The Roaring Season

The last photos of this 1967 event.

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Fred Baker gets a little out of shape in turn 9 during the USRRC race at Laguna Seca driving his Porsche Carrera 6. # 22

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Fred Baker heads into turn 9 with his Porsche Carrera 6 #22 on the outside of Mike Goth's Lola T70 Mk III during the United States Road Racing Championship .race at Laguna Seca Raceway.

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(John Lacko photos. Thanks John for sharing these photos.)
Stan Burnett in his Burnett Mk II/Chevrolet #64 is on the outside of a Mclaren. # 74. As they exit Turn 9 and head along the front straight which looks much the same today as it did back then.


( Ken H. )

I met both Jerry and Pierre on my 2012 trip to the US...

Both were generous with their time, Jerry incredibly so. He wanted us to stay a week at his home in Spring Lake, Michigan, and he and Carmen welcomed me again on each of my succeeding trips. Unfortunately he won't be able to do that any more.

My first visit with Jerry is well-covered on post 20 of this thread:

[url]https://dodgeforum.com/forum/members-rides/426498-ride-along-with-me.html[/url]

An absolute bundle of energy, it's hard to believe he's left us.

Jerry Entin gets his door blown off!
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Jerry Entin in his McLaren Mk II/Chevrolet #1 and Sam Posey driving his McLaren/Chevrolet #2 tangle in turn 9 during the United States Road Racing Championship race at Laguna Seca.

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Bud Morley with his McLaren Mk II/Chevrolet #12 and Bob Bondurant driving his McLaren Mk II/Chevrolet #51 are the last two cars of a group going through turn nine.

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(John Lacko photos)
Pierre Phillips with his LolaT70/Chevrolet #3 follows Jerry Titus in his Piper/Buick through turn 9 during the United States Road Racing Championship race at Laguna Seca. Phillips finished tenth and Titus went out on the tenth lap.

(Pierre also drove a Lola T140 in the Formula A race at Bay Park in December 1968)


(Ken H)

Yes he did...

He contested the Tasman Cup series a couple of times, firstly in a McLaren M10 and later in a March.

Did John Cannon race in NZ in the early 1970s?

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In May 1967 rear wings were in their infancy.
George Follmer in his Lola T-71 #16 leads two cars through turn 9 during the United States Road Racing Championship race at Laguna Seca with #91 Skip Scott in his McLaren Mk I/Ford right behind.

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The name Laguna Seca is Spanish for dry lagoon: the area where the track now lies was once a lake, and the course was built around the dry lakebed. In the background you could see evidence of the lake after it rained in 1967. It is all built up now.

John Cannon in his McLaren-Elva # 62 approaching Turn 9.

A year later John famously won the 1968 Can Am race in this car when he chose the perfect Firestone tires in the pouring rain and beat all the "Big Boys"
(John Lacko photos.)


(Ken H)

Popular driver, Jerry Titus in the rare Piper - Buick # 5
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07May1967 Jerry Titus walks to the start of the Laguna Seca USRRC race beside his Piper Buick being pushed by crew members. Titus went out of the race on the tenth lap.

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Jerry Titus goes for the apex of turn nine in his Wynn's Piper/Buick during the Laguna Seca United States Road Racing Championship race,

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Jay Hills McLaren-Elva Mk 2 # 81, slides through turn 9 during the United States Road Racing Championship race at Laguna Seca.


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Chuck Parsons gets pushed to the starting line in his McLaren Mk II/Traco Chevrolet # 10, for the Laguna Seca United States Road Racing Championship race. Parsons finished 11th.
(John Lacko photos )


(Ken H)

The winner of the May 1967 event.
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07May1967 Lothar Motschenbacher goes for the apex of turn 9 in his McLaren Elva Mk II/Chevrolet during the United States Road Racing Championship at Laguna Seca. Motschenbacher turned 84 laps to win the race.

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Lothar Motschenbacher, winner of the United States Road Racing Championship race at Laguna Seca goes for a victory lap with an unidentified passenger. (The spoils of victory!)
(John Lacko photos.)


(Ken H)

Mark Donohue in his Lola T70 Mk 2 #6 with the Roger Penske Team.
Approaching Turn 9.
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07May1967 Mark Donohue dives into turn 9 in his Penske Sunoco Special Lola T 70/Chevrolet during the United States Road Racing Championship race at Laguna Seca. (John Lacko photo.)

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07May1967 Mark Donohue enters the pits at turn 9 in the Penske Sunoco Special Lola T70/Chevrolet during the United States Road Racing Championship race at Laguna Seca. Donohue finished third. (John Lacko photo.)

Fastest qualifier for this May 1967 event was George Follmer in a Lola T70 at 1.06.2 sec.
Fastest qualifier at the Sept. 1967 Can Am event was Bruce McLaren at 1.02.69 sec. Almost 4 seconds a lap quicker!
The "Bruce and Denny' show had indeed arrived!



(Ken H)

Looking forward to more, Ken...

I got a pleasant surprise yesterday when John Lacko sent me some photos he took of the May, 1967 USRRC sports car event at Laguna Seca. He mentioned he has been following the Roaring Season and likes the site and only wants his photos presented here.
I will do my best to do that, but it may take a while.
May 5th, 1967
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The Laguna Seca course in 1967. From the start it was all left turns up to Turn 6 (The Corkscrew Turn. ) at the last corner, Turn 9, the cars pulled off to the right to enter their pits on the outside of the track.
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Some unique spectator instructions as it was built within the area of Fort Ord army base and one was advised NOT to wander too far away from the assigned areas for bathroom reasons!
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A list of entrants for the 1967 event.
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One of them was Frank Matich in his SR3 # 76 powered at that time by a small 4.2 litre aluminum Oldsmobile V-8 prepared by Webster Racing Ent. (AUS).
Here slowing down toward Turn 9 to enter the pits on the outside of the track. (Note the band-aid on the fender!)
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(John Lacko photo.)


(Ken H)

Rhys,
Sorry to say I just went yesterday for the 1 day and did not see your message until this morning.

This is all I have of the CycleKarts, they are neat little units based on the styling of 1920s & 30s race cars.

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Ken H photos..

A 2021 Velocity Invitational thread will be starting in the next few days as some of the camera results leave a bit to be desired.

Ken if you get a chance call through at the Cyclekarts, find Doug Varey and tell him you have come to drink my whiskey :)

Hi Ken,
Some great pics there! Love the old Healey and Can Am shots.
Hope you are all well.

Cheers

If things go as planned I am going to Laguna Seca on Friday and Richard Goldsmith has invited me to keep the wheels clean on his # 77 1970 Dodge Challenger and the drinks and snacks replenished at this Velocity Invitational Event.

[url]https://velocityinvitational.com/[/url]

[url]https://velocityinvitational.com/?page_id=394[/url]

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A chance for more photos. Is that ok ?

( Ken H )

An interesting sidelight to these Barracudas...

They used a unique version of the A833 4-speed gearbox, this one had an all-alloy case which was coated with something (iron filings?) which made them attract a magnet. I think it was one of these cars, or perhaps an earlier model, which was offered to Pete Geoghegan to replace his Mustang.

[quote="Steve Holmes"]

Steve, I found this article in a 1970 magazine regarding # 77 ( you may have to enlarge it to read it.)

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Taken in 1970

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Taken in May 2021. ( Ken H photo.)
(It may not have had much success racing but it was / is a magnificent looking machine, now prepared and driven by Richard Goldsmith


(Ken H. )

Brilliant photos Ken. Lothar was one of the great Can-Am privateers, and raced several McLarens throughout. He managed to get his hands on a couple of the factory team cars after McLaren was done with them, including a 1969 M8B, which he raced and crashed a couple of times in 1970.

The Sam Posey McLaren was prepared by Ray Caldwell of Autodynamics. Caldwell and Posey were a partnership for several years in the Can-Am, and including the construction of the Caldwell D7, which I think was funded by Posey. He came from money, and could always afford top equipment.

Posey and Caldwell approached Chrysler Corporation about running a factory supported car in the 1970 SCCA Trans-Am series. Dan Gurney's AAR got the gig to run a pair of Plymouth Cudas for himself and Swede Savage, while Caldwell and Posey ran a Dodge Challenger for Posey. They had a pretty rough season, and never won a race, which Chrysler wasn't too impressed about. The relationship between Posey and Caldwell soured as a result, and I believe they split at the end of the year.

[quote="khyndart in CA"]Riversde. April 1967.
Two well known drivers from the early days of Can Am events.

Sam Posey in a McLaren M1B # 2.

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Lothar Motschenbacher, competed in almost all Can Am races from 1966 t0 1974.

in his McLaren Elva Mark 2 # 11

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( John Lacko photos.)[/quote]

A good description of McLaren M6A and what the 1967 Road America Can Am meant as a new era in racing began.

[url]https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11256/mclaren-m6a.aspx[/url]

The 1967 Road America Can Am event on You Tube.

[video=youtube;5Wf2oUfbw4M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wf2oUfbw4M[/video]


(Ken H)






(Ken H)

The USRRC racing group thought they were competetive but they were not prepared for the Papaya Orange painted pair of cars from Colnbrook !
When the 1967 Can Am Series began in September 1967 at Road America there was no better prepared team than Bruce and Denny in their sparkling McLaren M6As. As Bruce's F1 effort had been delayed by the unavailability of the BRM V-12 engine, he had more time to develop the Can Am car. They did this so well that the series became known as the "Bruce and Denny Show"over the next two years.
At this first event McLaren's qualifying lap was a full 10 seconds than the previous best !
The new Can Am level had risen so much that Mark Donohue was quoted in "Road &Track " The USRRC series was fine, but it was like playing tennis with your wife !"

(Ken H )