Sorry Bradley, but I feel the exact opposite. Every time that old codger slapped his name on a minivan or SUV he pissed his own reputation away. He sues Cobra kit makers every year yet has made more "Continuation" Cobras then all of them combined. His antics in the last 20 years have more than destroyed all of his good work in the years prior.
Give me more Pete Brock, Bob Bondurant, Frank Hawley, John Force, and Don Gartlits.
As much as I want to agree with you, I just can't. Seriously, this guy is almost as influential to American Road Course racing as Phil Hill. He very nearly could have been the first American F1 world champion if he had taken the position at Ferrari. He won Le Mans, for god's sake!
I would love to do more Pete Brock and Bondurant style articles, but I really care nothing for going in a straight line, so the other three are probably a no-go. I could probably exchange them for Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, Scott Pruett, Jack Baldwin and Tommy Kendall
Mark Donohue then!! Sam Posey, AJ Foyt, Parnelli freaking Jones!
I could write whole books about Mark Donohue. He's my favorite racer of all time, and I didn't even get to see him race.
Maroon92 wrote: I could write whole books about Mark Donohue. He's my favorite racer of all time, and I didn't even get to see him race.
If he had lived he would have been the first US F1 Champion, period. The man flat-out dominated.
In reply to friedgreencorrado:
If I was getting an R8 I would try to hold out for the Alligator paint scheme. I think I would spend my money on these two though:
Javelin wrote:Maroon92 wrote: I could write whole books about Mark Donohue. He's my favorite racer of all time, and I didn't even get to see him race.If he had lived he would have been the first US F1 Champion, period. The man flat-out *dominated*.
Second. Phil Hill won the title in 1961. God rest his soul.
Wally wrote: In reply to friedgreencorrado: If I was getting an R8 I would try to hold out for the Alligator paint scheme. I think I would spend my money on these two though:
You know, for a vintage racer, a 962 would be a great one to get. They literally made hundreds of them.
Maybe because it was the big car when I was a kid but that has always been my idea of what a racecar should look like. Before they moved I would pass the Dyson shop on my way to work and from time to time I would see their's parked out in the lot and thought of stopping in and seeing if I could get a closer look.
Wally wrote: Maybe because it was the big car when I was a kid but that has always been my idea of what a racecar should look like. Before they moved I would pass the Dyson shop on my way to work and from time to time I would see their's parked out in the lot and thought of stopping in and seeing if I could get a closer look.
I know a couple guys at Dyson. I might be able to ask them what the protocol might be for "drop in fans". I know Rob Dyson used to have a 962 hung from the ceiling in his office. (how cool would that be?)
Wally wrote: Maybe because it was the big car when I was a kid but that has always been my idea of what a racecar should look like. Before they moved I would pass the Dyson shop on my way to work and from time to time I would see their's parked out in the lot and thought of stopping in and seeing if I could get a closer look.
Same here in terms of the 962. I first got hooked on racing watching them in the mid 80's.
Maroon92 wrote:Wally wrote: Maybe because it was the big car when I was a kid but that has always been my idea of what a racecar should look like. Before they moved I would pass the Dyson shop on my way to work and from time to time I would see their's parked out in the lot and thought of stopping in and seeing if I could get a closer look.I know a couple guys at Dyson. I might be able to ask them what the protocol might be for "drop in fans". I know Rob Dyson used to have a 962 hung from the ceiling in his office. (how cool would that be?)
It ain't hanging there anymore...
Chassis #101 (1st Customer Chassis?) restored, and ready to run at Lime Rock 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHsVf-4XT6Q
I went to one of this guy's gallery openings last year. His stuff is great!
friedgreencorrado wrote:Maroon92 wrote:It ain't hanging there anymore... Chassis #101 (1st Customer Chassis?) restored, and ready to run at Lime Rock 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHsVf-4XT6QWally wrote: Maybe because it was the big car when I was a kid but that has always been my idea of what a racecar should look like. Before they moved I would pass the Dyson shop on my way to work and from time to time I would see their's parked out in the lot and thought of stopping in and seeing if I could get a closer look.I know a couple guys at Dyson. I might be able to ask them what the protocol might be for "drop in fans". I know Rob Dyson used to have a 962 hung from the ceiling in his office. (how cool would that be?)
Dyson had SIX 962 chassis over the years of IMSA GTP.
962-101 was purchased by Dyson in 1985 second hand from Bruce Levin's Bayside Disposal team. The car was later "written off" after a shunt at Road Atlanta.
962-120 was purchased by Dyson from the factory in 1986
962-122 was also purchased by Dyson from the factory in 1986 (though after the season had ended) in preparation for a two car effort in 1987.
962-202. Officially, this car was dubbed the DR-1 as there were so many changes from 962 specification that Dyson thought it deserved a new name. The chassis was modified by Richard Lloyd Racing in england and delivered directly to Dyson.
DR-2. This car was a further development of the DR-1, though it had a FabCar honeycomb monocoque. Again, the aero was done by RLR, and the rear section was something like nobody had ever seen before (probably because it was vastly unsuccessful).
962-148 Purchased by Dyson from the factory in 1989. It was originally prepped for Group C specifications, but Group C was dying and nobody bought it. I can only assume that Dyson got a screaming deal on it, because by 1989, the 962 was already becoming a dinosaur.
Less grassroots, but people here might like this one!
Scratch that...I KNOW you will like it!
I got to see that one two weeks ago. Man it makes a great noise!
nderwater wrote: I got to see that one two weeks ago. Man it makes a great noise!
I may have said this over on FB..but I'll repeat it over here. Maroon, you pretty much nailed it in your article. My worker buddies & I were actually pretty stoked that Mazda did what the might of Toyota & Nissan couldn't. I've still got the "Seize The Day!" poster Mazda made for it..seemed like the Mazda competitors' chalet (they were good to their club racers even then) handed them out by the hundreds at the 91 Runoffs.
EDIT: Hey, Rotarheads? Don't ya find it ironic that the reason they could push so hard was that the rotary actually got *better" fuel economy than the turbo-piston cars? 
They got better mileage because the 787B was about 200 pounds lighter than the Sauber Mercedes and the Jags. The Jags outqualified the Mazdas, but for some reason, couldn't hold on during the race. The Peugeots were WAY faster, but they fell apart like the fragile beasts they were.
It's hard to believe that in 1991, the only "unscheduled" change to the car was a rear wheel bearing (and only then because it was "a bit warmer than usual").
That is the kind of reliability record that they have trouble beating even today!
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