2010 Formula Atlantic Season Canceled

[jhwright]

Hello Marc,

Thanks for opening up memory lane like this, it's been a great read.

I am not the JeffW that's been sharing tales previously in this thread, but we are related...

Although I was only a little takker at the time, and was no privvy to some of the more "blue" stories, I do have one everlasting memory of a former World Champion: We were leaving the track on Saturday night (prob '77), driving up the dirt road to a T-junction. When we get to the junction, we notice that there is an arrow-straight line in the corn field ahead of us. This line ended up at the rear end of a blue Corvette, last seen leaving the circuit, piloted by Keke. There were no brake or skid marks that I can remember... And he was a looong way into the corn.

And Marc I have a question: Do you have any results from those days of the FA series. In particular, I'm interested in the results for AMP. There has long been a rather firey debate up in Atlantic Canada about who has the lap record at our track. I have heard some rediculous numbers being quoted, including a time down to 3 digits past zero.

Remarkable in the pre-digital era...

All I know is that it was one of the Atlantics that set the record, and the last time they were here was '81.

So, if you guys are looking to own an all-out track record, come on up to Atlantic Canada and give it a thrash!!

The Other JeffW

[marc sproule]

JW Other:

I don't have time to look it right now but there is a site that MAY have what you're looking for.

'Tis a gorgeous day here in surf city and I'm headed out the door to visit the real world for business and then I plan to have some fun out there too.

Will look up the site and post it later.

[Gary_T]

Here are some Atlantic results from that era:

http://autocourse.ca/index.php?file=results.html

Gary

[marc sproule]

The one Gary T posted is the one I was thinking of. I looked at it and of course what you're looking for isn't there.

I checked other sites I have bookmarked and couldn't find any AMP info.

Even went to the AMP site. Hopeless.

As I said here recently, the Atlantic series was always an orphan and the paucity of info, especially accurate info is just a reflection of that.

Makes me realize all that much more how fortunate I was to have been there for a goodly portion of its heyday.

At the risk of sounding a bit egotistic, another way that the Atlantic series was treated is the "credit" given for all the Atlantic snaps that were used on Wind Tunnel this past Sunday.

They used a lot of snaps out of the 25 year anniversary book, acknowledged that they had come from the book written by John Zimmermann but no mention of photog names.

JZ is a good friend of mine, roughly 30 years or so we go back. He was bemused by the way it was handled. Unprofessionally.

Here comes the egotistic part....a majority of those snaps were mine.

But Speed couldn't be bothered to do the professional thing and find out who actually took the photos they used.

Lots of people dropped the ball on that series. Too bad there weren't several dozen more like Vicki O'Connnor.

End of rant.

[jhwright]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the efforts!

I have been to that site, too, and was hoping that someone may have had a hard copy in a personal archive or somesuch.

I have a standing offer from the curator of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame to come and peruse their files the next time I'm in Toronto, but I don't manage to get up there very often. They have all the results there, but the curator "...lacks the time to go and look up every request".

I will miss an FA championship, but happily they still live on in vintage racing!!

TOJW

[marc sproule]

Vicki O'Connor?

If she doesn't have the answer she might be able to help you find it.

And no, I don't have her contact info but could help you find it I reckon.

[provamo]

Jim Wright noted motorsport historian and writer?

[Hugh Mooney]

I went to my first Atlantic race in '75...Wetwood. Also went to Trois Rivieres and Brainerd that year. After that I went to every Atlantic race through '81 or '82. I'll have to check my archives to see when I stopped going to all of them.

And yes, there were a few characters in that series. to say the least. Don't forget that Labatt's was the sponsor in there for a while and just perhaps a wee bit of the sponsor's product was consumed.

I had the good fortune of spending a lot of time with most of those characters that Phil Creighton mentioned. I can safely say that a very good time was had by all.

As time, memory and interest from the readers permits I can reconstruct some stories. There might even be one or twelve stories that can be posted in a public forum.




Gordon Kirby and I were standing next to Paul Webb when he took that famous wall banging shot of Rosberg. We turned to each other and said we thought that he had just smacked the wall. Paul said he thought he had gotten it on film. Obviously he had.

I will contact Paul about it, but my memory is that the slide disappeared during a move by Paul.

Yes, I was at the debacle in Hamilton. Not a pretty sight.

Enough for now.

[FONT=Verdana]Mark, Hugh Mooney - Formula Magazine from back in the day. You're listed as a Photo Contributor (for the first time - more follow later) in our July 1975 issue - Vol. 2 No. 6 - of FORMULA. Coverage was of the Edmonton Players's FA race (won by Bertil Roos). You're credited with taking a photo of John Nicholson's Tui BH2, page 16. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana]Kirby, Webb, Jeff Hutchinson (F1 Editor), as well as many, many others like yourself were instrumental in the development of the magazine. The July magazine was the sixth issue our ‘new’ group had published (Myself - Editor / Assoc. Publisher, Paul Pfanner – Managing Editor / Art Director and DeDe Henry – Associate Editor). [/FONT]

The attached photo was taken in 1975 in front of the FORMULA office in Santa Ana, CA - I believe by Michael Vannatter - includes left to right - Top: Paul Pfanner, Charles Loring, Gordon Kirby. Bottom: Hugh Mooney, DeDe Henry.

Formula Atlantic has a special place in my heart. In early 1976 I bought a very used March 712 (1971 F2 chassis converted to Atlantic specs) and ran the three West Coast IMSA races - Two at Laguna Seca and one at the old Ontario Motor Speedway. I had never driven the car, except for a 25 minute shake-down at Willow Springs on our way to Laguna - a track I had never raced.

Our short 'test' provided insight to what was to follow - we discoverd a leaking left-side fuel cell, locking left front brake and we broke a rear wing mount - those were the major issues. My "Chief" mechanic, Dennis Roberts (a very close friend to this day), wanted to go home, didn't want to be any part of this "killer" car. But, I pulled out a trusty EZ Wider, pre-filled, and we talked about it. It was either go on with us to Laguna or walk home, which was not an option. The story goes on and on and on.

[marc sproule]

Hugh:

It's great to see your name pop up like this. It would difficult in the extreme to forget the person who gave me a leg up with the credentials and published some snaps that started such an amazing voyage for yours truly.

A big belated thank you. I could never begin to express how fortunate I was to have traveled where I did. What a great ride it was!!

I remember taking some snaps of you in your 712. Any luck at all and one of them may be exposed properly, in focus, etc. If so I'll extend your 15 minutes by posting it on flickr.

One of the nicest things about getting my stuff onto flickr and joining forums such as this one is that I've started hearing from a fair number of old friends, drivers, mechanics etc.

I rarely go to races these days but when I do it's with the hope of running into some of the people who made my time in the game so rewarding.

Since it's been some time since I visited this thread I've actually added some more Atlantic pics to my Atlantic set.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4668198...7623186773769/

Here's the link to everything I've posted. Nothing new since May as reality has been rather bothersome and I haven't had the time or energy to sit down and scan and upload more.

The 700+ images I have uploaded represent about 1% of what's in my archive so there will are a lot more to come.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46681980@N03/

GK and I have been good buds for over 3 decades and I'll pass on the link to your great photo. What a gallery of rogues.

Feel free to contact me...contact info in my, oh, hold on. Your pm just came in. I'll stop here and read it.

Great to hear from you.

ms

[provamo]

is that Charles Loring any relation to David Loring?

[marc sproule]

Yup.

They be bros.

[Hugh Mooney]

Yup.

They be bros.

I haven't heard anything about Charlie for years. But when I knew him he was a huge young man - and I mean big. His mom would piece together two pair of jeans because his legs were so big. But his heart, it was bigger than all get-out. We all loved him.

I remember a weekend when a bunch of us were up at Laguna Seca and staying at the same hotel. We were all setting together in the lounge in these really nice low-riding leather chairs and just enjoying the moment. Then, all of suddent, one of the coasters on the chair Charlie was setting in just "gave up" from the weight and the chair just dropped in the front - like a race car's front suspension giving way. No problem, everyone just laughed, made a little bit of a joke and we got Charlie another chair. We then continued like nothing had happened. He was the cheeriest guy I ever knew.

Hugh

[provamo]

yes there is a facial similarity...never met Charles, attended drivers school with David... their mom was really cool at Harewood Acres...i hope i thanked her for the much needed coffee to soothe my novice nerves