SCCA regional events in Texas etc. 1960s-70s through the lens of Jerry Melton

[khyndart in CA]

In the Sept. 1969 A Production Class group were two C-3 Corvettes driven by Jerry Thompson in car # 6 and Tony DeLorenzo in car # 1.These two would go on to have very successful racing careers. Over the next few seasons, if Thompson didn’t win, DeLorenzo did. The pair scored 22 straight victories, and their red-and-white Corvettes became legendary.

(Jerry Melton photos..)

Jerry Thompson..

A nice article about Jerry and Tony.
https://www.corvette-mag.com/issues/55/articles/winning-streak#.XH4vsohKjIV

(Ken H )

[khyndart in CA]

Just when you thought you had got rid of me, I have come across some more Jerry Melton photos of racing at a small Michigan track named Waterford Hills, these cover a decade from 1969-1979 and I enjoy his many, mostly B&W, photos and I enjoy presenting them with sometimes adding a bit of extra information along the way. These are mostly unheard of drivers but they seemed to enjoy having this opportunity to compete. The bigger classes were mostly American cars and the smaller classes were mostly British or Porsche.
Even some of the cars in the parking lot were interesting.
July 1969. Waterford Hills. Michigan.

A beautiful Ferrari 340 Mexico 0224 /AT

"American Iron" race.

Austin Healey 3000s coming and going ! (Around.)

The smaller classes BS, D and E dominated by the British and Germans.

(Jerry Melton photos.)

Ken H

[John McKechnie]

Is that because America was not building anything smaller than a Mustang..except for the Crossley Hotshot?

[Spgeti]

Is that because America was not building anything smaller than a Mustang..except for the Crossley Hotshot?

From memory John they actually raced the Ford Pinto in under 2.5 Litre Challenge.

[khyndart in CA]

Remember this is 1969 and the Pinto first came along in 1971.

[Roger Dowding]

Remember this is 1969 and the Pinto first came along in 1971.

Meanwhile the " Big Healey "a small car by American standards had been around since 1953 !! Thanks for the photo's Ken H.

[khyndart in CA]

So Roger, what is the number on the first Healey 3000 ? With some white paint it could easily be 20 or 26 even 23.
The car looks like it had had a bit of a rough life !

(Ken H.)

[Ray Bell]

Maybe it's a rough attempt at '28'?

Funny, I never considered the Austin Healeys to be 'big Healeys' until the 3000 came along.

Corvairs were smaller than Mustangs, by the way, as were Falcons but not your average Valiant/Dart (225), Crosley Hotshots were long gone by the sixties. And while Corvairs were also out of production by 1969, I'm sure some were still racing.

Then there might be a 4-cyl Chevy II, maybe a 4-cyl Tempest?

[John McKechnie]

At last, someone who gets Crosley Hotshots,thank you Ray.

[Ray Bell]

There's one in the Ford Museum in Detroit...

A little way across from the Ford-Ferguson tractor.

[Roger Dowding]

So Roger, what is the number on the first Healey 3000 ? With some white paint it could easily be 20 or 26 even 23.
The car looks like it had had a bit of a rough life !

(Ken H.)

I'd have to hedge my bets obviously " 2 " first which appears to be partly covered over the the second number is ;
Zero " 0 "
Three " 3 "
Six " 6 "
or an ...
eight " 8 " ..
a timekeepers nightmare .. it seems that some more tape needed.
A bit like a digital clock the default number is Eight " 8 " ..

[khyndart in CA]

It is no wonder the foreign makes dominated the small capacity fields in 1969 when the only US opposition would have probably been the 4 cylinder 153 cu. in.(2.51 L) engine Chevy Nova which was too big a size for those classes and was a slug and most of those engines were used in US Postal trucks to deliver the mail !
So I guess being competitive in small bore class racing was not of importance to US auto manufacturers in 1969.

[khyndart in CA]

This C-2 Corvette Stingray had some difficulty at this corner as a Triumph TR 4 glides past.

A Corvette and a Shelby GT 350 battle it out.
(Jerry Melton photos.)

Ken H

[Ray Bell]

Even after the spin the Corvette's ahead of the TR4...

[Milan Fistonic]

At last, someone who gets Crosley Hotshots,thank you Ray.

[Ray Bell]

The Crosley at the Ford Museum:

[khyndart in CA]

Not a common sight on US tracks in 1969.
A Saab Sonnet.

(Jerry Melton photo..)

[John McKechnie]

As you say Ken...thats not a sight you see every day.,yet you must have seen many of them as the car was made for the lucrative USA market and not really for the ABBA home keepers..
It is actually spelled Sonett..translates from Swedish to English as ..its so neat.
This will be a Sonnett 2 with the power bulge in the bonnet to accommodate the V4 1600cc from the Ford Taunus.

[khyndart in CA]

The Saab Sonett # 97 seemed to be able mix in well with the others including some specials.

This CSR special looks like it is Lotus Seven based.

This is a neat little DSR class special perhaps based on the previous Kawasaki engined special.

This is a Devin Special with some added information.

http://www.devinspecial.com/

(Jerry Melton photos, July 1969.)


(Ken H.)

[Roger Dowding]

" Just when you thought you had got rid of me " your comment from several posts ago on this thread.

Ken H, please don't go. we need your " inputs " !!

PS ; love that Devin SS too !!

PPS going to borrow those AH photo's and probably a TR or Two,Too !!

PPPS ; as mentioned on the Car Show thread - Moss Motors had a stand at the LA Car Show recently - were you there ?
This TR6 was on the stand.

This car was also there -Jay Leno owns it !!