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" in the past - was 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.
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Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, July 15, 1972. David Hobbs in the No. 1 Hogan Racing Ltd. Hagger Lola T330 Chevrolet during practice for the SCCA/USAC F5000 Championship round at Road America. Editor-in-Chief's Note: F5000 was one of my all-time favorite racing series. Lightweight cars plus Big V8 power was an intoxicating Formula. -PMD
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Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 31, 1968. Jim Hall in his magnificent-looking No. 66 Chaparral 2G Chevrolet during practice for the Can-Am at Road America. Hall qualified third but finished fifth in the rainy race behind Denny Hulme (No. 5 Gulf McLaren M8A Chevrolet), Bruce McLaren (No. 4 Gulf McLaren M8A Chevrolet), Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco McLaren M6B Chevrolet) and Peter Revson (No. 52 Shelby Racing Co. Inc. McLaren M6B 427 Ford).
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Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, September 1964. Ken Miles in his famous - and favorite - No. 98 Shelby American Cobra at Road America during practice for the Road America 500. The No. 98 team car didn't finish the race, but the No. 97 Shelby American Cobra, which was also driven by Miles (with John Morton and Skip Scott), finished second overall to the No. 2 John Mecom Jr. Racing Ferrari 250 LM driven by Walt Hansgen and Augie Pabst.
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Riverside International Raceway, October 11, 1964. Bruce McLaren (No. 2 Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd. McLaren Elva Mark 1 Oldsmobile) qualified second for the L.A. Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars, but did not finish. The race was won by the great Parnelli Jones (No. 94 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford), followed by Jim Hall (No. 66 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet) and Jim Clark (No. 15 Team Lotus 30 Ford).
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Riverside International Raceway, October 11, 1964. Parnelli Jones (No. 94 Shelby American Cooper King Cobra Ford) on his way to the win in the L.A. Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars. Tough as nails, Parnelli could drive anything, anywhere, at anytime. And win.
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Riverside International Raceway, October 31, 1965. Chris Amon in the No. 71 Ford GT-X1 entered by Bruce McLaren in the L.A. Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars. Amon finished fifth behind Hap Sharp (No. 65 Chaparral 2A Chevrolet), Jim Clark (No. 1 Team Lotus 40 Ford), Bruce McLaren (No. 4 McLaren Elva Mark II Oldsmobile) and Charlie Hayes (No. 97 McLaren Elva Mark I Oldsmobile).
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Riverside International Raceway, October 30, 1966. Jerry Grant in the No. 81 Alan Green Chevrolet Lola T70 Mk.2 Chevrolet entered by Dan Gurney in the L.A. Times Can-Am. He finished well down in 13th that day.
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12 Hours of Sebring, March 1968. The Sunray DX Oil Company Corvette Team during practice. The No. 2 Corvette was driven by Pedro Rodriguez/Don Yenko, the No. 3 Corvette by Hap Sharp/Dave Morgan, and the No. 4 Corvette by Tony DeLorenzo/Jerry Thompson. The original team consisted of the No. 2 and No. 3 Corvettes; the No. 4 Corvette was an added entry to the team for that race but owned separately by DeLorenzo. The No. 3 Corvette finished 6th overall and 1st in GT+5.0; the No. 2 and No. 4 Corvettes did not finish.