A little 510 Rally action!

It's actually a works PA10 Violet on the 1980 East African Safari Rally. Specifically, the no.10 car of Rauno Aaltonen and Lofty Drews, which finished in second place behind the sister no.1 car of Shekhar Mehta and Mike Doughty.

The GP car is Bob Sharp driving and it's a 1964 SPL-310 1500 roadster. He prepared and drove this car in 1964 and set track records for GP at Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, VIR and Bridgehampton in 1964. He won the NE divisional championship and went to the first runoffs at Riverside in 1964 where he DNF'd. The 1600 was run in FP but didn't come out until 1966. Bob won the FP national championship in the 1600 in 1967. The CP car is Bob Sharp driving his 1967 SRL-311 Datsun 2000. The 2000 came out in late 1967. The 2000 was classed in CP with Mikuni carbs and later was run in DP with SU carbs, especially after the 240Z showed up in CP in 1970. Hope this helps.

Mike

Edited December 10, 201212 yr by DatsunDoc

More here http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3350045562/m/4610064345

Here's a photo of Sam Posey in the Bob Sharp Racing #33 at Mid-Ohio in 1977 chasing down Walt Mass's 914. Posey ultimately won the GTU event. I was 18 when shot this photo, so there can be no copyright issues here. On the right-hand border of the photo is the imprint of "May 77". Wikipedia says that this race was held in June '77. Hmm. I wonder how I got this photo developed a month before the race? Or could Wikipedia be wrong?

I guess there is a slight possibility that I shot this at the 1976 race, and had this print made in 1977. Oh well, it was a long time ago at a place where I have so many great memories. I never would have thought back in 1977 that 35 years later I would still be going to Mid-Ohio every summer, and still driving a 240z!

Enjoy!

Thanks DatsunDoc. That's the kind of info we're looking for! I was thinking the GP was Joe Hauser, national champion in 1976, 1981, and 1982.

Your welcome. I thought some folks here would enjoy some of the "pre-Z" Datsun history. Here's the ex-Sharp 1967 CP 2000 as it looks today (SVRA 2012 Glen) and Bob signing the dash during the 2011 SVRA Watkins Glen weekend. Photos by Rich Booth and Ron Freudenheim.

BTW- Bill Wessel owns and is still racing Joe's last Datsun 1600 in SCCA. He came in 3rd this year in FP!

Edited December 10, 201212 yr by DatsunDoc

Carl, Does your hood still open this far?

Mac Tilton... I had a conversation with him over an hour or so a couple decades back. Interesting guy.

Looks like 432Z with an S20...

That's the Suzuka 1000km race in 1970 with drivers Nishino and Fujita. Wasn't this picture posted previously?

Looks like 432Z with an S20...

Yeah. Maybe it's in Japan too...?

That's the Suzuka 1000km race in 1970 with drivers Nishino and Fujita. Wasn't this picture posted previously?

He's got me on his 'Ignore' list, obviously.

DETROIT ! 1984