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Inter-City Gymkhana Series:The Early Years
Editor's Comments 04/17/15: We still don't know who the NEOkla Team Captain was in 1962 (see photo). Trivia - Austin Healey 100-Ms like Frank Herald's in the photo below have been crossing the auction block recently for over 1 million $. I wonder where Frank's 100M is today ?
When the first Inter-City Gymkhana between Oklahoma Region and NEOkla Region was held is not certain. No specific mention of such an event was posted in the Gazette until 1963. However the Gazette reported the Targa Florio Gymkhana, and the photos for this event show Oklahoma Region Member Dave Carr handing the enormous Inter-City Trophy to an as yet unidentified person, presumed to be the NEOkla team captain. Your editor was at that event, and remembers NEOkla winning. I also remember David Burtner of Tulsa, who drove his race prepared C Jaguar to the fastest gross time of the day, but was penalized for pylon scattering. He is listed in the Targa Florio Gymkhana results as 14th in Class A.
Rules in the early years were basically that the event would be rotated between Oklahoma Region and NEOkla sites. Gymkhana rules of the hosting Region would be used since SCCA has not established specific rules or regulations. The number of team members was agreed upon on a year by year basis. Points were usually awarded as per a team member's finishing position in their respective classes, with the lowest point total winning.
1962 TARGA FLORIO GYMKHANA
Wow! What a turn out for a sports car event. At the final count of the entry blanks there were 80 cars listed to run for twenty—seven trophies in the Targa Florio Gymkhana. In the wee morning hours when the pylons were being laid out (9:00 A.M.) the sky looked as though it was going to bless another of our Gymkhanas with showers and cold wind, but as the day rolled on the rain passed over and the sun came out but the cold wind was here to stay, for the rest of the day. The winds did not affect the enthusiasm of the dedicated sports car fans who will turn out in droves to brave the elements to participate in an event that will demonstrate their driving skill and to talk shop with their fellow drivers. Perhaps the reason for the good turnout was the fact we mailed leaflets to Tulsa Automobile Club, Comanche Touring Club, NEOkla, Corvette Clubs in Tulsa and Oklahoma City and Bartlesville,, newspaper add and lots and lots of telephone calls Much of the credit for putting on this most successful Gymkhana goes to the outstanding help of the workers who stood like icicles in the cold wind. Credits and Thanks go to C.A. Leslie, Jack Stone, Bill Roberts, Ben Ellis, George England and Dave Dooley. Thanks also go to C. S. Trosper for the use of his Volkswagon Van where Registration and Time was ably kept by Mary Kaye Leslie and Dave Wood.
1963
The only mention of that year’s event was the following page in the December Gazette. In the top photo, Oklahoma Region Team Members, l to r, John Saucier, David Carr, Dave Dooley, Dan Craig and Bill Butler pose by the Inter-City trophy. The lower left photo shows I believe, l to r, Bill Watson, somebody and John Saucier. In the lower photo, l to r, are Steve England, somebody wrapped in a blanket, Mike Dickey, some one’s back side, Bill Roberts and David Carr. Your editor apologizes to all the “somebodys” who have escaped his memory.
1964
The following article and results are from the January, 1995 Gazette. No photographs were printed.
The Oklahoma Region retained the Inter-city gymkhana trophy in the 29th of November running of this the classic of Oklahoma gymkhanas. Thirteen drivers from NEOkla. Region braved the 90 odd mile trip bringing everything from a F-V to a Fiat.
The event location was changed to the Little Giant Go-Kart track when the original location’s owner discovered a gymkhana was not a car show.
Event chairman, Bill Watson aided by Dallas Blachly, Dick Workman, Glenn Leonard, Hank Kliner, Chuck Murphy and just a bunch of members and non-members ran all 62 entries through in record time using NEOkIa's rules and classing.
NEOkIa has a very active gymkhana group and they have set a tentative date of September 26th for the 1965 event.