[
US
INDEX |
EUROPEAN
INDEX |
JAPANESE
INDEX |
SILVIA
PAGES ] |
|
The Dan 'Parky' Parkinson Pages
4 Times
National
SCCA Champion
|
By the time Dan Parkinson started campaigning Datsun Roadsters he had already won four National SCCA Championships. These successes were achieved as follows:-
H Modified [Dolphin, 1964]
H Sports [Abarth, 1966]
D Sedan [Austin Cooper, 1966]
D Sedan [Fiat Abarth, 1967]
Dan, or Parky, as he became affectionately known, first raced a Datsun Roadster in 1967, when he campaigned a 1600 with the semi-works 'Datsun Racing Team' . This team raced out of Dwayne Feuerhelm's Auto Works at Granada Hills, California. Before Nissan switched it's major support in the West to Pete Brock's BRE team in 1968, Auto Works was one of only two official Nissan Motorsports franchises (alongside Bob Sharp Racing in the East).
Dan Parkinson's Datsun 1600
CHECK OUT THE RETOUCHED IMAGE BELOW- DAN'S
1600 FROM THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH
|
Dan achieved some Regional success with the Team, and managed 3rd place to Bob Sharp's 1st in the 1967 ARRC - F Production. However, it was not long before he started campaigning Roadsters in his own right - in late 1967 he purchased his own Datsun 2000, which he was to qualify for the Nationals in 1969. The history of this car can be found below. The car was prepared by Dan and his father EB Parkinson. As an owner/driver Dan received some support through Nissan by way of parts,expenses and competition winnings, although he did not receive the development funding afforded to the BRE and BSR teams.
According to Jack Scoville, Dan's father, 'EB', was an ingenious technician. When garbage incinerators were banned in California, EB used the incinerators as his muffler for his backyard dyno as well as using his swimming pool as the cooling tower. Dan's modifications to the car were said to be efficient, if not beautiful, and a few of the original mods remain to this day.
Despite Dan's continued Regional successes, a further National Championship eluded him. He placed 2nd to Jack Scoville in the 1969 Runoffs, and qualified 1st for the 1970 race. This he led for 3 laps before a broken valve lifter forced him to retire.
It was not long before Dan's straightforward will to win won him a prestigious place in the BRE team, at the request of Nissan, replacing John McComb as driver of the #3 240Z, alongside John Morton's #46. When Pete Brock disbanded the BRE team in 1972, Dan bought his #3 240Z from the team and campaigned it in C Production as a privateer, whilst still campaigning his Roadster in D Production. In the 1972 DP Runoffs, after finishing 2nd to Don Devendorf in the SCCA's SP Division, Dan placed his Datsun 2000 3rd behind Bob McQueen, who was racing his ex-BRE 2000, and Don Devendorf, in his Triumph GT6. At the 1973 Runoffs his hopes were dashed once again, picking up another 2nd place in his roadster, this time to Lee Mueller in a Huffaker Engineering Jensen-Healey, albeit by a large margin of 35 seconds after 2nd place man Jim Reeve was disqualified in his Yenko Stinger. At the same Runoffs Dan came fourth in C Production at the wheel of his 240Z.
With two second places and two one third places in various Runoffs, Dan Parkinson was probably the best driver not to have won a National Championship at the wheel of a Roadster.
If you have any further information/images that you think would benefit these pages, or if you would like to forward any comments, please E-Mail me.
Rob Beddington
Dan Parkinson Press Releases |
|
Lee Wiley, Dwayne Feuerhelm and Dan Parkinson at the docks, loading one of five low windshield race prepared 2000s onto a Datsun transporter. These cars were sent by Nissan Japan to the factory backed teams. |
|
Dan at the wheel of his high windshield 2000, with his father, 'E.B.', prior to the first ARRC to be held at Road Atlanta, 1970. |
The History of Dan Parkinson's SRL311-00701 (The BRE Roadster that wasn't) Please click on images for details of the car's history
Technical Specifications of SRL311-00701
|
Credits/Acknowledgements
These pages and images could not have been produced without the input of David Piña, the owner of #00701 from 1975 to date, Kirk Allegro, owner from 1972 to 1973, Peter Brock, CDM's Les Cannaday and Dennis Currington, Craig Carter, Nissan Motorsports and the Sports Car Club of America.
These pages are copyright ©2000 Rob Beddington, the CFRR and David Piña