Trenton Indy Cars 1978- Bobby C

[Art Laski]

I saw this on Facebook. It's the Trenton Indy Car lineup from 1978. But check out the Super Vee support field. Lot's of heavy hitters, including our own Bobby C.!

[indy]

Aug 24, 2022 0:20:11 GMT -5 Art Laski said:

Lot's of heavy hitters, including our own Bobby C.!

That is a pretty talented bunch! Lots of future IndyCar drivers there!

Jordan

[Gary Davis]

Now that would be some great racing right there! How did Bobby C do in the race?

I saw Bobby give Dave Despain an interview from a stretcher on his way to the Ambulance, after he flipped out of the park. What a guy!!

[quattro]

How long did this VW Robert Bosh series run for?

I am all for doing the odd 'junior' formula model from European racing of the time.
Formula Atlantics were variants of these. BUT.

Anyone ever see or built an Indy Junior class model from years gone by ever at any scale?

I am guessing not because it would have to be for depicting a top driver subject
and Indy was not like F1 in that over here most came up through the junior programmes.
But not exactly the case there was it back then.

[vintagerpm]

Aug 24, 2022 18:39:45 GMT -5 quattro said:

How long did this VW Robert Bosh series run for?

A quick Google search brought up confusing answers as originally there was Formula Vee and then Formula Super Vee. (Same series, different engine?) in the US, IMSA and the SCCA both had series. Bosch was a sponsor of the series for several years. The formula itself is still raced today. (And I'm sure this answer is only partially right.)

Mike

[bobbyc]

Man, that brings back memories! I think I still had some hair then, too. I remember that the first Mini-Indy Super Vee race was at Trenton in 1977. I ran that race and continued to race in the series until 1982, but towards the end I didn't race the full schedule. I remember that at some point the sanctioning body went from USAC to SCCA, and I needed to get a special license to compete. I think from FICA, if I remember the acronym correctly. Also, the first race or races used the air cooled VW engine, but, as VW was promoting the Rabbit, which used a water cooled inline engine, they switched to the water cooled engines. I'm not sure how long the Mini-Indy program lasted, but I don't think it was too much later than the mid eighties. I don't remember how I did in that specific race, but I know I got a 6th in the first race there, and just got nipped at the line for the win by Geoff Brabham in one of the races there, but it couldn't have been that race, as he isn't listed in the starting field.

[Art Laski]

Aug 29, 2022 4:28:55 GMT -5 bobbyc said:

Man, that brings back memories! I think I still had some hair then, too. I remember that the first Mini-Indy Super Vee race was at Trenton in 1977. I ran that race and continued to race in the series until 1982, but towards the end I didn't race the full schedule. I remember that at some point the sanctioning body went from USAC to SCCA, and I needed to get a special license to compete. I think from FICA, if I remember the acronym correctly. Also, the first race or races used the air cooled VW engine, but, as VW was promoting the Rabbit, which used a water cooled inline engine, they switched to the water cooled engines. I'm not sure how long the Mini-Indy program lasted, but I don't think it was too much later than the mid eighties. I don't remember how I did in that specific race, but I know I got a 6th in the first race there, and just got nipped at the line for the win by Geoff Brabham in one of the races there, but it couldn't have been that race, as he isn't listed in the starting field.

There were a lot of open wheel guys trying their hand in the Super Vees around that time, which was cool to see. In this one, there's you, Bobby Olivero, Bubby Jones, and it's interesting that Gary B. was in this class. He had been racing Indy cars off and on and at Indy quite a while by then. Out here, I know Dean Thompson drove one a few times, Stan Fox, and a few other west coast guys out here at Ontario. Too bad we that doesn't really happen anymore. I'm glad you took a shot at it.