Ken Miles flying in the Shelby GT 350.
Tribute by Cliff Reuter, Editor, www.etceterini.com
[Cliff Reuter’s website is always a treat and always growing, thanks to a lot of friends. One such was enthusiast and artist Jerry Melton. Jerry recently passed away after a battle with cancer and this article and photos are a tribute to him and his passion. Cliff was kind enough to allow us to share the following fantastic images of drivers, team owners, cars and a few of Melton’s cartoons (cartoons originally published in Sports Car Graphic magazine). Ed.]
The Artist
I was first contacted by Jerry Melton in 2011. Jerry had taken hundreds of photos at sports car, Can Am and Formula 1 races from the 1950s-70s and had finally decided to publish them on the Internet. After looking around at various web sites he decided that etceterini.com would be the place to share his photos with the world. Jerry liked the fact that etceterini.com is a not for profit enthusiast site and he was excited to add his collection to the growing archives.
Jerry Melton
For the next few months Jerry sent me DVDs with his photos of various races and I busily uploaded them to my Jerry Melton Photos page…..I quickly realized that the photos ranged from backyard specials all the way up to the top movers and shakers of the era. Pete and I chose a few photos we’d thought you’d enjoy out of the hundreds to share in this article and if you’d like to view more please click on the link below:
http://www.cliffreuter.com/etceteriniJerryMeltonSCCAPhtosPage.htm
Jerry Melton attended SCCA races in Green Valley Texas, was at the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix, Mosport and many others. I had a chance to ask him to tell us a bit about himself:
“I have been a strictly amateur racing photographer from my first days of college in 1962. After hanging on the spectator fence at Green Valley Raceway in Texas taking photos without a telephoto for a couple of years, I became a corner worker until my move to Detroit Michigan (just in time to be welcomed by the riots that started the mass exodus from the city).
Stunning portrait of Jacky Ickx is just one of the many below and on Cliff’s website.
“Upon joining the Detroit Region SCCA I was immediately pressed into service as their photographer, thus gaining passes to the races for a number of years until the birth of my son and a second job restricted my
weekend commitments. I continue to be a regular visitor to nearby Waterford Hills Raceway, where one needs no pass to be close to the action.
“While in college, I was also a cartoonist for Sports Car Graphic magazine until Jerry Titus became editor and eliminated ALL cartoons. Until then the publication had been more of a club racing friendly mag, but Titus wanted to compete with Car and Driver and Road & Track. So, where’s SCG now?
“I’ve been a Public School Art teacher for over 45 years and have long been teaching an added enrichment class in Sports Car Design to 10-14 year olds, where kids create shelf model concept cars from a 2×4 center with
1×3 fenders. It keeps the job interesting.”
The Drivers and Team Owners
Mario Andretti
Chris Amon
Bruce McLaren
David Hobbs
Graham Hill
Jackie Stewart
Ken Tyrrell
Jim Clark
Carroll Shelby
Dan Gurney
Colin Chapman
Jack Brabham
John Surtees
Roger Penske
The Cars
Ickx, Ferrari 1971 Canadian GP.
Maserati 250S, Ed Sevajian 1963 Green Valley Texas.
Grossman/Bucknum Ferrari, 1968 Watkins Glen.
Ferrari 612, 1969 Michigan Can Am.
Matra, JP Beltoise, 1971 Canadian GP.
Ferrari Chevy Willis Murphy, 1964 Green Valley Texas.
Jaguar D Type Chevy at 1964 Green Valley Texas.
Alfa T33 Horst Kweck, 1968 Watkins Glen.
Ferrari Dino NART, Charlie Kolb, 1968 Watkins Glen.
OSCA and Austin Healey, Green Valley Texas, 1966.
OSCA 750, Green Valley Texas, 1963.
The Cartoons
I am very saddened to learn of Jerry’s passing. One of his early color sketches of Dr. Willis Murphy in his Chevy Ferrari Testa Rossa (0724) graces the cover of my Bowtie Ferraris book. Jerry also provided several photos found in the book. I never met him personally but he was a pleasure to deal with over the phone and via email.
It would be great if someone would do a book of Jerry’s photos, sketches and cartoons.
RIP Jerry, thanks for the great memories and to Cliff Reuter for sharing them.
Cliff,
Thank you so much for honoring Jerry Melton. We often forget the photographers and artists whose works report and make us recall all the fun and adventures of motor racing. Jerry’s photographic library and art works are truly outstanding and portray the personas of their images in clear detail.
My wife, Kay, bought the sketch Randy Cook describes from Jerry Melton at a Green Valley race in ’64 . What a surprise ! It is in a HURRY !
Thank you, Jerry
I too am very saddened to hear of Jerry’s death. He was tremendously helpful to me concerning research I have been doing for many years into Lotus racing cars and sent me a great CD with images on and wouldn’t accept any contribution towards the postage costs. Without people like Jerry, in both taking the photos in the first place and then later sharing them so generously with fellow enthusiasts, the lot of the motor sports hustorian/researcher would have been much tougher. Thank you and Rest in Peace Jerry.
Brilliant photographs of the drivers in particular !
Jerry and I crossed paths back at Green Valley back in the sixties but we did not know it at the time. One of the pictures on Etceterini included me working on Paul Hill’s Lotus 40. I was just 16 at the time. It was such a pleasure to see pictures of that era displayed for all of us that were too busy to take them at the time. My life path followed Jerry to Michigan and called him a couple of years ago to thank him for his selfless contribution to the history of that era. We made arrangements to attend the vintage races at Waterford Hills together. I found him to be the consummate gentleman. Intelligent, talented, and willing to share his gifts and knowledge with any and all. I was saddened to learn that he was ill and that we would lose this wonderful man. He truly was a special man and will be missed. RIP Jerry, I feel better for having known you.
Love this website. I may have missed some articles from previous editions, but would love to see some stories about racing on the West Coast, specially the Fall Pro Series and some bios on Stan Burnett, Lew Florence, Ray Rairdon, and Pete Lovely.