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The Great Race - Marlboro 12 hour

Marlboro Park Speedway, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, USA

Date: 14/8/1966
Track length: 2.734 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted: 44
Starters: 36
Finishers:

Pole position:
Fastest lap:

Distance: 12 hours
Average speed: 92,26 kmh
Weather: Cool and overcast
Ruleset: FIA Group 1 and 2
Car info:  

 

44 entries of which only 36 could start; the fifth round of the TransAm championship was the long-distance classic at Marlboro Speedway.
The race was never won by a domestic car - would it be possible this year?
After the Le Mans start, the #3 Mustang (Johnson/Sessler) was first away, but the Lotus Cortina of Moffat had a bad start; the car was in the pits for 45 minutes to drain and clean the fuel system. At the end of the first hour, teammate Whitmore was leading the #14 Barracuda of Ranville/Harvey and the Alfa GTA of Richards/Alderman. It seemed Whitmore had things under control, but than he came in unexpectedly with a generator in need of replacing. It took 10 laps before teammate Gardner could continue. VW Beetle #53 needed replacing a ball joint, which was taken from a team members’ private car!
After three hours, #4 Dart (Tullius/Adamowicz) was leading #14 Barracuda with #27 Alfa GTA (Winkler/Van der Vate). Leading the smallest class D and in tenth overall, the astonishing Abarth of Fisher and Cuomo ran like clockwork, with class C leader Murphy/Beuter (#45 Mini) 12th.
Halfway it was the Barracuda in the lead, but there was a threat of rain. Alfa #27 was leading class B (and U), the Abarth was still tenth overall, #45 Mini led class C.
Then the #27 Alfa GTA came in for a brake pad and tyre change, while a shock absorber had to be replaced too. It cost ten laps and four places.
Three hours left and the #14 Barracuda was leading, a little over a lap ahead of #4 Dart and two laps further down it was Barracuda #15. It looked like an American victory was possible after all! The #37 Alfa GTA of Posey/Theodoracopulos lead division U, the amazing Abarth still led class D, #45 Mini class C. Alfa #27 was pulled into the pits to be able to complete the last lap for a finish, while the others now encountered a drizzle. Mini #45 came in now with a broken piston, and set off again as a 3-cylinder car. It was in vain, however, the car wouldn’t finish.
Panic when Alfa #37 came in with a battery which had freed itself from its mounting, with Cortina #23 quite close behind. But the repairs were made in time, and at 10 O’Clock the flag dropped and Tullius/Adamowicz were first across the line, leading an unexpected American 1-2-3-4 with the Alfa in fifth. The Abarth finished 11th and won its class, while class C was won by VW #54.

Under and Over 2000 cc
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1/1 4  
Dodge Dart		 Bob Tullius, USA
Tony Adamowicz, USA
 4491 V8 O-A 405 laps        
2 2/2 14  
Plymouth Barracuda		 Scott Harvey, USA
Charlie Rainville, USA
 4490 V8 O-A 401        
3 3/3 15  
Plymouth Barracuda		 Bruce Jennings, USA
Les Netherton, USA
 4490 V8 O-A 400        
4 4/4 9  
Dodge Dart		 Chuck Krueger, USA
Hal Keck, USA
 4491 V8 O-A 397        
5 1/1 37  
Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA		 Harry Theodorocopulous, USA
Sam Posey, USA
 1570 L4 U-B 390        
6 2/2 23 Alan Mann Racing
Ford Lotus Cortina		 John Whitmore, GB
Frank Gardner, AUS
 1594 L4 U-B 389        
7 3/3 32  
Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA		 Paul Richards, USA
George Alderman, USA
 1570 L4 U-B 382        
8 4/4 31  
Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA		 Noel Armstrong, USA
Ron Hunter, USA
Bill Steele, USA
 1570 L4 U-B 382        
9 5/5 3  
Ford Mustang		 Bob Johnson, USA
Don Sessler, USA
Tom Yeager, USA
 4728 V8 O-A 379        
10 5/5 38  
Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA		 Howard Hanna, USA
Howard Brown, USA
 1570 L4 U-B 377        
11 6/1 62  
Fiat Abarth 1000 TC		 Ray Cuomo, USA
Craig Fisher, CDN
 982 L4 U-D 375        
12 7/6 35  
Volvo 122 S		 Charles "Chuck" Cunningham, USA
Gene Hobbs, USA
Bob Mouat, USA
 1778 L4 U-B 370        
13 8/7 25  
Ford Lotus Cortina		 Allan Moffat, CDN
Ray Parsons, USA
 1594 L4 U-B 365        
14 9/2 65  
Saab 96 Sport		 Clyde Billing, USA
Hal Mayforth, USA
 841 L3 U-D 363        
15 6/6 12  
Ford Mustang		 Jim Sutter, USA
Dick Thompson, USA
Ed Lowther, USA
 4728 V8 O-A 358        
16 10/3 77  
NSU 1000		 Don Peterson, USA
Ralph Steele, USA
 996 L4 U-D 352        
17 11/1 53  
VW 1300		 Jim McDaniel, USA
John Moore, USA
 1285 B4 U-C 350       Ball joint
18 12/4 72  
Saab 96		 Viktor Haji, USA
Chris Custer, USA
 841 L3 U-D 350        
19 13/2 54  
VW 1300		 Glenn Sullivan, USA
John Kelly, USA
 1285 B4 U-C 349        
20 14/5 67  
Saab 96		 Sam Perry Jr, USA
Craig Pelouze, USA
 841 L3 U-D 341        
21 15/3 52 Ecurie Renault
Renault R 8 Gordini		 Stuart Ramsey, CDN
de St. Croix, CDN
 1108? L4 U-C 338       Rear hub
22 16/6 66  
Saab 96 Sport		 George Hodgdon, USA
Daniel J. Torpy, USA
 841 L3 U-D 323        
23 7/7 10  
Chevrolet Corvair		 Tony De Lorenzo, USA
Don Eichsteadt, USA
 2684 B6 O-A 320        
24 17/8 27  
Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA		 Monty Winkler, USA
Pete Van der Vate, USA
 1570 L4 U-B 300        
25 18/7 78  
NSU		 Dick Stearns, USA
Dick Walsh, USA
   L4 U-D 273        
26 8/8 2  
Chevrolet Corvair		 Spurgeon May, USA
Donna-Mae Mimms, USA
 2684 B6 O-A 255       Brakes
27 19/4 56  
Renault R 8		 Kenneth Sellers, USA
Robert Mercer, USA
 1108? L4 U-C 198        
DNF 20 45  
Austin Mini Cooper S		 Dick Beuter, USA
Jim Murphy, USA
 1293 L4 U-C 349       Piston
DNF 21 36  
Volvo 122 S		 Art Mollin, USA
Art Riley, USA
Bob Grossman, USA
 1778 L4 U-B 284        
DNF 22 58  
Renault R 8 Gordini		 Tom Van Hoozier, USA
Ray Fezell, USA
Jack Gordon, USA
 1108? L4 U-C 173       Cracked head
DNF 23 69  
Fiat Abarth 1000 TC		 Al Ackerly, USA
W.B. Burrow, USA
 982 L4 U-D 169       Electrical fire
DNF 24 46  
Ford Anglia Super		 Joe Hauser, USA
Dick Scarborough, USA
George Franklin, USA
 1198 L4 U-C 153       Brakes, accident
DNF 25 51  
Renault R 8 Gordini		 Jacques Duval, CDN
John Sambrook, CDN
? Peter Roberts, CDN
 1108? L4 U-C 136       Broken rocker, bent valve
DNF 26 24  
Ford Lotus Cortina		 Hubert Hahne, D
Jacky Ickx, B
 1594 L4 U-B 105       Accident damage
DNF 27 63  
Fiat Abarth 1000 TC		 Dave Perlman, USA
Jack Beebee, USA
 982 L4 U-D 54       Con rod
DNF 9 13  
Plymouth Barracuda		 Peter Hutchinson, USA
Alan Barker, USA
 4490 V8 O-A 45       Bent valves
DNS      
BMW 1800 TISA		 Pinkie Rollo, USA
Unknown
 1773 L4 U-B         Mechanical problems
DNS      
Ford Mustang		 Unknown
Unknown
 4728 V8 O-A         Mechanical problems