Tags: A.J. Foyt / Bruce McLaren / Dan Gurney / FIA Cobra / Ford GT / Ford GT40 / GTX1 / Holman & Moody / Kar-Kraft / Ken Miles / Le Mans / Neil Ressler / Roy Lunn / Shelby American / Shelby Cobra

ROY LUNN: GODFATHER OF THE FORD GT40!

- Minggu, 27 Desember 2015 No Comments

Ford GT & Cobra owners, racers and Roy Lunn’s friends and family gathered at the Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club in Sarasota, FL to celebrate the legendary engineer and designer, known as the Godfather of the GT40. His accomplishments led to Ford’s domination of international sports car racing in the mid-late-1960s.

 On June 19th, 2016, racing enthusiasts, friends of the Blue Oval, automotive journalists and historians, and the Ford Motor Company, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of what is probably the most iconic event in auto racing history. It was on June 19th, 1966, when three GT40 Mark II-As, raced by Bruce McLaren & Chris Amon, Ken Miles & Denny Hulme and Ronnie Bucknum & Dick Hutcherson crossed the finish line, respectively - One-Two-Three - to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans and change the face of International sports car racing.



“I want to congratulate you on your creative role in the historic Ford victory at Le Mans and winning the World GT Championship,” Don Frey, Ford vice-president and general manager, in a letter to Roy Lunn, (above with Neil Ressler and with FIA Cobra), dated June 28, 1966.

It was the first-ever Overall win for an American carmaker, above, and the first of four consecutive wins of the world’s most prestigious race. In 1967 a Mark IV J-6, driven by Dan Gurney & A.J. Foyt, took the win and, in 1968 and 1969, a singular early GT40, raced by Pedro Rodriguez & Lucian Bianchi and Jackie Ickx & Jackie Oliver, respectively, made it three and four in a row. For the first time, America and Ford had dominated International road racing.



Ford’s GT40, Mark IIs and Mark IV were designed, engineered and developed under Roy Lunn’s direction at Ford’s Skunk Works, Kar-Kraft. Lunn was manager of the Advanced Concepts Group. Roy Lunn with first big-block (427) GT40 MK II in 1965 at Ford's Dearborn Proving Ground, below.

Martyn Schorr, Chronicles Editor, Ford GT owner and author of FORD TOTAL PERFORMANCE, which includes details of Roy Lunn’s career at Ford and Kar-Kraft and the history of the GT40, organized the Tribute.

“Not only do I feel appreciative and honored today to share this occasion with my wife Jeannie and my family, but also overwhelmed by the incredible display of power outside: Ford GTs and Cobras. It really is a Show of Force and I’m so happy to be a part of it,” said Roy, right.



Neil Ressler, a retired Ford engineer and vice-resident and former head of Advanced Vehicle Technology, attended with his Ford GT. He was chairman of Jaguar Racing and Cosworth Racing in 1999 and involved in the mid-engined GN34 Concept sports car which evolved into the 2005-2006 Ford GT, the spiritual successor to the GT40. He retired in 2001 after 34 years and returned to be join the Ford GT Team.



“I wasn’t going to miss this wonderful opportunity to meet Mr. Lunn, and relive some of those glory days of winning at Le Mans,” said Neil below, with Roy Lunn.

Roy Lunn will be 91 years old in April and has started working on his
fourth book about the environment, sustainability and future cars. “I’m
looking forward to finishing my new book and celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the win at Le Mans with my family and friends on June
19th next year.” 

The Show Of Force included nine Ford GTs, including a rare GTX1 and CP4 (Confirmation Prototype 4), the seventh prototype built. Nine Cobras, including a vintage FIA Cobra built by AC Cars, rounded out the loud and colorful field!

PHOTOS: Howard Mintz, Gary Jean, Ford & Roy Lunn Archives.

Tags: Bobby Rahal / Brickyard Vintage Invitational / C7 FIA Corvette GT3 / Corvette Sting Ray / Don Yenko / FIA Cobra / Indy 500 / K-Code Mustang / Mike Matune / SVRA / Tom Sneva / Trans-Am / Vintage Racing

INDY: BRICKYARD VINTAGE RACING INVITATIONAL!

- Sabtu, 20 Juni 2015 No Comments

SVRA enjoyed a second year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with its Vintage Racing Invitational. Mike Matune was trackside for the Chronicles.

Clark Howey’s ‘66 Corvette won its class at Daytona. After more than 20 years and numerous owners, it is once again owned and raced by Howey. So much more than just racing, the event encompasses a car auction, car show, Jaguar exhibit and autocross and an enactment of the very first event at the Speedway - 1909 hot air balloon race. To us, the signature event is the Indianapolis 500 Legends Celebrity Pro-Am that matches 33 former Indy 500 starters with vintage drivers in stunning examples of American Muscle. ’65 Mustang, right, of Davey Hamilton & Frank Marcum awaits the race on the pre-grid. Hamilton is an eleven-time 500 starter with three Top 10 finishes to his credit. 

Pro Bob Lazier and Amateur Jim Caudle in Caudle’s ‘68 Corvette, below, took home the victory and bragging rights. They bested all comers and survived an active race; our congratulations on their well-earned victory.

Set appropriately at the “Yard of Bricks” a group photo shows the 33 Pro-Am teams along with distinguished guests like Honorary Stewards Janet Guthrie & Tom Sneva. As you walked through the crowd gathered in pit lane, you were struck by how close the racing community is and how much respect they have for each other.

Racing included events run on both Indy’s road course and oval. Here James Webb’s March 86C looks right at home at speed on the oval. This car finished second in the 1986 Indy 500 driven by Kevin Cogan.

Cogan was beaten in 1986 by Bobby Rahal in this March 86C. Rahal caught and passed Cogan very late in the race on a restart. It’s owned and driven by Patrick Ryan, shown here on Indy’s road course.

Casey Putsche takes his tube frame Corvette through the hard left-hander at the end of the back straight.  Putsch’s car has history as a GT1 racer. The car is crewed by the Genius Garage, a group of engineering students getting valuable hands on, real world experience. Their collective efforts would net a fourth place finish in one of the Group 10 races in the car’s inaugural competition appearance.

Before Ike Keeler returned it to the configuration of its Trans-Am glory days, his Old’s Cutlass followed a path so common with vintage racers. It had been a front running car campaigned by Darin Brassfield. Then it worked its way through a re-body or two as it moved to other teams in Trans-Am and eventually into SCCA Club Racing. Today it displays all of the features of its initial configuration including a ChevyV-8, tube frame and fiberglass “silhouette” body.

Janet Guthrie and fellow female racing pioneer Lyn St. James were there, competing in the Pro-Am. Adding to the historical perspective of women in motorsports was this car, Donna Mae Mims’ Yenko Stinger (YS-085). Today it is owned and raced James Schradt. 

With a production life of something like 65 years and with over 20 million produced, you would think the sight of a Type 1 VW “Beetle” in competition would be more common. Victor Frazzell has taken on that challenge, actively racing his 1968 version. The car pays tribute to a VW raced in the under 2.5-liter Trans-Am in period by Allen Treuhaft.

Chris MacAllister’s Cobra is steeped in history. Bearing chassis number CSX 2323, the car is one of a handful of FIA roadsters raced in FIA events in pursuit of the World Manufacturers Title. Making its debut in the Targa Florio driven by Grant & Gurney, the car would next appear with Ireland at Spa before a crash at the Nurburgring by Enzo Arena would end its Shelby racing career. Rebuilt, it soldiered on back in the U.S. at Daytona, Sebring and around the Southeast in the SCCA.

Tom Weglarz and friends built this Camaro in 1981 for the Kelly American Challenge. It started as a 1970.5 Camaro body of undetermined origin and was assembled using pieces from GM racers of the Trans-Am era. Updated to 1981 body style, it has fiberglass panels from the then current IROC Camaros. Interesting is that in its post-Kelley racing life, it ran the “Hot Rod Power Tour” with Olds power and was featured in the November 2010 issue of Hot Rod. Today it’s powered by a 331-inch Chevy.

Benneton would finish third in the 1997 Formula 1 Constructor’s Championship behind Williams and Ferrari with its Renault powered B197 chassis driven by Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi. At Indy, we see Brian French in his B197 hugging the curb on another quick lap around the circuit.



Words & Photos: M.M. “Mike” Matune, Jr.



Special thanks to Jan Hyde, Registry of Corvette Race Cars and Tim Sullivan & Taylor Clauson at the Speedway for their help with credentials.



For more information, please visit http://www.svra.com/

http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/

Tags: Can-Am Racing / Derek Hill / Dick Guldstrand / FIA Cobra / IROC Camaro / Maserati / Mike Matune / Monterey Historics / Mustang Trans-Am / Racing Corvettes / Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion / Roush racing / Sunbeam Tiger

ROLEX MONTEREY MOTORSPORTS REUNION: LAGUNA SECA!

- Kamis, 21 Agustus 2014 No Comments

‘When it comes to experiencing vintage racing greatness, the Reunion has few equals,’ blogs Mike Matune.

Mid-August brings us what is lovingly referred to as Monterey Hell Week and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. The Reunion is what vintage racing aspires to be, a collection of truly important cars and drivers competing head to head. Eddie Lawson, top, climbs the Rahal Straight towards the “Corkscrew” in Racing Commonwealth’s Osella PA 3/5. 



I have been attending the vintage races at Laguna Seca off and on since 1990. In that time, two things have become Monterey traditions for me. One is the damp, cool early morning fog; the second is Ed Archer’s ‘15 Ford Roadster, OLD NO. 4, above, contesting the Pre-War

racing group. The period uniformed Archer with his distinctive handle bar mustache

drives his car to and from the event.

The concept of the International Race of Champions (IROC) was simple, combine some of the world’s best drivers in identically prepared cars and set them loose on a collection of oval and road courses. Leon Desimone brought out his Camaro, which competed in three seasons of

IROC racing with drivers as varied as Indy Car’s Foyt & Rutherford; NASCAR’s Pearson and Formula One’s Hunt and Schecter.

This year’s featured Marque was Maserati, celebrating their 100th year. Among the many representatives of the Trident was Lawrence Auriana’s Tipo 151 driven by Derek Hill, son of the late World Champion Phil Hill. Built at the behest of Briggs Cunningham to assault Le Mans,

the cars were less than successful. Later one of this car’s sister vehicles would be involved

in Marvin Panch’s devastating crash at Daytona. The ensuing actions resulted in

Carnegie Hero medals for the five who rescued Panch.

Mike Eddy brought his ‘64 Falcon to compete in the Historic Trans-Am group, little knowing he would leave with The Spirit of Monterey Award for best displaying the spirit of the weekend. Eddy’s Falcon was a pioneering racer in SCCA’s fledgling Sedan classes. Later it would compete in the inaugural Trans-Am season’s final race at Carroll Shelby’s request to keep points from rival Chrysler’s effort.

Greg Johnson’s ‘60 Corvette has been a racer since ordered with all the factory goodies over 50 years ago. Along the way it competed at legendary East Coast venues against the best SCCA racers of the day, achieving a remarkable track record. Records indicate Johnson’s Corvette was a Championship winner at the Regional level and earned a “Three-Peat” in the Pennsylvania Hill Climb Series.  Constantly evolving, it would serve time on the street.

As Cobra prices soar, an unfortunate consequence is that you no longer see many driven in anger on the track. Things at Monterey are a little different as shown by Steve (97) and Tim (16) Park in Lynn Park’s genuine 289 cars. Steve’s car is an early example (10th built) and was a factory racer. Tim’s was one of the initial group of Cobras sent to Europe to compete in FIA sanctioned events.

Chris Liebenberg of the 3 Dog Garage pushes Ross Myers’ 1982 Mustang through Turn 3. In period, the car was driven by Milt Minter, Gary Pratt and John Bauer and contested GTO in IMSA competition. In addition, it won an FIA event at the Fuji Circuit, Japan that year.

While Ford would end its factory involvement in the Trans-Am after clinching the 1970 championship, Bud Moore continued as an independent. He fielded entries for the likes of Peter Gregg. Here Ken Epsman hugs the apex in Turn 5 in Jim Hague’s car.

To get as much racing in as they do at Monterey requires a certain level of precision. As Ron Cressey’s #59 Corvette passes the pits on the front straight, you can already see the next group forming for their race. Cressey’s car is a long time vintage racer that has achieved multiple victories at Monterey.

Among the nearly 550 cars competing at this year’s Reunion were a number of Sunbeam Tigers. Each was interesting, but the history of Steve Sorenson’s example was intriguing. Originally converted to a racecar when new by Lew Spenser, it was later sold to Art Firmes. On the front fender is the name of Corvette racer, Dick Guldstrand. He and Firmes were friends and Guldstrand maintained the car, adding such touches as a frame modified as Guldstrand did with early Corvettes and ‘63 Sting Ray exhaust pipe bezels used as front brake scoops.

One cannot possibly fault the lines of Jaguar’s E-Type as exemplified by Michael Doyle’s 1962 coupe. From new, the car was converted to a racer with extensive modifications to its engine, suspension, brakes and bodywork. It would compete on the West Coast until 1972 before being laid up. Doyle has done all of us a favor by returning this very distinctive car to the track.

By 1974, the final year of the once proud Can-Am series would fizzle out after but five of a scheduled eight races. The one bright spot that year was Don Nichols’ Shadow Team with Jackie Oliver and George Follmer driving. It was just too little, too late for Shadow and the Can-Am as a whole. But Michigander Craig Bennett gave us a taste of that bygone era, wringing the best from his ‘74 515-inch Shadow DN4 to clinch Group 3B for Can-Am and USRRC cars.

In 1991 Robby Gordon drove his Roush prepared Mustang to three victories and second in the series point chase. The car marked the first time a Roush car would use a rear-mounted transaxle and the last time a turbo engine would be employed. After residing in a museum for over ten years, Steve Schuler is racing it again.

Amelia Island Concours founder Bill Warner brought his two-time championship winning TR6 to Monterey as part of “Team Amelia.” Bob Tullius and Paul Newman had owned the car. Here Warner endures something of a traffic jam in Turn 11, as he turns onto the front straight. Warner would be awarded The President’s Cup for having the car with the most significance to Laguna Seca, returning 40 years after last appearing here.



Words & photos: M. M. “Mike” Matune, Jr.



For more information about Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, please visit http://www.mazdaraceway.com/