Looking for information on a historic race car that competed in Denver in mid 70s

[Donn Vickrey]

I hope this is an appropriate venue to ask for help tracking down a prior owner of a historic race car that I am campaigning in HMSA events (including Monterey this August). The car is one of six Cooper-Ford, Shelby "King Cobras". I've tracked down the car's owners from 1964 to at least 1971, and from 1979 to present. But I am still trying to fill the remaining gap.

One of the best clues I have are two small images of the car competing in an autocross. (See attachments.) By this time the car was wearing a homemade fiberglass body that was installed after the fourth owner damaged the front bodywork at Watkins Glen in 1969. Based on signs in the background I can tell that the autocross took place sometime in 1974 or after (judging by the specific Pepsi logo on one of the signs). Additionally, there is a sign for "The Stock Show", which I believe refers to the big livestock show in Denver each year. Does anyone know where autocrosses were typically held in Denver during the mid to late 1970s?

The owner at the time these photos were taken may have been a man named Dick Johnson, who owned an auto body shop in Madison, WI during this period. This belief is based on documentation I have from him that was found in the spares package that came with the car. However, I can't say for sure that he owned the car at the time of the event in these photos. His shop closed at least 25 years ago and I have been unable to locate him.

The last verified owner before the start of the ownership gap I am working with was a hill climb racer named Craig Smith. His last known address (that I can find) was in Robesonia, PA. He appears to have run the car in hill climbs in 1971 only. But he may have also run the car in autocrosses at a later point in time. (Or he may have sold the car to Mr. Johnson, or yet another owner, prior to the autocross event where these photos were taken.)

If anyone here can help me shed light on any of these questions--where the autocross took place, when (more specifically) the photos were taken, or who might have owned or driven the car at this time, I would sincerely appreciate it!

Thank you,

Donn V.

[Donn Vickrey]

Here's a picture of what the car looked like when Craig Smith was campaigning in the PHA. It's a bit clearer than the autocross photos, and it shows you what the driving position might have been like in other events before someone decided to set the laws of physics aside and install a seat that was mounted much higher in the chassis (or else the driver in the auto-x photos was a very large man!). :-)

[Bob Dixon]

I would try the RMVR site also. Lot's of history there.

http://rmvr.yuku.com/