THE MUSCLE BOYS, PART III.

Sunday

Jun262022

Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 08:52AM

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. Beginning in the late 50s and running through the mid-70s, sports car racing - particularly here in the U.S. - was captivated and dominated by V8-powered machines that barked their intent at race tracks all over the country. Sure, back in those days, SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) events were heavily populated by small-bore sports cars like Austin-Healeys, Triumphs, MGs, Minis, 356 Porsches and many other brands. And there was no question that they provided the backbone of SCCA racing back then. But starting in the late 50s with race-prepared Corvettes, and then fueled by the emergence of the Shelby American Cobra, and on to the USRRC, Trans-Am and Can-Am days, the real action was with the big-bore machines.

I vividly remember seeing the crowds gravitate to the fences when those V8s fired-up on the false grid. They couldn't really help it, because the sound was guttural, menacing and mesmerizing all at once. Standing among those cars on false grids all over the Midwest with our "A" Production Corvettes - Waterford Hills, Grattan, Mid-Ohio, Nelson Ledges, Milwaukee, Blackhawk Farms and, of course, Road America - was an in-period treat that I couldn't get enough of and will never forget. And besides the spectacular noise coming from those machines, the sheer speed was awesome to behold as they devoured every race track they visited.

And the legendary names that wheeled these machines were a mix of Hall of Famers and hard-scrabble drivers who wouldn't settle for anything less than the fastest, baddest V8s available. The legends were present and accounted for: Ken Miles, Dan Gurney, Roger Penske, Mario Andretti, Jim Hall, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, Peter Revson, John Surtees, Parnelli Jones, George Follmer, Mark Donohue, Swede Savage, Sam Posey, Milt Minter, Ed Leslie, Dr. Dick Thompson ("The Flying Dentist"), Allen Grant, Jerry Grant, et al. And, of course, my brother Tony and his teammate Jerry Thompson. This list of drivers - which I have affectionately dubbed "The Muscle Boys" - were just the tip of the iceberg. There were countless others who wheeled and manhandled their brutal machines at tracks all across the country. They were visceral, no-compromise machines that captivated the hearts and minds of racing enthusiasts, and if you've ever been to a vintage racing event, the same is true today, if not more so. I hope you enjoy the following images and recollections as much as I do.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(Dave Friedman photo)
Riverside International Raceway, October 28, 1967. Mario Andretti in the No. 17 Holman & Moody Honker II Ford during practice for the Can-Am. Mario qualified fifth in the ill-prepared, ill-handling machine, two full seconds off of Dan Gurney's pole time in the No. 30 All American Racers Lola T70 Mk.3B Ford. Neither driver finished the race. Bruce McLaren (No. 4 McLaren M6A Chevrolet) won that day, Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2E Chevrolet) was second, and Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco Lola T70 Mk.3B Chevrolet) finished third. The No. 1 Autodynamics Hudson Wire Caldwell D7 Chevrolet behind Mario in the pit lane was driven by Sam Posey.
(Dave Friedman photo)
Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington, October 7, 1967. Jerry Titus (No. 17 Terlingua Racing Team Ford Mustang) during practice for the Trans-Am that weekend. Titus crashed in practice in the Shelby American entry and did not start the race, which was won by Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Chevrolet Camaro). Ronnie Bucknum (No. 31 Grady Davis Ford Mustang) was second, and Dan Gurney (No. 98 Bud Moore Engineering Mercury Cougar) finished third.
(Dave Friedman photo)
12 Hours of Sebring, March 21, 1964. Dave MacDonald in the No. 10 Shelby American Cobra Daytona Coupe that he shared with Bob Holbert. They finished 4th overall and 1st in GT5.0. The first three positions were swept by the Scuderia Ferrari team: 1. Mike Parkes/Umberto Maglioli (No. 22 Ferrari 275 P). 2. Ludovico Scarfiotti/Nino Vaccarella (No. 23 Ferrari 275 P). 3. John Surtees/Lorenzo Bandini (No. 21 Ferrari 330 P).
(Dave Friedman photo)
Laguna Seca Can-Am, October, 1967. Parnelli Jones in the No. 21 Lola T70 Mk.3 DOHC Ford during practice. Parnelli qualified 4th in the George Bignotti-entered and prepared Lola, giving the DOHC Ford - which heretofore was unsuited to road racing - a really competitive run. Alas, he didn't finish. The race was won by Bruce McLaren (No. 4 McLaren M6A Chevrolet), followed by Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2G Chevrolet) and George Follmer (No. 16 Penske Racing Sunoco Lola T70 Mk.3 Chevrolet).
Nassau Speed Weeks, December 5, 1965. The start of the Governor's Trophy race, with Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2C Chevrolet), Hap Sharp (No. 65 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet with 2C mods) and Bruce McLaren (No. 47 McLaren Elva Mark II Oldsmobile) running at the front. Sharp won, followed by John Cannon (No. 62 Genie Mk.10B Oldsmobile) and Peter Revson (No. 52 Brabham BT8 Climax). Hall and McLaren DNF.
Lexington, Ohio, 1967. Tony DeLorenzo (No. 40 Chevrolet Corvette 427 L88) practicing in the rain for an SCCA National race at Mid-Ohio.
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, September 5, 1965. Hap Sharp in the No. 65 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet during the Road America 500. It was a good day for the Chaparral team as Jim Hall/Hap Sharp/Ronnie Hissom (No. 66 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet) finished 1st, and Hap Sharp/Bruce Jennings/Jim Hall (No. 65 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet) finished second, with Hall and Sharp doing driving stints in both cars. Dr. Dick Thompson/Ed Lowther (No. 91 Essex Wire Shelby Cobra 427) finished a distant 3rd, seven laps behind the winners.
Mark Donohue in his beautiful No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco Special Lola T70 Mk.3B Chevrolet early during the 1967 Can-Am season.
(Photo by Dave Friedman)
12 Hours of Sebring, March 21, 1964. The No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport driven by Jim Hall and Roger Penske. They qualified 7th but encountered various issues along the way, finishing 18th.