Motorsport Trivia Question

[Easy Drifter]

During the NASCAR broadcast a question came up on Ask.com as to who was the first native Calif. driver to win a Sprint Cup or predecessor race in CA.
The answer given was Dan Gurney. The commentators pointed out that Dan was born in NYC and commented his early racing hereo was Ted Tappett a famous East Coast midget driver. That was all that was said on that.
Now the questions.
What was Ted Tappett's real name?
What well known car, basically a hot rod, did he and his partner build? Its name was the contraction of two US production cars.
Who did he drive for, most of the time, under his real name?

I think the commentators got a rocket from the 'Powers that Be' as they later said they had to go with the official answer. :vader:

[Easy Drifter]

Hey all and especially those from the US do you not know US racing history?
He turned down Indy drives because he could make more money driving midgets during the month of May. He once won 27 midget A mains races in a row.
This driver was one of the best road racers in the 50's. He was to drive for Ferrari even before Phil Hill but reired after the LeMAns disaster in 55.
He is in at least 2 Hall of Fames. He was named the 'Driver of the Decade' at Watkins Glen.
It is pretty sad when a Cdn. knows more about an American star than the Americans do! :eek:

[Easy Drifter]

Does anyone want the answers?
Or do you not care about one the best sports car and midget drivers the US ever produced?
If I do not get some positive response I will not bother to provide the answers. :( :confused:

[markabilly]

Hey all and especially those from the US do you not know US racing history?
He turned down Indy drives because he could make more money driving midgets during the month of May. He once won 27 midget A mains races in a row.
This driver was one of the best road racers in the 50's. He was to drive for Ferrari even before Phil Hill but reired after the LeMAns disaster in 55.
He is in at least 2 Hall of Fames. He was named the 'Driver of the Decade' at Watkins Glen.
It is pretty sad when a Cdn. knows more about an American star than the Americans do! :eek:

Only because I ain't been around.

There was a guy named Philip Walters who may had a nickname of Tappet. I only remember Carroll Shelby saying he was one of the very best trail blazers for going to Europe to race, but beyond that I know not. As to whther he won that, stuff you reference with nascar, I know not. And I also do not think that the answer given was right on tv was right (esp since dan was NOT born in Calf but was a yankee with an opera singer for a mother), although Gurney held the record for years at riverside for winning nascar stock races in california.

As to native born, I think some others might qualify

And quit thinking about touching my ten foot pole.....scared me off for a whole week

[Easy Drifter]

I think it was Gurney's father who was the opera singer with the Met.
Phil Walters (aka Ted Tappett) is correct and he drove in sports cars mostly for Briggs Cunningham. I believe he was also the Mgr of the Cunningham car manufacturing. There were some road Cunninghams as well as the race cars.
He was driver of the decade (50's) at Watkins Glen and a member of the Midget Car Hall of Fame. He passed away a couple of years ago I think.
He and Bill Frick built the Fordillac, a Ford with a Caddy engine. There were several of them built.
Another Cunningham driver was John Fitch who was the only US driver for Mercedes Benz in the 300SL. Teamates included Sir Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio. He also was for many years the power behind Lime Rock and a major influence on highway safety. Those sand filled yellow plastic barrels are his invention. John is still around and in his 80's.
The Chrysler engined Cunningham cars were a winner in the US and competitive at LeMans. Briggs Cunningham later fielded other cars including D type Jags. He also won the Americas Cup. Money came from Proctor and Gamble I believe.
History lesson over. :D

[markabilly]

Father????

I do remember reading about fitch, but never knew or do not remember the rest....Why don't you do a history lesson on carroll shelby next?

it will keep you from spending all your time thinking about poles

[Easy Drifter]

To do Shelby would take a book just for the highlights. :p
Actually for the last 2 weeks I have being doing research for a UK author. I cannot say who or what about but when the book comes out I will let you know.

[Alexamateo]

During the NASCAR broadcast a question came up on Ask.com as to who was the first native Calif. driver to win a Sprint Cup or predecessor race in CA.
The answer given was Dan Gurney. The commentators pointed out that Dan was born in NYC ....

OT from your question, but I heard that question and it bugged me, I mean, if Dan Gurney was born in NYC, wouldn't he be a native New Yorker? Plus, even if they say he was a resident, guys like Parnelli Jones and Eddie Pagan won races in CA back in the 50's and they're from California. I am sure they wanted to talk about Dan Gurney, but the whole question was poorly framed.

[Easy Drifter]

The question was who was the first native Ca. driver to win a Sprint Cup or predecessor race. Jones et el won races but not NASCAR. The commentators disagreed with Gurney and said so. One of them came up with Johnny Mantz but one of the others said he was from Indiana originally.
They later said they had to go with Gurney as that was who ASK.com said. I suspect they got a rocket from the producer.
My guess, note guess, would be Herschell (sp) McGriff but I am not sure he was a native Ca. either.

[Alexamateo]

McGriff was from Oregon. Jones won @ Ascot and the Sacramento mile in the 50's back when the races were a part of the regular circuit and not the West Coast Division. Eddy Gray won the first race at Riverside and he is listed as being from California. Anyway, looking at racing-reference.info, I think the first Californian to win a California race was Lou Figaro in 1951 @ Gardena, a day which according to a comment left by a poster, Allen Heath became the first Canadian to start a Nascar race.

I'm sure you'll know it, but who was the first Canadien to win a Nascar race?

[Easy Drifter]

Thank you.
I think the 1st Canadian was probably Earl Ross. Also I believe the only one.
Now where did Richard Petty start his first race and who put him into the fence?

[Alexamateo]

His first start was in Toronto, Canada! :eek: (Waht's a good ole North Carolina boy doing in Canada? :D And it was his dear old daddy who put him in the fence. I also like the fact that when Richard supposedly won his first race, Lee protested the finish and they gave the win to him :p :

[Easy Drifter]

Yeah Lee was a pretty tough ol 'bird.
He figured if his kid was going to make it he had better be good.

[Easy Drifter]

Just to keep NASCAR trivia going;
What was the first non US car to win in the Grand National (now Sprint Cup) series? It lapped the field more than once.
Why did this make never win another race?

[Griffon]

Just to keep NASCAR trivia going;
What was the first non US car to win in the Grand National (now Sprint Cup) series? It lapped the field more than once.

Jaguar



Why did this make never win another race?

Lucas electrics.

Actually, the drivers of the regular NASCAR American sedans complained that competing against the sports cars wasn't fair. There were 13 Jags, 5 MGs, and one car each from Austin Healey, Porsche, and Morgan in that race.

[Easy Drifter]

Jaguar it was. Then NASCAR banned all non US cars.
I had understood there were only two Jags in the race but bow to your knowledge.

[markabilly]

Jaguar it was. Then NASCAR banned all non US cars.
.


Amen