| From Michael Heinecke:
"I am the stepson of Paul B. Cunningham
who did campaign many #37's. Paul started out in H production driving
a little known Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite. The Sprite started
sporting a cartoonish Sprite with a hand reaching out over the front wheel
well, it was made out of self-adhering vinyl that had his racing #37 on
it (we had to remove the #s and the masking tape from the car
after the race because dad would drive the car to and from work daily),
it became known as the "Grabbing Hand" Sprite. I know this because
it was my handiwork.
He drove many different cars over
his shortened career, Sprite, AH 100, the 'Terrible Tempest', several
Devins including the mystery car #37, the Kurtis-Pontiac #37, a private
owned Ford Cobra (Campaigned against the team Cobra's) and I'm sure
there were others I can't remember due to my higher interest in girls during
that era. I usually towed the race cars to the events and dad would
drive to the event later with mom.
As you are probably aware dad was killed
on the track at Willow Springs about 1964, and my mom died in 2001.
I have never been able to find anything of his racing career, I guess all
the photos are lost.
I do know that he is the driver in your
#37 mystery photo, and I do remember that Jim Chaffee owned the car along
with another gentleman who was a Sales Manager at a Buick Agency in the
Montclair, CA area. Were you aware that Paul was one of the
early drivers that helped found the SCCA drivers school at Riverside Raceway?
I think he and Bob Bondurant and others had the idea and desire to create
such a school.
I would like to correspond with the current
owner of the #37 Kurtis-Pontiac that you refer to as being at Goodwood
2003. I also would like very much if others that come to your site
could share with me any photos they may have of the #37 cars for the period
1960-1964. Thank you for sponsoring such a moving site, I am wiping
tears away as I type, I am so touched that someone is paying tribute to
many of the great drivers of the past, many of whom are not with us anymore.
If you or others want to correspond with me I will try not to have too
many 'senior moments' and share what I remember."
Michael L. Heineke (Stepson of
Paul B. Cunningham, ol #37)
m.heineke@ca.rr.com |
