Chaparral and Lola at Laguna Seca

[JeffKeryk]

Walt Hansgen (17) in his Lola T70 MK1 Spyder and Hap Sharp (65) in his Chaparral 2 at Laguna Seca Raceway during the 1965 Monterey Grand Prix. Hansgen would go on to win the race.
It don't get much better...

 

[chexxers]

good stuff, i forget lots at 76-7 YO but remember early racers ETC!! modern is faster but vintage looks KOOOOL!!

 

[fantastic]

A good time to be alive for some.

 

[MCompact]

I loved the Can-Am racers of that era. I remember my execrable local newspaper listed race results under the municipal T-Ball scores.
At least today you can watch almost any type of racing you want live.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I remember Jim Hall and his Chaparral in the 60's. This is dating myself, but I even had a Chaparral model slot car. Who remembers slot car race tracks?

 

[jkasch]

I remember Jim Hall and his Chaparral in the 60's. This is dating myself, but I even had a Chaparral model slot car. Who remembers slot car race tracks?

All my allowance money went into trying to compete with grown men at those commercial tracks. IIRC, the Cox Chaparral slot car had a magnesium chassis and a sidewinder motor. Cox was also a sponsor of the Jim Hall car.

 

[MCompact]

All my allowance money went into trying to compete with grown men at those commercial tracks. IIRC, the Cox Chaparral slot car had a magnesium chassis and a sidewinder motor. Cox was also a sponsor of the Jim Hall car.

I was mostly into HO slot cars but I did have a 1:24 Cox GT40. And I'm still thinking about building a Careers or Scalextric 1:32 track in the basement.

 

[jkasch]

If someone were to open one of those strip mall tracks near me I’d be all over it. (With a larger budget)

 

[JeffKeryk]

We saw a race at Laguna Seca in the later 1960's. Porsches, Lolas, Ferraris and the wonderful Chaparral. Jim Hall used an automatic trans with the Chevy 427. Of course the sound was wonderful with all those cars. The earlier races were fun; Corvettes, 911s, Mini Coopers, you name it.

There were no stands; you sat on the dusty side of the hill.

 

[fdcg27]

The real cool came a few years later with the 917 and the 512M.
We saw these cars run in the vintage event at Mid-Ohio years ago and it was awesome.

 

[fdcg27]

The real cool came a few years later with the 917 and the 512M, both accidents out of the FIA rulebook.
We saw these cars run in the vintage event at Mid-Ohio years ago and it was awesome.