Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

[wolfee]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

You forgot to add no software and a much smaller internet.

While this is funny.

Lets not start a win/Mac war here guys.

Lets keep this open and enjoyable for all who read it. Bluffman deservs that respect from us.

Thank you

Wolfee

PS. any farther Win/Mac posts will be removed.

[Magdrop]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Thanks for keeping this topic on track.............

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Mickey’s back- up plan: The rain had stopped, but it would take a few days for it to dry enough to run on, but just a mile south of Wendover was “Wendover Air Force Base”. The base had been de-activated for several years, but was still staffed with some Air Force personel, and used for an auxiliary or emergency base. There were nice long runways there, and was once used as a “secret” location for the 509th Composite Group. Now, I know that most of you aircraft types know what that was, but for the uninformed, I will let my story continue regarding my Mickey experience. Somehow Mick had got permission from someone in high places to do the standing kilometer, and standing mile speed runs on the paved runways. Of course they dried much quicker than the salt flats, so this made it possible to proceed with the program, and it was approved by USAC because there was no rule that said that attempts had to be done on the salt.

I need to back up here a little bit. Ford had sent us “Mach 1” decals and where and how they were to be applied. Naturally, we put them on all three cars, but a Ford person appeared and told us that only the 302 powered car was a “Mach 1”, the others were to be called something else. We were told to remove the decals from the other two cars. ( you Ford people will question this, but that was “orders from headquarters at this time) Since this was mainly a “Mach 1” promotion this meant that we had to do the standing start runs with the 302 cubic inch car. These “engine and foundry” 302s had huge intake ports in the heads, looked almost big enough that you could put your fist in them. This turned out to be a serious problem, when starting from a dead stop, and trying to really jump off the line, the thing would bog down, and not accellerate like it needed to do. It was determined that there was not enough velocity in the intake ports. Mickey came up with a solution, we would dump a can of oil under each rear tire, and this would get the tires spinning, and as the oil got worn off ,the tires would gradually get a bite, and by then the engine was really wound up, and the car took off like a rocket. When it was decided to do these runs on the runways someone decided that we should have a drag parachute, just in case the car ran out of enough pavement to stop safely. This was not a problem on the salt because there was miles of stopping room there, but the pavement on the runways was only just so long, 8,100 feet. Since we were doing a standing mile, there was only at best 2800 feet to get stopped before going off into the rather rough terrain. I don’t recall what the speed was, but I would guess somewhere around 150 MPH at least. After a couple of “easy” runs everything seemed to be fine, so it was time to go for it. We dumped some oil under the tires, and away Mick went, really hauling the mail, and at the one mile mark he backed off, and pulled the chute release, and would you believe it, the chute malfunctioned and he ran out of pavement and went bouncing off the end of the runway. Luckily he nor the car were hurt, but someone, I forget who it was really caught hell over the chute problem. All of that got handled, and the following runs were successful, and the new records were set. The weather was still not very good, and we really didn’t want to take the cars back out on the salt because it was pretty cold and windy, and for some reason we couldn’t take them into Wendover to the Texaco station. Mickey had got permission to take everything over to this huge hangar at the air base. We had some work to do, and of course it would be an all-nighter. There was adequate lighting in this hangar, and it wasn’t too bad , a little drafty because of broken out windows, and the door didn’t close very good. The hangar was real big, and at the back end there was I guess what might be called a mezzanine or something like that. I could see that there were offices and such up there, and the wind coming in from the broken windows was blowing the doors on these offices, causing them to blow back and forth, hinges sqeeking and many other strange noises. Several remarks were made during the night that, Man, this place is spooky! We worked all night, and shortly after sun up we went out side, and there was a security guard out there wandering around. He came over to us and asked how we were doing, and I said to him, “It sure was spooky in the hangar during the night, lots of strange noises.” He asked me if I knew anything about that hangar, and I told him no. This old timer got kind of a slight grin on his face, and said, “ That’s where they kept the “Enola Gay!

Larry

[kiwiracefan]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Wow Larry, im riveted to this story keep it up. Im not a ford fan lol.... but im definately a history buff and that is amazing, you spent a night in the same hanger as probably the most famous single bomber in history, i can see why you thought it was spooky

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

The weather improved, and the salt appeared to be dry enough to prepare to continue the record attempts. There was a rather large house trailer, I guess that is what it was called in those days, set up to be used for a base of operations, and I’m not sure what else. USAC was doing their thing again, and pit stop equipment was getting organized, as well as the multitude of other things that would be required to complete the “assault on the salt.” At some point it was decided that it would be a good idea to have someone take a cruise around the 10 mile oval and inspect it or at least determine that it was indeed usable all the way around. One of the support vehicles provided by Ford was a big, probably 9 passenger, station wagon. It had one of those tailgate type rear doors. I’m sure that it was Danny Ongais that was doing the driving, and myself and several others piled in, and even a couple of the crew was sitting on the tailgate. Someone folded up my wheelchair and put it on top, where there was some sort of a luggage rack, and away we went. This was really cool, most of us had never been around the oval. Needless to say, this just had to be done at high speed to be any fun. I have no idea what the speed was, but suddenly there was a strange bumping sound, and the guys on the tailgate looking backwards said something that got my attention, and I turned around to see what all the commotion was about, and I saw my wheelchair doing snap rolls, flips, and other undescribable maneuvers! I can only assume that the wind had got it just right and it opened like a parachute, and departed, taking part of the luggage rack with it. We went back and recovered the remains, and I thought, “Now what am I going to do”? I hadn’t brought along one of my spares, not contemplating such a situation as this. As hard as I try, I cannot remember the sequence of events of getting me back to Wendover, and into my motel room. Mickey understood the seriousness of this, and as always came up with a plan. The nearest place to get another chair was Salt Lake City, about 96 miles away. Mick had the, “Texaco gas attendant/ sheriff/ street sweeper/ pilot with his own airplane fly to Salt Lake and buy or rent a wheelchair. I don’t know how all of this was done, or how long it took, I was really stressed out, but a wheelchair appeared at some point, and I was sure glad to see it. It was a big, wide chair like they use in nursing homes, but at least I was mobile again. My chairs were all made according to a prescription, so that they were comfortable, and were very narrow. I was able to function, but it was very painful, and awkward to try to things that I normally did. Due to this, I missed out on some of the activities regarding the record runs. Mickey and the crew got the job done, and set 295 speed records. The deed was done, and we all went back to Long Beach, then home. I was sure glad to see my spare chair. In a few days I took the “crashed” one to the Everest and Jennings repair department, and when they saw it they said, “What in hell did you do this time?” I just told them that it fell off the top of my car, I didn’t want to try to explain what had really happened. I told them that I wanted it fixed, and this got a big laugh. They said that it would be much cheaper to buy a new one. I called Mickey and told him this, and he said that he didn’t want to buy a new one, and just tell them to fix it. Several days later they called me and said it was done, and the bill was $625.00, almost double the cost of a new one. Mick paid the bill, and informed me that it is always better to fix something than replace it. This fit in to what we often called, “The Mickey Factor”.
Larry

[HiredBitSlinger]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Parnelli Jones was also in a Lola, but with one of those 4 cam Indy Ford motors, supercharged.

The Can Am was my all time favorite road racing series. I checked my pictures for one of Charley Hays car. Unfortunately, did not have one. I do have several of Parnelli Jones in his Lola, so I will share that.

I am really enjoying this thread. I love air racing and car racing, but unfortunately I have no talent for it. It is great to read about a real artist.
Thank you.

Dan Plunkett

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

My last post ended my escapades with Mickey Thompson, although we remained friends and would run across each other occasionally over the next few years. I didn't want to be a part of the land speed attempt that Mickey had planned for the car that I mentioned when I got involved in the Mach1 program. I had seen enough of the salt flats. He eventually took the car to Bonneville, but on a practice run at 352 MPH the wind caught him, and the car had very little steering control and he had to shut it down since it was heading straight for the USAC timing shack. As far as I know he never ran the car again. It was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum I was told. The Mustang thing pretty much finished up my involvement in racing for 1968, except for some sprint car sruff. To get to my posts beginning in 1969 are going to take a little thought. I did a lot of things in 69 and 70, and I am going through photos and newspaper articles trying to get the various capers in some chronological order order. At this moment the only thing I know for sure is where I was on July 20, 1969, watching Neil Armstrong step on the moon. I was sitting in a restaurant/ bar in Fresno, California, and had spent the day building an Indy car for "Daring Darrell Dockery". This was just one of the intertwined things I would do during that period of time. I am going to post some photos of some of the things I mentiond in previous posts, like the Can- Am car, turbine car, etc. I have gotten inquiries about some of these and it will help keep the thread going while I try to organise 1969/ 70.

Larry

[wolfee]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Larry,

I cant wait to read more.

Thank you for sharing with us.

Wolfee

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Still trying to straighten out 69 and 70. Sometime after Armstrong stepped on the moon in July 69, I finished putting a rolling chassis together for Dockery, and somehow it got to Phoenix, Arizona for paint, engine instllation, exhaust headers built, and Dockery had found a used Hewland LG 500 4 speed transaxle, so there was a lot to do yet. Darrell had to run 3 USAC Indy car races in order to qualify for taking his rookie test for the Indianapolis 500 in May 1970. I will get back to this, but somehow I was also working for Bill Simpson on his Indy car in Torrance California. I know for a fact that we ran a race at Riverside, California on Dec. 6, 1969, because I have a large photo and article from the newspaper of Simpson and I. I think we ran two races before that, one at Dover, Delaware, and I can't recall where the other one was. Somehow during that time my old buddy Jim Ward and I put together a Dan Gurney Formula 5000 car that Simpson "borrowed " from James Garner to compete in the "Tasman Series" in New Zealand and Australia. It had been built for an American Motors (Rambler?) V8, and we converted it over to a small block Chevy. This is where you may understand why I am having a problem figuring this time period out. This 5000 car had been completed by Ward and I and had been shipped to New Zealand where the first race was at Levin, NZ on January 3, 1970. , then Pukekohe, NZ, Jan. 10, then Christchurch, NZ, Jan. 17. Ward did not go on this trip, just Bill Simpson and I. We hired a couple of locals to help, David Wallace, and John Wigston. They weren't racers, just a pair of nice kids who would work hard, and learn something from us "crazy Americans" what racing was all about. After Christchurch the car was shipped to Australia, for the rest of the "Tasman Series". I'm trying to recall dates from then, and I have newspaper clippings that show we ran at "Warwick Farm" on February 15, 1970, but there was more, but I draw a blank at that point. Now it really gets confusing, I think the first race for Dockery was either late March or early April of 1970, I think it was Phoenix, Az, then Sears Point, CA,(a road race course), then Trenton, New Jersey, and then was at Indy for practice on May 5, 1970. So from "the man on the moon", two different Indy cars, a F-5000 car, and a trip half way around the world and then to Indianapolis from July, 69 to May 70, I was one very busy man. Whew! Makes me tired just thinking about it.

Larry

[kiwiracefan]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

wow, very cool Larry, being in NZ and a motorsport fan, the historic scene here is growing all the time, in late summer, (feb-mar) there is a series of events in the South Island known as the Southern Fesitival of Spped, this comming year, the F5000's and Can-Am cars take centre stage this should be exciting, here is some action from previous events, with the blue and yellow F5000 is the Begg 018 that was built in NZ and a Yardley McLaren F1 car that is in full 1981 F1 spec as driven by the late Denny Hulme.




It is exciting with upto 25 F5000's and 10 or more Can-Am cars it will be a great series with the first round at Ruapuna park in Christchurch, 2nd at Levels raceway in Timaru 2hrs south of Christchurch, and the last round to be held at Teretonga park raceway in Invercargill, Teretonga is worlds southern most permanent race circut and is about 6 1/2hrs south of Christchurch.

This story is fantastic, keep it up and i cant wait for the next installment.

[GBBC]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Not to be picky but the lower pic is a '73 spec McLaren M23, from another classic era/type of racing.

Great Great thread. Thank you for the time and effort, Mr. Burton and everyone.

Giles

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Now, I have to back up a bit. My brother Dale called me and this afternoon and reminded me that I had left part of 1968 things out. I had said that after the Mustang caper with Mickey I went off and did some sprint car things or something. Wrong! I don't know how I left this part out. When I was going through scrapbooks and boxes I noticed photos and other documentation regarding this, but it didn't grab my attention, I was looking for racing stuff, not "movie" things. This is why I couldn't put things in order. Before I left Mickeys employ he came into the race shop and asked if the rear engine car was runnable, and I told him that it probably was. It had a 3- valve engine in it, and still had the mini- ball rubber suspension. He told me that Universal Studios had called and they needed an Indy car taken to Phoenix International Speedway for Paul Newman to drive. They were getting ready to shoot a movie at Indy called "Winning" and Newman wanted to do the driving himself. I told Mickey that he must be kidding! He said that it was for real, and you can probably imagine what I thought. This was going to be quite an experience. I checked the racer over, and headed for Phoenix, my head buzzing! Me and Paul Newman, Wow! I get there and get the car unloaded,and noticed that there was a lot of foam padding in the seat, and guessed that I should take it out so this big dude could fit in the seat. I had seen him in "The Hustler" movie with Jacky Gleason and for some reason I thought he was pretty big. As I was pulling foam out and throwing it over my shoulder, I heard a voice behind me say, "What are you doing buddy"? I said that I had to make some room for this big guy, and he remarked, "I don't think that is neccessary." I turned around to see who said this, and there stood Paul Newman, considerably smaller than I expected. I put the foam back in, and we made some small talk, and he climbed in to see how it fit. We decided that it was probably O.K. Roger Ward, and Indy 500 winner was the "Technical Director" or something like that, and he had a talk with me about just having Newman take it easy, no "hot laps". Mickey had told me to let them run a lot of laps, because he had made a deal with the studio that the fee was $100.00 a lap. Finally it came time to get Paul out and run some laps to get comfortable, and I told him what to watch for, and to just sneak up on it, and of course Roger Ward had put his two cents worth in as well. Roger had taken him around a few laps in a rental car, showing him where the groove was and all that driver stuff. Newman ran several laps, and when he came in he said that it felt pretty good. Of course I was counting laps, and writing down speeds, and he was picking it up slowly. Each time he went out he would pick up a little speed. He was loving it! Roger thought Paul had ran enough laps for the day, and we shut down, and headed into Phoenix. We didn't get far from the track when we started into the little town of Cashian. There was a real shabby looking bar called the "Wishing Well", and Newman said to pull in there. When we got inside there was sort of a rounded corner seat and he indicated that we should go there. Meanwhile Paul went up to the bar and had the bartender give him a case of Coors beer, and he carried it over to this corner booth, and we lit into it. Newman was a really nice man, very friendly, seemed to be just one of the boys. Next day we would give it another go.
Larry

[kiwiracefan]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Not to be picky but the lower pic is a '73 spec McLaren M23, from another classic era/type of racing.

Great Great thread. Thank you for the time and effort, Mr. Burton and everyone.

Giles

Well spotted, my bad, it is the 73 Yardley M23 MaClaren, it ran in the F5000 class as there was no other class for it to run.

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

The next morning everybody started wandering in at the track, the studio group, Roger Ward, the Goodyear tire people, and others that were involved in this production. It was all very leisurely, there didn’t seem to be any specific schedule. Paul Newman came along soon, and the pace picked up. He ran a few warm up laps to get the temperatures up, and pulled in, and Goodyear put on a fresh set of tires, and I checked the car over for leaks or anything else that seemed important. About that time a big black car drove up, I think it was a Rolls Royce, and Joanne Woodward exited from the back seat. She was every bit as beautiful in person as she was in movies, and was very friendly, a very nice lady. She sort of looked around at what Paul and the rest of us were doing, and after a short while left to go into Phoenix. Someone decided it was time to get things going, and Paul went out and began running some laps. He quickly got his speed up to where he had been the previous day, and then started picking it up each lap. He was smooth and consistent, and was pretty much running the groove Roger had told him to drive. Then I noticed that he seemed to be trying different lines, as if looking for a faster groove, and he was getting better lap times. I think Goodyear, and the studio people were getting a little concerned. For sure no one wanted him to get hurt, after all he was the star for the movie, and a lot of money was at stake. This was just supposed to be a practice session to familiarize him with driving an Indy car, not to see how fast he could go. They had him come in to the pits, and take a break. He was asked if he felt comfortable with the car, and he told them that it felt really good. The “powers that be” , and Roger Ward had decided that he had done enough practicing, and perhaps this stage of the training was over with. Paul told them that he wanted to run one more time, and they reluctantly agreed that it would be O.K. Goodyear put another fresh set of tires on, and while this was going on he came over to me and we wandered off a little ways, and he asked me how fast he would have to go to have been fast enough to make the previous race at Phoenix. I told him about how fast the speed would need to be, and he said, “I want to go that fast”! Needless to say, I was somewhat stunned by that remark, but “what the hell”, he was the man. I told him the line that he should drive, but to be careful, as turn one was a little tricky, and there was a bump down low, and drive in just above that, and let the car drift up close to the wall coming off of turn two, and then chop down through the dog leg, and then drift up a little before entering turn three, and hold his line through there, and pick up the throttle entering turn four, but be careful there, because the car would want to drift up towards the wall, but it would give him a good run down the front straight, and into turn one. I told him to lift off the throttle for turn one where I would be setting. He went out and tried what I had said, slowly at first, and then started picking up speed. It looked to me like he was doing real good, and his speeds were getting much faster, then every lap I would move a little closer to turn one, and he would lift off where I was. He was getting faster each lap, I kept moving down. Roger Ward was up in the control tower, where he could see the car all around the track. After a couple of more laps, Roger yelled at me, “Burton, will you sit still, he’s using you for a shut- off point!” Hah, it sure took him a while to figure that out! Paul’s speed was maybe real close to what he wanted to do, depending how accurate I was at getting lap times while I was moving down the front chute. I’m sure that Goodyear had put much softer tires on for this deal, which gave him a little bit of an advantage. They signaled Paul to come in, and let him know that this “practice” was over. There was much chattering, and arm waving among the group, they were not “happy campers.” I was laughing inside, and trying not to show my emotions, but I was thrilled that Paul and I had done this trick on them, and he looked at me with a smile from ear to ear! Little did either of us know that we would meet again at Indy for the filming of “Winning”.
Larry

[RAD2LTR]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

This is truly an awesome thread here. Paul Newman was and still is a very very good driver. I think he was driving in the 24 hours at Le Mans last year. (I could be wrong but I think he was.) I think he raced for Bob Sharp's Datsun team back in the 70s in a 240Z, he might have had some time in a 510 as well. He moved on to more exotic things in the 80s and later.

Again fantastic thread, please keep it up.

Will