chevrolet chassis, the big El Camino failed to steal the Ranchero's market & was discontinued after 2 years. But 4 years later, in 1964, the El Camino was given a 2nd life as a derivative of the Chevelle series, a line of cars commonly termed "muscle cars." The Chevelles were stylish & powerful vehicles that reflected the youthful energy of the '60s & early '70s, & sold well. The Chevelle Malibu Super Sport was the archetypal muscle car, featuring a V8 as large as 454 ci, or 7.4L. Chevelles came in sedans, wagons, convertibles & hardtops, &, w/the reintroduction of the El Camino in 1964, as a truck. The station wagon-based El Camino sedan-pickup had a successful run during its 2nd manifestation as a Chevelle, & proved an attractive conveyance for urban cowboys & the horsey set.

:brm:

October 24, 1944
An accused collaborator dies

French automaker & accused Nazi collaborator Louis Renault died on this day in a Paris military prison hospital of undetermined causes. Born in Paris, Renault built his 1st automobile, the Renault Type A, in 1898. Inspired by the DeDion quadricycle, the Type A had a 270 cc engine (1.75hp), & could carry 2 people at about 30mph. Later in the year, Renault & his brothers formed the Societ� Renault Freres, a racing club that achieved its 1st major victory when an automobile w/a Renault-built engine won the Paris-Vienna race of 1902. After Louis' brother, Marcel, died along w/nine other drivers in the Paris-Madrid race of 1903, Renault turned away from racing & concentrated on mass production of vehicles. During WW I, Renault served his nation w/the "Taxis de la Marne," a troop-transport vehicle, & in 1918, w/the Renault tank. Between the wars, Renault continued to manufacture & sell successful automobiles, models that became famous for their sturdiness & longevity. With the German occupation of France during WW II, the industrialist, who had served his country so well during WW I, mysteriously offered his Renault tank factory & his services to the Nazis, perhaps believing that the Allies' cause was hopeless. The liberation of France in 1944 saw the arrest of Louis Renault as a collaborator, & the Renault company was nationalized w/Pierre Lefaucheux as the new director. The 67-year-old Renault, who likely suffered torture during his post-liberation detainment, died soon after his arrest.

:(

October 30, 1963

The 1st Lamborghini:

Sports car maker Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in Renazzo di Cento, Italy, on April 28, 1916. After studying mechanical engineering in Bologna, Lamborghini served as a mechanic for the Italian Army's Central Vehicle Division in Rhodes during WW II. Upon his return to Italy, he worked on converting military vehicles into agricultural machines, &, in 1948, began building & designing his own tractors. His well-designed agricultural machinery proved a success, & w/this prosperity Lamborghini developed an addiction for luxury sports cars. In the early '60s, he purchased a Ferrari 250 GT, made just a few miles away in Enzo Ferrari's factory. After encountering problems w/the car, Ferruccio reportedly paid Enzo a visit, complaining to him about his new Ferrari's noisy gearbox. Legend has it that the great racing car manufacturer Ferrari responded in a patronizing manner to the tractor-maker Lamborghini, inspiring the latter to begin development of his own line of luxury sports cars -- automobiles that could out perform any mass-produced Ferrari.

On this day in 1963, the Lamborghini 350GTV debuted at the Turin auto show. But Lamborghini had not completed the prototype in time for the deadline, & the 350GTV was presented w/a crate of ceramic tiles in place of an engine. With or w/out the engine, Lamborghini's 1st car was not particularly well received, & only one GTV was ever completed. But the former tractor-maker was not discouraged, & in 1964 the drastically redesigned 350GT went into production, & Lamborghini managed to sell over 100 of the expensive cars. The GT was a quiet & sophisticated high-performance vehicle, capable of achieving 155mph w/a maximum 320hp. The elegant Lamborghini 350GT indeed provided a smoother ride than most of its Ferrari counterparts, & Ferruccio's old tractor factory, located just a few miles from the Ferrari factory, began constructing some of the most exotic cars the world had ever seen, such as the Miura, the Espada, & the legendary Countach.

:third:

November Trivia:

1894 - Nov. 2 Comte (Count) de Dion organizes the Automobile Club of France which issues the first set of Competition Regulations for automobiles.

1960 - Nov. 18 Two weeks after the introduction of the '60 models, Chrysler Corp. says it has terminated the 32-year-old DeSoto brand.

1973 - Nov. 25 President Richard Nixon calls for a ban on Sunday gasoline sales as part of a fuel-saving strategy to deal with the month-old OPEC embargo on shipments of oil to the U.S.

1985 Nov. 3 First F1 race at Adelaide , Australia

1991 Nov. 3 The shortest grand prix in modern history was held at Adelaide , Australia. The race lasted just 14 laps before being stopped due to torrential rain.

1993 Nov. 7 The Adelaide GP in Australia was notable for three things: Lamborghini Engines last F1 start , Ayrton Senna's F1 victory and Ricardo Patrese's 256th and last F-1 start. This stands as the most GP's ever started by a driver.

:winner: :second: :third:

November 8, 1866

Austin founder born in England

Herbert Austin, the founder of the Austin Motor Company, was born the son of a farmer in Little Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England, on this day. At the age of 22, Austin moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he served as an apprentice engineer at a foundry, before becoming the manager of the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Company. Long journeys into the wide-open spaces of Australia gave him insight into the benefits of gasoline-driven vehicles, & Austin decided to try his luck in the burgeoning automobile industry. In 1893, Austin returned to England with the Wolseley Company & began work on his 1st automobile. Like his American counterpart, Henry Ford, Austin hoped to produce an affordable motor car for the masses, & by 1895 the Wolseley Company completed its 1st vehicle, a 3-wheeled automobile, followed by the 1st 4-wheeled Wolseley vehicle in 1900. In 1905, Herbert Austin founded the Austin Motor Company in Birmingham, England, & by 1914, the company was producing over 1,000 automobiles a year. During WW II, Austin & his factories joined in the British war effort, a service for which he was knighted in 1917. In 1922, with the introduction of the Austin 7 Tourer, Sir Herbert Austin finally fulfilled his ambition to produce a mass-produced automobile. The diminutive vehicle, boasting 4-wheel brakes & a maximum speed of 50mph, was an instant success in England. In 1930, the Austin 7 was introduced to America, & enjoyed 5 years of modest U.S. sales before falling prey to the hard times of the Depression in 1935.

November 8, 1956

What's in a name

On this day, the Ford Motor Company decided on the name "Edsel" for a new model in development for the 1958 market year. The new addition to the Ford family of automobiles would be a tribute to Edsel Bryant Ford, who served as company president from 1919 until his death in 1943. Edsel Ford was also the oldest son of founder Henry Ford & father to current company President Henry Ford II. The designer of the Edsel, Roy Brown, was instructed to create an automobile that was highly recognizable, & from every angle different than anything else on the road. In the fall of 1957, with great fanfare, the 1958 Edsel was introduced to the public. With its horse collar grill in the front & its regressed side-panels in the rear, the Edsel indeed looked like nothing else on the road. However, despite its appearance, the Ford Edsel was a high-tech affair, featuring state-of-the-art innovations such as the "Tele-Touch" push-button automatic transmission. Nevertheless, buyer appeal was low, & the Ford Edsel earned just a 1.5% share of the market in 1958. After 2 more years, the Edsel marque was abandoned, & its name would forever be synonymous with business failure.

:#1:

November 13, 1916

E. L. Cord's 1st racing victory

Errett Lobban Cord, the genius behind the Auburn, Cord & Duesenberg family of automobiles, 1st became involved w/automobiles as a racing car mechanic & driver. On this day, the 20-year-old Cord won his 1st motor race in Arizona. Cord, driving a Paige vehicle designed by Harry Jewett, won the 275-mile race from Douglas to Phoenix Arizona. From his racing beginnings, Cord moved into automobile sales, & in 1924 came to Auburn Indiana to save the faltering Auburn Automobile Company. Cord, a brilliant salesman, rapidly pulled the company out of debt by clearing out hundreds of stockpiled Auburn vehicles & excess parts, & was subsequently named the VP & GM at Auburn. Under Cord's guidance, the Auburn line was entirely refashioned, & the new Auburns were known as some of the most luxurious & fashionable cars on the road. In 1926, Cord acquired the expert design skills of Fred Duesenberg, & in 1928, the Duesenberg Model J, one of the finest automobiles ever made, was introduced to the public. To make the family complete, the Auburn plant introduced the Cord L-29 in 1929, which was America's 1st successful FWD car. The Auburn, Cord & Duesenberg automobiles that sold so well in the roaring '20s also proved surprisingly resilient during the early years of the Depression, but by 1937, America's hard times were too much even for E. L. Cord, & manufacturing ceased as his entire corporation was sold.
:(

November 14, 1945

Speedway gets a 2nd chance:

Tony Hulman purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Edward Rickenbacher for $750,000 on this day. The speedway was in deplorable condition after 4 years of disuse during WW II, & before Hulman made his offer Rickenbacher was considering tearing the facilities down & selling the land. Hulman installed himself as chairman of the board of the raceway & named Wilbur Shaw as president. The two hastily renovated the racetrack for the return of Indy racing in the next year, but also launched a long-range program of improvements that included replacing all of the old wooden grandstands w/structures of steel & concrete. In May of 1946, the American Automobile Association (AAA) ran its 1st postwar 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. George Robson, driving a pre-war Adams-Sparks automobile, won the event w/an average speed of 114.82mph, &, thanks to the efforts of Tony Hulman & Wilbur Shaw, a great American racing tradition was reborn.

December's Anniversaries:

Dec. 20 1892 � Alexander Brown and George Stillman of Syracuse NY patent an inflatable automobile tire.

Dec. 05. 1932 � The first Ford model C automobile is introduced.

Dec. 30, 1936 - The United Auto Workers's legendary sit-down strikes begin at GM plants in Flint, MI.

Dec. 11, 1941 � Buick lowers the prices to reflect the elimination of spare tires or inner tubes on its cars.

Dec. 27, 1951 - A right-hand-drive Crosley, the first car designed for U.S. rural mail delivery, is put into operation in Ohio.

Dec. 13, 1957 - The last 2-passenger Thunderbird is produced.

Dec. 15, 1980 - Peter Gregg commited suicide

:third:

January's Anniversaries:

January 1, 1956: 50 years ago, a Happy New Year for GM. Executives at General Motors had reason to celebrate, as the company announced on this day that it had hauled in $1,189,477,082 during the past year, making the auto giant the 1st U.S. corporation to push its earnings past the billion-dollar mark.

That is a lot of money today. Imagine what it was in 1956. Also at that time the exchange rate was �1=$4.85 as opposed to today's �1=$1.85 . :old:

January's Anniversaries, continued - ALL 05 January:

1904 Olds Moves On

Ransom Eli Olds retired from Olds Motor Works on this day. Olds had founded the company in 1899 with financial help from Samuel L. Smith, a lumber tycoon. Olds made the most profitable car in the early 1900s, the tiller-steered Oldsmobile Runabout. In 1904, Olds was approached by his head of engineering, Henry Leland, who had designed a lighter, more powerful engine that could improve the Runabout dramatically. Olds refused to use the new engine, to the dismay of his backer, Samuel Smith. Smith forced Ransom Olds out of the company. Olds went on to found the REO (Ransom Eli Olds) Motor Car Company and Oldsmobile went on without him. Henry Leland, the clever engineer, took his motor elsewhere: it powered the world's 1st Cadillac.

1914 Ford Sets Record Wages

Henry Ford established a minimum wage of $5.00 per day in his automobile factories. These wages were twice what Ford had paid the year before, & much more than Ford's competitors were paying. The lofty minimum wage was made possible by Henry Ford's manufacturing breakthrough: the constant-motion assembly line, which carried moving cars past lines of workers. The 1st modern assembly line, Ford's process allowed him to build cars faster & cheaper than anyone else could. The profits rolled in, & Ford's workers shared in the wealth: an ironic beginning for an auto company that would go on to be a notorious enemy of labor in the '30s & '40s.

1924 Chrysler Builds His Own Car

Walter Chrylser, a GM executive who had pioneered the introduction of all-steel bodies in automobiles (instead of wood), introduced his 1st motorcar. After his departure from GM in 1920, Chrysler had breathed new life into the failing Maxwell Motor Company. The 1st Chrysler-built Maxwell was put on display in NY City's Commodore Hotel, where it drew admiring crowds. In 1925, the Maxwell Motor Company was renamed the Chrysler Corporation.

1933 A Bridge Across The Bay

Construction got started on the Golden Gate Bridge on this day in 1933. The bridge stretched across the San Francisco Bay & made it a lot easier to get around town. With its tall towers & famous red-paint job, the bridge quickly became a famous American landmark, & a symbol of San Francisco.

:brm: :old:

January 9, 1958 - Japanese Cars Arrive In California

The Toyota & Datsun (later Nissan) brand names made their 1st appearances in the U.S. at the Imported Motor Car Show in Los Angeles (CA). :old:

January 16, 1953:

The Chevrolet Corvette was introduced as a show car at NY's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The car became an American classic almost instantly. Its sporty fiberglass body didn't look like anything else on the road. Altho some car buffs criticized the sportscar for being underpowered, that didn't stop Corvettes from speeding off the showroom floors.
:third:

:s :Shrug: :bag: :censored: :mad: :banghead:

On Dec. 14 2002 the ship Tricolor sank -- in a thick, English Channel fog. No big deal you say. Unless you were waiting for one of the Volvos. SAABs or BMWs on board.

The ship was carrying nearly 3,000 U.S-bound Saabs, BMWs and Volvos - including 358 XC90s. . . . . For a fascinating display of how it was all done see http://www.tricolorsalvage.com/pages/home.asp. For some photos see http://www.blognewsnetwork.com/members/0000001/mpg/tricolorAutos/tricolorAutos.html.

What I want to know is what happened to the two muppets who ran into the wreck while it was marked by buoys and guard ships.:banghead: :Shrug:

Regards

Jim

For a fascinating display of how it was all done see http://www.tricolorsalvage.com/pages/home.asp. For some photos see http://www.blognewsnetwork.com/members/0000001/mpg/tricolorAutos/tricolorAutos.html.

What I want to know is what happened to the two muppets who ran into the wreck while it was marked by buoys and guard ships.:banghead: :Shrug:

Regards

Jim

Amazing but I think I will avoid 2nd hand Swedish cars for a while!
:rotate:

Amazing but I think I will avoid 2nd hand Swedish cars for a while!
:rotate: Yes but at least 358 XC90s were totally destroyed. Pity there were no Cayennes on board.;)

Jim

Surely some useful spares will have been salvaged? just imagine the special you could build using one of the new big BMW engines?

Surely some useful spares will have been salvaged? just imagine the special you could build using one of the new big BMW engines?Apparently, all totally destroyed to the last nut and bolt.

Jim

Thanks for the update. One always wonders what happens to "the remains". :Shrug:

Steve Fossett�s 26,000 mile airplane trip departing from the Kennedy Space Center is the latest of his adventures. What you may not know is that seven times between 1993 and 1996 he raced sports cars internationally. His first appearance was a DNF at the 1993 Daytona 24hrs in a Pontiac Firebird. His last race was also a DNF at Le Mans in a Kremmer Porsche K-8.

Watch the UK newspapers as he is scheduled to end his record breaking flight at Kent airfield, East of London. Surely his sponsor Sir Richard Branson will be in attendance.

Click HERE (http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060205/NEWS01/602050329) for more information.
:Shake:

February Trivia:

1898 - Enzo Anselmo Ferrari is born in Modena, Italy. The rest is history . . .

1918 - Oregon becomes the first state to impose a gasoline tax. The one cent per gallon collected was to be used for highway construction. The rest is . . . .

1936 - William C. Durant, founder of General Motors files for personal bankrupcy.

1951 - Marshall Teague drives a Hudson Hornet to first place in a the 160 mile Grand National stock car race on the sand at Daytona Beach. Teague was the first driver to receive factory sponsorship. Ford, GM and Chrysler followed suit until 1955 when the Automobile Manufacturers Association banned the practice.

February Anniverseries:

1934 Feb. 27 Auto Industry critic Ralph Nader is born in Winsted, CT. The rest . . . .

1937 Feb. 20 "The Captain", Roger Penske is born in Philadelphia PA.

1954 Feb. 6 Daimler-Benz AG unveils the 300 SL gull wing coupe, a production version of its winning racer.

1989 Feb. 10 Ford Motor Co. earns $5.3 billion in 1988, a world record

:burn:

Steve Fosset is on his way. Click HERE (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/orl-bk-fossett020806,0,2927243.story?coll=orl-home-headlines). :wine:

Steve Fosset has lost fuel necessary for his saftey margin (~1,000 miles). Click HERE (http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/MissionControl/Tracking/index.jsp) for a real time plot of his flight. :brm:

Anyone in the London/Kent area have any local news links? :tumble:

February 10, 1966


Ralph Nader testified before the US Senate, reinforcing his earlier claims that the automobile industry was socially irresponsible & detailing the peculiar methods the industry used in attempting to silence him. Nader's '65 book, Unsafe At Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile, had become a sensation a year earlier. Nader attacked the automotive industry's unwillingness to consider the safety of the consumer, or as Nader himself put it, "insisting on maintaining the freedom to rank safety wherever it pleases on its list of considerations." Nader's heaviest criticism was leveled at the Chevrolet Corvair, a car that had been involved in a high number of 1-car accidents. GM responded to Nader's criticism by launching an investigation into his personal life & accusing Nader of being gay & anti-Semitic. Nader filed an invasion of privacy suit against GM, & ultimately exacted $425,000 from the automotive giant. By bringing the public's right to safe automobiles into the spotlight, & by directly challenging GM in court, Nader created the methodology for contemporary consumer advocacy. The National Traffic & Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which in '66 mandated seatbelts, owed its existence to Nader's initiative, as do the other federally regulated safety standards which are common practice today. :banghead: :censored: :rant:

February 11, 1951

Hornet Stings Big Three:

Marshall Teague drove a Hudson Hornet to victory on the beach oval of the 160-mile Daytona Grand National at Daytona Beach (FL), beginning Hudson's extraordinary run on the NASCAR circuit. In 1948, Hudson introduced the revolutionary "step-down" chassis design that is still used in most cars today. Until Hudson's innovation all car drivers had stepped up into the driver's seats. The "step-down" design gave the Hornet a lower center of gravity &, consequently, better handling. Fitted w/a bigger engine in '51, the Hudson Hornet became a dominant force on the NASCAR circuit. For the 1st time a car not manufactured by the Big 3 was winning big. Excited by the publicity generated by their success on the track, Hudson executives began directly backing their racing teams, providing the team cars w/everything they needed to make their cars faster. The Big 3, fearing that losses on the track would translate into losses on the salesroom floor, hurried to back their own cars. Thus was born the system of industry-backed racing that has become such a prominent marketing tool today. The Hudson Hornet would contend for nearly every NASCAR race between '51 & '55, when rule changes led to an emphasis on HP over handling.

Seven years later on the same date, 2/11/1958 he died at age 37 after attempting to raise the closed-course speed record at Daytona.

:o :(

NASCAR used to open on the road course at Riverside

For the last 23 years, NASCAR has opened its premier stock car racing season w/the Daytona 500, long enough for many followers to think it has always been that way.

But it hasn't.

Riverside International Raceway, a sprawling road course that twisted its way thru what is now Moreno Valley east of Riverside for 3 decades, was long the site of the opening race of the '65 Grand National (later Winston Cup & now Nextel Cup) season. Every year from 1970 to 1981, Riverside was 1st & Daytona, NASCAR's Super Bowl, was 2nd.

It was an anomaly in stock car racing because all of the other races were on ovals. Riverside was the only track where drivers turned right as well as left.

That came about as a case of, "You scratch my back & I'll scratch yours."

Big Bill France, who had founded NASCAR a few years earlier, wanted a West Coast presence to give his fledgling organization some credibility outside the South. Les Richter, who had the task of making Riverside profitable, wanted major stock car racing.

"When Big Bill (he's the grandfather of Brian, the France who runs NASCAR today) heard about the races we'd run on our track, he called me late in '62 & asked about coming to Riverside," said Richter, now a consultant for International Speedway Corp., parent company of California Speedway, Daytona International Speedway & other tracks.

"I couldn't have been more pleased because I knew Riverside needed a big stock car race to survive & I thought NASCAR would be better than USAC [the U.S. Auto Club, which had a thriving stock car division at the time]."

Negotiations moved so quickly that Riverside had a race the following January, & as an added treat, a 2nd race in the summer.

There had been a Grand National at Riverside in '58, won by Eddie Gray, but the 1st big one under Richter's administration was Jan. 20, 1963. Dan Gurney, an experienced road racer, won in a Holman-Moody Ford, the 1st of his 4 consecutive Motor Trend 500 victories. Then Parnelli Jones won one & Gurney won another before the Southern boys figured out what road racing was all about.

USAC was even more upset than the NASCAR home guard. Before the '63 Golden State 400 in June, USAC banned Gurney, Jones, A.J. Foyt & Rodger Ward from racing, threatening to keep them out of the next year's Indy 500 if they drove in the rival series.

USAC's stock car division eventually proved to be no match for the newer NASCAR & ceased operation in '84.

After driving on tracks all year long where they turned only left, the high-speed racing gypsies from the Carolinas found it nearly impossible to keep their wheels on the asphalt as the 2.62-mile course zigzagged its way up thru a series of switchbacks called "esses" from the 2nd to 6th turns.

Richard Petty, who had already won two Grand National championships before he mastered Riverside for the 1st time when he won in '69, had a devil of a time adjusting to the esses.

"Why didn't they just straighten out the road?" Petty said at the time. "There's nothin' there but dirt, nothin' to have to go around. It's no wonder I couldn't get much experience on a road course 'cause I couldn't stay on one long enough."

Bob Steinbrinck, who broadcast Riverside races for 15 years on the radio, remembers Petty well.

"For the 1st four or five races, I don't think Richard was on the asphalt once except when he crossed it," Steinbrinck recalled. "He went straight across the dirt, never coming close to the corners. There'd be a big cloud of dust following him up the esses, but he always seemed to hit his mark when he got to Turn 6 at the top of the hill."

Junior Johnson, who once earned his living running moonshine thru the Carolina hills on roads w/more curves & dips than Riverside, had his troubles too. Asked how he could stay on more dangerous roads at blinding speeds in the Piedmont & not Riverside, he said, matter-of-factly, "Back home, the roads have trees to keep you honest. Our here, there's nothing to miss so you just take off anywhere you want."

The closest Johnson came to winning was a 2nd to Gurney in 1965.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
There had been NASCAR Grand National races in Southern California before Riverside, at short tracks such as Carrell Speedway in Gardena, Willow Springs north of Lancaster & Ascot Park, but none on a major league track.

In the '50s, when NASCAR ran races on the West Coast, others would be scheduled the same weekend on the East Coast.

In '62 there were 62 races scheduled & it wasn't until '72 that the season was pruned to 31, a figure that has remained pretty constant. Sunday's Daytona 500 will be the 1st of 36 this year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Racing in January proved a gamble. One race, the Winston Western 500 in '72, was delayed by fog at the start & cut short when more fog enveloped the course after 149 of 191 laps. Maybe that's why Petty won; he didn't have to race thru the esses for the last 42 laps.

The '67 race was postponed a week & in '69 a race scheduled for Jan. 23 didn't get started until Feb. 1, two weeks later.

"It was a terrible hardship for the boys to have to tow out to California twice a year & then to have one of them postponed twice was awful tough on the pocketbook," Petty said at the time. "Some of the boys stuck around [Riverside] & that cost extra sleeping money & some went back home & came back. Then there's some slick cats who just went to Las Vegas to watch the rain."

A tragedy in the '64 race, when2-time national champion Joe Weatherly was killed as his car slammed the wall at Turn 6, led to an important safety innovation. Weatherly had no shoulder harness & it was determined that his head hit the wall, killing him on impact.

Shortly after that, NASCAR made shoulder harnesses mandatory & introduced the window safety screen that protects the head & upper body from such disasters.

Weatherly & Riverside will always be remembered in Norfolk (VA), where Weatherly is buried. His headstone has a replica of the Riverside track w/an X marking the Turn 6 spot where his fatal accident occurred.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Racing was more primitive in the days before R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. brought corporate leadership into NASCAR in the early '70s, sprucing up rundown tracks, expanding purses & offering incentives to run the entire schedule.

Bill Gazaway, a tough ex-Marine who ran Riverside's garage area w/an iron fist, kept drivers, mechanics, writers & hangers-on at arms' length. No one could get away w/anything.

Except one time.

Gazaway caught a radio personality passing his credential thru the fence, &, after ordering him off the premises, he called Richter & told him the man was off limits & to not let him buy a ticket. Richter informed all his ticket help of the edict & the incident was the talk of the paddock.

The next day, as the race queen for the late-model sportsman race rode to the starting line, who stepped out to open the door but the radio guy, beaming under his colorful cowboy hat.

Sadly, for racing fans at least, Riverside succumbed to urban sprawl in '88 when Fritz Duda, a Riverside attorney who had gained control of the property, bulldozed the track to make way for the Moreno Valley Mall at Towngate & a housing development.

:brm:

February 20, 1937:burn:

Legendary driver & designer Roger Penske was born on this day. While he drove & designed a variety of race-car models, Penske is most famous for his achievements in Indy car design, a field that he dominated for many years. Penske cars won 3 consecutive Indy 500s from '87 to '89 & 11 Indy 500s in 23 years. Overseeing the development of his team cars, Penske created an empire that would redefine Indy car racing. Asked why the Penske car was so successful, champion driver Emerson Fitipaldi explained, "The Penske is consistent & easy to adjust. That's why it wins." In addition to his achievements on the track, Roger Penske also changed the Indy game by founding CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams.) Penske created CART as an attempt to increase Indy car team owners' control over Indy 500 rule changes, then dictated by the USAC.

February 20, 1993 :brm:

Ferrucio Lamborghini died on this day in 1993, leaving behind a remarkable life story of a farm boy w/big dreams. Born on his family's farm outside of Bologna, Italy, Lamborghini grew up tinkering w/tractors. He enrolled in an industrial college near Bologna, where he studied machinery. Graduating just before WW II, Lamborghini then served as an engineer in the Italian Air Force. After the war he returned to his family's farm & began assembling tractors from leftover war vehicles. Lamborghini built such high-quality tractors that by the mid-1950s, the Lamborghini Tractor Company had become one of Italy's largest farm equipment manufacturers. But Ferrucio dreamt of cars. In 1963, he bought land, built an ultra-modern factory, & hired distinguished Alfa Romeo designer Giotti Bizzarini. Together they set out to create the ultimate automobile. In 1964, Lamborghini produced the 300 GT, a large & graceful sports car. By 1974, Ferrucio Lamborghini had sold out of the business bearing his name, but the company would never deviate from his initial mission to create exquisite vehicles at whatever cost.

February 23, 1958

In a bizarre twist, Argentine racing champion Juan Manuel Fangio was kidnapped by Communist guerrillas in Havana, Cuba, one day before the 2nd Havana Grand Prix. Members of the July 26 Movement (M-26-7) & followers of Fidel Castro & Che Guevara, the kidnappers hoped to make a political statement by kidnapping the world-famous Fangio before he could defend his title at the Havana G/P. "We wanted to show that Cuba was living in a situation of war against the Batista tyranny," explained Arnol Rodriguez, a member of the kidnapping team. In a moment fit for a Blake Edwards film, revolutionary Manuel Uziel, holding a revolver, approached Fangio in the lobby of his hotel & ordered the race-car driver to identify himself. Fangio reportedly thought it was a joke until Uziel was joined by a group of men carrying submachine guns. Fangio reacted calmly as the kidnappers explained to him their intention to keep him only until the race was over. After his release to the Argentine Embassy, Fangio revealed a fondness for his kidnappers, refusing to help identify them & relaying their explanation that the kidnapping was a political statement. In the meantime, the Havana G/P had been marred by a terrible accident, leading Fangio to believe that he had been spared for a reason. Years later, Fangio would return to Havana on a work mission. He was rec'd as a guest of the state, & he expressed his gratitude w/quiet eloquence, "Two big dreams have come true for me: returning to Cuba & meeting Fidel Castro." Fangio was famous for winning races; he became legendary by missing one.
:burn:

March 8,1936

1st stock-car race run at Daytona

Daytona Beach (FL) staged its 1st race strictly for stock cars on a combination beach & public roadway course. The race is remembered as the impetus for today's NASCAR. However, race or no race, NASCAR never would have come into being w/out the efforts of Bill France. Having moved to Daytona in '34, Bill France opened a garage there. He fixed & raced cars, finishing 5th in Daytona's original race. The city claimed it lost money on the event & enthusiasm for city-sponsored racing waned. The next year the Daytona Elks persuaded the city to stage a Labor Day road race for stock cars. The city lost money again. At that point, Bill France & local club owner Charlie Reese took over the promotion for the Daytona race. With Reese's money & France's work, the race established itself as a successful enterprise. Racing halted during the war, but afterward France returned to Daytona Beach & persisted at race promotion. Reese died in '45. France went on to promote races all over the South. In '46, he staged a National Championship race at the Old Charlotte Speedway. A news editor objected to France's calling a race a National Championship w/out any organized sanctioning body. France responded by forming the National Championship Stock Car Circuit (NCSCC) in '46. On December 14, 1947, France called a meeting to reorganize the growing NCSCC. Racing officials gathered at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach to hear France call for major changes in the operation of the circuit. He demanded more professionalism & suggested that the organization provide insurance for drivers & strict rules for the race cars & tracks. A new organization to be incorporated later that year as the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) emerged from the meeting, w/Bill France, former mechanic, as president.
:chflag: :winner: :brm:

March Trivia:

1901 New York State is the first state to require license plates. They cost $1.

1924 Rand McNally publishes its first comprehensive U.S. Road atlas.

1927 Volvo starts production of it's first car, the OV4. SKF, the ball bearing manufacturer provided credit and loan guarantees. 297 are produced by 66 workers.

1959 Mario Andretti drives and wins his first race. The place was Nazareth Motor Speedway in Pennsylvania and the car was a '48 Hudson.
:Shake: :#1:

March 23, 1956
Studebaker-Packard looks for a merger

The Studebaker-Packard Corporation halted merger talks with the Ford Motor Company to pursue talks with the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Studebaker-Packard itself was the result of a merger in which the large Studebaker firm merged with the small & successful Packard line. After WW II the independent car manufacturers had a difficult time keeping pace with the production capabilities of the Big 3, who were able to produce more cars at lower prices to meet the demands of a population starved for cars. Independents began to merge with one another to remain competitive. Nash-Kelvinator & Hudson Motors merged successfully to become American Motors (AMC). Paul Hoffman, the manager of Studebaker, realized his company would have to merge or perish. He negotiated an arduous merger between his company & Detroit-based Packard Motors. The merger took over 5 months to come thru, as unionized labor on both sides balked at the proposal. Finally, in October of '54, Studebaker & Packard merged to become the country's 4th largest car company. Hoffman chose Packard President James Nance to lead the new operation. Nance, spiteful of the inefficiency that Studebaker brought to his company, generally ignored the input of his colleagues, instituting his own policies in an attempt to turn around the fortune of his new company. His policies failed, & renewed labor problems brought Studebaker-Packard to its knees. In '56, Curtiss-Wright purchased Studebaker-Packard. The failed merger between Studebaker, which had been in operation since the late 1890s, & Packard was emblematic of the post-war independent manufacturers' scramble to consolidate. While Studebaker-Packard failed, AMC was able to stay alive into the '70s, when it was bought by French giant Renault.
:brm:

March 26, 1920 Chrysler leaves GM

Walter P. Chrysler resigned as executive VP in charge of automotive operations for General Motors (GM). Born in the western Kansas railroad town of Wamego, Chrysler grew up around Union Pacific engineers. Early in life, he formed the idea of becoming a locomotive engineer himself. Working his way up from the position of janitor, he achieved his lifelong engineering dream by the time he was 20. Chrysler's attention gradually shifted to the automotive industry. "To me it was the transportation of the future," he explained, "& as such I wanted to be a part of it. That was where I saw opportunity." In 1912, while employed by the American Locomotive Company, Chrysler was offered a position in Flint (MI) by Buick President Charles Nash. The job promised only half of his current salary, but he took it anyway. As a manager at Buick, Chrysler revolutionized the company's mass production capabilities, & distinguished himself as an irreplaceable part of the GM team. However, in 1916, William C. Durant regained control of the company he had founded & Chrysler's mentor, Charles Nash, was forced out. Recognizing Chrysler's value, Durant offered him the presidency of Buick, a title worth $500,000 a year. Chrysler had previously made $25,000 a year. Heeding warnings from Nash that Durant was a micro-managing tyrant, Chrysler did not immediately accept the offer. Eventually, tho, the money was too good to turn down. Among his many accomplishments as head of Buick, Chrysler's greatest achievement may have been initiating GM's purchase of the Fisher Body Plant, on which the company relied for its products. GM purchased 60% of Fisher's stock, & gained control over one of its most important components. Eventually, William Durant lived up to Nash's warnings. He began to meddle in Buick's affairs, infuriating Chrysler to the point of despair on numerous occasions. One day, Chrysler reached the boiling point during a board meeting & walked out. Longtime GM President Alfred Sloan later recalled, "I remember the day. He [Chrysler] banged the door on the way out, & out of that bang came eventually the Chrysler Corporation."

March 26, 1901 Mercedes debuts

The Mercedes was introduced by Gottlieb Daimler at the 5-day "Week of Nice" in Nice, France. The car, driven by Willhelm Werner, dominated the events at the competition. Mercedes cars were conceived at the same venue in Nice two years earlier. After seeing a Daimler car win a race there, businessman Emile Jellinek approached Gottlieb Daimler w/an offer. Jellinek suggested that if Daimler could produce a new car model w/an even bigger engine then he would buy 30 of them. Jellinek also requested that the cars be named after his daughter, Mercedes. Daimler died before the Mercedes was released, but the car carried his name to the heights of the automotive industry. In '04, a Mercedes clocked 97mph over a 1-kilometer stretch, an astonishing feat in its day.

March 26, 1932
Auto legend passes away

Henry Martyn Leland, the founder of Cadillac & Lincoln, died in Detroit (MI) at the age of 89. Leland was born in Vermont, the 8th child of New England farmer Leander Barton Leland & his wife Zilpha Tifft Leland. He began his industrial career as an apprentice engineer at Knowles Loom Works in Worcester (MA). With the outbreak of the Civil War, Leland began work at the U.S. Armory in Springfield (MA). After the war, Leland served as an engineer & mechanic in a series of manufacturing firms in New England. He distinguished himself as a tireless worker & an exacting supervisor only satisfied w/his own high standard of quality. Leland was a real New Englander, a Presbyterian stickler w/good manners & a titan's work ethic. He moved to Detroit to run a company w/his old partner Charles Norton that was to be financed by Detroit lumber mogul Robert Faulconer. After successfully runnning, for a few years, as a supplier of various machine-shop products, Leland & Falconer gained entrance into the automobile industry at the request of Ransom Olds. Olds needed a supplier of transmissions for his Olds Runabouts. Leland wasn't the only major player in the automotive industry to get his start w/Olds. Olds also hired the Dodge brothers to manufacture the bodies for his cars. After a successful run supplying Olds transmissions, Leland was asked by the Detroit Automobile Company to appraise their holdings, which they were preparing to liquidate. Leland surprised them by recommending that they hang on to their facilities; he offered to run their car company for them & revealed to them an engine design he had come up w/which produced 3 times the HP of Olds' engines. The Cadillac Car Company was born, named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of Detroit. The 1st Cadillacs came on the market as low-priced cars, but soon, due to Leland's high standards, the car was marketed as a luxury item. The car company that became a symbol of excess & ostentation in the '50s began as the product of a puritanical perfectionist. Cadillac distinguished itself further by becoming the 1st car company to introduce a self-starting mechanism. Charles Kettering invented the system at the urging of Leland, who was said to be distraught over the death of a friend caused when an errant crank-shaft broke the man's arm & jaw. In '08, William Durant & GM bought the Cadillac Motor Car Company for $4.4 million in cash. Leland continued to run Cadillac, & it became GM's most successful marque. Eventually, Leland & Durant fell out over GM's participation in WW I. Leland had been to Europe just before the war, become convinced that the war was inevitable, & that it would decide the future of Western Civilization. Durant's disinterest in the war cause infuriated Leland so much that he quit. He went on to found Lincoln, which he named after the man he admired most & for whom he had cast his 1st vote as a 21-year-old, Abraham Lincoln. Leland was never able to escape financial trouble w/Lincoln, & he ended up selling the company to Henry Ford. Ford eventually ran Leland out of the business, most likely as a result of some personal jealousy on Ford's part. Nevertheless, Leland was responsible for creating the luxury marques for America's two largest automotive manufacturers. :chflag:

April 06, 1934

Ford introduces whitewalls

The Ford Motor Company announced white sidewall tires as an option on its new vehicles at a cost of $11.25 per set. Whitewalls soon became associated w/style & money. By the '50s, whitewalls were standard on many cars, & it would be hard to imagine a '55 Corvette w/out a corresponding set of whitewall treads. The popularity of whitewalls continued well into the '60s. Car companies offered different width white bands in a race to make their whitewalls whiter. Henry Ford was never known as a fashion revolutionary, but he was onto something w/the whitewalls.

In the 1962 James Bond film "Dr. No", 007 drives a Sunbeam Alpine w/wire wheels & special-ordered 5" white-wall tires. The Sunbeam Alpine was a small but stylish sports car which James Bond drove in Jamaica for the film. Altho it contained no special modifications, it was of great help to Bond during the mission. On his way to Miss Taro's house, Bond got into a chase w/the three (3) blind assassins in a hearse. Bond out-maneuvered the hearse, sending them off the face of a cliff.

:brm:

The Shelby Group 2 Race Cars
1966 ... The beginning of Trans-Am racing


During the mid-'60s, pony cars were hot. The Ford Mustang was selling so well the other manufacturers came out w/their own version of the short trunk cars. Owners & enthusiasts started taking their pony cars to the race track making sedan racing ever more popular. SCCA began to take notice & for '66 established a professional series called The Trans-American Sedan Championship. This series of races was made up of 7 professional races at different tracks across the U.S. The manufacturer w/the most points at the end of the series would win the 1st ever Manufacturer's Trophy. The Trans-Am, as it became known, featured races from 200 miles to 2,400 miles. The races ran from 2 hours to 24 hours & required pit stops for gas & tires.

Group 2 cars were divided into only 2 classes, over 2L & under 2L. The maximum displacement was 5L (305 ci) w/a maximum wheelbase of 116". Plus, eligible cars had to seat 4 people eliminating the '65 GT-350. In the beginning, the GT350s were set up as 2-seaters to qualify for SCCA's B/Production class. The rear seat was removed & replaced w/a fiberglass shelf. Ford wanted the Trans-Am Trophy. After the great success of the GT-350, Ford immediately turned the project over to Shelby American.

Shelby American built sixteen '66 Group 2 Notchback Mustangs, all for sale to independents. Chuck Cantwell (GT-350 Project Engineer) & Jerry Schwartz (fabricator & mechanic) were given the job of developing & prepping the cars. The Mustangs were built to GT-350R specs. The main differences between the Group 2 car & the GT 350R were cosmetic. The Group 2 Mustangs were required to be close to stock w/steel hoods & front ends. The GT 350R had a fiberglass hood & front apron & plastic side & rear windows. The Group 2 cars used OE glass. OE interior & seats were also req'd for the Group 2.

The GT 350R & the Group 2 Mustang had a lot of similarities. Both cars had:

racing type pins for the hoods & trunk
7x15 American racing magnesium wheels
lowered A-arms
34 gallon fuel tanks w/3.5" quick release cap & splash funnel
trunk mounted battery
Stewart Warner electric fuel pumps
six CS gauges housed in a special instrument housing (fuel pressure, oil temp, 0-160 mph speedo, 8,000 rpm tach, oil pressure & water temp gauges)
four point roll bar
3" competition lap belts w/shoulder harness
18 quart Ford Galaxy radiator
oil cooler w/remote oil filter
tube headers w/2.5" straight pipes dumping out just in front of the rear tires
"Monte Carlo" stabilizer bars to strengthen the front end
export brace (named after the brace used on Mustangs for export)
11.3" front disc brakes
10"x2.5" wide rear drum brakes
1" front sway bar
16" 3-spoke wood steering wheel
OE Ford valve covers on the 289 cid w/special breather
Koni shocks
Detroit Locker
3.89 final drive gearing
19:1 quick steering
Borg Warner T-10 C/R 4-spd trans
7.5 quart finned cast aluminum oil pan
over ride traction bars
Shelby American racing 289 w/an aluminum hi-rise & 715 cfm Holley carb rated at over 350 hp.

The Group 2 Mustangs were based on the Mustang GT. All Group 2 cars had the stock GT package including fog lights in the grilles. The lenses & bulbs were replaced w/high intensity driving lights for better use during night driving. Most Group 2 racers came w/a 1/2" rear sway bar & a Panhard rod. Some of the cars came w/a scooped out fiberglass panel between the passenger compartment & the trunk allowing a spare tire to be mounted. The spare would not fit in the trunk w/the larger gas tank. A spare tire was not req'd during racing. It is possible this option was shared w/the four Group 1 race cars Shelby America sent to Europe. This a rare item to see today in restored cars. The SCCA required a metal bulkhead between the driver's compartment & the gas tank early in '67. Any car raced during '67 had to have the bulkhead replacing the fiberglass spare tire mount.

The 16 Group 2 Mustangs were painted white w/black interiors. All cars were sold to independent teams. Shelby did not run a Group 2 Trans-Am team in '66. Only one car was completed in time for the Trans-Am race at Sebring in '66. Three were to be available. The 1st car went to Cooper, Clark & Associates. They paid $6,414 for the 1st Group 2 car in a bidding war. Later Group 2 Mustangs sold for $5,500.

Shelby-prepared cars placed in 5 out the remaining 6 races. Independent teams drove non-Shelby Group 2 Mustangs to wins at Mid-America Raceway, the Virginia 400 & 2nd at Briar 250. Ford & Chrysler fought for the lead in points up to the last 2 races. At Green Valley, Brad Booker & John McComb driving a Shelby Group 2 Mustang beat out the "Team Starfish" Barracudas & Group 44 Dodge Dart to win tying the standings at 37 each for Chrysler & Ford.

The last race of the season was at Riverside (CA). Shelby sent Jerry Titus to drive a Shelby Group 2 Mustang. During the qualifying on Saturday Titus set a track lap record of 1:41.9 at an average of 91.854 mph to earn the #1 spot for the race on Sunday. The race started w/a LeMans type start. Titus flooded his Mustang leaving him next to last to start. A later broken oil filter cost him almost 2 laps while it was being replaced. Titus fought his way thru the 34 cars to finish 1st ... 48 seconds ahead of the Tullis Group 44 Dodge Dart. Mustang & Ford won the 1st Trans-Am Manufacturers Trophy.

:winner: :second: :third:

April 13 1902

Leon Serpollet drives Oeuf des Paques (Egg Barrel) along the Promenade des Anglais at Nice France. He sets a new Land Speed Record of 75.06mph in his steam powered car, without benefit of any type of brakes except his engine. :brm: