SCCA regional events in Texas etc. 1960s-70s through the lens of Jerry Melton

[khyndart in CA]

More regarding Greenwood Corvettes.

" In 1977, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) opened up the rule books to allow full tube-framed cars to compete in their North American Road Racing series. That prompted some of the front runners to opt-in to this new potential, John Greenwood being one of those from Corvette’s camp.

He joined forces with Bob Riley and the team that would later make a name for themselves as Protofab. The chassis was built by Charlie Selix and Gary Pratt (later Pratt and Miller) from large two-inch chrome-moly tubing, using extensive triangulation for strength." (Andy Bolig.)

I always thought this was a good looking machine with heaps of grunt but with few results even though it raced until 1983.


.





Greenwood leading the Mancuso Corvette.


The same Corvette C3 # TF 001 now raced by Greg Pickett in 1978 - 1983



The second Greenwood tube frame Corvette has just had a beautiful restoration by the Bruce Canepa shop and is for sale.
Check the workmanship in the photo gallery at this site.
https://www.corvetteonline.com/news/...eady-for-sale/


Here you are folks with an opportunity to have some fun even if you may have to sell the farm to get it !

(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

In 1972 at Waterford Hills the Austin Mini Cooper seemed to have a slight handling advantage over the Ford Pinto !




(Jerry Melton photos..)


Ken H

[khyndart in CA]

Some of the sedans racing in 1972.

Attachment 62485
A Volvo P1800

Attachment 62486
A TVR and an NSU competing in the rain.



A Yenko Stinger. (Jerry Melton photo..)

More can be read about the Stinger at this site which also includes the Yenko Stinger Tech Manual.

http://www.calconnect.com/cars/66yenko/66yenko.htm




(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

Waterford Hills is a 1.5 mile long road-racing circuit located just north of Detroit, the circuit map below gives us the picture of a circuit many of us are unfamiliar with.


Some of Jerry Melton's photos showed a Peter Quenet in a Lotus 51 during 1968.
Peter was Ford America Competition Manager who lived near this track.





(Jerry Melton photos)

Peter also liked the driving skills of a young Allan Moffatt who often raced at this track in the 1960s.
Peter in his Anglia which I'm sure had some hot Ford components.



Allan Moffat in his Lotus Cortina leading the Anglia of Peter Quinet in 1966.


(Ken H )

[Milan Fistonic]

This Greenwood Corvette was on display last year in the McLaren Trust at Hampton Downs

[khyndart in CA]

Allan Moffat enjoyed his Lotus Cortina drives at the Waterford Hills circuit as seen in these 1965 photos of him driving and winning there.




Allan considered Peter Quenet one of the main reasons for his career to be advanced from this stage, and I think Peter was able to arrange for Allan to be part of the 1965 Indy 500 winning team as a helper to Jimmy Clark and his Team Ford Lotus 38.
Allan is 2nd from the right in this team photo.




(Ken H)

[khyndart in CA]

Allan drove in the Formula B Class in 1966 and again in 1967.
He did not have much success in 1966 with the Lotus 35 and this is a sad looking Allan Moffat at Waterford Hills in 1966.


He did much better with his Brabham BT 16 in 1967, Winning a number of races.


But he seemed to do much better with a roof over his head such as in a Lotus Cortina.




The caption with this picture. " A couple of young ‘Australian’ roosters going for it at Riverside in September 1966- Horst Kwech in the Alfa Romeo GTA and Moffat in one of his Lotus Cortinas.

Allan also drove a Lotus Cortina in the 1967 Trans Am race at the Green Valley Circuit in Texas.
Captured by this Jerry Melton photo.



(Ken H)
I did not cover the Jerry Melton photos much earlier of this Trans Am event so as this is the time to catch up and present these photos on this thread.

[Ray Bell]

'Young' Australians?

Horst Kwech raced at Bathurst in 1958, obviously somewhere else earlier than that. You can't race at Bathurst without a full licence, you see.

I think Moffat's first race in Australia was about 1962 in a Triumph TR and he brought the Lotus Cortina here in late 1964.

[khyndart in CA]

Ray,
Allan was 26 yrs old and Horst was 28 in Sept. 1966.
That might be young by US standards !


Ken H

[Roger Dowding]

" A couple of young ‘Australian’ roosters going for it at Riverside in September 1966- Horst Kwech in the Alfa Romeo GTA and Moffat in one of his Lotus Cortinas.

Was waiting for a mention of Horst Kwech - he stayed in the USA, having come from Australia whereas Moffat [ Canadian Ehh !! - ?] became an Australian !! Both great racers.

Thanks Ken H,

Would like to see some early pics of Horst racing - before he went " Stateside " - Ray do you have of know of any ??

[khyndart in CA]

Roger,
You might get some info from this thread.
http://www.theroaringseason.com/show...ht=horst+Kwech



Ken H

[Ray Bell]

Reading that thread, it seems that Paul Newby is the boy who'd know where the pics can be found...

[Roger Dowding]

Roger,
You might get some info from this thread.
http://www.theroaringseason.com/show...ht=horst+Kwech



Ken H

Cheers Ken H,

Should have had a better look on here .. !!
Roger

[khyndart in CA]

Allan Moffat driving a MK 1 Lotus Cortina at Sandown in Nov. 1964 and then driving a RHD Lotus Cortina at Waterford Hills in July 1965.
Both Allan and Horst seemed to prefer RHD sedans wherever they raced.

Sandown Park. Nov. 1964


July 1965.

A Jerry Melton photo of Horst Kwech leaning out the right side of his RHD Alfa Romeo with the signature Kangaroo and Australia on the door.

At Green River Valley. 1965


(Ken H)

[Ray Bell]

This one, however, which lives in Alice Springs (you don't get any more Australian than that!) is left hand drive:

[khyndart in CA]

Ray,
That is a great looking 1965 Lotus Cortina.
There must be a story to go with that LHD beauty.


(Ken H)

[Ray Bell]

There is, I'll have to dig it up...

Bearing in mind that a very small number of LHD Lotus Cortinas were ever built.

[khyndart in CA]

One more of Horst Kwech in 1966 in an RHD Alfa GTA driving in a US Trans Am race.
Head leaning to the right shows the Kangaroo on his helmet and the door.
He was proud to show his ties to Australia. A cool dude.





(Ken H)

[Ray Bell]

Ken, I've been unable at this stage to contact the owner...

I have ascertained a couple of things. It has a modified version of the head made for Strombergs (from Lotus Europa Twin Cams, possibly etc) done by Ken Duclos in America. He's made up a twin-Weber manifold to adapt to those heads after machining off the Stromberg cast-in manifold.

The present owner is at least the second Australian owner, he bought it from a collector in Sydney. I saw the car both at his place in the urban part of Alice Springs and also out on this rural property, it gets around a bit.

[Ray Bell]

There was, apparently, no specific reason for the LHD car being purchased into Australia by the collector other than that he wanted a Lotus Cortina and that was the one he found...

And later, I guess, he fell out of love with it and the present owner bought it and took it to Alice Springs.

I was really expecting to learn that a US Serviceman stationed at Pine Gap (just outside The Alice) had brought it with him and left it behind when he went home. I know of one 1958 Plymouth 2-door station wagon that stayed here like that, and there are others.