24 Hours of Nurburgring
In October 1979, the B.F. Goodrich tire company sponsored two-car team of AMXs in the twenty-four hour Group One endurance race at Germany's legendary Nürburgring race track. Not only were these American Motors AMXs the first American entries in this historic race, but they also finished #1 and #2 in their class out of a 120-car field in this grueling 14.1 mile (22.7 km), 176 turn road race. They were the fastest cars on street rubber, BFG T/A radials.
Amos Johnson and partner Dennis Shaw were the team principals and drivers in the North Carolina based "Team Highball". The new 1979 304 in³ V8 powered AMX was already homologated to meet Group One production car based rules. Two street-stock cars (both with AMC 5.0 L V8 and four-speed transmission) were obtained by "Team Highball" less than three weeks before a transport ship would sail to Europe. With almost no prior time on the race course, the team qualified the cars in 20th and 21st overall. The track tested both the cars and their new street tires, but both finished the race with one car in 25th and the second in 43rd overall. Another unique aspect of these historic racecars is that they were among the few ever to have had a period documentary film ("The Ultimate Challenge") done about the racecar preparation and race experience.
The 2nd place finishing car has been purchased and restored by automotive enthusiast Myron Cottrell
The class winning Team Highball AMX was found and purchased by Steve Francis of Main Street Motorsport. After the Nurburging race the #2 AMX was updated to IMSA AC and later IMSA GT spec and includes a run at the Daytona 24 hours. Steve started restoration with an eye on a mix of its FIA Group 1 and IMSA GTO specs. The story on how this car was discovered is highlighted in Tom Cotter's book "The Cobra in the Barn". This is the team car driven by Lyn St James, Gary Witzenburg and Jim Downing. Steve also tracked down the prototype FIA AMX, still in its original paint, that was used to homologate these two FIA AMX race cars.
The #2 AMX is currently being restored by Mike Weaver who is the host of the ssamx.com site.
Read more about this topic: AMC Spirit AMX, Racing
Famous quotes containing the word hours:
“Some hours seem not to be occasion for any deed, but for resolves to draw breath in. We do not directly go about the execution of the purpose that thrills us, but shut our doors behind us and ramble with prepared mind, as if the half were already done. Our resolution is taking root or hold on the earth then, as seeds first send a shoot downward which is fed by their own albumen, ere they send one upward to the light.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)