Programs, movies and memories. (USA version )

[khyndart in CA]

April 1983. Riverside.
A month after being at Long Beach I almost went to this race meet at nearby Riverside but stayed home to catch up with stuff around the house. Some of my workmates went and they were shattered after witnessing this crash.
Poor Rolf Stommelen had been devastated after a tragic F 1 crash in 1975 at the Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuic Park in Barcelona where his Hill Embassy car went into the crowd killing spectators when he lost control of his Hill GH1 when the rear wing came loose.
Ironically this crash at Riverside was also due to the rear wing of his Porsche 935L lifting loose and losing control before hitting and flipping over the massive barriers at the end of the straight before Riverside's infamous Turn Nine.
He apparently was a quiet gentleman and popular. This was indeed a sad day.





(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

In 1983 some of the Formula 1 teams were trying turbo 1.5 litre engine or relying on the dependable Cosworth-Ford V-8.
Alain Prost's Renault RE40 had a turbo V-6 Renault Gordini engine.
Here is a blurred photo I took of the great Alain Prost at Long Beach in 1983.







(Ken Hyndman photo..Road & Track cutting )

[khyndart in CA]

I had to slip in some more information on my favorite team of Patrick Head and Frank Williams. March 1983.







(Ken Hyndman + Road & Track cutting )

[khyndart in CA]

1998.
Being a BMW service advisor at the dealership in Santa Barbara, CA, for several years gave me the opportunity to meet some well
known people in the US from sports to politics. One man who was always ready to talk racing was Andy Granatelli (Mr. STP ). Even though he had his detractors, he was always friendly with me and it was an honour to be invited to his home in Montecito in 1998 where we had lunch and then he showed me his garage. I was completely surprised and amazed when he opened the doors and there was this collection of about 18 Duesenberg cars lined up. The walls were covered with photographs with each one having a story of Andy's long career in motor racing. I could have spent hours here but I had to get back to work but I did take some photos of this rare collection. ( I could not find any others when I searched the web.) With each car worth in the millions it was a jaw dropping experience !
The photos on the walls were so interesting as he told stories of all the drivers, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, the Andretti families, Unser families, working with Colin Chapman on the Indy turbine cars, etc, etc.

Andy was a true racing legend in the US.
This was a special occasion I will not forget. ( Andy died in 2013. )


Opening the garage doors.


Some of the wall of photos.


Andy's Duesenberg collection

[khyndart in CA]

1998.
More of Andy Granatelli's Duesenberg collection.
(Note the photos on the wall )




The blue car in front is a 1932 Duesenberg 2 Murphy Roadster (Replica)
Custom built for Andy Granatelli in 1989. It has a 1989 Ford 5.8 Litre EFI engine with automatic transmission.
(Only worth about 300 thousand !)


Andy taking Hyndman under his wing.

( Ken Hyndman photos )

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Here is a site with photos of Andy Granatelli through the years. (Mr. Indy 500 )

http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/an...y%20granatelli

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More information on Andy Granatelli from 1993.

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-12-..._1_guest-house

[khyndart in CA]

More STP advertising from the 1960s.
Andy certainly knew how to push his product !

[khyndart in CA]

A short You Tube clip of Andy Granatelli and STP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ9Sth3gP5Q



(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

1983.
BMW of North America using the Formula One engine success in their advertising.






(Ken Hyndman photo. 1983 Autoweek ad)

[khyndart in CA]

On other threads I often see the name of American driver Mark Donohue mentioned and it reminds me that is now 40 years since he passed away from an accident during practice at the Austrian F1 GP at the Oesterreichring course in August 1975.
A week earlier Mark had driven a modified Porsche 917-30 at Talladega Raceway, Alabama, to a new closed track world record speed of 221.160 MPH.
The Penske-March Formula 1 car crashed at high speed when the Goodyear tire at the left front blew out and Mark's car went out of control and crashed through an Armco barrier and four rows of catch fencing. He drifted in and out of consciousness for 2 days before he died.
The resulting lawsuit almost caused all racing to come to an end.
Bell helmets were altered so the visor did come away so easily.
The race circuit was questioned regarding the type of poles and the number needed for the catch fencing.
March Engineering had to alter their roll bar design as the forward supports were said to be a contributing factor to his head injuries.
Penske Corp.race crew were questioned on how they checked the race tire temperatures etc.
The Austrian hospital brain surgeon's procedure was questioned also.
After almost 9 years in April 1984, the estate of Mark Donohue was awarded millions of dollars with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. of Akron, Ohio being held liable for manufacturing a defective tire that blew out at 160 MPH. The jury stated that Goodyear's subsidiary in Wolverhampton, England, had been negligent in the way it manufactured the tire by failing to exercise the same degree of care that
" a reasonably prudent manufacturer or supplier of Formula One tires" would have exercised at the time.
Poor Mark would not have wanted all this to take place as he had mentioned to his team press agent that if anything happened to him that he was to tell the press; "If the engine fails, don't blame the engine, blame me for revving the engine too much."
" If the car fails, blame me for going off the track."
" If the tires fail, blame me for going over debris or hitting a curb."
When Donohue was questioned on this, he replied : " The risk of tire failure or equipment failure is one of the risks we drivers assume.
Even if the tire is defective, we assume that risk."
The jurors who awarded the damages never heard this interchange as the judge would not allow Goodyear to present it as evidence in its defense. As the lawsuit was filed in Rhode Island, USA. the awards were much greater than if it had been filed in Austria or England.
Fortunately motor racing has been able to continue despite this awful accident and resulting lawsuit.
I did not know until recently that a track marshal had also died from injuries when hit by a wheel from Mark Donohue's car crash. (I don't think his poor family won any lawsuit !. Do we not go to a race track
at our own risk ? )


This 1976 photo shows the roll bar forward mountings on a March F1 car. These were said to have perhaps caused damage to Mark's Bell helmet in the crash.


Phipps Photographic..Autoweek


(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

I have to admit that I was and always will be a fan of Mark Donohue's. His cars were always immaculate ( I like dark blue ) He drove in
all types of racing from Trans Am, Can Am, Indy cars and Formula One and was always near the front. He had retired for a few months to help Roger Penske and was president of Penske Racing when he was lured back behind the wheel. He helped develop this Porsche 917/30 to run at high speed and he broke the closed track record at 221.160 MPH which was a record that stood for 11 years before Rick Mears broke it in a Indy car. I do not think there was much in the way of wind tunnels back then in August 1975 so you had to be brave like a jet test pilot in not knowing the limits of the aerodynamics at that speed. Very brave indeed.


Note the wheel covers. Mark Donohue at high speed, Talledega Raceway. August 1975.


A model of the Donohue Porsche 917/30 shows the beautiful aerodynamics.
Note the mirror is not on for the record run. He did not have to worry about being overtaken !




(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

A brief Youtube movie of Donohue and Penske with the AMC Javelin during the 1970 Trans Am series. Some great footage of the handling of these cars.
Enjoy.




( Ken Hyndman )

[Grant Sprague]

Thank you Ken ... all very interesting much appreciated
....hope you all good up there .. Grant

[khyndart in CA]

Thanks Grant,
We are doing well over here thanks. Trying to harvest some of our walnuts, the weather is cooling and the baseball season is over.
All of NZ must be sleeping well after the RWC. Well done.
Take good care of each other.
Cheers,
Ken

[khyndart in CA]

Hey Grant,
I know you are building up a Mk1 Escort to go have some fun.
I just wanted to share the 1968 ( I think )Mk1 Escort that I had. It was a little old ladies car that was traded in at Fairview Motors, TeRapa, Hamilton
As I worked there in the used car department I got a special deal and drove this car before I set off for the US and England in 1972.
This great little car did not have the power of the Anglia I had previously but it was smooth and reliable and when I sold it the money paid for all my costs and travel expenses until I got my job at Trojan Works. I have many fond memories of this little car and I hope your Escort will do the same for you.
(Remember this is how they looked originally. This one was light blue. Cheers, Ken )






( Ken Hyndman )

[Steve Holmes]

I hope Grant doesn't mind me posting this. But he is now the proud owner of this beauty.

[khyndart in CA]

I keep coming back to Mark Donohue regarding his cars and his dedication to what he did. I have entered some sites that I have found interesting.
A ... http://formulaspy.com/features/class...rk-donohue-567

B... https://www.google.com/search?q=Mark...y9mTZFj8uyM%3A

If you visit the page or view the image you can spend a lot of interesting time here.

(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

Here is another automotive site that I enjoy.

http://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/


( Ken Hyndman )

[John McKechnie]

Ken- thanks for this lead, it takes you to the mightiest car manufacturer of last century- Packard, showing its history how they built real Spitfire engines, and PT boat engines. The records their engines set, and their mass production.
"Men Bet Their Lives on It"
http://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/2...ry/#more-31787

[Roger Dowding]

Hey Grant,
I know you are building up a Mk1 Escort to go have some fun.
I just wanted to share the 1968 ( I think )Mk1 Escort that I had. It was a little old ladies car that was traded in at Fairview Motors, TeRapa, Hamilton
As I worked there in the used car department I got a special deal and drove this car before I set off for the US and England in 1972.
This great little car did not have the power of the Anglia I had previously but it was smooth and reliable and when I sold it the money paid for all my costs and travel expenses until I got my job at Trojan Works. I have many fond memories of this little car and I hope your Escort will do the same for you.
(Remember this is how they looked originally. This one was light blue. Cheers, Ken )






( Ken Hyndman )

Ken, bet you wish you never sold it .. life is like that cars we should have kept .. but life got in the way.. !!
and BTW .. remember Fairview Motors, they sponsored a few racers in the day ..

[Roger Dowding]

Ken, have found some photo's from Portland Raceway in 1988, Historics, OK to put them here, rather than a new thread as only about 20 shots !!.
cheers

Roger

Here is an example ; A Healey to start ; unsure who Richard " Dick on Wheels " Mayor ran a 3000 and I believe still does in West Coast Vintage Racing.
I went there with members of the Austin-Healey Club of Oregon, the wives went shopping, great use of time .