.....which i couldn't keep!!!

If your a fan of old time racing, read on!! If your a car guy, read on anyway!!

We were at my Wife's families christmas celebration on christmas eve when an old friend of the family came by to visit like he does every year. This fellow is in his mid to late 60's and i have always known that he was into photography. Anyway, he said i was glad i was there cause he brought something for me to see. He then plops an old large photo album on the table in front of me. Nothing special yet.

Then i open it!!! The very first pic i see is a mid 60's 250(?) testarossa, then a berlinetta, then another Ferrari, and then a different one. At this point my jaw is completely on the floor, the hair is standing up on my arms and neck and i must of had this stupid look on my face cause he proceeds to tell me that he was a track photographer at Mosport during the 60's, and not just a track photographer, but the Ferrari track photographer. He has some of his pics in a couple of Ferrari yearbooks. This album was all his personal pics..all black and white...all fantastic shots...and all unseen!!! Not on the internet, not in a book...not in a musuem...just in this ragged old green album!!! I could not believe it!!! Besides the Ferrari's, there was Lotus', Cheetah's. Cobras, a Ford X1 (never even heard of it!), GT40s, Sunbeam Tiger, a John Cooper Mini (which apparently kicked ass for some time), a 66 Mustang, chapparals, something from Holman and Moody and some other exotics which i am forgetting in the excitement. Then he proceeds to point out some of the portraits of different people..Dan Hill, actually a few different Hills, Dan Gurney, Mark Donahue, and so on and so on...at one point he goes, "i know you know this guy!!"...friggin Mario Andretti!!! He must of been in his late 20's or something!! Holy Crap!!! Plus he had stories about most of them!! He had detailed shots of the engine bays (including a H-16), wheels, body work...it was over the top!! My favourite action shot was of an open wheeled Lotus rounding a curve, in the rain, in a four wheel slide and with the spray going straight up in the air for ten feet!!!

That is one gift that i will not forget for some time!! I pleaded with him to allow me to scan some of them...all he said is "We'll see!!"