Catching up on the Letters

Pete,

I read Ed McDonough's article, "Ferrari Serial Number 0600 MDTR, Part II, Life After Le Mans" in the April 7, 2004 edition of Veloce Today, where he mentioned Lucky Casner raced the car at a New Smyrna Beach race in late February. Here's a photograph I took at that race, which was an SCCA Central Florida region event run on the flat, featureless airport course on February 28, 1959.

My notes indicate Lloyd "Lucky" Casner was third in 500 TR, s/n 0600 MDTR, behind the Porsche 550 RS of Joe Sheppard and the Maserati 300S of Ed Rahal in the feature race. Sheppard was a very fast driver who could really spin that Porsche around a race track often beating or embarrassing cars with larger engines. My recollection is that 0600 MDTR was white with a red stripe at this race. Also note the car number for the New Smyrna race is #49 and not #9 as has been recorded in some places. Other cars of interest at New Smyrna were 250 TR, s/n 0722 TR, which was raced by J. C. "Jim" Hunt, Jr. (a partner of "Lucky" Casner), George Arents' 250 GT LWB Berlinetta and one of Canadian Bill Sadler's very rapid Sadler sports cars. It's likely that the Casner and Hunt Ferraris were being given a last test or shakedown at New Smyrna prior to going to Sebring for the 12 hour race on March 21, 1959.

Regards-Jeff Allison

Our thanks to Jeff, who is has long been associated with a variety of vintage racing magazines, and helped Ford Heacock get Vintage Motorsport off the ground in the early 1980s. He is currently the editor of Prancing Horse.

Pete,

RE: 0600MDTR-- Just tell us that it will be at the Monterey weekend this year. It's a true one-off and any Ferrari nut would want to see (and hear) so rare a car!

Art Hymon

Hey, we don't even know if we'll be there!

Pete,

Your review of Racing Mechanic was so good that it makes we want to read the book again (for the fourth or fifth time, that'll be). I will print it out and send it to Peter Lewis, who is still alive but very old and living in a flat here in London. I know he'll be pleased.

I tracked him down a couple of years ago, and he gave me some papers and hand-written notes which Alf had given him when he ghosted the book in the 1950s, and which had lain in his attic ever since. While none of them add anything significant to the story, they are now a precious part of my HWM files. He also helped me to get in touch with Alf's daughter, and last summer I drove the Stovebolt Special up to show her. She is married to a racing mechanic, and her son is a racing mechanic - that's genes for you. I got some great insights out of her about Alf - plus she gave me a tape recording of Alf reminiscing about Moss' Argentine Grand Prix victory with the Cooper. That's a story I shall get round to writing later in the year.

As you probably know, Alf's life rather fell to pieces in the 1960s, and he died in America in the 1970s in very straightened circumstances of cancer aggravated by alcoholism - a sad end to a remarkable life.

Simon Taylor

Simon is the editor at large for Classic and Sports Car magazine, and the current caretaker of the Stovebolt Special.

Pete,

Wow, nice to see an emagazine about the iCars and not about the club bs. A very enjoyable site.

Daniel Przybylski

Dear Editor,

You're doing some great stuff! The Stanguellini series by Jim Jenne is a particular pleasure to me not as a historian but someone with a strong interest in what really went on then. Do you or Jim plan to review or comment on the new book about Stanguellini Orsini and Zagari?

Paul and Lucretia Andres

Yes, if we can figure out how to get a copy!

Dear Mr. Vack,

I am a big fan of your On-line magazine! I started with Fiat and have been through many Alfas. A Ferrari is in my future someday. I have had the great honor and pleasure of seeing the collection of cars that Mr. Bill Marriott has collected. His cars were featured in the April 2002 Forza magazine. My neighbor works at his estate and might be able to connect you to Mr. Marriott to see his collection. Let me know if you're interested, or maybe you've seen it already. Let me know if I can help. thanks.

Steve Steve Hood Orbital Sciences Corp

Steve forgot to read the byline of the Marriott article

Gentlemen:

Your story in today's issue about Alf Francis was a very pleasant surprise and brought back great memories. I owned ALTA PK-4053 for 30 years...it was the original Geoffrey Taylor car of 1928...1100 cc DOHC, supercharged, with Wilson pre-selector gearbox. Francis had worked on it too, post-WWII. I tracked down and met Francis in the late 1970's when he was working at a dealership in Wichita, Kansas...yes, Kansas...sent him the ALTA gearbox for a rebuild...he did so...shipped it back to me (via Greyhound bus)...and died shortly there after. PK-4053 is now back home in England...but I still have my memories of the ALTA and Alf Francis.

Mickey Mishne

Dear Editor,

Greetings from Bedford, Virginia, USA. I was browsing the web looking for information about one of my favorite drivers, Nino Vaccarella of Italy, and I ran across your site that featured an article about Nino's career. Great article and much appreciated! I would very much appreciate your assistance in any way possible with locating a good address for Nino.

Major (Ret) William Brown

We've passed this email to Ed McDonough, who might be able to help. William Brown is gathering autographs for his collection of 1/32 slot cars, and we hope to bring you more about his efforts in the near future.