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Started in Formula Vee
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Bob Gilbert, 3rd reports that the "buyer from Texas" was his Dad - Bob Gilbert, Jr. [note:7/27/17]
Bob also reports that the picture above of Jack Griffin is, in fact, his father Bob Gilbert, Jr. Jack
was a customer in Bob's shop - Bob Gilbert Foreign Motors, in Fort. Worth, TX.
[note:7/27/17]
The pictures of the white car above and below are also Bob Gilbert, Jr racing at
Greenvalley Raceway between Ft. Worth and Dallas in 1963. The 'drift' above resulted
in an unfortunate end where Bob was knocked unconscious temporarily
(see more pix and notes below) [note:7/27/17]
Slight miscalculation of grip level - Greenvalley Raceway 1963.
This is Dad with the Owners of Formcar in Orlando with Dad, helmet in hand ready to do a test drive in the very first Formula Vee.
'Dad' being Bob Gilbert, Jr.. pix and info from Bob Gilbert 3rd.
Dad in red shirt with his famously numbered "69" whitch he could very quickly change to 86, 88 etc.
Gilbert Formcar log book June 1963. "Only car of its kind west of the Mississippi." No class listed for competition since SCCA had not yet recognized the class.
More info from BG, 3rd....
He and Carrol Shelby where close friends in the Valley of Texas
where I grew up in the early '50's.
Dad was the Regional Executive for Texas Region of SCCA and was able to
bring Bob Bodurant and Ken Miles with the famous 350 Flying Mustang
on its first outing to Greenvalley Raceway. I still have the
posters.
I was there to see it all.
I thought that nows the time to start bringing this material into
the public like and correcting some errors of past authors and
giving Dad his due.
There are hundreds of stories like the above. My Father was not a
press hound and unfortunately he was not very much covered by the
press, but his achievements speak for themselves.
His big claim to fame was building a 1952 MGTD in cooperation with
the "American Sealant Company", later in '63 it became Loctite. I
have all the photographs of the build, the press releases, the
powers to be at American Sealant Company in
Connecticut of the "Loctite Sealant Special".
AAll Gilbert Pictures, Copyright by Robert L. Gilbert, III all rights reserved. Used with permission