| From modelmaker
and website visitor Paul House:
"I've been enjoying the photos
from Martin Hill's collection. The Ken Miles picture with him standing
by his MG TF could be 1954. It looks like he's being interviewed.
I had a look in my Ken Miles book by Art Evans and he raced an MG TF at
Torrey Pines on July 3rd, 1954."
From historic
racer and website contributor Bob
Engberg:
"I was looking at the Martin
photo of Ken Miles. I don't think it was taken
at Torrey. The trees don't
look right (not Torrey Pines and not eucalyptus)
and the more formal attire
of the spectators, and the presence of stands,
make me think it's at Pebble
Beach. And could that be John von Neumann in the red, with blonde
Eleanor also in red?"
From author and historian
Michael
T. Lynch:
"Here's how I dope it out.
Miles ran the TF in three races in 1954, Golden Gate, Pebble Beach and
Torrey Pines. Engberg is right that it is John and Eleanor von Neumann
in the background, next to Johnny's Porsche 550. That eliminates
Torrey Pines, because John didn't run the Spyder there. So we have
to choose between Pebble and Golden Gate. That's Harry Eyerly's Crosley
Special next to the TF. Unfortunately for our quest, Eyerly ran both
Pebble and Golden Gate in 1954, winning his class at Pebble. However,
I go with Golden Gate, because of the sartorial excellence of the crowd,
a situation that hasn't changed between North and South in 50 years."
More from Michael:
"I got ahead of myself on
the Miles question. He actually ran the TF four
times. One of them
was not Pebble. Willow Springs, Golden Gate, Torrey Pines (July),
Santa Barbara (Sept). Of those four races, the only one where
von Neumann's Spyder competed was Golden Gate. While I didn't look
it up, my guess is that it was also the only one where Eyerly's Crosley
raced. Case closed." |