<VV> Fw: Remembering The Flying Dentist; Monterey Reunion Broadcast Oct. 11

Fri Sep 19 17:18:59 EDT 2014

Dr Dick Thompson passed on the 14th. He raced Yenko Stingers along with Corvettes, etc. Dr Dick Thompson won the SCCA NE Div while Jerry Thomson won the Central Div in Stingers. In 67 it was Jerry Thompson winning the D Prod Championship. The Vintage Mortorsport article is wrong, methinks. James Rice will correct me if I am worng. ;<))

Chuck S

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Vintage Motorsport Newsletter 
Subject: Remembering The Flying Dentist; Monterey Reunion Broadcast Oct. 11

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                              Vintage Motorsport Newsletter 9/19/2014  by John L. Stein 

                        Road Racer Dick Thompson, 1920-2014

                               Legendary American road racer Dr. Dick Thompson, known to generations of fans as "The Flying Dentist," passed away on September 14, 2014 from natural causes. 

                        Wellington, FL -- Legendary American road racer Dr. Dick Thompson, known to generations of fans as "The Flying Dentist," passed away on Sept. 14 from natural causes at the age of 94.

                        Thompson began racing relatively late in life with no formal training, no engineering background, and no mechanical experience to draw upon, but he did have the innate ability that defines truly great racers. By the time he retired from the sport after 19 years he'd driven some of the greatest production and sports racing cars ever created, won class or overall wins in many of the world's major racing venues, and earned an impressive nine SCCA national championships. Five of those championships were garnered racing Corvettes, the nameplate with which Thompson is most closely associated, and one that he helped save by helping turn competition success into a better car -- and thus much-improved sales figures -- beginning in 1956.

                        Thompson's first race was the inaugural 12 Hours of Sebring in 1952. He and his friend Bill Kinchloe drove Thompson's 1950 MG TD from Washington, D.C. to Sebring, raced to 8th place overall, and then drove home. In 1953 he replaced the MG with a Porsche Super and drove that car to consecutive SCCA F-Production national championships. In 1955 Thompson traded the tired Porsche for a new Jaguar XK140 MC, which he drove to 3rd in the national standings and 10th overall at Sebring that year. In 1956 John Fitch recommended Thompson to Zora Arkus-Duntov and others at GM, which initiated a long and fruitful relationship with Chevrolet. Thompson went on to drive Corvettes to the C-Production championship in 1956 and the B-Production title in '57. He also co-drove a Corvette to victory in the GT class at Sebring in 1957.

                        After GM agreed to the 1957 Automobile Manufacturers Assn. racing ban, Thompson signed with Austin-Healey to drive a 100-6 for 1958. He piloted the BMC-powered car to yet another SCCA national championship, this time in D-Production. Though Chevrolet was still officially out of racing in 1959, GM design chief Bill Mitchell arranged for Thompson to drive the Sting Ray Racer, which carried him to the 1960 C-Modified national title. But this special Sting Ray was not the only car Thompson raced in 1960. After meeting famed sportsman Briggs Cunningham in 1959, Thompson raced a variety of cars for him over the next few years, including Corvettes, Lister-Jaguars, Ferraris and Maseratis.

                        In 1961 Thompson began driving Corvettes with great success for Gulf Oil, earning the B-Production national championship in 1961 and the A-Production title in 1962. He continued racing Corvettes for Gulf and then Penske Racing through 1966, including 1963 Z06s and Grand Sports. He recorded the first victory for a Grand Sport, with an overall win at the SCCA national race at Watkins Glen in August 1963.

                        In 1965 Gulf Oil switched to Ford and Thompson was brought along. Over the next three years ...Read More Here:   http://www.vintagemotorsport.com/show_news.asp?id=2830

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                        Bonhams Biggest Ever Goodwood Revival Sale Achieves $25.3 Million

                               The top sale at Bonhams' Sept. 13 Goodwood auction was this Lagonda LG45R Rapide sports racing two-seater at $2,580,760, a new world record. It competed in the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours 
                              (photo: Chip Reigel). 

                        Goodwood, England -- Held on Sept. 13 and offering 106 cars and 172 lots of automobilia, this year's Bonhams Goodwood Revival Sale was the most successful yet, achieving an all-time high of $25.3 million.

                        The top sale was the Lagonda LG45R Rapide sports racing two-seater, popularly known as "EPE 97," which achieved a price of $2,580,760, a new world record. As a highly recognizable pre-war sports racing car, the car captured everyone's attention with its history as a Fox & Nicholl team car that competed at the highest levels. Its prestigious international events included the Grand Prix de l'ACF at Montlhéry, the RAC Tourist Trophy, the British Racing Drivers' Club 500 Miles, and the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours.

                        Elsewhere in the sale, another world record was broken with the historically significant 1930 OM 665 SS MM Superba. Boasting an impeccable competitive career, this prewar sports-racing car began life with class-winning success in the grueling Mille Miglia 1000-mile race around Italy in 1930. After an intense bidding war, the OM sold far above estimate at $2,064,712 to an in-the-room bidder.

                        Other notable sales included the sale of a pair of historic Maseratis, including the 4CM single seat Vetturetta at $702,157 and the 6CM single-seat Vetturetta at $996,923, and a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster that sold at $1,070,415. This year's Revival sale also featured the highly anticipated Maranello Rosso Collection, Part II. With 10 Ferraris and 10 Abarths, the collection of Italian classics received much attention and collectively sold for $5,773,433.

                        Finally, celebrating Maseratis 100th anniversary year, the 1937 Maserati Tipo 6CM single-seat racing Vetturetta -- one of the quickest pre-war racing cars around -- sold for $997,220, and a 1933 Maserati Tipo 4CM single-seat racing Vetturetta sold for $702,459.

                        "What a weekend," said Bonhams Group Motoring Director James Knight. "Beautiful weather, fantastic cars, and hours of exciting bidding brought our biggest Goodwood Revival sale ever."

                        For more info go to https://www.bonhams.com/.

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                        FOX Sports 1 to Broadcast Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

                        Saturday, Oct. 11 at 10 am Eastern/7 am Pacific

                        Tom Malloy powers out of Turn 11 in his 1991 AAR Eagle GTP in the FIA/IMSA/GTO Group 6B race. This year's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will be broadcast at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 11 on FOX Sports 1. The one-hour special goes in-depth into America's premier historic car race held annually at the scenic track on the Monterey peninsula (photo: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca).

                        Monterey, CA -- This year's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will be broadcast nationally Saturday, October 11 at 10 a.m. ET on Fox Sports 1. The one-hour special goes in-depth into America's premier historic car race held annually on the scenic Monterey peninsula. There will also be a repeat airing Friday, Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. ET. As a longtime supporter of the sport, Vintage Motorsport as usual will be one of the sponsors of the broadcast.

                        "There were nearly 550 authentic and period-correct race cars invited to the event this year, spanning 81 years of motorsport history," said Gill Campbell, CEO and g.m. of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, which hosts the annual gathering.

                        The program chronicles participants in the 15 race groups over four days of racing. Stories will touch upon the human facet of why these valuable mechanical works of art are placed into competition where race winners are not rewarded.

                        "Historic racing is not about winning, but rather showcasing phenomenal race cars in a compelling environment," Campbell explained. "Winners are rewarded only for the time they receive behind the wheel. Preservation and restoration of the cars is the underlying goal of what we do, and for providing a safe, yet challenging, venue for the caretakers to share them with fans from around the world."

                        "What a wonderful way to allow motor sports fans to view some of their favorite period races cars ... on the race track alongside other historic speed machines," said Patrick Crakes, Fox Sports senior v.p. of programming. "The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a solid addition to the industry-leading Fox Sports 1 motor sports programming lineup."

                        More information may be found at www.MazdaRaceway.com.

                        Milwaukee Mile Will Be Topic of Oct. 18 Talk 
                        At Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen

                              In this 1960 photo, Lloyd Ruby in car no. 98 leads the field to the green flag at the Milwaukee Mile
                              (photo: IMRRC's National Speed Sport News Collection). 

                        Watkins Glen, NY -- The Milwaukee Mile, the oldest continuously operating auto-racing facility in the world, will be the focus of a talk by Milwaukee Mile expert Steve Zautke at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 18. The location is the International Motor Racing Research Center, 610 S. Decatur St., Watkins Glen, NY 14891. The talk is free, and all are welcome. 

                        Located in West Allis, WI, the Milwaukee Mile is a one-mile oval, originally built as a privately owned horseracing track. Records show it has been in existence since at least 1876. In 1891, the Agricultural Society of Wisconsin purchased the land to create a permanent site for the Wisconsin State Fair, and the track has operated as part of the fairgrounds ever since.

                        Starting in 1903, the track has hosted at least one auto race every year, except during World War I and World War II. "The track has seen nearly every type of motorsports competition, from turn-of-the-century 'speed contests' and 24-hour endurance races to Depression- and WWII-era open-wheel car duels, USAC stock-car events, midget racing, CART and NASCAR competition," states the website Savethemile.org. "The roster of past winners at The Milwaukee Mile is a veritable 'who's who' of racing history, including names like Barney Oldfield, Rex Mays, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Mario Andretti."

                        As a Milwaukee native, Zautke was raised in the sport of auto racing. His father was a movie photographer who shot racing footage at the Milwaukee Mile and other tracks in the 1960s and 1970s. Zautke's first professional job in racing was as an emergency medical technician at racetracks. From 1993-2011, Zautke worked as a videographer, in media relations and as historian for the Milwaukee Mile. He currently co-hosts "Sparky's Final Inspection," a motorsports-based radio show on a Milwaukee radio station.

                        For more information about the Center's work and its programs, visit www.racingarchives.org or call (607) 535-9044. The Center can also be found on Facebook by searching for "International Motor Racing Research Center. 

                        Vintage Rallies Previews the Mountain Mile and Texas 1000

                        The next two Vintage Rallies are the Mountain Mille, which covers Greenbrier, the Great Smokies and the Tail of the Dragon on Oct. 19-24, and the Texas 1000, which covers San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country on Nov. 16-21  (photo: Vintage Rallies).

                        Sharon, CT  -- Every year, Vintage Rallies hosts numerous multi-day vintage car rallies in some of the most epic driving areas of the country. Coming up fast this Fall are the Mountain Mille, which covers Greenbrier, the Great Smokies and the Tail of the Dragon on October 19-24, and the Texas 1000, which covers San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country on November 16-21.

                        Vintage Rallies held its first New England 1000 in 1993, and over the past 22 years has expanded to an array of ever-changing annual events...more than 85 in all. Each of the Vintage Rallies is a five-day, 1000-mile tour/rally restricted to sports, GT or racing cars built in 1990 or earlier, or any exotic sports car of any year.

                        Each rally includes easy time-speed-distance stages on public roads, plus occasional special stages on a closed course. Participants can take part in the competitive rally, or simply follow the pre-planned route while enjoying the scenery, the roads, the ambience and their special car.

                        Each event benefits different local and national charities, with over $1.7 million raised so far. For the remainder of 2014 and all of 2015, the group's selected charity is AARP's Drive to End Hunger.

                        For more information call 860-364-0311 or go to www.vintagerallies.com.

                        Porsche's 914 to be Honored at 20th Amelia Concours d'Elegance

                              Jacques Duval, Bob Bailey and George Nichols drove this Porsche 914-6 GT to seventh overall and first in class
                               in the 1971 Daytona 24 hours (photo: Bill Warner). 

                        Jacksonville, FL -- Set for March 13-15, 2015, the 20th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance will honor the mid-engine production Porsche 914 in all its variants.

                        The prototype 914 appeared early in 1968 just as Porsche was poised to shed its reputation as a giant killer on the world's racetracks. The man heading the 914 project was Porsche R&D chief Ferdinand Piech, the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche. Almost simultaneously with the 914 project, Piech created the all-conquering Porsche 917 Le Mans endurance racer.

                        The lower price of the 914 brought a new clientele to Porsche showrooms. The 914 quickly outsold its pricier 911 stable-mate while staying true to Porsche's technological heritage with friendly Porsche dynamics, solid handling and, in the case of the 914/6, traditionally ferocious Porsche brakes.

                        However at first some Porsche purists lamented the Porsche 914's seemingly humble origins. They whispered the "V-Word" -- Volkswagen. The reality is that the 914 was a blood descendant of the seminal Gmund Porsche, the first car to wear the family name and the crest, a pure sports car designed around a Volkswagen-sourced air-cooled flat-four and a mid-engine configuration.

                        "It was fashionable with some self-proclaimed Porsche purists to consider the 914 an 'ugly duckling'," said Bill Warner, founder and chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. "That changed very quickly. Here in north Florida the Porsche 914 found a home and willing customers through the racing exploits of Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood and Brumos Porsche, who took the 914/6 GT to victory in the first IMSA GT race in history on the way to winning the first IMSA GT Championship title in 1971."

                        Now in its second decade, the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is considered one of the top automotive events in the world. The event will be held on the 10th and 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia Island at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org or call 904-636-0027.

                        Videos for this week

                        50 Years of Karting

                              50 years of karting (Part 1) 

                        1972 Imola 200, Formula 750 Motorcycles

                              1972 La prima 200 miglia di Imola, mitica. 

                        2014 Formula E Beijing ePrix Accident

                              2014 Formula E Beijing ePrix Prost Heidfeld 
                              HUGE Accident 

                              https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vintage-motorsport/id532571068?mt=8

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