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 by winning Road America and here at Lime Rock.

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 Sesslar was having a great year in 1959. Don and Bob Holbert drove this Porsche RSK to 4th overall and first 1.5 liter at Sebring and Sesslar 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.

Phil Forno drove Cunningham’s Porsche 550RS often. Phil was one of Momo’s head mechanics having trained at the Jaguar factory. But his love was behind the wheel

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.

George Constantine in the Elisha Walker Aston DBR2-1

The Greek’s work paid offas he won the day in his year long battle with Walt Hansgen and the Cunningham team.

Hansgen led Constantine at the beginning of the race, but the Greek would not let go and eventually got past.

Constantine was a Big man, in a Big car making Big sounds. The 4.2 liter straight 6 sounded louder than Hansgen’s 3.4 liter straight 6. Who knows why?

Gaston Andrey’s Ferrari TR leads Roger Penske’s RSK. Andrey would finish 4th, Penske 5th. This year was Penske’s big move into the fastest sports racing cars. By early 1962 he was building his own cars and the rest, as they say, is history.

Hansgen’s Costin Lister was quick, but today it would not finish the race. As much as Walt was the king of Bridgehampton I think Constantine had a slight edge at Lime Rock.

The Great Man, Briggs Cunningham warms up the Lister Jag. Three big DCOE Webers staring at you. Briggs was an accomplished driver, but never among the quickest. But he was smooth and never caused any incidents. And hey, he owned the cars !

Here Briggs drives hard exiting Big Bend

Ed Gelder and his wife drove this 3.8 Ferrari for years. His biggest victory was the 1958 Glen Classic. Ed was a true Ferrari guy and we always looked forward to seeing this car.

Gus Andrey always wanted the number 25 and it served him well for years. This is his Ferrari 500 TRC. Andrey drove everything and drove them well. From his early days in a Morgan to formula cars in the 60’s.

Don Sessler finished 2nd overall beating Andrey and Penske in his RSK. Sessler and Bob Holbert finished 4th at Sebring earlier in the year in this car.

Harry Blanchard  moves up to a Prosche 550RS from his usual Carerra . He drove both cars this weekend. Eventually Harry took over Penske’s RSK for the balance of the season. Sadly Harry was killed in January 1960 in Buenos Aires.

Now a legend in motorsports, the young Roger Penske in an RSK. It wouldn’t be long before he moved up to the newest, fastest cars.

Local entrepreneur Newt Davis 550RS represented Lime Rock Lodge. The car did not finish but the Lodge was The party place.

Phil Forno from Vestal, NY always helped the BARCBOYS at the races. He was a factory trained Jaguar mechanic at Alfred Momo’s shop and here drives Cunningham’s 550RS

Newt  Davis & Gordon MacKenzie’s C Type Jag fighting it out

BARC contributor Bob Kahmer in his Bristol powered Lotus X. A very rare car recently restored.

E. F. Spicer in his Maserati 150S. Spicer drove this beautiful car for a few years

Briggs Cunningham was a sportsman and a racer, here is sits on the grid ready to race his HM Osca 750 with which he finished 2nd overall.

Bob Grossman often took cars off his showroom and raced them. Here he won the big production race in a now priceless Ferrari California.

Dick Jalbert raced his #39 Corvette for many seasons. This 4th of July he would finish 3rd.

Roy Tuerke’s Corvette leads Frank Dominianni. Tuerke would finish second to the Ferrari, Dominianni (note how banged up the body is) would be 4th

Frank Wagenhofer’s Porsche 356 Carerra battled all season with Harry Blanchard. Today Frank was 2nd.

Blanchard and Wagenhofer were never far apart and provided a bunch of great races all season in 1959.

A front engined Emeryson FIII driven by Bob Dahnken

BARC driver Bob Bucher’s Lotus 11 Club #129 was 4th overall and 2nd in G Modified

Formula III was the post war European proving ground for young racers. In the States there was a close knit group that had themselves a ball.

Lex DuPont loved his Formula III and was very fast in his Cooper

No race can take place without the volunteer course workers who stand outside hot or cold, rain or sun. Thank You.

Jim Haynes won the FIII race at Lime Rock and not long after, bought and operated the course.

Vern Jones worked hard, but he was a DNF in his FIII.

Denise McCluggage loved her hats almost as much as racing. In those days she wore a polka dot helmet.

John Colgate won DP in his Healey with that Colgate toothpaste grin.

Bruce Cargill, BARC member #69 was a big, strong man and he drove this tough XK-120 like it was a toy. Cargill later went on to fame driving a Dodge Colt.

Sherm and Joan Decker’s son Greg seems ready to take Bucher’s Lotus to the track.

Charley Stoddard, an Alfa legend, in #21 won G Production.

Look closely at the 3rd car - that’s BARC member #67 Sherm Decker passing Harry Carter’s AC Bristol on the OUTSIDE in a massive slide. Decker in an MGA could beat about anything at Lime Rock or Marlboro. #77 is Bruce Jennings followed by Evelyn Mull’s AC Bristol.

Decker’s MGA Twin Cam let him down several times. one of those was today when he played David to the Porsche Carerra and AC Bristol Goliaths,

Hank Van Dusen’s MGA Twin Cam was prepared by Decker

Bob Mouat raced his 57 Corvette with great success. He was 5th this weekend.

Evelyn Mull sits next to her AC Bristol. She beat Harry Carter in a similar car, won DP and was 4th overall. Yet few heard about this early and very successful woman race driver.

Mrs Mull on her way to victory on the main straight at Lime Rock.

The eccentric Harry Carter raced his AC Bristol with one arm on the door. Harry drove everything and won in all of them.

A wonderful portrait of E. F Spicer’s Maserati 150S. Spicer lived in Salisbury and sometimes drove the Maser to the track.

Gordy Mackenzie in his C Type. Gordon raced the Northeast as many weekends as he could for many years in his C Type. Reportedly Mackenzie raced this C Type 84 times and podiumed in 75% of them.

Soon-to-be super star Tim Mayer passes Trevor McKenna’s Corvette to finish 2nd in DP and 7th overall.

Rochester NY’s Norm Webb #85 fights off George Fogg III in his coupe. Webb was 5th, Fogg 8th.

Bob Colombosian of Colombo Yogurt raced his Lister Bristol for many seasons.

Frank Baptista’s Elva Mk IV won G Modified. Baptista raced G Modified in Lotus or Elva cars and won often.

Floyd Aaskov in his Lotus 11 didn’t finish this day. Aaskov was a fixture in SCCA for many years.