My Very First Motorsport Photographs - Can You Identify The Cars?

[Wrecked944]

The following pictures were taken when I was seven or eight years old. I was using a camera in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head - for real. The lens was in Mickey's nose. I am not certain of the year. It was probably 1972 or 1973. Maybe some of the real trivia buffs can figure it out. I am certain the track is Watkins Glen and the event was a Can-Am race.I recall that Mario Andretti was one of the drivers. As you can tell, my mickey mouse camera was not engineered for high speed photography and my young hands were not quick enough to get any clear shots (oops, is that a pic of empty track I see ?). But these pics represent the start of a hobby that I continue today. And if I look carefully, I am pretty certain at least one of the pics has a red Porsche 911 (SWB? LWB?). The other red car might be a 917? Or maybe a Ferrari? The white one is definitely a vette.

Anybody care to take a whack at identifying the blurry cars in these primordial photographs?

[TRE Cup]

1st car is a g series (74 up) 911, second car a corvette, 3rd car a ferrari 512 (perhaps a m model) just like you see in the mcqueen movie le mans

[Wrecked944]

Holy Freaking Cow! It took six whole minutes for you to decipher those amorphous blurry blobs into make, model and year specs. What took you so long ? This BBS never ceases to amaze me. I guess I should have asked a more challenging question like what colognes were the drivers wearing! But now I'm afraid because I'd probably get an answer! Thanks TRE! That was truly amazingly fast.

Well, I guess the identity of the 911 answers the date question. It must have been the 1974 Can-Am race at Watkins. I'll bet with that info I might even be able to identify the drivers. This is fun!

[Chuck Miller]

Janus,

Gon'a go out on a limb here, but in that configuration I'm think'n that was 1971 at the Glen ... and Sam Posey in #14 512M#1020 NART entry that finished a distant 6th overall...

What'cha think?

Cheers,

[tchanson]

The first photo looks like a pre-'74 911 to me.

The Corvette pace car, based on the tail, looks to be a '73 or earlier car.

The last photo does look like a 512M, which if it is, would make it the Can Am at the Glen in 1971 at the latest, I'm guessing.

Sam Posey/Ronnie Bucknum at the Glen, 71:



Thanks for the photos!

Tim

[vash]

the camera is probably worth 5k by now

excellent job, young janus

[TRE Cup]

cool- that looks like that 512 in the speed shot! and that would make the blurred 911 an earlier model too
nice

[Wrecked944]

Originally posted by tchanson
The last photo does look like a 512M, which if it is, would make it the Can Am at the Glen in 1971 at the latest, I'm guessing.

Sam Posey/Ronnie Bucknum at the Glen, 71:

Oh man, I cannot believe you found a picture of the same car! Sweet! I agree it looks to be the one. I also did some more research and found that Mario didn't drive the Can-Am series at the Glen after 1971. So it is looking more and more like 1971. I also found that there was a six hour enduro race on the Saturday of that weekend and that the Can-Am race was Sunday. So it is possible that the 911 and corvette pics were from the Saturday enduro and the Ferrari was shot on Sunday. I'm sure at that age I could not tell the difference between enduro and Can-Am. I'll keep digging to see if I can identify the 911.

[discovery2]

car#2 looks to be an Italia, its too long to be a vette

[masraum]

Hmmm, I think that car would have to be a Vette. It's very, very much vette-esque

[gassy]

Ironically they were all wearing British Sterling cologne. I know these things.

[sammyg2]

Darn. My guess was old spice or brut

[donstevens]

The Vette does look like a 73 but, the guard rail is such that you really can't see the bumper. It very well could have a chrome bumper. Therefore it could be any thing from a 68 to a 73. It definitely looks like it was a pace car. Someone else must remember the pace car of that that era. Heck, I have seen the 85 Nissan Maxima wagon pace car that still tools around at Sebring so many times I'll never forget that fricking thing.

Don

[cegerer]

Definitely the 1971 6-Hour Enduro on Sat. The pace car was a white Corvette convertible (I've got photos of it). That is a Ferrari 512M - as mentioned it is the Posey car (white air box). I believe the other 512M ran a yellow air box and Donohue's 512M was the blue Sunoco car. Posey and Donohue also ran their 512M's in the CanAm on Sunday.

There were lots of 911's and 917's running that weekend.

Andretti was there all weekend. He raced a Ferrari 312PB in the 6 Hour Enduro and a Ferrari 712M in the CanAm - sort of an open top CanAm version of the 512M.

Here's Mario in the 312PB:

[Wrecked944]

Originally posted by cegerer
[B]Definitely the 1971 6-Hour Enduro on Sat. The pace car was a white Corvette convertible (I've got photos of it).

cegerer: I must confess I was hoping you'd join in. I had a feeling if anyone had pics of the actual event, it would be you. I would not be surprised if you had pictures of me at the event.

Well, for fun I tracked down and eBay auction for a camera just like the one I used to take those pics. It was going for about ten bucks. So here is a piece of crucial equipment that every budding motorsports photographer should start with...

[cegerer]

Nice camera .

btw: I'm going to go out on a limb and say the photo with just a slight blur on the right is Donohue's blue Sunoco 512M!

[limble]

Originally posted by tchanson
The first photo looks like a pre-'74 911 to me.

The Corvette pace car, based on the tail, looks to be a '73 or earlier car.

The last photo does look like a 512M, which if it is, would make it the Can Am at the Glen in 1971 at the latest, I'm guessing.

Sam Posey/Ronnie Bucknum at the Glen, 71:



Thanks for the photos!

Tim

I'd say no later than 73 because most of the hippies (there is one working on the front of the car) went back into corporate America by then.

[tchanson]

Penske and Donohue just had slightly better dressed hippies that weekend ...but still no 917.



For 10 bucks you're almost obligated to buy that eBay Mickey camera, Janus...

Tim

[KobaltBlau]

wow, you guys are amazing!!! (white air box cegerer, geez! and tim's photo of the same car!)

[evren]

great thread!! thank you for the pictures