Bob Hindson, from Kansas City, the proprietor of Hindson's Foreign Car Sales and Service, was already a successful racer before he moved to Datsun. Running in C Sedan, his immaculate #31 Mini was a regular sight on the National and Regional circuit and he twice took it to the American Road Race of Champions. At the 1966 event, after winning the MidWest divisional championshipc, Bob came within a second of winning the national championship. He exchanged the lead virtually every lap with Richard McDaniel, also racing a Mini, and led going into the last lap. Most agreed that the title should have been shared as this was the most exciting race of the weekend. McDaniel went on to win three national championships in C Sedan.
 

While racing the Mini, Bob also invested in a beautiful 1967.5 Datsun 2000 Roadster (see Gallery below). For the 1968 season he raced both cars, building on his previous success. A busy season culminated in an invitation to race both cars at that year's ARRC at Riverside. From the MidWest division, Bob qualified his Datsun alongside the Datsun 2000s of Dick Roberts and Doc Foerster (Pages coming soon). Unfortunately, Bob recorded a DNF with the Mini, although he faired a little better with his Datsun, placing 12th, two places behind Roberts.

Around this time, Bob was asked to sit on the committee that decided the SCCA's car classifications. The committee included Bob Sharp, Kas Kastner, (Triumph), Joe Huffaker (then MG, later Jensen-Healey) and other great names from the sport. There were apparently a number of full and frank committee meetings, each member having their own view on the class in which they, as well as their rivals, should compete.

Bob's success soon sparked interest from Porsche. The 914-6 had just been launched with mixed reaction from the US public, and Porsche-Audi was looking for some good PR. None other that Richie Ginther was asked to prepare six orange cars in his West Coast shop. Two cars went to each of three divisional teams for racing in C Production -  Alan Johnson and Elliott Forbes-Robinson (later Datsun) raced two of the cars for Ginther himself. In the Southeast, Porsche racer Peter Gregg ran two cars for Pete Harrison and himself, and in the MidWest, Bob Hindson and Kendall Noah ran cars for veteran Porsche racer and Kansas shop owner Art Bunker.

It was mid-1969 when Pete Brock released Art Oehrli, his engine building guru, from BRE. Art had done some wonderful things with the Datsun 2000 roadster (U-20) engine and had also produced some major power increase in the 240Z. Art moved to Porsche and was given the task of developing the 914-6 engine. By the end of the 1970 season, he had squeezed 212hp from the 2-litre Porsche unit, sufficient to worry its main competition - the Datsun 240Z. Bob Hindson won the 1970 C Production title in the MidWest first time out, ahead of Kendall Noah (Porsche 914-6, 2nd) and BRE's John McComb (Datsun 240Z, 3rd). Bob was invited to the ARRC, along with six other 914-6s. Here, although Bob showed well, the best 914-6 finishes were 4th and 5th for Johnson and Forbes-Robinson, behind the Datsun Z cars of John Morton, Bob Sharp and John McComb.

Although factory sponsorship of the 914-6 was withdrawn for 1971, Bob continued with the car and won the MidWest title again that year. Bob Hindson went on to win no less than 13 divisional titles, with various Porsche machinery - perhaps Bob's greatest achievements were his two GTU wins at the Daytona 24 hours in 1976 and 1977.

Bob Hindson Racing is still a major force in the MidWest, although Bob himself is now retired from the business. Bob's Porsche 914-6 is the only known survivor of the six race cars, and it was rebuilt by Bob himself in 1985.

The whereabouts of Bob's Datsun 2000 is sadly not known.

Rob Beddington

The Bob Hindson Datsun Roadster Gallery  The following excellent images are from Jim Kellar. (Click on thumbnails for enlargements)
	Continental Divide Raceway, Castlerock, Colorado - Bob's 67.5 2000 before the race.
	Continental Divide Raceway - Bob's 2000 motor.
	Continental Divide Raceway - Bob's interior.
	Continental Divide Raceway - on the grid behind Jon Woodner - Dan Parkinson on the right.
	Continental Divide Raceway.
	Mid America Raceway - Bob talking to Yenko racer Donna-Mae Mimms 'The Lady in Pink'.
	Mid America Raceway - Bob leads Donna-Mae Mimms.

Credits/Acknowledgements   Many thanks again go to Jim Kellar for the excellent images you see here - without these images the Bob Hindson pages would be very thin indeed - look out for further images from Jim in future updates. Research by Rob Beddington. Thanks also go to the SCCA. Should you have any further information or images which you think would benefit these pages please E-Mail me. Rob Beddington

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These pages and images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright ©1999, 2000 and 2001, Jim Kellar, Rob Beddington & The Classic Fairlady Roadster Register. No part to be repoduced in any form without the prior permission of the owners.