OK - what car is this?
- Thread starter RobBeddington
- Start date
Since the tires seem to be unloaded, I'll venture a guess and say the track is the Nürburgring and the picture was taken near the flugplatz.
OK, it was just a guess.
OK, it was just a guess.
103 at Sebring, 1966?
If by decal, you mean the CM, I did see that, and I know they had similar markings at Sebring. But looking at other photos, it looks like they were all S or P. CM is, what, an SCCA class? The only car listed in Spain's book as running with number 22 in 1966 is 103 at Sebring, so I'm stumped.
Looks like it was the original Gulf car. Can't remember the fellow's name. It was the one restored on the Racing Icon's site, correct?
OK, according to this page 1049 was delivered as a road car. That would explain the wire wheels and door locks (and Gulf decal). So... Elkhart Lake???
What car is this? And the answer is ...
OK, that’ll do for me Tom and Ben and Steve.
Steve, sorry if this left you stumped, but the race itself is a very tough one to work out (possibly a trick question??), and without the race, I guess the driver could only be an educated shot in the dark too.
The SCCA race weekend - at VIR on 30 April 1966 - does not appear in any GT40 race history that I've seen, Ronnie Spain's or otherwise, but it is an important race in GT40 history.
Without this car, and perhaps with a different outcome in this race, there may have been no Mirages, Gulf GT40s and no Le Mans wins for the GT40 MK1. And where would we be without those??
1049 was delivered by FAV to Grady Davis, VP of Gulf, just two weeks before the VIR weekend, on 17 August 1966. Like you say, it was in road trim (Borranis etc) apart from a race spec drivetrain and roll cage. The driver was Dr Dick Thompson.
There are a number of ‘firsts’ for this car - and for this race.
- It was P1049’s first race – it won C Modified and took the VIR lap record, which had stood for 5 years.
- It was the first GT40 to wear Gulf decals (and this was the first race for the Gulf decals)
- It was the first GT40 to be driven by Le Mans winner Jackie Ickx (at Daytona in 1967)
- It was the first outing in a GT40 for Dr Dick Thompson, who was later to become a JWA/Gulf driver. Dick Thompson was race instructor for Grady Davis in 1958, hence the tie in, which for a long time saw them campaigning Sting Rays and Grand Sports.
- Again at Daytona in 1967, this was the first GT40 to be campaigned by JWA. It came 6th, beating all the MK11s. This was the first showing of the famous Gulf orange stripe.
IMHO, I think 1049 looks better in its 1966 trim than in its restored state by Racing Icons, however wonderful a restoration that was – but beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and I’ve always been strange /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif.
The first photo was by Jack Stokes. The following are Ed Lloyd photos, from the same VIR race meeting, courtesy Nick England's excellent VIR History website.
The next image, showing the Gulf decal, is from the same meeting, by Les Nance.
The following is a link to the amazing restoration by Racing Icons of how the car is now.
And there you have it. A little bit of GT40 history. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Cheers
Rob
OK, that’ll do for me Tom and Ben and Steve.
Steve, sorry if this left you stumped, but the race itself is a very tough one to work out (possibly a trick question??), and without the race, I guess the driver could only be an educated shot in the dark too.
The SCCA race weekend - at VIR on 30 April 1966 - does not appear in any GT40 race history that I've seen, Ronnie Spain's or otherwise, but it is an important race in GT40 history.
Without this car, and perhaps with a different outcome in this race, there may have been no Mirages, Gulf GT40s and no Le Mans wins for the GT40 MK1. And where would we be without those??
1049 was delivered by FAV to Grady Davis, VP of Gulf, just two weeks before the VIR weekend, on 17 August 1966. Like you say, it was in road trim (Borranis etc) apart from a race spec drivetrain and roll cage. The driver was Dr Dick Thompson.
There are a number of ‘firsts’ for this car - and for this race.
- It was P1049’s first race – it won C Modified and took the VIR lap record, which had stood for 5 years.
- It was the first GT40 to wear Gulf decals (and this was the first race for the Gulf decals)
- It was the first GT40 to be driven by Le Mans winner Jackie Ickx (at Daytona in 1967)
- It was the first outing in a GT40 for Dr Dick Thompson, who was later to become a JWA/Gulf driver. Dick Thompson was race instructor for Grady Davis in 1958, hence the tie in, which for a long time saw them campaigning Sting Rays and Grand Sports.
- Again at Daytona in 1967, this was the first GT40 to be campaigned by JWA. It came 6th, beating all the MK11s. This was the first showing of the famous Gulf orange stripe.
IMHO, I think 1049 looks better in its 1966 trim than in its restored state by Racing Icons, however wonderful a restoration that was – but beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and I’ve always been strange /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif.
The first photo was by Jack Stokes. The following are Ed Lloyd photos, from the same VIR race meeting, courtesy Nick England's excellent VIR History website.
The next image, showing the Gulf decal, is from the same meeting, by Les Nance.
The following is a link to the amazing restoration by Racing Icons of how the car is now.
And there you have it. A little bit of GT40 history. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Cheers
Rob
Re: What car is this? And the answer is ...
Dang! We were getting close. And to think all I had to do was do a Google search on GT40 SCCA 1966 ...
Dang! We were getting close. And to think all I had to do was do a Google search on GT40 SCCA 1966 ...
Re: What car is this? And the answer is ...
I cheated and phoned Ronnie Spain. Who said it was P1049 Dr Dick Thompson driving. Owned by Grady Davis. Said it was Elkart lake or Virginia 1966. I have an interest in it's colours Orange stripe Metallic dark blue (Not Gulf's Dark Blue?
I cheated and phoned Ronnie Spain. Who said it was P1049 Dr Dick Thompson driving. Owned by Grady Davis. Said it was Elkart lake or Virginia 1966. I have an interest in it's colours Orange stripe Metallic dark blue (Not Gulf's Dark Blue?
Tim Kay
Lifetime Supporter
Re: What car is this? And the answer is ...
You guys are great. This has been a most enjoyable thread to watch.
I for one am thirsty to learn the history of these cars and this type of education is awesome from people in the know. Even the answers that may not be spot-on correct have valueable information
Thx again.
You guys are great. This has been a most enjoyable thread to watch.
I for one am thirsty to learn the history of these cars and this type of education is awesome from people in the know. Even the answers that may not be spot-on correct have valueable information
Thx again.
