Well I finally did it, in my fourth attempt, with my Cooper Mk XI in it's first race in 40
years, I finished the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Not only did I finish, but after starting
fifteenth I finished fourth! I guess receiving The “Harry Morrow Award” brought me luck.
But more on that later. The real drive of the race was Jim “Dirty” Lyles in Jerry Greaves
Cooper Mk VIII. Starting last he finished second, winning a bottle of Crown Royal. Denis
McKenna, in the third chain-drive entry, has sorted his Cooper Mk IV-JAP FII quite a bit
and was very competitive before fouling first one plug and then the other and retiring.
Although entered, Charles McCabe in his Mk IX Cooper was unable to attend. To bad, he
would have been the first cross continent FIII car and driver since Dick Irish and his
Kieft in the fifties.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. We three racers gathered at Denis' “FIII Heaven” on
thursday and succeeded with the help of Bjoren Salesen in making an early departure
Friday morn. After a stop outside of Hagerstown to pick up Bjoren's friend, Carl , we
arrived safely at Schenley Park. We were told someone had bought our space at the
beginning of the paddock and were directed to the far end, totally unsuitable for making
a timely appearance on the grid. Denis went off to find David George. David explained
that the far paddock was for the rest of our class and he had saved us a space right next
to our old space and even produced the sign above for us.
My Cooper Mk XI Jim Lyles Mk VIII w/ wife Peg and Pete Rehl Denis McKenna's Cooper
Mk IV
Unfortunately, we were down to three cars this year. Mark O'Brian was unable to attend
this year with Jerry Greaves Parker Kieft. Jerry himself was in attendance, but without
his Emeryson due to an operation just prior to the race. Gary Ford, after a serious bout of
ill health was also there, but without his Cooper. Harry Reynolds is still continuing his
strike against the organizers, despite pleas from all of us. Good news though, Harry has
found a publisher for his book on FIII in America.
We set up Denis' awning, unloaded the cars and did our pre-practice fettle. About six or
so, Jerry, my son Fredd and I headed down to the Caragie Museum for the driver's dinner
(fantastic ziti with pesto sauce). Unfortunately the classic galleries AND the dinosaurs
were closed, but in the front hallway was a real piece of art – David George's ex-Fangio
Maserati. After dinner Jerry dropped Fredd and me back in the paddock where we
inflated our air mattress in the back of my pick-up. Part in deference to the old days, but
more a case of frugal racing we were camping in the paddock.
Early Saturday morn we had a delicious breakfast courtesy of PVGP and readied for the
first practice. Come our tun and Denis started, stalled and was unable to restart, so first
Jim and then yours truly started and set out. Down the hill and on to the course. My new
Cooper (built from baskets in forty-five days) felt great. I goosed it up the straight and
braked early (still bedding in the brakes) for the haybale chicane. That's when the
Cooper apprentices got me! It seems that when the set screw that secures the steering
shaft to the pinion was drilled, instead of being behind a spline it was drilled in the
groove between the splines. Guess what happened! That right, in spite of a safety hose
clamp behind the top bearing, it pulled right off. The car drifted left toward the end of a
Jersey barrier. YIKES!!!!; drifted further left missing the concrete, PHEW!!!; further left
toward a stop sign, DAMN!!!; caught the sign with the left front a-arm, BUMMER!!!!. I hit
the chin of my helmet on the steering wheel slamming it up and broke my nose just like
the car. I waited for the tow truck watching Jim go faster and faster through the
chicane. He completed practice without a hitch.
Back in the paddock, I was greeted by Jim Donic representing the driver's committee.
“What happened?”. I showed him the steering shaft. “Oh well, It's a Cooper.” Was his
response. As I stared at the bent a-arm figuring that my weekend was over Jerry came
over and said “you know, I have an a-arm I was going to return to Jack Mayes in my
trunk, if it will help.” The a-arm was from a Mk I Formula Junior and from the wrong side
and a quarter inch shorter, but after minor modification the front wheels pointed in the
same direction, abet with pronounced negative camber. We redrilled the set screw,
borrowed a tap from Jim Donic and drilled and cotter pined the steering shaft behind the
top bearing. We were back in the race.
After lunch Denis changed plugs, we were able to get him started and he set out for the
afternoon qualifying session. A couple of laps later he was back in with oil all over. We
figured that this was because he had not drained the crankcase (it tends to fill up
through the oil pump as there is no shut-off on the oil tank). He drained all the oil and
would refill just before the race.
Saturday evening before the volunteer's dinner we had our own awards ceremony. There
were three trophies to award. Jerry Greaves had received “The Harry Morrow Award”
from Doug Stokes to be awarded for the first time on the East Coast. I am deeply
honored to have it siting on my mantle an to have my name in such illustrious company.
John Streets is directly responsible for my return to FIII, I met him at Montery in 1990
and ended up crewing on his Staride. That wetted my desire and although it took fifteen
years before I returned to the fold. Tom Cecil with “The Tingler” has been instrumental
in the current revival of FIII. Bob Wenz was an icon of West Coast racing. I was pleased
to received this award from Jerry as I consider him to be the “Godfather” of current FIII
with three active cars and half interest in a Mk VI under restoration plus direct
involvement in the class for more than forty years.
The second trophy was the “Jerry Greaves Award” for the best effort in a 500cc FIII car.
Jerry presented this to Jim Lyles. Of the three drivers running Jim was the only one
without his name on the trophy. It proved to be prophetic as he drove not just the best
FIII effort but the race of the weekend, starting 16th and finishing 2nd.
The third trophy was The Willie Gadwa Missing Link Award” in recognition of those who
come to help sponsored by Vintage Race Prep. Willie was the pied piper of FIII, he would
show up with a car full of kids like Denis and his brother John and Dave Rohlader to the
envy of all of us. He even got them to share expenses. I presented the plaque to Bjorn
Salesen for his years of coming to help.
Jerry Greaves, Pete Becker and
“The Harry Morrow Award”
Jerry, Jim Lyles and
“The Jerry Greaves Award”
Jerry, Pete, Jim, Bjoren receiving “the Willie Gadwa ,Denis and Carl
After the awards there was a dinner for all the volunteers and drivers with kegs of cold
Yuengling “Oldest Beer in the Country”. After dinner I went back to my”Cowboy Cadilliac
Motel” and Fredd hooked up with Cully Shenton, Tivy's son. To my dismay there were
two teenage couples next door in our old paddock drinking and carousing until after
midnight. A bit bleary eyed the next morning, I decided to forgo morning practice and
save the car and myself for the race. After breakfast at driver's tent we all set to
preparing the cars.
Finally it was time to race, we suited up and climbed in our Coopers. Fredd started Denis
and he set off. Racing to get me started Fredd left the starter running, when it bounced
over the curb the drive wheel caught and launched him four feet in the air. He jumped up
and got me started. As I set off he was spinning over Jim. Halfway around the pace lap I
caught up with Denis. The big twin was running strongly (with the cams rolled for even
fire) and he would pull right away out of the corners. Green flag and we're off after half a
lap I managed to pass on the outside of the long long left. At the next flag station they
were waving the blue flag at me, I looked over my shoulder and saw Jim all over my tail.
As I was still feeling out a new car, I waved him by and settled on his tail. I stayed right
there until the start finish straight. I came out of the last corner in second gear and
grabbed third. It started to pull and then jumped out. I pulled back again and got fourth.
That was it, by the time I reached the top of the hill Jim was through the haybale
chicane and headed for Panther Hollow. That was the last I saw of him. Without third
gear I was still able to pick my way past the under 1 liter sports cars we were racing. I
ended up finishing fourth behind an extremely quick Elva Courier, Jim and a Fiat Abarth.
Denis ended his race with fouled plugs from excessive top end oiling.
After the race we franticly packed as a terrific thunder storm approached. It just started
to pour as we left. Two blocks later Denis Dodge pickup died. After all of us getting
soaked, we diagnosed it to be a bad fuel pump. And Denis called Triple A for a tow. The
rest of us headed back. And that was Pittsburgh '08. PS- Denis made it home safely the
next day with a new pump.
Photos by Fredd Becker
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 500cc Club of America |
by Peter Becker