2008 Rolex Vintage Festival @ Lime Rock- Formula Junior Golden Jubilee

By land and air, the drivers and teams crossed the five thousand miles between Laguna Seca and Lime Rock. Roger and Margaret Ealand in their RV, Gordon and Leslie Wright dropping the girls off @ Denver, and then through hundreds of miles of Pennsylvania forest, while Don and Jeanette Thallon drove their hire car, stopping en route at internet cafes, to conduct their Australian business . BJ Colaric took a break from coordinating the US logistics for the British cars, and flew back home to put in more chargeable hours for Jaguar America , while Duncan and Mair enjoyed continuing gracious hospitality from Carol and Ned Spieker at Carmel, Lake Tahoe, and San Francisco, including some trainee grandparent practice, but still managed suppers with Karol and Jimmy Domingos, Nick Colyvas and Amy , and John Anderson, a visit to Tupper Robinson near Reno, Nevada, three days in Yosemite, and a detour to the fascinating 49er ghost town of Bodie.
 From Newark, NJ, Duncan and Mair drove up in the dark to the wilds of Connecticut, a few wrong slots, a couple of broken map reading torches, and a goods train that REALLY took half an hour before the huge length had passed a level crossing, and it was nearly midnight before the Cornwall Inn came into sight…but the story was not to end there due to a booking error, there was only one room between them, and for BJ, who was due to arrive even later..!! Fortunately the bed was ENORMOUS, and would have slept three, but good fortune smiled, and the landlady returned from a night out just as BJ drove in, and was able to pop a very tired BJ into a spare bed in the main house, as a temporary measure till dawn….embarrassment saved!
 Drivers briefing was 8.30 the next morning, so, with signing in completed, and Rolex shirt collected, it was into the paddock to forgather with our Donovan team who have looked after us so well, including a salad lunch every day. Sadly the news of the Volpini, which Duncan was to drive, was not good. There was significant damage, other than the crank, so no sensible option than to put back together for a proper rebuild back home; at least the new cranks which Jac bought from Bill weed will come in useful then. The rest of the UK and Australian cars were in good shape, and others that made the overland trip were the Coopers of Roy Walzer [ T67]( this time for Danny Baker, as Roy was driving his 26R Elan and Chevron B16) festival Vice-President Murray Smith[T59],and Doug Mockett[ disc braked T56], the Laurence Auriana front engined Stanguellini for Joe Colasacco, the JR Mitchell bright yellow 18 for Mike Taradasch and BT2 for Bob Goeldner, supplemented by the red 18 for Chris Cunningham, and the front engined group of Larry McKenna and Bill Gelles in Stanguellini’s, and John Kieley in his Mk II Gemini, here again supplemented by former Englishman, Victor Pastore in his green MkII chassis # 1037, one of the three Gemini’s out of Geoff Rumble's workshops in the early 90s. Also new to the fold came the OSCA 010 J of Mitchell Eitel, Garry Harrison in his 22, and Roger Sieling in his 20 [ although rebuilt on a 22/31 frame ] ex Jim Russell  " Grand Prix" film car, and last but not least, the likeable and amusing David George in his black 18 in very original period spec, but also with the Aachen, Germany built PBA-DKW, beautifully restored, although only brought along for show, still with crossply tyres on its 16" wheels. This car was a late entry in the Christies Silverstone auction about 1993, as an unknown FJ, and has continued its chequered history until finally 100% identified, by David, with some input from Duncan. Period pictures show an almost unchanged car from its Peter Bolle, Scuderia Colonia days, save for VW wheels in placed of the Porsche ones, robbed by a previous dealer, and a modest 850cc motor. Duncan was fascinated, and in brief, it did not take David long to convince Duncan that they should try and get this accepted for the race, to replace the hors-de-combat Volpini which with extreme cooperation from meeting organiser Steve Earle , and chief scrut, Steve Ferron, they did.
 Final car present was the Stanguellini # 148 of Robert Mirabile, though this too was just to show, as Robert was racing his Austin-Healey, but Robert has also an 18, and has just acquired the "missing" Lola Mk 3 aluminium prototype, untouched and still in brown/gold as photographed some 20 years ago. The Elva 200s for Tom Grudovich and Hervey Parke were still a few weeks away from completion, they driving the unique Lola-OSCA Mk 1 [BR10] and Elva Courier respectively, while Mark Gillies in the ex Marv Primack 18 was detained elsewhere on journalistic duties
With the drivers' meeting completed, where Steve Earle gave his familiar , but welcome reminders about driving standards, the practising was under way, with first a 15 and later a 20 minute dedicated session for the FJ’s, this acting as qualification for the Saturday race, although no times are actually published , and Steve "sets" the grid. Only problem was in the Australian camp, with Roger Ealand's 18 bending some valves, necessitating an engine change, with all to his aid. Gordon Wright's Stanguellini was still smoking, the rings no doubt being the cause, necessitating a, now familiar, quick tec inspection to ensure that there was no danger of a “Torrey Canyon" in the making ! Based on the grid positions, Bob Goeldner [BT2] was fastest, but, portent of things to come, Joe Colaacco's controversial front engined Stanguellini was next up, ahead of the Cooper trio of Baker, Smith, and Mockett, with Chris Drake's Elva 300, Taradash's 18, and the Australian Jolus, ex Dick Buckingham of Seattle , of Spanish resident Englishman, John Tweedale, [ a true example of International Formula Junior !!] next up. The days proceedings finished with an excellent track party, completed by a very entertaining forum , compeered by Murray Smith, including Sam Posey and Pierre Honegger, while US sports racing legend, John Fitch was given a standing ovation to conclude the evening , as the English contingent slipped away to celebrate Angie Drake's birthday at Covered Bridge, a quaint Connecticut hamlet with a really period Railway station for its single track line. Very heavy rain, the first we had seen during our US trip, came down that night.

Everybody had another 15m practice on Saturday morning, though it did not count for anything, but it did give Duncan his chance to try out the PBA, albeit on a damp track. He soon found the combination of the crossply tyres, the incredibly short wheelbase, and the freewheeling characteristics of the two-stroke engine when not under power, more than interesting, but managed - just - to hold the unfortunate little thing on the track, albeit with a best lap of around 1m 39s , as the leaders turned in just over a minute on the fast 1,53 mile track. The saving grace was excellent mirrors and a neat gearshift!! But all thanks to David George for the loan of his little treasure.

Part One of the Jubilee Celebration race ran mid afternoon, with twenty cars away at the flag, Murray Smith being caught up with official duties, and VIP tours, and Duncan's DKW engine having died, and no amount of effort would persuade it to restart. Roger Ealand returned from the holding area disconsolately, but JR stopped him, dived under the back, located and fixed the problem, and sent him on his way, albeit half a lap adrift. Bob Goeldner headed the start, but with the incredible Stanguellini right behind... as Doug Mockett said “it just out dragged my newly rebuilt Richardson Ford engine from the start line!! ". Danny Baker was up there too in Roy Walzer's Cooper, and whatever the merits, it was an excellent and crowd pleasing race. Joe got into the lead on 7th lap, and held it next time round, with Bob Goeldner back again on the final two tours, but Danny was right up there. There was a mass traffic jam of lappery as the cars came up to the flag , and the Stanguellini shot through to win: it looked as though Danny had made second, but Bob just held on. A front engined car had beaten all the fastest Ford engined cars on acceleration ...could this be true..!! Further back, Doug Mockett [T56], Chris Drake, and Mike Taradash held positions, but an excellent drive by Chris Cunningham brought him up ahead, first, of John Tweedale, and then Don Thallon, while Garry Harrison [22] spun out from midfield on the twisty bits, before resuming. Larry Mckenna in the dark red Stanguellini led the rest of the front engined cars, but BJ Colaric and Bill Gelles had a good dice behind, swapping places, but ultimately Gelles got ahead of both to pip McKenna for the flag, and second front engined.
The local Church at Lime Rock, as well as the Historic graveyard, lie within sight of the track, and this IS Connecticut... So there is no racing…ever… at Lime Rock on Sunday. Instead, the auto jumble is in full swing, and Duncan found many FJ period race programmes from long forgotten tracks, which will help significantly with the revision of the "Formula One Register" books on Period FJ races. Duncan was also asked to be a Concours Judge for the car show, and many of the prime race contenders were lined up in front of the pits in Classes. About half the FJ field had been selected, and it was a close call between the Elfin of Bill Hemming, and Gordon Wright's Stanguellini in the FJ class, Bill finally getting the casting vote on rarity.

Racing resumed on Monday with a ten minute warm up, and there was a track tribute to the late Phil Hill who had sadly died last Thursday. All was then set for the Part 2 of the Golden Jubilee series FJ race, scheduled for 15 laps, and it was a full grid that assembled. Duncan kept the DKW motor running with gusto, but both Garry Harrison and Roger Seiling were moments too late, and forced to join the end of the grid for the rolling start behind the pace car. Apart from that, the grid formed up much as the Saturday order, but with the Stanguellini was dropped to fifth behind Chris Drake, and just ahead of Murray Smith, restored to nearer his practice position. It proved to be another excellent race at the front, but Danny Baker and Bob Goeldner had the edge on Joe, although things might have got more interesting had Mitchell Eitner not got nudged off before the Bridge in the OSCA, while at the same time Mike Taradash sheared a crown wheel and pinion, which went straight through the casing, and pulled off ; Roger Ealand was the only other retirement, making the pit lane after the distributor exploded. Eitner's accident brought out the pace car for several laps, which was somewhat of a relief for Duncan, who was being lapped almost every other lap, as the steering stiffened up, and then the gear nob came off. With only two laps left, the field was unleashed, but there was no time for the Stanguellini to perform its usual acceleration trick, and the flag came down with Danny Baker, ahead of Bob Goeldner, and Chris Drake a splendid 4th in the Elva 300, ahead of the Mockett and Smith Coopers. Next up was a terrific dice between Don Thallon [MRC] and John Tweedale[Jolus], finishing in reverse order, contrary to the official results. Bill Gelles again led the remaining front engined cars from McKenna and BJ. In the end the leaders were credited with 17 laps apiece, while Duncan was an ecstatic finisher, with 13 to his credit.

The day’s proceedings concluded with a formal prize giving and farewell to Steve and Debby Earle, whose 5 year contract to run vintage racing at the Rock had finally come to an end after 7 years. The visitors did well, with the whole Australian team being awarded the "Man of the Meeting" award, and an emotional Chris Drake receiving the Formula Junior Rolex Trophy, of Corning Glass.

It had been a most enjoyable meeting, with nice cars and people, but not too many of them. The evening concluded with some high jinks, a barbecue, and a natter around the Australian's camp fire.

DCPR