I was recently at small gathering talking to a couple I've known for over 20 years and I mentioned how I enjoyed going back to NZ to visit family and also go to race meets if possible during the warm NZ summers. The wife, said she didn't know I was interested in racing otherwise she would have had me meet her mother who sadly passed away in 2014.
" She took me to lots of races at Santa Barbara, Paramount Ranch, Torrey Pines and Riverside etc. as a child, because she was the "Lady Racer," Ruth Levy.
Ruth lived her final years just a few miles away in Solvang and I truly regret not having met her and discussing her remarkable driving career. Although if she had not liked my questions she would have quickly let me know as her reputation of choice words was well known ! Her daughter Jackie has been a real gem and given me several books from Ruth's collection and I will attempt to share some of that content here;
Ruth moved to California with her two daughters from New York in early 1956 after divorcing Lou Levy who was a well known jazz pianist with Tommy Dorsey's Band etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Levy_(pianist).
She had learned to drive on the icy roads and lakes of Minnesota growing up on her parents Minneapolis farm and always wanted to be a race driver among other pursuits ! She had done some ice racing with a new Porsche Speedster at Lake Phelan in 1955.That is Ruth on the left
waiting for the refueling.
After arriving in California Ruth entered the first race meet at Paramount Ranch, August 1956.
Unheralded and unknown she proceeded to show others her driving skills.
In that first race Ruth drove like a seasoned expert and won her class driving driving her Porsche # 253.
Narrowly defeating Bob Bondurant ( https://bondurant.com/ ) in Morgan # 19 and Lew Spencer( Morgan # 145)
Lew would go on to assist Carroll Shelby in developing the Shelby Cobra and also drive for the Shelby Team.
(To be continued.. Ken H)
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