WRC Placegetter - Smiskol of USA

[boyblunda]

I just happened to be browsing through a copy of the Complete Book Of The World Rally Championship by Henry Hope-Frost & John Davenport - a good read which amongst other things includes a chapter on all results of WRC events since the inception of the WRC in 1973.

I noted that in the 1973 Press On Regardless rally in the USA, that Jim Smiskol/Carol Smiskol came 3rd in a Datsun 240Z.

1 110 Walter Boyce/Doug Woods Toyota Corolla 1600 418.47 min

2 J.Walker/T.Palmer Volvo 142S 439.96

3 J.Smiskol/C.Smiskol Datsun 240Z 453.60

4 J.Buffum/W.Zitkus Ford Escort RS 459.03

5 J.Rodgers/E.Brooks Datsun 510 465.01

6 R.Mucha/R.Zyszkowski Polski Fiat 125P 477.51

7 W.Dodd/R.Kren Ford Capri 484.91

8 J.Callon/G.Hays Datsun 510 488.20

9 S.Dorr/R.Andersson Datsun 510 489.47

10 C.McLaren/D.Leverton Datsun 510 496.21

In the 1974 Rally of Quebec John Smiskol/Carol Smiskol came in 8th in a Datsun 240Z while Canadian Bo Skowronnek came in 6th in his 240Z.

These were the only top ten placings I could find for a USA driver in the WRC.

My question here is whether or not John and Jim Smiskol are one and the same person or are they related in some way. It does seem too much like a coincidence that they have the same initial, same navigator, and drive the same make of vehicle.

Results of these events in other threads also give the surname of Smiska to the same results. It would be good to find and clarify the detail of this USA pioneer in WRC events, and the history of the 240Z in these events.

If anybody knows more about the above events or if I have got anything wrong, then I would appreciate getting the record straight.

Edit: Oops. This is not meant to cast aspersions on the driving ability of any driver or nationality. The results described above are better than any recorded by any driver from my home country.

[boyblunda]

Found a little more as I used Google - why did I not think of that before.

The driver mentioned above is named John Smiskol so they are the one and same. The reference book I first read obviously made an error in using two different first names and is an example of not everything we see in print being able to be assumed as correct.

To make a correction to my previous post, other USA drivers scored top ten places in the 1973 Press On Regardless Rally including John Buffum who is referred to in other posts. Buffum is also recorded as finishing 3rd in the 1988 WRC Olympus Rally.

Smiskol remained in USA rallying for at least several years as I found another reference to him driving a TR8? in the late seventies and Z point records his 1977 second place and 1979 third place in the Press On Regardless rallies of those years (both in 260Z's).

This site http://www.datsunhistory.com/rallyhistory1.html had some brief but interesting information and some good pics of Z cars including a BRE Baja Z. It also stated that Z cars won the SCAA Rally Championships in 1975, 1976 and 1977.

At the risk of boring others to tears. I will add more information as I find it. I must say that I am surprised at the inconsistency of information that I am discovering between references in this limited search.

[boyblunda]

I think I have now exhausted all of the Google listings in the search for a record of John Smiskol's involvement in rallying and I may have turned up a few more details of interest.

Firstly it appears that after a brief flirt at the end of the 70's with a modified TR7, Smiskol returned to competing in a Z and it seems he may still be competing in a Zed to this very day - more than 30 years since his first WRC result in 1973.

The Google search revealed the following continued involvement :

1973 Sno Drift 6th Listed as being from Lombard Illinois

1974 June 3rd in Empire Hill Climb in a 240Z

1974 Rideau Lakes Rally WRC? 8th in 260Z

1975 Press On Regardless Nov 8 & 9 DNF Listed as being from Glen Ellyn Illinois

1979 June 9&10 Finished fourth in Susquehannock Pro Rally in TR7

Listed as residing in Crystal Lake Illinois

1979 Sunrise Rally 12th in TR7 From Crystal Lake Illinois. Co driver Walt Kraft

2001 SCCAA Road Rally National Championship 12th in Class L

2004 SCAA CENDIV Road Rally Championship 9th out of 34 drivers in Class L

From Milwaulkee

2005? Valvoline Cup Time Trials Driver Roster

Listed as Driver registered # 26175 From Western Springs Illinois

Can anybody tell me what Class L might be - maybe historic cars?

It seems to me that this driver might be of interest to the members on this site due to both his long term involvement in rallying and he fact that he spent most of his time in a Zed.

Will post further info if it comes to hand.

[Wink Timber]

John and Carol Smiskol were quite active in SCCA rallying in the 1970s, in both the PRO Rally series and in the Road Rally series. (PRO Rally is closed roads in specially prepared cars; Road Rally is held on public roads at given average speeds). They were the organizers of the 1975 and 1976 El Diablo PRO Rally held out of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Here is a photo of their Z on the Wonder Muffler Marathon 400 out of Cadillac, Michigan, in 1975.

http://winktimber.com/vintagerally/rallyemag/rly7510_smiskolz.jpg

The later references you cite are Road Rally championships. Class L is "Limited" as in limited navigational equipment allowed. Class E is "Equipped" or unlimited navigation equipment.

John still lives in the Chicago area, and occasionally runs road rallies.

Tim Winker

Minnesota

[Wink Timber]

Another front running Z in the U.S. during the mid-1970s was driven by Ralph Brooks, with d*** Messal as co-driver. This photo was copied from RALLYE magazine of Oct 1975, where there is a story on Brooks and Messal winning the Cooper 300 in Ohio.

http://winktimber.com/vintagerally/rallyemag/rly7510_brooksz.jpg