MARLBORO MOTOR RACEWAY   SCCA Nationals 1962
 This page remembers the SCCA National's from April 1962 with words from Ferrari historian David Seilestad
 In 1962 there were three SWBs facing seven AP Corvettes and one E Type. At the start Hayes leapt in front with Thompson and Grossman close behind.  On lap 2
Thompson took the lead. On lap five Grossman passed Hayes and set out after Thompson. Hayes retired two laps later in a cloud of oil smoke and protested Grossman for pushing him into a spin. On lap 17 Thompson’s fuel injection drive sheared and he coasted to a halt in the toe of the Boot. Grossman went on to win followed by Don Yenko with a BP Corvette. Ben Moore in 4th was the first AP Corvette home followed by Doug Thiem in his SWB. The stewards did not uphold Hayes’ protest because they "could find no evidence of contact on either car."  Years later Bob Grossman, chuckling, told me that he had “popped” Hayes in the Hairpin and sent him over revving. He said that he hit Hayes on the left rear hub with his front right. Because only the hub nuts touched there was no body damage. That was how Bob remembered it, but as your photos show there was a shoving match as Grossman shouldered past Charlie in the Hairpin. Hayes over revved and dropped a valve. Grossman lost a headlight rim and bulb, but as I recall the sheet metal was not bent much.
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photo credits: Dave Zych, Dave Nicholas, Spankey Smith
Roger Penske's super lightweight Cooper Monaco that made everything front engined obsolete in 1962 These were glory days for Penske
and the start of the unfair advantage		 The real unfair advantage in1963 when he rebodies a Cooper F1 car and killed everyone with the Telar Special Bob Bucher was FM nat'l champ
and only Penske beat him on his
way to 2nd overall ! with 1500cc !		 Jake was in his glory at Marlboro in '62 with the short wheelbase RSK
The Kelso-Chev still lived in the hands
of Ed Lowther, and he had his hands full to finish 17th		 No longer flat black, the car was still a beast and crowd favorite.  Holbert's RS-62 under steering his way through Subway... to a disappointing 7th A TVR that had to compete in EM did well thanks to a great driver. Who knows
who he was?		 The hunched over driving style could
only be Bob Grossman in his race
winning Berlinetta Ferrari
Doc Thompson in the AP Corvette
taking and inside oval line, but this
time he was a dnf		 The legendary Don Yenko simply
busting it around the oval to 2nd OA
and first in BP		 Bruce Jennings, signaling he's pitting in the very fast BP Porsche Carrera that was 3rd oa & 2nd BP Charlie Hayes in the #7 Berlinetta
was a DNF.  Was this the car that
hit the wall?		 Grossman's car showed damage from
some close competition. Note the
always present great woman with him.
Black Jack Crusoe charging hard
to a GP victory		 Don Auray smiles at the camera in his
dented Cooper - good for 2nd FIII		 The Rebel Bobby Poupard in the
MkII MGA wheels the oval		 Ed Shantz, a real rocket scientist from Cornell in his green Sprite was 7th Hayes Berlinetta from the rear.  Charlie leans into the oval.