Twenty years ago, CSRG (Classic Sportscar Racing Group) decided they wanted to work with the then named “Sears Point Raceway” to support the Sonoma, CA community. Since then, CSRG has raised more than $1,200,000 to help teenagers and young adults, quite a feat. The Charity Challenge allows spectators to purchase rides in real race cars around Sears Point Sonoma Raceway. For many, riding around Sonoma Raceway at near racing speeds in a race car is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Saturday night, CSRG celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Charity Challenge with a party for team owners, drivers, crew members, track workers, and invited guests. Held in the T11 building. Sears Point’s new turn eleven track hospitality center. Chief Registrar Petey Thornton announced her retirement effective at the end of the 2023 season.  She will be missed but has certainly paid her dues.  It’s time for her to kick back and relax!

The Track

Sears Point or Sonoma Raceway, is a Northern California twelve-turn 2.520-mile road course featuring more than 160 feet of elevation from its highest point, turn three at 174 feet to its lowest turn ten at 14 feet.

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A rebranding with an unerring Motorsport focus

Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, the three days of historic racing, formerly known Silverstone Classic, now rebranded into the all-encompassing Silverstone Festival, albeit with the beating heart of classic Motorsport still at the forefront of its focus, but with an array of other attractions, seeking to spread the appeal to a wider audience. Huge car club presence sees the infield awash with eclectic collections of rare, unique and quirky motors, indeed, one could easily spend a day wandering around the seemingly endless lines of immaculately presented cars, basking in their elegance. The prestigious Silverstone Auctions, now operating under Iconic Auctioneers saw some spectacular lots offered with many auction world records broken, the undoubted star of the show being the ex-Colin McRae Subaru Impreza 22B, Chassis 000/400 selling for £480,500. One of three prototype 22Bs built, and offered on the open market for the very first time.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of motorsport at Silverstone, the expected partnerships with Masters Historic Racing, HSCC, HGPCA and Masters Racing Legends offered a bumper timetable throughout the weekend, with grids seemingly offering more depth and diversity than has been seen over the past couple of editions, certainly a fine way to celebrate this landmark year in the history of Silverstone. The HGPCA in particular, holding the 75th Anniversary Trophy  for front engine Grand Prix cars from 1948-1960, harking back to the very start of Silverstone’s racing history, with a field featuring imperious cars such as the Maserati 250F, Ferrari 246 Dino and Talbot Lago T26 to name but a few.

Formula One Celebrations

Some of the most mesmerizing and spellbinding moments of previous Silverstone Classic events have been provided by the special demonstrations that form an integral part of the on track action over the course of the weekend. There was no exception this year, with a superb demonstration of some of the loudest and dynamic Formula One cars to have graced the circuit in period to celebrate 75 years of action at Silverstone. The deafening roar of the Williams FW19, and screaming Dallara F191 rolled back the years as the grandstands reverberated to the sound of the now unthinkable V10 engines, while the gracious Mercedes F1 W04 in the hands of the supremely talented Esteban Gutierrez brought a more contemporary celebration. They were of course joined by a diverse grid of other Grand Prix greats, reaching back to the halcyon days of the 1970s, where cars like the sublime Tyrrell 001 wowed spectators with the raw blend of speed and innovation.

75 Years of NASCAR

A rare treat on these shores, but a welcome follow up to the superb NASCAR demonstrations at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, a wonderful display of NASCAR Stock cars, ranging from the 1958 Ford Thunderbird, through to contemporary giants, like the 2017 Ford Mustang and 2012 Chevrolet Impala, showcased the brute force and thunderous rumble of the iconic American race cars. In a year when the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 wowed crowds at the 24h of Le Mans, running under the Garage 56 rules, and an expanded programme for the Whelan Euro NASCAR Series, European fans have been treateSd to a special year in chances to witness the powerful V8 powered stock cars, paying tribute to 75 years of the highly successful race series. While the weather curtailed the chances for the NASCAR display on Saturday, those who stuck around til Sunday were treated to a wondrous display, with a soundtrack that epitomized the drama of this thrilling race series.

Race Winners

• Historic Formula Junior (Races 1&2) – Sam Wilson, Cooper T59
• MRL Historic Touring Car Challenge – Wim Kuijl, Ford Capri
• HSCC Thundersports – Michael Lyons, IBEC 308LM

• MRL Big Cat Challenge Trophy – John Pearson & Gary Pearson, Jaguar E Type
• The Derek Bell Trophy for HSCC Formula Libre (Races 1&2) – Henry Chart, Trojan T101
• MRL RAC Woodcote Trophy & Stirling Moss Trophy – Olly Bryant, Lotus XV
• Masters Racing Legends Race 1 – Ken Tyrrell, Tyrrell 011
• Masters Racing Legends Race 2 – Michael Lyons, Lotus 92
• Masters GT Trophy – Craig Wilkins, Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo
• Masters Endurance Legends (Race 1&2) –  Steve Brooks, Peugeot 90X
• International Trophy for Classic GT Cars – Julian Thomas & Callum Lockie, Shelby Cobra Daytona
• HGPCA Pre ’66 Grand Prix Cars – Charlie Martin, Cooper T53
• HGPCA Front Engine Pre ’66 Grand Prix Cars – Mark Shaw, Scarab Offenhauser
• HGPCA Rear Engine Pre ’66 Grand Prix Cars – Charlie Martin, Cooper T53
• Adrian Flux Trophy for Transatlantic Pre ‘66 Touring Cars – Sam Tordoff, Ford Falcon Sprint
• Yokohama Trophy for Masters Sports Car Legends – Gary Pearson & Alex Brundle, Ferrari 512M
• HSCC Road Sports Trophy – Kevin Kivlochan, Shelby Cobra

Gallery

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Established 75 years ago, the Goodwood Motor Circuit, nestled in West Sussex, England, has been an epicenter for exhilarating spectacles and displays of vehicular prowess. Its chronicles intertwine with the eminent British automaker Lotus, which is also marking its 75th jubilee during this year’s festivity. In an inaugural move, the Revival introduces the Rudge-Whitworth Cup, echoing the original accolade of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Commemorating the century-long journey of the famed endurance race—a momentous occasion observed by Rolex and the motorsport cognoscenti in June—this dual-driver challenge will spotlight iconic sports cars from the initial eras of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The grid is poised to feature revered marques, encompassing the likes of Alfa Romeos, Bentleys, and Bugattis. Concurrently, the event will pay tribute to Carroll Shelby, the mastermind behind the triumphant 1966 Ford GT40 team.

Jenson Button

Among the line-up of legendary drivers at the Revival, this year is Jenson Button, who has achieved success across a variety of motoring disciplines. Fresh from competing in the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2009 FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion Button says:

“The Goodwood Revival is the best weekend of the year for many reasons, such as the cars, the track, and seeing everyone dressed up. As soon as you walk through the gates, it’s like you’ve stepped back in time. There is nothing like it. This year is going to be particularly memorable as I’ll be racing my own car in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy; a bronze C-Type Jaguar, which Juan Manuel Fangio owned. The technology differs greatly from the car I raced at Le Mans a few months ago. Everything is very mechanical, which I love.”

Jackie Stewart

A familiar face at the Revival is three-time FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart, who joined the Rolex family of Testimonies in 1968. He reflects:

“From Sir Malcolm Campbell’s land speed records in the 1930s, to the 1960s when the Daytona watch was born and to modern-day Formula 1, Rolex has been part of tremendous moments in motorsport history. This relationship has stood the test of time and continues to thrive worldwide, be it at Daytona, Monte Carlo or Goodwood. The track at Goodwood always brings back fond memories for me, having first visited it when I was just 14. Driving there changed my path in life, ultimately allowing me to race in Formula 1 so it’s a special place for me.”

During the three days, close to 150,000 motorsport and vintage enthusiasts are expected to flock to the beautiful Sussex Downs to experience the nostalgia of a bygone era while celebrating the ongoing influence of these pioneering years on the modern world. Rolex has been closely associated with motor racing for more than 90 years, supporting the sport’s development of technologies for future generations and the sharing of its expertise with wider society. Reinforcing this commitment, the 2023 Goodwood Revival will present its first-ever 100 percent sustainably fueled race: the Fordwater Trophy, featuring Mark Webber, who will compete at the event for the first time in a pre-1966 Porsche 911. Off the track, the Revive & Thrive community provides a platform for fashion and craft experts who gather to share their passion for preserving items for a lifetime of use.

Mark Webber

Ahead of his Revival race debut next week, multiple Formula 1® Grand Prix winner and a Rolex Testimony since 2017, Webber comments:

“I’m very much looking forward to participating in the Fordwater Trophy, it’s been a long time coming, trying to find the right type of car and the right race with the famous Porsche logo. I’m sure it will be a lot of fun, it’s a great weekend for getting into the spirit of things. Rolex has had a number of Testimonies racing there in the past so I’m happy to join a very cool list of people behind the wheel. Both Rolex and the Goodwood Revival have an appreciation for the meticulous precision it takes to make something elegant that can be cherished forever.”

Information

Tickets and general information HERE

Original press release provided by Rolex & Motorsport

Previous action at the Revival

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Preserved for close to a century

A 1920s wooden handle screwdriver, which was used by one of the original mechanics before Major Henry Segrave broke the 200mph barrier, had been dropped into the filler neck of its engine oil tank while he checked the levels – and stayed inside for almost a century. Meanwhile, a preserved shilling with a 1921 stamp was found in solidified oil on top of the rear suspension spring, when bodywork was taken off to expose the chassis. An adjustable spanner from the time of its landmark run was also uncovered after being similarly ‘glued’ to the chassis with vegetable-based Castrol R oil.

What’s making that noise?

National Motor Museum Senior Engineer Ian Stanfield explained: “It’s the first 200mph screwdriver, which couldn’t have been removed from the oil tank because it was buried under the engine. We cleaned out the tank where the oil had solidified, using hot water and detergent, and after shaking the tank the vintage screwdriver eventually tipped out. After the LSR breaking run, the oil would have stuck like glue on top of the chassis which is where we made the other discoveries. It is like a time capsule which is all part of the incredible history of Sunbeam 1000hp. It has only ever been driven for 50 miles to break the world record and these are the style of tools the mechanics would have used when they built it.”

The National Motor Museum’s specialist workshop team has needed to make its own bespoke tools to fit the iconic record breaker to dismantle it. Visitors to Beaulieu can see the exposed chassis on show in the National Motor Museum until Sunbeam 1000hp is taken to motoring events at the end of the summer.

Future plans

The Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign was launched with Hampshire-based Brookspeed Automotive in March. To help raise the profile of the vehicle’s centenary celebrations and fundraising campaign – through individual donations and corporate sponsorship – there are plans to take it to Europe and on tour to motoring museums across America. Opportunities will also be offered for schools, colleges and universities to get involved with STEM workshops and activities.

The Sunbeam’s 22.5 liter engines, each producing 435bhp, have not run since before World War II more than 80 years ago – after corrosion attacked internal workings. With painstaking rebuilding, using specialist knowledge and bespoke parts, National Motor Museum engineers will recapture the sounds, sights and smells of this ground-breaking machine and help to preserve it for future generations.

Donations welcome

Funds are now needed to turn back the clock and complete the full restoration project. Donations for the Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign can be made online HERE.

Sponsors and corporate donors who would like to be associated with the campaign are urged to contact by emailing michelle.kirwan@beaulieu.co.uk.

Original story here

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The Concours of Elegance 2023 at Hampton Court, is set to extend a warm welcome to Fritz Burkard, a renowned classic car enthusiast from Switzerland, who will be honored with the title ‘The Collector.’ This prestigious Concours is proudly presented by A. Lange & Söhne and is scheduled to take place at the esteemed Hampton Court Palace, situated near London, UK, spanning from September 1st to 3rd, 2023.

Burkard’s remarkable Pearl Collection is a testament to the rich legacy of the automotive world, spanning a wide range of decades, from the very inception of the automotive age to the present day. This ever-expanding collection, based in Switzerland, is a treasure trove of automotive marvels, encompassing a diverse array of vehicles. From the awe-inspiring historical Grand Prix machinery, evoking memories of glorious racing eras, to the intriguing and unique 1960s one-offs, each reflecting the essence of a transformative period. Additionally, the collection boasts a splendid selection of 21st-century hypercars, representing the pinnacle of engineering ingenuity and pushing the boundaries of automotive innovation.

Burkard is passionate about all his acquisitions, firmly believing that a love of such machinery comes from the heart. In fact, he doesn’t even think of himself as a collector, in the traditional sense: “I see myself more as a custodian, as somebody who has fun for myself and the people around me,” he told film-maker Luca Pieri Pilotti. “I get very emotional around my cars, especially when I can see their history, when I can smell it.”

The Pearl Collection is known for using its vehicles enthusiastically, rather than just leaving them on static display, as Burkard explains: “Cars combine several passions: history, design, innovation, the feeling when you drive them, the sound… a car has its own aura. You feel it or you don’t. We at the Pearl Collection love quirky and unusual models. We show them, we race them and we use them.”

Highlights

• Swiss classic car aficionado Fritz Burkard will showcase diverse selection from Pearl Collection
• Line-up to include Ettore Bugatti’s first-ever racing machine from dawn of motoring age
• 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza first registered to Scuderia Ferrari; 1934 Bugatti Type 59 owned by King Leopold III of Belgium
• 1939 Maserati 4CL Monoposto ‘Works’; Park Ward-bodied 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental
• Also to feature 1936 Bugatti T57S Atalante, Abarth ‘La Principessa’ and 2022 Bugatti Centodieci
• World’s rarest, most spectacular vehicles will be on display from 1st to 3rd September 2023
• The Concours of Elegance remains the UK’s top concours d’elegance and among the top three in the world
• Tickets now on sale here: https://concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets/

Featured Automobiles

1897 Prinetti & Stucchi Tricycle

Established in Milan in 1883, Italy’s Prinetti & Stucchi was a big name in sewing machines, bicycles and, eventually, by way of production of licenced DeDion tricycles, and motorized vehicles. But it was also the starting point for one Ettore Bugatti, a teenaged apprentice destined for automotive excellence.

Exhibiting innovation and mechanical skill beyond his years, at the behest of the Automobile Club of Italy Bugatti developed a two-engine racing version of the tricycle – namely, the inaugural Bugatti Type 1. In 1899 it won its first race in Reggio Emili against very stiff competition at a world-record average speed of 64kp/h over 90km. This was a remarkable feat – one that set the tone for many more incredible cars and motor-racing victories to come for Ettore.

1933 Alfa Romeo 8C Monza

Moving forward several decades, the next display car from the Pearl Collection is the 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza running a 2866cc straight-eight engine. Designed by the legendary Vittorio Jano, this supercharged, Brianza-bodied competition machine was registered to Scuderia Ferrari. It was raced in the Monaco Grand Prix by Tazio Nuvolari, and went on to win the Swedish GP in August 1933. It also competed in the Mont Ventoux and San Sebastian hillclimbs.

After mechanical upgrades, and now renamed SF28, it took part in the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, and at the Circuito di Varese. Over the succeeding decades the Alfa moved between several owners, and eventually it underwent a full restoration. Since then it has been a regular in historic motorsport, and in 2012 it was driven from Germany to the Goodwood Revival. It duly won its race, before being driven back to Germany.

1934 Bugatti Type 59

Returning to the Bugatti story is the Pearl Collection’s Type 59, produced in 1934 in answer to increasing competition from Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz. With its dropped body, lower centre of gravity, longer wheelbase and supercharged straight-eight, it is considered both a technical marvel and a masterpiece of industrial design. Only six were built, and this example took third at the Monaco GP and overall victory in Belgium. The T59 was Bugatti’s last GP car, and is considered to be the most elegant of all pre-war competition machines.

This example was then redeveloped for sports car racing, with the supercharger removed, a dry-sump gearbox installed, and heavily revised chassis and bodywork. Through a series of successes, it became France’s fastest sports car. It even had a stint in the ownership of King Leopold III of Belgium. Endlessly fascinating this historic, singular machine, which is presented in very original condition, embodies the ineffable magic of the Bugatti marque, ‘le pur-sang des automobiles’.

1939 Maserati 4CL Monoposto

While the Maserati marque was still relatively new by the time the 4CL arrived in 1939, it had already built a name for itself in competition circles. With its four-valves-per-cylinder straight-four engine, the model debuted at the Tripoli GP, and just seven were built before the start of World War Two. This particular 4CL Monoposto, chassis 1564, was the prototype. It would see ‘Works’ team action at Naples, Abbazia and Livorno, with the likes of Carlo Felice Trossi, Franco Cortese and Luigi Villoresi at the wheel.

It continued to race post-war under the command of such names as ‘Raph’ and Maurice Trintignant, before starting a less frenetic career as, variously, a hillclimber, a VSCC trials machine and a museum exhibit. At the turn of the millennium, it resumed its rightful place on the circuit, and it eventually joined the Pearl Collection in 2019.

1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental

The Phantom II Continental moves the focus of the collection’s display cars from mainland Europe to Britain. Proving a glorious swan song for Rolls-Royce’s venerable six-cylinder side-valve engine, this Continental boasts unusual wind-tunnel-honed Streamlined Saloon coachwork from Park Ward. With a boosted compression ratio and high-lift camshaft for its 7,668cc engine, the car could reach a very swift 92mph in period.

After taking pride of place on Park Ward’s stand at the 1934 Olympia Motor Show, the Phantom II had a distinguished ownership career, eventually settling across the Atlantic. In the early 2000s, after a full restoration, it appeared at both the Pebble Beach and Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance events.

And more…

Further Pearl Collection exhibits at the 2023 Concours of Elegance will include the stunning 1936 Bugatti T57S Atalante, along with the super-slippery, Pininfarina-designed Abarth 1000 record car ‘La Principessa’ from the 1960s. Bringing the collection up to date is the limited-edition 2022 Bugatti Centodieci, built to celebrate 110 years of the marque’s exceptional design and performance.

James Brooks-Ward, Concours of Elegance CEO, said: “The diversity and quality of the Pearl Collection, along with Fritz Burkard’s clear passion for the subject and enjoyment of ownership, exemplify all that is great about classic cars.  From Ettore Bugatti’s first-ever racing machine to its 2022 Centodieci spiritual successor, the selection of vehicles Fritz has chosen to exhibit at the Concours of Elegance embodies British and European automotive history both on-road and on-track. We are delighted to play host to such a wonderful display for this year’s The Collector feature. Britain’s ultimate automotive extravaganza will take place at Hampton Court Palace in September. We look forward to welcoming guests from around the world to the show in just over a month’s time.”

Star exhibits include some of the world’s most revered Ferraris, Le Mans Centenary machinery, 30 Under 30 classics from the next generation of motoring enthusiasts and the all-female Levitt Concours. Further categories, cars and features will be announced in the coming weeks, as we build towards September’s event.

Away from the automotive displays, Concours of Elegance 2023 will again be an occasion of pure luxury, with champagne provided by Charles Heidsieck, picnics by Fortnum & Mason, and a collection of art, jewelry and fashion displays. Presenting Partner A. Lange & Söhne will once again showcase some of its most intricate timepieces.

More information HERE

Gallery

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Another great VSCC race meeting at Donington Park; being British we have to mention the weather: scorching sun to torrential rain and back again! The rain was so heavy that the penultimate race had to be cancelled and it was only by waiting for a long period beyond the scheduled finish time that the last race got started, albeit with reduced length.

This was a rather special race and features in most of the photo gallery here: the Longstone Tyres Light Car race. This was only the second time that the Light Car race had been run this century! It was revived in 2021 at Oulton Park and everyone agreed that it must be repeated- it’s like nothing else, anywhere in the world! I think that it was last run prior to WW2 before these two modern “revivals”, when some of these small cars were still fairly new.

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Il Commendatore

Research the Ferrari automobile, and it will soon become apparent that it was built from one man’s passion for speed. Enzo Ferrari’s vision to build a superior automobile and dominate motor racing was an enduring obsession that never faded throughout his lifetime. A man deeply enamored by racing, Enzo’s aspirations would lead to world championships and a sports car brand that still defines prestige to this day. Unlike other manufacturers, Ferrari was not a car company that entered racing; it was a racing company that entered car production. Having just toured the Petersen Museum’s exhibit, “Maranello Masterpieces: The Legacy of Enzo Ferrari,” Sports Car Digest thought we were due to discuss some of the defining chapters of Enzo’s life and share some images from the exhibit.

Alfa Romeo

At the age of 10, Enzo Ferrari attended his first automobile race, the Coppa Florio, in Bologna. It had a profound effect on him, and 12 years later, he sold the house he grew up in to buy a race car. Enzo Ferrari’s journey with Alfa Romeo began in 1920 when he was employed as a test driver. Soon, his remarkable abilities were recognized, and he was appointed head of the racing division, Alfa Corse, in 1929. Under his stewardship, Alfa Romeo achieved significant victories, demonstrating Enzo’s deep understanding of race dynamics and automotive engineering. However, disagreements with Alfa Romeo’s management, coupled with his own unfulfilled aspirations of constructing his own vehicles, led him to sever ties with the company in 1939. Nevertheless, this tenure at Alfa Romeo solidified Enzo’s commitment to racing and automobile design.

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A mere hundred years have passed since the first Grand Prix d’endurance de 24 heures, a somewhat humble beginning for the race now considered the ultimate test of man and machine, a grueling challenge set over 24 hours where the world’s best drivers fight for one of the ultimate prizes in motor racing. It was back in May of 1923 when the first race was contested, with no official winners prize to fight for, the field of cars fought to see which team could cover the most distance over the 24 hour period. The field comprised of predominantly French cars with the notable inclusion of a single Bentley and two Belgian Excelsiors, the overall winners were Andre Lagache and Rene Leonard, who piloted a Chenard-Walcker Type U3 15CV Sport one hundred and twenty-eight times around the track, covering an astonishing 1372 miles over the course of the 24 hours.

The track itself has evolved over the years, but unlike many of its contemporaries, retains most of the charm and mystique, which have characterized the race over the years. The Mulsanne Straight, now punctuated by two chicanes, introduced in 1990 in an attempt to curb the ever increasing speeds along its former 3.7 mile grandeur, still offers a scintillating thrill, where top class prototypes can realize their top speed potential, as the track cuts through the forests which lead into the French countryside south of the circuit. Still considered a pure test of both driver and car, the fast sweeping corners, tight chicanes and blisteringly fast straights combine to offer a challenge unlike any other, more raw than other circuits used for the World Endurance Championship.

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Fresh off its appearances at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans and the recent Le Mans Classic, the Mazda 787B will take center stage at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This marks its return to the festival after an absence since 2015. As Goodwood commemorates the centenary of the inaugural running of the world’s most celebrated endurance race, the iconic Mazda 787B will join other esteemed Le Mans contenders and winners.

Highlights

• The 1991 Le Mans-winning Mazda 787B will be in action at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed*.
• On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th July, the Mazda 787B will be driven at Goodwood Festival of Speed by Johnny Herbert.
• With victory in 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Drivers

The iconic Le Mans-winning car, adorned with the distinctive ‘Renown’ livery, will tackle the Goodwood hill climb throughout the Festival of Speed. Johnny Herbert, one of the triumphant drivers in the 1991 Le Mans race, will once again take the wheel alongside former Grand Prix driver Karun Chandhok and ex-Mazda IMSA factory driver Harry Tincknell, who will also have the opportunity to showcase their skills in the historic vehicle.

Rotary conquers Le Mans

The 1991 Le Mans victory represented a remarkable moment for Mazda’s rotary engine technology, which embodied the company’s relentless pursuit of innovation. When Johnny Herbert crossed the finish line on June 23, 1991, at 4 pm, it marked an extraordinary achievement. Mazda had not only become the first Japanese manufacturer to win the prestigious endurance race but had also captivated fans with the distinctive and ear-catching sound of its unique engine.

During its victorious campaign, the Mazda 787B completed 362 laps of the renowned French circuit with minimal maintenance. Across its 28 pit stops, the winning car only required a single oil top-up, a change of brake discs and pads, and a nose change. The 700bhp four-rotor R26B-powered 787B demonstrated the reliability, efficiency, and performance of Mazda’s rotary engine technology, relying mainly on fuel and tire replacements throughout the race.

The triumphant car was driven by Johnny Herbert, alongside fellow Formula One drivers Volker Weidler and Bertrand Gachot. Their race was relatively uneventful, with Weidler making impressive progress from the 787B’s starting position of 23rd on the grid. By 6 pm, car number 55 had climbed into the top ten, and at the halfway point of the race at 4 am, it was running in third place. With three hours remaining, the Mazda secured second place when the leading Mercedes-Benz encountered engine issues and retired from the race.

Overall victory for Japan

This turn of events left the number 55 Mazda 787B to continue its consistent performance and cross the finish line, clinching the overall victory for Japan. This achievement was particularly significant as Toyota and Nissan had been striving to win the prestigious race throughout the Group C era. However, it was Mazda, a relatively small manufacturer from Hiroshima, and its rotary engine that secured the first outright victory at Le Mans for a Japanese brand. Adding to the triumph, the Mazda 787B, designed by Nigel Stroud, became the first car with carbon brakes to win at Le Mans. The sister car, number 18, finished in sixth place, while the older number 56 Mazda 787 secured eighth place. Nevertheless, it was chassis number 002 of the Mazda 787B that etched its name in history with an exceptional overall victory at Le Mans.

More information HERE

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Over the weekend of June 15 to 18, 2023, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association held the Brickyard Invitational at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As part of the SpeedTour series of races, this event highlighted everything from pre-war racing cars all the way up to late 20th century classic, and even a few recent era, racing machines, all competing around the Indianapolis Grand Prix circuit layout that includes the infield section.

Check out the gallery below for some classic race machines doing what they were designed to do: Go racing!

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Highlights of Chassis No. 2155

• One of 20 Zagato-bodied A6G/54 Berlinettas
• Likely the only A6G/54 with a “Double-Bubble” Zagato roof
• Raced in the 1956 Mille Miglia
• Restored in Italy, exquisitely refined by Paul Russell and Company
• Documented with digital copies of Maserati build sheets, factory and Zagato correspondence, period photography
• Comprehensively researched by Adolfo Orsi Jr. and includes an Orsi Report
• Class award at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, part of Maserati’s centennial celebration at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
• Eligible for all manner of top level vintage touring events including the Mille Miglia

Post-war “rarified air”

In the pantheon of coachbuilt, post-war sports cars, the Tipo A6G/2000 more commonly known as the A6G/54 sits in rarified air. Alongside Allemano and Frua, the famous Carrozzeria Zagato provided bodywork for the Gran Turismo with approximately 20 bespoke closed-roof Berlinettas produced by the Milanese design house during the three years of A6G/54 production. With a free-flowing, elegant Zagato design, this A6G/54 was clothed in lightweight aluminum bodywork, with the silhouette showcasing a purposeful form, its racing intentions, and, for this example alone, the trademark Zagato “double-bubble roof .” Hand-built with custom coachwork, minute details vary on each A6G/54 providing a unique opportunity to trace the lineage of a particular chassis number through historical photographs and documentation.

Inline-six

Of course, no post-war Italian GT is simply about its looks, no matter how alluring they may be. At the heart of Maserati’s GT Berlinetta was a 2.0-liter, dual overhead camshaft inline-six derived from Maserati’s A6GCS and A6GCM competition cars. Three Weber DCO/3 carburetors fed the 1,986 cc engine and with twin-spark ignition debuting in 1956, an increase in horsepower to an impressive 160 hp. Naturally, a lightweight and aerodynamic Italian GT with a race-bred engine would be designed with all the componentry to support it with coil-sprung independent front suspension with Houdaille lever-arm type shock absorbers, hydraulic drum brakes and Borrani wire wheels at all four corners.

Built for the 1956 Mille Miglia

Said to be the 17th of 20 Berlinettas built by Zagato, chassis number 2155, according to Walter Bäumer’s Maserati A6G 2000 Zagato was delivered to the coachbuilder on 15 April 1956. Completed as a 3rd Series Berlinetta, it was returned to the Maserati factory a month later, on the 15th of May. Built for Luigi Fornasari to compete in the 1956 Mille Miglia, it was delivered to Fornasari just days in advance of the start of the famous—and treacherous Italian road race. The owner of chassis number 2150, Fornasari was intimately familiar with the A6G/2000 series of cars. Bäumer recounts that Fornasari ran the car unpainted, featuring all the raw hallmarks of its hand-formed aluminum body, with a temporary rear window registration (BO59891) from the Maserati factory either due to the narrow timeline before its first race, or possibly that chassis number 2155 was loaned to him by the factory. Along with his co-driver Gianfranco Roghi, Fornasari left the starting line in Brescia with start number 311. Hopes for a well-placed finish were dashed on the rain-slickened roads of Ravenna with an accident that resulted in the brand-new Maserati landing on its roof and a subsequent DNF. With all aboard spared serious injury, the Gran Turismo was returned to Zagato to be repaired, this time painted in Silver Metallic with a smaller radiator opening, lowered headlights, a unique strip of alloy trim running from the back of the front fenders to the door handle—the only known A6G/54 Berlinetta from Zagato to receive this treatment and a detail that would remain with the car until today. A period photo included in the car’s history file shows Fornasari’s son standing in front of the repaired Maserati with its unique double-bubble roof profile in full view.

Hill climb competition

Later that year in June, according to the Orsi report and Maserati factory paperwork, also on file and available for review, the car was sold to Roberto Federici based in Rome. Less than a month later the car was purchased and registered by Gianfranco Peduzzi. By September 1957 the Maserati began competing again, this time in smaller road races and hillclimbs. On most weekends throughout the racing season the European Alps hosted numerous hillclimb contests and, with lower entry and maintenance costs, they proved extremely popular even if they were inherently more dangerous than traditional circuit racing. Bäumer’s book indicates that the Aosta-Gran San Bernardo Hillclimb was its return to racing on 1 September with a start number 48 and entered by Giacomo Moioli of Verona, who commonly raced under the pseudonym “Noris.” Moioli was at the wheel once again later that month at the Pontedecimo-Giovi Hillclimb with start number 306, finishing fourth in class, while its final race of 1957, chronicled by the Orsi report indicates that Natale Gotelli was entered to pilot 2155 at the Trieste-Opicina Hillclimb on 6 October 1957 but was classified with a likely DNS. The report also contains correspondence between Zagato and Maserati on behalf of Peduzzi regarding specific engine technical details, likey surrounding a fresh engine break-in.

Upon completion of the repairs and while at Zagato, the car was taken for a shake-down by none other than Gianni Zagato, who was involved in a high-speed accident while performing his tests. Subsequent correspondence between Zagato and Maserati beginning in November of 1957 is recorded by Orsi, regarding repairs to the car and some back-and-forth over the specifics and costs. Zagato smartly capitalized on the situation by utilizing chassis number 2155 as a design study for Maserati’s upcoming 3500 GT. Period color photographs on file show the new design, revised from previous iterations and proudly on display. By the summer of 1958, the car was racing again with Natale Gotelli at the helm at both the Bolzano-Mendoa and Trento-Bondone hillclimbs. In 1959 the Maserati was entered in two circuit races at Monza, both the Gran Premio Lotteria on 28 June, finishing 11th in the GT class, and in the Coppa Intereuropa on the 13 of September where it did not finish. A fine third in the GT class at the Pontedecimo-Giovi hillclimb rounded out the season and its racing career.

Restoration

Over the next decade, Adolfo Orsi records a successive chain of Italian owners before the car was acquired by Enrico Bertotto likely in the late-1960s. By 1977, a letter from Zagato to Maserati recounts an inquiry by the current owner to restore it to the original state with a request to Maserati for assistance in the matter. In 1984 photographs document a restoration with a color change to red with covered headlights and over the next decade, and until the turn of the century it appeared at concours, exhibitions, and in print in this configuration. Sold in Paris in the year 2000 to heralded Maserati collector John Bookout of Houston, Texas, he returned the car to Modena for a return to its 1958 configuration under the guidance and control of Adolfo Orsi Jr. During the restoration a number of Modanese specialists participated including Carrozzeria Autosport, Carrozzeria Cremonini, Officina Giuseppe Candini, and Interni Auto Maieli handing the bodywork, paint, mechanicals, and upholstery respectively. By 2005 the restored A6G Zagato was displayed at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Remarkably, after its restoration and while still in Europe, Gianni Zagato was reunited with the car, likely seeing it for the first time since 1958!

Ownership trail

In 2008 Bookout parted ways with the car, passing it to a collector also based in Texas. As documented by over 140 pages of invoices and receipts, the car was entrusted to the experts at Paul Russell and Company of Essex, Massachusetts to further refine both the cosmetics and mechanicals. Beginning in January 2009, work began at Paul Russell to prepare the car for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and its highly discriminating judges. Over the next eight months the craftsman at Paul Russell’s shop delved into all areas of the Maserati, with particular focus on the mechanicals and detail items unique to the car as well as cosmetic finishes that are critical to a high score at Pebble Beach. The fastidiousness of their work was evident in a well-earned Zagato class award. In addition to Villa d’Este and Pebble Beach this Zagato Berlinetta has been shown at The Quail in 2010 and Cavallino Classic in 2013, where it won two awards including Finest GT, later returning to Pebble Beach in 2014 as part of Maserati’s centennial celebration during the Concours d’Elegance festivities.

Retained within the consignor’s collection since 2008, this Maserati A6G/54 Zagato Berlinetta, one of only 20 Zagato bodied variants built and the only known example built with a double-bubble roof, is an expertly restored and highly decorated example. With period race history, including the famous Mille Miglia in 1956, circuit races at Monza, and numerous hillclimbs well documented in print by Walter Bäumer and a comprehensive report by Adolfo Orsi Jr., its colorful, outsized history makes it a compelling choice for one of the most unique and interesting Maseratis to emerge from Modena and Milan.

Details and auction listing HERE

Video of another A6G

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The post A Century of Winning—The 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Having just conquered the most prestigious challenge in endurance racing, Ferrari’s overall win at the Le Mans 24 Centenary begs us to honor some of their most historic moments at the French marathon of man and machine. Starting over half a century ago, Ferrari’s exploits at Le Mans showcased their technical expertise, engineering, and above all, one man’s personal quest for dominance. While each triumphant win helped build its reputation as a world-class sports car builder, we select five to remember starting with…

1949: A legacy is born

Ferrari achieved a historic milestone by winning the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans. This victory marked the beginning of the brand’s illustrious history in motorsports that continues to this day. Driven by Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon, the Ferrari 166MM featured a Lampredi-designed tube frame chassis with a double wishbone/live axle suspension. The small V12 engine had single overhead camshafts and a 2.0-liter displacement. Output was only 138 BHP at 6,600 rpm, but enough to propel the little “Barchetta” to over 130 mph down the Mulsanne straight. What’s so incredible about this victory is that Luigi Chinetti drove over 22 hours, a feat never to be repeated.

1954: Seven minutes of panic

Ferrari added another chapter to their Le Mans history, courtesy of their brutish model 375 Plus, a powerful aluminum-bodied purpose-built racecar. Piloted by José González and Maurice Trintignant, the Ferrari demonstrated remarkable speed and endurance, overcoming formidable competition from the factory Jaguar D-Types and Aston Martins.

But it wasn’t without drama. With two hours left, González and Trintignant were two laps ahead of the factory D-Type. Thirty minutes later, Trintignant brought the Ferrari in for a routine pit stop. González jumped in, but the V12 refused to restart. The Ferrari lost seven minutes as the mechanics desperately worked on the engine. In what felt like a lifetime, the Ferrari was motionless until the problem was found; rain-soaked ignition wires. Finally, González left the pits just in time to stay ahead of the second-place Jag and finish for the win.

1958: Ferrari breaks Jaguar

Between 1955 and 1957, six Jaguar D-Types earned podium finishes. Its reliable inline-six engine and low-drag body made it unbeatable over the long-legged straights that formed the Le Mans circuit. And with Stirling Moss at one of the wheels, it looked like Jag was the favorite for winning their fourth in a row.

Ferrari drivers Olivier Gendebien and Phil Hill drove a model 250 “TR58.” Unlike the previous 250 Testa Rossas (aka Red Heads), the body was constructed by Fantuzzi and featured a cutaway nose that replaced the famous pontoon fenders. The design was more aerodynamic and incorporated numerous ventilation grilles and air inlets. It was also fitted with disc brakes, a first for Ferrari. Moss took an early lead in the Jag and continued out front until a connecting rod broke shortly after 6PM. Later a storm passed through with a torrential downpour causing 12 entries to crash and retire. As daylight emerged and the checkered flag fell, the prancing horse of Hill and Gendebien crossed first, ending three years of dominance by the Jaguar D-Type.

1965: David vs. Goliath

From 1960 to 1965, Ferrari embarked on an unprecedented dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, securing six consecutive overall victories. This remarkable record proved to the automobile world that a small company could still win through superior design and talent.  The traditional front-engine 3-liter 250 Testa Rossa captured the first two wins, followed by a “one-off” 330 TR (larger 4-liter V12) taking the third in 1962. The 1963 through 1965 races were won using Ferrari’s new mid-engine design 250 P, 275 P, and 250 LM racecars.

During the 1965 event, both of Ferrari’s factory entries had numerous issues resulting in DNFs. However, Luigi Chinetti’s NART (North America Racing Team) Ferrari was driven by Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt ran smoothly. A bad distributor would cost the team a 30-minute pit stop, as did a damaged rear differential towards the end of the race. Nevertheless, the duo nursed the car home and earned the win. Why all the fuss about this win? Ferrari’s victory in 1965 exemplifies the “David versus Goliath” scenario as the small Italian company was attacked by no less than six Ford GT-40s and four Shelby Daytona Coupes. As is said in racing, to finish first; first you have to finish.

2023: Return of the Prancing Horse after 58 years

Excitement was in the air as the new era of the Hypercar class dawned at the Le Mans 24 Centenary. Ferrari’s new hypercar, the 499P, uses a 3 liter, 671 bph, twin-turbocharged V6 engine and features semi-permanent all-wheel drive, with an electric motor at the front axle for an additional 268 hp.

Because of numerous rain showers and resulting accidents, the fight for the lead eventually came down to the #51 Ferrari and the #8 Toyota. Although Ferrari driver Pier Guidi went off course at the Mulsanne chicane, he climbed back into the lead until a pitstop in the 19^th hour went south when the car wouldn’t start. This brought the two leaders just seconds apart when the Ferrari eventually came back out.

Then Toyota pilot Hirakawa lost control under braking at Arnage, sliding into the barriers. He limped the car back to the pits, and the crew scrambled to make repairs before sending it back out. Shortly after that, Pier Guidi brought the Ferrari in for its final stop and had to perform another power cycle to get it started. With just 23 minutes left, the #51 Ferrari left the pits and stayed in front of the Toyota to capture the win.

The post Top 5 Memorable Wins for Ferrari at Le Mans appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

The son of a wealthy Tennessee family, Pete Kreis had grown up during the time that European manufacturers dominated automobile racing at the Indianapolis 500. When he broke into big-time racing in 1925, Pete and his American compatriots were eager to demonstrate that cars and drivers from the U.S. could successfully compete against Italian, German, and French roadsters.

Pete quickly became known for his track speed as he drove a Duesenberg to eighth place in the Memorial Day Classic at Indianapolis in his rookie season. He was delighted when he was chosen by the team to travel to Italy to test his car against the best that the Europeans could offer. He gladly packed up his roadster and prepared for competition in the Grand Prix near Milan.

Although the season was only half over, Pete had quickly made a name for himself. He had shed his youthful shyness, and his newly adopted bonhomie gave him the ability to make friends easily. His personality, however, was not what attracted attention to the young driver.

When racing veterans saw him on the track, they quickly learned that the boy could fly. Speed—that’s what attracted the race crowd to Pete. The veterans watched, and they knew. People like Tommy Milton, the first two-time winner at Indy; Harry Miller, the mechanical genius; and Harry Hartz, an early convert to the Millers and one of the few who later would make the difficult transition from driving a car to managing a team. Like the Duesenberg brothers, these men had witnessed Pete’s ability to reach the sustained speed needed to win on the fastest tracks.

The young driver’s growing reputation paid off when he was named one of two drivers to represent the Duesenberg team in the European Grand Prix, an 800-kilometer, 496-mile race in Monza, Italy. American racing was coming into its own, and the Grand Prix circuit (today called Formula 1) had seized on the growing rivalry by announcing that it would encourage American entries to test their machines against the best the Europeans had developed.

Pete would soon learn that the captain of the Duesenberg team, Milton, was one of the strangest men ever to grasp a steering wheel. He was blind in one eye, and, to compensate, he had developed a habit of tilting his head back and shifting it quickly from left to right like a nervous sparrow. He never acknowledged his disability, and few had the nerve to ask him about it, but he adopted the odd physical strategy to ensure that his single eye could keep him fully informed about his surroundings.

Milton had learned his moves by racing on the county roads and dirt tracks of the Midwest, and that probably played a role in the selection of Pete, who had mastered his driving skills in a similar rural setting. Tommy was widely recognized as a hard charger, not only behind the wheel, but also in the garage, where he hovered over mechanics shouting instructions in rapid-fire staccato.

Seeing a great opportunity to trumpet the mechanical achievements of their cars internationally, the Duesenberg brothers immediately jumped at the opportunity by registering two drivers: veteran Tommy Milton would drive one of the Dueseys and Pete Kreis the other. Indy winner Peter De Paolo had decided to enter Monza in a home-grown Alfa-Romeo, a brand celebrating his Italian heritage.

Although some have described Milton as somber, intense is a more precise adjective, and he exhibited that defining quality throughout his life. In advanced age when poor health precluded his fulfilling a long-standing retirement job at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he shot himself in the head to end his frustration. In 1925, Pete knew he could learn a lot from the veteran, and he eagerly joined the trip to Italy even though it would require missing a few races on the American circuit.

The men and their cars sailed to Genoa on the SS Colombo, the luxurious ocean liner that F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda took to Italy a few years later. After docking, the race crew shipped the cars to Monza, northeast of Milan, which was the site of a royal park and summer retreat for the kings of Italy.

The Monza racecourse was set amid the park’s huge trees, gardens, fountains, and rolling hills. When the Americans arrived, they found that the track consisted of a road course and an oval, totaling six miles in length. Twisting like Italian spaghetti, the road course had ten curves, both right and left; some of them were complex with blind entries and double apexes. At one point, the track even passed over itself on a bridge. At the head of the home stretch was the notorious Parabolica, a right-hand, steeply banked curve. Like the turns on board tracks, the banking enabled cars to generate tremendous speed just before they were propelled down the home stretch, the longest on the course.

The third purpose-built track in the world after Brooklands in England and Indy, Monza was known to be a fast course, and drivers who had raced on it had a healthy respect—some might even say fear—of the facility. Living up to its reputation well into the modern era, the course has claimed the lives of fifty-two drivers and thirty-five spectators. In one of the worst accidents, Italian champion Emilio Materassi lost control of his roadster in 1928 and plowed through a flimsy barrier, killing himself and twenty-two spectators and injuring thirty more fans.3 As horrific as the accident was, it failed to dampen Italy’s enthusiasm for the sport, nor did the course’s reputation deter the Americans from giving it a try.

When they arrived, the Yanks quickly recognized that they weren’t in Indiana anymore. Italy was in the fervor of the Fascist revolution. Only three years before, Benito Mussolini—self-dubbed Il Duce, The Leader—had commanded his black-shirted Fascisti on the march to Rome, where they seized power. By 1925, the revolution was well established and growing stronger as Mussolini applied a powerful jolt to a country he perceived as an international sluggard. Throughout his career, Il Duce preached advancing—and even more so, accelerating. Sensing the worldwide spirit of the age, Italy placed a premium on speed.

But the Fascist revolution was more than a nationalistic political movement; it sought to infuse every facet of the nation’s life—even automobiles and racing. Mussolini loved powerful, speedy vehicles, and he purchased one of the fastest for his personal use, a two-seat Alfa-Romeo Type Two painted in the national tone, Italian racing red. Equipped with a supercharged straight-eight engine, the car could carry the dictator from Rome to his birthplace in northern Italy in record time.

The central role that racing played in Mussolini’s revolution was made clear in the wake of the Materassi accident at Monza, when one of the dictator’s ministers defended the sport from attacks by Catholic critics bemoaning the violence, carnage, and death. Party Secretary Augusto Turati declared that “Fascism has taught us that we need to live and win dangerously. The new Italy salutes its dead with pain, but from that pain we gain the strength to continue the battle to the summit.”

Using the prophetic rhetoric of the Italian poet Filippo Marinetti, the Fascists linked the growing cult of speed to the cult of death, a new alliance in which “living dangerously” on the track became a heroic act that encouraged other Italians to accelerate national progress. Those who died in the process became martyrs that energetic, determined citizens would emulate to advance Italy’s fortune. They were destined to become what Mussolini called “the new Fascist man.”

Il Duce wrote personal letters to Pete, Tommy Milton, and Peter De Paolo welcoming them to Italy and wishing them good luck at Monza; during practice, he visited the Americans in their garages. Following the dictator’s lead, scores of influential Italians journeyed to the track to examine the American cars, and Pete was photographed with King Victor Emmanuel, senior army officers, and many Fascist elite. As much as the Americans hoped to show the Europeans how their roadsters could perform, the Italians were sure their cars would put the entries from the United States in the shade with a swift surge of nationalistic pride.

As the Yanks sorted their cars out, they soon became the objects of scorn from their European competitors. Many of the jibes were aimed at the Americans’ lack of experience on road courses.

“What do you have to do to win Indy?” shouted one glib French driver. “Just get on the track and turn left . . . and turn left . . . and turn left . . . and turn left,” answered his compatriot, lampooning the Americans and their ubiquitous oval tracks. Such jokes were invariably accompanied by every European in the garage hoisting and twirling his index finger to mock the American “roundy-roundy” drivers.

The crowning blow was when another driver made a mock-heroic announcement that Pete’s last name, Kreis, was actually the German word for circle, something the American had never before heard. “Young Mr. Kreis is always going around in circles, getting nowhere,” shouted the rival driver with malicious irony.

A few days later, Kreis and his friends would have their revenge against the European tormentors, thanks to Kreis’s penchant for practical jokes. The culminating event was so hilarious that Peter De Paolo remembered it years later.

The drivers were scheduled to have dinner at a hotel located on a circular plaza in a nearby town. Pete had alerted his American friends to find parking away from the plaza, while the Continentals eagerly grabbed the reserved VIP spots surrounding the central fountain. As the Yanks entered the banquet hall a bit late, the European drivers welcomed them warmly with cheers and raucous shouts of “roundy roundy” emphasized by whirling index fingers—taunts aimed at the oval drivers from across the Atlantic.

After the laughter died down, the rivals enjoyed a feast of the finest Italian pasta, sauces, and wine. As the drivers shared their experiences and chatted about the upcoming race, no one noticed that Kreis had left the hall and returned inconspicuously sometime later. The conversation and drinking continued well past midnight even though the crews faced an early morning call for practice the next day.

As they finally finished and walked out of the hotel around one in the morning, the drivers found an amazing sight waiting for them. Dozens of taxis were clogging the plaza by driving around it bumper-to-bumper, with the hacks enthusiastically blowing their horns and waving their index fingers in “roundy-roundy” circles. The cars of the European drivers in reserved spaces were trapped by the noisy circular parade organized and paid for by Pete Kreis.

When the Europeans finally deduced that the Americans had organized the rolling blockade to delay their going to their beds, they looked across the plaza and saw the Americans doubled over in laughter. Pete, Tommy, Peter, and friends had taken their nationalistic revenge.

The Europeans were in for another surprise on September 6, race day in Monza. From what the Continentals had heard, the Americans knew how to race only on ovals; they supposedly had no experience on road courses. What the Europeans didn’t understand, however, was that most US drivers grew up in rural areas where they had learned to deal with backroads, narrow rural lanes that swerved left and right into irregular, bumpy curves. In this manner, the Americans had undergone the same kind of grueling training the Italians had earned on the demanding Mille Miglia, a thousand-mile race on public roads that began and ended in Rome.

During days of tuning and practice, the Yanks adapted quickly to the challenges of the Italian road course, and Pete had shown amazing speed around the circuit. Impressed Italian crowds soon cheered the young Tennessean as il valoroso corridore americano (the valorous American driver).

Pete and the rest of the Yanks, however, were up against Europe’s best drivers, among them Gaston Brilli-Peri and Giuseppe Campari, Grand Prix champions piloting brilliant red Alfa-Romeos, at that time the dominant marque on continental tracks. Descendant of a noble Florentine family, Brilli-Peri cut his teeth on motorcycle racing before switching to four wheels. He was an Italian favorite who ran the Grand Prix circuit for years before his death in a Libyan race in 1930.

Giuseppe Campari was also a national hero, having won many races in Italy and abroad, including two victories in the Mille Miglia, which attracted an astounding five million spectators along the way. Besides his racing ability, Campari was also adored by fans because of his enormous appetite for pasta—confirmed by a Pavarotti-sized stomach—as well as his Pavarotti-toned voice, which led to a second career as an opera singer. A master of the Italian passions for opera, eating, and racing, he died in a crash at Monza in 1933, the perfect final aria that enriched the national cult of death.

While the two Alfa drivers dominated the scene in pit lane, standing in the background was a young mechanic who later became world-famous for his ability to construct speedy cars. Enzo Ferrari had originally driven for the Alfa team, but the deaths of so many of his racing friends convinced him to join the safety of Alfa’s team of designers and mechanics. After Enzo founded his own company in 1947, his red Ferraris dominated the Formula 1 world for decades and fulfilled his fervent dream: “I want to build a car that’s faster than all of them, and then I want to die.” In the end, he built thousands of the fastest cars in the world, and when he died in 1988, his cars had won an unprecedented sixteen Formula 1 championships.

For obvious reasons, the national press billed the 1925 Monza Grand Prix an “Italo-American Duel,” a face-off between the two nationalities that attracted thousands of fans from all over Italy and around the globe. A British correspondent observed that “If the French are enthusiastic over motor racing, the Italians are delirious. Milan did not sleep the night before the Grand Prix . . . and the masses of spectators were quite satisfied to spend a few hours noisily and joyously in cafés and music halls, hotels and restaurants.”

Shortly after daybreak, a massive crowd of three hundred thousand fans began the twenty-mile trek from Milan on trains and buses to the track, dwarfing the 180,000 spectators who had attended the Indy 500 earlier that year. As the gates opened a short while later, drivers began assembling their roadsters on the starting grid, giving the fans a good chance to examine the cars that entered the race.

The differences in the designs of the teams’ cars were stark. Both featured roadsters with straight-eight-cylinder engines, but the Alfas contained a supercharger spinning at only 6,000 rpms, while that of the Duesenbergs revved to an astounding 27,000 rpms, forcing a much larger volume of powerful fuel-air mixture into the cylinders.

As it turned out, however, the most significant difference was not the engines, but the gearboxes. Designed for oval tracks, the American cars had three-speed transmissions because little shifting was required once the roadsters attained speed on the roundies. The Alfas, however, were developed for European road courses requiring many more shifts through the curves; as a result, the Italian cars had four-speed gearboxes of stronger design to accommodate the mechanical stress of frequent shifts. Because Monza was a course that required many shifts, Alfas had a built-in edge.

The American cars arrived at the starting grid sporting new livery: white bodies with blue numbers: Milton number 7, Kreis number 11—a not-so-subtle tip of the hat to the Goddess Fortune, who ruled the risky game of auto racing. Small American flags were emblazoned on the rear quarter panels of both machines in a nod to national pride.

The start was from standing positions, and the first to get away was the crowd favorite Campari, followed in order by Guyot, De Paolo, and Kreis. Poor Tommy Milton stalled his engine and got away last, angry steam rising from beneath his cloth helmet.

Campari had the lead when the pack passed the grandstands to finish the first lap, but on the second lap, Pete Kreis had planned a surprise to kick off the anticipated “Italo-American Duel.” When the fans expectantly looked to their right to catch the first glimpse of the cars coming out of the sweeping Parabolica curve at the head of the homestretch, they didn’t see the expected Alfa red, but the American white. Flying around the course, Pete had passed Campari and gone on to establish the fastest lap in the race—three minutes and thirty-five seconds.

This was Kreis at his absolute best, running the race he always envisioned: ahead of the pack, drifting curves with grace, and roaring down the homestretch of his dreams. Drivers often describe this unusual sensation as being “in the zone,” a space magically out of time and place in which racing is easy, effortless, and intuitive. All negative thoughts are vanquished.

“Suddenly I realized that I was no longer driving the car consciously,” Brazilian Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna said of a similar experience years later. “I was driving it by a kind of instinct, only I was in a different dimension.”

Pete reached that mystical dimension right on time to bring Monza’s crowd to its feet, cheering his achievement. The Americans had likely planned to send Kreis out as a rabbit to tempt the Italians into some hot laps to test their mettle. Then, according to the scheme, Tommy would charge to the front when the forerunners backed off to save their engines. The strategy worked out perfectly, except for Milton’s stalled engine, a disadvantage that Tommy’s skill would soon erase.

As the crowd looked up the homestretch to see who was leading at the end of the third lap, however, they were amazed to see not Kreis in the lead, but Campari. They waited several tense moments, but when Milton’s white roadster appeared before Kreis’s, Italian racing aficionados concluded that Pete had suffered a breakdown or an accident.

Kreis’s crash happened at Porto Lesmo, a blind, complex curve with dual apexes where he lost control in the first bend. Pete ended up broadside against a tree just off the racing surface; multiple spins had scrubbed off much of his speed so that there was virtually no damage to the Duesenberg. The American driver leapt from the car and put his shoulders to the wheel to push the roadster back on track, but it was wedged too tightly for him to budge it.

Noting his plight, enthusiastic spectators who loved the Americans broke down the restraining barrier and gleefully joined in moving the car back to the track. It was then that Pete envisioned the dreaded black flag in a racing official’s hand: it was forbidden for the drivers to receive assistance from spectators. Kreis would be disqualified. Before that action was taken, however, Pete managed to withdraw from the race, a move that ensured that his new lap record would be preserved for the time being. The crowd gave the American driver a huge ovation for his speed and sportsmanship as he walked back to the pits.

Track officials blamed the accident on excessive speed, but Pete clarified the matter later. Under the pressure of frequent shifts, the Duesenberg’s clutch had broken, and Kreis had entered the curve in neutral. When he tried to reengage the gear to negotiate the second apex, the gear seized and spun the car out of control. Meanwhile, Milton carried the American reputation into fourth place with Campari, Brilli Peri, and De Paolo leading the way. Soon, however, Milton’s Duesey passed De Paolo, and when the two other Alfas pitted for fuel and tires Tommy forged into the lead with an average speed of 96.7 miles per hour. Very shortly, however, things began to fall apart for the second American car, when Milton’s transmission stuck in third gear and slowed his acceleration coming out of turns for the duration of the race.

At the halfway mark, Milton pitted—and the time the stop required demonstrated the valuable experience of the Italian team. The Duesenberg crew took four minutes and fifty seconds to get Milton back on the track, while the Alfa team accomplished the same task in less than a minute and a half. The European cars once again took the lead, never again surrendering it. With only ten laps to go, Brilli Peri had a seven- and-a-half-minute lead over the second-place car and won by the same margin. Milton finished fourth, with De Paolo in fifth.

At the conclusion, fans poured onto the track and hoisted the hefty Brilli Peri, Campari, and the diminutive De Paolo on their shoulders and marched to the royal box where the trio was presented to Prince Umberto, the oldest son of the Italian king. Standing in front of the royal party, the huge crowd broke into an enthusiastic version of the Italian national anthem.

Amid the jingoistic fervor, European newspapers were quick to declare that the “Old World had beaten the New.” Even so, the Americans had raced well: Milton and De Paolo finished in the money, while Kreis had established the fastest lap. But given the steep learning curve and the logistical challenges the Americans faced, the Duesenberg team felt that they had represented their nation well, and they looked forward to another opportunity to test themselves against the Europeans—one that would come in 1927.

After a team celebration that extended well into the evening, Pete slipped away to downtown Monza where he located the local telegraph office. On a single white sheet, he scribbled a few words that profoundly confused the Italian telegraph operator but made immediate sense to the US recipient that Pete craved most to please.

“Broke track record and car. Love, Pete,” read the telegram that was delivered to the owner of Riverside Farm.

After a promising start to his career, Pete began to experience a series of increasingly serious accidents. He died in a crash in Indy’s first turn in 1934. His car had no mechanical failures, there were no impediment on the track, and Pete apparently did not attempt to steer or brake his car out of danger. An unofficial “coroner’s jury” declared that the incident was “the strangest death in all racing history.” Pete’s career and mysterious accident are thoroughly investigated in The Last Lap, a new book to be published on May 28. The book is available from Octane Press at: https://bit.ly/PeteKreis

The post Americans Invade Italy—Pete Kreis and the 1925 Italian Grand Prix appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

On May 9^th, 1992, Roberto Guerrero earned the pole position for the 76^th running of the Indianapolis 500-mile race. Piloting a Buick-powered Lola T92/00 for King Motorsports, the 33-year-old Colombian became the first man in Speedway history to officially break the 230-mph barrier as he set new track records for single-lap average (232.618 mph) and four lap average (232.482 mph) for the four-lap, ten-mile run into the record books.

Guerrero would be the only driver in the 33-car starting field to record all four qualification laps over the 230 mph barrier as the 1984 Indianapolis “500” Co-Rookie of the Year award winner would log what would prove to be the sixth and final pole position of his Indy-car career.

The post An Honor to Race There appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

This Hustler is not an unsavory men’s magazine, nor is it Jackie Gleason playing a pool shark, nor a con artist, or even a hot Lotus Elan for that matter. The Hustler does look sexy like a Lotus Elan on steroids, and it moves right along as a sports car should, so this is no con job. The Hustler is a now scarce American-created sports car built by Ray Caldwell and his legendary race car company Autodynamics.

Today, vintage racer Bob Webber of Fairfield, Connecticut, own’s one of the few surviving Hustlers. Webber’s lemon-yellow Hustler has an interesting tale to tell.

The post The Hustler — 1967 Autodynamics Hustler appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

The Ford Motor Company recently announced its entrance into a technical partnership with defending Formula One World Champions Red Bull Racing, opening what the company’s executive chairman William Ford termed “an exciting new chapter” in the firm’s long and illustrious motorsports history.

New FIA engine regulations for Formula 1 are scheduled to take effect for 2026, rules whose intent is to alter the distribution of motive force from F1 power units so that the greater portion will come from the hybrid system rather than the internal combustion engine. The next generation of these turbo V6s will still provide in the region of 1,000-hp, but they will generate less of it from internal combustion, and more via the hybrid electronics, making Ford’s expertise in the latter technology a most valuable commodity.

The post Genesis — The Birth and Evolution of Red Bull Racing appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Four days, four countries, more than 1,000 kilometers, in cars that are the envy of every petrolhead. From historic streets and piazzas to snowy mountain passes, the third edition of the Coppa delle Alpi rolled through Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

The Coppa delle Alpi (“Alpine Cup”) is produced by the same organization behind the legendary Mille Mille. Think of it like the Mille Miglia…with snow. Before everyone hit the road, there was final prep and scrutineering at the Mille Miglia Museum in Brescia, Italy.

The post Coppa delle Alpi 2023 – Climbing Mountains, Crossing Borders appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Formula One, by its very definition, is often seen as the pinnacle of motorsports. This holds true in many aspects, especially in the fact that the circuits that the cars race are some of the best in the world. Many tracks have been on the calendar for decades, and are world renowned, such as Spa-Francorchamps, which shares its status as a mecca of speed with the Temple of Speed, aka Monza. There are other tracks that have been built and certified by the FIA to Grade 1 status, which is needed for Formula One to race there.

Yet, through economics, mismanagement, or simply bad timing, many tracks have come and gone throughout the decades of the world championship. Some were dropped for safety reasons, such as the “Green Hell” that is the Nurburgring Nordschleife, or the old Kyalami circuit in South Africa, which saw multiple injuries and even a fatality occur on its slithery, snaking tarmac. Others, however, have simply been forgotten, lost to the annals of time and rarely, if ever, talked about, even amongst F1 enthusiasts.

The post Formula One — The Forgotten Tracks appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

PRELIMINARIES

The 2023 Daytona 24 hours was the 61^st year of the event. It was once again a watershed year, as this was the first year of the new GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) cars. These of course are the new prototypes that came out of the combined rule set between IMSA and the ACO (Auto Club l’ouest at Le Mans). This was their first actual race after some four years of development. They are named as GTP in memory of the last great era of GTP cars, which were the mainstay of IMSA in the 1981-1993 time frame.

NEW GTP

These new cars are Hybrid powered Prototypes, of which nine were entered. Two from Porsche, Two from BMW, Two from Acura/ Honda and Three from Cadillac. Several additional cars will probably enter the series later this year, with Lamborghini also joining the series in 2024. These are brand new cars which have undergone massive testing during the latter part of 2022. They all use a standardized Hybrid  system consisting of a battery, MGU(Motor Generator Unit) and gearbox developed by the consortium of Williams Engineering, Bosch and Xtrac. The chassis are all new, and once again come from the four makers that constructed the Dpi chassis:  Multimatic (Porsche 963);  Dallara (Cadillac V-LMDh, BMW M Hybrid V8);  Oreca (Acura ARX-06); and Ligier (Lamborghini). The Porsches were entered by Roger Penske,  Cadillac by both Chip Ganassi and Whelen Engineering,  BMW by Rahal-Letterman-Lannigan,  Acura one each from Wayne Taylor/ Michael Andretti (Andretti having bought a stake in Wayne Taylor Racing) and Meyer/Shank.

The post Down to the Wire — 2023 Rolex Daytona 24 Hours appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

These are not happy times for Aston Martin. The British luxury carmaker is fighting ferociously for its survival in a highly competitive space. However, the blows just keep coming. The latest big whack was in the form of hugely disappointing Q3 2022 Financial results. In November 2022, the company reported a pretax loss of $259.4 million compared with a loss of $121.2 million a year prior. Net debt also increased to $1.03 billion, even though Aston Martin raised $776 million in September 2022 partly to offset existing debt.

That’s not all. Like other automakers, supply-chain challenges hit the company hard. Aston Martin was forced to lower its sales growth guidance, by as much as 400 vehicles, for the full year. These unfortunate series of events sent a ripple effect through the company’s books. Share prices plummeted, and industry analysts pinned the hope of a revival on the ability of the carmaker to secure a new partner or additional funding.

The post Can Aston Martin’s Hypercar Gamble Save the Brand? appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

The clubs that organized and sanctioned most of the events were the Sports Car Club of America (Northwest and San Francisco Regions) and the California Sports Car Club of Southern California (Cal Club). Each club continued their search for additional, suitable locations on which to race. Even though some races were held on city streets, the majority utilized municipal airports, creating road courses from a combination of runways and access roads. While the landscape was flat and featureless it was ideal for airplanes but not for race cars, however, until a better solution could be found, airport circuits were the best alternative.

The post Salinas 1955—Racing Under a Cloud appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Drivers first raced these roads in 1906 (Targa Florio history), back when they were little more than dirt paths winding through the hills and along the shores of Sicily.

Danger and liability caught up to the race, forcing a change. These days the Targa Florio is a largely ceremonial sojourn, attracting multi-million-dollar cars, celebrity drivers, and loyal, adoring fans…all drawn to Palmero by the magic of motorcars.

The 2022 Targa Florio began and ended in Palermo, with scrutineering and the official start at the University of Palermo Avenue of Sciences (“Università degli Studi di Palermo Viale delle Scienze”).

Staged as a speed race from 1906 to 1977 (with interruptions for both World Wars), multiple deaths and injuries forced a change for 1978. The Targa Florio went from an all-out race on open roads to a rally racing competition, with points for precision instead of just flat-out speed. But the tradition of traveling through small Sicilian towns and villages endured.

The true beauty of the Targa Florio is best seen on the open roads. Autumn thunderstorms and partly cloudy skies play equal parts in the competition, along with the spectacular Sicilian scenery.

The cars are the stars of the Targa Florio, but like an opera without a conductor, these machines are nothing without the men and women behind the wheel. And the camera.

The most famous driver in this edition of the Targa Florio was very un-diva-like in his actions and activities. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time Indy Car champion Dario Franchitti Dario Franchitti greeted every fan, posed for every selfie, and snapped a few of his own photos during his first time at this Italian classic.

We end this Italian production with a photo of the star and his chorus, the team that supported Signore Franchitti at the Targa Florio. Like a great Italian opera, these auto adventurers earned the right to take a bow for a job well done.

Bravo!

The post The 2022 Targa Florio — An Italian Classic appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

There is a road in Bennington County, Vermont, called Skyline Drive. It takes you to the top of Mt. Equinox. The road runs 5.2 miles. You start at 800 feet above sea level, and when you reach the summit, you are 3,848 feet above sea level. The view is spectacular, with vistas at many locations stretching to other states.

The post Running Up That Hill appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Being a motorsports fan myself, I have always been fascinated with people who are able to compete at the highest levels—and ultimately, what makes them tick.

In our interview with Max, we cover a variety of motorsports topics that allow us to dive deeper into the psyche of a professional race car driver.

Here, he provides insight about his personal career aspirations, discusses the importance of cultivating an elite mentality, reveals what he’s been up to outside the cockpit, and much more.

Max’s multifaceted approach to professional motorsports is highlighted throughout our conversation, which you can read in the full transcript provided below. Enjoy!

Interview Transcript

SCD: Hi Max. On behalf of our team and all our readers at sportscardigest.com, thank you for taking the time to chat with us.

Before we dive in, I’d like to congratulate you on participating in your 7th successive season of racing in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).

We’ve compiled a variety of questions for you, some of which were selected from our pool of readers.

MH: Thank you—us drivers are fortunate to do what we do, and it’s been an exciting journey so far!

SCD: You’re in the offseason now and you’ve had some time off to reflect on this year’s competition. What’re your thoughts and how’re you feeling? Mind sharing with us what you’ve been up to during this time?

MH: It was a bit of a rough year for us, between the bumps at Sebring and the high temps at Watkins Glen, we’ve had a few mechanical issues that prevented us from the result we’re looking for. That’s racing though, you have to build resiliency and shift focus to the next one.

SCD: Are there any specific race moments from the 2022 season that stand out for you? How do they measure up to your best moments in motorsports (please elaborate a bit on those)?

MH: Sebring qualifying comes to mind. I’ve had very limited “seat time” the last two seasons with minimal testing. My first time in any sort of race car for over 5 months and was able to qualify P4, just 0.5 sec from pole position.

SCD: You get to drive on some of the most famous racetracks in the world. What’s your favorite track to race on? Do you have a favorite turn (or sector) in particular?

MH: Petit Le Mans is one of the best events in the world. The track suits my driving style very well. I’d say my favorite sector is turn 3 through the esses at night, because it’s the darkest part of the track and you have very little room for error.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to race at some of the best circuits in the world, specifically my days in the European & Asian Le Mans Series, but I have to say there’s something special about Road Atlanta.”

SCD: You’ve competed in both the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and the Prototype Challenge. Any plans to race in other IMSA-sanctioned series, such as the Carrera Cup and Ferrari Challenge?

MH: I’m very focused on Le Mans Prototypes. I’m currently at the LMP3 level and have aspirations to move up to the newly announced DTP or Hypercar class in the future.

SCD: Tell us a bit about the car you currently race, and some of the ones you’ve driven in the past. Do you have a favorite competition/category and/or a particular race car you enjoy driving the most?

MH: The LMP3 car is a lot of fun to drive. It’s mostly carbon fiber and has a lot of downforce and good power. It races well and is reliable. Not much more you can ask for!

“Sportscar endurance racing is it for me. The multi-class racing, pit stops with driver changes, night racing and an overload of on-track action makes for an extremely exciting and competitive environment.”

SCD: Do you mind briefly sharing with us, how you got started with racing, and the journey you took to get to where you are in your career today?

MH: My dad gifted me a 3-day racing school with Skip Barber for my high school graduation. I had no karting experience and to be honest very little knowledge of the sport as a whole. It was supposed to be something fun and casual, but quickly evolved into much more than that.

I got recruited by Michael Duncalfe, who is the team owner for Exclusive Autosport. He runs a very successful program that’s been growing year after year. I started in his first ever year with his team, driving f1600 cars in the Canadian championships.

From there I transitioned to the Mazda Road to Indy, where I did a few years of USF2000 and the Pro Mazda Championship, before transitioning to sportscar racing where I joined legendary team owner Scott Sharp and Extreme Speed Motorsports and haven’t looked back since.

SCD: What’re your longer-term goals as a professional racer? Do you have a path mapped out? Where do you see it leading to, ultimately?

MH: I want to race at the highest levels in sportscar endurance racing, specifically in the new DTP and HyperCar Class. The 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indy 500 are two other bucket list events.

“I have a dream of becoming a team owner/driver and bringing in some of the best talent to try and win major championships.”

SCD: What advice can you give to aspiring young drivers who are dreaming of the opportunity to race professionally, like you? On the flip side, what should you not do in the quest to go pro?

MH: I think the best advice I can give is find the right mentor. The people that you surround yourself with will either catapult you into success, or drag you into obscurity. Equally, don’t surround yourself with the wrong people.

SCD: What’s the best way to get started in racing for those who are new to it? Are there any specific routes or programs that you’d recommend, based on your experience racing at a high level?

MH: I had an unusual start beginning at age 18. I’d recommend starting on a sim to get the basic fundamentals down then transitioning to karting. A big thing to think about during your development is “cost per lap”.

“The more you can learn early on through cost-effective seat time, the farther your budget will go in the future. Money is usually the first thing that ends a career, not talent.”

SCD: What separates the best drivers from the good ones—and what ends up being the biggest differentiating factor for those who manage to make a career in racing, and those who don’t?

MH: I feel the best drivers are able to get in a “flow state” frequently and perform at an extremely high level. It’s almost as if they are defying physics when they’re behind the wheel. A mix of good decision making and consistency are the keys to success.

Those who make it have a versatile skill set that goes beyond just being a great driver. They have personalities that attract sponsors and fans, or maybe they have a unique talent when it comes to engineering the car set up.

SCD: Technical skills are obviously important in becoming a top driver, but having a winning mentality is also key. How do you stay mentally prepared? Is this something you focus on right before a race, or do you always have to be “switched on”?

MH: I firmly believe mentality is the key differentiator between good and great drivers. It’s so important and something that needs to be switched on at all times.

“If you want to be great, it needs to be a lifestyle.”

I’ve also found that this “switched on” mentality has especially helped me grow my startup.

SCD: Most people look at race car drivers as athletes. Is physical fitness a big part of the equation too? If so, what do your work out regimens focus on?

MH: Physical fitness is extremely important especially in endurance racing and I challenge anyone who says race car drivers aren’t athletes to give it a try. I do a lot of sport specific circuit training, boxing, heavy cardio, etc.

One thing I always try to implement is reaction and brain training during recovery periods. Trying to have maximum focus and coordination while exhaustion kicks in is a great training tactic for any driver.

SCD: I understand that your passion for motorsports extends well beyond the confines of a race car cockpit. In fact, you started a company—MPH.Digital—through which you’ve created apps to provide improved experiences for motorsports fans and enthusiasts. Tell us more!

MH: Yes! I’m very passionate about fan engagement.

For the last 25+ years there’s been exponential innovation when it comes to the cars on track, but as the sport continues to grow, the fan experience remains ready for a revolution and now is the time to capitalize on today’s excitement around racing.

With Track King, we have the most immersive venue maps and schedules in motorsports and we help fans (new and old) navigate race day effortlessly.

SCD: General question. What’s life like being a race car driver—the best parts and the most difficult parts? Does MPH.Digital sort of blend into this, or do you see it more as a separate endeavor?

MH: The best parts are it brings you around the world and you get to meet some very interesting people. The art of driving, engineering and sponsorship is very rewarding when you get it right, but also extremely stressful when things aren’t clicking.

“It’s not always the most talented driver that gets the seat. It’s a lot of times dependent on funding and that’s a difficult pill to swallow and a big reason as to why I put a lot of emphasis on sponsorship early on in my career.”

SCD: Who (or what) inspires you the most to do what you do professionally? Are there any drivers who you look up to?

MH: I had the pleasure of training with Scott Dixon early in my career at PitFit Training in Indianapolis. It was inspiring to see what he brings day-in-and-day-out, and his attention-to-detail on the little things.

Even with all the success he’s had as a driver it doesn’t seem to affect his work ethic and that’s something that I think is really important and motivating.

SCD: What’re some things you’ve learned from motorsport that have helped you in other areas of your life? Are there any lessons that motorsports—being a race car driver in particular—has really drilled into you?

MH: Motorsports is tough, it’s very expensive to practice, there’s a lot of factors outside your control and it’s extremely difficult to win races. There’s very low lows and high highs.

“There’s a lot that racing has prepared me for, specifically when it comes to my company and going through the journey of an entrepreneur.”

I always find myself comparing running a startup to driving a race car on the limit.

SCD: What’re your favorite production (street legal) cars to drive? Do you have a favorite “driver’s car”?

MH: I’ve driven different variations of the BMW X3 pretty much my entire life. I like the mix of luxury and performance it has to offer, but…

“…someday I want to own a vintage Porsche.”

SCD: Can you list the top 10 (or top 5, if that’s too long) cars you’ve driven, overall? Do you ever go to the racetrack “for fun” as opposed to professional reasons?

MH:

1. LMPC
2. LMP3
3. Prototype Lites
4. Pro Mazda
5. Formula 1600

SCD: Sim Racing. From the perspective of a professional race car driver, what’s your overall verdict on it?

MH: I think it’s a great tool to use for training (for the following reasons) :

1. Learning new tracks and getting a good sight picture
2. Getting in a flow and feeling the rhythm of the track
3. Builds confidence going into a race weekend

SCD: Cookie-cutter question. What would you likely be doing if you weren’t a professional race car driver?

MH: I’m not entirely sure which path I would have taken if I didn’t get involved in racing. This was never the plan.

“It took me completely by surprise and has provided many amazing experiences and opportunities, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.”

SCD: That concludes our interview, Max! On behalf of everyone at sportscardigest.com, thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions.

I hope you had as much fun as we did.

We’re certain that our readers will find the dialogue not only entertaining, but insightful as well. Your multifaceted approach to motorsports is a great example for aspiring race car drivers and enthusiasts to learn from.

We wish you all the best in the coming season and beyond!

MH: Thank you for your time! Honored to be a part of the interview and happy holidays to everyone!

Photo Gallery

The post Interview: Max Hanratty, IMSA LMP3 Race Driver & Auto Entrepreneur appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

Caught napping by the Germans, who had been quicker to see the potential of the new rules, Alfa Romeo and Maserati introduced new and faster cars in 1935 that threatened to be sterner rivals in 1936. And the meteoric Bernd Rosemeyer was displaying uncommon skill at the wheel of his Auto Union. Major changes in the Mercedes-Benz equipment for the formula’s third year were clearly needed.

For 1936 the plan was to build an “SSK” version of the W25, a car that would be lower and shorter, especially at the rear. This would make it inherently lighter so it could be equipped with a new and more powerful engine without exceeding the weight limit. Conceived for this purpose by the Albert Heess engine group was a 60-degree V-12 using the same construction techniques as the M25 eight. Cylinder blocks were welded steel with integral four-valve heads. 

The first of these D-series engines was designated DAB because it had the same dimensions as the latest eight, the M25AB, 82 x 88 mm for 5,577 cc. The design office estimated that it would deliver 516 bhp on 2B fuel, the usual racing blend, and 598 bhp on W.W., pure alcohol.

In late summer of 1935 the first DAB engine was found disappointing, not in its power but in its weight. It scaled 650 pounds, almost 250 more than the various M25 eights. This only confirmed that the steel-cylinder construction, so suitable for the straight eights. After this discovery, dynamometer development of the DAB engine was slowed. In 1936 an early test report showed that it developed 570 bhp at 5,500 rpm, close enough for comfort to the design-office forecast.

In spite of the V-12 engine’s heft it was installed in a new 1936 chassis to find out if the resulting racer could be under the weight limit. Engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut said that it could, but it was not well-enough balanced to be a successful road-racer: “Although the new car was within the 750-kilogram limit, it had too much weight at the front end. It was quite good for setting records on a straight road but quite unsuitable for the Nürburgring, for example.”

A straight-eight would have to be the solution. Jumping to the next letter of the alphabet, a decision was taken in mid-September 1935 to build an E-series engine, altering the letter/number sequence of its designation to make it the ME25.

By the end of November the Heess staff had completed work on this final expansion of the size of the original M25 engine within its 95-mm cylinder-bore spacing. Stroke, crankshaft, connecting rods and bottom end generally remained at the maximum to which they had already been stretched in the M25C while the bore was enlarged by 4 mm. Its dimensions were 86 x 102 mm for 4,740 cc. New cylinder forgings for this larger-bore engine allowed a valve-size increase to 37 mm. 

A new supercharger was designed with an enlargement in rotor diameter from 106 to 125 mm. Blowers of both 240-mm and 255-mm rotor lengths were prepared, the smaller one considered the standard size. They continued to use steel rotors while experiments with light-alloy rotors proceeded. New larger 36 mm intake-manifold sets were also readied for the ME25. The blower boosted through two carburetors and manifolds that were available in different diameters to tune the cars to specific circuits.

Orders were issued for the production of six of these new engines with six spare crankshafts, the parts to be ready on January 20, 1936 and dynamometer testing to begin on February 15^th. Though a late effort with a high element of risk, it was the only course open to the team. A later increase by four brought to ten the total of ME25 engines made. As a backup, all the available M25B and M25C engines were also made race ready for 1936.

M25C power units were used in tests to propel the first of the five new racing cars that were built, called the “Model 1936” or, more familiarly, the “short car”. The author prefers and uses the suitable designation of “W25K”. Two chassis were assembled and two were in component form in early October 1935 when testing began.

Ex-Benz man Max Wagner continued to direct the chassis-design side, directly under chief racing engineer Max Sailer and his still-youthful deputy, Fritz Nallinger. Seconded to Alfred Neubauer’s Sports Department to give liaison and technical assistance was an Untertürkheim veteran: ex-riding-mechanic Jakob Krauss.

The W25K incorporated several major changes. Its wheelbase was shortened by more than 10 inches to 97 inches, front and rear track remaining at 58 and 56 inches. This was made possible by a completely new transaxle design that had been in the works since the winter of 1934-35.

The new transaxle further lowered the car’s propeller shaft by placing the two gearbox shafts in a transverse plane below the final drive gears—a radical departure from the normal longitudinal shaft axis. Stacking these shafts one above the other and laterally beneath the differential cleared—for a lower-seated driver—the space ahead of the rear axle that the transmission formerly occupied.

The drive from the propeller shaft entered the gearbox at the center of its bottom shaft through a pair of bevel gears that could be varied one tooth or so either side of a one-to-one ratio. Four speeds and reverse were spaced along the two transmission shafts, to the left and right of the central bevel, still selected by sliding the gears into engagement with each other.

At the center of the upper shaft a pair of spur gears took the drive to the differential. These gears provided the normal ratio reduction, for example 3.69:1. On the W25K the differential choice was between a fully locked rear end, with no differential action at all, and the ZF self-locking cam-action diff.

First runs in the chassis took place in the late summer of 1935 in a W25-based mule at the ‘Ring and Bern circuit. They showed that the transaxle tended to become too warm. Attention was given both to its cooling, by means of ducting, and to its oil capacity, which initially was slightly more than half that of the 1935 transaxle. Monza trials also showed the need for a redesign giving higher torque capacity throughout the gearbox.

No longer were heavy pivots for swing axles attached to the sides of the differential. The W25K had an entirely new rear suspension. Toward the end of 1935 the W25 was finding it increasingly difficult to apply its steadily greater power to the ground. The shorter wheelbase of the W25K was intended to help by shifting more weight rearward.

The added power also aggravated another attribute of the earlier W25: if the rear end broke away in a corner it was extremely difficult to catch. The swing axles, judged at least partially at fault, were given up in favor of a design that worked well enough before: a solid axle.

It was a solid axle with a difference. To these Daimler and Benz men, with roots deep in the origins of motoring, it was an axle like those used on their Grand Prix models of 1908, like the racing Mercedes of 1913 and the Blitzen Benz. It was a dead axle, joining together wheels which were driven not by chains, this time, but by open shafts, each with two universal joints. It was an independent re-invention of what a later generation would come to call “de Dion” rear suspension after the French producer that used it in production models in the early years of the century.

The axle was fabricated of steel tubing in the shape of a broad-topped Y. The upper arms of the Y reached out, in plan view, to the wheel hubs, while the tail extended rearward to a ball pivot anchored to the rear end of the frame. The latter tapered inward to a point at that junction. This pivot was a critically important location point, taking both braking torque and transmission-drive thrust.

This unique de Dion configuration was adopted, said Rudolf Uhlenhaut later, because “Mr. Wagner wanted a good-looking car.” This was achieved so well that the dead axle was completely concealed. Indeed many observers still believe that Mercedes-Benz adopted the de Dion axle for racing in 1937 rather than 1936. It only became visible, in a new configuration, in 1937.

An additional means of guiding the solid axle was needed to cope with the lateral forces experienced in cornering. This guidance was supplied by a vertical fin fixed to the back of the transaxle casing. Within the crotch of the axle Y, riding up and down the sides of this fin, were two rubber-faced rollers attached to the axle tube.

Under the supervision of Dr. Maruhn, a theoretician who ran a general research department at Untertürkheim, a rig was built to test the rollers for durability. Under moderate load the first one lasted only 12 minutes. During tests of the first car at Monza in December they continued to be troublesome, leading to suggestions for armoring the rubber, enlarging the rollers and isolating the guide fin from the heat of the differential.

During the 1936 season the rollers were abandoned in favor of a steel-sided slot in the back of the transaxle, in which slid a bronze block attached to the crotch of the axle Y by a projecting ball pivot. This would set a style for de Dion lateral guidance that would last well into the 1950s.

Quarter-elliptic leaf springs with friction shock absorbers were retained at the rear of the chassis. The latter was founded on an extensively lightened box-section frame like that of the 1935 model. The front suspension was carried over almost unchanged within its tubular crossmember. Thanks to all the changes, especially the new transmission, the car’s center of gravity was lowered a remarkable 5.9 inches.

Brakes, to which screened cooling-air inlets and outlets were added during 1935, were also transferred to the W25K. For better cooling the rear-brake vents were fitted with a coarser mesh screen. Drums were given finer finning. Each brake was equipped with two grades of Iurid lining corresponding to the different workloads of the two shoes.

Designed by Josef Müller, the new body wrapped around this radically lowered car had an almost circular cross section, a long, slim tail and deep fairings concealing the front suspension and the adventurous new rear suspension. It was one of the handsomest racing cars ever built. When the cars first appeared for a presentation at the Berlin Auto Show in February they had a single oval radiator air entry. After testing this was supplemented by two additional grilles in the front fairings.

The left-hand grille was enlarged early in 1936 to accommodate an oil cooler, fitted to a Mercedes-Benz G.P car for the first time. It was judged so successful that oil coolers were added to the 1935 cars that were being carried over to the new season. Exhaust piping was newly positioned down at ground level, sweeping back on the left below the rear axle.

One reason the 1935 W25s were still on hand, apart from their value as training and backup cars, was that the cockpit of the shortened Model 1936 was so tight that Manfred von Brauchitsch couldn’t drive it comfortably. “In a car calculated down to the gram,” said Alfred Neubauer, “additional reserves for an extra-large driver are naturally impossible.” Offered one of the older cars for the season, Manfred instead contrived to squeeze himself into the new one except in the Eifelrennen, in which he drove a modified 1935 car.

After the first trials, changes were made to the body to give the drivers more protection from the wind. One W25K went to the Zeppelin wind tunnel at Friedrichshafen for an aerodynamic evaluation. Monza tests showed the need for an enlargement of both the main grille opening and the radiator itself.

All these early tests were carried out with M25C engines. In late February the first ME25 went on one of Georg Scheerer’s two dynamometers for a durability test. Its uncorrected output was 430 bhp on the normal fuel blend, equal to 449 bhp at 5,000 rpm with the standard corrections applied.

With a compression ratio of 8.65:1 and the 255-mm-long supercharger the ME25 gave its best-ever power of 473 bhp at 5,800 rpm, recorded during the Summer of 1936. Its typical output as prepared for racing with the 240-mm blower and a compression ratio of 8.17:1 was 453 bhp at 5,800 rpm with maximum torque of 465 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm. This was achieved on a boost pressure of 14.5 psi, exactly 1.0 bar.

Output was excellent from an engine that was even lighter than the M25C at 465 pounds. For the first time a Mercedes-Benz racing engine produced more than one horsepower per pound.

To spectators at Monte Carlo on April 13 for the first Grand Prix of 1936 nothing seemed to have changed except the smooth shape of the silver cars on the front row of the grid. Caracciola tiptoed through a rainy race to win after most of his teammates were sidelined by crashed at the chicane.

Not until they arrived at the fast, hot Tripoli circuit in May did the drivers have a chance to extend fully the W25K with its new ME25 engine. Comparing it with the same engine in the 1935 chassis and body, albeit with slightly different gear ratios, both had the same 175-mph maximum speed.

Caracciola complained of understeer, which was reduced by replacing the locked differential with a ZF unit.  The drivers were generally dissatisfied with both the roadholding and the steering, which still mustered a strong steering-wheel kick-back.

Technically the Tripoli race was as inconclusive as Monaco. One of the 255 mm blowers failed in practice so all the cars were switched to the 240 mm unit for the race. One car, that of new man Louis Chiron—a Monegasque and a close friend of Caracciola—suffered minor troubles that retired it.

The uncomfortable Manfred stopped on the circuit when his tank failed to feed all its fuel, a problem noted in the Monza trials but not rectified. And both Fagioli and Caracciola lost their front brakes after a pipe failure caused by the new mounting of the front-circuit master cylinder on the right-rear engine bearer.

The drivers found their cars very sensitive to the windy conditions on race day. Observing out on the course, Jakob Krauss thought they looked less steady on the turns than the Auto Unions. “Perhaps,” mused Neubauer afterward, “the longer chassis is better for fast courses.” 

A victory was achieved in another race in North Africa, at Tunis, when the leading Auto Unions crashed and burned. It was the last win to fall to Rudy Caracciola and the W25K Mercedes Benz.

At Barcelona Nuvolari’s Alfa beat the new cars in a straight fight. Here the sharp pitching tendency of the shorter chassis was especially bothersome. Pitching was also a problem at the subsequent Eifelrennen that saw all but two of the cars retiring and those finishing well back. Engine trouble struck there and in the subsequent race at Budapest, where all the Mercedes-Benzes failed.

The new engine, pushed hard at last, had shown a critical frailty. Cylinders in the forward block were too weak to handle the high specific output and had begun to fail. First the existing parts were strengthened, then completely new cylinders and blocks were made for the all-important German Grand Prix in late July. Before that race several of the engines were switched from 240 mm to 255 mm superchargers, two of which subsequently broke. Chiron crashed and one car limped home sixth.

After such a run of disasters any sporting team determined to be victorious would call a rapid halt and make some changes. So too it was with Daimler-Benz. The organization that had served it so well since automobile racing began was apparently no longer equal to the pace and intensity of Grand Prix racing in the 1930s.

The liaison between Alfred Neubauer’s Sports Department and the engineers in the central design office had always been direct. This changed with the creation of a new technical body that was specifically concerned with the racing cars. An offshoot of the Experimental Separtment, it was called the Rennabteilung, the Racing Department.

Placed in charge of it was a handsome young man who had been with the company only five years. Born of a German father and British mother, he had joined Daimler-Benz directly from engineering school as a carburetion specialist in the Experimental Department. The young man, whose arrival on the scene can only be described as marking a turning point in the racing history of Daimler-Benz, was Rudolf Uhlenhaut.

Uhlenhaut’s new group was made fully responsible for assembling, preparing and testing the cars, then turning them over to Neubauer’s sporting department for racing. Reporting directly to Fritz Nallinger, who headed the main Experimental Department, he was assigned the services of Jakob Krauss in charge of car construction and Georg Scheerer as head of testing and inspection. 

“Naturally we had a good design office,” Uhlenhaut said, “but the people there were cautious and our opinions often differed. However, if I wanted something I said so and they would generally let me have it.” He and his colleagues said what they wanted in their recommendations and requirements, expressed from mid-1936 onward in a blizzard of reports, memos and analyses generated by the new Rennabteilung.

It was too late to do much about the W25K, which Uhlenhaut tested extensively at the Nürburgring. Race entries at Montenero and Pescara were abandoned to try to get the cars ready for the Swiss G.P. on August 23^rd. There Fagioli broke a connecting rod, Caracciola broke the right side of his rear-axle tube and von Brauchitsch had cooling failure initiated by a piece of newspaper caught in front of the grille. Newcomer Hermann Lang eked out a finish in fourth place.

Caracciola had taken and held the lead—until Rosemeyer motored past him. “The drivers declared themselves as by and large satisfied with the roadholding, with empty as well as with full tanks,” Uhlenhaut recorded. “In this race it was clearly evident that the power of the Auto Union in the middle and upper speed ranges is far superior. To be able to hold the pace to some extent our drivers must constantly strain the engine to the limit and moreover attempt to gain back in the turns what they lose on the straights.

“A further participation in racing with the E motor seems to be useless,” Uhlenhaut concluded. Daimler-Benz management agreed with him. Entries for the Italian Grand Prix, the European season’s final event, were withdrawn. It was a heavy decision for the proud company. But the light shined on the technology of racing by Uhlenhaut’s new group would bring brilliant results in coming years.

The post Disappointing Arrow — 1936 Mercedes-Benz W25K appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

To have these cars returning ‘home’, just a stone’s throw from where they were originally created is a fitting beginning for the latest chapter in these cars’ lives. Hans Matti dedicated his life to building this collection, gathering original photographs, magazine features, books and factory communications relating to them. He hadn’t just collected the cars, but he had completely researched their stories. As the Registrar of the Bugatti Club Suisse, he is one of the most knowledgeable experts in the world on Bugatti Grand Prix cars.

Among the extraordinary collection is Bugatti Type 51, thought to be one of the most original in existence, a remarkably preserved Type 37A, a short chassis Type 49 Faux cabriolet with Jean Bugatti coachwork – the only remaining example in the world, a Type 35B and a Type 35A fitted with the only existing Type 36 engine, gearbox and rear axle to have survived. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime collection that Hans Matti was understandably reluctant to part with. Discussions to acquire the collection had been underway for two-and-a-half years and even Caroline Bugatti – granddaughter of Ettore Bugatti had been involved in the negotiations.

The Type 51 – a dedicated factory Grand Prix racing machine – has never been restored or repainted, bearing the marks of nine decades of motorsport and enjoyment. The original craftsmanship of Ettore Bugatti’s team is on display and each chapter of its life is worn with pride. The Type 49, meanwhile, was the personal car of Jean Bugatti himself, with the initials ‘JB’ on the doors. It’s extremely rare to have a Type 49 with a body designed and built by the Bugatti factory, as this example does, and no other Type 49 in existence wears the unique Faux Cabriolet body. More incredible still, this Type 51 and Type 49 shared a transporter during their delivery to their respective first private customers. To have them reunited is the closing of a circle that started all the way back in the 1930s.

The Type 51 in the collection began life as one of the last Type 35Bs to ever be built, a factory Grand Prix racer, driven in period by Louis Chiron. As Bugatti looked to evolve the Type 35 – renowned as one of the most successful racing cars of all time – it developed a new, advanced twin-cam engine and a new car which it would power: the Type 51. This new powertrain was swapped into this car, at which point it became one of the very first Type 51s, fitted with engine number 1 and raced by Achille Varzi and other contemporary motorsport heroes. Varzi is revered to this day at Bugatti; to celebrate 100 years of the brand a special Centenaire Edition Veyron ‘Achille Varzi’ was produced. With appearances at races in Monaco, Monza, at the Targa Florio and more, this car has an incredible racing pedigree. In another important connection, the factory Grand Prix engine that was originally in this car as a Type 35B was swapped into another Type 35B in this collection by the factory, before later being sold as a new car.

One of the stand-out circuits of the early racing era was the Montlhéry track in France, renowned for its high-speed banking, but also for its extraordinarily bumpy surface. Bugatti’s detailed approach to engineering saw them develop a new model to race at Montlhéry: the Type 36. Featuring a rigid rear axle, it would better handle the demanding conditions of this unique circuit. Two variants were built, the later model with a supercharger, becoming what many believe to be the first ever supercharged Bugatti. But their racing careers were short-lived and the only two Type 36 cars built were destroyed. All that remained was the engine, gearbox and rear axle of one of them, which now uniquely reside within a Type 35A body housed in this collection. Once more, it is another one-off piece of Bugatti history.

Completing the five Bugatti cars in the collection is a Type 37A, one of a long lineage of supercharged Bugatti cars that arguably began with the Type 36. It is again preserved in fully original condition with matching numbers – each era of its ownership and extensive racing history has been meticulously traced right back to its first owner, in 1929, and it continues to race to this day.

The Type 37 was considered a Voiturette class winning car by many of its drivers, but with the addition of a supercharger – becoming the Type 37A – its powerful, four-cylinder engine became capable of propelling the car to more than 120 mph (193kph), up from 90 mph (144kph). Only 76 examples were supercharged by Bugatti, and they went on to race at Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and more.

This unique collection of cars now embarks on its third era; their first being when they were sold new and their second under the meticulous care of Hans Matti. Now, they will be kept in their original, unrestored condition, preserved as the important artifacts of Bugatti history that they are. And as they gathered at the Château Saint Jean – a place bought by Ettore Bugatti to entertain his customers, and still a core part of the Bugatti legend – it was almost as though the cars had never left. A sense of history surrounds the Château, brimming with nearly a century of Bugatti heritage.

Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles, commented: “We are a brand that constantly looks to the genius of our founder for inspiration. For Ettore, the most important aspect of a Bugatti was that it be incomparable. It should be in a class of its own. Arguably nothing brings us closer to vision of Ettore than seeing his creations in the condition they left the factory in; the original rivets, paint, and, in particular, the meticulous engineering that came to define his cars and ultimately his success. This collection of cars and the stories that have been gathered around them are absolutely priceless, and we’re honored to have been able to welcome them to home of Bugatti Automobiles. As we look to a new era of Bugatti, it’s pioneering models like these that will be our inspiration.”

The post The Matti Collection Comes Home appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

At Watkins Glen they said, “It looks like the box it came in.” Even that harsh judgement of the appearance of the new Chaparral 2J may have been too generous. However, handsome is as handsome does and in its astonishing way the 2J did handsomely.

A World Champion was sufficiently impressed with its concept to drive the Chaparral 2J at Watkins Glen in 1970 and set a fastest lap while running in very fast company. Although the 2J did not last long enough to get close to winning, it showed great potential and restored its developer, Jim Hall, to his well-earned status of the Wizard Technician of Group 7 racing. In the rest of the 1970 Can-Am season it revealed phenomenal pace.

The post The Astonishing Chaparral 2J appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

To celebrate this double Golden Jubilee a unique gathering took place at Hethel, Norfolk, UK home to both Lotus Cars and Classic Team Lotus. From 1970 to 1975, Team Lotus constructed 10 Lotus Type 72 chassis, eight of which are still in existence but scattered around the globe. However, all eight made the journey to Norfolk for the party along with Emerson himself.

After launching the “Evija Fittipaldi”, a 2011-bhp (yes, that’s not a misprint!) Black and Gold limited-edition version of the new Lotus hypercar, created to mark this 50th anniversary, Emerson sat down and talked about his time driving for team Lotus and the Type 72 in particular, “I drove many cars during my career, but the 72 was the best, it talked to me, and we understood each other it was consistently fast.”

After winning the Lombank F3 series, in 1969, driving a Lotus 59 entered by Jim Russell, Emerson was offered a seat at Lotus as their 1970 F1 test driver and shortly after joining the team he became the #3 Grand Prix driver alongside Jochen Rindt and John Miles. Emerson’s first Grand Prix start was at Brands Hatch in an ill-handling Lotus 49.  “I qualified at the back of the grid in the Lotus 49, and then Graham Hill lined up in the car next to me. I was thinking: ‘I’m next to Graham Hill. This is a dream! If I die tomorrow I’ll die happy’, because my dream when I left Brazil was to race in a Grand Prix.”

Emerson brought the outdated and misfiring 49 home in 8^th place. How did it compare to the Lotus 72 he would drive later in the season? “A forgiving car to drive it was well-developed, remember it had been around since Jim Clark’s time, there was a lot of suspension travel, I could slide it around or make a mistake when braking and get away with it. The 72 is much more agile, more precise, but nervous, the torsion bars make the suspension much stiffer, good brakes and good turn in. Very different to the 49.”

Fittipaldi showed well at the next Grand Prix, this time in Germany, taking his Gold Leaf sponsored Lotus 49C to fourth place. He continues, “The first time I drove a 72 was in practice at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, it was brand new and I crashed it. I was only doing a slow lap and as I approached the Parabolica corner, I checked my mirror and saw Jack Brabham catching me fast, but by then I’d missed my braking point and crashed into the back of Ignazio Giunti’s Ferrari ending up over the barrier! When I got back to the pits Colin (Chapman) said `What happened?` I had to tell him”. Tragically, the next day Jochen Rindt’s Lotus 72 crashed at the same corner, but this time with a fatal outcome when the Austrian’s car tobogganed under a badly installed Armco. Team Lotus withdrew from the race.

Obviously still moved by the memories, Emerson pauses then carries on solemnly, “We all went home and I heard nothing for 10 days. I was convinced Colin would hire a more experienced driver. I had only finished three Grand Prix and crashed a new car! Then Colin called me and asked me to be his number one driver, I felt I didn’t have enough experience but Colin said the team would support me.”

Just over three weeks later, Emerson found himself as team leader at Watkins Glen racing the 72 for the first time. “ I felt the pressure but the 72 was very good at the Glen, it was a wet start and I lost places, but as the track dried I could maximise all that was good with the 72. To get my first win there so soon was fantastic and with Jacky (Ickx) finishing fourth Jochen (Rindt) would be Champion.”

The 1971 season did not prove to be successful for the Lotus 72, the best Fittipaldi could manage was a second place in Austria. “Our problem was the instigation of slick tires,” says Emerson. “The 72 was not designed for them, it would only be quick on low grip tracks like Monaco. Our chief designer Maurice Phillippe had to redesign the suspension. On the Firestone slicks, the original suspension was flexing and upsetting the car. It was not until the Victory Race in October that the new suspension was really working and the 72 had good grip.”

However, 1972 was “A Very Special Year” borrowing the title of a book published at the end of that season. John Player increased their sponsorship with Lotus and changed the livery to match their new brand of cigarettes ‘John Player Specialsʼ or JPS as printed on the packs. John Player promotion gurus Barry Foley and Noel Stanbury reputedly came up with that iconic black and gold F1 color scheme sitting around the kitchen table in Barry’s house. When Emmo first saw the car, he told Chapman that it reminded him of a coffin and it should have handles on it! His opinion has softened over the years, now he says, “One of the most beautiful color schemes ever seen on an F1 car, so elegant, so different.”

It wasn’t only the look of the 72 that was right, the chassis had reached the peak of its development and was now the class of the field allowing Emerson to win 5 of the 12 Grands Prix that year and thus securing his title by race 10 at Monza. He remembers, “The team was very solid, working well, the first time I thought I could win the Championship was at Jarama, Spain, in May, the car was good on all tracks. I told Colin, ‘We have a chance for the Championship.ʼ”

The 1973 season started well for the World Champion, now partnered by his friend Ronnie Peterson. “I won the first two races then the fourth and I thought I can be World Champion again in the 72. But then I scored no points at all in the next four races with Ronnie doing well. It came to Monza and I still had a chance for the title. Colin said if we were 1-2 in the race with nobody close I would be allowed to win. We drove away from them all, and with 15 laps to go Ronnie was in the lead but Colin did not give the signal, so with 10 laps left I started to dice with Ronnie but I couldn’t get past. I don’t know why he (Colin Chapman) didn’t give the signal, I was very upset, after that I decided to leave, I felt let down.”

“I don’t know why he did that but let me say that of all the cars I drove in my career, Colin’s designs were the best. He had an intuition for setting up a car, we would sit down and I would say there are problems and describe to him how it was behaving around the track, he would go back to the garage with the mechanics and change settings or the springs or dampers, toe in or out and the next time I drove it the car would be fast again. He was a genius.”

As expected, Emmo chose to drive “Old Faithful”, chassis #72/5, to head all the 72s parade laps around the Hethel test track. It was the chassis he crashed at Monza in 1970, but once repaired it was his mount for most of the lack-lustre 1971 season, 5^th at Monaco, 3^rd in France and the UK, plus 2^nd in Austria. Resplendent in black and gold for 1972 #5 took Emerson to 2^nd in South Africa before being handed over to second JPS driver Dave Walker for a couple of Grands Prix before reverting back to being Fittipaldi’s spare for the rest of the season. Emmo used it to win in Austria and clinch both F1 World titles at Monza after a transporter accident en route damaged his primary racecar. Upgraded to “E” specification, with deformable structures for 1973, Emerson scored 72/5’s final GP victory and Lotus’s 50^th in Spain despite a slow puncture. “Old Faithful’s” racing days came to an end in Zandvoort when a wheel failure caused Emerson to crash heavily during practice for the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix effectively writing the car off.

Colin’s son, Clive Chapman, takes up the tale of 72/5, “All the other damaged chassis that the team has had over the years were scrapped and thrown away but for some reason this one was put in a corner and used as something of a rubbish bin for some time… we stored technical drawings in it. About ten years ago, I thought, well maybe we could straighten her out, we were able to do that and the tub is almost completely original.”

Surprisingly, “Old Faithful” did not secure the most Grand Prix victories for Emerson, that title goes to chassis #72/7 with a total of five under its belt. Built for the ’72 season, it took Emerson to three Grand Prix wins that championship year in Spain, Belgium and Britain, with a further two podiums in Monaco and France. For 1973, in E spec, 72E/7 was used by Emerson to take victory in Argentina and Brazil, though he was also using E/7 when Peterson grudgingly piped him to the post at Monza. This chassis was then sold to Team Gunston and campaigned in South Africa, where it was also raced by Michael Schryver, in historics, during the 1990s. Now owned by Clive and the Chapman family, the car has undergone a complete restoration and wears JPS livery sporting race number 5, as used by Emerson to take the chassis’s first Grand Prix victory at the 1972 Spanish Grand Prix.

Incredibly, by today’s standards, the Lotus 72 line raced in Grands Prix from 1970 to 1975 a testament to the groundbreaking Chapman/ Phillippe design with its side-mounted radiators and wedge shape, which is still mirrored in F1 cars today. It won three Constructor Championships and two Driver’s titles. Gathered alongside Fittipaldi’s favorites at Hethel this day were 72/3 now the oldest surviving complete chassis raced by John Miles, Reine Wisell and Dave Charlton and restored into its Team Gunston colors of 1975. 72/4 originally constructed with some parts from prototype 72/1 for Rob Walker’s 1970 F1 entry driven by Graham Hill but without success, it was then sold to Jo Siffert but never raced again until John Foulston used the car for historic events during the mid-1980s. Now wearing Gold Leaf colors, it pays homage to chassis #1 used by Jochen Rindt. Chassis 72/6 started life in 1972 and throughout that season and the next struggled to achieve results in the hands of Lotus #2 drivers Reine Wisell and Dave Walker, but after it was updated to E spec for 1973 it became Ronnie Peterson’s rocket. Driving it, Peterson finished 3^rd at Monaco, 2^nd at Anderstorp, finally taking his maiden win in France followed by three more in Austria, Italy and the USA. Sold in ’74 to John Love’s Rhodesian Team Gunson the car continued racing In South Africa, 72/6 is still competing regularly now in historic events. 72E/5 was constructed to replace “Old Faithful” after Emmo’s Zandvoort crash. Used by Jacky Ickx for most of the 1974/’75 seasons, the 72 chassis by then had been outclassed by its rivals and retired at the end of 1975, now restored it is also raced regularly at historic meetings. Chassis 72/8, built in 1973, became Peterson’s alternative to the ill-performing Lotus 76 in 1974. Ronnie won three Grands Prix with it, the Monaco, French and Italian. For 1975, it was used as a spare eventually being displayed in the now defunct Donington collection, it now resides in the USA. Last of the line is 72/9, built for Peterson’s 1975 season with modified suspension that didn’t prove successful, the curtain came down on all the 72s at Watkins Glen that year with Ronnie bringing car #5 home, aptly, in 5^thplace.

Due to the limitations of the Hethel test facility and the anticipated response, “All the 72s” was not a public event. As such, invitations were restricted to Lotus personnel, former JPS staff and contributors, plus a limited media presence. Never say never, but it’s difficult to imagine an occasion in the foreseeable future when all these cars will be together again tracing the lineage of one of F1’s greatest marques. It was a grey, damp day but that didn’t overshadow this very special and historic occasion.

The post Emerson and All the 72s appeared first on Sports Car Digest.

New Zealand motor sport enjoyed a golden age during the 1960s and early 1970s when no less than three drivers from the tiny island nation—thousands of miles from the motor racing capitals— were front-runners and serious contenders for the World Drivers’ Championship crown.

However, one wonders if it had not been for the driving force of one visionary man, working behind the scenes, whether the international achievements of Bruce McLaren, Denis Hulme and Chris Amon, would ever have come about?

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