1962 CUMBERLAND PROGRAM
The first of the unfair advantage cars. Roger Penske in his Cooper. Roger easily won the main race. Note Penske still has the word “special” but Telar is taped over as duPont pulled its sponsorship.
Hap Sharps Cooper came in from Texas. Hap was second to Penske and never seriously challenged.
Sharp’s Round tailed Cooper kept Penske honest finishing just 4.5 second behind. Both cars were using the Climax 2.5 engine from the 1960 F1 cars.
The front row of Penske, pole, Sharp.in the middle and Bob Holbert (you can just see his nose) on the outside. Gene Hobbs Costin Lister Chev is behind Penske and that is the way they finished.
Middle of the pack at the start. Herb Swan #199 gets the jump on Bucher #29 as E.A. Smith’s Corvette special drags away.
Bob Holbert smiles at the camera from his Porsche RS-62. Ed Lowthers ex-Kelso-Chev Lister #12 sits behind.
As was usual throughout the late 50’s and early 60’s Holbert would win E Modified and place well overall. This day he was 3rd behind the two Coopers or Penske and Sharp.
Still accelerating with rear wheels on camber and that beautiful single, long stinger exhaust Holbert’s Porsche defined small bore sports racing cars.
Holbert passes the pits. Cumberland was odd in the finish line was not where the start was. The finish was far in the distance where you can see the spectators on the hill.
Drivers meeting with L-R Rip Ripley, Tim Mayer (glasses) Teddy Mayer and Bob Bucher. A lot of motor racing history in this photo.
A great photo of Bob Bucher at work. Racing close to the haybales which were all that separated the race track from pit lane.
Another Bucher at speed shot. Spankey’s numbers and nose treatment’s were standard on all Bucher’s cars except Spankey’s own MGA.
Bob Bucher smiles at something mechanic Earl McMullen is saying. Rip Ripley’s Porsche is behind. Teddy Mayer sits on the fender and Rene’ Ripley holds a clipboard.
Ripley walks in front of his Porsche. Teddy Mayer with his hands in his pocket and Peter Revson with a baseball cap.
Front of the grid has Holbert’s Porsche with a couple Listers to his left and behind plus a CM Vette. You can see the typical Jake’s Stable checkered grill of Bucher’s Porsche.
Rip Ripley on the grid and ready to go. Moments before the start as the fearless barcboys walk the grid shooting photos.
Millard Ripley, face mask down, gets ready for the start. He has Matt Brewer’s Maserati behind him and a big Allard LeMans in the next row. Rip would not finish nor would the Allard or Maserati.
Big Jake Bucher checks gauges on the Porsche. For some reason he has his goggles on and bubble shield up.
From the opposite side we see Bucher on the other side of Herb Swan’s Porsche. Both men drove well and put on a great battle.
A race long battle, Bucher leads Herb Swan, both in Porsche’s. Jake would lead until a mistake on the last lap let Swan take the win. For some reason Swan raced FM at Cumberland but EM the rest of the year.
Joe Tierno (L) and Dave Nicholas (clipboard) confer with Bob Poupard on the FP grid. The Rebel Poupard would have a good 8th.
Bob Poupard gets ready in his MGA. Note the Team Poupard triangle on the fender.
Bob comes back into the paddock after a hard race.
A great formula junior line-up with winner Tim Mayer #2, Peter REvson #3 and Bill Smith #106. Smith was a car dealer in Norwich, NY who had a big part of McLaren engines in a few years.
The red Birdcage Maserati of Dick Blair was 8th overall.
Gene Hobbs thundering Lister had a great race using his power on the long Cumberland straights to finish 4th.
Ed Lowther painted the flat black Kelso Chev a bright yellow with red numbers. He often did well with the car but not this day. The Lister, as often, failed to finish.
Millard Ripley at speed. Beautiful car and Rip did win with it, but the car let him down and he was a dnf.
CUMBERLAND AIRPORT CIRCUIT
prev / next