A number of you asked me to update you if and when something more
definitive was established about the old racecar spitfire which I had
purchased. We received a telephone call this morning from Dr. French Hickman
who confrimed that he had purchased the car from Erwin Lorincz and that it
was the Spitfire that won Watkin Glen in 1963, thus making it the first to
win a national US event ( as well a second National at VIR in October 1963).
I am still researching the cars history, so there maybe more.
I have spoken to the racers of the car since Hickman in 1972. According
to them the frame, tub, and fenders are same on the car when it was purchased
by Hickman. Apparently even the fenders, which were flared by Kurt Getches,
are the same parts as on the car when Hickman purchased it. The car was
successive for a number of drivers in the 1970s and early 1980s.
There is no explanation at this point about the discrepancy between the
expected build date of the car with the commission number TS22241 (in the
1972 logbook) and the fact that it appeared at the August 1963 Watkins Glen
race. I will be following through to get the build dates to see if they shed
any light on this particular issue. Could also be the Lorincz had an incident
on the track.
Incidently, it was this car that caused me to raise the intial issue of
flares. It has flares that were legal in 1972. However, it certainly did not
have them on it when it won Watkins Glen. But there alot of history after
Watkin's Glen. So should I keep the flares with the flashy yellow/orange/red
paint or return it to Watkins Glen body style/colors?
Thanks Again for all of you that help me with this effort. Now if we only
identify the racer of my TR2 longdoor.
Cary
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