Chaparral 1

Chaparral 1 kit made by Nestor with P/N: 001 and built by me.

•1961
•s/n: 1-001. This first s/n differs from the others because it has 2 slots to draw air to the carburetors instead of a cover with an opening in the back.
•1961 Riverside LA Times #66 Team: Chaparral Cars Inc. with Jim Hall 3rd OA.
•Chevrolet V8cyl ohc 5205cc 300hp 6500rpm 6 Stromberg carbs T10 4sp 671kg 5 built (some in aluminium others in fiberglass)

Chaparral 1 kit made by MA Scale models with P/N: 70 and built by me.

•1961
•s/n: 1-003. This configuration differs from the others because it has 2 scoops bordering the cockpit plus 2 additional front lights and the external fuel refueling point on the right hand side of the car.
•1962 Sebring #10 Team: Chaparral Cars Inc. with Jim Hall and Daigh 6th OA 1st in P4.0 (winner +17 laps) Grid: 10th.
•Chevrolet V8cyl ohc 5205cc 300hp 6500rpm 6 Stromberg carbs T10 4sp 671kg 5 built (some in aluminium others in fiberglass)

Chaparral 1 kit made by Midlantic models with P/N: 20 and built by me.

•1962
•s/n: 1-001. This first s/n that in 1961 had 2 slots to draw air to the carburetors now in 1962 it was modified to come with a cover with an opening in the back and a different front inlet to the radiator.
•1962 Laguna Seca #66 Team: Chaparral Cars Inc. with Jim Hall did not finished (5th in heat 1 and stalled in the pits for heat 2).
•Chevrolet V8cyl ohc 5205cc 300hp 6500rpm 6 Stromberg T10 carbs 4 speed gearbox 671kg 5 built (4 with aluminium body and the other sold without a body work).

Chaparral 1 model made by me starting from a Maserati birdcaje from Progetto K with Ref.: 22. For more information see: Chaparral 1 from a Maserati birdcage

Active years: 1962
s/n: 1-003 (1962)
1962 Road America 500 #4 Team: Chaparral Cars Inc. with Jim Hall and Hap Sharp 1st OA
Chevrolet V8cyl ohc 5205cc 300hp 6500rpm 6 Stromberg carbs T10 4sp gearbox 671kg 5built by Scarab specialists Dick Troutman and Tom Barnes (using in some Aluminium or in others fiberglass) wheel base=88”

Chevrolet Corvette “Grand Sport” speedster

Chevrolet Corvette “Grand Sport” speedster model made by Eagle’s race with Ref.: 2004

Active year: 1966
Grand Sport s/n: 002
USRRC 1966 Mosport Player’s 200 miles #12 with George Wintersteen 9th OA
Engine Chevy small block V8cyl 6179cc 485hp at 6300rpm 4sp gearbox 900kg 2 of the 124 built as coupes were later converted into speedsters.

Cheetah GT

Cheetah GT model made by Spark with Ref.: S1452

Active years: from 1963 to 1964
s/n: BTC002
1964 Daytona #14 Salyer did not finish because the doors and the hood blew up.
The Cheetahs did many USRRC races in 1964
- Apr 24 Riverside - Titus DNF; Jansen DNF.
- May 3 Laguna Seca - Titus DNF
- May 10 Seattle - Jerry Titus 19th; Alan Grant 14th.
- Jul 19 Watkins Glen - Ralph Sayer DNF.
- Sep 13 Road America - Ralph Sayer - DNF
Engine Chevy V8cyl 6276cc 475hp 435ft.lb Rochester/Thomas Fuel Injection 4sp gearbox 346km/h 703kg

Shelby Cobra 289 roadster

Shelby Cobra 289 roadster model made by Box with ref.: 8414 (later re-edited by Bang with Ref.: 414)

Active years: from 1963 to 1964
s/n: CSX2128
1963 Sebring #15 w D. Gurney 29th OA
Shelby Cobra 289 roadster most frequent tracks raced: Oakes Course (58), Daytona (34), Riverside (30), Bridgehampton (28), Sebring (24), Watkins Glen (24), Road Atlanta (22), Virginia (18), Mosport (17), Mid-Ohio (16), Road America (16)
In 1966 through 1969, Cobra 427s won the SCCA's A/Production championship. Private Cobra 427s continued to compete in SCCA events at least until 1981.
Ford engine V8 cyl sohc 4727cc 360hp at 6500r 2319ft.lb at 4000r CR=9.2:1 4Weber carbs accel 0 to 100kph=5s 242km/h 909kg 40 built

Scarab Mk. II

Scarab Mk. II model made by Hotwheels for FAO Schwartz of New York

Active year: 1963 - although built 4 years before (1958 to 1959) the start of USRRC it was raced in 1963 at USRRC Road America 500 Miles (#2) and GP Canada Mosport (#24).
s/n: 003
1960 13th Watkins Glen Grand Prix Cl.:BM #50 Team: Meister Brauser w Augie Pabst 1stOA
Chevrolet V8cyl 5400cc

USRRC Races 1963 to 1965

Season -- Driver -- GT Makes
1963 -- Bob Holbert -- AC Cobra
1964 -- Jim Hall -- Shelby American
1965 -- George Follmer -- Shelby American
1966 -- Chuck Parsons -- Not applicable
1967 -- Mark Donohue -- Not applicable
1968 -- Mark Donohue -- Not applicable

USRRC Augusta
1.3.1964
USRRC Pensacola
26.5.1963 -- 5.4.1964 -- 11.4.1965
USRRC Riverside
26.4.1964 -- 2.5.1965
USRRC Laguna Seca
9.6.1963 -- 3.5.1964 -- 9.5.1965
USRRC Bridgehampton
23.5.1965 -- 4
USRRC Watkins Glen
30.6.1963 -- 28.6.1964 -- 27.6.1965
USRRC Kent
21.7.1963 -- 10.5.1964 -- 1.8.1965
USRRC Greenwood
19.7.1964
USRRC Meadowdale
9.8.1964
USRRC Continental Divide
18.8.1963 -- 15.8.1965
Road America 500 Miles
8.9.1963 -- 13.9.1964 -- 5.9.1965
USRRC Mid-Ohio
22.9.1963 -- 30.8.1964 -- 29.8.1965

CanAm - Definitions

Can-Am Championship

The Can-Am championship, which full name was originally "Canadian-American Challenge Cup", was established in 1966. There were two separate periods in its history. The first period was from 1966 to 1974. It was the most famous Can-Am era. Eligible group 7 sports racing cars were almost totally unrestricted and they were the quickest cars in the world at the time - quicker than F1 or sportscars running in the World Championship.

Many top F1 drivers took part in the Can-Am of those days. It was the best-feed series. The first title went to John Surtees with a Lola. But then became a McLaren era. Works team with Denny Hulme and its founder Bruce McLaren was almost unbeatable and won most of the races between 1967 and 1971. But, before 1970 season Bruce was killed testing of his new Can-Am car. The new McLaren management lost their interest about Can-Am after dominance of Porsche-Turbo in 1972. Soon after, Can-Am began slowly to lose its importance and interest of public. This situation came into crisis in 1974 when the series ended after only five races and the winner Oliver with Shadow wasn't accepted by the FIA.

The new era of Can-Am was 1977-1986. This modern era admitted also single-seater cars but only up to 5 liter engines were allowed. So classic Can-Am cars were handicapped against much lighter re-bodied F5000.

An attempt to bring Can-Am back was seen in 1998 when the new SCCA sanctioned USRRC created its own championship almost identical to IMSA. Usual WSC sportscars were renamed to Can-Am but that had really nothing to do with the 'true' Can-Am championship. USRRC series disappeared after only two years of its existence.

1966 to 1974 and 1977 to 1986

Mission of this Blog

This Blog focus on the first era, covering both the USRRC and the CanAm, up to the end of the 1974 season. This was the time when the real "sacred monsters" raced. A small representation of that era and belonging to my 1/43 collection is displayed in here.

USRRC - Definitions

USRRC - United States Road Racing Championship

The United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) was created by the Sports Car Club of America in 1962. It was the first SCCA series for professional racing drivers. For its first three seasons, the series featured both open-topped sports cars and GT cars. Shelby American and Porsche dominated the Over- and Under-2 Liter classes, respectively. The USRRC ran from 1963 until 1968 when it was abandoned in favor of the more successful Can-Am series, which was also run by the SCCA.

From 1963 to 1965 USRRC had some separate GT races that were counted to USRRC Manufacturer Championship. Some of these GT races were run together with main USRRC events but drivers running to Manufacturers Championship couldn't score points.

In 1998 was reintroduced "to make sports car racing in United States more popular". It was nothing else than almost a copy of IMSA/PSCR.