#GT Flemings-Roberts

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5 Random Pulps

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Vintage Pulp - Terror Tales (Nov1934) (Popular Publications)

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Vintage Pulp - Terror Tales (Dec1934) (Popular Publications)

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“Goldfinger”: la franquicia logró su canon

Por Lucas Manuel Rodríguez*

Las dos primeras entregas de James Bond en el cine fueron un éxito comercial rotundo, pero incluso antes de que la segunda se estrenara en Estados Unidos, a causa de un contrato establecido, la tercera parte había comenzado su rodaje en enero de 1964. Con un presupuesto final de más de 3.5 millones de dólares, la financiación en Goldfinger (1964) superó la suma de 3.1 millones invertida en sus antecesoras, y hoy recordamos los elementos que la convirtieron tanto en un fenómeno, como en un récord mundial.

Con desvíos planeados

Ya con ocho títulos de género dirigidos por él, y en medio del rodaje de Su Mejor Enemigo (1961, con David Niven y Alberto Sordi), Guy Hamilton rechazó la propuesta por Albert R. Broccoli y Harry Saltzman de llevar a 007 al formato cinematográfico. No obstante, cuando Terence Young se tomó un descanso después de filmar consecutivamente las célebres El Satánico Doctor No (1962) y De Rusia Con Amor (1963), Hamilton vio la oportunidad de redimirse y tomar las riendas de esta superproducción que, si bien no se la suele considerar una obra pura del séptimo arte, es aún para muchas voces de la prensa “La mejor… de todas las Bonds”[i].

Los productores acordaron con el director que romperían deliberadamente notables reglas establecidas en las anteriores aventuras; dos de ellas, de las más remarcadas en las películas de Young: Para la primera mitad del film, Bond ya se vería cara a cara con el villano y lo haría quedar en ridículo en más de una oportunidad; para la segunda, el agente del MI6 tendría muy poco que hacer más que mantener paciencia y ser más observador que nunca; todo esto sin descartar el obligatorio clímax explosivo, obviamente. Estos aspectos, entre otros que ya mencionaremos, que también combinan el manejo del suspenso al que ya se acostumbraba con situaciones un tanto risibles, la vuelven (para sus simpatizantes) una pieza poco convencional y difícil de copiar.

Mente y cuerpo: a la par y separados

Doblado por Michael Collins, el actor alemán Gert Fröbe no sabía hablar la lengua inglesa cuando interpretó a Auric Goldfinger: un megalómano millonario cuyo apellido le brinda el título a este relato, y quién nada tiene que ver con la organización SPECTRE. Mientras que la meta en la séptima novela de 007 (Goldfinger; 1959, Ian Fleming) era volar en pedazos Fort Knox y robar las reservas de oro en Estados Unidos, en la película se burlan de esto por la imposibilidad de trasladar toneladas de lingotes en tan poco tiempo, por lo que Goldfinger planea causar el peor caos económico en occidente detonando una bomba radioactiva en la bóveda; el efecto duraría 58 años y la fortuna suya aumentaría exponencialmente unas diez veces de su valor auténtico. Otro añadido en el desenlace es la pelea mano a mano con el matón del villano en los interiores de la Reserva diseñados por el mismísimo Ken Adam, se trata de una pelea en la cual fuera imposible que Bond venciera con el mero uso de sus destrezas de combate. El luchador profesional Harold Sakata interpretó a Oddjob, un oriental mudo experto en judo que cuenta con fuerza inhumana y un sombrero con alas de acero que usa para cortar y causar daños mortales a donde lo lance. A pesar de transcurrir mayormente en Norteamérica, no se rodó ahí, salvo por algunas escenas en el hotel de Miami, que fue emulado en Estudios Pinewood al ser una de las últimas secuencias realizadas y puesto que Sean Connery tenía que protagonizar Marnie de Alfred Hitchcock, también de 1964. Las mismas se terminaron en abril de ese año, el set fue visitado por Fleming meses antes de su fallecimiento en agosto de ese año.

Dos imágenes indelebles

Para atravesar la compuerta del edificio principal de Fort Knox, Goldfinger usa un perforador laser, que según sus palabras, podría hacer una marca en la luna si así lo quisiera; para hacer una demostración de su funcionamiento, el magnate amenaza con castrar al protagonista y de paso partirlo al medio, en una de las escenas que más se referenció hasta el hartazgo, con la serie de Los Simpson, probablemente, como el ejemplo más recordado. El diseño del artefacto fue por la cuenta del técnico de efectos especiales Bert Luxford, y los efectos sonoros de este (y de toda la película) los hizo Norman Wanstall, quien por sus aportes en esta oportunidad se llevó el primer Oscar que ganaría la saga.

Si hay una imagen que influyó en todo material publicitario de la tercera Bond, sería el cuerpo de Shirley Eaton, como Jill Masterson, recostado en una cama matrimonial y bañado en oro. No hay ningún truco, la pintaron realmente, esos planos se filmaron en una sola mañana y con la presencia de un doctor en el set para evitar cualquier tipo de sofocación en la piel de Eaton. Con solo cinco minutos en pantalla, fue una de las actrices más fotografiadas en 1964. Tanto en los posters como en los créditos iniciales diseñados por Robert Brownjohn abundan figuras femeninas de piel dorada.

Aliadas de turno

La primera en aparecer es Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet), quien busca vengar el asesinato de su hermana. Bond la conoce cuando ella lo torea con su Ford Mustang GT descapotable en una secuencia que deslumbra con los paisajes de las locaciones suizas. Mallet con este largometraje pasó de ser una modelo en ascenso a convertirse en una “femme fatale” con la motivación de dar muerte al antagonista en una participación breve que históricamente los realizadores catalogan como el momento de “sacrificio al cordero” (por el momento, no entraremos en detalles, al menos no en esta nota).

Honor Blackman venía de trabajar para la ABC en la serie Los Vengadores (1961-1969). En  The Making of Goldfinger, que celebraba el 30 aniversario del film, comentó que estaba harta de realizar papeles de inocentona y pasó un gran tiempo en pantalla con Sean Connery, en particular en la polémica escena del granero que es acusada de contar con un acto de violación. Su personaje Pussy (o Gatita) Galore dirige un circo de mujeres piloto de aviación y se presenta como la aliada de Auric Goldfinger, y a su vez ayudaría a 007 en secreto. En la novela Pussy es lesbiana, pero esto le parecía ridículo a la producción por los valores del “american way of life” por los que abogaban, a pesar de ser británicos. Aún así, jamás faltan las lecturas que afirman que se insinúa la misma orientación sexual por su parte, a la par de que le coquetea a Bond con mucha sutileza, como tampoco aquellas que aniquilan estas películas por transmitir actitudes misóginas: más si en una escena el personaje principal agrede a una mujer en los primeros minutos de película. Según Guy Hamilton, hay que pegarles si son villanas: le replicaba a Connery “sos un agente secreto, si no lo haces, te sirven tus bolas de desayuno”. Sin ir más lejos, esto también aplica para la primera John Wick (2014), en la que Keanu Reeves le da una paliza a Adrianne Palicki cuando esta intenta asesinarlo mientras duerme.

La era del glamur, los récords y los autos deportivos

El director y el guionista Richard Maibaum congeniaron en que los primeros minutos aportaran material absurdo para establecer el tono deseado, a considerar: Connery se camufla en el agua usando un casco con una gaviota en su base, usa un esmoquin blanco debajo de su traje de neopreno, y se salva de una puñalada al ver a través del reflejo de los ojos de una mujer. Por su parte, Sección Q contraataca al brindarle a su espía cabecera un auto deportivo equipado. Se trata del Aston Martin DB5 (DB3 en la novela) con todos los dispositivos anticipados desde su primera escena, como las ametralladoras delanteras, las patentes giratorias (para Reino Unido, Francia y Suiza), el asiento eyector del lado del acompañante, escudo protector y armas traseras, cortaneumáticos y un radar de amplio alcance. Pasaron años de reuniones y charlas hasta que Ken Adams y John Stears convencieron al director general de Aston Martin, Steve Heggie, y este a su presidente, David Brown, para avalar la aparición de uno de sus modelos en el cine. Se hicieron dos DB5: uno para filmar, y otro para giras promocionales por toda Europa. Fue tal el impacto en las ventas del juguete del Aston por Corgi Toys, que Lagonda LTD terminó por fabricar 1023 ejemplares, y ambas marcas combinaron en el diseño de una miniatura para la Familia Real, hecho a la medida del infante Príncipe Andrew. Se suele decir que el DB5 es el auto más famoso de la historia del cine (más que el DeLorean de Volver al Futuro o cualquier Batimóvil); el modelo original fue comprado en una subasta por un fanático millonario en la década de 1980, pero se lo hurtaron en Boca Ratón, Florida, en 1997, y aún continúa desaparecido, con ciertas conjeturas que apuntan a que fue trasladado a Medio Oriente.

Solo en sus primeras dos semanas de proyección, y con 64 salas, Goldfinger recuperó los más de tres millones invertidos, en tiempo récord, recopilado en el Libro Guiness. Se convirtió también en la primera Bond en estrenarse en Estados Unidos el mismo año que en Reino Unido; por esto, la próxima, Operación Trueno (1965), tendría su estreno principal en ese país luego de su premiere mundial en Japón. Por otro lado, estuvo a punto de no estrenarse en Israel porque la familia de Gert Fröbe estaba, supuestamente, afiliada al Partido Nazi, pero eventualmente se comprobó lo contrario, y que incluso habían socorrido a una familia judía durante el Holocausto. Resulta paradójico que, a partir de la diferencia, Goldfinger marcó la pauta canónica que esta y todas las otras franquicias de espionaje intentan replicar desde entonces. Con 125 millones de dólares recaudados globalmente, fue la primera en superar los cien millones, y por todos sus atributos celebrados en la cultura autoconsciente, lecturas revisionistas la posicionan como la Bond “que lo tuvo todo”.

[i] La traducción es nuestra, del original “The best… of all the Bonds” por Roger Ebert en el Chicago Sun-Times, citada en casi todas las cajas para las versiones home-video de Goldfinger.

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Ficha Técnica: Título original: Goldfinger. Año: 1964. Duración: 110 min. País: Reino Unido. Dirección: Guy Hamilton. Guion: Richard Maibaum, Paul Dehn. Música: John Barry. Fotografía: Ted Moore. Edición: Peter R. Hunt. Reparto: Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn, Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Harold Sakata. Productora: Eon Productions. Distribución: MGM/UA Communications Co. / United International Pictures. Productores: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman. – Datos de producción extraídos del material extra y los audiocomentario del Blu-ray editado en 2015.  – *Licenciado en Comunicación Social por la Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. E-mail: lucasmanuel9894@gmail.com.

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One of the most iconic cars from Bentley’s history – Sir Tim Birkin’s 1929 supercharged 4½-litre “Blower” – is to be reborn with a new build of 12 matching cars, each individually handcrafted by a team of specialists from Bentley’s bespoke and coachwork division, Mulliner. Together, the new cars will form the world’s first pre-war race car continuation series.

Bentley’s most revered heritage car to be recreated, in world first continuation of a pre-war race car

Specialist Mulliner team to reverse engineer Sir Tim Birkin’s famous 4½-litre Team Blower to create new cars

12 new Blowers, each identical to the original, to be built – one for every race the original Team Blowers entered

Skills proved by recently completed 1939 Corniche restoration

Follows the success of one hundred Blower-inspired Continental GT Number 9 Edition cars, now sold-out

Continuation Series announced at Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance

Only four original ‘Team Blowers’ were built for racing by Birkin, in the late 1920s. All were campaigned on the racetracks of Europe, with the most famous car – Birkin’s own Team Car No. 2, registration UU 5872 – racing at Le Mans and playing a pivotal role in the factory Bentley Speed Six victory in 1930.

Now, using a combination of generations of handcraftsmanship skills and the very latest digital technology, the 1929 Team Blower will be the master example for 12 continuations – one for each race that the original fleet of four Team Blowers competed in.

The Bentley Blower Continuation Series was announced today at the Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance by Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark, who comments:

“As we continue to commemorate 100 years of Bentley, we are combining a look to our past with the very latest digital technologies and techniques to create something truly extraordinary. The four Team Blowers are the most valuable Bentleys in the world, and we know there is demand for genuine recreations that can be used, enjoyed and loved without risk to the prized originals.

‘The twelve new Blowers will not only be an homage to our heritage, they will be a celebration of the outstanding skills of our Mulliner craftspeople. This is a new challenge for Bentley, but with the incredible success of the recent restoration of our 1939 one-of-one Corniche, we wanted to go one step further and make something even more special. Twelve lucky customers will soon be able to own a unique tribute to Bentley’s history.”

Bentley’s own Team Blower – chassis number HB 3403 – will be disassembled to its individual components, before each part is catalogued and meticulously scanned in 3D to create a complete digital model of the entire car. Using the original 1920s moulds and tooling jigs, and an array of traditional hand tools alongside the latest manufacturing technology, 12 sets of parts will then be created, before Bentley’s skilled heritage technicians assemble the new Blowers. The 12 continuations will be identical wherever possible to the original – mechanically, aesthetically and spiritually – with only minimal hidden changes dictated by modern safety concerns.

The original car will then be reassembled, with the heritage team taking the opportunity to complete a detailed inspection and sympathetic mechanical restoration where required. The 90-year old car is still used regularly on the road, including completion of this year’s Mille Miglia, daily hill runs at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a recent tour up the California coastline including a parade at Laguna Seca and culminating in the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where the car appeared with two of the other three Team Blowers.

The project is the latest in a series of commissions for Mulliner, which includes the recent Continental GT Number 9 Edition – a stunning iteration of Bentley’s third generation Grand Tourer, inspired by the Team Blower. Each of the 100 hundred cars being built features a piece of the original car set in to the dashboard, and the series sold-out immediately when announced.

As continuations of the original Team Blower, each of the new Continuation Series cars will feature four-cylinder, 16-valve engines with an aluminium crankcase with cast iron cylinder liners and non-detachable cast-iron cylinder head. The supercharger will be an exact replica of the Amherst Villiers Mk IV roots-type supercharger, helping the 4398 cc engine to develop 240 bhp @ 4,200 rpm. The car’s structure will be a pressed steel frame, with half-elliptic leaf spring suspension with copies of Bentley & Draper dampers. Recreations of Bentley-Perrot 40 cm (17.75”) mechanical drum brakes and worm and sector steering complete the chassis.

It will take Mulliner approximately two years of meticulous work to complete the 12-car series. Prices will be on application.

The Iconic ‘Team Blower’

No other pre-war Bentley had an impact like the supercharged 4½-litre ‘Blower’ Bentley. While it never won an endurance race, the Blower Bentley was the outright fastest race car of the day, and counted amongst its fans the author Ian Fleming – who later decided that his famous fictional secret agent James Bond would drive a supercharged 4½-litre Bentley, with the often-associated rival British sports car merely the MI6 “pool car”.

The Blower Bentleys were born from a philosophy devised by Sir Tim Birkin – notable racing driver and Bentley Boy – to extract more speed from the racing Bentleys of the day. While W.O Bentley’s method was to increase engine capacity – from 3-litre, to 4½-litre, to 6½-litre – Birkin was impressed by the Roots-type supercharger developed by British engineer Amherst Villiers, which boosted the 4½’s power from 130 bhp to 240 bhp in race tune.  He persuaded Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato to sanction the production of 55 supercharged 4½-litre Bentleys, with five allocated for competition. The car on Bentley’s heritage fleet – UU 5872 – is the second of the four ‘Team’ cars developed at Birkin & Co’s workshops at Welwyn Garden City with funding from wealthy heiress the Hon. Dorothy Paget.

UU 5872 made its debut at the 1930 Irish Grand Prix with Bernard Rubin at the wheel, while Birkin drove Team Car No.1, UU 5871. Both cars were fitted with ‘British Flexible’ four-door bodies by coachbuilders Harrisons. Rubin finished eighth and Birkin third. Rubin was also at the wheel of UU 5872 in August at the Ulster TT, where he rolled the car and was lucky to escape without injury. Following Rubin’s crash, UU 5872 was rebuilt with a new, 9’9” chassis and Vanden Plas bodywork in time for the Brooklands Double Twelve race in May 1930. Tim Birkin and Jean Chassagne shared the driving until a cracked chassis frame forced their retirement.

For the 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans, Mercedes entered the formidable 7-litre supercharged SSK, driven by Rudolph Caracciola and Christian Werner. Facing them were Bentley Motors – the reigning champions – with a team of three Works Speed Sixes. Birkin’s team entered three Blowers, headed by Birkin himself in Team Car No.2.

From the start the pace was frenetic. A famous painting of the race by Bryan de Grineau shows Birkin in UU 5872 passing Caracciola’s Mercedes SSK down the Hunaudières straight with two wheels on the grass – and a bald rear tyre. To general amazement Birkin stayed in front for an entire lap before pulling in to the pits.

Legend has it that Bentley used a ‘tortoise and hare’ strategy to see off the opposition, with Birkin pushing Caracciola to the limit until the Mercedes expired. While this story may have only been developed post-race, Caracciola’s Mercedes was indeed driven to failure, with water pouring from the engine. Meanwhile, Woolf Barnato and Glen Kidston took the chequered flag in their Speed Six.

UU 5872’s final team car outing was the Brooklands 500 handicap race in October 1930, when Dr Dudley Benjafield and Eddie Hall drove it to second place on handicap at an average speed of 112.12 mph. By May 1931 UU 5872 and the other remaining Birkin works Blowers were advertised for sale in MotorSport, each one guaranteed to attain 125mph in racing trim.

Team Car No. 2 was sympathetically restored in the 1960s, preserving much of its original patina. Owned by Bentley Motors since 2000, it has had only minor cosmetic maintenance, and is much as Birkin would have driven it. Since then it has competed in the modern Mille Miglia five times, has driven to Le Mans on several occasions and has also appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as well as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

Mulliner – Bentley’s Bespoking and Coachbuilding Division

The Mulliner name has been intertwined with coachbuilding since 1760, when Francis Mulliner was commissioned to build carriages for the Royal Mail. In 1870, his grandson Robert formed Mulliner London Limited, and business blossomed with the advance of mechanically powered coaches. By the early 1900s they had opened a showroom in London’s prestigious Mayfair.

The 1923 Olympia Show in London saw the first collaboration between Robert’s son H.J. Mulliner and Bentley – a bespoke 3½-litre. Mulliner went on to create many more Bentley bodies in the decades that followed, and the link between the two companies was formalised in 1959, with Mulliner becoming an official part of Bentley.

Today, the Mulliner workshop is based at the Bentley factory in Crewe, where designers and engineers unrivalled in their mastery create personal commissions for Bentley customers. Their most recent triumph is the complete recreation of the 1939 Bentley Corniche – a Bentley concept car of the era, once thought lost to history, but now reborn thanks to the extensive and diverse range of skills present in Mulliner’s team of Master Craftsmen and Craftswomen.

Bentley Team Blower

BENTLEY’S ICONIC 1929 TEAM BLOWER TO BE REBORN WITH 12-STRONG CONTINUATION SERIES One of the most iconic cars from Bentley’s history – Sir Tim Birkin’s 1929 supercharged 4½-litre “Blower” – is to be reborn with a new build of 12 matching cars, each individually handcrafted by a team of specialists from Bentley’s bespoke and coachwork division, Mulliner.

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Mustangs dominate OPTIMA’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car

OPTIMA’s 2018 Search for the Ultimate Street Car, presented by Advance Auto Parts, headed South in early-August and the heat was on as competitors squared off against each other in six different classes. The largest class in the series is the Franklin Road Apparel GT Class for late model cars and trucks and a 26-car field rolled into Barber Motorsports Park to do battle. The GT Class is limited to two-wheel drive vehicles that are not two-seat coupes, so that allows traditional Mustang versus Camaro versus Challenger rivalries to play out in spectacular fashion.

These aren’t just base models going after it, but a field with Shelbys matching up against ZL1s, 1LEs and Hellcats. For the first four seasons of this series, Chevys have had the upper hand, thanks in large part to Bryan Johnson’s Camaro, which has won the last three regular season championships. However, Johnson has yet to run in an event this season, which has left the door wide open for anyone looking to claim the title.

Not only did Mike Maier’s Mustang catch a ride all the way from California on the Falken Tires hauler, but he brought his wife, Brianne, with him. She did a great job of managing tire conditions and making other wives and girlfriends look bad for not knowing their way around cars.

Jonathan Blevins’ 2008 GT500 is the leader of the pack, taking home the win in the Franklin Road Apparel GT Class and the overall points lead in the series.

The LucasOilRacing.tv road rally proves all of these cars aren’t just built for track use. The cruise around Leeds, Alabama was much hillier and greener than many of these folks are accustomed to at home, but very enjoyable and ended with a free dinner courtesy of FireAde.

Jonathan Blevins’ GT 500 didn’t need much prompting, as it took the points lead early this season and hasn’t looked back. However, his Mustang’s performance is not an anomaly, as the Mustang GTs of Cliff Elliott, Mike Maier and others have also turned in impressive performance at multiple events this season. Perhaps the biggest sign of a power shift came at Barber Motorsports Park, where Mustangs not only swept the podium, but took the top four spots in the Franklin Road Apparel GT Class.

Blevins pulled out a tight battle over John Laughlin’s 2016 Mustang GT for the class win, but since Blevins already earned an invitation to the 2018 SEMA Show and OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI), the invite went to Laughlin. Elliott came home in third and Mike Maier finished fourth, with the top four separated by just 17 points. However, the margin from fourth to fifth place was more than 30 points, so that lead group didn’t just win, they did it in dominating fashion.

Henry Crawn’s 1968 F100 now rides on a Crown Vic chassis with a 6.0L Powerstroke crammed inside. There is a walk-around video and interview on this truck on the Ultimate Street Car Association Facebook page at the FireAde Welcome Party.

David Griffin is a longtime competitor in the series, who knows he may not run at the top of the standings, but always has a smile on his face. SPECTRE Performance recognized his positive attitude and extended a Spirit of the Event invitation to the 2018 SEMA Show and OUSCI to David’s 2006 Mustang.

TCI Engineering sponsors the First Timer Award, presented to the top-finishing first time competitor at each event. In addition to a framed award, Michael Calamaras also received a full refund on his entry fee!

In the QA1 GTV Class, two Fords had a big impact in the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge. Robert Britton’s immaculate ’65 fastback finished fourth in class and Henry Crawn’s radical Powerstroke F100 finished fifth. Those two builds are relatively-new to the series and as they get their combinations dialed in, we expect to see them both climb higher in the overall standings.

In the RECARO GTS Class, Mike Gallagher’s 2016 Focus RS continues to carry the torch among Vettes, Vipers and GTRs. Gallagher had a very solid weekend, posting top-ten overall finishes in both the Lingenfelter Design & Engineering Challenge and the Detroit Speed Autocross. His fifth-place finish at Barber moves him into fourth place in the season-long points chase and in excellent position to secure an invitation to the OUSCI at the end of the season.

There are now two events remaining in the regular season and plenty of Fords looking to make some noise. If Mike Maier can get his Mustang into Auto Club Speedway, he could shake up the standings and punch his ticket to Las Vegas. Matt Alcala could do the same thing with his vintage Mustang in the QA1 GTV Class. The Sheely Collection has also fielded a Focus RS in different events this season and could bring that back out to make some noise down the stretch. There are also expectations that Henry Crawn’s diesel F100 will be back at Road America and could be joined by a freshly-built 1969 Mercury Cyclone out of D&Z Customs’ stables.

There are always plenty of incredible cars to see at these events, so if you’re near Fontana, California, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin or Las Vegas, mark the remaining dates on your calendar and make plans to see them run in person. Visit www.DriveOPTIMA.com for all the details.

“Remember Chevy drivers, when you see this flag, move over for the Fords that need to pass you.”

The landscape around Barber Motorsports Park is nicer than most country clubs and filled with all kinds of interesting artwork, including a spider big enough to throw a saddle on. They race cars there too.

Cliff Elliott, John Laughlin and Jonathan Blevins (left to right) represent the first podium sweep by Mustangs in any class in the history of the series.

An outside observer might suggest a Focus RS versus a Lamborghini Huracan is a knife in a gunfight scenario, even with a heavily-modified car such as Mike Gallagher’s 2016 RS. You’ll never hear that cry from Mike though and with his top-ten overall finish in the Detroit Speed Autocross, he proves it.

Franklin Road Apparel GT Class (Post-1989, 3,200+ pounds, 2wd sedans, 4-seater coupes, trucks, etc…)

1. Jonathan Blevins, 2008 Mustang 2. John Laughlin, 2016 Mustang 3. Cliff Elliott, 2016 Mustang

QA1 GTV Class (Pre-1990, 3,200+ pounds)

1. Dusty Nixon, 1979 Chevrolet Camaro 2. Efrain Diaz, 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 3. Larry Woo, 1968 Chevrolet Camaro

RECARO GTS Class (Post-1989, 3,200+ pounds, two-seaters & AWD vehicles)

1. Jake Rozelle, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette 2. Steve Kepler, 2013 Nissan GT-R 3. Eric Fleming, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette

Holley EFI GTL Class (Non-compacts under 3,200 pounds)

1. Mike DuSold, 1967 Chevrolet Camaro 2. Ken Thwaits, 2006 Mitsubishi Evo 3. Danny Popp, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette

GTE Class (BEV electric vehicles)

1. Karen Thomas, 2018 Tesla X P100D

GTC Class (Two-wheel drive compacts, 107-inch wheelbase or less)

1. Brian Johns, 1993 Mazda RX-7 2. Douglas Wind, 2004 Dodge SRT-4 3. Jordan Pierce, 2013 Dodge Dart

Spectre Performance Spirit of the Event Award: David Griffin, 2006 Mustang

2018 OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car Schedule

Auto Club Speedway: September 15-16 Road America: October 6-7 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational: November 4-5

The post Mustangs dominate OPTIMA’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network https://www.hotrod.com/articles/mustangs-dominate-optimas-search-ultimate-street-car/ via IFTTT

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Vintage Pulp - Mystery Novels And Short Stories (Dec1939)

Double Action Magazines

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Vintage Pulp - Thrilling Mystery (July1939)

Standard Publications

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Vintage Pulp - Thrilling Mystery (Nov1936)

Art by Rudolph Belarski

Standard Publications

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5 Random Pulps

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Vintage Pulp - Thrilling Mystery (July1939)

Standard Publications

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Vintage Pulp - Thrilling Mystery (Oct1936)

Standard Publications

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Vintage Pulp - Terror Tales (Nov1934) (Popular Publications)

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Vintage Pulp - The Green Ghost Detective (Summer1941) (Better Publications)

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Vintage Pulp - Dime Mystery Magazine (Dec1947) (Popular Publications)

[itsworn]

OPTIMA Searches for the Ultimate Street Car Bowling Green

OPTIMA’s 2018 Search for the Ultimate Street Car, presented by Advance Auto Parts, visits eight different tracks around the country, seeking to invite the very best to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas and the OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) that follows. While Bowling Green Kentucky and NCM Motorsports Park might be more closely associated with cars wearing a Bow Tie emblem, Fords made a strong showing in this mid-South showdown.

Cars competed in six different classes, but Mustangs made up nearly half of the 22-car field in the Franklin Road Apparel GT Class. NCM is the home track of three-time and defending class champion, Bryan Johnson, but he wasn’t able to get his car running in time for the event, leaving the door wide open for someone else to emerge with a class victory, invitation to the 2018 SEMA Show, entry into the OUSCI and potentially a lead in the regular season points chase.

Suspects began to emerge. The Schoch brothers (and daughter Allison) are no strangers to the series and always stout competitors and John Laughlin’s second appearance in the series included a crossover from the dark side and into a 2016 Mustang, but it was Jonathan Blevins’ GT500 that ended up covering the field on this weekend. Blevins finished fourth in the 2017 points chase and started out the 2018 season with a runner-up finish at NOLA Motorsports Park that surpassed his best point total of the entire 2017 season.

Looking to build on that momentum at NOLA, Blevins Cobra won the Lingenfelter Performance Design & Engineering Challenge and finished in the top-20 overall (fourth in class) in the Detroit Speed Autocross opening up a sizable lead after day one. The Schoch brothers, Laughlin and Jason Chinn were all bunched up together, but trailing by at least 13 points. Two events remained on Sunday, which left plenty of opportunities for a shuffle in the standings.

On Sunday, only the Camaros of Clay Shearer and Chinn finished ahead of Blevins on the PowerStop Speed Stop Challenge, but no one could keep pace with Jonathan on the Falken Tire Road Course Time Trial. Blevins finished first in class and seventh overall in that segment, giving him a 19-point win over second-place Jason Chinn and elevating him into first place in the season-long points chase. Jonathan’s 452-point outburst was also a personal best and just the kind of point total that is going to put all kinds of pressure on anyone looking to pass him for the regular season championship.

Meanwhile, in the RECARO GTS Class, Mike Gallagher’s 2016 Focus RS is once again putting together a very solid season in a class littered with high-horsepower Corvettes, Vipers and GT-Rs. Gallagher finished third in the 15-car field, moving him into fourth place in the season-long standings and in excellent position to secure a third trip to Las Vegas at his next event.

Many of the vintage Fords that compete in the series are West coast-based or under construction, which left series rookie, Robert Britton’s 1965 Mustang fastback as the lone representative in the QA1 GTV Class on the weekend. The next event at Pike’s Peak International Raceway is flush with vintage Ford entries, including TV personality, Jeff Allen’s Coyote-powered 1963 Falcon. If these events come to your area, you should definitely take a day to check them out, as there is free admission for spectators. If you’re interested in entering your car, head over to www.DriveOPTIMA.com to learn more about the series and what it takes to run with the world’s best all-around street cars.

Charlie Rogers returned to NCM Motorsports Park for his second event in the series, but the first time running the 3.15-mile Full Grand Course in the Falken Road Course Time Trial. The longer layout includes a straightaway nearly double the length of a dragstrip and some very treacherous turns and significant elevation changes.

Competing in this series is a family affair for the Schochs, as Allison and her dad both competed in this 2016 Mustang, while uncle Tim ran his 2011 Mustang.

QA1 GTV Class (Pre-1990, 3,200+ pounds) 1. Dusty Nixon, 1979 Chevrolet Camaro 2. Joe Gregory, 1964 Chevrolet Corvette 3. Jim Stehlin, 1973 Chevrolet Camaro

RECARO GTS Class (Post-1989, 3,200+ pounds, two-seaters & AWD vehicles) 1. Eric Fleming, 2016 Chevrolet Corvette 2. Chris Neal, 2014 Chevrolet Corvette 3. Mike Gallagher, 2016 Focus RS

Holley EFI GTL Class (Non-compacts under 3,200 pounds) 1. Mike DuSold, 1967 Chevrolet Camaro 2. Danny Popp, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette 3. Ryan Mathews, 2002 Chevrolet Corvette

GTE Class (BEV electric vehicles) 1. Karen Thomas, 2018 Tesla X P100D

GTC Class (Rwo-wheel drive compacts, 107-inch wheelbase or less) 1. Brian Johns, 1993 Mazda RX-7 2. Douglas Wind, 2004 Dodge SRT-4

Franklin Road Apparel GT Class (Post-1989, 3,200+ pounds, 2wd sedans, 4-seater coupes, trucks, etc…) 1. Jonathan Blevins, 2008 Mustang 2. Jason Chinn, 2015 Chevrolet Camaro 3. John Laughlin, 2016 Mustang

Spectre Performance Spirit of the Event Award: Scot Spiewak, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette

2018 OPTIMA Search for the Ultimate Street Car Schedule

Las Vegas Motor Speedway: March 17-19 New Orleans Motorsports Park: April 14-15 National Corvette Museum: June 2-3 Pike’s Peak International Raceway: July 7-8 Barber Motorsports Park: August 4-5 Auto Club Speedway: September 15-16 Road America: October 6-7 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational: November 4-5

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