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Jim
Hall (66) Chaparral 1 leads Walt Hansgen (61) Cooper Buick,
Masten Gregory (3) Lotus 19, Bruce McLaren (5) Copper Monaco,
Jerry Grant (8) Lotus 19 Buick and Lloyd Ruby (26) Lotus 19
into Riverside’s famed Turn 6 at the beginning of the
October 1962 LA Times Grand Prix. From 1958 to 1973, the Times
Grand Prix drew the world’s greatest drivers, teams and
fans to Riverside. For those of us who grew up in the Southern
California area, this race was one of the most anticipated events
of the year. |
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Jim
Hall (66) Chaparral 2 leads Jim Clark (82) Lotus 30 and John
Surtees (11) Lola T70 at Mosport in June 1965. If only we saw
racing like this today. |
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Bruce McLaren (left) and Jim Hall (right) share the victory
rostrum at Mosport after Hall won a very close race from McLaren
in June 1965. Hall and McLaren were close friends off the track
and fierce rivals on it. |
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Hap
Sharp (66) Chaparral 2 and Walt Hansgen (8) Lola T70 had one
of the closest and most exciting races ever seen at Laguna Seca
the October 1965 Pacific Grand Prix. Hansgen barely beat Sharp
to the finish line after so many lead changes that everyone
lost count. In 1965, the Chaparral team won 16 of the 22 races
that they entered. That would be a tough act for anyone to follow. |
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The
Phil Hill/Jo Bonnier Chaparral 2D rushes to victory on one of
the most challenging racing circuits in the world, the Nurburgring.
The 2D won its only FIA victory at the 1000 KMs race on this
circuit in May 1966. |
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Phil
Hill and Jo Bonnier drove the Chaparral 2D at Le Mans in June
1966. The Chaparral could climb no higher then eighth place
during the race and was retired due to a dead battery during
the eighth hour of that race. |
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Phil
Hill (65) and Jim Hall (66) lead the field toward Turn 1 at
the start of the Laguna Seca Can Am in October 1966. Bruce McLaren
(4), John Surtees (7), Denny Hulme (8), Mark Donohue (61), Chris
Amon (5), Masten Gregory (88), George Follmer (16), Parnelli
Jones (98), and Dan Gurney 36 are among those giving chase.
A starting field of legends to be sure. |
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Phil
Hill (66) leaves two competitors in the dust as he pulls away
from the field during the great Chaparral Can Am win at Laguna
Seca in October 1966. The photo was taken on the old Turn
2
and 3 section of the track before the circuit was, sadly, reconfigured. |
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Phil Hill, winner the Laguna Seca Can Am in October 1966, shares
the top step of the podium with Parnelli, Jones who was the
true star of the race. Jim Hall, who finished second, is on
the left while third place finisher, Bruce McLaren is on the
right. This was the only Can Am win for the Chaparral team. |
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The
Jim Hall/Mike Spence Chaparral 2F was the fastest car at Sebring
in March 1967, but transmission problems kept it from fully
challenging the Ford Mk.IV that won the race. |
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Very
early in the October 1969 Times Grand Prix, Jon Surtees (7)
leads the Porsche 908 (8) of Tony Dean and the McLaren Mk.II
(57) of Monte Shelton. Surtees retired after just four laps
with a blown engine. |
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John Surtees takes the evil handing Chaparral 2H around old
Turn 9 at Laguna Seca in October 1969. The disastrous experimental
2H led to a very volatile situation between Hall, various team
members, and Surtees. |
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There is no question that the Chaparral 2J was the most watched,
and innovative car of the 1970 Can Am season. Loved by the fans
and the media, it was feared by all of the top teams, so much
so, that they collectively had it banned after the last race
of the season. |
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Vic Elford takes the Chaparral 2J down the famous Laguna Seca
Corkscrew in October 1970. Elford set a new track record and
qualified two seconds faster the McLaren team. Sadly a blown
engine kept the car from starting the race. |
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The
Chaparral 2J was so much faster through the corners than any
other car of the era, that you just knew that Elford was going
to go off the road in a huge cloud of dust but, surprisingly
to most of us, it never happened. |
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