Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

RAD2LTR, Will, For sure Paul Newman was a very good driver, I told many people after doing the "training" and the film "Winning" that if Paul had got interested in racing 10 years before doing the movie he would have been hard to beat at Indy. (or anyplace else) Working with him during the movie deal it was obvious that he had a lot of talent. Paul was quoted once that, "The first thing that I ever found I had any grace in was while training for and filming Winning!" He was one fine, nice man to work with. I will detail more about him soon, as I need to fill in the blanks of what I did after the "training" at Phoenix, and before the filming at Indy first to try to maintain continuity as much as I can. After my brother Dale called me a couple of days ago and filled me in on some things,that helped , but just a few minutes ago I was able to locate "Daring Darrell Dockery" after months of searching. It has been probably 15+ years since I have seen or heard from Darrell. We are going to meet for lunch in a few days, and then I can fill in more blanks from "the man on the moon" post forward. This is great news to me because input from brother Dale, and Darrell will fill in the blank spots in my memory of that period of time. I'm also going to ask brother Ron if he can add some to what all went on.
Larry

[wolfee]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Larry,

Take some type of tape recorder with you to that lunch with Darrel!

Now I'm not questioning your memory, But I'm sure there will be ALOT of info passed on during that lunch, and some bits and pieces will be forgotten, or thought not important at the time. Then when it comes time to put it into print, your gonna wish you had recorded it.

Just a suggestion.

As always I'm loving this stuff. Thanks for sharing your life with us.

Wolfee

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Larry,

In another thread, someone pointed out how hard it would be to get something like your story published in book form... I feel honored that I've been able to provide a platform for you to share your story!

PLEASE keep it coming!

Is your health such that there is any chance that you could maybe make it to Reno sometime?? If not the big week, maybe PRS weekend?

I'd sure like to meet you!

If not, we'll be coming through Phoenix sometime in the next year I think...

But again.. PLEASE keep the story rolling!!

a VERY appreciative,
Wayne

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Wayne, I feel very fortunate that you are providing me with a platform to spin my yarn. It is so much easier to do this this way, it is as though I am talking to friends, rather than just putting words on paper. I doubt if I would ever have gotten the inspiration to put all of this in print otherwise. I have been told many times that I should write a book about my many unique experiences. Your generosity and the feedback comments have given me the boost I needed to convince me that I should do this, before it is too late.

I have taken this thread a long ways from BMB/ CM Hangartalk, but we will end up there eventually. BMB was the culmination of my dreams. For years I thought I had done about everything that I wanted to experience in life, until my first time at Reno, and saw the Unlimiteds coming down the chute, Hoover bringing them down for the start, and saying “You have a race”, and pulling up. I had thought that when the green flag was waved at Indianapolis, and 33 cars headed into turn one for the 500 was the ultimate, but seeing those Unlimiteds all heading for the pylons at 400+ made it a whole new story. Although I was “one of those race car guys” as we came to be called, I was hooked. My wife Sandy instinctively knew that I had found something else that I had to do, “another hill to climb”, but she had no idea how we could pull it off. I didn’t either, but the gears in my head started churning, and somehow we both knew that someday we would watch our airplane come down the chute with Hoover and the racers.

As far as my health goes, I am doing pretty well, (I’ll be 71 next week) and another trip to the Reno Air Races would make for a great ending to my story. That will be my new goal, “one more hill to climb”! God willing!
Larry

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

I am going to see if I have my "Vista" straightened out yet, and try sending a photo.

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

That's not the picture I wanted to send, but now I know that it works, just need to be more careful about size. The one I was trying to send was 936, just a little too big. This one was the quickest one I could find, so what you get is me in my winning soap box derby car in 1951. Sorry about that.
Larry

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

That's not the picture I wanted to send, but now I know that it works, just need to be more careful about size. The one I was trying to send was 936, just a little too big. This one was the quickest one I could find, so what you get is me in my winning soap box derby car in 1951. Sorry about that.
Larry

THAT's A KEWL PHOTO!!!

[ebutner]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

As far as my health goes, I am doing pretty well, (I’ll be 71 next week) and another trip to the Reno Air Races would make for a great ending to my story. That will be my new goal, “one more hill to climb”! God willing!
Larry

Larry,
This is a great read and I know that when you do show up in Reno there will be a line a mile long of race fans wanting to meet you and shake your hand. Thanks for sharing all this history with us.

P.S.... HAppy Birthday in advance.

[gp70442]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

<<...there will be a line a mile long of race fans wanting to meet you and shake your hand.>>

I will be one of those.

Great stuff Larry. One more vote to keep it coming. Thanks for sharing with us.
GP

[Lockheed Bob]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Larry keep it up.Reading your life is the real thing.I once remember a Larry Burton that raced Super-Modifieds in Calif. during the 60s/70s.

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

After returning the “Newman practice car” back to Mickey Thompson, I was getting an itch to head for Indy, and an opportunity came up for an expense paid trip. Herb Porter,” Herby Horsepower” as he was called, and the developer of the Turbo Offy engines, needed a race car towed from Cal to Indy. Seemed like a good idea, since I was going there anyway, and I could make a few bucks as well. The car was inside an enclosed trailer, so I wouldn’t have to worry about weather, just hit the road, and go for it. I almost always drove straight through, no stopping to sleep or any of that nonsense, but usually stopped once to get a bite to eat in Tulsa, Oklahoma, or St. Louis, Missouri. Stopping for gas was much easier with the enclosed trailer, didn’t have to answer questions like, “What will it do in the quarter mile”, or “Is that an Indy car?, and when I would say yes, the response was “No it ain’t, it isn’t big enough to be an Indy car.” The best one I ever heard was, “I don’t know what it is mister, or where you are going, but good luck!” The trip was going well, crossed the Indiana state line, and up through Terra Haute, and it was just a short trip on to Indianapolis. I was about 5 miles from the exit to Speedway, and in my mirror I spotted an Indiana State Trooper with his red light on. I knew I was going way over the speed limit, and he had me cold. I pulled over to the side, and this macho dude came strutting up, and informed me that there was no licence plate on the trailer. I guess he was so pumped up about that he never checked my speed because he never mentioned that. He asked me where I had came from, and I told him California. This got him even more stirred up. He told me to step out of the car, and I told him that I couldn’t do that because I had a wheelchair. He got this look on his face, like he had been hit in the ass with a sour apple, and rolled his eyes. This was just too much for him to deal with. He let out a few expletives, and wrote me a ticket for the plate infraction, and told me to get the hell out of there. I drove on to the Indy Speedway, and got the trailer parked, and drove over to my mother’s house to get some rest. In a couple of days I had to appear in court for the ticket. The judge asked me what the deal was, driving across country without a licence plate on the trailer, and I told him that I had thought Herb had put one on it. He said, “Herb who?” I told him, Herb Porter, and explained that I had towed a car back for him. He asked, “Do you mean Herb Porter over at the Indy track?” I told him “”yep, that’s the guy.” He said, “case dismissed, tell Herb I said hello.” Sometimes it’s good to be a “name dropper!”
Larry

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

During the 68 Indy 500, the movie people were doing a lot of filming to use in the movie, Bobby Unser won in the “Rislone” Leader Card Eagle, that was red and yellow, so that meant that Newmans car in the movie would need to be painted much the same way so that they could use some real footage integrated into the Hollywood footage. I hope you understand what I am trying to point out. It was the same for Robert Wagners movie car, it had to look like Dan Gurney’s car, since Gurney finished second, etc. They had to show some continuity to make it all fit together. Very few of the movie cars were the actual cars that ran the race. They were “ringers”. The real cars were off to Milwaukee, and races following that. The special effect guys from the studio were pretty clever, they didn’t know squat about racing, but they knew how to make things look real. They used some footage from the 66 Indy crash, and others, and they made props, I think that is what they were called. They really got me good with one of those. They had made what looked exactly like a rear wheel and tire out of foam or something, and one of those guys came walking over towards me carrying what looked to me like the real thing, and was struggling, like it was heavy, and threw it at me. I thought this dude must be crazy, and I braced for the impact, put my arms up to protect myself, and I caught it, I couldn’t believe how light this thing was! Of course several people were involved in this prank, and were all laughing like hell. The reason for them making these was that they had some kind of rig that would shoot them into a staged crash scene to add to the drama. They had hired two or three hundred “extras” and they could place them in a shot so that it looked like the grandstands behind the pits were packed. This “Hollywood” stuff was really strange, but quite an experience to observe. There was a lot of fun things involved that I will tell about, but it has been a long day. We’ve been playing with my friend John’s new 427 Cobra replica today. It’s a real beauty, and it was great hearing that big Ford engine rumble. Later…………… Larry

[Double ugly]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

It was great having a motorsports legend looking at my cobra. We got a lot of helpful hints from Larry as to what needs to be done to make it even better. Blessed? Yup. I wish it was as easy to post pictures here as it is on Club Cobra 'cause I have a couple to share. My co-owner in the the car, an orthopedic surgeon from the midwest got to drive it after Larry checked it over and came back grinning ear to ear. We are waaay over budget but he doesn't care.
John

[wyhdah]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

Hard to put a price on a grin huh John?

[bluffman]

Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD

A few days after the filming began, after they were done for the day Paul Newman decided he would take a motorcycle ride around the Speedway, and off he went. He had just broken a Cardinal Rule! Clarence Cagle was the facility manager, or maybe even more than that, and he had his rules and it didn’t matter who you were, break his rule and you were gone. He once tried to get the FAA to restrict air traffic over the track. As far as Clarence was concerned the sky above the track was his! Well, Mr. Newman informed him that the studio had rented the facility, and he would do as he pleased, and that was the end of that. One year I showed up with a full beard, and a few days before the track was to open a group of us racers had gathered out by the entrance to the pit lane, and were shooting the bull, and Clarence showed up. He sort of mingled among the group, and was making idle chat, and then he looked me straight in the eye and just nodded his head from side to side, and I understood without him saying a word that he did not approve of my facial hair. I split as quick as I could and went and shaved the beard off, then returned to the track. I was not there for more than an hour, and as I rounded the corner of a garage there was Mr. Cagle, face to face. He nodded his approval, and smiled, and went off doing whatever it was that he did. I was off Clarence’s S- list!

By the luck of the draw my brother Joe and I were assigned to maintain, and oversee the car that Newman was going to be driving. Could have had something to do with the Phoenix “practice”, but I am not sure. Joe And I decided that we should put a lower gear in the car, since it was a Turbo- Offy, and Paul had not driven one of those. We were concerned that he wouldn’t go fast enough to keep the turbocharger spooled up in the corners, and it would bog down. To our surprise, after he had run a few laps ,and came in, the tattletale needle on the tach was indicating that he was getting the RPM’s up higher than we were comfortable with, so we put in a race gear. We sure didn’t want to blow an engine. Of course we were running on alcohol fuel, and the exhaust fumes were terrible, it didn’t take much of this to make your eyes water, and have you gasping for breath. We would all use our big chalkboards like fans to keep the driver from getting too much of these fumes, and if a driver was getting a lot they would signal by waving his arms so that someone would fan a little faster. Robert Wagner did not seem to understand the proceedure, and he slumped forward in the cockpit, and fortunately someone noticed and they got him out of the car and over to some fresh air. Lucky for him, I don’t think he would have survived much longer.
I don’t recall how many cars they had “rented” but it was probably 10 or 12 at least because they wanted to film some cars in a group looking back from the camera car. They were going pretty fast, and they were supposed to be jockeying for position, and also do some passing. The drivers were mostly old timers, and guys who didn’t have a ride at the time, and they must have got caught up by the thrill of the moment, or had flash backs or something because they began getting pretty aggressive. This provided some pretty good footage, but it was called it off before someone got hurt. Unfortunately there was a lot of good stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor. Had they used some of this, and not so much “Hollywood” romance and love story stuff the movie would have been much better. Oh well, we just did as we were told, and played along. There was one thing about all of this that brother Joe and I really approved of though. When they came around with pay checks, we got one from Goodyear, and one from the studio. I don’t know if that’s the way it was supposed to play out, but we sure weren’t going to tell anybody!
Larry