17 replies to this topic

[slotbaker]

Not sure if this has been posted before, sorry if it has but it's worth another look.

 

Some cool sports car action.

No aero, traction control, or fancy handling aids on these great machines.

 

Check out the sideways action.

[Tex]

Great footage! Thanks!
 
Notice he didn't even have a hint of a roll bar.

[Half Fast]

Love that 4four-wheel drift.
 
Tragically, the winner Dave MacDonald had less than a year to live as he was killed (with Eddie Sachs) in the infamous 1964 Indianapolis 500.
 
A ton of photos HERE.
 
Bill

[Gary Donahoe]

What a fantastic collection of photos.  

Thanks for the memories!!!

[don.siegel]

That's great, Steve, thanks! 
 
Didn't recognize that early version of the Chaparral - that must be his first rear-engine model, right? 
 
A bunch of wonderful cars... 
 
Don

[slotbaker]

Yeah Don, I've not seen anything on that one before.
 
I'd like to find out a bit about it, as it certainly has the appearance of the Chap 2 in the making.
 
Love the cars in the parking lot, too.

[Tex]

Same here regarding the Chaparral... hadn't seen that iteration before.

I love history!

[TSR]

This was indeed the first Chaparral II, of which design was inspired by a show car by Larry Shinoda. Problem was that it tried to make ground effects to work, effectively the bottom of the car shaped like a reversed wing. That missed one small detail to make it work, sealing the sides! it will be another fifteen years before Lotus will figure it out and make it an F1 dominating machine for Mario Andretti to pick up a title.

 

When testing revealed the problem, huge lifting from the nose of the car rendering steering at high speed totally ineffective, Hall blocked the nose of the car with a huge spoiler and concentrated in doing the opposite of intended, block any air from getting under the car. So the 1964 revised car became a winner.
Hall handily led the 1963 times GP at Riverside until chaffed wiring caused a short and an inboard fire, stopping him in its tracks.

 

Dave MacDonald won it in the Cooper-Ford (the very same as the Monogram 1/32 scale slot car kit), with Roger Penske in second place in the Cooper-Climax "Zerex Special" with which he had won that race the preceding year.

 

All the cars slid the same way in Turn 6 that year at Riverside because it was totally slick from oil from a blown engine in the preceding GT race. By the time they reached Turn 7, a left-hander 1/4 mile further down, the tires had regained their grip, until the next lap!

 

As far as Dave MacDonald, what a great loss for the racing world when he lost control of his Thompson-Ford at the '64 "500". A superbly talented driver, with car control few will ever achieve. He won the first-ever drag race meet at Riverside Raceway in 1958 with his Corvette, and his family auctioned the trophy a few years back during a memorial meeting at the RIAM. I bought it and cherish it.
 

[slotbaker]

Very cool stuff Dok.

 

Many thanks for sharing it with us.

 

That trophy sounds like a bit of treasure.

 

[RMac]

Hello, this is Dave MacDonald’s son, Rich.
 
It's nice to know that some here have enjoyed their visit to my father’s tribute site. I’ve uploaded more than 1,000 vintage images, news clippings, magazine articles and race videos – a labor of love.
 
Dokk, thanks for the kind words about my father, I believe he was on the verge of superstardom before that fateful day at Indy. I was surprised though to hear you say you purchased one of my dad’s trophies at the Legends of Riverside event. We didn’t provide any trophies for the auction. Another racer perhaps?

[Cheater]

At the suggestion of a Slotblog member, here's the link to the Dave MacDonald tribute website that Rich mentions above.

 

http://davemacdonald.net

 

The same member gently took me to task in this manner:

 

Don't you think Dave McDonald's son would rather have his Dad remembered and him identified with his father as ".... noted west coast Corvette, Cobra, Cobra GT, stock car and overall Ford factory driver" rather than "... the driver who so tragically lost his life at Indy."?

 

I think all of us of a certain age remember how Dave McDonald died, but not as many know what a very accomplished racer he was... and he was very much so.

 

And it's a fair admonishment, as the fiery accident at Indy that claimed two lives should not obscure the success and respect Dave MacDonald had earned as one of the best racers of his era, no matter what kind of car he was driving.

[Larry Labounty]

Rich,

Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful collection of photos with us.

I recall listening to the race on the radio back then with my dad driving us somewhere that day.

All the best to you an your family!!!

[TSR]

Rich,

The trophy in question was represented as one won by your dad at Riverside in his Corvette, in 1958, hence at the first drag-racing meeting. I think that your mom was present during the event. Please PM me your email address and I will email you pictures of the trophy and the auction page.

Your dad is one of my all-time heroes.

Philippe

[RMac]

Hi Philippe,

PM sent. Please send a photo if you can.
 
Perhaps someone else brought one of my father's Corvette trophies for auction. He won over 100 trophies in his four-year drag racing career and we have maybe 20, so clearly a bunch were lost over the last 50 years. But congrats. FYI, he will be inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame next month, maybe the trophy will increase in value!
 
Also, I noticed you share the same b-day as my father - and racer Jim Hall - July 23, cool. Happy b-day. Last week The Henry Ford and Vintage RaceCar did b-day shout outs on their Facebook pages. Scroll down to July 23.

Racing In America

Vintage Racecar/Vintage Roadcar

[TSR]

Rich,

I will take the pictures as soon as I get going home. This week I'm at the LASCM (www.lascm.com ) taking hundreds of pictures for my new book because if if does not come out soon, I will be mugged by all the people who have been awaiting it for several years! 

[RMac]

Old school - You all have likely seen this but Feb 1965 Rod & Custom had Monogram's Shelby King Cobra CM/1/63 slot car on the cover. Looks like original models came with a white helmet and not the Cobra helmet in later models. Complete build process inside.  http://www.davemacdo...bra slotcar.htm

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[TSR]

Rich,

yes indeed, a copy of the magazine is of course part of the extensive library at the LASCM museum in Los Angeles, as well as a well-built example of the original Monogram kit, that was unfortunately not made in the preferred 1/24 scale.
There were several versions of the Cooper-Ford, the original issued in 1964, the last issue in 1965.
All pictures courtesy www.lascm.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tex]

I think I bought one of those way back when. My older brother had given me $5 for my birthday, with the stipulation I not spend it on slot cars. I moped around and my parents must have given me the OK 'cause I wound up getting one. I "think" it was one of these.... 1/32 scale, simple brass chassis, open-cockpit sports racer, same color blue; I "think" it had a metal crown gear(?).