Watkins glen, 2nd which was the only race that donohue was beaten by a camaro in 1968. Despite a fight with parkinsons, racecar driver, formula 1 commentator, and author is still as colorful as ever. Sam poseys 1970 dodge challenger ta transam race car. Prusiner of university of california, and former race car driver. Poseys first race was at bridgehampton where he finished 3rd. The track was the wild west back in the 1970s and 80s, but now there are rules about approaching that aforementioned burning car or assisting the driver in immediate peril. View detailed pictures that accompany our sam poseys 1970 dodge challenger ta transam race car article with closeup photos of exterior and interior features. Sam posey has been more than just a fiercely good racing driver. Samuel sam mcquagg november 11, 1935 january 3, 2009 was an american former nascar rookie of the year driver. After retiring from the track, posey became a commentator for abc, winning an emmy award in sportswriting for trans antarctica, the international expedition.
As his career progressed, his work found greater fame on the pages of outlets such as time, life, and sports illustrated, eventually garnering highprofile clients like the big three us automakers and. Profile for racing driver sam posey from united states. How gentlemen settle their differences thats sam posey. Sams dad was killed in japan in world war two, but the young posey had good support from his mother. Sam posey is one of the greats of american motor racing. He raced in the 24 hours of le mans 10 times, finishing in the top 10 five times, with a best finish of. Senna was using all of the tracks surface by driving closer to the safety. Sam posey born 26 may 1944 new york city, new york. Sam was the first driver to lap the track in less than 60 seconds that was a big, big deal when sam did that, in 1967. Sam posey and the cd staff compare detroits 1970 performance cars to the. Prusiner of university of california, and former race car driver sam posey.
He even took time to run the baja and australias biggest race, the bathurst. At first glance, it seems the unlikeliest place to find a feverish car nut. Hes also been an emmyaward winning broadcaster, an architect designing the paddock building near his home at lime rock park, which he was the first driver to l. Thats sam posey on the ground and the late peter revson pummeling sam. How gentlemen settle their differences thats sam posey on. Sam posey collection takes home motor press guild award. Sam was a graduate in design but eschewed this for competing in road racing. Mr 1201, the magic of illusion shows how posey arranged the scees to make interesting photographs. Now another of his cars had broken the lap rec ord, and he could barely conceal.
Ashbourne driver sam randon is aiming high in 2020 after his final race of the year in the millers oils ginetta gt4 supercup. Jun 22, 20 bob varsha say good bye from speed f1 team in brazil grand prix 11252012 duration. Sam posey and skip barber discuss the naming of the sam posey. But it doesnt, and sam posey snaps the shift lever into fourth at seven grand as the speedometer climbs past 110 in one of the absolute wildest street. Sam poseys 1970 challenger scca transam race car roars. Only 43 rearengined fiberglass hustlers were built, though, and posey who is now suffering from parkinson s admitted at the time it was autodynamics own fault. Driver changes would be every two and a half hours, keeping minds and muscles fresh while other teams more typically opposite, top sam posey caught in a reflee tlve mood at mldohlo in july 1971 durlng the formula 5000 race weekend.
He never ended up winning any of the championships he was in but he was a race winner in transam, north american formula a later renamed as the formula 5000 series and also won the 1975 sebring 12 hours. He and his wife joy had recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary career. Representative bill posey has been passionate about cars all his life, and he has been a friend to sema and auto enthusiasts throughout his political career, from his tenure in the florida legislature to his current position in the nations capital. Sam posey is racing royalty, and lime rock is his home track. Courtesy of the sam project sam schmidt, who has been paralyzed below the shoulders since slamming into a wall 14 years ago. It was a support race in the final outing of the british touring car championship at brands hatch, watched by 40,000 spectators and a live tv audience. Few in motorsports will deny that sam posey is of the most capable drivers to climb behind the wheel of a race car. Nothing i read as a follower of sports car racing when he was behind the wheel ever even hinted at sam being other than a serious driver and a gentleman. It also gives a better sense of sam posey as a model railroader with a vision. As if to prove it, when we catch up with the race car driver, formula 1 commentator, and author of the mudge pond express, one of the 1970s. Samuel john sammy snider was born on june 22nd, 1937 on the home farm near victoria square, ontario.
The front straight there is named sam posey straight. The work is coming together in pieces in a section of the old whiting mills complex that griesedieck bought with her husband, the race car driver sam posey. Sep 22, 2004 mr 1201, the magic of illusion shows how posey arranged the scees to make interesting photographs. That puts them well above more pedestrian hot allwheeldrive competitors.
Posey was a driver at le mans 10 times and won the 12 hours of sebring in 1975. Perhaps the most popular car in the entire state of connecticut on this day. With sam posey as the primary driver for the team, autodynamics campaigned these cars in the glory days of the 1970 scca transam series. He lost his parents to 2 separate accidental deaths by the time he was 20 years old, and even though he was born on a farm, his true passion was the lure of car racing.
Few in the realm of motorsports will deny that one of the most capable drivers to climb behind the wheel of a race car is mr. May 10, 2010 this mercedes 300sl gullwing was a 14yearold sam posey s first car the racing legend got his start drifting this mercedes around the family farm, two years before he could get a license. In the second heat, posey would come back and edge dittemore into second place, but on averaged results jim dittemore was easily the race winner. Well at sebring in 1972 he got thrown out of the race because he got black flagged for passing under the yellow. Born in columbus, georgia, mcquagg was named nascar rookie of the year in 1965 after achieving 5 top10 finishes in 16 races. And that was just two years after his very first race here, in a formula vee, a car that has less than a fifth of the power of. In the 1970s he not only won at sebring and finished on the podium at le mans, but also published a highly regarded.
Worked for speedvision commentated for over 10 years, and still occasionally on tv and also writes, paints and is a railroad expert, but has sadly been in illhealth recently suffering from parkinsons disease, which he was diagnosed with in 1995. Sam posey indianapolis motor speedway hagerty articles. Sam posey was a wealthy new yorker whose father had died during world war ii. Sam posey was a professional race car driver for nearly twenty years. Join sam posey as he laps the indianapolis motor speedway in rodger wards leader card special, the classic frontengine roadster that won the 1962 indy 500. He loved to race especially on road courses and was equally adept in sports cars or openwheelers. Later, he scored lime rock wins in the imsa gtu class in both 1978 and 1979 driving datsun 240zs prepared by bob sharp. By sam posey photos by richard prince may 10, 2010 i first spotted the sl in a local showroom where they often had exotic cars on display. Dec 19, 2004 when sam posey s wife, ellen, announced she was pregnant with their first child, he knew then and there he would be building a toy train layout. Mural project honors the american worker hartford courant. After retiring from the track, posey became a more about sam posey. Chinettis car won in 1965, it was the last time a ferrari won at le mans. Bob varsha say good bye from speed f1 team in brazil grand prix 11252012 duration. Attendance at its signature event, the indianapolis 500, was over 300,000.
The le grand mk7 raced by sam posey in the f5000 series in 1968 imrrc photo. This quadriplegic racer drives a corvette by tilting his head image. He died of cancer on january 3, 2009 at the age of 73. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. Sam posey recaps the 2016 formula 1 world championship season in a season passes by, an essay which aired during todays abu dhabi grand prix. Building a new race car from scratch attack of the killer bs. Apr 01, 2010 1974 12 hours of sebring race profile. And that was just two years after his very first race here, in a formula vee, a car that has less than a fifth of the power of that mclaren. Posey finished second in his final race, a 500miler in august 1981 at elkhart lake, wisconsin, paired with redman in a lola t600chevrolet. Mar 12, 2014 this car, sporting race number 25, is part of the bmw of north america classic collection and is configured as it raced and won at the 1975 running of the 12 hours of sebring with drivers brian redman, hans stuck, sam posey and alan moffat. This quadriplegic racer drives a corvette by tilting his. Sam posey started as an amateur sports car racer, and graduated to the can am and trans am.
Well at sebring in 1972 he got thrown out of the race. Click on the year to see the standings for that year. Concours delegance, where this years honored guest was sam posey, lime rock park owner skip barber announced that the tracks front straightaway is now officially sam posey straight. Posey raced the sunoco camaro for roger penske in 1968 in the trans am series.
Model railroader is the worlds largest magazine on model trains and model railroad layouts. Sam is also and architect, designing the timing tower at lime rock park. Sam poseys railroad model railroader magazine model. To me, this is the more interesting article, because it talks about the subject of composition in model railroad scenery. This mercedes 300sl gullwing was a 14yearold sam poseys. Sam posey on driving, artisanship and the wooly transam years. Sam posey signs off f1 2016 with a season passes by video. Sep 21, 2015 sam was no second string driver either. He pulled into the pits and proceeded to threaten a race official.
Now another of his cars had broken the lap rec ord, and he could barely conceal his pride. Sam has a very eloquent way with words and he really knows how to tell a story. Poseys car was the same sunoco blue with yellow lettering as donohue. Sam posey reflects on lewis hamiltons journey in first 200 gps video by tony dizinno aug 29, 2017, 11. Tony hulman purchased the indianapolis motor speedway shortly after world war ii. Parkinsons disease neurological disorders in the movies. Although occasionally in a wheelchair, posey remains active, youngatheart and upbeat, but. When sam poseys wife, ellen, announced she was pregnant with their first child, he knew then and there he would be building a toy train layout. Prepped by dan gurney and driven by sam posey in the golden era of scca transam racing hear this factorybacked 1970 dodge challenger come to. In 1969 he won the trans am at lime rock in connecticut. Education and early racing career having studied design at rhode island, posey seemed more interested in racing cars than anything else on graduation.
It was successfully kept secret for weeks in order to surprise a racing legend. He raced this car here to a 3rd place finish in 1970. Richard childress, chip ganassi among 7 inductees to. Sam posey a lifetime of achievements sports car digest.
Apr, 2020 the track was the wild west back in the 1970s and 80s, but now there are rules about approaching that aforementioned burning car or assisting the driver in immediate peril. Here he is in 1971 in a ferrari he codrove with tony adamowicz. Parkinsons disease and huntingtons disease with eric kandel of columbia university, stanley fahn of columbia university, allen goorin of harvard university, anne b. Sam posey has to be one of the most interesting characters to ever climb behind the wheel of a transam car not only was he a talented driver but he later went on to become a sports broadcaster and journalist. A wealthy patriarch, he plowed all profits back into the track, making it the finest in the world. Ford mustang boss 302, chevy ss454 chevelle, plymouth duster 340 detroits challenge to a legend. For more than 40 years, racing fans all over the world have followed sam poseys unique career as a driver, writer, and broadcaster. It seems that peter had a difference of opinion on what happened on the track at riverside raceway in 1970.
Weve been working on the hustler now for four years, and its still not quite finished, he told car and driver. Pro driver sam posey competed for years before replacing his helmet with a microphone and becoming a star u. This car, sporting race number 25, is part of the bmw of north america classic collection and is configured as it raced and won at the 1975 running of the 12 hours of sebring with drivers brian redman, hans stuck, sam posey and alan moffat. The car he initially raced may have been among his least favorites, and the series in which he raced may have been motorsports bestkept secret, but that wont stop sam posey from sharing stories about the f5000 series at the international motor racing research center at watkins glen, new york. Barber reported that posey was rendered speechless by the surprise honor.
This hustler was racer sam poseys personal sports car. Exclusive racing video sam posey drives the leader card. Sam s driving career started in the mid1960s, when sports. Sam posey, a former racing driver that competed for the surtees team in the 70s, has some opinions on the subject. Sam posey s layout visit in the spring of 2005, several tamr members visited noted model railroader sam posey s home layout in western connecticut. Chevrolet won the championship based on the penske team effort.
His career highlights include a fifth place in the indianapolis 500 and a win in the twelve hours of sebring. This mercedes 300sl gullwing was a 14yearold sam poseys first car the racing legend got his start drifting this mercedes around the family farm, two years before he could get a license. Mark donohue was the lead driver and he won a remarkable 10 of races. Sam posey is a retired american racing driver and sports broadcast journalist. Race was given the red and checkered flags signifying the race would end early on lap 174 due to rain caution begun on lap 171. Sam poseys layout visit in the spring of 2005, several tamr members visited noted model railroader sam poseys home layout in western connecticut. Lime rock park has honored one of the tracks most storied drivers, sam posey, by naming the front straight the sam posey straight. This was the final race for mary catherine mom unser mother of jerry, bobby, and al, a fixture in the garage area who was famous for her spicy chili. Sam randon racing from karting novice to race car driver. Jun 27, 2016 posey raced in canam, transam, indy car, sports cars, formula one and nascar competition. I loved his comments about what was required to be competitive in the transam series and what was. Just for kicks thats sam posey on the ground and the late peter revson pummeling sam. Sir john young jackie stewart, obe born 11 june 1939 is a british former formula one racing driver from scotland. I was fanatical about becoming a racing driver, and here was a connection with mercedesbenz and all the.
Sam posey retired early from the first heat with an oil leak, and later david hobbs retired too. Over 20 years, his career included drives in just about every single major category and event. Despite a battle with parkinsons, hes kept very busy. As if to prove it, when we catch up with the racecar driver, formula 1 commentator, and author of the mudge pond express, one of the 1970s. Mar 04, 2017 sam posey is 72 years old and as colorful as ever. Apr 06, 2014 sam posey, a former racing driver that competed for the surtees team in the 70s, has some opinions on the subject. He pulled into the pits and proceeded to threaten a race. Icm, formula a, usac indy cars, imsa and formula 5000, to the sebring 12hrs, daytona 24hrs.
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