One of two 1961 Corvettes special ordered by Don Yenko Chevrolet for delivery to Grady Davis - of Gulf Oil Research and Development fame, made with the special factory speed parts that Duntov could equip it with

 Going up for auction at Mecum’s January 24-29, 2012 Kissimmee Florida event, possesses a host of rare options and a provenance worthy of the velvet rope treatment at any of the world’s finest auto museums or vintage races.  Gulf Oil sponsored and driven to an SCCA B-Production national championship by the likes of Dr. Dick “The Flying Dentist” Thompson and Don Yenko, it stands as one the most successful and important production-based Corvette race cars ever constructed.

Upon delivery to Don Yenko Chevrolet and then Grady Davis, Number 11 was prepped for the Twelve Hours of Sebring where it was piloted by Don Yenko and Ben Moore to a third place finish. The Corvette was then moved to SCCA competition where, again in Yenko’s hands, it won Virginia, Cumberland, Bridgehampton, Dunkirk, and Lime Rock. A good season, this. Except these were just the first five races. At the sixth race at Meadowvale, competitors grumbled. Rumors spread. Soon, tech inspectors pulled the Corvette and found the car was running an aluminum flywheel and not, as required by SCCA rules, one made of steel. Though legal in the FIA races in which Number 11 first competed, the part’s presence at an SCCA B-Production race earned Yenko a six-month suspension.

 Competitors sighed with relief. Grady Davis called Dr Dick Thompson.

 Sitting in Number 11’s race seat, Thompson picked up where Yenko left off and drove the Corvette to victory Bridgehampton, Indianapolis, Thompson, Road America and Watkins Glen.  In the half-season spent with the Corvette, Thompson won every race and the B-Production National Championship

photos from http://www.sportscardigest.com/duntovs-secret-corvette-gulf-oil-race-car/ via the Vintage Racing League weekly newsletter

Ronnie Kaplan's #33 Javelin... 1970 Trans Am race car, it's a Red White and Blue color scheme I haven't seen before

 Ronnie was the Javelin Trans Am team leader 1967-1969 and a conversation about his time racing is here: http://www.tajavelin.com/penske_kaplan.html



Found on http://homeracingworld.yuku.com/topic/24746/javelin-livery

Get your Red White and Blue TA Javelin fix at http://www.tajavelin.com/photos.html

Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly, Lisa Hudson Photography

1911 Hispano Suiza "Alphonso XIII" 45 CR Voiturette, a race car with patina that has cracked in the past 100 years

1946 Delage D6 factory Grand Prix race car that consistantly placed 2nd from 1947-1949 in various Gran Prix and 24 hours of LeMans

I ran out of time, and just grabbed these two shots when they announced they were closing, and I still had the entire upper floor to look at... the Mullin Museum closes at 3 in the afternoon... be sure to get there when they open so you have as much time as possible.. they have so much to look at, and if you are as slow and methodical at drooling over cool old cars as I am, you need the whole day.

More cool photos found on SwissStache Tumblr

found on http://swissstash.tumblr.com/

Riverside in '65, racing with real stock cars piloted by the greats, Parnelli, Gurney, Foyt, Junior Johnson etc

found on http://k-retro.blogspot.com/

1923 Avoin Voisin factory research race car, the C6 Laboratoire, simply a most amazing innovative and obscure try at a racecar from airplane engineers

 Quite odd looking, maybe the strangest I can recall ever seeing

 Why it has a prop on the nose, I'd only guess that it's for airspeed. Boardtrackfan commented that he thinks its for a water pump

 and I was astonished to see it has the actual "Windscreen" that I've only heard of but never seen before

Click on the above gauges and get a good look at the full size... those are pretty unusual

 and a square-ish steering wheel... boardtrackfan reminded me that this isn't so uncommon, it's so the driver has a better view when driving straight, and more legroom

  here is the big indication of the aeroplane style engineering they brought to their race car... cable brakes. But not connected to the brake pedal, this is independant front and back brakes for a racing advantage