Getting nostalgic about the old formula and Indy cars I was around.

[Aerkuld]

You know, I love the way they work on those old F1 cars out in the open, seemingly in the middle of a muddy field. It does make them look low-tech and simple. I have to say that the looks are probably deceptive. Those late 60's / early 70's F1 cars, alot of them with their DFV engines, used mechanical fuel injection which needed a whole range of different mechanical parts to swap around adjust how they behaved for optimum performance. With a modern car you just hook up a computer and select a different map. There are a lot of things that were far more complicated on those old cars than you would think.

I was thinking about this thread driving home this evening and the comment about it being Colin Chapmans fault (which I thought was funny). In some ways though this might be true as by painting his cars in a corporate color scheme and bringing sponsorship onto the scene, he started to turn racing into much more of a profit making business with serious amounts of money at stake. Before that it was very much a manufactures battle with little more than bragging rights as the prize.

What do you think?

[racing97]

There was a push to shore up poor market performance by AMC in the late 60's thru the late 70's and one effort was the Penske F 5000 and Bobby Allsion NASCAR (also Penske) Matador and another was Warner Hodgen and Mike Curb taking a stock block AMC Turbo to Indy. One of these involved some hanky panky in the City of Industry with the tax payers footing the bill.

regards

[Scott at Pelican Parts]

Originally Posted by oldE

Could you have drived Andretti's 72 Lotus around and gotten a few thrills? Yes, you can, with deep pockets and some help. Can you drive a modern day F1 Ferarri (complete with high-tech engine design that needs to be pre-warmed) for your thrills? Yes, if you have really deep pockets.

To drive a modern F1 car, you need tremendous skill just to be able to approach the car's minimum operating parameters. Check out this video of Top Gear's Richard Hammond trying out a Renault R25.

[ramonesfreak]

this thread is getting me excited for the vintage grand prix at the Glen in a few weeks.

[URY914]

Yea, those old cars were pretty simple....

[Vern Lyle]

OK, here's Donahue's first F1 car at The Glen; broke something and DNF'd.



Jochen Rindt - Glen


One of Mark's other cars - Bridgehampton


And another


Chris Amon, I think

[Vern Lyle]

I think Parnelli Jones drove the #15, this may be George Follmer


Clay Raggazoni on Glen skidpad


Brabham, I think, early 70s at Glen

[Vern Lyle]

Today's finds, all from the Glen:

[Vern Lyle]

Dan Gurney's Plymouth at Bridegehampton


Mark Donahue Javelin with Penske on pit board - Bridgehampton



Jo Siffert 908 at The Glen


One of the first 917s in US at the Glen - correct me if I'm wrong

[Vern Lyle]

For Sir Jackie Stewart fans:

CanAm Lola


This IS a Matra, I think


Tyrrell


And Sir Jack Brabham

[masraum]

Wow!! I'm not sure how I'd missed this thread to this point. I love the old cars even though they were before me (DoB 1970). The new ones are amazing, but they are no where near as sexy or visceral as the early cars. Some great photos here. I occassionaly lurk on the vintage portion of atlasf1.com. I'll have to check out the ferrarichat thread. Keep it up guys.

[ramonesfreak]

WOWOWO man that 917 at the Glen photo is wicked awsome.

[JeremyD]

I dream on this site from time to time

http://www.race-cars.com/index.htm

[Vern Lyle]

David Hobbs CanAm at the Glen


This may be Jim Hall at Bridgehampton, Ed Leslie also drove one of these.


Remains of Graham Hill's Lotus at The Glen, no serious injury as I recall


John Wyer's Ford GT40 at the Glen

[Vern Lyle]

Al Holbert's CRC March CanAM


Tom Smother's Carrera 6 at the Glen


Lothar Motschenbacher - Bridgehampton


917 on back straight at Sebring


Tony Dean? I'm guessing

[126coupe]

I just have to thank you for taking the trouble of posting these.

[Jim Garfield]

Vern, those are some great photos! Please keep posting more. I was at a lot of those same races and I'm really enjoying your collection.

[Vern Lyle]

I hope this thread has not gone too far off track; I mean the original poster talked about Indy and Formula cars. He did mention some of the CanAm and TransAm drivers though, so I'll keep looking. These are slides stored in boxes and might otherwise never have been seen again. Keeps me out of other kinds of trouble, too.

Emmo at the Glen


Uh oh


Ferrari prep after practice


And this IS George Follmer, with Parnelli Jones - mid 70's - check out the trou

[Nine17]

Originally Posted by Vern Lyle

John Wyer's Ford GT40 at the Glen

It's a Mirage. Seen the "Can Am: The Speed Odyssey" DVD yet? Lots of Bridgehampton footage (Sam Posey put it together; here's to his health!). As a West-Coaster, I saw Can Am's and F5000 at Laguna but never got to see the Makes cars and had to wait for F-1 at Long Beach (lousy for photography). This stuff from the Bridge and the Glen (+Sebring) is fabulous -- not just the formula stuff but the Can Am and Trans-Am stuff as well! Keep 'em coming!

[Seahawk]

This thread brought back a lot of memories. The first race I ever attended was the inaugural California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway. It was the first of many.

The date was September 6, 1970, Labor Day weekend...our seats were in turn 4 where A. J. Foyt hit the wall.

I kept the poster I bought Sorry for lame phone pic.





Pic of AJ after the wreck (I did not take it).