Ken Miles and CSX2008 at Dodger Stadium, March 1963

moore_rb · #1 (**permalink**) 05-20-2022, 08:41 PM

I found some cool old racing pics on the C2 Corvette registry.

As near as I can tell, these were snapped at the SCCA Dodger Stadium Regional, in March 1963.

If I'm right about the date and location, then I'm also pretty sure that's CSX2002 wearing #298 on the right side of the 1st pic (with Ken Miles at the wheel); and that's CSX2026 in the color photo, wearing #198 and driven by Dave Macdonald- I can tell that it's Macdonald in the color pic, due to his white helmet (Miles was wearing a black helmet)

This was the 2nd race (after Riverside in Feb 63) where Dave Macdonald and Ken Miles finished 1-2 in the Cobras

Interesting that at Riverside (which would have been just a couple months prior to this pic), CSX2002 (with Miles driving) wore #98, and was painted white. In this race at Dodger stadium, both the #198 car (CSX2026) and #298 (CSX2002) were already wearing their matching red liveries.

Side Story: That Corvette in the (brief) lead in the first Pic (#614) is the famous Washburn Z06, being driven in this photo by our beloved Bob Bondurant (RIP) and that's Corvette racer extraordinaire Dick Gulstrand (RIP) behind him in the #56 Corvette. the color photo shows Macdonald in #198, leading Gulstrand #56 and (probably) Bondurant...

Yeah yeah yeah, the Cobras won, and the Corvettes lost... HOWEVER- Bondurant did manage to clock the fastest lap of the day in the Z06.

Alfa02 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-20-2022, 08:59 PM

Hi Robbie, nice to see you here, once a Cobra owner, well you know the rest

#614 is owned and vintaged raced by Vic Edelbrock Jr. Funny how the Chevette guys would post these photos, knowing their cars were being smoked by some 'Chicken Farmer'

Thanks Rob for sharing, we'll have to catch up, Cheers Tom.

moore_rb · #3 (**permalink**) 05-20-2022, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfa02

Funny how the Chevette guys would post these photos, knowing their cars were being smoked by some 'Chicken Farmer'

I'm sure you've seen this ad that Shelby ran in the California newspapers, right?

Look at those prices - They may have represented a MINT in 1963 dollars, but still worth a

today...

The dilemma was: The Z06 racing package on that Corvette that Bondurant was driving was a $1300 option, which brought the 63 Corvette's price up to about 5500 bucks out the door- Still cheaper than a base/street model Cobra Mark I at $5995; and a WHOLE LOT cheaper than a $9500 full competition Cobra.

for a $4000 premium, you had better HOPE that the Cobras were winning the races. They were not exactly "cheap" cars by 1963 standards.

xb-60 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-21-2022, 12:59 AM

"Riverside Replica Cobra" ?
Well, that kinda legitimises our Replica Cobras, yes?

Nice pics, by the way

Cheers!
Glen

SunDude · #5 (**permalink**) 05-21-2022, 04:01 AM

The Ken Miles car #298 was CSX2002 not CSX2008.

The Dave MacDonald car #198 was indeed CSX2026.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moore_rb

I found some cool old racing pics on the C2 Corvette registry.

As near as I can tell, these were snapped at the SCCA Dodger Stadium Regional, in March 1963.

If I'm right about the date and location, then I'm also pretty sure that's CSX2008 wearing #298 on the right side of the 1st pic (with Ken Miles at the wheel); and that's CSX2026 in the color photo, wearing #198 and driven by Dave Macdonald- I can tell that it's Macdonald in the color pic, due to his white helmet (Miles was wearing a black helmet)

This was the 2nd race (after Riverside in Feb 63) where Dave Macdonald and Ken Miles finished 1-2 in the Cobras

Interesting that at Riverside (which would have been just a couple months prior to this pic), CSX2008 (with Miles driving) wore #98, and was painted white. In this race at Dodger stadium, both the #198 car (CSX2026) and #298 (CSX2008) were already wearing their matching red liveries.

Side Story: That Corvette in the (brief) lead in the first Pic (#614) is the famous Washburn Z06, being driven in this photo by our beloved Bob Bondurant (RIP) and that's Corvette racer extraordinaire Dick Gulstrand (RIP) behind him in the #56 Corvette. the color photo shows Macdonald in #198, leading Gulstrand #56 and (probably) Bondurant...

Yeah yeah yeah, the Cobras won, and the Corvettes lost... HOWEVER- Bondurant did manage to clock the fastest lap of the day in the Z06.

moore_rb · #6 (**permalink**) 05-21-2022, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunDude

The Ken Miles car #298 was CSX2002 not CSX2008.
.

Thx- corrected my post.

Cobrakeith · #7 (**permalink**) 05-21-2022, 10:21 AM

for a $4000 premium, you had better HOPE that the Cobras were winning the races. They were not exactly "cheap" cars by 1963 standards.[/quote]

Robert, you can be assured they were winning races

awfink55 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-31-2022, 10:26 AM

Thank you Robert for those wonderful historic pictures. They bring reality to the old "War Stories" we've heard for many years. Great times for the racing enthusiasts...........

moore_rb · #9 (**permalink**) 06-06-2022, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobrakeith

Robert, you can be assured they were winning races

Yup, and you all know that I respect history for being what it is... The small block Cobras, the small block Daytona Coupes, and the GT40's all had VERY impressive racing careers, and Shelby's involvement was instrumental in that.

HOWEVER: For as often as we hear guys thanking Carrol Shelby, Pete Brock, Ken Miles, and Bob Bondurant for these successes, there is another team of guys that should ALSO be thanked as well: The executive management of General Motors.

Because, if GM had green-lit the 125 production Corvette Grand Sports required to meet the factory homologation requirement for factory Classes A/B and GT, history would most certainly been written just a BIT differently.

Bob Bondurant once stated that he would not have left Chevrolet racing and gone over to Shelby if the GM bean-counters hadn't killed Corvette racing in 1963; and even the 5 pre-production Grand Sport Corvettes that DID race privately in the GT prototype classes, cleaned house on just about EVERYTHING they went up against (and also provided racing career spring-boards to famous racing names like AJ Foyt, Roger Penske, and Jim Hall, as well as giving a famous dentist from Washington DC (Dick Thompson) a second shot in the arm in the world of Corvette racing.

So yeah, Shelby deserves ALL the credit they get for their racing successes in the mid 60's... No argument.

But if GM hadn't bowed out, and if Zora Duntov had been allowed to continue developing the Grand Sport as a factory sanctioned and homologated race platform; then I suspect that ole' Carrol would have had a much bigger dilemma on his hands, than how to beat Enzo Ferrari...

Alas, we'll never know, and the "coulda woulda shoulda"s are just a fun thought experiment; but one thing history teaches us for absolute CERTAIN:

Nothing kills the thrill, excitement, and adrenaline buzz of hard core racing, like a bunch of suit and tie wearing corporate accountants...