The Garage

Subaru Adds Impreza WRX Limited for 2010

Tom Williams — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:01:48 +0000

When the then-new Impreza WRX debuted in 2008, Subie fans had a tough time accepting a slightly softer version of a car so many felt so passionate about. Quick to react, Subaru got the WRX back on track with a host of improvements for the 2009 model year. 2010 looks to be a quiet year for the WRX, with the only notable change being the addition of a Limited model.

Mechanically identical to the base and Premium WRX, the Limited adds HID headlights, Sirius satellite radio and leather seats. Pricing for the WRX Limited 4-door will be $28,495USD, and $28,995 for the 5-door. While some WRX diehards may consider these superfluous items, buyers want, and are willing to pay for them. I doubt it is accidental that a WRX Limited costs about the same as a similarly optioned VW GTI.

In car video of Lucky the GT350R attacking Mil Cumbres

Gary Grant — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:59:54 +0000

The La Carrera Panamericana open road rally is a throwback to an earlier time. With real cars running on real roads, the La Carrera route follows pretty much the same path that crews took back in the Fifties. Over the years, La Carrera has also gained a reputation for being one of the most challenging events on the annual calendar. The term challenging is often politely interchanged for the word dangerous. The most challenging of all the La Carrera stages is considered to be the Mil Cumbres stage, where many cars have been lost. Lives too.

Regular contributer here in The Garage, Gary Faules, took on La Carrera in 2007 and took the win on the Mil Cumbres stage. Now that the documentary movie about Gary’s trip to LCP has been released, he is free to share the in car footage they shot during the race. The first video we’re going to share is that historic run up Mil Cumbres with it’s roadside cliffs and even a burro taking in the spectacle.

Following the 2007 running of the La Carrera, the decision was made to remove the stage from the event. The video after the break may well be the last competitive event held on the road.

Video is shot in HD, so be sure to watch in full screen mode. The run may sound a bit quiet, as the mics were actually helmet mounted. Don’t kid yourself though, these guys are flying!

If you think this was good, you’ve got to get the documentary, which you can order here.

Up to no good

Leighton Irwin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:57:12 +0000

Quite a few people think racing drivers, and by assocciation, all involved are crazy. Now I don’t believe that but we sure had a tendancy to get up to no good. This especially held true if you got a bunch hanging around together with a little time on their hands.

The old late 60’s early 70’s enclave of race shops on Midwest and Midland in Scarborough had more than its share of nonsense. The Atlantic teams of the 70’s were nortorious for destroyed rental cars and other shennanigans. Alan de la Plante and I both have come to the conclusion many of those stories still cannot be published. Some milder ones may get told later. This pretty tame one took place at John Dobbins shop on Birch Ave in Toronto in the mid 60’s. Gary Magwood ran out of there and several other racer types were always around.

My tow car had been a 59 Dodge Mayfair 2 door with a 318. Huge trunk but not practical otherwise. I bought it cheap but had just replaced it with a 63 Dodge wagon.
Now nobody wanted the old monster. From the time I bought it the low oil pressure light would come on after about 10 miles when it got below 20 mph. The 30w50 oil was enhanced with a considerable amount of STP. A few calls to wreckers produced low offers and not one cared if it was running or not.

So one Sat. morning there were a bunch of bored racer types hanging out at Dobbins shop when somebody (probably Gary) came up with the bright idea of blowing up the old 318. Motion carried. So I got in and with it in Park just floored it. I don’t know if anybody else has tried that but as you sit there your mind invariably starts to consider just where flying pieces of exploding block might go. I lasted for about 2 or 3 minutes. Gary was the next one in and he didn’t last as long as I had. When you are sitting there listening to the motor scream it starts to prey on your mind. A few others tried but nodody lasted long as we all had time to consider things.
I think it was John Dobbins who suggested we remove the air cleaner. He was also smart enough to not get in the car!

So time to try again. By now we had attracted some spectators. Having recovered my nerve a bit I had another go. Not for long though. Everyone had had seconds thoughts but we were a determined bunch of screwballs. So a couple of concrete blocks were rounded up from somewhere and placed on the throttle.

We all stood well back and made sure the neighborhood kids did too. John wisely brought a couple of fire extinguishers out from the garage. We didn’t need the fire department or cops on our case.

So that old lump, which couldn’t keep any oil pressure just sat there howling away. We kept waiting as finally steam and then some smoke started to come from under the hood. By now nobody was going to go near it. Finally it just slowed down and seized! Wouldn’t blow and despite any oily engine compartment didn’t catch fire.

That old 318 was one tough engine!

That was our off season Saturday morning entertainment.

Mayfair photo courtesy of Allpar.com

1928 Ford Model T maintenance reminder

Gary Grant — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:22:31 +0000

If you’ve ever taken your car to the dealer for service, you know that you end up in their retention system and will receive maintenance reminders as long as you live. Often times, well after the car is dead. Occasionally after you are dead! This is nothing new, as dealers have been hard at work trying to groom loyal customers since the dawn of cars. Today’s find, sent to us by Ed Moody at the CMSHG board, proves it.

This reminder from C.R. Gleason in Bottineau, North Dakota shows how much the world has changed, while staying exactly the same.

A tune up costs only $1 plus a small charge for materials, while labour for a brake job is only $1.25! If you maintain your Model T, you might drive it for 2,3,4 or even 5 years!

I would be willing to bet that consumers still complained about the expense of maintaining their car!

More racers ingenuity

Gary Faules — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:01:42 +0000

One year during the 25 Hours Of Thunderhill for us California boys it was cold as hell and keeping my gloves and racing shoes dry was a must. It was only 30 degrees but the wind was terrible, blowing sideways and never letting up as the rain began to turn into sleet and snow. Of course we can’t have any type of heaters but we can have lights and anyone who has used halogen lamps know they get pretty hot.

Review: 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

Tom Williams — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:19:35 +0000

Corvette. Mustang. Wrangler. If one of these storied names seems out of place to you, it shouldn’t. The Jeep Wrangler, which traces its ancestry back to the Willy’s Jeeps of World War II fame, and the later, civilian CJ’s built by AMC, is an enduring symbol of American ingenuity done right. The Wrangler is something we can be proud of.

The Wrangler, while not the best-selling, is considered the centerpiece of the Jeep brand. The image, ruggedness and off-road ability is what Jeep hangs its hat on. The Wrangler gives Jeep credibility. At a time when brand loyalists question soft-roaders like the Jeep Compass, they can at least take solace that the Wrangler is everything they want, and expect a Jeep to be.

The first Wrangler came out in 1987, and we’re now on the third generation, the JK series. The current Wrangler debuted in 2007, and the changes were as radical as when AMC transitioned from the CJ to the Wrangler. Featuring a longer wheelbase (by 2″), a much wider track (3.4″), the new Wrangler was actually a bit shorter overall than the last model, allowing for better off-road ability. This would also mark the introduction of the first four-door Wrangler, or Wrangler Unlimited. There was a Wrangler Unlimited in the last generation, which was basically a stretched wheelbase two-door. More room and practicality? Yes, to be sure, but it ruined the Wrangler’s classic proportions.

True, the Unlimited is big and imposing, but is every inch a Wrangler. All the classic design cues are present and accounted for. There is just no mistaking this for any other vehicle. As it should be. I still think the narrower track, and chrome-ringed headlamps of the last Wrangler helped it maintain a more vintage look, but in the end Jeep did a good job of keeping a lot of Wrangler without making it look like an antique. Form follows function here, and when one takes the time to examine the details on the Wrangler, it is easy to appreciate the car as a whole.

The theme continues before you even step inside. A giant, round pushbutton on the door handle has a satisfying ‘click’. You swing open the door, which is still attached to the body by simple hinges and a canvas strap (the doors are removable). The seats are flat as a pancake, there is painted, exposed metal on the doors, exposed screws throughout the interior, and the plastics are rock hard. The driver faces a very simple gauge cluster, and looking around, the lack of buttons is almost alarming. The giant steering wheel is bereft of them, and if you can’t find the controls for the mirrors-stop, because you won’t find them. Roll down the window and use your hand.

This generation Wrangler is the first to offer power windows and door locks, one nod to 1950’s amenities. In any other vehicle, I would really take this interior to task, but not here. A posh, refined Wrangler would just ruin the experience. Our tester did feature one other nod to very modern times-the entertainment. We had the optional Media Center, with a 30GB Hard Drive, 6.5″ color touch screen, UConnect phone, GPS Navigation, Sirius satellite radio and Sirius Traffic. The sound quality was good, and the satellite radio reception is among the best in the business. The nav worked well. This was my first experience with Sirius Traffic, and it was a little hyper. I soon started ignoring demands to re-route me, as perceived problems were usually false alarms.

Motivation for the Wrangler comes from a 3.8L V-6, pumping out 202hp. That’s not a lot for a heavy vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick. Coupled to a six-speed manual, acceleration is leisurely. Under acceleration, the engine is a bit coarse, and once you hit 3,000 rpm you may as well grab the next gear, as the extra racket just isn’t worth it. The manual tranny is refreshingly easy to modulate, and I didn’t mind the long throws. In fact, rowing the gearbox was extremely satisfying. Again, it just fits the personality of the Wrangler.

You would think the Wrangler would be torture on the interstate, but it’s really quite livable. Wind noise was not bad at all. Cruising at 75mph, the Wrangler was composed. Tire noise was prevalent, but that’s to be expected with the Rubicon’s knobby off-road rubber. Cross-country? Not for me, thanks, but after a couple hours in the Wrangler I was no worse for wear.

Apart from two and four door, the Wrangler comes in three flavors-base Sport, user-friendly Sahara, and off-road master Rubicon. Goodies unique to the Rubicon include Rock-Trac part-time 4WD, Tru-Lok electronic differentials, front and rear Next Generation Dana heavy duty axles, rock rails, detachable sway bars and the aforementioned off-road tires. Our Surf Blue tester, with the Media Center and optional three-piece Freedom Top stickered at $35,975USD-a lot of coin. The money in the Rubi is in the hardware, and software. If leaving the pavement behind is a big part of your intentions in a Wrangler, go for it. Unless it’s important for everyone to know you bought the most hard-core Wrangler available, the Sport or Sahara cost less and deliver all the same goodness.

Sure, the Wrangler is a rolling automotive anachronism. It is slow, rough, thirsty, and unrefined. But if Jeep made it posh, it would just be another Grand Cherokee. In any other vehicle, these qualities would never work. There is a channel on Sirius satellite radio called ‘Margaritaville’. It is a station I never listen to, but during my week in the Wrangler, I always had it on. Jimmy Buffett’s music prevailed, and it suited the mood to the car, with the emphasis on fun, and the need to keep it simple. In 2010, it’s very hard to find a car that keeps it simple, yet offers such a rich, enjoyable, albeit laid-back experience as the Jeep Wrangler. Truly one of a kind, and above all, an American icon.

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Images from the 1965 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport

Gary Grant — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:49:37 +0000

While searching for a photo to accompany Leighton’s story about the early days of race control, I came across this great set of black and whites from the Canadian Grand Prix on September 25, 1965. These shots, added to the CMSHG galleries by Rob North, are actually scanned from a contact sheet. I love the inclusion of the film as it really does make them look, well, old.

The photo above shows Bruce McLaren with just a nose ahead as the green flag flies. Not the clearest photo, but certainly a moment in history.

More photos after the break.

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Tales from race control

Leighton Irwin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:44:35 +0000

Now the spectators rarely think of Race Control except when there were unexpected delays. Drivers and crews usually curse at Race Control and figure everyone there sits in climate controlled comfort in easy chairs drinking fancy coffee and eating caviar. Maybe somewhere but certainly not at Mosport in the 70’s. Race Control was in a wooden box like structure on top of the old pits on the infield with the Starter’s Stand across the track. Non opening windows and no heat. Metal chairs and not enough of them. Crowded conditions and terrible Mosport coffee, usually cold by the time you had a chance to drink it. At least we stayed dry! In the room would be the Clerk of the Course, his Assistant, the Chief Course Marshal and usually two Phone operators plus two or three other senior race officials and sometimes a Steward. The Head of Timing and Scoring often popped in and out. The Chief Course Marshal and the 2 Phone Operators were normally very good. The club running the pro races was the Canadian Race Drivers Club and we did request certain people from the Marshaling group, CRCA. They normally concurred.

A timetable for the weekend was worked out in advance with Mosport. CRDA were contracted to run the races for a fee. We did have shares in the track but little real say. We would build in time gaps for lunches, potty breaks for marshals and make allowances for guardrail repairs and pick up of damaged cars. Agreement reached all would be fine until we got a program. Invariably the track added in something without our knowledge and there went any gaps. Enough preamble. What follows are examples of problems, one exasperating and one serious.

The exasperating one happened on the Sunday morning of the 76 GP. Cleaning up the track after Sat. nights drunken spectators plus a Mosport add on had us really tight on time. Back then the F1 cars had a morning warm up. Mario Andretti went off at 2A and the question was do we stop warm up to retrieve him. They had to have x minutes of running and there was x time gap that had to be there before the race. The race had to start on time! Our window was disappearing. The Senior at 2A was a very long time experienced marshal and she was also on the phone. So the Clerk of the Course asked, through the CRCA tower operator (protocol of going through the Chief Course Marshal was conviently ignored by all concerned) if he had gone off on his own and was he in a safe place? The reply came in loud and clear ‘I don’t know.’ We all could hear the various stations. The is he in a safe place was repeated. Same response.

Next ‘Well how far from the track is he?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Can you see him?’
Yes, but I can’t judge distance.
‘Any idea how far off he is?’
No.

By now some drivers were going by the tower shaking their fists. Quick questions to turns 2 and 3 brought little help although 3 did say he did spin there.

Red flag.

Now this particular senior was a good general marshal but should never have been a senior. Some drivers complained that we stopped the warm up and others complained we took too long to do so!

The next case was potentially a disaster. We were lucky. It was a Can Am race and Jackie Oliver and George Follmer were on the front row. They had an intense dislike of each other and both were fierce competitors. They started racing before they came onto the starting straight. The rest of the field were strung out far behind and in disorder. Clearly it was a no start and the starter correctly kept the yellow out. They didn’t care. They were racing full bore. That is when things went horribly wrong. The starter threw his flags in the air and the yellow actually landed on the track! The balance of the field didn’t know what to do. A few took off at speed but most just took it easy.

Meanwhile Oliver and Follmer were still flat out ignoring the Yellows everywhere. Here they were running as hard as they could and by now the balance of the field were trundling around. What to do and less than a minute to do something. Instructions were sent to the Starters bridge to throw a Red and the Checker. Hopefully somebody there would do so and the two flying idiots would respond. It worked thankfully and a possible disaster averted. It took a while to get everyone lined up and the riot act read to Jackie and George.

For the next start Paul Cooke was on the stand and although the Starter waved the green flag Paul was running things. CRDA had a new Starter for the next race.
Normally things did not go wrong like that but you never know.

Ed note: The photo above comes from the CMSHG group on Yahoo. It is a great place to waste some time looking at old racing photos! If you look in the background, you will see the old pits, which were torn down a few years ago to make way for modern pit equipment that teams bring with them.

Hyundai Announces ‘11 Sonata Pricing

Tom Williams — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:45:47 +0000

Hyundai has been on an impressive run with the sporty and sexy Genesis Coupe, luxurious Genesis sedan, and European-inspired Elantra Touring wagon. If those three cars were a warm-up, consider the all-new 2011 Sonata the main act as Hyundai is gunning straight for the most competitive market in North America-the mid-size sedan. Viewed in picture, the Sonata is substantially more aggressively styled than Camry, Accord or Altima.

The Sonata will be available in three trim levels: GLS, SE, and Limited. All three are powered by a 2.4L inline four rated at 198hp (200hp in the SE) that deliver a solid 35mpg on the highway. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual or automatic in the GLS; all other cars have the automatic only. With a base price of $19,195USD, Hyundai continues its practice of being generous with standard equipment. For that price you get Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, XM Radio, Bluetooth, remote entry/alarm, power windows, locks, heated mirrors and a trip computer. Hyundai also points out that Navigation is available on all trim levels. Click below for details on the SE and Limited.

Sonata SE: $22,595 The sporty Sonata boasts 200hp thanks to a dual exhaust. Sadly, no manual transmission is offered here, but in addition to the GLS’ equipment, you get a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, 18″ alloy wheels, sport-tuned suspension and steering, cloth/leather sport seats and fog lights.

Sonata Limited: $25,295 The emphasis here is on luxury, so the dual exhausts 18″ alloys and sport-tuned suspension are not carried over to the Limited. Standard features here include leather, front and rear heated seats, 17″ alloys, dual-zone auto climate control, CD changer, HD Radio, and sunroof.

Surely, the Sonata isn’t as interesting as say, the Genesis coupe, but chasing the almighty Accord and Camry is big-time business. And in this market, if you bring a knife to a gun fight, you had better just stay home. My money is on Hyundai packing heat.

Shutter Speed: Dewar, Cooke, and Jackie

Allan De La Plante — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:37:14 +0000

My new position as the chief and only photographer for the Canadian Baby Photographers in the Ottawa area was going well, but it had some serious challenges. Since I worked on a commission basis of my work sold, I needed to have good images and a great salesman to sell my work. The problem was the company would send up a salesman from Toronto to get orders. Then I would get paid. In between I was on my own. It was all very confusing and put a serious strain on my family life. I soldiered on trying to make ends meet. Over Christmas we decided to make a break out on our own with my wife now selling my work. The company supplying the leads for our now ‘Ottawa Baby Photographers’ came with us. There was now a lot more to consider with film processing and the final orders to be processed, but we dug right in and it turned the corner and began to make money. One of my neighbours was a very excitable man named Rick Conrick. Rick was a printing salesman for a Montreal printer. When he saw my work he began to envision a customer for a calendar of motor racing pictures. He came up with Imperial Tobbacco whose head office was in Montreal. He called them and got an appointment with the head of promotions. I soon found myself walking off a top floor elevator at the Imperial Tobbacco head office. The building had a strange smell. It processed the cigarettes at this location. We were met at the elevator by Tony Kallock, the VP of PR. All Rick said was, ‘Tony, I’ve got something thats going to blow your fucking mind!’ Not quite my approach, but we walked out of there with an order for prints for the Imperial Tobbacco calendar to the tune of over four thousand dollars!

On the motor racing end of things I thought more about Paul Cooke and the ‘portrait’ he wanted of Roger McCaig in the Can Am McLaren. I went through the images I had of Roger and picked two. One was a headshot with his helmet on. The other was a shot of the car at speed coming directly at me. The windscreen on the McLaren had a clear blue tint. I wondered if the shot of the car at speed would blend into the windscreen. Roger’s eyes were a beautiful Paul Newman blue, amost the same colour as the windscreen. I took my idea to my processor and we both wondered what it would come out like. His name was Goldie Lang. When it came to putting on paper what was on the negative he was an artist. The first print that came out of Goldie’s processor held both he and I speechless. Being Asian he tended to be very reserved. Now his smile was from ear to ear. The print was 16 x 20 inches. I decided right then and there not to do any portraits smaller. We cranked out another of Gordon Dewar. I had met Dewar in a converted grocery store in Hull just across the river from Ottawa. The old store was the home of JNO Racing and a rag-tag gang of hangers-on who loved cars, motorcycles and Dewar’s approach to racing anything! Several times I ventured with Dewar to the races in his motor home, but more on that in a moment. The first time I got a chance to see Paul Cooke, which I believe was the first race at Mosport, I showed Paul the unframed print of Roger. He just stood there. ‘How much do you want for this?’ I didn’t know. I just stood there. After a restless moment or two I blurted, ‘Seventy-five dollars.’ I waited for him to laugh me off. He didn’t. ‘How much to frame it?’ I told him it would be around $35.00. He told me to frame it and bring it to the next race. I brought the framed portrait of Roger to Tremblant two weeks later. I had double-matted the print and put a gold brushed alluminum frame around that. I located Paul and told him I had the portrait in the car. He didn’t want Roger to see it. We went to their motor home where I unwrapped the finished portrait. He asked what I wanted for it now. I told him $125.00. The frame had only cost me $32.00 so I thought I was skinning him for another eighteen bucks! He told me to sit down. He kept looking at the portrait as he wrote me a cheque. ‘I’ve got a few words of advice for you. If you had asked me for five hundred dollars for this, I would have paid it. It is the most beautiful racing portrait I have ever seen. Never never undersell yourself. Get rid of the jeans. If you are going to be an artist and a professional, look the part. Now I want you to take this and show it to every driver you can and see what the reaction is. Make sure they know it is for Roger and that he does not know about it.’ I promptly put the price for new orders up to $390.00 for a framed portrait and took several orders that same afternoon. Paul had in less than a minute put my photography career on another level and path. My direction was now to serve the drivers and sponsors. Newsprint paid little then and still does unless you get the cover. The multiple image portrait of Roger McCaig became my signature.

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I delivered the portrait to Paul at Mid-Ohio where I had another great adventure. I got a ride at speed in a Can Am car! I traveled from Ottawa to Mid-Ohio in Dewar’s motor home with a guy they called ‘the Rat’. His real name escapes me. We towed the March 707 Can Am car behind us. Dewar drove his Corvette down a day later in time for Friday’s practice. I was helping out with the car as well as shooting images. Dewar had a few problems in practice and wanted to see if the changes made were effective. Of this I did not know or I might not have gotten into the car. Dewar got permission to take the 707 out for several laps to check it out and asked if he was able to take a photographer out with him. Things were mighty loose in those days. I sat next to Dewar in the very tight cockpit…unbelted! I had my camera with a wide angled lens on iit. We went for three totally hair-raising laps shooting images of Dewar beside me, me beside him, the two of us together and the view out the front of the car. When I put the camera down to enjoy the ride I realized just how serious the situation was. I put the camera back up into the air and began to shoot again. The camera by this time was actually out of film! I rolled the film back into the canister. Shooting the camera took my mind off the excitement. I did not need support after I got out of the car, but I knew my knees were weak from all the adrenalin.

After the race I rode home with Dewar now driving the motor home with the 707 in tow on a trailer. For some reason we headed towards Detroit. On the freeway running through Toledo Dewar told me to take over the wheel. He didn’t stop. He just put the thing in cruise-control and stood up! I jumped into the driver’s seat and took over. Dewar walked to the back of the motor home and looked out the window. Right behind us was ‘the Rat’ in the Corvette. Dewar started to fiddle with some wire he had strung out the side window. I heard him start to laugh and looked in the rearview mirror. I could see him half out the window. I looked in the left-side-mirror and saw him yanking on the wire. It was attached to the septic system! Everything that went into that toilet over the weekend went out on the road right in front of the Corvette! I guess ‘the Rat’ tried to slow the car down, but spun it instead. He spun it right down the center of the highway! He never touched a thing and took off after us when he got it straightened out. Dewar just laughed harder as he looked out the back window. I don’t recall much of the outcome other than ‘the Rat’ was some pissed off. He was being cool with the roof down, so I guess he got quite dose from the motor home’s septic tank. Looking back, I am surprised it did not cause some problems with the handling of the trailer with the 707 aboard. There are many crazy stories of the guys and girls that are in racing, but that one almost takes the cake.

By this time I had done a number of portraits of drivers. Several absolute beauties were from Tremblant that year. The extreme rise and fall of the track and the fact that you could get very close produced some exciting portraits of Hiroshi Kazato, Dewar, Bobby Brown, Peter Revson, Oscar Koveleski and Jackie Stewart in the L & M Lola. I showed Jackie his portrait in Watkins Glen. The image was different than all the rest. The other portraits had all been vertical with the car under the driver with his helmet on. With Jackie’s portrait it was horizontal with the car coming over his right shoulder, again with his helmet on. It was the eyes I was after. Jackie has very distinctive eyes. The car shot I got under the bridge on the run up to the last hair-pin at Tremblant. It was stunning. Jackie was impressed enough to want to show it to the L & M people at their motor home. It was here I met Rod Campbell who was L & M’s PR man. Rod seemed impressed and said it would make a great poster. Jackie piped up something about the portrait was for personal viewing only, but that he expected commercial rights could be acquired. Jackie told me to let him do the talking. I learned a valuable lesson about the commercial value of an image and that it exceeds the ‘personal view’ value greatly. Racing photography was now starting to pay off for me. I enjoyed the travel, but being away from home almost every weekend took it’s toll on my family.

On my return from a racing weekend I found my home empty and my wife and son gone. My personal life took on the normal separated-and-soon-divorced route. One very funny incident during this period happened, so at least I got one good laugh out of the situation. When my soon-to-be-ex-Father-in-law appeared at the door with the marina dockboy to pick up our second car he could not find it in the townhouse parking lot. He came to the door and asked where it was. I told him it was out near the front of the lot. He came back in roaring about not being able to find it. I told him that several notices had been sent about the car saying that it was improperly parked. I guess I forgot to send them on to him. I took him back out and showed him the car. It was now a nice square block that along with another offender marked the entrance to the parking lot. A small sign was attached to the block-car that simply said, ‘Private Parking! This WILL happen to you!’ I was now getting around on a 450 Ducati Desmo I had gotten through the Dewar gang.

The Formula One Championship was again won by Jackie Stewart with the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport also his. The F1 race was shortened due to poor light conditions that were brought on by a late start to the race. The cause of this delay was a terrible accident in the first turn during the Formula Ford event. The race got off in fine form as Formula Ford races trend to do with several cars coming together in Turn One just before the tunnel. The leaders, unaware of the incident, took off. An ambulance was dispatched from it’s holding spot at the end of the pit lane. It pulled to the scene of the accident on the left side of the track…the racing line. It was protecting cars that ended up there during the first lap melee. On the second lap the leaders stormed down the pit straight and down the hill into the long right-hander of Turn One. The leading cars saw the ambulance and narrowly got around it. This lead group was all nose-to-tail. Reg Scullion was directly behind Wayne Kelly in this group. Acording to Scullion, Kelly looked in his right-hand mirror checking behind him. This quick check appears to have resulted in Kelly failing to see the ambulance parked on the racing line in time. He ran into the right rear corner of the ambulance at full throttle. He was decapitated in the impact. Scullion slipped by and the race stopped. Gary Magwood at the time was inside Turn One giving an interview to the CBC on the dangers of racing. Magwood would describe Kelly as a delightful character…tough, funny and not good when it came to losing…a true competitor. Formula One would lose Jo Siffert in a non-championship race at Brand Hatch. Siffert had a coming together with Ronnie Peterson in the opening lap, but continued until his suspension failed. Siffert was unable to get out of the BRM before it exploded. He died in the car. Pedro Rodríguez was killed in an Interserie sports car race at the Norisring in Germany at the wheel of a Ferrari 512M. Along with Siffert, Rodriguez was considered to be the bravest driver in motorsport. At the start of the 1970 1000 km of Spa, the sight of the pair in their identical Gulf Porsche 917’s, together, side-by-side in the rain and roaring through the then-very narrow and always dangerous Eau Rouge left everyone breathless and cheering.

Next: Motorcycles, Racing and a New Camera.

Read the whole Shutter Speed Series.

The Garage

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In car video of Lucky the GT350R attacking Mil Cumbres

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Up to no good

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Images from the 1965 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport

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Tales from race control

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Hyundai Announces ‘11 Sonata Pricing

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Shutter Speed: Dewar, Cooke, and Jackie

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