Chaparral Museum--April 16,2004

[orionlearn]

If you are old enough to remember the dominance of Jim Hall and his Chaparral race cars in the 60's, you should add the Petroleum Museum to your ust see list.

Seven of the famous Chaparral cars will be on permanent display in Midland Texas beginning at a gala ceremony on April 16th. I was at a preview today and was awe struck.

The website for the gallery is http://www.petroleummuseum.org. If you are near Midland, you should attend. This is one of the finest car displays I have seen.

Bob

[Cal Metal]

The Jim Hall Chaparral collection probably has no peer. There is no single collection of cars that can compare to this group. Not only that, the collection is owned by the same guy who conceived them, built them, raced them, and restored them.

Hall was so far ahead of his time, that one has to wonder if he didn't come from another planet. Some of his collection was on display at Elkhart Lake a couple of years ago. Words can hardly describe those cars. They look more modern today than most of the new stuff. As one astute observer said when looking at that collection, "its enough to take your breath away"..........

[petek]

I'm just old enough to remember how just about every race, Jim Hall's cars had something innovative the just freaked out all of the other competitors. The "wing" of course was the most famous!

(Oh, your link had an extra "." in it, try: http://www.petroleummuseum.org/ )

[TimG427]

Jim Hall and his cars were the featured marque at Road America two years ago. There was about a four hour wait to get Jim's autograph. He paced the Can Am Thunder race in his Chaparral, there were about 50 Can Am cars in the main event that was won by George Folmer. The vintage event at Road America is the highlight of my year.

[PDHse]

Wow sounds good, please report back.

[orionlearn]

I withheld the best part...I was invited to Chaparral Cars to see the collection before it is moved to the Gallery. I posted the pix in our club gallery. This is the link to the piture gallery on Capital Area Cubra Club. http://www.capitalareacobraclub.com/...view_album.php

In case this does not work, go to the CACC gallery via the following link. http://www.capitalareacobraclub.com

Enjoy, I was blown away!

[Jim Kellogg]

Jim Hall and his cars were truly a "class act" in the early days of the Can-Am series. I used to work in the Glen Region SCCA back in the 60's and early 70's, and the Glen Region performed RCA and Fire coverage for all the pro events at Watkins Glen. I always looked forward to see what Jim Hall (with Chevy's "unofficial" help) and Hap Sharp would bring.

Jim was badly burned years ago while testing the new Chaparral 2H at Rattlesnake Raceway in Midland, Texas. I believe a cooling hose burst, and dumped hot coolant into the cockpit. I sent him a card, and was very suprised to receive a letter back from him.

Awesome cars developed by a great engineer and driver. Thanks, guys, for bringing back the memories!!!

Jim Kellogg

[orionlearn]

Originally posted by Jim Kellogg

Jim was badly burned years ago while testing the new Chaparral 2H at Rattlesnake Raceway in Midland, Texas. I believe a cooling hose burst, and dumped hot coolant into the cockpit. I sent him a card, and was very suprised to receive a letter back from him.

Jim Kellogg [/b]

Jim, I was not aware of the accident. The 2H was outside and all together when I was there. It should be moving into the Chaparral Gallery today.

Mr. Rogers, who is restoring all the cars, did not speak highly of the 2H. He said that most of the innovation was in the composites areas. I could not believe how wide the tires were in the rear. The snaps of the 2H are on the club site.

I will be posting a number of other pix after the opening.

B

[PDHse]

Hi , please excuse my ignorance. What is the blue car in the pictures. Is it really a Corvette?

[TimG427]

The Chev I was an experimental rear engine Corvette. It snuck out the back door of Chevrolet as it should have been crushed like so many of their experimental cars. The Grand Sports were ordered to be crushed and these were snuck out the back door.

[Jim Kellogg]

Bob,
If my memory serves me right (anybody's guess), Jim was injured while performing "shakedown" testing on the 2H in Midland. I don't think he ever really drove competitively after that.

The 2J was a riot to watch at The Glen. It seemed like it actually "sped up" in the corners as the (modified snowmobile engine in back with a fan exiting out the back, I think) downforce was so great.

The first year it appeared at Watkins Glen, there was a problem with the pavement breaking up on some turns of the course. The "sucker" would pick up the debris and blow it out the back. Didn't want to follow too close (if you even could).....

I believe that the car was effectively "banned" when the sanctioning bodies ruled that the prop blade on the vacumn fan was a "moveable aerodynamic device" and couldn't be used.

A long time ago, but the cars are just as fresh as today.
Amazing.

Great photos!!
Jim Kellogg SPF887

[PatBuckley]

Wasn't Jim Hall injured during the Stardust GP in Las Vegas? Or wasn't that the career ender?

[orionlearn]

Originally posted by PatBuckley


Wasn't Jim Hall injured during the Stardust GP in Las Vegas? Or wasn't that the career ender?

Now, I am really drawing on my memory. I think you are talking about the race where the Chap went airborne, flipped and caught fire? If my memory serves me, it was Phil Hill that was driving when that happened.

Regards,

B

[rjbh20]

Jim Hall was driving at the Las Vegas race when the car flipped -- don't recall how the accident developed, but I remember a photo of the car in midar.

Hall broke both legs & retired from racing afterwards. Don't think there was a fire in this one.

NB: Bruce McLaren won

[TimG427]

Correction to my earlier post, the experimental Corvette was named Cerv I, not Chev I. Sorry.