A race driver works on an English sports car in June 1960 at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (Road America photo, c/o Sheboygan Press) |
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It's been too long since my last post. So here's more historical motorsports magnificence from 1960.
But what's with the unusual looking narrow block V-8 and unique valve covers under the bonnet? Note the embossed numbers on the cylinder head, "1185485" which is from a Buick "Nailhead" V-8.
After spotting the cylinder head number in the photo, I took the bait and continue running and paying homage to those involved. In my quest to know more, one thing led to another while studying and researching background on this old beast of race car. The maker, builders, owners, drivers and car's provenance are now known.
Scott Becket purchased an Allard J2X Le Mans race car from his good friend and fellow-race driver Don "Donny" Skogmo. The body and chassis was initially built by Allard in England and came ready for a Chrysler V-8 engine. Don sold the car to friend and team driver Scotty Beckett, around 1958.
But the Chrysler engine eventually blew -- a good size hole in the block wall.
So over the winter of 1959, Scotty called Max Balchowsky of Hollywood Motors, California about building a nice race engine. Max also built the infamous "Old Yeller" an Allard J2X Le Mans Buick-powered race car, which was similar to Beckett's Allard J2X Le Mans/ Lo-Test Special Buick 402 ci.
This was road racing was like at turn of the decade in the late 1950s to early 1960s. Some very challenging home-built specials with more powerful American V-8 engines than most anything from Europe at the time.
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| Scotty Beckett's Allard Lo-Test Special Buick |
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