HomeNews and EventsJim Hall and his Chaparrals to be featured at American Speed Festival

Jim Hall and his Chaparrals to be featured at American Speed Festival

Our weekly roundup of car show and vintage racing news and notes

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Jim Hall, racer and engineer

Jim Hall and four of his famed Chaparral racing cars will be featured at the inaugural American Speed Festival, which takes place September 30 to October 3 at the M1 Concourse adjacent to famed Woodward Avenue in Pontiac, Michigan. 

Hall will be presented the inaugural “Master of Motorsports” award at the event. The racer from west Texas introduced the “flipper” wing mounted on tall struts at the rear of his 1966 Chaparral 2E and equipped his Chaparral 2J with fans that added downforce by sucking the car to the track. 

A note of interest about the 2E: It raced while wearing a Texas license plate.

Hall studied engineering at Cal Tech, worked with his brother Dick at Carroll Shelby Sports Cars in Dallas, became an accomplished driver who won the U.S. Road Racing Championship in 1964 and 1965, with Carl Haas fielded a car that dominated F5000. He also built cars for the Indy 500, notably the Chaparral 2K, aka Yellow Submarine, that won the 500 and the CART championship in 1980 with Johnny Rutherford driving.

Chaparral 2J with Jackie Stewart driving at Watkins Glen

The Chaparral 2K and the 1967 2F, which competed in world endurance events, also will be the festival.

Hall’s biography, Texas Legend: Jim Hall and the Chaparrals, will be launched during the festival.

Also launching at the event will be limited-edition timepieces by car designer Patrick Ayoub and his Detroit Watch Company

Cars Under Stars rescheduled

1968 Dodge ‘Deora’

The M1 Concourse has reset its 4th annual “Cars Under the Stars” fireworks spectacular for July 18. The event was to have been staged June 27 but was postponed due to rain in the Detroit area.

The facility will host a cars & coffee event July 24 from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m.

On August 20-21, M1 hosts the Woodward Dream Show and has announced that two historic custom cars by Detroit’s Alexander Brothers — the Ridler Award-winning 1968 Dodge “Deora” and the 1931 Ford “Grasshopper” pickup — will be on display.

Special cars and coffee at Indy Speedway

Only 100 spots are being offered for the “Indycar-NASCAR Doubleheader Special Edition” cars & coffee event scheduled for August 14 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Those securing those spots will get discounted admission to the Speedway grounds. The cars & coffee runs from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. with the NASCAR road race at 10:35 a.m. and the Indycar event scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m.

“This is a terrific opportunity for IMS Museum Cars & Coffee regulars to enjoy a morning of camaraderie with fellow auto enthusiasts, then take in what will be a competitive and memorable day of racing with a 30 percent discount on tickets,” said museum president Joe Hale. “Plus, IMS is generously donating all proceeds from Cars & Coffee parking to directly benefit the IMS Museum, so this is a win for all of us.”

Hillsborough offers special Ford display

The Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance, scheduled for July 18, has announced a special display of rare Ford Performance vehicles, including a 1915 Model T Speedster, 1964 Shelby USRRC 289 Cobra, 1967 Ford GT40 Mk IV, 2005 Ford GT serial number 2, among others.

On July 16, the concours stages a driving tour of Bay Area back roads.

Corvette SR-2 featured in Philly

Corvette SR-2 | Museum photo

The Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance, scheduled for July 17 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, will feature the 1956 Corvette SR-2. The car with its dramatic headrest/tail fin was a joint effort between design head Harley Earl and Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov.

Earl’s son Jerome was racing a Ferrari in the mid-’50s but needed to switch brands because of his father’s position at GM, the concours notes. So Earl, Duntov and a team of more than a dozen GM engineers created the SR-2 so it would be ready for the 1956 SCCA racing season, when the car was driven by drivers including Dick Thompson, John Fitch, Jim Jeffords and Augie Pabst. It even did runs on drag strips with Vernon Kispert in the cockpit.

Vintage stock cars featured at Road America

Vintage NASCAR stock cars are the featured marque this coming weekend at the WeatherTech International Challenge with Brian Redman at the Road American circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

More than 400 vintage race cars are expected to compete in 14 run groups, including vintage NASCAR Grand National cars. Action begins July 15 with test sessions. Qualifying is July 16 in the morning and afternoon, with the big parade of race cars to downtown Elkhart Lake that evening.

HSR, Masters race around Watkins Glen

After being postponed in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the inaugural Historic Sportscar Racing and Masters Historic Racing vintage event was staged this past weekend at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York. 

Feature race winners were Gray Gregory and Ethan Shippert in the Phil Reilly and Company 1974 Chevron B26, Thomas Gruber in a 2016 Porsche 991 GT3 prepped by Speed Syndicate, Eric Lux in the Goldcrest Motorsports 1973 Porsche 911 RSR, and Craig Sutherland in the Heritage Motorsports 1973 Porsche 911 S/T. The victory was the first for Sutherland in 16 years of vintage racing.

Of note were father-and-son entries with Geoffrey and Russell Ehrman third in their race in a 2003 Porsche 996 GT3, Paul and John Reisman fifth overall in a 2009 Porsche 997 Cup car, and first-time vintage racer Jimmy McGlynn and his father, Tom, who were seventh overall in their race in a 2003 Porsche 996 GT3 Cup car.

In other events, Scott Kissinger won two Group 3 races in his 1971 Datsun 240Z and Hervey Parke was first in both Group 2 events in his 1965 Ginetta G4.

Next up for HSR is participation in the Vintage Sports Car Drivers Association’s Elkhart Lake Vintage Festival, scheduled for September 17-19 at Road America.

Rides offered in historic Moss Ferrari

The late Stirling Moss takes the Ferrari up Shelsley Walsh hill | Event photo

It’s Classic Nostalgia weekend July 17-18 at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb venue in England where Hagerty UK will take the ex-Stirling Moss Ferrari 250 SWB (chassis 2735 GT) off its display stand and offer spectators a ride in the car each day. 

Moss drove the car in several events, winning five times including victory in the 1961 Goodwood Tourist Trophy. He and Graham Hill also drove the car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year, setting a GT-class lap record in the process.

“The car now has sought after Ferrari Classiche certification and has been in the same ownership for 37 years,” Hagerty UK noted.
“Remarkably, considering the values today, the car is still used on the road regularly.”

The car is listed at £10.87 million ($15.87 million) in the Hagerty Price Guide, and that doesn’t include whatever value its racing history might add. Regardless, each day of the Shelsley Walsh event a spectator can win a ride up the hill in the car as part of a fund-raiser for the Hope for Tomorrow, a charity patronized by Moss.

BMW offers instruction at Indy

BMW has expanded its Performance Center program to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The first sessions of the BMW Driving Experience were held earlier this month with more scheduled for dates in August. The program features BMW M vehicles and racing vehicles as well as not-quite-so-powerful BMW models. 

Salon Prive sets motorcycle parade

England’s Salon Prive, scheduled for September 1-5, reports it will welcome “some of the world’s greatest motorcycles” to the grounds of Blenheim Palace, with a motorcycle parade opening the concours September 1 and 2.

Motorcycles also will be invited to take part in the 100-mile Tour Prive set for August 21.  

Among special features will be a centennial celebration of Moto Guzzi and the debut of a custom motorcycle by builder Thornton Hundred. The concours will offer three classes for motorcycles. 

2021 car show and concours calendar

The following are dates currently set (but subject to change) for a variety of concours d’elegance, car shows and driving tours scheduled during 2021:

July

16-17 – Horseless Carriage Club, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 16-18 – Street Machine Nationals, St. Paul, Minnesota; Hillsborough concours, California; 17 — Philadelphia Concours d’Elegance, Pennsylvania; Albaugh Classic Car Show, Ankeny, Iowa; Simply Vauxhall, Beaulieu, UK; 17-18 – Classic Nostalgia, Shelsley Walsh, UK; 18, The Great Car Show, Kansas City; Classics on Main Street, Forest Grove, Oregon; Simply Ford, Beaulieu, UK; Corvette Envy, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 21 – Woodward Dream Cruise, Michigan; 22-24 – AACA Grand Nationals, New Ulm, Minnesota; 23-25 – Concours d’Elegance of America, Michigan; Goodguys Pacific Northwest, Puyallup, Washington; 24 – Mopars At the Red Barns, Hickory Corners, Michigan; Rolling into Roanoke, Indiana; 25 – Simply Japanese, Beaulieu, UK; Ultimate Truck Show, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 31 – Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional, Lincolnshire, UK.

August

1 – GM/Chevy Show, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 5-8 – Motor City Car Crawl, Detroit; 6 – Concours at Pasadera, Carmel Valley, California; 6-8 – Carlisle Truck Nationals, Pennsylvania; 7 – Red Barns Spectacular, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 7-8, Supercar weekend, Beaulieu, UK; 13 – The Quail, Carmel Valley, California; 14 – Lincoln Homecoming, Hickory Corners, Michigan; Concorso Italiano, Seaside, California; 13-15 – Goodguys Great Northwest Nationals, Spokane; 14-15 — AACA car show, Lindsay, Ontario; VW T(ransport) Chill, Beaulieu, UK: 15, Pebble Beach Concours, Monterey, California, 15 – Graham Walker Run (vintage motorcycles), Beaulieu, UK; 20-22 – Goodguys Great American, York, Pennsylvania; 21 – Woodward Dream Cruise, northern Detroit suburbs; Back to the Bricks, Flint, Michigan; Relix Riot (hot rods and customs), Hickory Corners, Michigan; San Marino Motor Classic, Pasadena, California; 22 – Simply Mercedes, Beaulieu, UK; 24 – Import Showcase, Seal Cove, Maine; 26-28 – Corvettes at Carlisle, Pennsylvania; 27-29 – Goodguys WEst Coast, Pleasantom, California; 28 – Automobilia: Art & Design, Carmel, Indiana; RADwood, Chicago; 28-29 – Taste of Motorsports, Portland, Oregon; 29 – Pierce-Arrow Gathering, Hickory Corners, Michigan

September

3-5 – Concours of Elegance, Hampton Court, UK; 4-5 – International Autojumble (swap meet), 10 – Luftgekuhlt 7, Indianapolis; 10-12 – Goodguys Colorado Nationals, Loveland; 

Porsche Sportscar Together Festival, Indianapolis; 11-12 – Off-Road Expo Arizona; 12 – Muscle Cars, Hickory Corners, Michigan; Simply French, Beaulieu, UK; 12-17 – Revival AAA Glidden Tour, Saratoga Springs, New York; 17-19, Goodwood Revival, UK; Oregon Festival of Cars, Bend; Vail Automotive Classic, Colorado; 18 – Ford Model A Day, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 18-19 – Taste of Motorsports, Sonoma, California; 19 – EyesOn Design, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan; RADwood, Seattle; Simply BMW, Beaulieu, UK; 21-26, Motor Bella, Pontiac, Michigan; 24-25 – Cadillac-LaSalle Fall Festival, Hickory Corners, Michigan; 24-26 – Detroit 4Fest, Mt. Holly, Michigan; Goodguys Lone Star Nationals, Fort Worth; 26 – Catskill Conquest Rally, Saratoga, New York; Camaros at the Corners, Hickory Corners, Michigan;  Simply British Classics, Beaulieu, UK; 29-October 3 – Fall Carlisle, Pennsylvania; 30-October 3, American Speed Festival, Pontiac, Michigan; Audrain Newport Concours & Motorweek, Rhode Island

Have an event to add? Email details to journal@classiccars.com

Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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