George Constantine in the Elisha Walker DBR2 won, but had his hands full with Walt Hansgen’s Cunningham Lister. The car had suffered a blown motor in April at Daytona and missed the first 3 races of the season. But George would make up for it.
Walt Hansgen in the Costin bodied Lister Cunningham took from its entry at Sebring in March. The car was bigger than the knobbly Lister but was aerodynamically better. That made no difference at Lime Rock.
Don Sessler was having a great year in 1959. Don and Bob Holbert drove this car to 4th overall and first 1.5 liter at Sebring and Sessler won overall at the Marlboro national. He’d be 2nd behind the Aston this day.
Early in the race the fight for the lead was furious and close. Both Hansgen and Constantine knew each other well from racing against each other for years.
Now Constantine leads and is lapping Gordon MacKenzie in his older C Jag. MacKenzie would race this car for many years to come.
Roger Penske has switched from his 550 to an RSK. Roger drove the car well and it was a solid stepping stone up his ladder of success. At Lime Rock he was 4th overall.
The Boss - Briggs Cunningham himself loved the Listers. Here he did not fare quite so well as the better handling Porsches were quicker. But Briggs did not mind, he had won the America’s Cup yacht races last September.
Ed Gelder in his venerable Ferrari Monza. Ed and his wife raced this car a lot and always did well. His greatest victory was to come soon winning the Watkins Glen Classic.
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Bob Grossman in the Ferrari California he drove from his dealership in Nyack. Bob would often tape the front of his cars to avoid stone chips. After all, his cars were always for sale. He easily beat the Vettes on this challenging course.
Briggs was busy this weekend. Here he is driving his HM OSCA to 2nd place behind Jim Eichenlaub’s similar car and beating all the GM cars.
John Colgate, another driver from a prominent family, raced Autin Healeys for a few years. Tossed in with the Vettes and Grossmans Ferrari, Colgate won DP and finished 6th overall.
Tom Cullen’s Healey goes sliding off the road in front of Dick Jalbert and Frank Dominianni in Corvettes. Cullen would recover and Jalbert and Dominianni would finish 3rd and 4th
In 1959 one of the best races of any day was formula III. Formula Jr was coming and would replace these great 500cc cars. Winner Jim Haynes leads Lex duPont. Lex would be a dnf.
BARC driver Sherm Decker in his red twincam MGA. Decker was so quick in the car he would scare and often bear Porsche Carrera’s and AC Bristols at Lime Rock. But the problematic twincam gave up and Sherm was a DNF
color photo by Bob Kahmer. A little blurry but a perfect moment showing Lime Rock at her best back in the day. This is the start of the FIII race and you can see Sherm Decker’s twincam MG still sitting in the grass where it expired.
Taken in practice, the #31 XK-150 was entered, but without a name to the driver. The car failed in practice and never made the race. Behind is Phil Forno in the Cunningham Porsche 550.
Paul Richards in a Team Roosevelt Fiat Abarth. Richards was the team leader and won in several different classes in the Abarths. On this day he won I production.
Ray Cuomo (no relation to the NY Cuomo political family) was not so successful in his #84 Fiat Abarth. Ray would finish well back
Stover Babcock in a rare Fiat Abarth roadster. This spicy little car finished 3rd in I production and ahead of several Team Roosevelt cars.
Another Bob Kahmer photo. This is what now is Paddock A and completely level and paved. The trees are gone but the spectator hill is there and improved. Note the cars parked including Roy Tuerke’s 2nd place Corvette and a 300SL
Denise McCluggage. This photo was not taken at the SCCA National, but any photo of Denise is worth seeing.
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