Jerry Melton's photos taken in North America during the 1950s to the 1970s.

[Roger Dowding]

Ken H, have that car in 1;43 as well as a European Race one - similar but doesn't have the window safety meshing - great looking car !!

[khyndart in CA]

The winner of the GTU class (Under 2.5 Litres) was Brad Frisselle in his Datsun 240 Z # 47.
I met Brad a couple of times when he had his family car serviced in Santa Barbara and he was a very unassuming man but a brilliant race engineer/ driver who along with Trevor Harris built a Can Am car in the eighties known as the Frissbee and it did well in that series when driven by Al Unser jr. etc.




Brad Frisselle in the Datsun 240 Z, Mosport. June 1975.
(Jerry Melton photos.)


Brad' s 240 Z # 47,beautifully maintained, as raced at Laguna Seca, August 2017.
(Hyndman photo )

[Grant Ellwood]

Brad has two very talented sons racing in various series here too, great genes!

[khyndart in CA]

Carl Shafer surprised many when he came home second against the mighty Porsche Carrera RSR contingent in his Chevrolet Camaro
# 21.


Another Camaro # 88 of Mo Carter came in 6th.


Other local drivers such as the Carter brothers did not do as well.
Craig Carter in Camaro # 56 did not start in the race.


and his brother Darrel did not qualify in his Corvette # 54.


The Corvette of Richard Ortman # 42 finished in 24th position.


(Jerry Melton photos..)

[khyndart in CA]

The American cars were challenged by the Porsche Carrera RSR cars and some well known drivers.
The GTO winner was Hurley Haywood in Porsche Carrera # 6.



Peter Gregg came in 4th in his "Brumos" Porsche # 59








Al Holbert driving Porsche Carrera # 14.





(Jerry Melton photos.. )

[khyndart in CA]

The next day, June 15th 1975, was the Formula 5000 race.
One of the entrants was English driver Tony Dean driving a Chevron B24. # 7. When I checked the chassis number (24-73-07) I saw that it began life as a VDS Team car for the 1973 European F 5000 season driven then by Chris Craft. I happened to take a photo of the VDS team at Snetterton which shows Chris Craft waiting while his NZ mechanic, Graham Donaldson, checks it out.
Chevron B24 (24-73-07 ) ( K Hyndman photo..)
Now raced by Tom Tweedie in Australia this car has quite a history.
" Chevron B24
24-73-07................... As per Oldracingcars.com http://www.oldracingcars.com/chevron/b24/


Built for 1973 season. VDS: for Chris Craft UK 1973; for Peter Gethin Tasman 1974; loaned to Adlards Crowne Racing for Craft UK 1974; returned to VDS, converted to B24/B28 specification and used by Vern Schuppan to win at Brands Hatch October 1974. Sold to Tony Dean UK 1975 (up to R6 Zandvoort 19 May 1975), who typically described it as a "B28". On 19 May, Dean raced the car at Zandvoort, a couple of days after Wunderink wrecked his older B24. Five days later, on Saturday 24 May, Dean won a libre at Rufforth in a "B24", followed home in second by Richard Simms also in a B24. Two days after that, Dean had his "B28" at Thruxton, finishing fifth. Then to USA for US series (3 races: debut R2 Mosport 15 Jun). Confiscated by UK Customs & Excise on return from US when Dean was accused of misunderstanding the rules covering cigar imports. Bought by Don Gray (Sittingbourne, Kent) at auction: raced in UK 1977 (3 races: debut R4 Brands Hatch 11 Apr 1977; later fifth in second race at R7 Brands Hatch 26 Jun 1977) and in libre (2nd behind Keth Holland at Brands Hatch 19 Jun 1977) - Keith Holland: Australian Internationals 1978 - Barry Singleton 1978: raced in Australia 1978 - Jim Lowe: won Queensland Racing Car Championship in 1980, beating Ivan Tighe; Australian Gold Star 1980; crashed at Surfers Paradise in early 1981 and heavily damaged.

Wreck sold to Russel Gomersall then to Peter Phillips, who is believed to have got it back to running condition, and then Laurie O'Neill (Sydney). Sold by O'Neill to Dr Bill Marshall some time around 1985 and raced in Australian historic racing, running in HSRCA events at Amaroo Park and Oran Park in 1986, 1987 and 1988. Sold by Marshall to George Parlby in the early 1990s and restored for Parlby by Ralt Australia. Said to be for sale in the US in 2005. To Aaron Lewis (NZ) late 2005. Raced by Lewis in the Formula 5000 Tasman Cup Revival at the Australian GP meeting 28 Mar 2009.

Sold in Jan 2012 to Robert Tweedie to be driven by his son Tom Tweedie, the 2009-10 Australian National F3 Champion. Tweedie won first time out at HSRCA Eastern Creek (Sydney Motorsport Park) 29 Jun-1 Jul 2013. Raced by Tweedie in the 2013/14 F5000 Australia Cup, winning at Sydney Motorsport Park 1 Sep 2013. Won again at Sydney Motorsport Park November 2014. Raced at the Phillip Island Classic in March 2016, and in March 2018, where Tom Tweedie won all four races.

Driven by: Chris Craft, Peter Gethin, Vern Schuppan, Brian Redman, Tony Dean, Don Gray, Keith Holland, Barry Singleton, Jim Lowe and Russel Gomersall. First race: Mallory Park (UK R10), 8 Jul 1973. Total of 49 recorded races.


Tony Dean at Mosport. June 1975.


(Jerry Melton's photos.. )
Another photo of Tony Dean lining up beside B.J. Swanson in his Lola T332 # 42.
Swanson's promising career came to a tragic end at Mid-Ohio in August 1975 and he died about the same time as Mark Donohue, so it was a sad time for the US racing fraternity.
This site explains how it happened.
http://racing-reference.info/showblog?id=2836


(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

Dan Gurney's All American Racers Team had an Eagle 755 (01) # 48 at Mosport for Bobby Unser to drive. This was the only F5000 car of this type (755) built by the Gurney team. Sponsored by Jorgensen Steel.

Check out those "bell-bottoms"


Bobby Unser in a rare F 5000 appearance.
(Jerry Melton photos..)


A Jorgensen Steel ad from 1975. )

(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

Bobby Unser's brother Al did not have a memorable weekend as he damaged his Lola T 332 and then tried the new Lola T 400 # 51 for the Viceroy sponsored Vel's Parnelli Racing Team. It was raced just this one time before going back to his tried and tested T 332 for the remaining 1975 races.




Al Unser sr. in his only appearance in a Lola T 400.
(Jerry Melton photos.. )

[khyndart in CA]

Another Lola T 400 (HU 9) at Mosport was Eppie Wietzes in car # 94 that finished in 5th place.



Jerry Melton photos..

The same car is now raced in NZ by Glenn Richards.



Glenn Richards in his Lola T 400 (HU 9) # 99 at Taupo. Jan. 2018.
(K Hyndman photos.. )

[khyndart in CA]

Australian Warwick Brown was always a hard charger in F 5000 and at Mosport he finished 3rd behind Mario Andretti and Brian Redman in his McCormick, Pat Burke Racing Talon MR-1A # 4.

It must have been a handful in the wet with those "slicks" on !




Warwick Brown in # 4 alongside Brian Redman's Lola # 1. Jon Woodner # 91 in behind.

( Jerry Melton photos.. )

[khyndart in CA]

Well folks we are down to the final stretch.
David Hobbs drove the Hogan Racing Team Lola T 332 # 10 home into 4th place.






Finishing in 2nd place was another English driver, Brian Redman, in the Carl Haas Lola T 332 # 1 chassis (HU 45)..more on this car later.







(Jerry Melton photos.. )

[khyndart in CA]

The winner of the June 1975 F 5000 race at Mosport was Mario Andretti in the Viceroy Lola T 332 # 5.

The pit conditions were not exactly ideal at Mosport when the weather changed !






Mario discussing tactics with teammate Al Unser Sr.


Mario Andretti waiting for the track to open up.


(Jerry Melton photos.. )

[khyndart in CA]

Mario Andretti in his Lola T332 # 5. Chassis HU 29.

Mario leading Warwick Brown, David Hobbs and Jon Woodner through Turn 1 at Mosport at the start of the first F5000 Heat race.


Andretti coming up to pass John Cannon driving a March 73A # 9


Mario Andretti (an American legend) at speed in his Lola # 5.



(Jerry Melton photos.)


That is the end of my input of Jerry Melton photos.
Thanks to Cliff Reuter for letting me share these photos from such a wonderful era of racing here in North America.
I have mentioned it before but this time I am going to give you a break from my "ramblings" for a while.
Ken Hyndman

[khyndart in CA]

Just one p.s.
I noted that the Lola T332 that Brian Redman was driving at Mosport in June 1975 was chassis HU 45 and owned by Carl Haas.

In September 1975 at Long Beach, Brian Redman was still in the same car but it was now run by Jim Hall and was painted in "Boraxo" (hand cleaner )colours.

Hyndman's signed photo of Brian Redman and Jim Hall beside the newly painted Lola at Long Beach.


The same car today as it appeared at Laguna Seca in 2015.
K Hyndman photo.


Hyndman and Brian Redman discussing the 1975 Inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. 2015.



Now Hyndman is off to go mix with the "big boys" around the back roads of Los Olivos, California.
Take care.

Ken H.

[Rod Grimwood]

Ken, are you going to be at La Guna Seca Rolex this year. be great to catch up, we there both weekends, so hopefully see you and have that beer at last. This has been a great thread, lot of good work mate. Cheers Grimme

[khyndart in CA]

Rod,
This year I can only get to Laguna on Sunday August 19th for the day so I am pleased to learn that you will be there and we can catch up.
Also thanks for enjoying this thread as it takes time to input all the of Jerry Melton's photos and sometimes add some information.
Due to the lack of replies I thought not many were very interested in what happened in North American racing back then, so your comment was appreciated.
May you and all the NZ contingent have a safe journey over and we will have that drink together, my shout !
Cheers, Ken.

[Allan]

Yes we were interested and we appreciated you posting them, thank you. It's a shame that's it.
Allan

[Bruce302]

Hi Ken,

We are all loving the photos, and I know I speak for many when I say we are truly grateful for the photos and the fact that you take the time to post them for us.
We can be a little slack with comments.

Sorry I will miss you this year at Laguna, I get there on the 23rd.

[Spgeti]

Ken, your photos are always of interest. I never stop looking at them and it is always my morning hit along with a good cup of coffee.
Kind Regards, Bruce D

[Paul B]

Me too Ken!!, It makes most excellent reading in the morning with my coffee in hand too. Great pictures and commentary.
I look forward to it everyday.
Cheers from downunder