The Second USRA Angle-Winder Open-Wheel Car Race
Rummaging through the pages
of a 1969 issue of Model Car Science, I ran across what is known as the only
angle-winder race ever run for open-wheel cars in the “classic” era. But indeed,
there WAS another. I remember this memorable
USRA sanctioned angle-winder F1 race run at “Circle T” in the summer
of 1972.
The new Dynamic Speed Secrets “Tyrell” bodies were
present, as Dynamic’s headquarters were but a few blocks away. I built a special car for this race with a M.A.C. MATRA-SIMCA MS120 V12 F1
body, specially built for this very race by master modeler Lloyd Asbury. I made
the basic drawings of what I thought would work, and he made a beautiful mold. I
built the car with the body being split in 2 pieces, the front
mounted with the bumper, a big mistake I would regret in the race. I put a lot
of detailing in this, hand painting the graphics to make it look like Chris Amon’s car, and engraving the chassis with lots of funny stuff including a
little guy in a Chinese hat. Can’t remember why exactly now. There was even an
engine and gearbox specially vacuum-formed for me by Lloyd Asbury of Lancer. It won
Concours and set pole position, and I was running away with the race when I
“collected” Bill Steube’s errand car 6 lanes away… This bent the bumper,
deranged the body and I was pretty much done right there.
I have no idea of what happened to the car but it survived in the pages of
Miniature Auto Racing:
Who knows who has this car today, or if it is turning into rust somewhere in a
landfill…