Merle Brennan

drove well in an outdated D-Type Jaguar in 1961.

 
Reno driver Brennan in his hometown event at Stead AFB.

He DNF'd.

 
Brennan accelerates hard out of Turn 4 at Cotati in November, 1961.

He finished 6th o.a. and 2nd in class "C" modified to Dave Ridenour in his Lister-Jaguar.

 
For 1962, Brennan added Chevy V-8 power to the Jaguar.  Here at Stockton, in April, he DNF'd.

For some reason this combination of a skilled driver, big horsepower, and a capable chassis never quite worked.

Brennan went on to notable success in the mid-1960s driving an E-Type Jaguar for Kjell Qvale.

During the CanAm years he drove his own Genie-Chevrolet.

 
Ron Cummings found this history of Merle Brennan's D-Type Jaguar:

"XKD 522 Engine n° E2027-9 Reg. N° n/a Colour Red  1955 Los Angeles Show car; December, Palm Springs races, car entered by Hornburg, Saturday, driven by Ignacio Lozano, 5th, Sunday replaced by Carroll Shelby, DNF as uncompetitive; January l 9S6 Torrey Pines Six Hour endurance race, Johnston, DNF after damaging car and shared XKD 527; 1957 badly damaged in workshop fire; reported rebuilt by 1959; later owned by Merle Brennan; 1963 sold to Clyde Keeling; fitted at some stage with V8 engine; during 1960s crashed and very badly damaged; 1971 sold to Tom Groskritz;intact chassis frames & remains of bonnet, monocoque & tail section shipped to Lynx who have reconstructed the body, retaining as much as possible of the original; being gradually rebuilt by owner; Tom Grcskritz (Costa Mesa, California, USA)." 

Sourced from:  http://jaguarracing.wz.cz/Racingcars/d_chassis.htm

 
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