-
4 - Notes roughly
coordinated with Tam McPartland's Old
Race Car site - 4 -
Jack McAfee: Until Ernie McAfee was killed, Jack
was the lesser of the (unrelated, I think) racing McAfees. When I was working
near the Black Flag station on the main straight at Riverside during qualifying
for one of the Times races, I gave him the "double-time" arm pumping hand signal,
and he returned it, with a big grin. Bruce
McLaren: McLaren's car broke something and he ran over my friend, flagman
Bill Atkinson, at a blue-flag station before Turn Two during a Riverside CanAm.
Bill's legs were pulverized, and he was in the
hospital in Riverside for a long, long time. I campaigned to help pay his
bills, and to get the sport to recognize his contribution. Everyone
I wrote to wrote back to him, and many sent or brought him wonderful personalized
mementos. I was a Safety Steward. An attorney from Melvin Belli's office deposed
me as an expert. I probably wasn't too much help in Bill's suit against all and
sundry. My basic contribution was a statement to the effect that you are responsible
for your own safety, and should not make the mistake Bill did, sacrificing his
own well-being to perform a service of questionable utility to the drivers.
Ken Miles: This was one of my heroes. He was a Brit,
drove MG-based cars, and was a giant-killer. There was no greater pleasure than
that of seeing him catching and passing the comparatively large and graceless
iron of both US and European origin. I still followed his career when he started
driving Porches. One acquaintance, photographer Don Fuller, described
a wonderful experience: Miles took him on a demonstration ride down Mulholland
Drive. Can you imagine? Don bought the car. I already pointed to the photo
I took of Miles and Stirling Moss at Riverside. There are others I expect to scan
and post. |