Old Vee Video

[Bardahl77]

I'll bet most folks have already seen this, but I just came across it as I like going through Periscope Film's YouTube stuff. Kinda surprised me, most of their stuff is military documentaries and training films (check 'em out if you ever wanted to see your old Army VD films), but they have a few indy 500 and NASCAR stuff as well. This one popped up and it's amazing. It says "70s" but I'm not sure what year, the silly counter covers it up. But enjoy "Formula Vee presented by Volkswagen of America"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8f0Ca0-tnM

[provamo]

thanks for posting this, never heard of the featured driver but it was cool to see Bill Scott again

[Steve Davis]

Yeah.. pretty cool. I am 99% sure that is Dave Tallakson (one of the founders of Atlanta Region SCCA) starting the driver's meeting at about 9:30 in. I didn't meet him until some 20 years later, but I can see the mannerisms on the podium .. and even almost recognize him from his LOOKS . I also wonder if Butch Deer was at this race? I looked across the driver's meeting, but didn't see him. Wish we had a better DATE for this weekend race.

Anyone know what track they were at at the end? Looked like some place with a 'oval' inside of a road circuit. Some place I've never been .. and quite possibly no longer in existence.

Steve

[Speed Sport Engineering]

Some things never change -

The guy looking at the new exhaust - "How much is this good for?"
The mechanic who built it - "It's good for 2 horsepower."

[provamo]

the OTHER track was Marlborough .

i am pretty sure that Tex Hopkins was the suited cigar chomping starter lol

[Steve Davis]

Some things never change -

The guy looking at the new exhaust - "How much is this good for?"
The mechanic who built it - "It's good for 2 horsepower."

I heard the "2 HP", but missed what it was they were talking about .. thought it was something in the engine .. somewhere. Apparently, it didn't help enough to move him to the front, but they didn't really ever talk about just WHERE he was in the 'field' or whether he got better or not. I searched for him on the web, but the only thing I found was this...
https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/steve-burtis/
not much to go on, but it would appear that SCCA kept pretty much NO records in those days of any races other than the Runoffs - at least he made it there once in 1966. That also gives us an 'idea' of when the video might have been made - most likely BEFORE that event despite the fact that the info says "70's". A shame Dave Tallakson isn't around any more .. I'm sure he would remember that event at Daytona.

Ahhh... the dreams of someday DRIVING A FORMULA 1 car
Steve

[veeten]

The Daytona Race was I believe the world championship for Vees .
The Results are available at Talladega Motorsports Library.
Wish I could find them to post , a whos who of US and Foreign Drivers
The winner was Steve Pipper The young blond driver at Podium. I've met him at Sprint Car races on the East Coast.
Steve Also drove a BMW Powered LSR car at Bonneville.
Last year when Challenge Cup ran with Indy cars at Pocono .
Arie Luyendyk came to visit, said he is restoring his dad's vee from that race. .

[provamo]

a sixties video.............but COOL

[Bill Maisey]

a sixties video.............but COOL

Marlboro MD.

[Ed Womer]

As others already noted the second track was Marlboro in Maryland. When I used to live there outside DC the track is along route 301 at the intersection of MD route 4. I did drive by it often and actually stopped once but never got out to look around. I was a county inspector and could pretty much go anywhere without drawing to much attention.

The track and grandstands were still there about six years ago which is probably last time I was in that area. The issue is that MD is pretty good with land use issues and I am pretty sure it is located in a flood zone which means no building or development but it could be used if the area wasn't flooded. I have talked to other racers in the area years ago and they said the track was still there but had trees growing up thorough the pavement.

Ed

[ryanracing]

What handles better, the Vee or the UPS truck?

[DD16]

Despite some negativity here, Burtis finished THIRD in 1968.

http://www.virhistory.com/cars/arrc/scans/68-res-1.jpg

Prior to that 7th in 1966

http://www.virhistory.com/cars/arrc/scans/66-res-1.jpg

[Rickydel]

Steve Burtis is a very good friend of mine, and yes, he finished 3rd in a Riverside Runoff, a race he thought he won.
He was told one more lap in the race by his crew via pit sign. He came around next lap in the lead, but alas, there were a few seconds left on the clock, so one more lap and he was a sitting duck.
His last FV ride was as "factory" driver for John Zeitler, not counting the times he drove my dad's Auto D to sort it out, or my mom's Zink the last season we had it. That was 1977.
Funny story, because he wasn't holding an SCCA license at the time, he entered a driver school at Lime Rock.
The chief instructor recognized him and asked him to instruct the open wheel group.
He and his wife Sally (Also in the video) were my guests at the 45th at Roebling. Sally has since passed. Miss her.
I've been trying to call Steve for about a month now. If anyone is living in The Villages in FL, please check up on him.