victory in f-production at santa barbara, in his mga that doane … · 2012-11-02 ·...

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Sept. 1, 1963, Jim Adams takes thevictory in F-Production at SantaBarbara, in his MGA that DoaneSpencer helped to prepare. L to R: Marilyn Fox, Jim Adams in MGA and Del Owens.

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Doane Spencer was born in 1923, andbrought up in Southern California. Hegraduated from North Hollywood High in1941, despite the fact that he was moreenamored with hot rods than school. Afterhigh school, Spencer joined the Navy, andhis 5’10” 128lb. stature landed him the roleof tail-gunner over the South Pacific inWorld War II. Working on airplanes while inthe Navy certainly helped, but the reality wasthat Spencer was a self-taught mechanicalgenius and metal master. His first hot rod,his ’32 Ford roadster, is regarded by many tobe the most iconic of those ever built. Thefact that he built this car at the age of 26speaks to his innate brilliance. Though theSpencer Deuce is now well-known in itspresent restored state, like all of hismasterpieces, it was in a constant state ofevolution during his time with it.

Spencer’s capabilities and interestsresulted in him being one of the firstemployees at Alex Xydias’ So-Cal Speed

any racing enthusiastshave probably heard of

Jim Adams or Doane Spencer.Some may think of Jim Adams asthe driver of a very successfulSunbeam Tiger or perhaps one ofmany IMSA GTP cars, and DoaneSpencer as the builder of one ofthe most iconic ’32 Ford roadstersin hot rod history. What many don’tknow, is how Adams and Spencerwere stitched together for morethan 20 years of racing—Adamsmanning the wheel of some of themost ingenious and well-turned outDoane Spencer-built race cars ofthe time. Though both wereconnected early in their efforts togo road racing, getting to that pointwas quite different for each.

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Shop. While at So-Cal, Spencer played withsome “sports cars,” even stuffing a flatheadFord (V8-60) into an MG, or as he liked tocall them, a “You’re a Peon” car. Severalarticles and even more recent TV showcoverage follows Spencer’s hot rod prowess,but we’re sticking to sports cars.

Following So-Cal Speed Shop, Spencerworked at Jim Parkinson’s Burbank SportsCars. Another employee, Chic Vandagriff,noted his work ethic and mechanical genius.Vandagriff said that Spencer was the onlyguy in the shop who could diagnose anyproblem, rebuild it better, and keep the carsand his work area clean. In 1960, whenVandagriff left Burbank Sports Cars to startHollywood Sport Cars (HSC), he made surethat Spencer came with him. From 1961-63,West Coast small-bore productioncompetition was dominated by an HSCAustin-Healey and MGB driven by RonnieBucknum. In 1962, Spencer was evenawarded “Mechanic of the Year” by theSCCA. Spencer also built a Sunbeam Alpinethat Jerry Titus drove with success during

this period. Again,these early successes

of Spencer and HSC are worthy of morediscussion, but we need to stay on point.

Jim Adams was born in Los Angeles,California, in 1937. His first real desire forroad racing occurred while working in themountains of Southern California as alifeguard. While driving to and from work,Adams would street race an XK120 Jaguaron the roads between San Bernardino andCrestline. Adams did some local hillclimbs in

an Austin-Healey, sponsored by a local gasstation owner, and won. Adams then boughtan MGA and started road racing in local Cal-Club events. It wasn’t long before Adamsfigured out that Doane Spencer was the mostknowledgeable person around when it cameto making a British sports car perform.Adams would go to HSC just to talk toSpencer and glean more information on howto build or equip his MGA for success.


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Celebrating their Santa Barbara win, Vince Hotchkiss,Ronnie Bucknum (w/flag), Doane Spencer, Jim Adams,

unidentified, Marilyn Fox and Del Owens (w/flag)

5Jim Adams in the HSC MGB. Note the changes HSC and Spencer made to the car for 1964 (Silverstone mag wheels,Spencer handmade cockpit tonneau and lower front valance brake ducts).



Coming Together As Adams remembers it,Ronnie Bucknum, thedriver for HollywoodSport Cars, hurt hisshoulder in a surfingaccident and couldn’t raceone weekend. Adams hadcaught the eye of Spencerwhile racing his quickMGA, and Spencerrecommended Adams getthe HSC MGB seat oneweekend. Adams got theride, and remembersturning a faster time thanBucknum had in the samecar, on the same course.

Bucknum was still HSC’s main driverafter this performance by Adams, but it setthe stage for when Bucknum left to pursuean opportunity with Honda in Formula 1.Indeed, Adams got the job when Bucknumleft. Adams believes he got the nod overseveral others because Spencer convincedVandagriff of his natural abilities andpotential. This initial trust in Adams’ abilitiestransitioned into a life-long mutual respectthat produced an excellent team of mechanicand driver. If Adams thought something waswrong, Spencer didn’t question it; he just setout to correct it.

Adams continued to have a great deal ofsuccess in the MGB that Bucknum hadoriginally driven, and Doane Spencer addedeven more tweaks to the MGB during 1964.Per Cris Vandagriff, Bucknum noticed someof these changes, and he gave Spencer a hardtime for not doing this during his time withthe car. Though surely not mentioned toBucknum, many believe and know thatSpencer has a stronger bond and relationship

with Jim Adams. The feeling was mutual.Adams is quick to tell you that he’d have“probably drove a roller skate, if Doane hadbuilt it for (me).”

In November of 1964, the HSC MGB wasinvited to the inaugural American Road Raceof Champions (ARRC) at Riverside. Adamsshowed very well, and finished second toBob Tullius’ TR4 in the ultra-competitive D-Production class.

Mold That TigerAfter limited success with Lew Spencer in aShelby-prepared Tiger in 1964, Ian Garrad,West Coast manager of the RootesGroup/Sunbeam, went looking elsewhere.Garrad believed that Duane Spencer andHSC would build the most capable SunbeamTiger, and that Adams showed the drivingtalent needed to beat the Shelby Mustangsand Corvettes that were dominating SCCAB-Production.

Though a book could be written on themodifications that Spencer put into this car,

I’ll note just one … theengine. With the Tiger,Spencer was provided theopportunity to couple hishot rod expertise in aFord-powered road racer.The SCCA homologationfor the Tiger forcedSpencer to keep the engineat 260cid, but his customhead porting, the ultra-high compression andhandmade exhaust systemmade it a match for therest of the largerdisplacement competition.

A standard headgasket wouldn’t hold up

to the 14-to-1 compression Spencer wantedto use, so he used an old hot rod trick. Heused a 289 block, then sleeved it down to a260 bore with a cylinder liner, and left theliner proud of the deck. He then machineda groove around the cylinder, so that hecould install a copper generator wire to actas an O-ring to seal the combustionchamber. Head gaskets and power werenever a problem. The brakes however, weremarginal.

With nine wins on the season—evensome overall wins against A-ProductionShelby Cobras—they more than qualifiedAdams and the Tiger for the 1965 AmericanRoad Race of Champions (ARRC) atDaytona, Florida.

Legs and LoyalityTo better illustrate the relationship betweenthe pairing, we need to step back monthsbefore the ARRC. Adams broke his leg in adirt-bike accident. Spencer was so loyal toAdams that he refused Rootes’ desire to have

No, you can’t peek!It’s stock, I tell you.Doane Spencer toChic Vandagriff.Spencer was the1962 SCCA Mechanicof the Year.

May ’65, Jim Adams inthe HSC Sunbeam Tiger.

May, 1965, Santa Barbara. Adams debutsthe HSC Sunbeam Tiger. P

HOTO BOB SCHILLING RIVERSIDE IN

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PHOTO DOANA SPENCER-RAQUEPO COLLECTION

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Ken Miles run the Tiger in additional eventswhile Adam’s leg healed. As Cris Vandagriffnotes, this loyalty that these racers had foreach other, and to Hollywood Sport Cars,probably hampered their individualopportunities for glory. The collectivecharacter and feelings for their relationshipwas obviously larger and more importantthan personal egos.

Once at the 1965 ARRC, the duo thoughtthey had something for the Shelby GT-350s,and though recently off crutches, Adamsqualified the Tiger on the second row.Unfortunately, a back-marker Corvette (DaveHeinz) ended all the hopes on the first lap ofthe race when the Corvette skidded out ofcontrol and slammed into Adams. Thoughhe made it back to the pits for Spencer toinspect, the impact from the Corvette hadsheered the rear leaf spring shackles. Adamstook it back out on track, but soon stoppedonce the car proved impossible to handle.The collective hopes of winning the nationalB-Production title for themselves, HSC andRootes/Sunbeam were over.

Shelby American also hired Adams as adriver for their Cobra Daytona Coupe in1965 (and again later for their Trans-AmMustangs). Shelby’s own Ken Miles hadprovided the recommendation. The firstShelby American drive had Adams paired upwith Lew Spencer, who was then relieved byPhil Hill in a Daytona Coupe at Sebring,1965 (chassis# CSX 2602).

There were four Daytona Coupes beingrun by Shelby American at this event.Adams was one of eight drivers. Though thiswas his first race in a Daytona Coupe, heout-qualified all of his Shelby teammates,and was the fastest car in the GT class.

And while we’re mentioning Phil Hill,Adams tells of him asking how it figured thata 260-powered Sunbeam Tiger had beensuch a near match for Phil’s 427 Cobra atCandlestick Park in 1965. Adams, being ashumble a driver as I’ve ever met, determinedtheir competitiveness was more a matter of

the tight confines of Candlestick suiting theTiger than it was Spencer’s genius or Adams’ability behind the wheel of the Tiger.

Though the HSC Healey, MGB and Tigerwere thoroughly “trick,” with numerous re-engineered bits by Spencer, the rules of thevarious production classes kept the cars in


PHOTO CRIS VANDAGRIFF COLLECTION

McLaren #20/09 getting the full attention of DoaneSpencer and Jim Adams.

McLaren #20/09 with all “first round”Spencer modifications at Willow Springs

in 1965, with Jim Adams aboard.



check. The next Hollywood Sport Cars-funded Doane Spencer creation would notbe bound by as many rules. See, ChicVandagriff was an integral part of theformation and guiding thoughts on the Can-Am series, and he wanted one of hisdealership’s cars to be a part of the series.Vandagriff ordered his McLaren from CarlHaas and he received the ninth McLaren-Elva MkI made (chassis# 20/09).

Though the McLaren-Elva MkI wasalready the most advanced HSC race car todate, it didn’t stop Spencer from immediatelymodifying the car. Some of the changes wereto revise the MkI front bodywork to lower theleading edge profile, most likely in an attemptto provide more downforce … or just achieveless lift. He also changed the design of thedriver roll hoop, added his own cross-ramWeber-equipped 289 Ford, installed aSchroeder rack and pinion and fitted pin-drive knock-off magnesium wheels.

Perhaps the modification in this first-round effort that provides the most insightinto Spencer’s genius was what he did to thechassis. He skinned the entire belly of the carand lower sills/rockers/fuel cells inaluminum. The “skinning” was to strengthena chassis that was said to be a bit too flexible.Many say that Spencer performed this modto the HSC McLaren before the “team cars.”

However, there was already a problem.Within two months of receipt (early August’65), the revised and updated McLaren-ElvaMkII’s were already racing. Though Chic wasfurious about the whole situation, and eventhreatened a return of the car to Haas, theykept the chassis. Spencer began modifyingthe McLaren, again. So much time, effort andresources went into this that evenpublications like Competition Press &Autoweek began to refer to the car as the“Million Dollar McLaren.” This second roundof work progressed up and until the Can-Amdebut event at St. Jovite, Canada, inSeptember, 1966.

Though the HSC McLaren didn’t garner

podiums in the 1966 Can-Am events, it didcollect a respectable 9th-place finish at theLaguna Seca round (Monterey Grand Prix,October ’66). The car had good pace, butdrivability and overall reliability were inquestion with the maxed-out, yet stillundersized, small-block Ford engine.

Over the winter of 1966, the rearbodywork on McLaren 20/09 got wider tohouse the ever-growing Firestone rearrubber. The car also received Chevy powerfor the first time in 1967. According to ChicVandagriff, the engine was purchased fromAl Bartz, without Spencer’s involvement.Vandagriff knew that Spencer, a die-hardFord man, wouldn’t want to switch to Chevypower. According to Adams, the new Chevyengine transformed the car. Wins in 1967 atboth Willow Springs and Santa Barbarawould seem to back up his feelings.

The 1967 Can-Am and USRRC eventsstill surfaced some problems, but thecontinual additions by Spencer seemed toprovide additional pace. One effort to pickup the pace at the Kent USRRC race, as toldby Cris Vandagriff, also provides a bit ofinsight into Adams’ sense of humor.

“There was a ‘bypass’ on a part of thetrack no one could see, and Jim used it. Allof a sudden Jim was a couple of seconds upon the entire field. Everyone thought he didthe time! Of course he didn’t come clean fora really long while. It was a great prank—made dad [Chic] and Doane proud!”

A Respite and Then … More RacingAfter the 1967 season, Adams took a two-year hiatus from racing.

While apart in 1968, HSC and Spencerbuilt an M6B McLaren that Jerry Titus drove.

Jim Adams races the HSC McLaren M1A-20-09/Ford to 9th O.A. at Laguna Seca’s Oct. ’66 Monterey GP.

Jim Adams at Willow Springswith the Ferrari 612 P.

Sebring 12 Hours, 1981. Jim Adams and ChrisCord lasted 94 laps after starting in 13th

position in the DeKon Monza.

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PHOTO BOB TRONOLONE



Canadian Terry Godsall, already a partner ofTitus in other racing endeavors, lent somefinancial assistance to the venture. In 1969,Ferrari loaned a 612 to Chris Amon for ChicVandagriff to run in Can-Am. Spencerwrenched (along with Roger Bailey) andAmon drove.

For 1970, a 512S Ferrari (chassis #1040)brought Spencer and Adams back together.The car was fielded by Earle-Cord Racing/Professional Racing Ltd. (Steve Earle andChris Cord, owner). Spencer was themechanic and Cris Vandagriff was there ashis assistant and apprentice.

Cris Vandagriff remembers the 1970 Mid-Ohio Can-Am race with this car. “PedroRodriguez drove a super trick NART 512 atthe same race. Our car was basically stock.Pedro and Jim set the same lap time, andwere 5th and 6th on the grid—with 5.0-literengines. Jim got food poisoning and didn’ttell anyone. He got so sick he passed out,came into the pits—unconscious! We had tograb the car as it rolled by to stop it. Wepulled Jim out, I stayed with him until theambulance arrived. He had a core temp of105. Steve Earle grabbed Bondurant to putin the car. My dad (Chic Vandagriff) keptbegging him not to, but he did anyway. After20 laps Bondurant was still much slowerthan Jim!”

After the Mid-Ohio Can-Am, this 512(#1040) was sold to Roger Penske and KirkWhite. The Penske team re-bodied andmodified the car into their own take of a512M.

The next Can-Am entry, for later races in1970 and 1971 was the Ferrari 612P(chassis #0866). This was the same chassisthat Chic and Spencer helped Chris Amonrun in 1969. Now it was owned by apartnership including Steve Earle, ChrisCord and Chic Vandagriff.

As with nearly every car before, Spencerdid a tremendous amount of modification tothe chassis and bodywork of the 612Pbecause nearly the whole back half of the

original chassis was cut off and placed in theweeds behind his shop.

Much of the bodywork didn’t fare muchbetter. This may seem sacrilegious to thetifosi, but Spencer didn’t place Ferrari on apedestal. As a matter of fact, many will tellyou that one of Spencer’s most memorablelines is that “a Ferrari should be deliveredfrom the factory with the fender covers inplace.”

Spencer made the back half of the chassisfrom scratch, utilizing more than just smallround tubing, and the engine became astressed member. Afterwards Amon said thatthis 612P handled as good as or better than athen-current “team” McLaren. Given thesethoughts of Amon, one might wonder ifsome of Spencer’s redesign work with the612P was because the Ferrari factoryconstruction standards just weren’t up to his.

And beyond all of Spencer’s fabricationtalents, he was also a fabulous mechanic andengine builder. Turns out he was one of thefew, if not only, private parties that was

trusted by the Ferrari factory to rebuild theseengines on his terms and premises.

A fourth at Donnybrooke and a coupleof 8th-place finishes at Mosport andLaguna Seca were very respectable resultsfor the 612P given the 1970 and ’71 Can-Am opposition.

The Dekon MonzasAfter the 612P, Adams stepped away fromprofessional road racing for a bit. Spencerdabbled in many efforts over the next fewyears, but the duo didn’t come back togetherin earnest until 1977. One of their oldFerrari Can-Am owners, Chris Cord, broughtthem back together with a Chevy Monza.Cord had acquired a DeKon Monza (chassis1011), and went gradually into both Trans-Am and IMSA competition. By 1979, whenCord began to compete at most of thescheduled IMSA events, Spencer hadexecuted some very large changes in theMonza. Most visibly, he worked with WayneHartman to transform the factory bodywork.Nearly every dzus-on panel was morepurposeful, elaborate and elegant, whilemanaging to be lighter weight and betterfitting than the standard DeKon pieces.Spencer also altered the driving position sothe driver’s legs weren’t a couple inchesaskew of the steering wheel, like the as-delivered DeKons.

Large Girling Porsche-style calipers, overthe Lockheed-supplied units, wereemployed. Spencer also laid the radiatormore towards horizontal to allow the exitinghot air to be expelled out of a beautifullyshaped duct in the hood.

Outside the function, each interior panelwas more shapely, and like the bodywork,better-fitting than the “as delivered” items.Spencer’s fabrication work was soimpeccable, that nothing needed paint tocover a flaw in finish or construction. All thetinwork was black anodized once completed.This beautiful work was done to a carSpencer wished he could re-skin with Pintobodywork … and run a Ford engine. We’rereally talking about a Ford guy at heart.

In 1979, at the height of Porsche’sdominance with the twin-turbo 935s, Adamsheld the lead at the IMSA Times Grand Prixof Endurance at Riverside. While undercaution, and again, in the lead, a Porschepunted Adams’ Monza off course. Thisexcursion damaged the front suspension,and the car was forced to retire.

Another interesting story Adamsremembers from his time with the Monzastook place in May of 1980, at the Laguna SecaIMSA event. By this time Spencer had re-crafted both DeKon 1011 and 1012 for Cord.

Adams notes that the incident with his

In June 2010, Jim Adamsreunites with his old HSCSunbeam Tiger at theTigers United event.

“Quarter Million Dollar Unpleasantness” article in June 1980 OnTrack showing Chris Cord Monza and 935 wreck at Laguna Seca.

PHOTO CHRIS COFFEL

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teammate at Laguna Seca was started byHurley Haywood diving under Cord justbefore the corkscrew. Haywood and Cordtangled, and then Adams arrived on the sceneand crashed into his teammate and carowner. Haywood’s teammate, Bruce Leven,also crashed into the mess. On Trackmagazine reported on the incident in theirJune 1980 edition, with the segment titled“Quarter Million Dollar Unpleasantness.”Even back in 1980, this incident may havecost more than the On Track reporter claimed.

In less than two months’ time, Spencerhad fixed one of the Monzas, and it wasracing at the Watkins Glen event in early July.

Toward the end of 1981, the Monzas,even with all their tweaks, were outclassed inIMSA’s GTX class. With that, Cord bought aLola T-600 (chassis #HU5), and the car wasquickly showing real form. Though the carhad some very nice second-place finishes inits two-year run, it really seemed like a winwas in order at the ’82 Times Grand Prix atRiverside.

Doana, Spencer’s daughter, remembersthe day’s events very well: “Jim had the poleposition. As the field came around the lastturn of the parade lap, John Paul Jr. who wasin something like third position, jumped outof his starting spot and came down the leftside, hit Jim and pushed him into the wall… all well before the start/finish. John PaulSr. came running down pit lane screamingand threatening all sorts of things. I had beendown on the start/finish and captured theincident on film (I still have the photo of theattempted pass before the start) and knew Jr.was at fault. I was so angry at Sr. for accusingJim and my dad of all sorts of stuff. I wasalso sick at heart that the car my dad hadspent so much time on had just been put outof the race before it even began. The rule wasthere should only be something like fivepeople on the pit lane side of the wall. Iwaited my time on paddock side of the pitwall, and then one of the crew stepped overon to my side of the wall. Before anyonecould stop me I jumped over the wall andinto Sr.’s face. I began backing him up on hisheels with every boney finger thump on hischest I could deliver. Sr. was only about 5’4”so I felt as though I towered over him. Allvery foolish.”

Different PathsAfter 1983, Adams and Spencer were stilllinked, but not at the track. Adamscontinued on with 10 more years ofprofessional racing, driving AAR ToyotaCelicas in IMSA GTU and GTO, then abunch of GTP cars for various teams. Someof the IMSA GTP cars include Porsche 962s,a Jaguar XJR-5 (including Le Mans in ’85), a

March 83G and a Spice. Spencer kept building and restoring cars

out of Doane Spencer Racing in NorthHollywood, California. After a heart attack inAugust of 1984 and the loss of his home dueto a fire two weeks later, he moved his homeand business north up the coast to Cayucos,California. Doctors’ orders after the scarewere to get out of professional racing.Though he followed the letter of the law, hedidn’t remove himself too far, even helpingAdams work through problems on a Porsche962 that he’d never even touched a wrenchto. Spencer was commissioned by many racecar enthusiasts and collectors to restore many

important race cars, even a Ford GT40. Spencer passed away in 1995 a week after

winning the “People’s Choice Award” at alocal car show in Atascadero, California, withhis 1955 Ford Thunderbird.

Jim Adams is still looking sharp, andworking as a financial advisor in SouthernCalifornia. Though his humble nature keepshim from attending too many retrospectives,with persistence, Adams has been persuadedto a special event here and there. TheSunbeam Tiger Owners Association (STOA)have been lucky enough to have him atmore than one of their large “Tigers United”gatherings.


victory in f-production at santa barbara, in his mga that doane … · 2012-11-02 ·...

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