[Fot] Fw: Best spectator vintage event

Fri Apr 3 07:37:45 MDT 2015

Hi Dick.  Thanks for the history lesson, and the pictures.  Lots of great stuff.  Little did I know that I had such a "historically significant" race driver working on my TR-4.  Must have done some good, as I eventually won The Runoffs.
The 1965 "Glen 500" was the same weekend as my high school graduation.  I lived in Corning, about 14 miles from The Glen, and I remember it well (except for the parts when too much beer was consumed).  I kept all of my old race programs from the Glen races from 1964 on.  The 1965 Glen 500 program shows a lot of big names on the entry list, but I don't see you and Bob.  You guys must have been late entries, but did well against a tough field, including Dick Thompson, Don Yenko, Ed Lowther, Mark Donahue (in a Mustang GT 350 - must have been a Shelby), Hal Keck, etc.
I also see Donna Mae Mims in her pink TR-3, in the FP Race.  This was an era of transition for the classes, as new cars were released.  In addition to the TR-3, FP was also made up of MGA's, Alfa's and Sunbeam Alpines.  E Production was Porsches (356's), Elvas, Morgans, Lotus 7's and Alfas.  D Production, which was part of The Glen 500 race, was TR-4's, Austin Healys and Daimler SP 250's.  Imagine, the TR-4 being 2 classes higher than the TR-3!  I was planning to donate all of these old race programs the the Watkins Glen Racing Museum, but if anybody in the FOT has any ideas for a better use for them, I'm willing to listen (Dick - any interest, or do you have them?).  They make for very interesting reading, and bring back lots of memories.
Jack
      From: Dick Stockton via Fot <fot at autox.team.net>
 To: "fot at autox.team.net" <fot at autox.team.net> 
 Sent: Thursday, April 2, 2015 7:02 PM
 Subject: Re: [Fot] Fw: Best spectator vintage event

Thanks, Jack. Hope to see you at Summit. 

The Ferrari TRC  (2.0L Testarossa) was owned by George Siomko. He bought it for dirt cheap off a fellow named Genetti - I think it ran Sebring in '56 or '57. Ray Heppenstall and I went to Connecticut to pick it up for George and it sat in the loft of my shop. George would practice the car and Ray and I would split the racing duties. We didn't do anything to the car other than wash it and ran it 4-6x a year. It was pretty fast for what it was, not the fastest car, but it was an old race car by then.  When I was moving to my new shop in '65, George wanted to sell me the car for $600, but I didn't have any money for it at the time. He sold it to a fellow named Hap Smallback and he did hillclimbs with it. 
Here is a picture of it at Marlboro: https://scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/l/t31.0-8/858493_472776049437033_1033863366_o.jpg
Bob Tullius and I entered the Glen 500 in '65 in my car and we took the victory in the class and 7th overall. I have the trophy somewhere.
The Cobra was an original '260 car (CSX2009) with worm gear steering. It was upgraded to a 289 car by the time I got it from Gene Fisher. I did pretty well with it and did a lot of development work on it. We found 30bhp by redesigning the exhaust and replacing the side pipes. I had Air Flow Research (AFR) do the heads and worked with Harvey Crane on a camshaft. It made about 350bhp. The carburetor and intake were the real restriction. You could measure the bump steer in inches and had to drive it sideways. I was '69 and '70 NE BP Champion, set lap records, and finished 2nd at the ARRC in 1970 to Allen Barker's newer '69 Corvette. At the 1969 ARRC at Daytona, I blew my main motor in practice and we used a Holman Moody motor which was down on power. Started from the back and finished 7th. The car was wrecked at Watkins Glen after I sold it in 1970, but was subsequently restored to FIA spec and auctioned a few years ago. 
Here is a picture of it then: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/v/t1.0-9/561553_473084832739488_1428024572_n.jpg?oh=003e71767b0482bbc0d1ecb12d7bb137&oe=55A5514F&__gda__=1438488763_aa815ffae3290645f9f89a0e53284b67
https://scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t31.0-8/856583_472761392771832_151764043_o.jpg

https://scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/v/t1.0-9/534974_473084852739486_1853182748_n.jpg?oh=c8dcdc7311701ec6af48f2d633102cf1&oe=559B4F83 

and now:http://www.russoandsteele.com/index.php/media-page/media-press-releases/1241-award-winning-1963-shelby-cobra-csx-2009-offered-at-russo-and-steele-scottsdale-event

I know Janet from the IMSA Baby Grand / RS races as we both ran Toyota's. 

Dick 
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