It's 1961, the Scarabs have been sold to new owners in the Midwest and the Cobra project is still fulminating in the mind of Carroll Shelby.  In the interim, California road courses are dominated by Maserati Type 61 "Birdcages" and Jurassic-era V8 powered Specials.  The photos on this site document an age when the power source was still in front, and giants like Bill Krause, Bob Drake, Ken Miles and others ruled West Coast racing.  At least they seemed like giants to me, at 13.

Who's that goofy-looking kid standing by Ed Leslie's Lotus 20 in front of the old Leslie Motors in Monterey? I'd received a Voigtlander Bessa I medium format camera for my birthday and I used it to take photos at California sports car races between July, 1961, and April, 1962.  I've carefully saved these treasured possessions for over 50 years.  You can see them below. Other photographers have contributed their work to the site, seen below in the sections for "1950s Racing" and "1960s Racing".  "Special Sections" includes my recent photography from today's historic racing events.

Tam's Original Photos! This section features original photos of California racing shot by Tam McPartland in 1961 and 1962.   Photos of 1950s Racing! This section features photos of 1950s racing contributed to the website by other photographers.   Photos of 1960s Racing! This section features photos of 1960s racing contributed to the website by other photographers.   Mystery Cars! Website visitors post here seeking information on their unusual, sometimes weird, and always interesting automobiles.  New, Old, and Miscellaneous photos -- Homepage