Le Mans Race 1962

[3-10-07  Mick Chamberlain recalls: That trip to Le Mans was probably the greatest I ever took - at least the part of it I remember. We were all excited to see the great American Corvette race for the very first time. In trial runs, it had eaten up the competition. When the race started (that was when the drivers still ran across the track to get into their cars), we were at that tire bridge (Michelin? Goodyear?) [see above photo] and we were going to time the Corvette for the first lap. When they took off, they were eating the Corvette's dust. Here they came, about 8 or 9 minutes later, but no Corvette. Where was our esteemed motor car?  We waited and waited and, finally, the word came across the loudspeaker that the AMERICAN CORVETTE had lost its transmission!!!!   Nothing to do for the rest of the race except drink as much as humanly possible. That night, we all either slept in the cars (there were two of them) or passed out on the ground. That Sunday morning was a tough one, let me tell you.

Guys below:  Third guy (sitting) is Mick Chamberlain (in the cute hat and sunglasses);  Vince Pandolfi (hand raised) 6th guy is Bill Brunson.  He got married same day I did.   (i.d. & note from Dave Madril)

This 1962 Corvette, a Le Mans veteran, hauled down $489,500 at auction recently.

A 1962 Corvette with extensive race history and some rare options (previewed in Hemmings eWeekly issue 32) sold at the Gooding Auction in Palm Beach, Florida, for $489,500. It is not clear if that is a record for a 1962 Corvette of any type, but it's believed to be. The bidding began at $380,000.
The white car with red interior was built October 11, 1961, and shipped to California. The car, serial number 1026, was originally equipped with fuel injection, radio delete and the rare RPO 687, a $333.60 heavy-duty brake and steering option that found its way into 246 cars.
This particular half-million-dollar Corvette was shipped to Italy, where a 37-gallon fuel tank was installed, reportedly at the Maserati factory. The car raced at Le Mans in 1962.
- By George Mattar

Dick Shively asks:  "Was this the experimental turbo?"  The answer lies in this website chart.  (There were several experimental turbos that did not finish for one reason or another.)  http://www.teamdan.com/archive/wsc/1962/62lemans.html  I obtained all the info below from this website.[jp]

"Phil Hill, the U.S.'s world champion racing driver, the 24-hour Le Mans race for sports cars, by pushing his 390-h.p. Ferrari experimental model 2,766.454 miles at an average speed of 115.268 m.p.h. during the long day and night's racing over the 8.3-mile circuit 117 miles southwest of Paris. Sharing his seat with Belgian Co-Driver Olivier Gendebein, Hill was in easy command for most of the race, at one point set a new lap record of 126.750 m.p.h. for the course, then settled down to nurse a sick clutch, which meant driving in fourth gear for the last six hours. At the finish. Hill's nearest competitor was five laps and 42 miles behind, giving the U.S. driver his third Le Mans victory in five years." [TIME, 7-6-62]

"Is it over yet?"

 Well, that was fun! Unknown tired g.i. & Vince Pandofi