PIT SIGNALS LATE BRAKING NEWS FOR THE VARAC VINTAGE RACER - By JEREMY SALE JANUARY 2016
CORRECTION>>>JOE BLOE
The Dick Baker MGA! “It‘s a unique race car, with dis nct Canadian history and a connec on to a man who was so instrumental in vintage racing and the founding of VARAC.”
Mystery Photo!
Pu ng the “Can” in the Can-Am Series. Story and photos of the very first Can-Am race in 1966 by Bob Harrington...... In this edi on: Larry Coste’s Hot Wheels tribute Mini. Story and photos by Perry M. Mason. Contribu ng photos by Richard Coburn. From the Editor
Phew! This issue of Pit Signals seemed to take on a life of its own. Every me I thought I was finished, something else popped up! Like the internet cha er on the VAY Special, which I asked Gary Magwood to comment on for us. There is also some good news from Phil Lamont on tyres! And Bob Harrington contributed a great ar cle on the first Can- Am race, 50 years ago. Then Perry Mason unexpectedly sent in a story he had done on Larry “Hot Wheels” Coste. We also finally put together the “Dick Baker MGA” story I had been promising myself we would get done. And there was even more that I have decided to leave for the next issue. Which reminds me, I have an assignment for you, for the next issue, should you care to par cipate! I have some memories from races last year kindly sent in by a couple of members. I’d like any of you who have a favourite recollec on from 2015 to tell us all about it. I have wri en before about my favourite 2015 moment at Waterford, (right). Now it’s your turn to tell us about the best racing memory you had in 2015. Send your comments, let’s say about 250 to 275 words, with a photo if you have one. We will publish them in the next issue. Send to: “The Year That Was” at [email protected]. Thanks, J.
2016 Canadian Historic Grand Prix June 17-19, 2016 A en on all vintage racers – that means you – the date has been set and registra on will soon be open for the 2016 Canadian Historic Grand Prix being held at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Our feature this year? Flat 6 vs V8s. (European engineering vs North American muscle) Similar to prior years, the official event runs from Friday to Sunday, with a test day available on Thursday for an addi onal fee. Friday’s sessions include prac ce, qualifying and race; Saturday and Sunday will have two races each day for each grid. At the end of racing on Friday we will be hos ng a “Paddock Tour” – loca ons will be set up in the paddock for compe tors, crew and workers to congregate, enjoy some finger foods, and perhaps a liba on (if Peter and Doug are successful in their “special project”). We hope everyone involved with the event will drop by and say hi. The 30 minute feature race will be held at the end of regular racing on Saturday. Immediately following the race, we will all head over to the new Conference Centre Building for a “Brats and Dogs” recep on. Drivers, crew and workers are all welcome at this new type of dinner for VARAC. Off track we will have the Legends of Canadian Motorsport panel, as well as the always popular, Field of Dreams Car Show and Parade laps on Sunday. The Canadian Historic Grand Prix is the premier vintage racing event in Canada – we sincerely hope you will join us on the track with your vintage, historic or classic race car, and then off the track for Friday night’s paddock tour and Saturday’s recep on. Pit Signals received good news from Hubbards, Nova Sco a today, see below from Phil Lamont. Editor.
Dear Editor, Dunlop Vintage Race Tires are back! It has taken longer than we liked to move produc on of Dunlop's range of classic bias-ply racing res; early produc on was allocated to England and Europe to meet the contractual requirements of FIA Appendix K. Limited numbers had been flown to Vintage Tyres Limited, the distributor of Dunlop Racing Tires in North America. Sea container quan es are now being allocated, but supplies of some sizes may be limited in 2016. Canadian customers – please contact Britain West Motorsport 519 756-1610 to reserve your tyres. A forecast of your needs helps us avoid disappointment. Our warehouse in Canada is shipping to Roger Kraus Racing in California and SascoSports in Virginia. Place your orders early to avoid disappointment. Cheers, Phil Lamont. The V.A.Y. Special Rides Again...
Some recollec ons by Gary Magwood with Jeremy Sale
Photo by Bob Harrington
Above: Mike Rosen racing the VAY with VARAC....
While was ng me on the world wide web the other day I saw some cha er about the quirky “V.A.Y. Special”, which had appeared on Bring A Trailer.com. Some VARAC members may remember Mike Rosen racing the car with VARAC at Mosport. I knew that it had gone on to the Excited States and I have seen various ads for it since. On asking Gary Magwood about it he said, “Actually, I know quite a lot about the VAY Special. I bought it in the early 60s. It was built by Vic Yachuk (hence V.A.Y.) to compete in the recently established Canada Class (an a empt to allow home builders to build and race cars u lizing produc on components).” We asked Gary where he had acquired the car...
“I found the car behind an old gas sta on on Dundas West in the winter of 1963. A guy had bought it a year earlier but whacked it a couple of mes and lost interest. The trailer that came with the car was just two lengths of highway guardrail welded to an axle/hitch assembly... very primi ve but it worked really well!”
So now you had a car to restore and a race license to obtain… “Yes, I rented a garage in behind a motorcycle gang's house in Etobicoke, I shared it with two Brits who were conver ng a DKW- powered Canada Class single seater into a sports racer. They also had a modified Aus n A-35 that we all used to get our CASC licenses! Unfortunately the damn thing was so slow going up the back straight at Mosport, we almost had to downshi going up the rise to corner 8! The only consola on was that Graham Hill had raced one in his early years!” So now you had a car to restore and a race license to obtain… “Yes, I rented a garage in behind a motorcycle gang's house in Etobicoke, I shared it with two Brits who were conver ng a DKW-powered Canada Class single seater into a sports racer. They also had a modified Aus n A-35 that we all used to get our CASC licenses! Unfortunately the damn thing was so slow going up the back straight at Mosport, we almost had to downshi going up the rise to corner 8! The only consola on was that Graham Hill had raced one in his early years!”
So what was the VAY like when you got it out on the track, Gary? “When I first raced the VAY in 1964 it had the original bodywork and an Alta overhead converted Morris Minor engine. The engine pre y much self-destructed every weekend, to the point where Bob Hanna's Autosport dealership ran out of Alta parts!”
“Anyway, realizing the VAY’s power unit needed upgrading and that the bodywork was quite primi ve, I undertook to rec fy both problems. Ge ng married generated enough cash (a story unto itself!) to purchase a Sprite engine and gearbox. I even signed up for a welding course to learn how to braze steel tubing. I removed all the crude sheet metal fenders and other "lumpy" bits. The resul ng, self- designed cleaner bodywork was aluminum, riveted to a new fabricated frame, the "core" centre-sec on was le alone. (Above) The result was definitely lighter and more powerful.” How long did you have the VAY, Gary? “I raced the VAY for two years: the first year with the original Alta overhead conversion for the flat head Morris Minor engine and body configura on; the second year with a 998cc Sprite engine and tranny in my "flying shingle" design. It was a very stable and fun car to drive, but by the me I had the new engine and bodywork, Canada Class designers/builders had realized that single seaters could be built to the CC specs. That made all the two seaters obsolete in short order and needless to say, earning any points in CC races was now a pipe dream. “
“However, I did wire it and mounted lights to enter the 6-hour Sundown GP at Mosport in 1965. (See photo above) A er a few minor dramas the now re-named BS&T (Blood Sweat and Tears) Special finished the race. I later sold the car to Bill Bovenizer. That's how I recall it anyway...” Gary .
PS. Bill Bovenizer ran the car in 1967 and then sold it to acquire a Lotus 51.
PPS. Pit Signals contacted the new owner, Dave Gibson, a 944 Racer for the past seven years, compe ng with the 44 Cup series and winner of three championships with NASA Mid-Atlan c in the German Touring Series. He plans on shaking the VAY down early spring at VIR or Summit Point and hopes to be ready for a Pi sburgh and Indy trip by June. He says “he is truly honoured to be the current caretaker of a piece of Canadian Motor sports history.” A real life "Hot Wheels"
Story and photos by: Perry M. Mason Contributing photos by: Richard Coburn
Originally published in the Orangeville Ci zen Larry Coste of London Ontario, loves driving historic race cars. A successful business owner, Larry spends his down me behind the wheel of his 1965 Morris Cooper S, be er known as the iconic "Mini". Larry's original Mini was worn out he says, and a new project needed to be started. Being a big fan of of auto racing and following motorsport history in Canada, Larry combined his two passions into a reality. Canadian driving champ Bill Brack raced a car not unlike Larry's in the 1968-69 seasons with Ma el Hot Wheels sponsorship. I think we all have played with a Hot Wheels car during the years, whether ourselves or with the kids but Larry on the other hand is playing with the real thing here! The original car was destroyed in compe on back in the day, but in 2003, Larry built his car to be a tribute to Brack and Ma el Hot Wheels for their 35th anniversary. Ge ng permission to replicate this wasn't a problem from either Ma el or Brack, they were thrilled and assisted with the informa on to get the car looking correct. During the course of the race seasons that followed, Larry and his #85 have had numerous wins and a 95% podium finish rate . On a couple of occasions wins came at the Watkins Glen historic races and the other at the Canadian Historic Grand Prix with Bill Brack behind the wheel of this li le beauty. It was just like the old days with Brack pu ng on a good show and adding a li le "pedigree" to the car. It's great to see Canadian Motorsport being remembered and honored this way. If you would like to see this car and other fast classics compete, come out to a VARAC club event and enjoy the show. If it's your first auto race or you a ended back in the day, the sound and smell of these cars on the track will excite all and bring back memories. For more informa on visit www.varac.ca
Story and photos by: Perry M. Mason Contribu ng photos by: Richard Coburn
Originally published in the Orangeville Ci zen The Dick Baker MGA Twin Cam By David Holmes, Dave Good, Dean Baker and Jeremy Sale.
This unique 1959 MGA Twin Cam was once owned by the late and legendary Canadian vintage racer and VARAC co-founder, Dick Baker. Hugely respected in vintage racing Baker was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2002. Baker founded Can-Truck, a truckload, expedited, and warehousing business, in 1993. Only 63 when he died Baker was passionate about motorsports, he and his sons raced a variety of cars. Baker started racing in the 1960’s, driving an MGA at Mosport. A co- founder of the VARAC he spearheaded the inclusion of Formula 70 wings and slick open-wheelers in vintage racing, and at the me of his death was president elect of the Monoposto Register, the premier North American vintage racing group for single seaters. He was also chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. He was the 2001 recipient of the Dewey Dellinger Award within the Vintage Motorsport Council for “many valuable and unselfish contribu ons to vintage racing in the United States and Canada”. The Dick Baker MGA Twin Cam...
“We, the VARAC MGA racers from South Ontario, became aware of the Dick Baker Twin Cam special through Gary Allen, “ says Dave Good. “Gary knew that I was poten ally looking for another racecar. Gary provided basic informa on on the car and contact info for Dean Baker, who had the car in his warehouse in Orono. I contacted Dean, and several of us went to look at the car-that's when the "WOW" factor hit us! I had discussions over the summer with Dean about the car, but decided that I wasn't in a posi on to purchase at that me. But the car remained the subject of much beer talk in the offseason un l spring when David Holmes decided to purchase the car”.
“My son Evan, John Burgess, Malcolm Taylor and I met Dean in Orono and loaded the car and many parts in my trailer to bring it to Elmira,” says David Holmes. “A week later, I picked up the motor, which had been rebuilt by Britain West. With a lot of help from John Burgess, and a head gasket from Jim Holody we put the motor together and installed it in the car.” “The Twin Cams are notoriously hard to work on, with the large head and narrow hood opening. It’s therefore almost impossible to work on the motors. So owners frequently cut large holes in the inner fenders and removed the front wheels to get at the distributer and carburetors. However this car is “clam shelled” so the whole front end li s up to make access to the whole motor a wonderful thing.” Dean Baker adds: “When my Dad was building this car he was an engineer at GM in Sainte-Thérèse, PQ. The tube shocks and wheel rim outers were “extras” from the GM plant that he made fit to the car. The fabrica on and welding he did himself.” “Importantly, the motor was moved back fourteen inches, which made the weight distribu on close to fi y percent on the front res and fi y percent on the back” says David Holmes. “A new cockpit of course had to be fabricated; this was done in aluminum, another work of art. A more modern master brake cylinder brake system was installed, making it possible to adjust the pressures to the front and back brake cylinders. The car also had tube shocks installed on the rear suspension. The front shocks are stock. Pumping out 140 horsepower and weighing just 1,600 pounds, the car can reach speeds upwards of 145 miles per hour.” “Of course these modifica ons would make the car illegal to race today, unless the mods were done back in the day and the car was raced with them. So I needed to document this. Fortunately Dean Baker was able to contact Dave Jackson, a friend of his father, Dick. Dave was a marshal back in the day and could tes fy that the car raced with these modifica ons.” “It was well into the summer of 2015 when we took the car to the track in Grand Bend to take it for a run. Evan (below) test drove it and reported the handling was incredible, but that it was unfortunately overhea ng and also leaking every fluid that it had in it in great quan es! Back to the workshop…”
“We later entered the car in the CASC Celebra on event at Mosport. Evan drove but we s ll had the overhea ng problems and fluid leaks. Darn it! Back to the workshop… I then entered the car in Bob DeShane’s “Brits on the Lake” event in Lindsay. I was pre y confident that I might win best in class but was very pleasantly surprised to win Best In Show. I also entered the car in the huge fall Bri sh car show in Bronte and was pleased to win best in class there. So that’s where we are today. We are looking forward to racing the MGA Twin Cam in 2016. Hopefully, with all the bugs out of the car. It‘s a unique race car, with dis nct Canadian history and a connec on to a man who was so instrumental in vintage racing and the founding of VARAC.”
ABOUT DAVID HOLMES: “I was close to 60 when I bought an MG-MGB and went to Mosport to spectate. I was watching one driver in an MGB really flying around the track and I decided I had to meet him and find out what kind of engine he had in his car. When he stepped out of his trailer I thought, “This guy’s older than I am. Maybe I can do this!’ It was John Target, he’s from Ohio but very Bri sh, a charming guy, we had a great discussion about vintage racing. And that’s what got me started!” In the years since, Holmes and his son Evan both took up the sport, racing across North America each year. Holmes captured the VARAC club championships in 2007, 2010 and 2013, and was awarded the 2010 Copper Bucket by the MG Vintage Racers of America for “represen ng the spirit of vintage racing.” He has three other MG race cars, including a 1949 MGTC that was owned and raced by the late-great Tommy Hoan. Canadian Motorsport Flashback Written by Perry M. Mason
Photo from Mason Racing Archives
“In 1972, Ontario racers Al Mason and brothers Harry and Klaus Bytzek were approached by BF Goodrich Canada with what at that time was considered a ridiculous proposition..to race their cars on street radials. Well, after testing the 427 Corvette and Porsche 914/6 with these street tires, called "Radial T/A,s" they struck a deal. So for the next three seasons this duo ran the Eastern Canadian Endurance series and selected regionals. French Canadian racer/ journalist Jacques Duval was paired with Al in the Corvette. After three seasons of competition, BFG could boast about not one tire failure. Mind you, they were sure slippery! My, how times have changed where a large percentage of race cars out there today race on performance street radials with great success and reliability, thanks to pioneers in the field such as BFG and racers such as Al and Harry, shown here in their first promo shot.” Perry Mason. At The Turkey Bowl...
With Bill Stoler & Dave Good
The Turkey Bowl is VRG’s annual ‘end of season’ event on US Thanksgiving weekend at Summit Point WVa. Bill Stoler men oned that an inves ga on into Dave Good’s success revealed that he may have been helped by something other than "ponies" under the hood.....this photo reveals another popular farm animal was along for the ride! Dave: The mascot is in tribute to my daughter, Kinsey, who works in the Ontario Dairy Industry...and indeed it helped at the Turkey Bowl--it along with some great help by "crew chief" Alan Weller (who kept the A running as well as persis ng in ge ng me on the right line in corner 10 ) pushed me into two first overall results! Above, winner , John Surtees, Lola T70 The Birth of the Can-Am Series! leads Jerry Hansen, Wolverine and Story and Photos by Bob Harrington Bruce McLaren, McLaren. Where to begin? Probably with the shi from the "Simon Pure" amateur a tude of Sports Car racing in the early days, to the recogni on, that to a ract the "top" cars and drivers, money had to be involved. In Dave Friedman's book "Pro Sports Car Racing in America", Dan Gurney is quoted as saying, ” By 1958, we were red of racing for free, and many of us felt that we should be able to make a living by racing sports cars professionally in the U.S." The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) was resis ng any a empt to introduce professionalism, but the United States Auto Club (USAC) saw an opportunity for expansion and created a division for professional road racing, with the first USAC sanc oned sports car road race at Lime Rock September 7, 1958. SCCA threatened to ban any driver from SCCA compe on if they par cipated in a Pro USAC sanc oned race. When most of the top drivers competed, SCCA backed down. Professional Sports Car racing had arrived in North America! The Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs (CASC), the Canadian sanc oning body followed very shortly sanc oning the CRDA 500, May 1959, at Harewood Acres, an airport circuit, with a purse of over $4,000.00. In May 28, 1960, the first fully-sponsored professional race in Canada, was held, the Carling 300, again at Harewood. SCCA again threatened to suspend any SCCA licensed driver that competed, but Roger Penske and Bob Holbert took a chance while others, such as Jim Hall turned around. Penske won, taking home a purse of $1000.00. Shortly a er this, drivers realized that if they obtained F.I.A. licenses, the threat of SCCA suspension was gone.
George Alderman Lola T70 Mk 2. In June of 1961, Mosport opened, establishing a pa ern of Spring and Fall Interna onal professional races in Canada. In 1962, facing the threat from USAC and pressure from their top drivers, SCCA finally agreed to a professional race series, the United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC), commencing in 1963. With the series just under way though, SCCA was already looking to expand it. In January of 1963 CASC reported that SCCA had invited CASC to par cipate in their new Road Racing Championship with events at Mosport and Westwood in 1964. By April of 1964 discussions had evolved to crea ng a joint North American Championship, the North American Road Racing Championship (NARRC). Ross de St. Croix, CASC President and Milt Wright, CASC Compe on Director met with SCCA's Jim Kaser and John Bishop at the US Grand Prix at the Glen to further discuss the idea, so, the seed had been planted. There were other ideas on the burner though. Don Hunt, an account execu ve with PRSL, the Public Rela ons firm, that handled the promo on for the Player's 200 at Jim Adams, McLaren Mk 1. Mosport, suggested a "World Series". The series would consist of six races, the Players 200, races in the UK and Nassau, with three in the US, Riverside, Daytona and Sebring. The week following the US Grand Prix, Hunt had what turned out to be a very long dinner at Riverside, with Jim Kaser and Les Richter, the head of Riverside, on the Saturday of the Times GP. They discussed at length on how to make an Interna onal series work. Following these mee ngs Kaser pitched the idea to the SCCA governors where it was well received. This was followed up with a mee ng with the ACCUS FIA representa ve, Bill Fleming, at the SCCA Westport headquarters. Jim Kaser, John Bishop, Jim Hall and a CASC representa ve were present. The next step was to get the promoters on board. They ini ally balked at the idea of not providing appearance money, but only a purse. They feared without the guaranteed appearance money, the name Eppie Wietzes, Comstock Ford GT drivers would not show up, but to provide the substan al purses SCCA felt necessary there wouldn't be enough funds. Another problem was that SCCA wanted to control the rules and race length, the promoters were reluctant to give up their autonomy of their events. In convincing the promoters, Kaser had strong allies in Les Richter from Riverside, and John Ross, the track Manager at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. In addi on to convincing the promoters, at the same me Kaser was mee ng and calling the race teams to get them on board. It was again, a tough sell ge ng them to give up appearance money. They argued they were the reason the fans came and therefore needed a guarantee for showing up.
Canadian 1966 over 2 litre champion Nat Adams in the Cooper Ford. Up un l the first race teams were s ll demanding appearance money. They only agreed to come, when, at St Jovite, the first Can-Am race, John Ross guaranteed that they would earn at least the equivalent of the old system. They needn't worried, when the Can-Am was launched the total purse was $358,000. In August 1965, a promoters mee ng was held in Chicago to hammer out the details. A er a lengthy, intense mee ng las ng four to five hours a deal was finally struck. The first schedule had five races in 1966,star ng at, St. Jovite September 11, then moving on to Mosport, Laguna Seca, Riverside, finishing at Las Vegas. Kent, Washington, had been a provisional race, but backed out with financial problems.
Bob Harris in the Nickey Vinegaroon Genie, sponsored by Dan Blocker, aka “Hoss” Cartwright of Bonanza. Bridgehampton stepped up to take a date between the St. Jovite and Mosport events. There was now agreement on the rules, dates and purse, but two key items were s ll missing, a name and a sponsor. The name came at a mee ng later that year, "The Canadian-American Challenge Cup" which, of course, became the "Can-Am". The official launch of the series was February 15, 1966 in the Time Life building in New York. It was well covered by the press with a number of the promoters and drivers such a Masten Gregory in a endance. When the event was winding down, Kaser no ced someone at the back of the room he did not recognize. He introduced himself as Bob Henkel. He was an account execu ve with the public rela ons firm that handled the Johnson's Wax account. He explained Johnson's had just introduced an automo ve car called "J-Wax" and the can had checked flags on it. They had already hired S rling Moss to do promo on and it had been suggested that he (Henkel) a end this func on. Henkel asked if Johnson's could be involved and Kaser replied they would be open to a discussion. A er a series of mee ngs, it was announced on April 14 that Johnson's Wax would be the official sponsor of the series. They would provide $25,000.00 to the year end points fund, a "J-Wax Can-Am" trophy and promo on headed up by S rling Moss. All the drama in ge ng the series off the ground was not quite over though. Over the Summer of 1966, St. Jovite had run into financial problems and the status of the first race taking place was in jeopardy. Fortunately, at the last minute, Players cigare es stepped in to sponsor the race and it was a go. When Starter John Gillanders dropped the Canadian flag, the Can-Am series was on it's way, a series that will probably never be duplicated for sheer, noise, thunder and excitement. (Our thanks to Bob Harrington for this story and photos) Granted, it’s taken a while but production from the new factory is arriving. Place your orders now to assure you have the original, period-correct, VINTAGE TYRES LIMITED authentic cross-ply race tyres Dunlop 255 Southwest Cove Road, Hubbards, Nova Scotia B0J 1T0 provides – fun to drive, safer, and far less Tel: (902) 228-2335 stress on old components. e-mail: [email protected] Check with your dealer today. The distributor of Dunlop Racing Tires in North America & agent for: Dunlop Classic Road Tires, MWS Wire Wheels, Weller and Panasport Racing Wheels. www.racedunlop.com In Canada: BRITAIN WEST MOTORSPORT 36 Godby Road, Brantford, ON N3T 5L5 • Tel: (519) 756-1610 In the U.S.A.: SASCOSPORTS INC. 1010 Ryan's Way, Alton, VA 24520 • Tel: (877) 377-7811 Fax: (434) 822-7300 ROGER KRAUS RACING 2896 Grove Way, Castro Valley, CA 94546 • Tel: (800) 510-7223 Fax: (510) 886-5605 Bob Polak VARAC racer Bob Polak passed away from a heart a ack while on vaca on in the Philippines in December. Bob raced his quirky li le 1969 Mini Marcos Mk III with enthusiasm and humour, saying “Speak to me before I’ve had my coffee and find out why the sign says “Grumpy Old Man Racing”! Bob said he bought the Marcos “in boxes in 2006. I had a friend in California build it into a race car. That took 18 months, but it was worth the wait and $$$!” Willy Goebbels, Porsche 911, #11 alongside Klaus Bytzek, Porsche Carrera RSR, # 9, about to take the start flag at Shannonville. Photo: Stevens/Kielbiski collection Willy Goebbels Willy was born 1919 in Cologne, Germany, he immigrated to Canada in 1956. After a few ventures in the automotive industry, ( Willy was a graduated automotive engineer ), he decided to start, with his friend Hans Berner, his own Automotive Machine Shop specializing in Aluminum Cylinder heads. Motex became the place to take your heads to for a rebuild if you Club raced Porsches, Lotus or Jaguars, or anything exotic out of Europe in the 60's, 70's or 80's. Of course Willy and Hans had to build their own race car. A mid 60's 911 would do just fine. They totally stripped the car inside and out, leaving only the components necessary to race the car. The 2.2 litre engine was swapped for 3.0 litre Carrera RS engine, and you had one of the fastest packages for Club Racing in the 70’s. Which they did; Willy and Hans must have attended every Club Race in Ontario Region and some in Quebec between 1965 and 1980. Willy also competed at Sebring, Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta and the 24 Hours at Daytona, but perhaps the highlight of his career was winning the 6 hour Sundown Grand Prix in 1970, co driving with Gerhard Hirsch. Willy was a Lifetime honorary member of the DAC ( Deutscher Automobile Club ). He passed in December 2015 at the age of 96. Horst Petermann. Bill Pickthorne
Photo: Stevens/Kielbiski collection Bill Pickthorne died peacefully in his own home on January 8, 2016, in his 79th year. Bill was a man rich in friends from his years at Canada Post, the O awa MG Club and other racing comrades, and many more. He was a man with an honest nature and an adventurous spirit. Bill is seen here driving his MGA and the mid-engined Canada Class/ Formula Junior car built by Len Wi on of Montreal. Bill was passionate about his hobby and gave back by contribu ng his organiza onal and management talents to various club projects. Mystery photo!
In the last edition of Pit Signals we showed the photo at right “of two current VARAC members in 1963 at St-Eugene, Ontario, testing the race- worthiness of a TVR.” The correct answer is: John Sambrook, on top of the car, young Ed Luce beside it! Mystery photo #2!
Pictured above at Harewood Acres is another current VARAC member, “helping” his dad with his race car. Who is it?
Don’t delay, send your answer today! You may or may not valuable prizes. Offer void in areas surrounded by water, ba eries not included, cheques may not be honoured. Note! Vintage racing may be dangerous, side effects may include bleeding from your wallet. LOTUS 61M FF FOR SALE
1972 Lotus Type 61M Formula Ford for sale. Raced in the 70s, then in dry storage for over 25 years. Restored from 2005 to 2008 and raced with VARAC ever since. Not a frontrunner (at least in my hands) but a solid, reliable performer. Engine has 3 seasons. Hewland gearbox has gears for Mosport and Tremblant. New Spax shocks but original Armstrongs available for rebuild. Second set of Dunlops (FF Racing) on steel wheels. Some spares (carbs, manifolds, etc.) Some normal dings on fibreglass. Car in Ottawa, I can deliver anywhere in Ontario and Québec. $20,000. [email protected] FREE TO GOOD HOME! I have found a rear axle in my garage that I believe came from an.MGA.. (was original equipment on an Elva Courier, that I had owned .) I wish to find it a new home..And I want to give it away FREE!! This axle comes with fitted hubs,,NO diff pot..or axle shafts (half shafts ) I am hoping any one of our MGA racers may have a use for this lost relic..'.. Email me at [email protected] 1978 IMSA/Kelly Challenge Camaro
Built to IMSA racing spec's in 1978. Ran at Brainerd, Road Atlanta, Mid- Ohio & Road America. Pro built with tube connected uni-body sub-frames, 8 point cage, modified front clip & cross member, weight jack front suspension tubular upper arms, stock lowers. Original fiberglass body work w/steel roof, re-located 1&1/4" sway bar. Panhard bar, Halibrand 3.54 quick change rear end w/locker. Wilwood Superlite disc brakes, dual masters and remote reservoirs, Quartermaster hydraulic release bearing. Centreforce DFX clutch, Lakewood steel bell housing, New Griffin radiator. MSD with new rev control. Fuel Safe fuel cell. Approx. 500hp 355 cu in 11 to 1 motor. Balanced. Dry-sump.Running 105 octane, Victor Jr intake, Holley 850 square bore with mechanical secondaries. T-10 close ratio gear box (with spare wide ratio box needing 2nd gear synchro). 2 sets of Minilite replica wheels with tires. Car is turnkey, ready to go.
Car built and raced by Don Axtmann, ran in many Kelly - American Challenge Series and IMSA events. Documented history with race event programs and photos. Has been raced at Mosport (CTMP) many times in G70, and will turn 1m32sec to 1m33's all day long. It's great fun and easy to drive and has been prepped by BC RaceCars for the last few years. Car is located near London, Ontario. Price $22,500 US dollars. Contact info: [email protected] or call Terry 519 318 9511 cell. #515 Fiat Spider (photo by John Walker)
515 requires a passionate driver/owner who is not afraid to do a li le work to get her racing again. I purchased 515 back in 2009 and raced her from 2010-2014 with VARAC at Mosport and Mont Tremblant. Unfortunately in 2014 I had an off which highlighted a back problem. I’m no longer able to race. Seeing 515 sit in my garage is not right, I need to her on the track again! The car can be race ready if someone is willing to put in a li le effort. Before the crash she turned a 1:48 at Mosport.
• Rad mount/cross brace requires straightening. • Right side front fender needs to be replaced. (Have parts) • Comes with a single weber setup. You’ll have to source a twin setup. • Oil cooler, accusump, ATL fuel cell, full roll cage, race seat and harness, wink and wing mirrors, transponder, kill switches, alternator, and braided hoses. • Used set of R888 res mounted (you’ll want those rebalanced) Asking $4,995.00 or best offer!
Trailer with torsion suspension, brakes, winch and storage bin available for $1,500.00 (firm) For more photos and details feel free to contact me. Andre Rousseau: [email protected] 613-866-7365