Laguna Seca a few years ago

[Shannon Whitehead]

#502580

1966——– All HALL OF FAME DRIVERS !!! Legends…

I read about all those races in the 60s in hand-me-down magazines.

At least they wore hard helmets!

Straw-Bale turn stations,

Half-Buried tires at apexes were more dangerous than safe !!

Broom-handle flags. Stand on track for yellow flags………

Tree-lined tracks to destroy cars….(Same as Pacific Raceway Seattle TODAY !!!!!)

I was pace car at ONE Straw-Bale airport course in my early career……. on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Port Orford. WW-II Abandoned airport course. SCARY

Viper Days first event at Spring Mt. NV had NO CURBS! Bob Woodhouse went off course at speed , airborne, and pancaked in the desert. Tarantulas, snakes and lizards around the car and the workers and tow truck ! One Viper.

Bob Won the usual Woodchuck, AND the first ever F.A.R.T. award:

“Farthest Arial Region Traversed”

Thanks for the memory lane.

City said:
1966 Can-Am Race At Laguna Seca

How the drivers, flagmen and fans survived in those days is a miracle. Great cars and drivers in here. Fun 7 minutes.

https://youtu.be/3pt5kckdlU4

[Bill Pemberton]

#502602

Beautiful memories and with all those extreme talents, great way to showcase the skills of Parnelli Jones. Loved watching him win the 1970
Trans Am Championship in his school bus yellow Boss 302! As Jon noted, this was a race of Legends, Hall of Famers, and innovators . Many thought Jim Hall’s Chapparals set the tone for the coming age of winged wonders and I remember watching a race down in Independence, Ks. where a friend of the family out of Arizona ran his Chrysler engined sports machine, trying to emulate Hall’s success , but also using a torqueflite automatic — too early for that , he couldn’t keep the tranny cool enough with all that MoPar power, ha.

Fun to relive the days , and hay bales and trees next to the course were typical as Jon noted — scary , but then they really knew no difference back then. Skill sometimes took a backseat to bravery and the races I made , though few , were all tense and exciting.

[Shannon Whitehead]

#502637

That was about the time I started getting interested in cars and racing. I was back east then and a kid.

Thanks for posting it.

I’ll be at Laguna in Sept watching the IMSA races. Track has sure changed a ton since back then.

[Shannon Whitehead]

#502660

If only to be a BUG in Trans Am, Doris and I just had the privilege of Pace Car duty for the Trans Am series in Portland this past weekend. [And the past 4 years.] 22 races and support races.

This past weekend for several reasons were the HIGHLIGHT of 26+ years of my Pace Car specialty. Never more demanding, and never performed better [if I do so meeself.] Trying to get in car videos of Top 2.

Then I can retire !!!

[Shannon Whitehead]

#34021

1966 Can-Am Race At Laguna Seca

How the drivers, flagmen and fans survived in those days is a miracle. Great cars and drivers in here. Fun 7 minutes.

https://youtu.be/3pt5kckdlU4

[Author]

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