Looking for info on this single seater

[vintage gt350]

recently acquired and looking for period 1972 /73 photos Nickle race car driven by Earl Nicewarmer

[EricP]

Wow, this will be interesting to see what it is. First photo and rear drums makes me think of a series 1 Super Vee before wings came on. Then maybe it was updated with front aero and aluminum tub?
https://www.formulasupervee.com/series-1.html

Curious to see what people say...

[bob darcey]

Not enough photos, but the roll bar is definitely GRD-ish.

[S Lathrop]

My guess is that it is a very early FSV. The very early cars did use drum brakes at the rear. something built around 1970, my guess only.

[vintage gt350]

To clarify the photos above are of the same car . Nickle fsv raced in 72/73 ....... now it is possible it was built from something else and modified to fsv specs .

[EricP]

What S Lathrop, I’m guessing, and I am looking at is in the first pic all the cars trailing the subject car pretty clearly have the tell-tale signs of air cooled FSV engines (twin air horns or intakes on each side of the rear). The subject car is kinda hard to tell in that area, to my eyes, but it looks like it may have the same thing. Thus an early FSV as per the link I attached above. Then the second pic shows what is likely the car after it was (possibly) “updated” to a later Series 2 FSV when aero was allowed (hence the new nose). The FSV site tracks how the series developed.

That is the extent of my knowledge. I can’t hold a candle to Lathrop and most other guys on this site. I just like seeing history like this tracked down.

Can you say more about how you came across these pics, where the car might be, who may have driven it? That will help people here.
You might search formula Super Vee images to see if you find the car in a race pic. That roll bar is fairly unique so should stand out. If you find it in a pic, you can then search entry lists or result lists for FSV at said track in similar date range. Amazing what gets posted...

[Garey Guzman]

See this:
https://forums.autosport.com/topic/3...ula-super-vee/

[EricP]

So, Earl Nicewarner is the only Nickle listed. Guessing that is him. Quick search brings up this, and an engineer which make it likely him:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/earlnicewarner

[Garey Guzman]

So, Earl Nicewarner is the only Nickle listed. Guessing that is him. Quick search brings up this, and an engineer which make it likely him:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/earlnicewarner

If only it was that easy to track my March FF!

BTW, I found a season result sheet with my Lola T326 FSV listed! Useful time!

[vintage gt350]

I have a few phone calls and email sent to earl nicewarner hopefully he will respond

[EricP]

I have a few phone calls and email sent to earl nicewarner hopefully he will respond

Please post what you hear.

[E1pix]

Interesting thread about a car I do recall -- and Yes, it ran in Super Vee.

Curious sports car nose attempt, inspired by a Chevron B24, it appears. Had to be heavy in aluminum as shown!

Seconding this resource:
https://www.formulasupervee.com

And here, no early-'70s coverage yet but expanding -- Allen and Richard are tireless:
https://www.oldracingcars.com/fsv/

So far as photo resources, the Henry Ford Museum was buying out a ton of file archives a decade back... but in the end the files may have gone to the Revs Institute in Naples, Florida (IIRC)

One shooter that may have shot Super Vee is Mark Yeager. Very good work, now in Silverthorne, CO, I think -- but his film files were part of the above acquisitions. Other names springing to mind are Hal Crocker of GA (deceased, as I recall), Tom Kneebone, maybe Mark Weber, others I've forgotten.

One thought would be to be to get some period race programs and track down some credited photos.

Happy Searching.

[vintage gt350]

Interesting thread about a car I do recall -- and Yes, it ran in Super Vee.

Curious sports car nose attempt, inspired by a Chevron B24, it appears. Had to be heavy in aluminum as shown!

Seconding this resource:
https://www.formulasupervee.com

And here, no early-'70s coverage yet but expanding -- Allen and Richard are tireless:
https://www.oldracingcars.com/fsv/

So far as photo resources, the Henry Ford Museum was buying out a ton of file archives a decade back... but in the end the files may have gone to the Revs Institute in Naples, Florida (IIRC)

One shooter that may have shot Super Vee is Mark Yeager. Very good work, now in Silverthorne, CO, I think -- but his film files were part of the above acquisitions. Other names springing to mind are Hal Crocker of GA (deceased, as I recall), Tom Kneebone, maybe Mark Weber, others I've forgotten.

One thought would be to be to get some period race programs and track down some credited photos.

Happy Searching.

Leaning toward the nose being chevron b 20 ( bobby rahal comment ) comparing photos it does look very similar .
the nose is glass and does not belong to the car ..

There is also a wing that came with car that would look very b20 era .

Thanks for the leads on photogs emails sent ...... we will see .

contacted the formula super vee page while back have not gotten any response from them .

Im still leaning toward the car was a reincarnation of an earlier racecar/ re badged as nickle .

the story continues ......

[vintage gt350]

This is the rear wing that could be from a b20 or possibly some other

[Mick Henderson]

The nose is from a Chevron B20, my prototype B20 still has an alloy nose, and as far as I know, the production ones were made from GRP.
Rear wing looks very similar to mine too, made in GRP with recesses for the mounting bolts.

[vintage gt350]

The nose is from a Chevron B20, my prototype B20 still has an alloy nose, and as far as I know, the production ones were made from GRP.
Rear wing looks very similar to mine too, made in GRP with recesses for the mounting bolts.

Thanks for the response I have done some digging but cannot find any photos of the wing on any particular car I hope the graphics will help pinpoint it . the nose might be from a fred opert school car .

[vintage gt350]

a little more info from the SCCA archives

Earl Nicewarmer
1971 SuperVee Season in the Nickle #5
:

Daytona 16th
Talledega 4th
Road America DNF
Riverside 9th
Leguna Seca 11th

3 points total
5th in SCCA FSV in Northeast Divisional Championship

For 1972:

Sebring 11th
Watkins Glen 10th
Road Atlanta 9th
Road America 15th
Lime Rock 18th



1972 SCCA Nationals May 17th at Cumberland, Maryland 1st
May 30th at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut 2nd.


1976 SCCA Nationals June 27th at Summit Point 3rd;
July 18th at Watkins Glen 2nd
August 22 at Summit Point 4th.


In 1977 Nicewarmer moved to Formula Ford.

[vintage gt350]

After a very informative phone call with the builder/ racer Mr Nicewarner ... he forwarded a Group of vintage photos here are a few of them !

[provamo]

hope you get to show the front and rear suspensions as run when i saw the car at WG and spoke with the owner/builder/driver

quite unique!

[vintage gt350]

hope you get to show the front and rear suspensions as run when i saw the car at WG and spoke with the owner/builder/driver

quite unique!

The car still has all the original components as it was raced . It will be restored period correct with air cooled engine and hewland . Also looking for set of mag minilites but not 100% sure on size at the moment .

[vintage gt350]

The lack of coil overs does keep it clean looking!

[provamo]

thanks for all the additional photos! Earl was a really nice guy letting this long haired hippie on his hands and knees inspecting his car

he was an engineer as i recall, nuclear or govt or military..............cool dude

[march718]

I have this alloy nosecone which looks like the black one shown in for post

[Lee Johnson]

In Oldracingcars.com website on Chevron B20s there are some recently posted photos of a Chevron B20 FB (apparently fuel-injected, not Webers, judging by inclination of the trumpets) car that was for sale by Bill Scott Racing in approx. 1978.

This photo --

{https://www.oldracingcars.com/Images/sieber/ChevronB20-BillScott-Jan1978-1000x.jpg}

shows the exact same nose piece as in the photo in the original post on the FSVee of this thread. Note the "8" slightly slanted clockwise, the flaws in the paint near the left brake cooling hole (orientation as in the pix), the matching location of the SCCA wire wheel decal, and the apparently identical shape of the "sports-car nose" end-plates. I wonder when & where the original post photo was originally taken (?).

[E1pix]

Brilliant detective work, Lee, Bravo!

Pretty unquestionable conclusions!

[vintage gt350]

no doubt that is the nose ...... now where is that car ? Bill scott racing was near where nickle formula super vee was found so that piece fits .

[E1pix]

Deleted, confused about current status of this car.

[Lee Johnson]

no doubt that is the nose ...... now where is that car ? Bill scott racing was near where nickle formula super vee was found so that piece fits .

I think Phil's "...now where is that car?" may refer to the Chevron B20 that was for sale by Bill Scott Racing in 1978 (per the Chuck Sieber photo I posted from Oldracingcars.com website).

Lee

[E1pix]

Thanks, Lee.

The part I’m missing is what the circumstances were for a B20 nose to come with a Nickle tub. Apologies if I missed that (rolls eyes in mirror if so ).

That B20 is sooo familiar... wish I had access to my Runoffs programs... the driver’s name may yet still emerge from the crypt...