The HAMB has a number of outstanding threads about our passion for the world of the traditional automobile. From the " Drag Cars in Motion " to many of Ryans great highlight articles. There is a tremendous amount of historical info and first hand knowledge here. While all of the talk is of the cars , there isn't all that much on the great racing drivers of the times. Our good friend Rick Finch needs a little credit for my thoughts on this subject, as it was one of his threads on the "Dogfight" forum that tripped the thought. Without the great drivers, the excitement of a good race would be wanting. They come from all parts of the auto world and represent the many different styles of racing. From the Salt Flats to the road course ,from the clay to the asphalt, local and world renown . They are the ones that brought the racing car to life. Its difficult to pick the one so I just pulled a name out of the hat. The name on the paper. Briggs Swift Cunningham A Brief Biography By Tom Cotter An event early in Briggs Cunninghams life helped shape his lifelong passion for autos and auto racing: as a youngster after World War I, he went street racing with his uncle in a Dodge touring car powered by a Hispano-Suiza airplane engine. Yes, I guess you could say my uncle influenced me towards automobiles and racing, he told author Dean Batchelor for his book Cunningham. That experience, plus the financial means provided by his well-to-do Cincinnatti family, started Cunningham on an automotive fantasy life that spanned from January 1907 until July 2003. He was 96 years old. Cunningham, Mr. C to his friends, owned and raced Jaguars, Ferraris, Corvettes, Listers, OSCAs and Abarths, but he is most revered for constructing and fielding teams in the 1950s with Cadillac and Chrysler Hemi-powered Cunningham sports cars. His goal was to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in an American car with American drivers. Even though he never achieved that goal, his team did amass an impressive list of wins at Sebring, Elkhart Lake, Bridgehampton and other venues. His drivers were the best America had to offer: Dan Gurney, Sam and Miles Collier, Sherwood Johnston, but the drivers most closely associated with Mr. Cs team were John Fitch, Phil Walters, Walt Hansgen and himself. When Cunninghams Fordillac (a 1950 Ford with a Cadillac engine) was rejected by the Automobile Club de lOest for entry into the 1950 French race because it was seen more as a hot rod than a production model, he bought and entered two Cadillacs-one with the standard Coupe de Ville body, the other in an ungainly body designed and built after hours by a group of engineers from Grumman Aircraft. It was immediately dubbed Le Monstre by the French. The large and loud Cadillacs impressive 10th- and 11th-place finishes won Cunningham the hearts and respect of the French, and from then on the team was a Le Mans favorite. From 1951 through 1955, Mr. C entered C-2R, C-4R, C-5R and C-6R Cunninghams at Le Mans, with his best finishes being 3rd (1953, 1954), 4th (1952) and 5th (1954). His cars were fast, usually the fastest on the long Mulsanne Straight, but also heavy, easily overwhelming even the large Alfin drum brakes that were then the best of the day. If Dunlop had supplied disc brakes to Cunninghams team as they had the Jaguar team, racing history might have gone slightly more in Cunninghams favor. To satisfy Le Mans homologation rules, street versions of the Cunningham sports cars were slowly being produced out of the small West Palm Beach, Florida, factory. But at $9,000 for the coupe and $10,000 for the roadster, fewer than 30 Americans had such disposible income in 1953, and production eventually ceased. In addition to auto racing, Mr. C was a highly regarded sailor who skippered the Columbia to successfully defend the 1958 Americas Cup. And along the way he also assembled one of the most prestigious automobile collections in the world. He embodied the spirit of the true gentleman racer, said retired race driver and R&T Contributing Editor Sam Posey, who admits his own entree into racing came when, as a 16-year-old enthusiast, he and his mom were given pit passes by the Cunningham team at the 1959 Sebring race. His legacy at Le Mans was huge. Even when I raced there in 1966, Briggs was still thought of so highly in France. He continued racing and fielding cars into the 1960s; his last entry as both driver and entrant was at Sebring in 1965, at the age of 58, in a Porsche 904. Afterward, he spent much of his time managing the Briggs Cunningham Automotive Museum in Costa Mesa, California, until it was sold to Miles Collier Jr. in 1986. By building and sailing his own ships, and buliding and racing his own cars, continued Posey, he epitomized the definition of the American sportsman. ~The above article originally appeared in the October 2003 issue of Road&Track magazine under the title, Briggs Swift Cunningham- A Life Well Spent. http://www.briggscunningham.com/ <object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WES77NLxCpY?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WES77NLxCpY?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>
Interesting thread and great first pick , AJ Shelby Ruby Smoke Yelly... tripple crown winner , Hinnerszhits spelling sorry just about any driver thats great in more than one formula ,o yeah add Shumaker and Senna .
Best drag racer on a lousy track? In a top fueler? Chris Karamesenes, the Golden Greek. Also I should mention the Wee Scot, Sir Jackie Stewart.
My vote is for A.J. Foyt. He could drive anything and did with outstanding results. I also like Tony Stewart who just loves to drive anything with wheels. A fearsome competitor. Ayrton Senna, Jim Clark, Mark Donohue, Dan Gurney, the list goes on...
Rufus. Not always a perfect gentleman by a long shot, and didnt always have the best cars, but did it all and did it well. His first appearance at the Times Grand Prix is legendary, with good reason.
Bob Glidden, Grumpy Jenkins, Dyno Don, Wayne Gapp, Eddie Schartmann, Dick Brannan, Hubert Platt, Dick Landy...so many...
I like all these drivers but straight line comes with one of these *. How about Gary Selzi he runs in other venues ,how about Kens & leslie drags salt midgets thats what makes a great driver just my thoughts cheers.
David Pearson, Cale and Leeroy Yarborough, King Richard, Bobby and Donnie Allison, Ned Jarrett, Tim Flock, Fireball Roberts, Buddy and Buck Baker...legends...
I know its regional but around thee SE its Charles "Red" Farmer now 78 years old and still winning races. also advisor to clifford and Davey Allison.. Another is Freddy Fryar. My fav was Nero Stepto.. Thank You.. Bobby
Richie Evans- Do a search if you are unfamiliar with him. Big tracks, road coarse, bull rings ANYWHERE. He was the best I ever saw in any race car. Don Garlits- Hard work & brilliant innovative ideas everyday of his life AJ Foyt- Won in everything and did it his way just as Garlits did Tim Richmond-Had the absolute best instincts in knowing what the absolute limit was and could put the car anywhere. This choice has to have a nod to Curtis Turner who I saw race but once. Bill France Sr. said Curtis was the best driver he ever saw. Johnny Coy- Could drive a midget so hard and he never touched who he was racing with, as clean a drive who ever lived. I saw him twist cars up so bad in the turns that there was NO way he was coming out. He always did.
Rex Mays, Jimmy Bryan, Parnelli, Pancho, Pearson, Phil Hill, Chuck Daigh, Vogler, Novulari, Fangio, Gary and Tony B., McGrath, Johnny Thomson, Herk, Al Teague, Kelly Brown, Ronnie Sox, Ari Vatanen, and Al Unser.
Someone who is missing so far, but should DEFINITELY be on this list, Dave McDonald. Prior to his death, he was giving Gurney, Holbert, Pabst, Hall and Ken Miles all they could handle and then some on a weekly basis. If it wasnt for his untimely death at indy, who knows what he would have done.
Personally, I really cant see ranking any of the "one-trick-pony" types with guys like Fangio, Foyt, PJ, Mario Andretti, Gurney, Surtees, or Emerson Fittipaldi, who were successful on pavement, on dirt, road-racing, off-road, Indy cars, stock cars, Pikes Peak ect. This breed of driver who can drive anything, anywhere, and win is pretty much gone now, but it was true of most of the hero drivers in the '50s-'60s. Most of the drivers on the list above didnt do ALL of these (PJ is the exception, and thats why he's my top pick) But everyone on the list above did at least 2-3 VERY well indeed.
The Jalopy Journal
