[TR] Walter Cronkite

[Peter Fullam]

It was CBS who pulled the plug Walter Cronkite's racing. He had become too
valuable to the network. Years later, he kept a TR6 at his summer place on
Martha's Vineyard. There was talk of inviting him to the VTR meeting in
Albany in 1996, but nothing came of it.

Pete F.



-----Original Message-----
From: triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net
[mailto:triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Michael Marr
Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2009 9:41 AM
To: pethier at comcast.net; P Caffrey
Cc: triumphs at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [TR] Walter Conkite

This, of course, prompted a google search.  I couldn't find any reference to
his racing a TR3, but I did discover that he raced a Volvo PV544, a Lotus 11
and drove a Lancia Appia Zagato in the 12 hrs of Sebring in 1959.  The only
TR3 reference I found was an occasion when a publicity photo was taken of
him in a TR3 receiving a ticket from a "bobby" (who was actually a Triumph
executive in costume).  Apparently his wife asked him to find a more
family-oriented hobby, which caused him to take up sailing.  What an
accomplished guy!

Mike

----- Original Message -----
From: <pethier at comcast.net>
To: "P Caffrey" <pcaffrey at ymail.com>
Cc: <triumphs at autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 11:40 PM
Subject: Re: [TR] Walter Conkite


> ----- "P Caffrey" <pcaffrey at ymail.com> wrote:
>
>> I hope we all live as long with the tenacity he appeared to have and
>> the enjoyment of life that he appeared to have....I've read about his
>> interest in sailing, but what is the Triumph story with him. Did he
>> actually race them?
>
> Yes.  He raced a TR3 back in the early days of SCCA
>
> Phil Ethier West Side Saint Paul Minnesota USA
> 1962 Triumph TR4 CT2846L   1979 Caterham 7
> 1993 Suburban  1994 Miata C-package  2007 Saturn Ion 3 2.4
> http://www.triumphtransamerica.org.uk
> http://forum.mnautox.com/forums   http://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier
> _______________________________________________