2007 - Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing

ROCKY MOUNTAIN
VINTAGE RACING
Pueblo Trans-Am
Invitational
Pueblo Motorsports Park, CO
June 1-3, 2007
Thanks to the following major sponsors:
John Obialero, Inc. • Industrial Chemicals Corporation
Nostalgia Racing Inc. • Coors Brewing Company
Lew Spencer and his crew, Ted Sutton (left) and Jim O'Leary
(right), pose for the camera just before going to Willow Springs
in May 1964. Dave Friedman photo.
Joe Pizzi and Gary Savage in front of Joe’s 1968 Datsun
510 sedan. The paint job and set up on this car is reminiscent of the championship BRE sedans driven by John
Morton, Bob Sharp, Bobby Allison, and Peter Gregg. Mike
Rodgers photo.
Cover: Shelby’s Terlingua’s Racing Team getting fuel during the
250 mile race at CDR in August 1967. Jerry Titus is in the
car waiting for the signal to go. Carroll is in the background
under the cowboy hat. Walt Hane photo.
The 2006 Black Rat Award went to Chip Hane who finished 1st in O2 in a
1965 K-code Mustang. From left to right: Jim Jones, Pat Hogan, Chip, Keith
Davidson, Gary Savage, and Mike Cox. Mike Cox photo.
Pueblo Motorsports Park and the Trans-Am Invitational presented by
Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing, Ltd (RMVR)
Welcome to Pueblo Motorsports Park and the Trans-Am Invitational presented by Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing, Ltd.
(RMVR). This event is a special celebration of the Trans-American sedan racing series that was held at numerous tracks in
the US and Canada, including a former 2.6-mile road course in Castle Rock, Colorado called Continental Divide Raceways
(CDR). The Trans-Am was organized by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and became a manufacturer’s competition that pitted two liter Alfas against Porsches, BMWs, Datsuns, and Cortinas and the larger O2 (over two liter) Chevrolet
Camaros against American Motors Javelins, Ford Mustangs, and Plymouth Barracudas. It was (and is) one of the most exciting
motor racing series to watch because everyday sedans that many people owned were raced by professional drivers on American
and Canadian road racing circuits.
This year’s event will be featuring the championship racing sedans of Shelby American Racing out of Los Angeles who won
the series for Ford in 1966 and 1967. The team manager was Lew Spencer who is our special guest this year. Lew owned a
Morgan and Bristol Dealership in west Los Angeles in the 1950s and was a SCCA Pacific Coast EP and CP Champion driver.
Carroll Shelby contacted Lew about building the AC Cobra and when the first one was built, Lew became one of the first
Cobra drivers. He drove Cobras for team Shelby through 1965 and then worked for Shelby as the Competition Sales Manager.
After the Trans-Am series began, he became the Team Manager for the Shelby/Ford Trans-Am team. Lew managed Shelby’s
Trans-Am effort though the disastrous 1968 and 1969 seasons. He went on to work for Bill Stroupe-Holman Moody, SCCA,
and then Titus-Godsall Racing helping with their Can-Am and Indy programs. Lew will be speaking at our track-side dinner
Saturday evening.
In this program you will find historical photographs from Colorado’s former Continental Divide Raceways (CDR) and other
memorabilia associated with Colorado’s racing past. Included is information on how to drive the Pueblo racing circuit, pictures
from previous year’s events, RMVR club information, and safety flag definitions.
We wish to thank the many sponsors of this event including John Obialero, Inc., Industrial Chemicals Corporation, Nostalgia
Racing Inc., and Coors Brewing Company for their support of vintage Trans-Am racing in Colorado. We ask that you support
all of the advertisers in this race program who share our enthusiasm for the Trans-Am, Colorado’s racing history, and vintage
motor racing and hope that you enjoy the weekend.
Keith Davidson
Chairman, RMVR Trans-Am Invitational
Marlboro Maryland Trans-American 12-hour race, August 14, 1966. The
under 2 liter class was won by Theodorocopulos and Posey in an Alfa Romeo
GTA. The over 2 liter class was won by Tullius and Adamowicz in a Dodge
Dart. Pete Luongo photo.
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
Gary Savage and the original '70 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda at Mosport, May
1999. The vintage team was labeled as “The Keepers of the Flame" as Gary
does his part to continue the family tradition keeping Swede's memory alive.
You can see in-car videos in the 'Cuda and other cars Gary has driven at:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=garysavage Savage photo.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN VINTAGE RACING LTD.
RMVR is a non-profit club of more than 400 members who are vintage racing enthusiasts. Our club’s primary focus is the organization, production, and
sanctioning of vintage car races in the Rocky Mountain region. We have
over 350 eligible cars that are a minimum of 20 years old. Names such as
Lotus, Corvette, McLaren, and Lola, along with lesser-known marques such as
Abath, Morgan, Siata, and Zink participate in our events. The range of engines
includes less than 1000 cc to more than six liters of “ground-pounding” force.
As Charter Members of the national group, Vintage Motorsports Council, we
are pledged to promote the preservation of these cars in a racing format which
emphasizes driver safety and “etiquette”. To achieve this goal, we have developed our own team of race officials including Event Chairs, Race Stewards,
Registrars, Pit and Grid, Corner Marshalls, Starters, Tech Inspectors, and Timing
and Scoring.
The Benefits Of RMVR Membership:
•The Apex •Free Admission To All Track Events •Invitation to All Speed
Events
and More
•Free Classified Ads in the Monthly Newsletter
You need not own a vintage car to become a member and participant in
Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing.
RMVR • 6745 West Third Place • Lakewood CO 80226 • 303-319-3062
Lew Spencer, the very capable team manager for Shelby
American in the pits. Dave Friedman photo.
2007 Schedule of Events
DATE
January 6
EVENT
Banquet
LOCATION
Arvada Center, Arvada, CO
March 3-4
Fire and Rescue School
N Washington Training Center, CO
March 31
Annual Tech Day
240 Bryant St, Denver, CO or
3520 N Prospect St, CO Springs, CO
April 20-22
Drivers School
La Junta Raceway, La Junta, CO
April 21-22
La Junta Spring Race
La Junta Raceway, La Junta, CO
June 2-3
Pueblo Trans-Am Invitational
Pueblo Motorsports Park, Pueblo, CO
July 21-22
La Junta Summer Race La Junta Raceway, La Junta, CO
Sep 7-9
Motorsport Park Hastings
Hastings, Nebraska
Sep 16
Colorado English Motoring Conclave
Oak Park, Arvada, CO
Sep 29 – 30
Pueblo Enduro
Pueblo Motorsports Park, Pueblo, CO
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
Below: John Cowler, Walt
Hane, Lew Spencer, and
Homer Perry on the Boss
Mustang assembly line
in Dearborn 1969. This
meeting was to confirm the
homologation of the new Boss
302. Lew represented Shelby
American, Walt SCCA,
John Ford’s Performance
and Economy Division, and
Homer was Fords’s Trans-Am
liason. Walt Hane photo.
Bob Bondurant (99), Dan Gurney (97), and Lew Spencer (98) crest Riverside's
Turn 7 during the One Hour Enduro that preceded the 1963 Times Grand Prix.
Bondurant won the race while Spencer finished third and Gurney finished fourth.
Dave Friedman photo.
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
From The Continental “250” Trans-American Championship Series race program, CDR August 25, 1968.
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
2.66 Mile Road Course
Castle Rock, Colorado 1968
From the 1968 Continental 250 Program.
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
C o l o r a d o Tr a n s - A M A
Under 2-liter BMWs driven by Robert Toscano and Wayne Seibrecht running
wheel to wheel. RMVR has several club members running the 2002 sedan. Mike
Rodgers photo.
2005 RMVR Trans-Am with Dan Allen (Camaro), Steve Gesse (BMW),
Mike Jones (Mustang), Bob Hill (Cuda), Vic Yarberry (Cougar), Robert
Toscano (BMW), Andrew Jordan (BMW), York Kielnecker (Alfa), and a
gaggle of minis. Avary Images photo.
The interior of the 1967 Shelby Team car with R-model seat, door pad, SW
gauges, roll cage, modified pedal pads, aftermarket steering wheel. Note factory door
panels, shifter, and glass dash pad and wipers. Friedman photo.
Jeff Winter of Arvada Colorado receiving SCCA`s Kimberly Cup from David
Donahue in 2001. Jeff was a national champion in 2001 driving a Datsun
510 in SCCA’s GP class. Other names on the cup include Roger Penske,
Augie Papst and Peter Revson. Winter photo.
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
c t i o n . . .T h e n a n d N o w
Jerry Titus started his racing career while
being a full-time editor of Sports Car
Graphic magazine and played a saxophone
in the evenings at LA clubs. His driving
wowed the Shelby American organization
and soon he had little time for other pursuits.
JDC collection.
Keith Davidson (Falcon) and Cash Johns (Camaro) battling for the line at corner 10 at RMVR’s 2004
Trans-Am Invitational. Bill Miller photo.
If you are interested in purchasing photos from this event please email or call.
Provide your name, race group, car type and car number, and your
contact information.
Ken Petrie in his late model #95 Trans-Am Camaro at last year’s Trans-Am
Invitational. The 350 Chevrolet engine was misfiring and the car was retired
early. Look for some good wheel to wheel competition among late model TransAm cars at this year’s race. Mike Rodgers photo.
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
IF YOU NEED CONCRETE,
Residential & Commercial Foundations
RACE TO JOHN & RICK OBIALERO’S
!
s
a
e
d
i
r
u
o
y
t
And cemen
J O H N
O B I A L E R O ,
I N C .
11130 West 44th Avenue • Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033 303-423-8960
AUTO WIZARDS
IMPORT & DOMESTIC SERVICE & REPAIR
RACE CAR PREPARATION & SERVICE
Fred Hodgson
5890 Washington St.
Unit 8
Denver, Colorado 80216
(303) 296-0979
RMVR's Trans-Am Invitational made the August 2006 cover of Victory Lane
Magazine. Mike Rodgers photo.
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
Shelby American Racing
In 1966 when the Trans-Am series opened,
Shelby American was committed to the Ford
GT program in Europe and had no interest
in the Trans-Am series. As the season progressed, Ford prevailed upon Shelby to prepare a number of customer cars. The Mustang
was by far the easiest to prepare to Trans-Am
rules because in race trim, it was literally the
sedan version of the B-Production winning
Shelby GT350R. Shelby American built 16
ready to race Group 2 sedans and sold them to
the public. Drivers including Dick Thompson, Bob Johnson, Tom
Yeager, Fred Van Beuren, John McComb, and Walt Hane mostly
had home built Mustangs with Shelby parts. When the series
reached Riverside for the last race, Ford and Chrysler were tied
for the points lead and it became Shelby’s assignment to win the
championship. Jerry Titus flooded his engine during the Lemans
start but drove through the field over several hours to win the race
and the championship for Ford. In the early days of the series,
the championship points were awarded to the manufacturer, not
the driver which kept the manufacturer participation at a very
high level.
In 1967 Shelby fielded a
team with two mustangs
and three drivers – Jerry
Titus, Dick Thompson,
and Ronnie Bucknum.
Under the direction of
Lew Spencer and Chuck
Cantwell they were the
backdoor team. Not the
official team because
Bud Moore’s Cougar
team was the official
1967 Trans-Am team.
Ford found some money
and got Shelby enough
to build and maintain
Jerry Titus and Chuck Cantwell walking back the cars for the full seato the pits after losing the motor,Continental
son. Shelby American
Divide Raceways, august 25, 1968. Pete
built
26
Mustang
Group 2 sedans. Four
were used for the factory team effort, the remainder were
sold to independent racers to use for Trans-Am and/or Asedan SCCA racing. This gave Ford a two pronged attack.
If the first rank factory team cars didn’t do the job, a veritable herd of private owner Mustangs would be there to trample
the competition.
According to Chuck Cantwell “Jerry Titus wrecked a lot of cars
but he didn’t give way for anyone, including Parnelli, Gurney,
and Donahue. He put on a show and he won a lot of races.” The
Titus car wore the Terlingua Racing Team logo which was really
a Shelby spoof based on ideas “developed” during a hunting trip
in rural Texas near the town of Terlingua. The racing team was
nothing more than a collection of drinking buddies who loved
Texas chili. The logo looked like a European coat-of-arms with
a jackrabbit with his right foot held high saying, "No more peppers in my chili!" The logo was used on the 1967 Titus car that
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
Ronnie Bucknam and Lew Spencer discussing preparation of the car at Sebring
in 1967. A mechanic is under the car and the engineer (Chuck Cantwell) is in
the background. Friedman photo.
got a special “Gawdawful Yellow” paint job to make it stand
out on the Trans-Am grid. The Mustang hoods and tops of
the front fenders were painted flat black after the drivers
complained of poor visibility due to glare from the bright
yellow paint.
Shelby’s Mustangs and Moore’s Cougars dominated the first half
of the 1967 season. But as Jerry Titus explained at the end of the
year, “At Daytona, Chevy had the horsepower, but not the stopping power or handling. At Mid-Ohio they were stopping and by
Bryar they were handling". Titus won four races during the season; Mark Donohue won three races, all in the latter half of the
season. In the end, Ronnie Bucknum got the second place points
at Kent to just barely edge-out Cougar to win the championship,
but it was the Penske Camaro that was on a roll.
In 1968, the Shelby Mustangs were driven by Titus and Horst
Kwech. Since the Trans-Am cars were now allowed to run in
the 24 hours of Daytona, Ronnie Bucknum and Allan Moffat
were brought in to co-drive. Ford thought that it’s new 302-inch
engine with high performance tunnel port heads was the hot
set-up, but was terribly wrong. What started off as a great year
turned into a disaster and chaos. The team was only able to
win three of 13 races. Frustration over the engine problems and
Ford’s attitude caused a season of dissension among the team
members and Titus’ departure before the season’s end.
In 1969, Ford introduced the new Boss 302 Mustang into TransAm competition, and the regular Shelby team drivers looked
forward to a better season. Unfortunately for the Shelby team,
Ford brought the Bud Moore team back after a year’s absence and
the majority of the money went to Moore. The only win during
the 1969 season came at Lime Rock with Sam Posey winning as
he filled in for Peter Revson, who was qualifying at Indy. Several
third place finishes filled out a very disappointing year. After
Riverside, Ford cut the funding and the Shelby racing effort was
terminated. For Shelby American, it was a good time to quit
because there was nothing else to win. Shelby American had
made a name for itself and the company had achieved far more
than anyone could have imagined.
Sources: Dave Friedman’s Shelby American Racing History, Rich
Taylor’s Trans-Am published in Vintage Motorsport Magazine
and Bill Neale’s Terilingua Racing Story.
Dan Gurney in the Lola T70 at Bridgehampton Long Island, 1966. This car won the Can-Am race powered by a Ford 5-liter Gurney-Weslake engine. The car
was later converted to a coupe with hardtop and hatch doors. The current owner RMVR’s Bob Rowley of Vail, Colorado is currently restoring the car to its original race
configuration. Friedman photo.
10
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
303-526-2807
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational11
Mario Andretti, Glen Gold, and Bob Raub at the Trans-Am race at Road
America 1980. Bob and Glen were racing. Mario had finished his racing the
day before and stopped by to visit with friends. Raub photo.
Hank Candler of Castlerock, Colorado at CDR’s 1968 SCCA Fall National
setting the lap record in his Lola T140 Formula A. The car ran a Bartz Chevrolet
305 V8 with webers and generated about 425 hp. Was it quick? No question.
Candler photo.
Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing, LTD.
Application for Membership:
To join RMVR go to http://rmvr.com/forms/membership.pdf to down-load
an application for membership. For additional information call us at
303-319-3062 and lets go racing!
12
2007 RMVR Pueblo Trans-Am Invitiational
For race gas in bulk quantity, call Trans-Am driver
Robert Wilson
Kyle Popejoy in his 1967 Mustang, Dan Rose in his 1966 Porsche 911, and
Brian Nelson in his 1972 BMW 2002 entering compression corner 5 during
the 2006 Trans-Am feature race. Mike Rodgers photo
The Lotus Cortinas of the Alan Mann Racing Team at
Riverside, September 1966. The team was sponsored by
Ford of Britain, and the cars were driven by Ray Parsons
and Sir John Whitmore. Unfortunately they pulled out of the
series in 1967. Julian Veovich photo.
Pat Hogan of Littleton, Colorado in his 1968 Camaro and
Gary Grillo of Evergreen, Colorado in his 1971 Pontiac
Trans-Am running hard on the PMI road circuit. Mike
Rodgers photo.