| From Michael Heinecke:
"I am the stepson of Paul
B. Cunningham who did campaign many #37's. Paul started out in H
production driving a little known Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite.
The Sprite started sporting a cartoonish Sprite with a hand reaching out
over the front wheel well, it was made out of self-adhering vinyl that
had his racing #37 on it (we had to remove the #s and the masking
tape from the car after the race because dad would drive the car
to and from work daily), it became known as the "Grabbing Hand" Sprite.
I know this because it was my handiwork.
He drove many different
cars over his shortened career, Sprite, AH 100, the 'Terrible Tempest',
several Devins including the mystery car #37, the Kurtis-Pontiac
#37, a private owned Ford Cobra (Campaigned against the team Cobra's)
and I'm sure there were others I can't remember due to my higher interest
in girls during that era. I usually towed the race cars to the events
and dad would drive to the event later with mom.
As you are probably aware
dad was killed on the track at Willow Springs about 1964, and my
mom died in 2001. I have never been able to find anything of his
racing career, I guess all the photos are lost.
I do know that he is the
driver in your #37 mystery photo, and I do remember that Jim Chaffee owned
the car along with another gentleman who was a Sales Manager at a Buick
Agency in the Montclair, CA area. Were you aware that Paul
was one of the early drivers that helped found the SCCA drivers school
at Riverside Raceway? I think he and Bob Bondurant and others had
the idea and desire to create such a school.
I would like to correspond
with the current owner of the #37 Kurtis-Pontiac that you refer to as being
at Goodwood 2003. I also would like very much if others that come
to your site could share with me any photos they may have of the #37 cars
for the period 1960-1964. Thank you for sponsoring such a moving
site, I am wiping tears away as I type, I am so touched that someone is
paying tribute to many of the great drivers of the past, many of whom are
not with us anymore. If you or others want to correspond with me
I will try not to have too many 'senior moments' and share what I remember."
Michael L. Heineke(Stepson
of Paul B. Cunningham, ol #37)
m.heineke@comcast.net |
