Mystery of the Silver Chalices

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Category: Sports Car Festivals and Other Events

Published on Wednesday, 10 June 2015 19:31

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Mystery of the Silver Chalices

Shortly after the GASKET GAZETTE went on line I got a call from Dave Moore, long time Oklahoma Region member and Pit Steward at Ponca City and Hallet. Dave was cleaning his garage and found some SCCA stuff. We arranged a meeting at Moore's office to collect the stuff. One item he gave me was was a small metal box labeled on duct tape “SCCA.”

When Dave opened the box, inside were two velvet draw-string bags, each containing a silver chalice. Both chalices were engraved with “David Dooley Chalice.” Moore said he knew nothing about the cups.

One cup bore the following engravings:

1972 Dennis Guthrie 

1973 George Hamilton

1974 Bob Smoak

 1975 George Hamilton 0:07.1

 1976 Jim Craig

 1977 George Hamilton 0:05.2

 1978 Dennis Guthrie 0:08.9

The second chalice read as follows:

 (Girl Size) 

1974 Carol Guthrie 

1975 Debbie Goodman 0:56.6 

1977 Cindi Key 0:09.8

1978 Marrilynn Adams 1:22.0

Recognizing some of the names, I realized most were either deceased or long forgotten. I asked one person whose name was on the “Girl Size” chalice about the cups and she professed no memory about the cups or occasion. So the chalices, bags and box went into my garage until May,2015. 

While researching an autocross article for the Gazette, I found a center photo spread in the July, 1975 Gazette labeled “4^th Annual Okla. Region S.C.C.A. Picnic”. In the photo spread was David Dooley and a number of people drinking from the chalices. I recognized Betty Wills, George Hamilton, Jim Craig, Mike Anderson, Wiley Hunt. Roger Addison and others. Obviously the chalices were awarded to the fastest consumers of beer from the cups.

Sadly, David Dooley passed away Monday, October 20, 2003. His obituary read, “David was a man of many talents and interests... Books could be written of his life, his deeds and accomplishments, but can be summed up in this way - He had a zest for life which he lived to the fullest.”

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