EISANDIEGO@aol.com wrote:
> FOTers
>
> I recently purchased a basket case of a Spitfire racecar. I was talking
> today with Kurt Getches who was among the people involved in racing this car.
> Getches claims that this spitfire was reputedly the first Spitfire (Mark II)
> to win a national race in the United States. (I do not know whether this is
> an outrageous claim or not...feedback ??) Getches was told this by the
> original owner/racer (names not remembered) who he meet at race Daytona race
> track by accident. The car was purchased specifically for racing. By the time
> of the daytona meeting, the original owner had switched to racing mustangs.
> The first owner/racer is beleived to be from New York state. Does this ring a
> bell with anyone out there? car, original racer ???
>
> Some of you may have raced against this car at one time. French Hickman
> apparently purchased the car from someone in New York and tend raced in the
> midwest. In 1972 it was running GP and continued while it was active. The
> people that we know raced the car are French Hickman (late 60s/early 70s),
> Kurt Getches, and in the 1980s, Don Reynolds (all Oklahoma folks). It was
> originally white, then painted to a bright yellow with orage/red
> "highlights". Made a number of appearances at the SCCA nationals.
>
> Thanks in Advance, Cary
>
>
Hi -
According to the TSOA Newsletter of September, 1963 and my Spitfire book, the
first Spitfire to win an SCCA National did so at Watkins Glen in August '63. It
was driven by Erwin Lorincz of Philadelphia. I don't seem to have a photo but
memory says the car was either white or powder blue. No idea of numbers or
anything like that. I have no records of Lorincz although I did meet him - he
was
also an import with a European accent.
Hope this helps.
Mike Cook
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