Michael Clark wrote:In the book produced for the Festival of Motor Racing earlier this year called 'Chris Amon - A celebration of a Kiwi Icon', Chris talks about the relative merits of those early Can-Am cars - plus some interesting comparisons between the Ferrari and the McLaren M8B - both of which he raced in 1969.
In fact Howden Ganley has made a wider comparison - the M8B/something, the March 707, and the BRM Can-Am car. He tested them all and raced the BRM which he described as "easily the best"
Thats interesting Michael. I assume that must have been for the 1970 season? The March actually arrived very late in the season. Typical of the Can-Am. A new car turns up late in the season, does the last few races and shows some potential, then vanishes.
Skip Scott (Robert L. Scott)
Theres no question about the Europeans being tougher. American drivers could be just as good but the overseas guys get a 5-year jump on us. Take McLaren. He's been racing since he was 16." The speaker is Robert L. "Skip" Scott, youngest of the nine Americans on the 1967 international graded drivers list.
A tall, casual 25-year-old Philadelphian, Skip has not let his considerable worldly goods stop him from becoming a formidable hunter in racing's car-sponsor, accessory-money jungle. Skip's great-grandfather Scott was a president of the Pennsylvania Railroad and you can't get much more Main Line than that. "Taking that first in class and third overall at the 1000 k's at Spa last year gave me the biggest charge I've had out of racing. I was a driver and team manager so when Peter Revson and I cinched the Sports Car Manufacturers Championship for Ford and my sponsor Essex Wire, who is a major Ford supplier, I felt I had done what I was responsible for.
Skip's plans for 1967 are all Ford-Cougars, Ford GTs and McLaren-Ford. In the Trans-American sedan series, he joins his 1966 partner Peter Revson in a factory Cougar. Le Mans will see him in a Ford Mark II. The young Scottish sportsman George Drummond, who sponsored Skip's 1966 Group 7 efforts, is supplying two new McLarens for the USRRC and Can-Am. "I like driving for Ford but I sometimes feel like a tube in one of their computers. With George, a lot of what we do is based on our close friendship."
Skip is married to the former Katherine Gates, daughter of Morgan Trust board chairman and one-time Secretary of the Navy and Defence, Thomas S. Gates. Kathy, Skip, and their two small children live in Devon, Pa., on Philadelphia's Main Line. Of his pretty wife, Skip says, "With two little kids, I'm sure my being away so much is rough on her but she wants me to do what I want. Kathy helps by never putting any pressure on to keep me home."
Skip first raced a Lotus Elite a little less than five years ago while attending the University of Denver. In 1964, his Elva was first in Northeastern Division points and with Hal Keck he drove a 289 Cobra to eighth overall and first among the pri¬vate entries in the 1964 Sebring 12-hr. Skip worked for Ford briefly, then went to the West Coast as an instructor in Carroll Shelby's driving school. "I had the best possible break; Ken Miles devoted a hell of a lot of time to me. We were testing new cars and tires and I learned more from Miles in those three months than in the last 10 years. Ken was instrumental in getting me a ride with him in the 1964 Road Amer¬ica 500."
Frank Blunk named Skip as the New York Times' Driver of the Year for 1966 but Skip left his winning ways overseas and in the Can-Am series succeeded in looking good with Ford power while losing to Chevy-powered cars.
For 1967, Skip turned down a top works Formula 2 ride. "It's largely a question of economics," he said. "I think I'll do better staying over here and I'll get just as much experience in the USRRC and Can-Am. Sure, I'd like a chance at Formula 1 and I've been offered a couple of rides for Indy but I don't think I'm ready. I'm 25 and when I do it, I want to do it right.
I know this Forum isn't designed for members to promote their own businesses, however, if you are interested in CanAm and early American Sportscar racing, check out the Spark range of 1:43rd resin models. The reason I mention this, is because Spark have produced models of many of the cars mentioned on this thread.
Spark has modelled numerous versions of the McLaren M6A (B. McLaren), M6B & M20 (D. Hulme); the McLeagle; Lola T70, T260, T220, T222, T310 & T333CS; Porsche 917PA & 917/10; BRM P154; March 707 (C. Amon); Shadow MkII, AVS & DN4; Ferrari 612 (C. Amon) plus models of the Honker, Cheetah & Scarab. They are even going to produce a 1:43rd model of a CanAm transporter.
I better not say any more, otherwise this will sound too much like "self promotion" rather than the intended "public awareness bulletin"!
Rod Grimwood wrote:I will endeavour to put a bit more together Murray, As Skip became pretty close to us over the time we knew him and he told me some great bits about different things that happened, he was kind of sheltered and would only talk about the "old days" as he called them to me on occassion. he was flatting with Revson when he had his accident and he also mentioned the influence on himself and Denny at the time, it knocked them around. I have never spoken to anybody about our association, but I feel this is a good place to mention some of it. Skip was a nice sincere guy, but unfortunatly he had some problems which would take a toll on him in later life. If people look up "Skip Scott" on Google there is some information on there and also a list of cars and drivers he drove with. He did a bit and told me that after one Le Mans his mate Mr Ford gave him the GT40 and he had it years in storage. I must admit we were pretty upset when Skip passed but were lucky to have spent a few years with him.
Dear Rod, it was a pleasure to read your posts about your friendship with Skip Scott. How wonderful for him to find friends like you, wish more people could reach out to strangers near or far. It can be a lonely world sometimes.
i found your post while researching your friend Skip Scott. I stumbled upon his name while researching an old mustang he evidently raced and perhaps owned. I knew nothing of him until reading your posts. I grew up like so many of us in our 50's, during the 60's and the Ford Heyday. My father was a Ford man from the 40's till the end. He worked for ford in the assembly division in San Jose where all the Shelby GT 350's were built. The mustangs made a huge impression on me as too, which led me to chase old stories due to my strong interest in history as well i suppose. i am interested in seeing if you could help me in an history or contacts you might have, family if possibly or others. i am interested in constructing his connection to the mustang he drove, what races they were in and who he got it from. Can you help me? Jeffry
Skip Scott in his Carl Haas entered Lola T-70 3B in Mexico City 1968
Skip Scott is leading eventual winner Moises Solana in his McLaren Mk 6. Skip would finish 2nd in this race
Here is a site that I have posted some Skip Scott stories and photos on. I raced against Skip in 1967 and 1968. His daughter and others have lent me photos for this site.
http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=931&hl=skip+scott
Jerry Entin in his McLaren Mk 2 in 1967
These cars were called Mk1B's by some. This is an ex Skip Scott team car from Drummond Racing from 1966. Both Peter Revson and Skip Scott had driven it. When they ran it they had special Ford engines. When I bought it it had a fresh Traco 333 cu in Chevy engine.
Murray: Thank you for the welcome. Skip Scott was different to say the least. Drinking did him in. It alienated him from his friends and family. As Rod has told us, Skip could be a good friend and father, when he wasn't drinking. He was a loving father and grandfather. He just over did his drinking and that was his undoing.
I was in the 1967 Elkhart Lake CanAm. I talked to Denis Hulme before the race and he said if I just kept running I would finish in the top 10. He was wrong, I finished 11th. Racing against the Formula One drivers in the day was lots of fun. They always were willing to help the field as we were. If it weren't for the field who would they have had to run against?
Jerry, thanks for posting those beautiful photos. The Can-Am is one of my great passions, as it is many members on here. I'll be looking forward to your posts about your time in the series. How many Can-Am events did you enter in 1967? Also, did you race the USRRC?
Steve: I did run in the USRRC races. I raced mostly on the westcoast and Elkhart Lake in 1967 and 1968. I lived in California, and I enjoyed Elkhart Lake.
In 1966 I went to Bridgehampton and Mosport and St Jovite. I brought my Mk 1 McLaren with Olds power. The cam kept going flat in the engine every 15 laps and I couldn't run any of those races. Traco was making a mistake on their rebuilds and couldn't figure out what they were doing wrong. I then switched to the Mk 2 McLaren for 1967 and that ended my troubles. In 1968 I switched to a Lola T-70 and ran the westcoast CanAm's and the USRRC races.
Jerry Entin wrote:Steve: I did run in the USRRC races. I raced mostly on the westcoast and Elkhart Lake in 1967 and 1968. I lived in California, and I enjoyed Elkhart Lake.
In 1966 I went to Bridgehampton and Mosport and St Jovite. I brought my Mk 1 McLaren with Olds power. The cam kept going flat in the engine every 15 laps and I couldn't run any of those races. Traco was making a mistake on their rebuilds and couldn't figure out what they were doing wrong. I then switched to the Mk 2 McLaren for 1967 and that ended my troubles. In 1968 I swiotched to a Lola T-70 and ran the westcoast CanAm's and the USRRC races.
Hi Jerry,
Thanks for posting the images of your McLaren Mk2. Some of us here in New Zealand are huge fans of 1960's CanAm racing, but unfortunately never got a chance to see it back in its heyday. We have to rely on revival meetings to see these cars in action!
The McLaren must have been a joy to drive after your experiences in the Cheetah. I hear that it was a hard car to master? Maybe that's why it "spun out" in the Elvis movie! I believe your old Cheetah, now painted blue, is still owned by the guy in New Jersey.
I'm currently building a Cheetah to race in classic events here in NZ. Most of the parts were brought over from the US about 25 years ago, but we don't have the original Bill Thomas dual air meter injection system, or brakes for the car. My research tells me that all the racing Cheetahs ran 11" Chevrolet Nascar drum brakes, but one car (I believe it was the Clarance Dixon Cadillac sponsored car) was converted to run Corvette disc brakes. Do you recall anything about this?
Any information would be really appreciated, as this is a difficult project to undertake here is NZ where there is little information about the Cheetah, and obviously no other cars to look at. Thank goodness for the internet!
Jerry Entin wrote:Steve: I did run in the USRRC races. I raced mostly on the westcoast and Elkhart Lake in 1967 and 1968. I lived in California, and I enjoyed Elkhart Lake.
In 1966 I went to Bridgehampton and Mosport and St Jovite. I brought my Mk 1 McLaren with Olds power. The cam kept going flat in the engine every 15 laps and I couldn't run any of those races. Traco was making a mistake on their rebuilds and couldn't figure out what they were doing wrong. I then switched to the Mk 2 McLaren for 1967 and that ended my troubles. In 1968 I switched to a Lola T-70 and ran the westcoast CanAm's and the USRRC races.
Thanks Jerry. So what motor was in the Mk2 McLaren? Was it a small block Chevy?
Yes Steve: When I got the McLaren Mk 2 it had an engine called a Traco 332 cu in. It had about 420 hp. I then put an engine made by Al Bartz in it that was called a 365 cu in engine and that had about 515 hp with Weber 58 mm side draft carbs. These were considered small block engines.
My McLaren Mk 1 was brought to Riverside in 1965 for Graham Hill to drive. It was owned by John Coombs and I bought it after the Riverside Grand Prix of 1965. My McLaren Mk 2 was raced by Skip Scott and Peter Revson in 1966 and was traded to Carl Haas for what they thought would be the latest McLaren's. They were sold Mk 3's in 1967 and McLaren and Hulme ran Mk 6's. These weren't avaliable to customers until 1968.
Thanks Jerry, do you know where your McLarens are now? Yes McLaren really helped secure its future from racing in the Can-Am, and having Trojan build customer cars. Unfortunately for privateer teams, they were always last years designs, always keeping one year behind what the factory team was racing, although it did provide a good way for privateer teams to race without having to build their own cars, and as an alternative to Lola.
My McLaren Mk1 was in the Harry Mathews collection for many years and has recently been sold. My McLaren Mk 2 is being readied for the coming Vintage season by Ike or Henry Smith of Pacific Grove, California. Ike was on the Chuck Parsons crew in the day. Recently he has been helping Dan and Harry Lipetz with their Vintage racing Lola CanAm cars and their 1970 TransAm Ford Mustang.
