Tim,
I have been fascinated by your acquisition of a rare Chris Craft "boat
anchor", and was wondering if perhaps you got it with the assistance of Doane
Spencer when he was the sole employee at the private automotive garage where
Chris Craft maintained his collection of racing and exotic cars. Of course,
Chris was a very capable and successful driver in his own right, but he also
had a driving partner who was Doane's favorite driver, Jim Adams. As you
know, Jim was the only driver ever of the Hollywood Sports Car #55 Tiger.
There was a story about a race at Riverside where both Chris and Jim were
driving identical Chevy Malibus prepared by Spencer. Doane had reluctantly
equipped both cars with a special retarding device which had been personally
designed by Chris Craft. At some point about midway through the race, Craft
used the device diving into Turn 7. But Adams, who was following right on
Craft's bumper, did not. The result was that Adams smashed into Craft,
causing both of them to spin off the track. Neither car was able to continue,
and after climbing out of the wreckage, both drivers were furious with each
other. But Doane had the last word. Fuming as he surveyed the extensive
damage to both cars, he ripped Craft's invention out of his car, muttering
something like "This stupid SOB belongs on a GD Chris Craft boat, not on any
race car of mine!" Thereafter the device, which was never used again, was
known as the GD Chris Craft Boat Anchor.
Shortly after that infamous race many years ago, I visited Doane in his shop
where he was frantically trying to complete the required repairs on both
Chevvies in time for the next scheduled race. I remember looking the cars
over pretty closely, and nosing around all over the shop, but I don't recall
ever seeing any trace of the boat anchors. And as far as I know, no one else
has ever seen one, much less figured out how they worked. Perhaps you are
now in a position fill in a little bit of Tiger-related history for us, and
explain just how you plan to use the boat anchor on your Tiger?
Tied up in knots (anchored) in San Diego,
Dick Barker
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