| "Index of
Performance"
Emulating the LeMans 24 hour
race, the two six hour enduros held at Torrey Pines on Oct. 25, 1955 and
Jan. 14, 1956 featured an "Index of Performance" award. This used
a handicap formula to theoretically equalize the performance differential
between the larger and smaller engined cars.
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| "This photo shows one of
the nice looking DB Panhards coming out of turn 3 (or 5?), driven by Francois
Crouzet. I believe he won the Index of Performance in the January '56 enduro."
(In the 1950s and early 1960s,
750cc. opposed-twin Panhard powered DB (Deutsch-Bonnet) cars like this
one dominated the "Index of Performance" contest at LeMans.
TM)
(Crouzet won the "Index of
Performance at both the October enduro, where he finished 11th o.a, and
in the January event where he placed 14th o.a. He drove both races
"iron man" without a relief driver. Info from Bob Norton's
scans of "Motoracing" Volume 1 #2 & #8) |
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| "A sorry photo of the Moretti
(750cc) owned and driven by John Biehl, a long time early San Diego SCCA
driver. He went in too deep going into turn 9 and went off towards the
electrical transformers that were protected by a high, and evidently very
strong, fence. John was OK but the car was not. He later used the pieces
to run an "H mod" car. John is the fellow who brought back the Veritas
from Europe that eventually went to La Jollan Walter Roach and is now restored
and in Germany." |
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"This car ia an Abarth 207A,
the very car that Fred Puhn bought
some 30 years later and restored. It was one of about 12 of the Fiat engined
cars and while they were beautiful to look at, they were underpowered and
heavy and no match for the Lotus Mk IX in competition. I took the photo
early in the morning as cars were going to tech. You can see the fog.
(I can still smell the eucalyptus and damp haybales.)"
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