Corvette & Hill Climbing

[svann]

Ron,
From my well worn first edition of "The Unfair Advantage", page 2."In the spring of my junior year at Brown, Dave invited me to take my Corvette to a hill climb at Belknap, New Hampshire. ------- I managed to run the course slightly quicker than he (Dick Jalbert) did, in fact, I turned the quickest time of the day."

[Ron Mann]

ahh...a New Hampshire Hill....good scooping Stan!

[Ron Mann]

Now back to the countdown....

next pair of guys have 7 class wins and one class championship each:

Fred Heistand
John Watts

[Ron Mann]

how about these two...

John Bolton prior to the Blue Goose 8 class wins, 4 FTDs and one class championship in a early split window Corvette...and the Goose (a Corvette in disguise) add 7 more class wins and 5 more FTDs

Dave Walter, Hershey's 2008 co-chairman: 8 class wins...1 AP championship.

[Ron Mann]

today's fav....and not mentioned....

Bill Hassenplug 9 class wins & 1 overall class championship

[GT1-hillclimber]

Any good pics of the red/white/blue vette that ran at Giants 2000/2001 or so? BTW, that old GT1 vette still races down south regionally.

Mash

[Ron Mann]

Hey Mash...are you talking Kerry Hitt's car?

[Mazdahead]

I remember that vette. I think it was originally a Kerry Hitt car and he sold it to ( I don't remember his name!) and I remember how difficult a time he had getting it to run the way Kerry had it setup. Someone here should remember this guys name? I will know it when I hear it, a bad senior moment here! lol
I think I only remember that car showing up at Duryea for 5 - 6 years. It ended up down south, huh?

[Joe Foering]

Could that vette have been one of Lance Smith's cars; he shows up at the hills with a variety of exotica including MacClaren GTs.

[reddodge85]

Could that vette have been one of Lance Smith's cars; he shows up at the hills with a variety of exotica including MacClaren GTs.

Your right Joe, I couldn't remember his name for the life of me but as soon as I saw your reply it was like doh!

[Rich Sweigart]

Lance Smith's car is an ex- John Greenwood IMSA Corvette that ran at LeMans.

[GT1-hillclimber]

Hello Ron. Hope you and your family are well.

No, actually I was referring to my old car. Before we had the red Camaro, we had an old GT1 vette, that was red/white/blue. It was a true old vette at one time, and was a championship AP car from california, that was rebodied to run T/A in the late 70`s. We ran it at Giants somewhere around 2000-2002 or so (the Morecks were kind enough feed us/house us/keep us supplied with Yeungling!!!!).

Funny story (not so funny at the time). First year we came to Giants. I broke the tranny on my first time run, almost dumped it in the woods going into the second set of esses when it snapped. Coasted back to the pits. Jacked it up, Ronnie pulled the old Muncie out, said it was screwed. About that time, a spectator walked thru our pits, with a vette T-shirt on. I asked him (in joking) what was the chances he had an old Muncie course splined tranny. He said yes, and lived close by!! His name was Sheffie Abrahms. Cool guy. Took me to his house, we worked the rest of the day to put back in the car. Went out sunday, and it worked, except it was jumping out of 4th gear! I had to drive with one hand on the steering wheel, one holding the shifter! Ran decent that year, for our 1st year there. No where close to Johns record, but, had a blast.

NIce old car, it is racing regionally in SARRC...now painted black (#73), by our friend DAve Greer.

Mash

[Steve Tumolo]

Anyone remember the mid to late 60's red and white Vette roadster that raced in the early '90s? I remember it had a big star on the side in the paint scheme. It was really loud and sounded pissed off (the way all Vettes from yesteryear should sound ) He stuffed it pretty good at Giants one year and I don't think he ever came back.

Also what was the guys name who owned the white '63 split window that Tim Smith later bought? He came back in a 80's 1LE Camaro, white with black racing stripes around 1995 or so and ran in BSP.

[Rich Sweigart]

Steve,

The red and white vette with a star was Con O'Donnell's car(owned a beer distributer w/ Miller American sponsorship). He pretty much wiped it out on the rock at Weatherly and sold it to another guy who wrecked it at Giants.

The guy with the Camaro was Ron Glick.

Rich

[Ron Mann]

Mash...you'll have to email pixs of your Vette for my files....I'm sorry I don't have one!

I'd also accept pixs of the O'Donnell Corvette as well....

Here is one of Lane Smith's ride...

[Ron Mann]

next on my list...Craig Smith 11 class wins & one FTD

[Devil's Elbow Fan]

Ron, I think th edriver who stuffed Con O'donnell's vette into the bank at the "S " turn was Allan Stitt. I think he was an electrician. Stitt or Smith????

I have a "before" and "after " pics o fthat car....somewhere.

How 'bout some pics of my favorite Little Al from Easton!!!!

Who drove the Team Fleam 2 car....Pete Jones...Pete Smith????

Rich

[Ron Mann]

You'll have to wait a little bit longer for shots of Al....hang in there!

I just realized I had this shot of Allen Stitt....this is the other Vette you've been talking about. Thanks to Ursula on this one!!

[Ron Mann]

another driver mentioned...that I have little data on...and another fine photo from Ursula!

Jon Valentine

[Ron Mann]

Pete Jones was a Corvette driver in the early 60's....sorry no pixs...YET!