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Scarab

  • Thread starter Deleted member 8987
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Deleted member 8987

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Just had a visit by a Scarab.
Just done and licensed.
388 with modified Hilborn.
Knockoffs.
Loud.
 
I had posted photos as it was being built.
No time today. Didn't even know he was coming until the B-17 tried to land in my driveway.
 
I hunted down the earlier photos. That's a beauty. This might be of interest:


Bocar vs Scarab. The event was Labor Day, 1960, and was an SCCA Regional. The only reason the two Meister Brauser Scarabs trucked 1000 miles to this non-points race was to settle a grudge. Bob Carnes, who built the Bocars, had made the statement that his car could beat the Scarabs. Harry Heuer, owner of the Meister Brauser Team, called him on it. They ran this match race, just the two of them, and Heuer won. Later, Pabst and Heuer ran one-two in the feature race.

I've seen both the Bocar Stiletto and the Meister Brauser Scarabs race at various vintage races. The sounds they make are amazing. That B17 reference isn't too far off.
 
I saw the Scarabs race at Lake Garnett, KS SCCA National in 1961. That was the first time I had seen a professional hauler, matching pit cart, etc. As I recall, there was a birdcage there that gave them a good contest. Have tried for years to find results from that July 11th race, but to no avail. Only way I even know the date/year is having dash plaque.
 
I was at a swap meet a year or two ago, and someone had some programs from the Lake Garnett races from that era, they were pretty cool but he wanted too much for them so I didn't bite. Didn't know Lake Garnett track existed before then.
 
Wasn't a track, just a road around a small lake in a -probably- state park. Had a turn and bridge worse than the one on the original course at Watkins Glen. I think that is what killed the event.
 
DART said:
I saw the Scarabs race at Lake Garnett, KS SCCA National in 1961. That was the first time I had seen a professional hauler, matching pit cart, etc. As I recall, there was a birdcage there that gave them a good contest. Have tried for years to find results from that July 11th race, but to no avail. Only way I even know the date/year is having dash plaque.
Click to expand...

I was there also. I was wearing a red t-shirt, maybe you saw me??. The Birdcage was owned and driven by Jack Hinkle, a banker from Wichita. It was a great race, with the Birdcage passing the Scarab in all the corners, but the Scarab returning the favor every lap on the back straight. I was there a couple of years ago just to see the track again. It is in a city park, and the road has had very few changes . The actual racing surface is very narrow, and would have been very hard to pass at any point. The back straight now has so many exaggerated expansion cycles, that it would be hard to drive at racing speeds. It looks like a roller coaster. The bridge is still there with the stone abutments, and still the same one lane narrow bridge as it was then.

The racing was ended at this track in 1965 or 66, when riots erupted on saturday night. One LEO died as a result of a heart attack during the riots, and the event was shut down.

In recent years, there is an interest in the "Lake Garnett Reunion" event.
 
I've seen the Scarabs in action a couple of times back in their (and my) heyday. My idea of what a racing sports car should look like. Last one I saw was at the Collier Museum in Naples, FL.
 
But in my ancient eyes, *this* is a Scarab:

 
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