Torrey Pines 2 -- 300SL's, D-Jag, Frazer-Nash
 
 
"There was a race-long duel between Bruce Kessler in the dark 300SL, shown here exiting Turn 1 on the first lap (and very nearly losing it) and Rudy Cleye in the leading white car.  I seem to remember that Cleye won but was dq'd when he took off his helmet after crossing the finish line."   (Kessler won but was disqualified.  See "MotoRacing" Volume 1 #8)
 
 
"Here is another of the three D-Type Jags entered in the January races. This one was entered (according to the program) by Charles Hornburg and driven by Jay Chamberlain and Ignazio Lozano, the last two names familiar to Lotus folks.  Jay Chamberlain was a big guy, larger than Ignazio, so this must be him in the Jag as it approaches Turn 1."
 
 
"Frazer-Nash.  No, it is not a pre-war BMW 328.  It looks like one because the Brits brought back home bits and pieces of BMW's after the war. This F-N had the same body as the BMW 328 and that same wonderful straight six engine. 

This car is not in the program, but I remember it vividly as my then brother-in-law, Dallas Dickson, owned a real 328 at the time, a car he'd brought back from Germany in the early '50s after being over there in the army. Dallas let me sit in the car when he was courting my sister, and I would sit in under our pepper tree, practicing shifts and heel-and-toe maneuvers and pretending I was diving into Ocean Corner.  Ironically, Dallas's 328 was destroyed at turn 3 (in the upper background of this photo) around 1958, after he'd loaned it to some guy who did some fast and illegal laps around the Torrey course after the races and before the place became a golf course. Dallas finally restored the car and later sold it."

 
 
(6-26-08)  From website visitor Don Blumenfeld:  

"I have some first hand Info about a car pictured at Torrey Pines.  The car is a Frazer-Nash (BMW 328) that was advertised for sale in an early issue of R?T back in the late '40s. Joe Escherick ran the car succesfully at Pebble Beach in the early '50s and the car was sold to Brad McNutt who entered the car at Pebble around '53 or '54. 

I have a photo of my 328 on the grid with just the leading edge of the fender of Brad's car behind. The revised grille, hood scoop, and "frenched" headlights were done by Nade Borgeault.  I'm  sure the car, wherever it is, has been restored to original. 

Bob Engberg refers to Dallas Dickson in his caption. I remember him from his days at UC Berkeley. There was a small group of pre-war BMW buffs that used to hang out in the area and we were prepping my 328 there at the time.  Before the war Frazer-Nash arranged with BMW to send 328s to England where they were re-badged as Frazer- Nash. I don't know whether they were built with right hand controls, or converted."

 
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