| From historian Ron Cummings:
"Ron Bucknum also raced
for Penske, driving the Ferrari 512M and Lola T-70 Mk III coupe.
For Haskell Wexler he drove Old Yaller III and a Lola T-70-Ford CanAm car.
For Max Balchowsky he drove Old Yaller III and Old Yaller IX.
He started out racing
his own Porsche Speedster, winning a regional champ- ionship. He moved
on to a very fast AC Bristol prior to racing Hollywood Sports Car's Austin-Healey
and MGB. I saw him beat the Corvettes several times while driving the AC
and the MGB. At a big Laguna Seca race he beat a big field of Corvettes,
with the MG including some Big Block cars, finishing second to Allen Grant's
well prepared AC Ford Cobra. After repeating this feat at Dodger Stadium,
a very impressed Mr. Honda hired him to be Honda's very first Formula One
driver. Ronnie stepped out of the MG and was hired on the spot! Mr. Honda
was at Dodger Stadium that day."
From racer Davey Jordan:
(email to Ron Cummings)
"You have counted all
of Ronnie's early rides that I can remember. That
fast AC Bristol that
you mentioned was owned by Rene Pallandini, and
taken care of by Stu
Haggert. The same owner and mechanic that ran Lew Spencer's
Baby Doll Morgan." |
