Bob Harris

drove the Campbell Special in 1961-62.  This was one of the first successful Chevy V8 powered mid-engined sports/racing cars.  Harris qualified for the 1961 Riverside GP, drove conservatively, and finished the race.

On September 3rd, 1962, Harris crashed at the modified Santa Barbara airport circuit.  As today's kids would say -- he got "major air" in a spectacular flying, spinning rollover.

The car was rebuilt by Campbell and raced in 1963 by Jim Parkinson.  Where is this very significant car today?

8-22-05:  The Campbell Special, owned, restored, and driven, by Tom Mittler re-appeared at the 2005 Monterey Historics!
 

Harris at Riverside.  Judging from subsequent performance, he could have challenged the leaders.

Note "long tail" configuration in this photo and below.  When the car appeared for the 1962 season the tail was chopped short.

 
 
Stirling Moss in the Lotus Mk.19 passes Harris in Turn 6 during the 1961 L.A. Times Grand Prix" at Riverside.
 
 
Bill Campbell (leaning on roll bar) talks to Harris (sunglasses) and another at Riverside in March, 1962.  The big man in the blue hat could be Dan Blocker, "Hoss" on TV's "Bonanza" series.

Blocker was a sponsor and crew member with the Campbell effort.  He later created the "Vinegaroon" team that first raced the ex-Bill Krause Elva Mk.6-Maserati and then a very potent Genie-Chevy.

Can anyone identify any others here?

Website visitor Jim Hawes identifies the main in the blue shirt as Santee creator Fred Puhn.

 
At this legendary Riverside event Harris dueled Dave MacDonald in his  "00" Special for the lead in one of Riverside's most famous battles.  The two traded the lead frequently and lapped quickly enough to have been competitive in the 1961 Riverside GP a few months earlier.

MacDonald won when Harris lost fuel pressure.

Link!  Harris leading at Stockton in April, 1962.

New! More Campbell Special photos!

Video!  See the Campbell Special in action at Santa Barbara in May, 1962.
 

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All photographs and text are the property of Tam McPartland and are protected under United States and international copyright laws.  All rights are reserved and the images and/or text may not be digitized, reproduced, stored, manipulated, and/or incorporated into other works without the written permission of the photographer, Tam McPartland