Letters.(Letter to the Editor)

Daly on target

I really enjoyed Dutch Mandel's column about Derek Daly (AW, Aug. 18). When I first saw Daly as an announcer on TV, I thought he was another washed-up driver with a cute accent who would provide politically correct commentary. What changed my mind was a series of articles he wrote for a karting magazine (my son and I participate in the sport regularly). He talked about the characteristics required to make a good race driver and backed it with real-world personalities. Daly was not afraid to name pro drivers and teams, and did an exceptional job of explaining the reasons for their successes and failures. He candidly talked about his own failures as well.

As for the Roger Penske reference, your article hit the nail on the head. R.P. doesn't make excuses-he just does what it takes to win more consistently than anyone else over a longer period of time. Thanks for a great read.

Brad Plank, Dallas

History lesson on No. 2469

This is in reference to the Birdcage Maserati Tipo 61 No. 2469 ("The Real Maserati McCoy,'' Aug. 18) owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Hall of Fame Museum. My brother and I owned and raced the car in the 1960s. To clarify the history of this Birdcage, and to reiterate what William Jeanes reported, it is not the car driven by Dan Gurney and Stirling Moss in the 1960 1000-kilometer race at the Nrburgring.

This Birdcage does have an impressive and significant race history. With Billy Krause driving, it won the Los Angeles Examiner Riverside Grand Prix in October 1960, beating a field that included the new mid-engined Lotus 19s of Moss and Gurney. This victory is significant because it marked one of the last major wins for a front- engined race car over the new mid-engined racers. It was sold shortly thereafter to Chuck Sargent of Stockton, California, who campaigned it in West Coast SCCA races. This Birdcage was then ...