While I can't help with your particulat quest, your note interested me for
a couple of reasons. First, I have a TR-2. It is a street car which I
bought in college in 1972. It is a late, short door, car and I drive it
regularly, putting about 5,000 miles on it a year.
Second, I was interested in your approach to getting information about old
SCCA race cars. I have a similar mission. In 1994 I bought a 1961 TR-4
(CT311) from Jerry Pierce who lived in Anderson, Indiana at the time.
Jerry had bought the car new in the spring of 1962. The dealer told him
that it was the first TR-4 delivered into the state of Indiana.
Jerry began racing the car almost immediately (drove it to the track, raced
it, and drove it home). For a while, Jerry had lived in New York City, and
showed me pictures of the car racing at Watkins Glen, Brideghampton and
other Northeastern tracks in the mid 60's. In 1968 he bought another TR-4
race car, this one was already prepared for racing. He stopped driving
CT311, and as near as I can tell, the car sat in his garage from then until
I bought it in 1994. Basically, it served as a parts car for the other
race car. (I bought both cars in 1994, and Chip Bond ended up with the
other one).
Unfortunately, Jerry died of cancer shortly after I bought his cars. While
I am currently enjoying driving CT311 on the street, I have given some
thought to taking it vintage racing. Other than the battle scars on the
car, and what Jerry told me before he died, I have no documentation of the
racing history of this car. According to Jerry, when he raced CT311 in the
60's, SCCA did not require log books. I have thought about contacting the
SCCA office in Denver to see if they would have any history on this car.
Let me know if you have any success in tracking down the TR-2. Also, if
anyone has any information about CT311, a red TR-4 which was raced by Jerry
Pierce in the 60's, either in the Northeast, or in the Midwest (Indiana)
please let me know. Thanks.
At 05:39 PM 4/28/99 EDT, you wrote:
>Since the list of fot members has grown considerably since I first
circulated
>this request for information, I thought that I would circulate it again on
>the chance that a new member would know something about the TR2 longdoor
>racecar (TS3281L).
>
>I have traced the history of the car to an unknown racer and owner that
lived
>in Richfield, Minnesota ( near 84 th street). That person is said to have
>raced the car at Donnybrook and other places. When the car was purchased
from
>this unknown racer and owner, it was a light blue (we believe the car was
>originally white and at some point repainted light blue).
>
>The serial numbers on the drive train parts are basically all replacement
TR3
>and maybe even a TR4 parts. It does have an overdrive transmission. When
>raced, the car had a roll bar secured with a supporting bar on the driver's
>left. The body has a lot of bumps and bruises ( and has earned the nickname
>of lumpy from the bondo). However, it is surprising solid for being in
>Minnesota, which may mean that the car was not always in Minnesota.
>Unfortunately, there is precious little else to distinquish this car.
>
>I have spoken to David Helms, the long time Minnesota triumph mechanic and
>racer, that previously owned and raced my current TR3A racecar. He and
others
>I have spoken to remember a light blue TR2 longdoor racing at Donnybrook.
>(they also said there was a light blue TR3 of about the same color) I have
>put in a small letter to the local Land of Lakes SCCA chapter newsletter,
>todate it has produced no responses. Maybe some of you new members remember
>the car and/or driver.
>
>Cary Perket 619-488-4760
>
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