jimgessner

The RIVERSIDE RACEWAY MUSEUM is hosting its annual LEGENDS event. Special guest this year, the 5th edition, is BOB BONDURANT. If you like old CORVETTE and COBRA Racing History, this is the event to be at.

Details :

The Riverside International Automotive Museum will be hosting their 5th annual Legends of Riverside March 22nd and 23rd. The “60th Anniversary of the Corvette” will be featured at the “Legends of Riverside V” with honored guest Bob Bondurant. Many drivers who drove Corvettes besides Bob will be in attendance are Dick “Mr Corvette” Guldstrand, Tony Settember, Jim Jeffords, Joe Freitas, Doug Hooper, Bill Pollack, Davey Jordan and Dan Gurney.

Legends will also have a forum and films of the very popular USRRC series, which was created in 1962 by the Sports Car Club of America. The series ran from 1963 through 1968 and was dominated by Shelby American and Porsche. Drivers attending Legends that competed in that series are Bill Krause, John Morton, Bob Bondurant, Davey Jordan, Jerry Entin, Doug Hooper, Paul Reinhart and Dick Guldstrand.

Friday,the 22nd will start at 4 p.m. with a cocktail reception. Saturday, the 23rd, a continental breakfast, racing films, forums, lunch, autograph session (for ticket holders only), cocktail party, live auction, dinner and an interview with Bob Bondurant by Ed Justice Jr. The event and all festivities, including vendors are at the museum.

Proceeds benefit the Boys Republic, Chino Hills, California

The price is $149.00 and you can purchase tickets by sending a check made out to RIAM Legends of Riverside
Riverside International Automotive Museum
815 Marlborough Avenue #200
Riverside, California 92507
or call 951 369-6966 with your credit card and ask for Norma.

Tickets are selling fast, so order yours today. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

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MANY PEOPLE KNOW BOB RACED THE 1959 GREEN 614 CAR TO HIS CAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP







What people don’t know that in 1959, Bob started the race season driving Paul Masse’s white / silver / red fuel option convertible with all the HD parts. Bob only changed cars in mid season, as he got free sponsorship from Shelly Washburn at the Santa Barbara Chevy dealership. Bob won the Pacific Division Cal Club SCCA title that year, and competed in over 15 races that year in both cars. At least six races were in the 3131 car with his old #51 on the door.



OLD VIN#3131, was sold to Gary Neuer in 1961. Gary had the car for 16 years and raced and street drove it. In 1976, Richard Buxbaum from Chicago purchased the car for his classic car dealership and resold it to Jeff Smith in June 1979 who lived in West Bloomfield, Michigan.


Factory paperwork includes the hand written purchase order from Harry Mann Chevrolet, with the selling salesman being none other than Corvette Racer Andy Porterfield. Andy raced Corvettes into the 90’s and with over 750 SCCA Races. We lost Andy last fall. The very rare window sticker and original written purchase order proves the car was delivered as ordered.







Bob won the Pacific Division Cal Club SCCA title that year, and competed in over 15 races that year in both cars. At least six races were in PAUL MASSE WHITE 59. The car was found in the early 90's by JACK PODEL and restored to new in 2009 by TERRY MYERS of Rockford IL for JOHN GOODMAN of SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. Here TERRY, BOB and JOHN do hot laps at BONDURANT'S DRIVING SCHOOL in Maricopa, Arizona


THIS WAS IN JULY 1958 AT THE FAMOUS ''SHOOT OUT'' BETWEEN JIM JEFFORDS, THE SCCA 1958 CHAMP AND BOB BONDURANT, THE NEW CAL CLUB LEADING DRIVER. JEFFORDS CAR # 1 IN THE LEAD WITH THE 1959 PPE3 AND THE 1957 BONDURANT #51 THREE CARS BACK IN HIS 57. STORY GOES THEY CHANGED THE LEAD THREE TIMES, AND THE RACE WAS ''RED'' FLAGGED DUE TO A HUGE PILE UP OF CORVETTES BEHIND THEM. BONDURANT WAS IN THE LEAD BY 5 FEET AT RED FLAG TIME. JEFFORDS STILL IS SAYING ''NOT TRUE'' !! THEY BOTH WILL BE AT THIS EVENT TO ''EXPLAIN'' DIFFERENT OPINIONS SOME MORE.


ON OCTOBER 17, 1963 THE NEW 63 STINGRAY WAS INTRODUCED TO AMERICA AT THE LA TIMES SCCA GRAND PRIX REGIONAL RACES








BOB DROVE THE 614 WASHBURN 63 ZO-6. HE AND DOUG HOOPER , DAVE MACDONALD AND JERRY GRANT RACED THE CORVETTES. BILLY KRAUSE RACED THE NEW SHELBY COBRA FOR THE FIRST TIME. OVER 85000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE RACE. COBRA BROKE, AND THE MICKEY THOMPSON CAR #119 DRIVEN BY DOUG HOOPER WON. BOB BROKE A HALF SHAFT AND WAS A DNF





DAN GURNEY being greeted by racers at former LEGENDS EVENTS. HE WAS HONORED IN 2009




ME WITH PHOTOGRAPHER BOB TRONOLENE AND RICH SCALZO AND DOUG HOOPER

jimgessner

I hear TONY SETTEMBER, driver of 1962 LeMans car will be there also. This will be a fun REUNION PARTY. Many drivers of all marques attend.

KENS78SILVERANNIV

Those are fantastics photos! Many of those same race cars will be at Monterey this August for the Motorsports Reunion. You can walk right into the paddock and see them up close. Fantastic!

jimgessner

GULDSTRANDS ORIGINAL 56. THIS WAS THE LAST RACE FOR THAT CAR

DOUG HOOPER IN THE MICKEY THOMPSON #119 that won the race.

BILLY KRAUSE IN THE VERY FIRST COBRA THAT RACED. IT ONLY HAD THE LITTLE 260 FORD V-8, BUT WAS ALMOST A FULL LAP IN FRONT OF ALL THE CORVETTES WHEN A REAR AXEL BEARING BROKE. ZORA SAID '' WE HAVE BIG PROBLEMS RACING IN 1963''

jimgessner

It is so important to see these great ''heros'' today, who are all getting well into their 80's

perry mitchell

I talked with Larry Webb last week to get some information about my 63Tanker and it's original owner. He worked at Alan Green Chevrolet in those days and remembers my car when it was delivered. His comment to me was, " Hell Perry, I'm 75 years old. You don't expect me to remember all those details do you?"

jimgessner

DO YOU OWN THE ALLAN GREEN Z0-6 TANKER Perry? I have lots of info on all the 63 Z0-6 Tank cars.

perry mitchell

No Jim, I don't. I wish I did. My car is not a Z06, just has the big tank and FI. Larry was the only one to work on it until I purchased it.

jimgessner

We need to visit so I can get the car entered into the REGISTRY OF CORVETTE RACE CARS www.registryofcorvetteracecars.com

jimgessner

Just heard that there will be both #614 Corvettes at this weekends event. The green 59 and the Silver Blue 63 Z0-6. Neat history to enjoy this weekend event.

00fxd

csherman

Jim
Thanks for posting
Some one sent me this thread
I did ALOT of the body work and paint work on #51
It ran really strong
When we got it the car was black as in the photo and the front end was BADLY damaged as was the LR quarter.
Thanks for the post !!!

emccomas

Any idea if the 62 Vette that Tony Settember drove at LeMans will be there?

Last I heard, the car was purchased by a collector in California.

I had the honor of marking one of the tires (left rear as I recall) with "L/R" as one of the final steps in the restoration. Dale Pearman's nephew, Ken Hansen allowed me that pleasure shortly after Dale passed away. The car was on display at the NCM, and a number of us were meeting at the NCM to pay tribute to Dale Pearman.

For those that do not know, Dale Pearman was a 1962 Corvette fanatic, and the "rediscoverer" of the only 1962 Corvette to have raced at Lemans. Dale started the restoration before his health deteriorated. Ken Hansen finished the restoration.

ohiovet

I spoke with Ken Hanson a number of years ago at Carlisle.
He told me about finishing up Dales 62 and working to get it to auction.
He hated to see it go but the family wanted/needed the cash.

jim lockwood

Hmmmm..... were there two #51 cars? The #51 car which I know about has been in northern CA in the same hands for the last 52 years. The current owner has done all of the work himself.

It has the distinction of being the only racing Corvette Bondurant personally owned.

It's the 5th car back in this photo:

csherman

Jim - in the photos above it is lettered #29
Restored by Terry
I worked on the car for Terry
Did the body work, paint, replaced the front end and reassembly
It was at the NCM with #51 on it
Fuelie car
The Black front end I cut off is still at Terrys......
Kool car with great history.

emccomas

Yep, car was auctioned for $489K and change. I heard it went to a collector in northern California.

jimgessner

The 62 LeMans car is owned by a New York collector, who is a good friend of Kevin Mackay. Kevin told me Monday, the car will be at Amelia Island March 7-9, 2014. Tony Settember lives in RENO. He was the race driver. THE COMPLETE STORY ON THIS NEAT CAR IS HERE IN OUR REGISTRY

http://registryofcorvetteracecars.co.../view_cars/301

It is a great story, and I am lucky to have Tony tell me the history. We did not find him until the end of the restoration.

jimgessner

The car turned out very nice. JOHN GOODMAN in SEATTLE owns it and says ''its to pretty'' to race. He races all his cars.

THE STORY OF THIS CAR AND BOB BONDURANT'S RELATIONSHIP WITH IT IS HERE ON THE REGISTRY. IT IS ANOTHER GREAT STORY. BOB USED #51 WHEN HE RACED THE CAR IN EARLY 1959. PHOTOS OF THAT TIME WERE IN CORVETTE NEWS.

http://registryofcorvetteracecars.co.../view_cars/264

csherman

Thanks Jim, yes I knew John bought it. It was rough when we got it....It was a real pleasure to work on the car with that much history !!! Thank you for the link !